“I am to take your word for it? The word of a man whose lies slip more easily from his lips than the truth? Sorrell told me how a lie you helped spread caused Ruddock’s family great pain and sorrow.”

Slatter’s hand stilled. “When was this?”

“A few days ago when I was visiting her.”

He gave his head a slight shake. “No, not when she told you. When did I spread this lie and where?”

“You lie so much that you don’t remember?” she asked and would have found it amusing if it wasn’t so telling of his disreputable nature.

An angry spark lit in his eyes, but stopped before fully igniting by a smile that suddenly appeared.

“Lies and truths often get confused,” he said.

“An easy solution to that would be not to lie,” Willow suggested, to her the more sensible thing to do.

“How do you like my gift to you?” a voice boomed.

They both turned to see Beck headed their way.

Willow hurried to her feet with the help of Slatter, his hand going out to take hold of her arm.

“So she’s mine then?” Slatter asked, keeping a tight grasp on her after they were both on their feet.

Beck threw back his head and laughed. “I’m not that generous.”

“I didn’t think so. What do you plan to do with her?”

Beck laughed again. “You think I’m going to tell you that? Give her a good poke while you can.” He laughed harder. “If you can. Those are mighty tight quarters you two share.” His body shook with more laughter.

“You underestimate my skill, Beck,” Slatter said with a chuckle of his own.

Beck’s laughter stopped. “There’s no room down in that hole to poke her.”

“There is if you’re skilled at poking a woman.”

Willow wished she had Sorrell’s talent with words and her fearlessness to say whatever she pleased. She’d have threatened both men by now and ranted at them so badly that neither of them would probably want anything to do with her. But that wasn’t Willow’s way, though being sensible certainly didn’t help her in this senseless situation.

Beck rubbed at his bushy, red beard. “I tell you what. You poke her down there in that hole and she yours. You can have her once you’re ransomed.”

“Your word on that?” Slatter asked.

“My word. You poke her and she belongs to you,” Beck said with a firm nod.

Willow couldn’t hold her tongue any longer. “What if I don’t want to be poked?”

Slatter turned his head and smiled at her, though his eyes seemed to send her a warning. “Trust me, leannan, you do.”

Beck laughed again. “Fight him if you want. Then he looked to Geary and Rob. “Get them down in the hole and let’s see how talented he is.”

Chapter 3

Once in the hole, Slatter held her close and whispered in her ear. “I’m not going to poke you. I would never force a poke on a woman.”