The Payment

by Mysty McPartland

  India blinked back the tears, lifted her hand and cupped his cheek. “I know you will but don’t be goaded in to saying something you might regret. Things may take a few days to settle so don’t act rashly. Promise me.”

  Frowning over her words, Dane wondered why she wanted him make such a promise.

  “Come on you two let’s get this business over and done with. The sooner it’s all sorted out, the better we’ll all feel.” Tuff came around the wagon and saw the worry on both Dane and India’s faces.

  Dane dropped his hand from around India’s waist and grasped her hand in his. “Jasper it might be best if you wait here for a short time. Then we’ll get you settled for the night.” He said over his shoulder, turning back to the house he drew in a long breath then led India towards the house.

  Just as they stepped on the veranda, the front door flew open, men and boys of all ages and sizes come flying out of the house only to stop and gape in open mouth shock.

  India’s hand tightened around Dane’s as she noticed the surprised looks on all the faces turn hostile.

  “Well I thought at least one of you would be happy to see we’ve returned home.” Dane forced a grin, he felt India tremble slightly beside him. Letting go of her hand, he placed an arm around her shoulders.

  Everyone one of the boys noticed their brothers possessive action towards the woman at his side, and they glared even more.

  “Boys this is my wife India. Sweetheart these are your new brothers.” Dane tried to sound cheery, but he could see his brothers were not listening. They were too busy glaring hatefully at his wife.

  India’s chin lifted, she stood proudly beside her husband. She would not let these nearly grown men and boys intimidate her, even though she could feel their hate and hostility all the way down to her toes.

  Jesse took a step forward, his eyes never leaving the woman at his brother’s side. “Did you just say that this woman is your wife? You’re joking aren’t you? Don’t tell us you went and did a fool thing like get married?”

  Only after Jesse finished speaking did all hell break loose. Vile words and threats filled the air.

  India tried not to shrink away, but she could not help the tears that sprang in her eyes and she forced herself to blink them away.

  Dane’s tempter exploded. “That’s enough damn it. All of you shut your mouths. India is my wife and I will not let any of you speak so foully in front of her.” Pushing past his brothers with his arm still protectively around his wife, he led her inside and upstairs and into his bedroom.

  Once inside his room he dropped his arm from around her and closed the door, he took off his hat and tossed it on the bed. With a heavy sigh, he ran his fingers through his hair before he turned and gazed at his wife with worry and concern. “God I’m sorry sweetheart. You understand that they were shocked over my announcement, and once I talk to them again they’ll be fine.” He hoped it would be as simple and easy as he made it sound, but he doubted that his brothers were going to accept his marriage.

  India gave him a weak smile; she knew it would not be as straight forward as he thought it would be. “I’m sure you're right.”

  Grateful for her understanding, Dane wrapped his arms around his wife and rested his cheek against the side of her head. “Why don’t you have a wash and rest while I talk to my brothers?”

  With her cheek against Dane’s chest, India wrapped her arms around his waist. For just a moment, she wanted to hold on to him, worried that this might be one of the last times she would embrace him.

  After Dane and his wife left, Reese turned to Tuff. “Is it true? Did Dane marry that woman?”

  Tuff pulled off his hat and slapped it against his leg. “The lot of yah have shamed me. How dare yah treat a woman with such hostility and disrespect? Wong Li and I taught you better than that. And as for the sweet gal being yah brother’s wife, damn right she is, and he’s damn lucky to have her.”

  All the boys dropped their heads in disgrace knowing they disappointed Tuff.

  “She ain’t gonna live here is she Tuff?” Mason asked horrified at the thought.

  Dane heard his younger brother’s question as he stepped outside. His mouth in a grim line, he held tightly on to his temper. “Enough. We’ll go into the study and discuss this more calmly.” He spun around and headed back inside. In the study, he waited for his brothers to follow.

  He grew determined that this situation would be taken care of as quickly as possible. Either they accepted his wife now, or if they didn’t he would only have one other choice to make. He dreaded making that choice, but he didn’t want to lose his wife. He just hoped like hell, he could convince them to accept her as part of the family.

  The alternative isn’t one he wanted to take and all he could do is pray that his brothers will accept her. God what a damn mess. Well he made it now he would do all he could to fix it and try to keep everyone happy as well. At least he hoped he could.

  SEVENTEEN

  Once everyone took up a position around the room, Dane leaned back against the desk and folded his arms over his chest. His gaze held a determined glint as he made eye contact with each of his brothers before he spoke. “Now let’s get this over and done with. Ask your questions and state your opinions and once everything is said then everything will be sorted out and finished with.”

  The brothers quickly looked at each other after Dane finished speaking.

  “All right, well the first thing we want to know is who is she and just why in the hell did you marry her?” Jesse spoke first.

  “I met her at a ball while I was in Dallas and as for marrying her, I wanted her.” Dane stated matter of factly.

  Reese sneered in disgust. “Damn it Dane if you wanted the woman why couldn’t you just amuse yourself with her until it was time to come home? You know, bed her and leave her. Good Lord you didn’t have to marry her. Don’t you realize you're stuck with her now?”

