Free When Kat's Away [Sequel to Anna Doubles Down] (Siren Publishing Ménage Amour) by Missy Martine Page A

to his bloody nose.
    Win straightened and pulled away from Kat. “All I did was hand the clerk in the Feed and Seed a list from my boss. Them other two came out of the back room and told him my money was no good and I needed to learn my place.” He glanced at the water. “Reckon they thought my place was underwater.”
    “Boy, you shouldn’t even be here. You know you’re supposed to be on the reservation. You need to get on home now and leave these decent folks alone.”
    Kat opened her mouth and grunted when Win placed his hand over her lips. “I’m leaving now, Sheriff, and I promise I won’t be back.”
    Sheriff Wallace narrowed his eyes and glared at Win. “Boy, you got no business putting your hands on a white woman. Miss Evans, do you want me to send him on his way?”
    Kat shook her head, mumbling behind Win’s hand.
    The sheriff smirked. “Just don’t flaunt your relationship around these parts. It ain’t safe.”
    David pulled up in the wagon, White Socks tied at the back. He jumped down and came over to put an arm around Win’s waist. Slowly, he walked him over and helped him lie down in the back. Then, he turned and lifted Kat and put her in the seat. He climbed up behind her and grabbed the reins.
    The sheriff moved forward, grabbing the horse’s halter. “We don’t want trouble here. You need to find yourself somewhere else to do your shopping.”
    David shook the reins. “Git on home.”
    The sheriff stepped back as the wagon moved slowly away, Win groaning in the back.
    Kat put her hand on David’s arm. “What happened?”
    Stoically, he kept his gaze on the road. “Not now, please, Kat. We need to put some distance between us and this place.” He glanced back at Win and then at Kat. “Do me a favor and keep a sharp lookout in case any of them decide to follow us.”
    “Sure, I can do that.” She turned around in her seat and peered at Win then turned her focus to the road and the woods surrounding them. “Gonna be a long ride home,” she mumbled.
     
    * * * *
     
    David looked up at the sky and sighed heavily. They’d been on the road for a couple of hours, and he knew Kat was worried about Win. He’d purposely taken a longer route home to throw off anybody trying to follow them. She’d kept a constant eye on him since they’d ridden away from Treasure City. Now, the wind had picked up and dark clouds were rolling in. He reached out and grabbed her hand.
    “Kat, there’s a storm coming up fast. We need to find some shelter. There’s an abandoned cabin about a mile off this road up ahead. It’s not in the best condition, but it would give us shelter for the night. Is that okay with you?”
    She looked back at Win lying in the bed of the wagon. “That’d be great. I don’t think he’s up to much more riding today. He’s getting tossed around pretty good back there.”
    “It can’t be helped. I don’t think he’s up to sitting up here or riding White Socks until he heals a little.”
    “I know. I’m just anxious to give him a little relief.”
    David slapped the leather against the horses. “Then let’s get set up for the night.” A few minutes later he turned off the main road and guided the horses down a trail overgrown with weeds. “It’s pretty obvious nobody has traveled this way in a while, so we should be safe enough. I know the cabin is still there because Win and I saw it on a hunting trip we took last month.”
    “How far is it?”
    He pointed to a large cluster of pine trees. “It’s just around the next bend, up in those trees.”
     
    * * * *
     
    Kat kept her eyes on the tree line, peering through the branches in hopes of getting a glimpse of a building. The smell of pine was strong as the wind picked up, bits of twigs and leaves snagging in her hair. The light was beginning to fade, creating shadows and sinister dark patches all around. She hugged her arms around her middle and shivered. She’d always been just a little bit afraid of