Innocence and the Outlaw

Chapter Four&Five

"Chase, dammit, I'm the one that saw those folks! I'm the one that aid we should go after them. I'm the one that decided killing that bastard was a good idea because I wanted the woman! You had no right to just take her as your own. I want a damn ride on her!" 

"She is mine," Chase stated calmly. Inside he was raging. He and Petey had never gotten along. Petey was the worst kind of man. Chase had once seen Petey sticking himself inside a woman whose life blood had already drained from her. Chase would die before he would allow Petey to touch this woman. 

"I guess we'll just have to see about that!" Petey exclaimed, lowering his hand toward his gun. 

Chase felt Leah tense behind him and he wondered what she was thinking. Did she think he was a man like Petey? Was she hiding behind Chase because she knew he would keep her safe or simply to be out of Petey's line of sight? Something inside Chase hoped she sought his protection because she knew he would protect her. And he would--with his life. 

"What's going on?" Boss Henderson asked as he rode back into camp and jumped from his horse beside the two men. 

Petey instantly took his hand away from his gun and pointed at Chase. "Boss, he is hogging that damn woman! She done shot his ass once because she wants away from him but he won't let no one else have a go at her! It's not fair boss!" 

Boss glared. "Petey, I'm tired of hearing you whine like a damn babe that still needs his mama's titty." 

"I don't whine," Petey argued stubbornly as he stuck out his bottom lip. 

"Wah! Wah! Wah!" Tig helpfully added as he skipped by. 

Boss shook his head and crossed his arms over his chest. "Petey, you know damn well that Chase is Apache. She is his spoils of war and you'll just have to find something else to entertain yourself with," Boss told the man. He turned to Chase. "Chase, you know how I feel about fighting among my men." 

"Control them and there will not be fighting," Chase stated coldly. He turned, took Leah by the arm, and led her back toward the tent. 

"Boss that man aint safe to have around!" Petey exclaimed. 

"I owe it to his pa to look out for him," Boss replied with a shrug. "Besides, he ain't never pushed it too far yet. If he does then he'll be dealt with. You just leave his woman alone." 

***

"Chase, I can't go back in there yet," Leah whispered as they neared the tent. He looked down at her with a raised brow. She turned red and felt every last shred of dignity fall away. "I have to... you know..."

Chase nodded his understanding. He led her to the back of the tent and several large bushes. "Outside?" Leah demanded. "In the open?"

Chase simply nodded, turned his back, and crossed his arms over his chest. "No one will bother you." 

Leah lifted her skirts the best she could and crouched behind a bush. Never in her life had she thought she'd be forced to do something so humiliating. When she finished relieving herself and stood back up, she cleared her throat. Chase once again took her by the arm and led her back around the tent. 

Leah didn't fight against Chase as he led her inside. She knew that to onlookers his touch would appear rough, but truly, he was holding her arm very gently in his strong hand. Leah felt his touch through the sleeve of dress and it caused head to spread up her arm and through her body. The feeling was something she had never felt before--it unnerved her and had her yanking herself away from him once they were inside. 

Chase didn't say a word. He moved to the cot and grabbed the small burlap sack that he had thrown at her that morning. He held it out and this time Leah reached for it and took it from his hand. She opened it and saw jerked beef and hardtack biscuits inside.