Page 31 of The Knotty Clause
“I am Captain Yede S’mar. You are on my territory. Leave at once.”
The three exchanged uneasy glances but Garth recovered his composure first, his face twisting in the familiar sneer.
“This sure as hell ain’t your territory. That’s my mine down below and she’s one of my workers.”
‘“I am not one of your workers,” she snapped.
“Until you pay off your debts you are.”
“I don’t owe you anything for that drafty shack and terrible food.”
His eyes glinted with malice as he took in the scene—her standing shoulder-to-shoulder with Yede.
“Yes you do. And bedding down with this animal ain’t gonna change anything.”
Her cheeks burned at his crude implications, but she lifted her chin, refusing to let him see how his words affected her.
“Took me a while to track you down,” Garth continued, clearly enjoying himself. “That supply runner was stubborn at first, but everyone breaks eventually.” He chuckled, the sound devoid of warmth. “Poor bastard won’t be using those fingers again anytime soon.”
Bile rose in Gemma’s throat at his casual cruelty. She thought of the supply runner who’d sold her the map, his kind eyes and weathered hands. Now he’d suffered for his kindness.
But the knowledge of Garth’s brutality didn’t frighten her anymore. Yede’s big body shifted beside her and he stepped forward, his presence both reassuring and intimidating.
“Leave. Now,” he said, his tone ice cold. “This is your only warning.”
Garth’s face contorted, rage replacing his earlier smugness.
“You can’t tell me what to do. Kill them both!” he barked at his men.
The two henchmen exchanged uncertain glances. Their hands tightened on their weapons, but neither moved to fire. She could see the doubt in their eyes as they took in Yede’s imposing figure—so different from the broken down miners they usually intimidated.
With a snarl of frustration, Garth yanked his own gun from his belt. Yede growled and charged, moving with impossible speed. The gun went off as he tackled the big mine owner, the sound echoing across the mountain, but the shot went wide. They crashed to the ground together in a tangle of limbs and fur and flying snow.
The brutal fight lasted mere seconds. She watched in awe as Yede moved with lethal precision, each strike calculated and powerful. Garth stumbled backward under the assault, edging closer to the sheer dropoff at the edge of the cliff, and then his boots slipped on the icy ground. His eyes widened in sudden terror as he lost his balance and toppled over the edge.
“Watch out!” she screamed as one of Garth’s men lunged at Yede from behind. But Yede was already moving, pivoting smoothly. His fist connected with crushing force, and the attacker crumpled instantly to the ground.
The remaining henchman’s nerve broke. He flung his weapon aside with a clatter and bolted, his boots pounding against the frozen ground as he fled down the mountain path. Gemma tensed, expecting Yede to give chase, but he spun toward her instead.
“Are you hurt?” he demanded.
“I’m fine,” she assured him, though her heart was still racing. “But Yede, that man—he’ll tell others about you. This place won’t be a secret anymore.”
He shook his head, dismissing her worry.
“It doesn’t matter.”
Hoping he wouldn’t regret that decision, she peered cautiously over the edge of the cliff. Garth lay far below, his neck twisted at an unnatural angle. She swallowed hard, but she felt no pity for him. He’d made his choices.
“Now come back inside,” he ordered, and she nodded.
His expression suddenly shifted to horror as his gaze fixed on her neck. “You’re bleeding.”
CHAPTER 18
Yede panicked at the sight of blood spreading across Gemma’s shoulder, shockingly red against her pale skin. She pulled back slightly, glancing down at her shoulder with a surprised look.
“I didn’t even notice. It’s nothing, really.”