Once they were well out of town, the man took his hand off her face. “No use yelling, missy,” he growled, “‘cuz no one can hear you now, but if you want to holler, I ain’t stopping you.”
Emily didn’t bother to answer, and instead tried to collect enough saliva to spit the nasty taste of his dirty hand out of her mouth. Tugging one arm free from his clasp, she scrubbed her hand across her lips. Her efforts didn’t help much, but for now that was all she could do. She squirmed, trying to get her bottom off the saddle horn, which was pounding into her flesh with every jouncing step the horse took.
“Quit yer damn wigglin’.” The man’s one-armed grasp on her shifted, and she slid backwards toward the horse’s off side. She grabbed a handful of the animal’s mane to stay upright.
“I just want to
