Free Sioux Slave by Georgina Gentry Page A

daughter what happened to the Hinzi.
    When Kimi returned to the tipi later, he was awake. “Feeling better?”
    He pulled at his thongs. “I’d feel much better if I could free my hands for a little while. My muscles are cramping.” He seemed to force himself to give her a charming smile.
    Arrogant, dangerous, and trying to appear harmless. He must think of her as just another stupid squaw, Kimi frowned. She made no move to untie him.
    â€œWhy do you hate me so much?”
    The question caught her off-guard, and she shook her ebony braids. “It is your people who hate mine. The soldiers come into our land, try to tell us where to live, what we must do, kill, hurt us–”
    â€œI would never hurt you, Kimi, believe that.” His handsome face seemed sincere, his drawling voice gentle.
    â€œYour tongue is as forked as the snake’s!” Kimi almost screamed it at him. “Yesterday, you helped kill my man!”
    A look of sudden realization crossed his face. “So that’s what this is all about! Believe me, Kimi, I didn’t kill him. At heart, I’m not even a bluecoat.”
    â€œYou wear the uniform. Do you take me for a fool?”
    He looked weak and a little weary. “I reckon in your position, I wouldn’t believe me, either.” He moaned softly. “My–my leg hurts. If you would untie it, it wouldn’t hurt so bad.”
    â€œWhy should I care whether it hurts you or not?” Yet she felt a little tug at her heart for his pain, despite herself.
    He stared at her a long moment. “I don’t think you are as hard-hearted as you want me to believe. I saw the look on your face when the warrior handed you that knife.”
    â€œI still might do it. Don’t goad me.” She glared back.
    â€œI think not,” he said softly. “A good stallion is of more value than a gelding.”
    Kimi laughed bitterly. “Not to me.”
    â€œHow do you know?” he whispered. “Have you ever ridden a stallion?” He stared deep into her eyes and his expression sent a heat running up and down her back that shook her a little.
    She looked away first, furious at his double meaning. “I am a widow, of course I know.”
    â€œI think the circulation is giving out in that leg,” he muttered. “Even a gelding is useless if he loses a leg.”
    That alarmed her “Maybe,” she said grudgingly, “maybe I can at least untie your legs. After all, you are too hurt to escape.”
    â€œPilamaya,” he whispered. Thank you.
    She untied his feet, too aware of the warmth of his body against her hand. Then she reached out and touched his forehead. “You’re burning with fever.”
    He smiled weakly. “Perhaps I’ll die and you’ll lose your valuable slave....”
    It was a possibility, Kimi thought, as she studied his wan face and watched him lick his dry lips. “Here, I have water.”
    She had to cradle his head against her to lift his face up so he could drink without choking. The heat of his fevered flesh seemed to burn through her deerskin shift and into the softness of her breasts. She had a sudden vision of his face cradled against her bare nipple, his lips opening against it....
    â€œYou blush,” he said, “why?”
    â€œNothing!” She put his head back down and pulled away from him. She must not think about that anymore. Perhaps it was only natural that a woman who had only yesterday been a wife, but had never been mated, should think much about a man’s touch. “Why do you say you are not a bluecoat?”
    â€œI wear the uniform. I am not really one of them,” he said. The dim light gleamed on his yellow hair. “Have you heard that the white men now fight each other?”
    Kimi nodded. “Yes, but we do not understand it. Sometimes we hear that those in blue fight those in coats the color of smoke.”
    â€œI was one of