His innocent ward

have her mind immediately fill with ghastly images. But she pushed them forcefully awa

oment expecting men to burst forth and capture her Her heart had stopped

ading of her mother stopped Carissa

ant with her dear stepfather's child. Her second child,which she'd had to wait over fifteen years to conceive. Between carissa and her mothe

don't h

she carried in the belt at her waist to fit the fish . From the few farm instruments stacked near the back door , she grabbed the most threatening looking: a long- handled hoe . A sh

ew what it meant,but her it still didn't prepare her for the sight that met her eyes when s

at leaning over her. He had his back to Carissa , but from the thrusting movement of his hips between her mother's spread legs i

houlder. Carissa heard the wordless plea to Leave, to run and not look back, to stay safe, but she

time, she wished she was bigger. She'd always been small for her age, and the famine of war and English occu

have sensed her approach and turned his head just enough to avoid the strike to the temple she'd intended. Instead , the iron of the hoe co

eckon wanted to make it more interesting and engagin