Rebel Heart Read online

  Perhaps this wasn't a waste of time.

  Cameron's hand closed around the ring and he held the jewelry a scant moment before he slipped it on his little finger.

  He looked again for the wayward youth.

  "Halt!" The person he trailed stepped from behind a shield of trees.

  A slow smile of amusement curled Cameron's lip. "Halt?" Cameron leaned casually against the tree the juvenile had emerged from. His hands crossed negligently over his chest. "Why?" Cameron asked.

  "You have no right to be here."

  Cameron cast the boy a contemptuous glare. "And I suppose you do." Cameron straightened and stepped boldly toward the small tense figure.

  "Yes...I..." The young man sounded unsure of himself.

  "Tell me what you are up to and I might allow you to slip back over the wall. Perhaps the good people within will forgive you the indiscretion."

  "It's nothing," the youth said shakily as he backed away.

  "Leave the pack and go," Cameron said in what he hoped was his most menacing tone. This young man needed a good scare.

  "No.”

  "What?" There was too much at stake here. Cameron decided the boy's curt refusal was foolhardy, and perhaps a good scare was not quite intimidating enough to convince him. Perhaps he needed to be taught a more severe lesson. Cameron started toward him bent on that very thing.

  The boy stood his ground, chin tilted upward in a strangely feminine gesture that almost stopped Cameron.

  "No?" Cameron's eyebrow rose in mockery. "Don't try to defy me. It will do you no good."

  The little hellion whipped out a gun and pointed it at him. "I kill thieftakers!"

  "Hell!" Cameron swore again.

  Despite the shaking fingers, Cameron had no doubt this boy would use the weapon. He could disarm the boy.

  Easily disarm him. Swiftly he brought his hand up, landing hard beneath the boy's wrist.

  The gun, that had moments before been pointed against Cameron, went flying into some green oblivion of forest and moss.

  Retribution could be quite satisfying.

  Satisfying indeed. Yet he was about to be deprived of it. That very minute the juvenile turned and ran, disappearing into the mist and the trees.

  Seconds later Cameron picked up the sound of his quarry's rapid flight through the overgrown and nearly forgotten trail.

  He moved swiftly through the forest and its pathways, as if he had intimate knowledge of every tree and bush within.

  And he did.

  But the boy proved elusive.

  Cameron came to a complete stop, warily searching the surrounding area, listening intently for any sound, or a subtle mistake. Only silence prevailed in the forest.

  Suddenly a camouflaged waif darted between two trees. Cameron followed. As he managed to close the distance between the two of them, his adversary reached for a handful of dirt and grass. The debris hit him squarely in the face.

  "Damnation! Fight like a man or I'll treat you as I would a small child. You deserve a thrashing, by God." The dirt did not slow Cameron. He started after the brat once more.

  The boy slipped several times and was now scrambling on all fours as if he searched for something else to throw.

  "Just try it." There was nothing more in the little clearing for the urchin to grab hold.

  Cameron, more frustrated than he could ever recall, moved with lightning speed and agility. Like a thunderbolt, he crossed the few remaining feet between them and tackled the boy.

  Fragile hips suddenly lay between his thighs, and something within him quickened as he held the soft form. Sheer amazement at the sudden insight held him still for a second.

  Even as she struggled again, with what should have been the last of her strength in a final bid for freedom, beating upon his chest with her small fists, Cameron tried to decide what should be done with her. He caught her wrists and held them still.

  "Who are you?" he challenged.

  Nothing had changed, except...

  This tiny thing provoked every tender emotion within him and it seemed his blood quickened, heated, bolted to life. The girl's teeth were gritted tightly as she struggled against his hold. She arched and bucked, finally managing to loosen an arm. Instantly, she clawed and slapped at his face.

  Someone who fought so hard must have something to hide. He found her wrists, forcing them together and high over her head where they could do him no more harm.

  "Now, little fool," Cameron began and eased his weight a fraction. "Be still. I don't want to hurt you."

  Her eyes fastened on his uniform, on the emblem of the thieftaker and she began the struggle anew, fighting fiercely and trying to dislodge him with a diligent fervor.

  "Hold!" Cameron swore even as he admired her stubborn courage. "But you are asking for serious discipline..."

  "Disciplined by a thieftaker? They have no discipline--no moral code, no--"

  "Stop it." Suddenly he wanted to shake some sense into her, tell her the truth, burned to have her understand that he was not a thieftaker. Wanted to kiss her senseless. He reminded himself this was a young lady, too young for him.

  "If you knew my name you..."

  "Would let you go? I would not let you go even if you were DeMontville's daughter. Ah, but no! I promised punishment, I think." The young lady looked horrified as Cameron leaned close, a smile curving his lips. He lowered his head to her, his mouth very nearly against her ear as he spoke. "You should be stripped as naked as the day you were born and made to go through purification. Or would you prefer something more humbling?"

