Chapter Eighteen
Audrey swallowed hard as she peered through the firelight and down at the bloody hole in Ance's side.
"Unless you know witchcraft, staring at the damn thing won't get the bullet out," Ance growled as he lay on his good side on the ground and glared at her.
Audrey snapped from her daze and nodded. She held out her hands and Ance poured a bit of whiskey onto them. Audrey rubbed them together thoroughly and winced when Ance then poured more of the stinging liquid onto his bullet wound.
Sweat beads slicked his brow and he grimaced but did not say a word or yell out the way most people would have. Audrey knew that was partly because he was no doubt a tough man but also because he didn't want to wake Penelope who was sleeping soundly on the other side of the campfire after riding like the hounds of hell were on their heels for five straight hours.
"Alright, Audrey, just pour some whiskey over that knife and cut the wound a little wider so you can get your fingers in there and find the bullet. I don't think it's real deep and it didn't hit anything important but we gotta get it out and get the bleeding stopped."
Audrey agreed silently as she looked at his blood soaked shirt tossed beside the fire. Ance was bare from the waist up and if not for the blood, paleness and bullet hole, Audrey would be able to take the time to admire his physique. His muscles weren't well defined but he was solid, thick and masculine. The same brown hair that was thick upon his head also covered his chest and trailed down his stomach to the waistband of his trousers. She refocused her attention on the wound, which was toward his back and swallowed hard as she poured whiskey over his small pocket knife.
This wasn't the first time Audrey had treated wounds, though it was her first bullet wound and her first experience with human medical care..... All her other patients had been of the equine variety.
"Are you ready?" she asked, meeting his gaze as he watched her.
Ance simply nodded and she knew his jaw hardened beneath his beard. With a steadying breath, Audrey stuck the knife blade to the bloody hole and slit it open wider to allow her fingers access.
Ance tensed and grabbed his gun belt before plopping the leather between his teeth and biting down hard. Audrey's hands were shaking but she didn't stop. If Ance was going to live she had to get that bullet out of him--and Audrey needed Ance to live.
Without giving herself time to fully think about what she was doing, Audrey sat the knife aside and pushed her fingers into the wound. Ance's breaths came in sharp pants as Audrey desperately fished for the tiny piece of metal.
Once she glanced up at his face and found his deep blue eyes locked on her. She had quickly turned her gaze back to her task but not before those eyes had once again caused her to feel small and somewhat helpless.
Audrey fished around inside the wound and nearly let out a cry of triumph when she felt that small, crumpled ball of lead and pulled it out between her fingers.
"I got it," she declared triumphantly.
Ance nodded and pulled the gun belt from his mouth. "You did real good... now sew me up before there ain't any blood left to keep in."
Audrey nodded, dropped the bullet, poured a bit more whiskey over the wound and then sewed it closed all while Ance gripped that leather between his teeth and panted hard through his nose.
When Audrey finished, she sat back on the dirt and breathed out a long sigh of relief, happy that her messy task was over. She was filthy and would need to clean off in the small stream they were camped beside, but Ance was patched up and would, hopefully, make a full recovery.
Silence reigned heavily. Audrey went to the stream and washed her hands and arms before splashing a bit of liquid over her heated face. She crouched beside Penelope on her way back to her bedroll and smoothed the slumbering girl's hair from her face before kissing her cheek.
Audrey couldn't believe how close she had come to losing her daughter today... That man had been aiming at her--he'd wanted to kill her! Who murdered an innocent child for money? Audrey hadn't truly realized that such monsters existed.
Settling herself cross legged on her bedroll, Audrey let herself once again study Ance. He was sitting up in the same position she was as he poked at the fire with a stick and stared into the flames. Not since her husband had died had Audrey sat in the dark with a half naked man and she had to admit that Ance painted a fine picture in the firelight.....
And he was her daughter's savoir. If not for Ance, Penelope would have died again today. "Ance, I can't thank you enough for what you did today. You nearly died to save my daughter...."
"She's not just yours," Ance grumbled, not glancing away from the flames. "I care about that girl more than I've ever cared about anyone and you'll not just take her away... and I won't let anyone harm her."
Audrey shifted on her blanket. "I know that Penelope invited you to come live with us...."
"Don't worry, Audrey," Ance snorted. "I ain't gonna ask to move in. But I won't be pushed out of her life and forgotten..."
Audrey shook her head and held up her hand to silence his rant. "I had no intention of doing either of those things, Ance. You saved her..." Audrey swallowed hard against the rising emotion in her throat. "Penelope loves you and I would never force her to say goodbye to you forever."
Ance frowned, raised a thick brown brow and studied her for several long moments before looking away. "You aren't what I expected," he finally admitted.
Audrey tilted her head. "What exactly were you expecting?"
