“That’s who gave the order for all this,” he told her, motioning at their surroundings. As she shook her head in a denial of his words, he informed her, “It’s the God’s truth, child. I saw his name and heard them say it. They claim he’s arriving soon from Wilmington to make sure they carried out his instructions. I don’t think you should be around when he arrives, Miss Shannon. He sounds hard and dangerous.”
The distraught woman needed privacy to think and to vent her feelings. “I’ll walk from here, Mister Barnes. Thank you for helping me and for trying to save Greenleaf. I’ll be fine,” she assured him.
After protesting and arguing her intention to remain here, the worried man departed. Shannon steeled herself for a closer view of this malevolence. As she trudged up the private road, she tried to ignore the weather and landscape. She kept her moist eyes locked on what had been her home. Very little of the once elegant structure remained. She saw partial walls, stone foundation, chimneys, charred columns, shattered glass, ornamental stair railings, and blackened beams that had refused to be totally consumed by fire. Pictures, clothing, keepsakes, furnishings, and such were lost forever. Her gaze took in the markings painted on each towering column after the fire: Union flags and symbols, vulgar words, and a sketch of a knife…
Shannon slowly turned and looked in each direction. Everything had been destroyed or ruined, with the exception of the gazebo. She almost laughed hysterically as she stared at it, for it did not even need painting. She walked dejectedly toward the family graveyard.
Even that area had not gone untouched. The fence had been torn down. Headstones had been tumbled, or splashed with paint, or crushed, or demolished by all three actions. Shannon went to her mother’s grave and knelt. Tears dropped from her face to her filthy garments. Was there anything left of her past world and dreams?
“Shannon, what in blazes are you doing here alone? I’ve been frantic since you ran off. I told you to wait for me in Sherman’s headquarters. I rode like the wind to make sure you’re all right.”
Blane was infuriated and alarmed by the destruction around them. Remembering his past losses in Texas, he knew what his love must be feeling. He was angry with her for endangering herself and disobeying him. He wished he knew which spiteful neighbors or vengeful Rebels had wreaked such damage here and such suffering on his love. He knew she was shocked and depressed, for she hadn’t heard his approach or calls. He had to get her away from such sights. He was hoping a dose of his anger would return her wits and stir her emotions.
He leaned over, grasped her arms, and pulled her to her feet. “It’s late, Shannon. Let’s get back to town.”
She lifted turbulent eyes to his. Had he ordered this vengeance when he believed she had betrayed him? Was he making certain she had no place or person to turn to except him? Surely he didn’t have lingering suspicions about her? “Why, Blane? I’m not a Rebel spy.”
From where they stood, the Blade’s symbol wasn’t visible to Blane. “That’s probably not the reason, Shannon, but I will check into it after we return to town. Somebody is punishing you for siding with us.”
“You don’t have any idea who did this or who ordered it?”
“Of course, not, Blue Eyes. Sherman told me he was leaving Savannah intact. I need to get you fed and bathed, woman. Remember what I told you about the Comanche attack on our first ranch? I lost my home and property and part of my family, so I do know how you must be suffering. I left a meeting to find you. Let me get you to the hotel, and you can rest and eat while I finish my reports. We haven’t had privacy for days.” He would tell her later, after she had settled down, that he had to leave at first light tomorrow. What a miserable way to start Christmas morning!
When he attempted to draw her into his embrace, she balked. “I’m home, and I intend to stay here. I have some thinking to do. You return to your meeting and friends. Leave me alone.”
“You’re coming with me, Shannon,” he commanded forcefully.
“No, Blane, I’m not.” She was testing him with her refusal. In sheer panic, she waited to discover the truth about him, their relationship, and her fate at his hands. She was about to leave her love standing there when her misty eyes landed on her brother Hawke leaning against a tree, smiling at her and mutely beckoning her. Her eyes widened in disbelief as his name seemed to explode loudly through her mind. Was she dreaming? Were those his sparkling ebony eyes engulfing her? Was that his enchanting grin curving up the corner of his sensual mouth? His coppery bronze face displayed such awesome beauty and strength. How could he stand here so calmly just smiling at her after this lengthy separation? He looked so healthy and vital she felt stronger and braver just gazing at him. She was flooded with powerful emotions. All other thoughts and problems vanished from her mind. Joy and excitement surged through her body. She had to make sure he was real.
Blane caught her arm to halt her departure, unaware of the man behind him. Shannon tried to jerk away. When Blane tightened his grip, she shrieked, “Release me, damn you! It’s Hawke.” Stunning him, she managed to yank loose. She raced into the open arms of the man who could not have known how he had haunted Blane’s dreams.
As his love shouted his mysterious rival’s name, Blane whirled and watched her being lifted and hugged tightly in Hawke’s strong arms. He observed them as they seemed to memorize every inch of the other’s face. He watched them touch each other: faces, hair, shoulders, hands. He could hear their ecstatic laughter, but not their muffled words. He saw them cuddle, as if they had been two cats rubbing over and against each other. They caressed cheeks and embraced over and over. He spread kisses over her face and squeezed her until she giggled and squealed. He kept lifting her and hugging her fiercely. The joy and love between them was undeniable, just as their strong bond and rapturous reunion were staggeringly potent and intimidating.
“Oh, Hawke, I’m so happy you’re home,” she murmured in his ear, crying and laughing simultaneously. She would visually engulf his face, then hug him tightly, only to repeat the action over and over.
Hawke bent forward to bury his nose in her hair. He held her possessively as he whispered, “You’ve grown big, little sister, and very beautiful. These eyes have hungered to feast on you and these ears have begged to hear your laughter. I’m home, Vixen. Tell me of our father and brothers.” He pressed her wet cheek against his chest.