  The girl's eyes widened and flashed sparks that shot out to pierce his thick hide.

  She moistened her lips. "Naked?" The light of battle shone in her eyes.

  "As the day you were born." Cameron's thumb gently traced the girl's cheek. The little lady appeared even more horrified. Cameron swore softly at the rush of blood that heated her face. Lord, he couldn't, he shouldn't go through with this. But then he might, because she had sorely tempted him. And this was no child. This was a young lady in desperate need of guidance.

  She was reckless and wild and something in her nature stirred him. She had put her very life in danger, and his by coming out here this day, had defied the laws of the City. Punishment was inherent. But purification? Or even sterilization? That was horrible; he could not let that happen, but he could make her think about it, and perhaps in the future, she would not be so quick to leave the City.

  Ah, but he could tease her only so long no matter how enticing she was, despite the lure of her form beneath him, regardless of the desire that raged instantly with his touch upon her skin. And, he reminded himself again, she couldn't be more than nineteen.

  Anger seized him, raw fury against himself and the ease with which she defied him and flaunted the rules. Courage was one thing, stupidity another. Then a determination, fierce and unrelenting, overrode every other thought.

  Cameron's eyes closed. Memories once buried resurfaced and the years vanished. So many years. Yet the one he remembered now was a different forest, still green and dense. And a thief lay on the ground dead from a thieftaker's knife, one of his own kind. A thieftaker that he'd never trusted. Quentin Morray. His eyes widened, meeting the girl's.

  "I shall never forgive you for this--thieftaker. Let me up!" she commanded him.

  "I do not seek forgiveness." It appeared she would not give in, would not surrender. He could not let her see the concern and the fear that swept through him when he thought of what she risked here. His rock-hard thighs squeezed around her hips snugly. Intimately. He forced himself to smile, grinning knowingly as he spoke in a challenging fashion, his voice husky. "You should realize your interference here is not appreciated. You should learn to stay in the safety of the City. There is nothing here for you."

  "I hate you. Let me--"

  "No, you'll only stumble on something more dangerous. They banish City Dwellers who defy the laws, you know. But only after purification."
/>   She turned instantly white. He felt the trembling of her body. "I know," she said, her voice strangled and barely perceptible.

  "Oh?" Cameron didn't enjoy her sudden contrition or his dominant position with his legs encasing her thighs, but he had gone too far to turn back. "Once upon a time a councilman of highest rank banished his daughters for just such an offense as what you've committed here. Why..." he hesitated, a grin stretched across his face and he breathed close to her ear. "Once upon a time, a thief might have been sent to the outskirts of civilization for standing on the towers that rim the City. Lie still. You wouldn't want me to call for the watchers, eh? You know what they do to their victims before they escort them away?"

  Her eyes shot sparks of fire. His anger died along with a startling rise of heat to his loins, his intent to convince her stronger now that he realized the affect he had upon her.

  "Ah, let me think. I had thought to punish you as a child. A severe tongue-lashing might leave a lasting impression for a week or so. But no, a lesson should be remembered and it should fit the crime. Where shall I start? Strip you naked first, I believe. Purification always begins that way."

  She had lain so very quiet and so very still that he wasn't sure if she were in shock or contemplating his demise. But she finally found her voice. "Punish me and be dammed with you, but stop taunting me with humiliating reprisals! Thieftaker!" She spat out the word in the most derogatory manner.

  "I'd rather prolong the agony, little fool. It's all part and parcel of the punishment, or hadn't you guessed that already? If the punishment fits, then the lesson is remembered."

  "Bastard!" The girl managed to free one hand, raking her fingernails across his cheek before he could capture it again.

  Cameron swore. "A child and a little fool to boot! Where were your father and mother when you were growing up? You have the manners of an alley cat."

  The barb hit home. As he watched, the small oval of her face turned bloodless, yet her eyes narrowed and he caught a glint of determination and a moment of helplessness just before she unleashed her fury. Renewing her struggle, she reached swiftly for the gun at his belt. It went off, knocking Cameron from her hips and onto his back.

  She rose and quickly assumed a position of authority, the gun pointed squarely at his chest. "Ah, babe...I like you like that. Perhaps now I'll see you thrashed, stripped naked and readied for purification," she mocked and victory resounded eloquently in her words. "Now, my arrogant thieftaker, I have the advantage. Take yourself home and make sure your mother doesn't birth any more bastards, or worse--thieftakers!"

  The gun was still pointed at his chest and the protective vest he wore. Its first blast did little damage and he had no doubts a second would do nothing more. It was the embarrassment of his unseating, the humiliation that this wisp of a girl could gain the upper hand so easily that bothered him.

  "Go!" the girl cried out.

  "Or what?"