  Furious over his brother’s callous words, Dane was having a hard time controlling his temper. He slightly shook his head trying to gain some control over his anger. “You have just insulted my wife with your foul suggestions and you better not dare speak about my wife like that again.”

  “Why didn’t you try and stop him from marrying that woman Tuff?” Jesse growled out.

  His mouth compressed in a tight line. Leaning back in his chair, Tuff glared at each of the boys. “Now the lot of you listen to me. That little gal upstairs didn’t want to marry yah brother but Dane was mighty taken with her and neither my arguments nor the gals would change his mind. Yah brother has chosen a good woman for his wife, and I’m mighty pleased to have her as part of our family.”

  Dane wanted to go over and hug the old man for his words and his support. However, he waited to see how his brothers would react to Tuff’s words.

  “But why? Why did you have to go and marry her?” Reese angrily tossed out.

  Traye spoke up for the first time. “We promised after Ma left that there would never be another woman living in this house. Now just because you had a damn itch for a pretty face we’re all stuck with the bitch.”

  Only the knowledge that Traye suffered more than any of them by their mother’s cruelty is the only reason Dane didn’t take offence to his outburst. “I remembered what we agreed upon but we were younger and still hurting from Ma’s viciousness. Things change, we change, and we’re nearly all men now. Damn it I want a wife, a woman at my side and hopefully one day perhaps children of my own.”

  He gave his brothers a weak smile and continued. “One day you boys will feel the same, you’ll find a woman you want to share your life with. Now though if you all feel that there isn’t any way that you can accept my wife or have her living here amongst you, well we’ll leave.”

  The threat of him leaving bought on another angry outburst and everyone started yelling at once.

  Tye jumped up from the floor. He might not have quite understood everything that had been said, but he did understand that his
big brother might be leaving again. He rushed forward and threw his arms around him. “No, no, please don’t go Dane, I won't let you leave. You just got back home, and you were away for a long time and I won’t let you go again.” He started to cry; frightened that he would leave again.

  Dane reached down, lifted his little brother up and hugged him tightly. “Hush now Tye everything will work out just fine I promise.” He whispered.

  Tye’s pleas to his big brother silenced the room and everyone fell silent.

  Jesse stood up and raked his fingers through his hair. “Well that settles that, it seems the decision has been made. What do you say boys?”

  “No it ain’t. I don’t want no woman living here. I say we send her away and Dane stays. Cause if she stays, she’ll be cruel and mean just like Ma, she’ll be a whore just like Ma.” Mason jumped to his feet gripping his hands at his sides his small body trembled in fury, as fear filled his eyes.

  Reese tried to reach Mason to stop his ugly words from pouring out, but it was too late to stop them.

  Dane put Tye down, moved swiftly across the room, and grabbed his younger brother by the front of his shirt. “Don’t you ever call my wife a whore again. She isn’t anything like Ma. Do you hear me?” Letting go of his brother’s shirt, he turned and eyed the rest of his brothers. “I’ll leave you alone to decide what you all want. Just remember if you can’t accept my wife and treat her with respect and as a part of the family then we’ll leave. I won’t stay, unless you can accept her.” It broke his heart to have to make his brothers decide. What other choice did he have? He just couldn’t give up his wife.

  India only waited a few minutes before she followed Dane down stairs; she stood close to the partially open study door and listened. She put a fist to her mouth as she listened to the things being said in the room. As she continued to listen, she wondered why her husband and Tuff left out the real reason about the marriage.

  By the ugly names they were calling her; she knew that they would never accept her. When she heard Dane asking them to choose she hung her head as tears filled her eyes. Spinning around she hurried through the open front door. With a quick look around, she started running towards the line of trees.

  She knew it would come down to this, knew that Dane would have to choose and it left her with only one thing she could do from stopping him making a terrible mistake. Tomorrow she would speak to Tuff and demand that he take her back to town. She would catch the first train home. With tears pouring down her cheeks, she fell to her knees beside a small stream.

  Her head bowed, she felt her heart breaking. No matter how much she cared for Dane, she would not come between him and his brothers. They could never build a future together when it was built on choosing between the brothers he loved and a wife who he won in a poker game.

  She lifted her head and wiped her cheeks on the sleeve of her shirt, she might have to give him up, but still she would have this last night with him. Tonight she intended to make enough memories to last her a lifetime. Not even those foul mouth mean brothers of Dane’s would stop her.

  Dane left his brothers and closed the door. He stood outside for a few minutes feeling deeply hurt that it came down to choosing between his brothers and his wife. It would be nearly impossible to leave his brothers but what choice did he have. None.

  When the door closed behind Dane, Chin Li spoke up for the first time. “I welcome little girlie into our home, our lives, she will give our Dane fine sons.”

  At Chin Li’s statement, everyone knew then they would accept Dane’s wife in to the family. None of them wanted their brother to leave, his threat to do so worried all of them.

  EIGHTEEN

  While he waited for his brothers to decide, Dane went up stairs to see his wife. When he saw the bedroom door open, he frowned in worry. When he stared into the empty room, dread tightened his gut.

