There was something else in his gaze that struck her, freezing Blossom from saying anything else. Her grip on Elijah weakened as she searched Chester’s face. She wondered if she was imagining it. But she could have sworn she could see his soul right through his eyes, that his soul was reaching right out to her. She felt compelled to reach right out to him as well and never let go. It tied a delicate knot in her stomach, separate from the tension of the moment.
Immediately, it erased all of Blossom’s intentions to sacrifice herself.
She didn’t know what happened. It was like a breath of fresh air that soared through her body the moment she locked eyes with Chester. All of a sudden, the past was over and the only thing she wanted was the future. The future meant Chester and not Elijah. Which meant she had to get out of this.
Swallowing her fear, Blossom glanced around as she tried to think quickly. There had to be something she could do. If only she could get out of Elijah’s grasp, then perhaps she could find something to hit him with or some way to escape with Chester.
But then they would need to get away from the rest of the gang as well.
“Blossom,” Chester started, interrupting her from the strategy she was trying to put together. His voice was soft. “Please. It’s the only thing I can do to protect you.”
“No.” She glanced back at Elijah who was still glaring at Chester.
The gang leader was so focused on his hatred for the other man that he hardly cared for anything else. He had talked of nothing but Chester for the entire time that she had known Elijah, unable to focus on even enjoying anything that his men tried to do while they were together. He was petty and frustrated and no matter what happened, she had since realized, this man would never be satisfied. Elijah had done this to himself.
Blossom turned back to Chester as she added, “There’s another way.”
He furrowed his brow. “What do you mean?”
Just as he asked her, however, Blossom took the opportunity. Elijah was still so focused on Chester, that his grip on the knife at her neck wasn’t as sharp as it had been earlier. Especially since she had given up fighting him. There was a damp trickle running down her throat, but it hardly stung. She had other concerns to attend to, after all.
As her opportunity arose, Blossom jerked Elijah’s arm upward to move the knife away from her, and kicked him as hard as she could in the shin. She meant to aim higher. But her skirts wouldn’t allow for it. Luckily, she put all her effort behind her kick.
“Ahh!” He cried out in pain, the knife clattering behind him as he stumbled.
She took her chance to escape his grasp. Stumbling back, Blossom moved backward across the large room. She couldn’t bring herself to look away from him, paranoid that somehow, he might grab her again. The way his thin spindly hands felt across her body made her skin crawl.
Then Chester darted forward.
Despite his injury, he tackled Elijah to the ground. “Don’t you ever touch her again,” he said as they wrestled on the ground. He managed to fit in two punches before Elijah trapped him in a headlock.
Blossom staggered back with her eyes wide, watching as the two of them fought. She felt her heart go with Chester, fearful of the worst. She hesitated. But before she could decide on what to do, arms grabbed her from behind.
Yelping, she found Lowry grabbing her. He gave a hard look before glancing over at his brother. She winced, hearing something crack. She wasn’t sure if it was bone or the wood flooring. Then she tried to step away from Lowry only to find him pulling out his pocket knife .
She nearly lost her voice. “Please,” Blossom squeaked.
“I don’t want to ever have to see you again. Do you understand?” He gave her a hard look with his dark eyes.
Blossom’s mouth dropped open as she slowly nodded at him, wondering what he meant. But she didn’t think to ask even as he sawed through her rope bindings. Her head spun as she wondered what was going on. She wanted to look at Chester, but she didn’t understand. Lowry wanted nothing to do with his brother, so why would he help her?
This must be a trick.
She stood immobile, not certain of what she should do. Her eyes skittered from Lowry to Chester as he fought. Then she glanced at the other men who hadn’t even noticed her. They were too focused on watching their leader. Feeling her heart skip a beat, Blossom knew this had to be her chance. Even if it was a trick, she had to use whatever chance she could try and take.
“I’m not leaving without him.”
The words slipped out before she could help herself. Though she wanted to convince herself that she didn’t really mean it, Blossom couldn’t take the words back. She would never be able to, for in her heart she knew they were true. As she looked straight at Lowry, she made sure he knew that.
His sigh confirmed it.
“Get to the window,” he mumbled, gesturing with the slightest nudge of his head to his side. There was a boarded-up window only three steps away. But the bottom board was broken and it looked just big enough to fit a body through. Though Chester might have to squeeze, Blossom thought it might work. At the very least, it would be their fastest option.
Blossom’s heart skipped a beat as she gave him a nod.
In that moment, she took a step over and glanced over to the two men who were still fighting. She froze as she saw both men fall over each other. Though they’d been standing a moment ago, they both fell. Elijah’s knife clattered noisily behind them.
She reached the window and had her fingers on the window frame as she watched, unable to take her eyes off the scene before her. Though the other men in the gang continued to do nothing, Lowry now took a step forward just as Chester and Elijah both spotted the knife and lunged for it.
