Savage Redemption (3rd in Savage Series)

Chapter Nine

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"Naakiiwa, remind me to never complain about silence again." Hawke said when he and Jack returned from checking the traps several hours later. Lily laughed from where she was weeding the garden with Sarah.

"Can you handle the skinning?" Jack asked Hawke and Hawke just gave him a look that said 'are you really asking me that?' and nodded. Jack walked over to Lily and stuck his finger through his belt loops before rocking back on his heels. Lily realized he was nervous and she stood up and wiped her dirty hands on her apron.

"What is it?" she asked.

"Where's Allie?" Jack asked. "I haven't really had a chance to talk to her and I would like to."

"I imagine you would." Lily said with knowing nod. "She went down to the lake but you may want to wait until later before you try to talk to her." Jack was about to ask why when the sound of a rifle shot filled the air. Jack instantly grabbed Lily and moved her body behind his own as he pulled his reolver and scanned their surroundings looking for whoever was shooting at them.

"Oh my goodness you are worse than Hawke!" Lily exclaimed as she pulled herself away from him. "That was Allie!" Jack forced his tense muscles to relax and slid his gun back in the holster.

"Sorry." Jack said. He looked over at Hawke who just shook his head and went back to skinning a fox.

"She was tense and upset this morning and so once we got enough of the work done she asked if she could go to the lake with a rifle and practice shooting."

"Alright then. I'll go to the lake." Jack replied. Lily shook her head.

"She is pretty upset with you, Jack. She might just end up shooting you." Jack laughed.

"Yeah but you've seen me without my shirt so I reckon you know it wouldn't be the first time." Jack thought what he said was funny but the look in Lily's eyes told him that she didn't agree.

"She may be a better shot than those others." Hawke spoke up.

"I'll take my chances." Jack replied and started down the trail toward the lake. Another gunshot filled the air and Jack was stopped in the middle of the trail by a growling Janna.

"Shit, you do know how to do something other than chase your tail." Jack said with a grin. Janna looked up at his face and then stopped growling and began to wag her tail. She turned and ran back toward the lake and Jack shook his head and followed her.

Jack caught sight of Allie and watched her load the rifle and fire off another round of shots, completely unaware that he was watching her. She was standing with her side toward him and she had her long dark hair pulled back in a braid. Her white blouse was covered in dirt and hugging the curves of her chest.

She had streaks of dirt on her cheeks and her arms and hands. Jack smiled at the sight of her. She had always been a tomboy and he was glad to see that that hadn't changed.

"Hey, doll." Jack said when she took a break from blowing holes in the truck of a nearby pine tree. She jumped at the sound of his voice and he found himself staring down the barrel of the rifle.

"Dammit Jack!" she exclaimed as she lowered the gun. "Don't sneak up on me like that unless you want me to shoot you!"

"I've been a shot a couple of times, Allie, but never by a feisty woman in a dirty skirt… Might be kinda fun." Allie rolled her eyes and stuck her free hand on her hip.

"Don't you start trying to be charming, Jack." she scolded. "How'd you get all those scars anyway?" Jack smiled but inside he shivered as he remembered the blood, pain and darkness associated with each and every one of the wounds.