"An evil, harpy woman who would sell her daughter to a crooked businessman just to make herself a few dollars and get rid of her burdens."
Audrey bristled. "Yes, well, that's not who I am."
Ance shrugged, "I realize that. That's what I just got done saying, isn't it?"
"Just so you know, you aren't what I expected either."
Ance laughed lightly, the sound deep and husky in the night air and causing Audrey to tremble--though she blamed it on the cool breeze blowing. "And what exactly were you expecting?" Ance questioned.
"A no good, rough, murdering outlaw who would harm my little girl..."
Ance sighed and laid back on his bedroll, folding his hands behind his head and staring up at the stars. Audrey felt her mouth go dry at the sight of his muscles and taut skin pulling and flexing with his movements. She tore her eyes away from that and turned her gaze back to the fire.
"You had most of it right," Ance stated. "All except that last bit."
Audrey said nothing. Honestly she needed him to be a rough, murdering outlaw... She had a U.S. Marshall who would no doubt want her dead and a thief with deep pockets wanting her daughters blood... Audrey needed a friend in a low place since she had no friends in high ones.
"Ance, we need to talk about what we're going to do," Audrey finally whispered.
Ance grunted. "I'm going to try to sleep for an hour and you're going to keep watch," he replied as he tossed the gun of the man he'd killed in town at her.
Audrey scrambled to catch the gun and nodded. "I'll keep watch."
"You let me sleep an hour, I'll let you sleep an hour and then we'll be on our way. Do you know how to use that thing if someone happens by?" Ance asked.
Audrey snorted. "I'm not nearly as helpless as you seem to think I am."
"I never said you were helpless," Ance countered. "Just want to make sure you got the stomach for killing a person who needs killed."
Audrey swallowed hard and she met his blue eyes which were watching her intently. With a nod, Audrey squared her shoulders. "I have no problem with killing someone who needs killed."
"Good," Ance relaxed once again upon the bedroll and clicked his tongue. "Don't worry none, Audrey. I was distracted today and that's the only reason that bastard got close enough to nearly do what he did--it won't happen again. I won't let any harm come to Penelope and since you're her mama, and she'd be awful upset if something bad happened to you, I'll keep you safe too."
Audrey's pride took a blow at his words and yet what could she say? She did need him. He knew about this side of life. He was experienced with gunfights, living outdoors, staying hidden, leaving no trail, no sign and staying alive.... Audrey knew ranching and ranching wasn't going to keep her daughter safe.
"Get some sleep, Ance," Audrey grumbled as she stared off into the night. "I'll protect you," she added under her breath.
Audrey hadn't though the man could hear her until his low rumbling chuckle filled the night.
***
Ance stared at Penelope and Audrey sleeping so soundly and wondered just what the hell he had gotten himself into.
He hadn't slept at all while Audrey'd been keeping watch. Instead he had thought about the situation they now found themselves in.
A U.S Marshall who may or may not be dead was looking for Audrey and would no doubt kill her and Penelope if given half the chance. Barnaby, a man that no man wanted to cross, had been thoroughly crossed by Ance and was now hiring men left and right to hunt him down--apparently so they could kill a helpless little girl before finishing him off.
Such upstanding men.
Ance snorted and winced at the pain in his side. He'd been shot more than a few times but it never seemed to hurt any less. He looked down at the even stitching and had to admit that Audrey had done a damn good job.
She was surprising. She knew how to handle a gun, (though he had yet to see if she could actually hit anything with it), she was cool under pressure if the situation in town had been any indication, she hadn't complained a single time as they'd ridden hard for hours and she had taken care of his wound without a bit of hesitation.
She was certainly something else.
Penelope whimpered in her sleep and Ance reached out and pulled her blanket up a bit before smoothing out her blond hair. She quickly quieted back down and drifted back into dreamland and Ance sighed.
Penelope and Audrey were both his responsibility now and Ance would have to find a way to keep them safe. It was uncharted territory for him. For his entire life he had only worried about himself--now he had a woman and child to care for.
There was only one place he could think to take them to while he went after Barnaby and Rodger York and that place was a good two weeks of riding away--Ance could only hope that Old Man Thompson would take them in while he was busy.
Ance rubbed his face. The last thing he wanted to deal with was that crazy, one-eyed bastard but desperate times called for desperate measures.
The sky was beginning to lighten up to the east and Ance knew it was time to get a move on. Movement was going to be their only friend in order to avoid the men Barnaby sent their way.
With a sigh he shoved himself painfully to his feet and began to stomp they dying fire. Penelope and Audrey both shot up at the sudden noise and Ance chuckled when he realized Audrey had that gun in her hand and ready to shoot.
"Wake up sleeping beauties," he grunted. "It's time to be moving on."
A/N: I hope y'all enjoyed the new chapter. Sorry it took a few days, I've not been feeling very well.