Free Texas Proud (Vincente 2) by Constance O'Banyon Page A

Margretta. Bring more
lamps." He was stalling and he knew it. He
glanced out the window that faced the front of the
house, his eyes searching the road. "Dammit. If
only that doctor would get here."
    Rachel chose that moment to open her eyes.
She saw Noble gripping a hideous-looking knife
and she tried to raise her head, but she was too
weak. She fell back against the pillow, the room spinning. "Kill me," she said weakly, licking her
dry lips. "I don't care."

    "Rachel," Noble said softly, laying the knife
aside, "do you recall what happened to you?"
    She felt so helpless, and her voice seemed
trapped in her throat. Why did her chest feel as if
it were on fire, and the rest of her felt ice cold?
Why couldn't she move? "Where... am 17
    "Rachel, you are at Casa del Sol. I brought you
here after you were shot do you remember?"
    She tried to think past the nausea that rocked
her in waves, and past the throbbing pain that
sapped her strength. Shot had he said she'd been
shot? Her eyes widened and terror iced through
her veins. She flinched when Noble reached out
to her. She wished she could get up, move, run!
But when she tried to rise, Noble's hand came
down on her shoulder to hold her in place. It
didn't take much effort for him to subdue her, because she was as weak as a newborn baby.
    His voice came to her muted, as if he were
speaking to her from a deep cavern. "Rachel,
you've been shot and "he started to explain.
    "You... shot me." She licked her lips. "And
now you want to finish me off?" Her eyes fell to
the knife and deeper terror took possession of her.
"Go ahead I can't stop you."
    Noble felt sick inside because she feared him.
How could she think he'd harm her? He remembered her at the river, beautiful, tantalizing, irresistible, and he spoke to her with gentleness. "You mustn't distress yourself Try to remain calm." He
wanted to wipe away her fear. "I only want to help
you, Rachel. You should know that I would never
do you harm."

    Rachel tore her gaze away from Noble's and
looked for help from the Mexican woman who
seemed to be studying her with compassion.
"H-help me, senora...he...he will" Darkness
hovered over Rachel like an ominous bird of prey,
circling, circling until there was only a tiny pinpoint of light. Her instincts were sharp, but her
body was encumbered by weakness. Her hope,
like the light, was quickly being swallowed by
darkness, leaving her powerless to defend herself.
Rachel allowed the blackness to win. She floated
on an endless sea where there was no pain - a
safe, dark place to hide.
    If this was what it felt like to die, she thought,
it wasn't so bad.
    Noble took a deep breath and gripped the knife
handle, nodding at Margretta. "It's a blessing that
she's lost consciousness again." He crossed himself, a prayer lingering on his lips. He needed
God's help to guide his hands on his quest to save
Rachel.
    Rachel awoke in a state of confusion. She felt as
if a weight were pressing down on her chest, and
when she attempted to move, searing pain made
her head spin, and bile rose in her throat. She
gasped for breath and was finally able to take air into her lungs. After a moment, she turned her
head to stare at the lamp flickering on a nearby
table. The feeble flame lent very little light to the
darkened corners of the room.

    Everything was unfamiliar. She had never seen
the massive hand-carved wardrobe that was in her
line of view. Inch by inch she turned her head to
puzzle over the double doors that stood open, allowing a slight breeze to circulate through the
room. She surmised that the doors led to a balcony, because she could see the treetops.
    Where was she?
    As she became more alert, she could hear the
mumbling of male voices just outside the door,
but they weren't speaking loud enough for her to
hear what they were saying. And did she really
care? She was so weary, she just wanted to sleep.
    Suddenly the door opened and Noble stepped