It was Chester who was closest, his fingertips nearly touching it just as Elijah managed to topple over him with a loud grunt and kicked it away. The weapon clattered across the room against the wall, near Three-Eyed Tom. Blossom’s grip tightened as she watched both men pull themselves up.
“This fight isn’t going to solve this mess,” Lowry started.
But Elijah had his knife back in his hand. He pointed it at Chester as he stepped forward, swinging it in a threatening arc.
Blossom’s heart dropped in fear. “Chester! Watch out!” She couldn’t help but cry out.
Chester was only a step away from his brother. With wide eyes, he looked at his brother. Blossom wondered what Lowry could be saying with his eyes. But there were no words and there wasn’t any time. She stared in disbelief as Chester grabbed his brother’s gun from the holster and turned to Elijah.
“Don’t,” Blossom started. “Please, Chester. Let’s just leave!”
Stepping out of the way, Lowry raised his hands up in the air to join the other gang members. Elijah stood in front of them with his knife in the air, glaring at Chester. And Chester looked around in confusion. He glanced back at Blossom, his chest heaving. There was worry in his eyes and she wished she could tell him that she was well. But she couldn’t find the words in her throat.
She just wanted them to go. Please, Chester. Let’s walk away from this.
Blossom was tired and aching and in pain. She was shaking and confused and terrified of what might come next. There was so much adrenaline coursing through her body that she felt as though she might simply burst. Nearly sitting on the windowsill, she silently begged Chester to let them leave this trouble once and for all.
Chapter Twenty-Nine
Chester’s Future
The world stopped when Chester looked into Blossom’s eyes.
He gulped in his breath, feeling everything slow and then still as he jumped right into those dark brown pools, losing himself far from reality. He could hear her voice echoing in his mind, repeating his name. Her eyes were so bright and hopeful.
There was a surge of fire that soared through his veins. He could feel it flood through his body.
She wanted to leave. Blossom was at the window. Realizing what she was doing, Chester grasped
that perhaps they had a chance to get out. A lump formed in his throat. Maybe there was a chance for them. Maybe they could escape. Her hands were undone and she could climb right out the window.
He found hope. Hope that they could escape, hope that she would be safe, and that they could get out of this alive. Chester found himself wanting the same thing that Blossom wanted. He wanted to be safe again, free again. Chester didn’t want any of this.
The moment ended.
Chester blinked as he found himself against the gang. Himself against Elijah.
Glancing down, he noted the cold weapon that he gripped within his hands. Part of him wasn’t even sure how he had gotten hold of it. The gun had just appeared, it had just been right there waiting for him. He still hadn’t caught his breath. There was so much happening so fast. His body ached and the gun weighed heavily in his arms. Gripping it tightly, Chester forced himself to turn away from Blossom to focus on the danger at hand.
He didn’t want to shoot. Maybe they could put the weapons down and walk away. They were all men. Chester knew in the back of his head that he was reaching far, but he was desperate. He couldn’t let anything happen to Blossom.
“Stop,” Chester swallowed as he took a step backward. “Elijah, this needs to stop. Once and for all. Put it down. Put the knife down and we’ll just leave, all right?”
“No,” Elijah shouted. “It’s too late, I told you! You owe us. You owe me. You don’t get to leave us just like this. You’re done, Chester. How dare you! This is over. It ends now!” He tossed the knife from one hand to another as he talked before gripping it tight and lunging at Chester.
Chester’s heart clenched as he stumbled back, quickly searching for a way out of this. There had to be a way. But even as Elijah came at him, there was only so much that he could do. Blossom was behind him and he couldn’t let Elijah get to her again.
His throat constricted as light reflected on the knife before him. The gun was still in his hands. He had to do something. Adrenaline rushed through his body.
And then he didn’t have an option. The time for making decisions had come to an end. Elijah ran at him, shouting so angrily that Chester didn’t understand what he was saying. All he knew was that he feared for his life and wanted to protect Blossom.
So he lifted the gun and just as Elijah reached out for him, Chester pulled the trigger.
Cloth ripped just as the bullet thudded loudly into Elijah’s chest. The man never had a chance. His eyes widened loudly as he stared at Chester in dismay. His mouth opened but he never said a word. His shout had fallen quiet. Blood trickled from the corner of his lips instead.
The cloth that had torn was Chester’s bandage around his arm. It was useless now as he used his injured shoulder. His entire body throbbed in agony as he watched Elijah collapse before him, falling first to his knees and then on his face. Chester could hardly believe what had just happened.
He didn’t mean to do it. He hadn’t wanted to hurt him, let alone kill anyone. But he hadn’t had a choice.
Nor did he have time to mourn what had just happened.
“What have you done?” Three-Eyed Tom shouted at him from across the room. “Chester, you yellow-bellied son of a gun!” Then the man was running at him.