  Damn it to hell she probably heard all the ugly things that the boys said. He raced back down stairs and out on to the veranda hoping to find her there. When he didn’t see her, he desperately looked around as panic started filling him. Letting out a loud growl he spun around and hurried back inside the house.

  He threw open the study door and ignored the loud bang as it hit the wall. “My wife is missing, she must have heard what was said and decided she wasn’t wanted and left.”

  “Shit. She’s only been here five damn minutes, and she’s already causing trouble.” Reese grouched as he rose to his feet.

  “Shut up Reese,” Jesse stood up and glared at the others until they all stood up. “Come on boys let’s go and search for Dane’s runaway bride. She can’t have gone too far.” As he walked past his older brother, he patted his shoulder. “Come on Dane, we’ll find her. I hope when we do you’ll give her hell for causing all this trouble.”

  The boys spread out searching but as the sun began to sink, they were all back on the veranda and started to discuss where else to look.

  “I’ll go and look down by the river. Dane why don’t you go back upstairs and see if she’s returned? The rest of your search anywhere you can think of.” Traye shook his head and headed for the river. Damn women were nothing but trouble. But hell, he couldn’t blame Dane’s wife for taking off, some nasty things were said.

  He suddenly stopped walking when he saw her sitting on the ground leaning against a willow tree. Sighing in relief, he moved over to her and looked down on her sleeping face. Holly hell the woman is beautiful. He swallowed hard and quickly looked away trying to fight the desire that started to crawl through him. Once he managed to have it under control he knelt down beside her and shook the woman awake, he quickly spoke when he noticed her long thick lashes lift and saw the fear in her eyes. “Hey now don’t be frightened, I’m Traye one of your new brothers.”

  India woke up in a panic and cringed away from the man kneeling beside her, when she took a good look at him relaxed slightly when she saw the resemblance to Dane.

  “Come on it’s time to go home Chin Li will have supper ready by now and if we’re not there he’ll have a fit and throw it all away.” Traye stood up and held out his hand to help her up.

  Bristling at being spoken to like a child India slapped the hand away. “Now why in the hell would I want to back there amongst the lot of you? Are there some more nasty names you all want to call me? Oh just go away and leave me alone.”

  Traye raised a brow at her temper and grinned down at her, damn if she isn’t one stubborn filly and feisty too. He couldn’t blame her though for not wanting to come back. “Now listen here Miss we have just spent the last few hours looking for you. We’re all tired and mighty hungry. Besides Dane is worried out of his head about you, so get yah self up and let's go home.” Once again, he held out his hand and growled when she slapped it away again.

  “I don’t care how hungry and tired the lot of you is. You can all starve to death as far as I am concerned. You and your brothers are mean nasty rodents. However, I will return only to stop Dane from worrying and for no other reason.” India stood up and brushed the back of her pants.

  When she finished her outburst, Traye laughed. “I can see that you’re not going to accept our apologies or forgive us any time soon. The boys will not like it, but we are very sorry. You have to understand that it was a real big shock, and we usually say things first without thinking, and then we end up regretting it later.”

  India lifted her chin and pushed past him. She did not intend to accept his apology, or his brothers anytime soon, he was right about that fact.

  With a slight shrug of his shoulders, Tray quickly caught up with her. Together they walked back to the house. Hell Dane’s wife is not only beautiful, but she is as tempting as hell and he would have to keep away from her until he could stop having lustful thoughts about her.

  Everyone waited on the veranda for Traye to return. Dane paced worriedly. He suddenly stopped when he heard the sighs of relief. Quickly turning he felt a tremendous load of worry slip away. A moment later, he
bounded off the veranda and rushed across the yard, when he reached his wife he picked her up and crushed her tightly in his arms, burying his face in the side of her neck.

  Every person on the veranda watched in open-mouth wonder at their big brother's behavior, until Tuff’s words sent them rushing inside. “Stop yah gawking and get inside.”

  Traye quickly stepped aside when Dane came rushing towards his wife. There could be no mistaking how relieved his brother looked or the happiness on his face. He sighed and left the couple alone. Looks like big brother really does care for his wife, and he grew a little surprised over the fact.

  India was also surprised by her husband’s actions but when he hugged her tightly, she wrapped her arms around him and tried not to let herself cry.

  After a few moments, Dane pulled away and gazed at his wife sternly. “Don’t you ever do that to me again, do you hear. I was frantic with worry, don’t you ever go off and leave me again.”

  Her heart fluttering over his concern, she lifted her hand and cupped his cheek. “I’m sorry but I was upset and needed to get away. Tell me, what did they decide?” Her heart stared to beat frantically in her chest as she waited to hear.

  Dane put his wife back on the ground and cupped her cheeks. “It’s all right sweetheart they are willing to accept you, and they’ll soon learn to care for you.”

  “Well only time will tell.” India leaned up and placed her lips on his then pulled away. “They just better hope that I’ll accept them.”

  Dane threw his head back and laughed, when he finished, he lifted her back up in his arms and kissed her soundly. God this woman amazed him, he thought as he continued to kiss her.

  NINETEEN