pain and anger filled the eyes of the ruffian, Dalton knew they might as well be dealing with a wounded bear, and he determined nothing would prevent him from protecting the frightened woman in his arms. His military training took over, and he was a force to be reckoned with. He gripped her upper shoulders tightly, moving her quickly behind him.
“Your light-skirt ain’t done nothin’ but caused ’er own death and I don’t care if I ’ave to go through ten of you to get to ’er.” His voice was a slow growl, the sound of an injured animal. He tossed his knife back and forth between his hands then began to charge Dalton, thrusting his dagger, wildly intent on murder.
But Dalton was more than prepared, and with one swift kick to the wrist of the injured thatchgallow, the knife went flying far into the high river grasses on the other side of the bridge.
Ol’ Jack was stunned but not cowed. “No gentry cove is gettin’ the best o’ me,” he swore, but was stopped short by the punishing left Dalton landed in the center of his face. The blood gushing into his mouth finally seemed to turn the tide. While Dalton prepared for whatever response the cutthroat threw at him next, Jack Dawkins turned on his heels and dashed away, doing the one thing Dalton did not expect. And Dalton had not been granted near enough time with the villain to assuage his anger.
As he prepared to follow the man, he took a quick look over his shoulder and stopped dead in his tracks. The brave young woman so recently in his arms had quietly slid to the ground into a sitting position, her back against the stone wall of the bridge. Her head was down on her pulled-up knees, and she was shrouded in her cloak. He could see, even from where he stood, that she shivered uncontrollably in silence. He had witnessed many shattering experiences in battle, but his heart had never been touched so deeply by any sight.
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