Hell's Eight 1 - Caine's Reckoning by Sarah MacCarty

Author:Sarah MacCarty [MacCarty, Sarah]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2011-01-16T23:37:48.173000+00:00

Generated by ABC Amber LIT Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abclit.html

She bounced on her toes, stretching her muscles, tears burning with the agony. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

Caine pushed his hat back, and she had a clear view of his eyes and the concern within. “Whatever you’re trying to prove, it’s unnecessary.”

The patient set of his mouth, that small smile that could mean anything—oh, it was very necessary.

“Maybe not to you.”

“Who else matters?”

She grabbed the saddle and the stirrup. “Me.”

As soon as she had her weight off balance on one leg, the horse crowded her and snapped its head around. She yanked up and away from those teeth. The mare snorted and tossed its head. Two crow hops that had her whimpering with pain, and she was dangling off the saddle. Lily gave a little buck. Desi screamed and hung on.

Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Caine reaching for her. She kicked out with her free leg. “Get away from me.”

“Damn it, you’re going to get hurt.”

She hung on for dear life, dragging herself up with muscles that screamed. “You said she was gentle.”

“Nothing’s that gentle.”

The damn horse better be because she wasn’t failing again. “I…can…do…this!”

For once, luck was on her side. The next half buck tossed her up. She made a wild grab, hooking the saddle horn with her elbow. Metal bit into bone, her squeal was half victory and half pain. It was easier to get up now that her weight was against the horse rather than dangling off it. The next minute wasn’t pretty, but little by little, eyes closed tightly, scrabbling with fingers and toes, she got herself onto the saddle. Knee, calf, hip, then total collapse over the horse’s neck.

Desi sucked in a deep breath that reeked of horse and leather. Her back screamed in relief or rebellion, she wasn’t sure, but she did know if the horse would just stay still, she could fall asleep right there. Just snore her way through the terror.

Boots crunched on the hard ground. Desi didn’t have to open her eyes to know who was crooning to the horse. Only one man stayed that unflappably possessed when wrestling with demons. And Lily was definitely a demon. A big hairy, smelly, four-legged, hay-munching demon.

“You planning on taking a nap now that you’re up there?”

“I was thinking about it.”

A pause and then, “It’d be a shame to waste all that work by getting right off. Might as well get a lesson in while you’re up there.”

Getting a lesson meant bending over and turning the right stirrup so she could get her foot in. “No.”

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