Free For the Love of Suzanne by Kristi Hudecek-Ashwill Page B

“Very well,
sir,” he grumbled. “But we are still Americans and this
woman is innocent until proven guilty.”
    Suzanne’s head was spinning. Crime? Innocent
until proven guilty? Convicted? Of what?
    “Damn it,” the major roared. “This
is NOT America. This is United States territory and
I
am the law,”
he tapped himself on his broad chest.
    She covered her mouth in horror. This really was
territory and not the state of Arizona? She was confused and
silently cursed Cody for bringing her here. How could he do this to
her? Hadn’t he promised he would come back? And if he had come
back, why hadn’t he visited her? Why hadn’t he taken her
back to her car? Why had he lied?
    Addison said nothing more and walked out the door,
slamming it loudly.
    Major Richards resumed his seat and glared at
Suzanne. “I don’t care how taken my men are by you. You
are still a criminal. I’m charging you with conspiracy to cause a mutiny with the Indians and,” he smiled smugly. “Treason.”
    She felt a sense of panic. “I don’t
know anything about any mutinies or Indians or even if Cody Black Fox
is involved. I haven’t seen him since the day he left me here,”
she said desperately.
    “Miss Dillon, I can assure you that I do not
care about your lies. I think you are protecting him and you’re
lying to do it. Now, I am placing you under arrest,” he said
casually, his cold dark eyes filled with anger.
    She had never been arrested in her life. She
hadn’t even had a traffic ticket or any parking violations and
now she was being
arrested
?
For conspiracy and treason?
    Suddenly, the room began to spin and she ran short
of breath before blackness overcame her. She fell to the floor with a
thud.

Chapter 12
    Cody had been circling the fort at night for over
a week, hoping to get a glimpse of Suzanne and was disappointed that
he never saw her. That worried him. She was a fine, frail woman,
unlike any others he had ever met. She was very beautiful,
soft-spoken and very afraid. He could see the fear in her eyes and
feel it in his bones. He could also see her pain and wished he could
take it all away. He would love to see her happy for even just a
minute, but considering how she’d come here and how everything
was so unfamiliar to her, he understood her sorrow. Still, he felt as
if there was more that she wasn’t telling him.
    He hadn’t been to the fort since the day
he’d left her at Annalee’s. Her tears and pleas not to
leave her there still haunted him, but he’d had no choice. It
was either Annalee’s, where she would be around other white
people, or Tall Deer who he was sure would have been cruel to her.
    He sighed as he fought his emotions of guilt and
the longing to hold her in his arms again. He wanted to kiss her,
comfort her, and ease her pain. He wanted much more than that. He was
a man, even if he was a half-breed, and she was a woman who didn’t
seem to care about it. He reminded himself that she was married.
There was a husband somewhere. That was what had been keeping him
away, but he didn’t want to lie to her and had come for the
visit he’d promised her he would make.
    He was wearing blue jeans and a white cotton shirt
and boots as well as a black wide-brimmed hat. He was dressed like a
white man tonight, but his long hair still hung freely around his
shoulders and down his back.
    As he approached the gate, he saw Addison Taylor
in the guard tower and was almost relieved and slid off his horse.
Addison was easygoing and friendly. Cody knew he was a good man and
considered him a friend.
    Addison saw him, too, and ran down the flight of
stairs to the ground and opened the gate just far enough to step
outside. The other guards were oblivious as they played cards by the
light of an oil lamp. “Cody, what the hell are you doing here?”
he whispered frantically.
    He didn’t understand the urgency in his
friend’s voice and frowned as he realized something wasn’t
right. “I came to visit Suzanne