Read The Loner for Free Online Page A

guilt or innocence of this woman/child he had in his care. It wasn’t his job to figure it out, he must remember that. It had to be left to a jury to decide.
    Yet, he always wanted to believe that the prisoners he took to jail were guilty. It was a crime on his part to rob a person of even one day of freedom if he or she was innocent.
    Finally, he tossed the remains of his dozenth cup of coffee away and stood up. Time to get going.
    His movement disturbed The Cat’s sleep.
    â€œWa-ter,” she mumbled.
    He got her a drink of cold water and held up her head so he could pour some of it down her throat. He tried to talk to her but she only moaned in response.
    Black Fox laid her back down and walked to the edge of the camp. Nothing as big as a man or a horse was moving among the trees. The sun was bringing a stronger light each minute.
    Becker could very well make good on his threat to return come sunrise, so they needed to get out of here now.
    He went back to The Cat and stood over her. She was shifting restlessly in her sleep and muttering. He touched her forehead and his heart sank. She was hot, and running a fever.
    Black Fox tried to get her awake and get some coffee into her but she clamped her beautiful lips together and refused to take even a sip. She wouldn’t open her eyes, either.
    For several minutes, Black Fox knelt beside her, trying to prepare her to ride. He could see through her shirt that the bleeding had not completely stopped and he bound the bandage tighter. Then he tried again to get some liquid into her but she wouldn’t take it.
    Finally, he realized he would have to carry her because she couldn’t hold her eyes open for more than a heartbeat at a time, and there was no way,short of being tied in the saddle, that she would be able to stay on a horse. He couldn’t do that to her.
    His heart twisted inside him. He wanted her gone and off his hands and he wished for her to be somebody else’s responsibility more than he had wanted anything for a long, long time. But he had to take her home with him. There was nowhere else to go and get there with her still alive.
    He brought the horses up and saddled them, put his gear back into his packs, then ran the little dun horse’s reins through his own saddle ring and knotted them. Only then did he kick dirt over the fire, hoping The Cat could stay warm as long as possible. Fever made a person feel cold and soon she might be chilling. He had to get her to shelter and into a real bed.
    His bed.
    Black Fox gathered The Cat up into his arms, bedroll and all. That would keep her warmer.
    And it would keep her curved, soft body from resting right next to his.
    That thought shocked him. She was young. It was unworthy of him even to let such a sensual consideration as that cross his mind.
    Dear God, and she was sick into the bargain. But she settled into the curve of his arm with a natural ease that said she trusted him.
    â€œNo,” she mumbled, starting to thrash around a little, “leave me alone.”
    She kept her eyes closed.
    â€œI know it hurts,” he murmured soothingly, “but I have to hold you tighter while I’m mounting my horse so as not to drop you.”
    He stuck the toe of his boot into the stirrup, managed to get a grip on the horn with one hand, and stepped up with her in his arms. It would be the perfect moment for Becker to shoot at them.
    The thought must have leapt from his brain to hers.
    â€œWhat…about Becker…?” she muttered.
    He swung into the saddle and found the other stirrup without jostling her too much.
    â€œBecker’s sleeping it off,” he said, hoping it was true. “Didn’t you hear the firewater in his voice last night?”
    â€œUm,” she said and went even more limp in his arms.
    She leaned her head against his shoulder as if he’d asked her to lay it there. He glanced down at her pale, pale face as he turned the horses.
    The Cat was