Cullen's Bride (Western Lawmen Brides Book 2) by Margaret Tanner

Author:Margaret Tanner [Tanner, Margaret]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2023-07-14T23:00:00+00:00

Chapter Ten

“By my reckoning we’ve only got a couple of hours to get out of here,” Cullen said. “Once they collect their money, they will come back to finish us off.”

“I’m surprised they didn’t shoot us on the spot,” Evie said, wondering how she could even speak because of the dire situation they were now in.

“Me, too, but they must have had their reasons. I can’t believe the Golden Point City Council weren’t prepared to pay the ransom for me. After all I’ve done for them.” Bitterness filled his voice. “I’ve lost count of the number of times I’ve put my life on the line for them.”

“I’m sorry, it must be a dreadful feeling to be so badly let down.”

“It is. I never would have believed the town would do this to me. Of course, Glover will be glad to be rid of me. When he employed me, he thought I would be easily manipulated and he didn’t like it when he discovered I was an honest lawman.”

“It is disgraceful people could be so ungrateful. Money always seems to bring out the worst in people. If those outlaws don’t come back, we’ll die of thirst.”

“It would save them two bullets. There’s no way out of here, except maybe that window. If I could climb out and jump to the ground, I’d be able to open the door and let you out.”

“That must be a fifteen-foot drop to the ground; you could be killed. Besides, I don’t think you’d fit, but I could squeeze through.”

He stared at her for a moment or two. “You would have the same drop. I can’t let you risk it.”

“We’ll die if we stay here, even if the outlaws don’t come back to kill us. How long will we last without water? My mouth is already drying up. I could pull myself up on some of those wooden beams.”

“In those clothes?”

She glanced down at the dress she had planned to be married in. Why didn’t she think of that? If she stripped to her undergarments, she would easily fit through. Her body heated up at the thought of doing something so shameful. Modesty or death? She almost laughed out loud, only once she started, she feared becoming hysterical. The situation was a never-ending nightmare. The desire to live suddenly overrode her fear, modesty and shyness.

“Desperate times call for desperate measures,” she muttered, trying to convince herself it was so. Except for Cullen no-one would know she had temporarily discarded her dress. It was scandalous, wanton even, yet there was no choice. If she wanted them to live it had to be done.

Swallowing a couple of times in readiness to say the words, Evie hesitated for a few seconds longer. “I’ll remove my dress.”

“What!”

“If I removed my dress, it will be easier for me to climb up to the window and it will ensure I can fit through.”

“But…but.” Cullen sounded as flustered as she felt. “You can’t. It wouldn’t be decent.”

“And dying is decent, I suppose?”

He pursed his lips.

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