  She grinned. "Or I'll see to your punishment." She looked at his feet. "The boots...I want your boots first. Put them over there by the tree." She nodded her head in that direction.

  His mind focused on the gun, Cameron began to move.

  "Ah, babe, you follow orders well. How does the big bad thieftaker feel now? I suppose your father never saw fit to teach you manners. I believe it will be my pleasure. A nice long walk in the buff might do the trick."

  "Take care, little wildcat, I have all day to play this game. You, on the other hand, have one hour."

  "Game. Game? This is no game."

  "Of course it is. You defy all the laws to be out here.

  "I have good reason, and I hold the gun. And thieftaker, the boots then your pants, I think. It is my duty, you see, to humble a thieftaker. Go on now, strip."

  Cameron's stance was wide, his long arms hanging loosely at his side. His smile widened as her eyes flashed, battle ready and primed, her reaction surprising him. He stepped forward.

  "I wouldn't do that," she said.

  "Ah, but...I'm not you." He dove for the gun. His fingers closed vise-like around her wrist, forcing her arm and the weapon toward the green canopy above. The gun discharged. Twigs and leaves fell from the sky and showered them with debris.

  "What now? As you can tell, I hold the gun."

  The upper hand was his once again.

  Time to end the game. The overlords would arrive soon. As the lady twisted her arm from his grip, Cameron reached out, his powerful fingers curling into the material of her shirt. He swung her around, intent on finishing this mission and seeing her home.

  Reckless and as wild as a summer storm, she struggled within his grasp. His hold upon her was fragile, yet her shirt ripped.

  The view beneath Cameron's gaze startled him, the image provocative and sexy as hell. She was exquisite, a work of art.

  Believing her subdued, he loosened his grip. A mistake. She was a woman, yes, a wild impetuous, furious one. Any attempt at reasoning on his part would be wasted, and any thought of her submission was foolish.

  He had nearly lost his hold on her. He caught her arm and pulled her around with such force that she stumbled, falling into him and toppling them both. He shifted in midair so his body would take the brunt of the fall. The air rushed from her lips, leaving her dazed and vulnerable. He swiftly rolled over.

  Cameron straddled her hips again, his weight rendering her immobile.

  He had wanted to know her mission. Yet the admiration for her stubborn courage and the sensual pull he felt for this lady surprised him. And for a brief second he had thought...hell, she was young, way too young.

  With an inward shudder and the memory that reasoning and threats had all failed, he placed the gun beneath her chin. "Don't threaten a man with a gun unless you intend to use it."

  Instantly, she was trembling beneath him, her hands clenched against his chest in defiance. "Blow me away, thieftaker, and be done with it." His captive lowered her lashes and held her breath. Her fingers tightened against him, winding into his own shirt as if pleading for courage. Suddenly, her eyes were open and gazing into his.

  Seeing her eyes so close and the fear clearly shining from them, he felt a moment's compassion.

  "What are you waiting for?"

  The words spoken impetuously held the slightest tremor, the fear almost concealed.

  He withdrew the weapon and holstered it.

  "Despite my concern for the noise the gun would make, you surely tempt me. Two shots already--I cannot risk another. You're out of the City when you should not be. You refused to cooperate with me, an officer of the coalition."

  "Liar! You are nothing but a despicable thieftaker!"

  He looked at his uniform then grimaced, but went on anyway. "Then to make things worse, you attacked me. While purification is a severe punishment, I'd prefer to learn your name and why you are here in these woods. Something must be done. A thieftaker's hand in lieu of that other punishment."

  "Coward! You mock, threaten, and now you think a child's punishment will loosen my tongue? You're a fool. Now let me go."

  "Not until you talk. Perhaps your pack will provide answers," Cameron said.

  "Drop dead...thieftaker."

  With this last show of defiance, Cameron lost all concept of patience. He was up, pulling her by the wrist and heading through the forest toward her pack.

  She struggled against him, resisted the show of force, but stumbled backwards when he let go of her and reached for the knapsack. Suddenly, she shrieked and dove at him.

  Cameron was too quick. He upended her belongings. Specimens fell and scattered on the forest floor. Helpless against his strength, she sat back on her knees and watched. A tiny white flower fell from one of the smaller bags. She whimpered, her fingers trembling. An array of herbs, boasting a wealth of medicinal power followed. He sifted through them and knew full well the implications here. This was a greater offense than leaving the City. This was expressly forbidden to any except the medical team now assembled at his lab in
Reding. "You dare too much," he said harshly. "Why are you collecting?"

  "Find yourself someone else to torment and leave me alone."

  "Who are you?" The deception had gone on too long. This was no game. He didn't know quite what he was doing. His anger was frustration, sweeping within, taunting everything he'd been brought up to believe. His fury was concern for her life. And she would not tell him the truth about her mission outside the City, would not even admit to any wrongdoing.