They weren’t out of trouble. Chester backed up against the wall and found Blossom right there. He touched her hand and gestured quickly. “Get out!” he told her, seeing she had one leg out the window.
“But,” she started hesitantly.
They didn’t have time to argue.
“Let’s go!” Chester nodded hurriedly. Her eyes looked up at him once before she obeyed him. He would go with her. He wasn’t going to leave her, nor would he ever let her alone or out of his sight again. Chester had learned his lesson. He aimed a shot across the room and when Three-Eyed Tom stumbled, Chester took the chance to help Blossom out through the window.
She made it out onto the grass, collapsing in a heap before she looked up and nodded. “I’m fine,” she quickly told him as she waved her arms his way. “Come with me!”
He wanted that more than anything. Just Chester and Blossom. For a moment or two in their time together, he had experienced a glimpse of that possibility. Chester liked every moment with her, craving those sweet smiles of hers and her kind words. He wanted nothing more than to take her hand and run far away.
But he couldn’t do that yet.
First, he had to face his past. He should have done this a long time ago. Chester realized he should have never run away from his problems. Instead, he should have faced them head on. He should have gone to Elijah and told him in the first place what he thought was wrong. He should have told the town of Livingsfield about what had really happened. And he should have gone to Blossom all those years ago to let her know the truthful circumstances of her mother’s horrible fate. She deserved that. Everyone deserved the truth.
All of this pain could have been prevented.
Chester took a deep breath as he stared the rest of the gang down. He shook his head at them. “This is over,” he charged them. “It all ends now.”
Three-Eyed Tom glared at him from where he had stopped. He was fumbling with his gun in his holster, unable to get it out. “We’ll see about that. You had your chance, Chester. But you’re done for. You didn’t think you’d get out of here alive, did you?”
“I mean it,” Chester shook his head. He worked hard to make sure his voice didn’t shake. The gun remained held in both hands. “I don’t want any more trouble. Put your hands up and walk away.”
But the other man was done with it. Shaking his head, he gave up trying to get out his gun. He straightened himself up against the wall behind him and then ran toward Chester.
As he did, however, the floor creaked. A terrible crackling sound ran along the floorboards and into the ceiling. It was louder than lightning. The world shuddered. Chester couldn’t tell quite where it started or even where it ended. But he knew what to do before anything else could happen.
Just as Three-Eyed Tom darted for Elijah’s knife, Chester dropped the gun and made it out the window. The remains of his shoulder bandage caught on a nail, but he didn’t have time to worry about it. He tumbled out and collapsed on the ground.
“Chester?” Blossom cried out.
“Move!” He found her hands as she reached for him. Somehow, he managed to get to his feet and the two of them stumbled away. She didn’t bother asking any questions. Maybe she had heard the noise as well.
It didn’t matter. The two of them hurried several yards away on shaky legs, clinging to each other as they heard the roar of collapsing wood behind them. Chester tripped on a root, which sent them falling over one another in the grass. The ground was hard and unfriendly, welcoming them with rocks and sharp sticks.
The world tumbled upside down as he refused to let go of Blossom before landing in a heap. She managed a small grunt of surprise. They glanced at each other for only a moment in order to turn back to the building they had just run away from.
His mouth dropped open as the roof gave way with a loud slap. It disappeared inside as if it had never been there. Then a moment later, there was a big puff of smoke that arose to join the clouds. Blossom’s hand grabbed his tightly, their fingers interlacing.
Chester could hardly believe the sight before him. Though he thought he could have heard a shout coming from inside the structure, it was too late. He couldn’t have gotten there in time if he tried. Nor could he bring himself to even move.
Frozen in his spot, Chester watched in disbelief as the building’s wall nearest to him shook with a horrible shudder and then began to fall inward. Another wall groaned before following. Everything creaked loudly as though it were one large body realizing how old it had become. He remembered being inside just moments ago, realizing how close he had been to being trapped inside in there. Rolling around on the ground with Elijah could not have been helpful.
One more wall wavered before collapsing in on itself, fold
ing over and then falling to the ground. Then the rest of the building could no longer maintain its own weight. It shuddered in the rising dust. Chester wanted to look away, but he couldn’t bring himself to do it. Rather, his eyes simply widened as he saw the building sway to the left before finally creaking one last time and collapsing in a thundering stroke.
Beside him, Blossom jumped.
“Oh my goodness,” she murmured before turning her face away from the wreck.
He wrapped an arm around her, unable to even blink. There was a bitter, dusty taste in the air as he looked ahead of them. He could hardly believe what they were looking at. Just moments ago, there had been a large building there. It must have been a large church or school structure. There had been at least four separate rooms with different types of windows boarded up and boxes everywhere. And now it was all lying there in a large heap.
A Deal with the Cowboy’s Tangled Heart: A Historical Western Romance Book Page 25