Chapter 5

The old cook had removed Ian’s coat and covered her with a clean sheet. “I don’t feel right washin’ down such personal parts, boss.  I ain’t no doctor.  It don’t seem fittin’ touchin’ her there.”

“It’s good of you to respect the lady’s modesty, Roy, but if we don’t get her cleaned up, she’ll surely die.  Those bites look angry.”

“Ya’ve got blood on yer coat.  If I don’t tend to it right away, it’ll stick,” the old cook whined.

Ian heaved a sigh.  “Okay. You tend to my coat and I’ll clean the girl up as best I can.”

“I’ll wash her for ya, boss,” said a young man who Ian had yet to be formally introduced to. By the lecherous look in his eyes, Ian knew he’d have to refuse the help.

“You men get back to business.  I’ll tend to things here.  Let me know when the sheep arrive.”

With a look of disappointment and longing, the young man grudgingly left the window.

Ian accepted the hot water, clean rags, salve, and bandages from Roy before the old cook scurried off to tend to his coat.  He carefully lowered the sheet to expose her firm, young breasts.  Although he was intent on doctoring her, he was still a man with a man’s natural reactions.  He wondered how Adam Jameson managed to keep his urges under control when the women came to him for doctoring.  The sight of her rosy, erect nipples made his mouth dry.  As lovely as they looked amongst the bite wounds and bruises, he could only imagine how beautiful they’d be against perfect skin.

He quickly washed the dirt from her face. She was so lovely to look at, and young.  He guessed her to be around Melody’s age.  She was as lovely as Melody, only fairer.

His hands shook as he carefully cleaned the wounds on her firm breasts with a water-soaked rag. He had to change the water in the bowl several times before he’d managed to wash away all of the blood and dirt from the gaping wounds.  The bite marks didn’t look nearly as bad once cleaned, but they were still angry.  He took a moment to study her soft, yet firm, mounds before he forced himself to get back to business.  The urge to cup a breast and wrap his lips around a pert nipple was so intense that he had to stand to regain his composure.

Beads of sweat coated his brow when he returned to his task and carefully applied the salve to each wound with his thick, work calloused fingers. A wave of relief washed over him when he was finally able to wrap her breasts with fresh bandages, thus removing the temptation to place his lips on those inviting nipples and suckle until he could suckle no more.

He was angry with himself for having such desires at the expense of a woman who’d suffered such an abominable fate that she lay unconscious and at his mercy, yet he couldn’t stop his body from behaving as it did at the sight of her. He’d never experienced this problem before. He generally had considerable control over his power of will.  It was as if he was possessed.

With her breasts bound, he covered them with the sheet and then raised the bottom of the sheet enough to expose her bloody thighs.  He’d only just settled his pecker down when it came alive once more.  It strained against his pants while he slowly and carefully washed away the blood that generated from the apex of her thighs.   His shock over discovering semen mixed with the blood instantly dissipated his erection and anger took over.

A myriad of emotions flooded him.  He was angry at himself and ashamed that he’d reacted in such a physical way to the nakedness of a woman who’d clearly been a victim of violence and rape.  He was disgusted to think that someone could treat a beautiful young woman in such an abominable manner. After closer inspection, he deduced that the bite marks were human.

From the amount of semen mixed with blood, the poor girl had either been gang raped or raped repeatedly by the same man.  He shuddered at the thought.  

As he cleaned her body, it was clear that she’d also been violated and torn from behind.  He was so disgusted with what happened to her that he vomited.  He knew men were capable of doing such horrific things. History was full of such tales.  He’d just never encountered anyone who’d suffered them.   It made something abstract and surreal be, suddenly, very real.

When he’d finished tending to her, he stood and studied her face. Her eyes were closed, but he guessed them to be blue.  Blue eyes would go nicely with the long and extremely thick blonde hair that he was sure glowed in the sunlight when it was clean and fresh.  Where her skin was unmarred, it looked like porcelain with a healthy pink hue.  Her body was shapely and firm.  It was clear that she didn’t sit around all day long. She was still young enough that the unpampered life he guessed she’d led in those mountains hadn’t damaged her body in any way.

When he’d finished tending to her, he made his way out to the center of the camp and demanded that the men gather around him.  Without hesitation and fanfare, he announced that the woman in his house had been brutally raped and beaten.  His voice was deep and threatening as he demanded to know who could do such a thing.  He held his breath while he waited for their response and was relieved by the genuine dumbfounded looks on the faces of the men who came from the ranch. He believed them when they insisted that they knew nothing of it.

Malcom fit Mike’s description perfectly.  He was an old man who Ian seriously doubted had the stamina or desire to defile a young woman in the night; especially to the extent she’d been defiled.  That left the young man who’d stood at the window with a lecherous expression while he offered to wash her when Roy refused. 

He stood in front of the young man who looked to be in his early twenties. “What’s your name?”

“Pete, but I didn’t do it, boss.  I was in the bunk all night.  They can tell ya.  They all saw me.  Tell him, fellas.”

Mike scuffed at the dry, powdery surface of the dirt road. “I was up and down all night.  Trouble sleepin’.” He gave a meek chuckle.  “Guess I was a bit excited about the sheep comin’ in.  He was in his cot every time I got up.”

 “I can attest to Mike’s restlessness,” Malcolm grumbled.  “Our young foreman here hasn’t a clue how to piss quietly.”

“I’m not so young,” Mike growled.

Recognizing the underlying competitiveness between the old man and their foreman, the men from the cattle ranch snickered.

The sound of sheep baying in the distance took the attention away from the mystery girl.  Ian watched with satisfaction as his men instantly sprang into action to make sure that the delivery went smoothly.  He looked back at the cabin and thought about the young beauty inside.  She’d be there when the day was done, and the sheep were settled in.  Perhaps she’d even be awake, and he’d get some answers.  With a shake of his head at the thought that a human being could be so cruel to another living creature, he put her out of his mind and followed his men.