Chained Apache Woman Begged Him to Do Anything — The Cowboy Did the Unexpected Thing
Chapter 4
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"That's naive.""Probably." He moved to her wrists, carefully washing away the dried blood. The skin beneath was raw, infected in places. She'd struggled against those chains for a long time. "But I've tried being cynical. Didn't much care for it."She hissed as the cloth touched an open wound, but she didn't pull away. "You keep talking like you have a choice in what happens next.""We always have a choice, even if it's just how we face what's coming.""Philosophy again.""I read a lot. Not much else to do out here."He worked in silence for a while, cleaning, disinfecting, bandaging. She bore it all without complaint, though he could see the pain in the way her jaw clenched, the way her good hand gripped the blanket."You were a soldier," she said finally. It wasn't a question."How did you know?""The way you carry yourself. The way you check the perimeter before entering your own home. The way you're treating these wounds. You've done field medicine before.""I was a lot of things. Most of them I'd rather forget.""Join the club."He finished with her visible injuries and sat back. "I need to check your ribs. You might have breaks."She nodded, and he helped her sit up, removing what was left of her shirt with clinical detachment. More bruises, more cuts, and yes, at least two ribs that felt wrong when he gently probed them."Cracked, not broken," he said. "I'll wrap them. But you need to stay still for a while. Let them heal.""I don't have a while. Neither do you.""How long before they come?"She met his eyes. "They're probably already watching. Waiting to see what you'll do. If you'll keep me, kill me, or try to run.""And what happens when they decide they've waited long enough?""They'll come. And they won't ask nicely."Caleb finished wrapping her ribs and helped her lie back down. "Who are they?""You really want to know? Or would you rather maintain plausible deniability for another few hours?""I'd rather know what I'm up against."Ayla closed her good eye for a long moment. When she opened it again, there was something new in her expression: not quite trust, but maybe the beginning of it."You ever hear of the Vance family?""Can't say I have.""Good. That means you're either very isolated or very lucky. The Vance family controls most of the territory from here to the Guadalupe Mountains: cattle, horses, land, water rights. If it's worth having, they own it or they're trying to.""Let me guess: you're related.""A daughter of Marcus Vance. His only legitimate child, for whatever that's worth." She laughed bitterly. "I was supposed to marry into another powerful family, cement alliances, produce heirs—all the things good daughters do.""What happened?""I said no."The simplicity of it hung in the air between them."You said no," Caleb repeated.