“Look what the enemy has done to our home. I’m so glad you didn’t stay here to battle them. Oh, Hawke, they’re so evil. There’s so much to tell you. Every day I’ve prayed for your return. We have—”
Blane had mentally lived this moment several times in the past. He had dreaded it and feared it, for the reasons he was presently observing. He desperately called to his love, “Shannon! I’m leaving. Are you coming with me or not? Shannon! Let’s go!”
Hearing the terse voice, Shannon parted slightly from the handsome man but did not remove her hands from around his body. She eyed Blane. Leave? She looked up into Hawke’s stoic expression. How should she explain each to the other? She felt pulled between them. She needed to clarify things with Blane, but she wanted this special reunion with her brother. Right now, it was Hawke who pulled the strongest on her emotions. Right now, she was confused about Blane. Did Blane have nothing to say about his many treacheries of late? Was he going to keep silent about Elisha? About her home? About pretending to unselfishly escort her to Savannah when he was actually carrying out an assignment? What about his secrecy with Sherman?
“I need to stay here. We can talk tomorrow,” she told him.
“We talk now, or never,” he demanded, burning with jealousy.
Shannon whispered something to Hawke, then moved toward Blane. Hawke went to the gazebo and took a seat as she had suggested. Shannon looked up into Blane’s frosty expression. “I’m sorry, Blane, but I can’t leave with you tonight. Hawke and I have some matters to settle. Would you like to meet him?” she asked apprehensively.
Blane’s hazel eyes grew colder an
d harder by the minute. “He’s the last person I want to meet, Shannon, except for Corry. If you don’t come with me now, I won’t give you another chance.”
Shannon was astounded by his words and behavior. “I can’t leave now, Blane. Look around you. How could you make such a demand?”
“If you love me and want to marry me, prove it, Shannon. Get on Dan’s back and ride away without looking back.”
“I can’t,” she refused painfully. “Give me until tomorrow.”
Blane glanced over at Hawke. The man’s dark gaze was examining them intently. Blane wanted to slay him but had no just reason. He was determined to force Shannon to make a choice between them, here and now. He could never ride off and leave her to spend the night with Hawke, then take her back after she had tested her emotions and Hawke’s. And if she had any doubts about her feelings for either of them, it was futile to drag her away. He watched as Shannon kept glancing at Hawke and smiling at him, as if she couldn’t keep her eyes and mind off his rival. There was such a softness and radiance in her eyes when they touched on his bronze-skinned opponent. He fumed enviously.
“Shannon, I’ll ask you one last time; come with me now. I have to leave at dawn. I want you to marry me tonight. If you refuse, I won’t return to Savannah. I want Hawke and Corry out of your life.”
She gaped at him. Did he want to take everything and everyone from her? Did she know this man at all? “I can’t go with you or marry you tonight, Blane. And I’ll never sacrifice Corry and Hawke for you or anyone. If you can’t give me time and understanding, then go.”
Her words were not interpreted by Blane as she had intended them, but neither one knew that. Blane swiftly covered the distance between the graveyard and Dan. He unbuckled the girth strap and removed the hidden pictures. He didn’t have to retrace his steps, for she followed him to probe this inexplicable behavior. She didn’t get the opportunity, for Blane reacted violently and recklessly in his state of anguish. He had thought he had finally won her love and fidelity. He now believed she was rejecting him for another man, and bitterly suspected she had duped him all along.
“You might want these back, Flame. I don’t need them anymore. Make sure you guard your backside. You left a dangerous trail behind.”
Shannon looked at the family pictures, then at Blane. “You’ve had them all along? You lied to me and stole them. Why?”
“I wanted to make sure I could recognize Corry when I met him, just in case we got separated,” he sullenly replied. He had this irrational urge to make her suffer as he was suffering, to spoil her reunion and her life with his victorious rival. She had allowed him to fall in love with her and plan a future for them, then had crushed both dreams. The moment Hawke reappeared, she had discarded him for her former love.
Shannon began, “I don’t understand. You sound as if—”
He sharply cut her off. “As if I despise the sorry bastard and want him dead? I do. When we met in Washington, the moment you exposed your name and home to Silas Manning, I recognized both; and soon I’ll find and slay Corry. If your family hadn’t taken off in ’61 before my arrival, this matter would have been settled years ago. I agreed to let you tag along as my so-called partner because I hoped you would lead me to your brother. By the time I found those pictures, you were good company between the blankets and you were providing a superb cover. Besides, I wasn’t sure which of those men was Corry.”
Shannon was bewildered and pained. “From that first night in the White House, it was all lies and games? And why were you chasing Corry?”
“Because he’s the man I’ve been seeking to kill, the one who ruined my sister’s life in the spring of ’60. He’s had plenty of chances to accept his responsibilities. Even if I never locate him, I’ve amply repaid him, haven’t I, Blue Eyes? I’ve been here three times searching for him since your family left. Too bad Greenleaf’s ruined. Serves him right for refusing to share it with Ellie and little Corry.”
Blane’s keen wits were dulled by fury and anguish, but he noticed her reaction. “You look shocked, Blue Eyes. I’m surprised you haven’t figured.this out by now. I thought you said you and Corry were close. Did he keep such wickedness a secret from you, or have you known the truth since before we met? From the things you said each time this subject came up, I couldn’t be sure about what you did or didn’t know. Were you a clever trap for me? Did Corry send you to Washington? Or did you come up with this self-sacrificing scheme to save him after we met? Are you sure you want Hawke so much that you’ll risk Corry’s life by spurning me? I suppose you could blackmail me with accusations of rape and abduction. But who would take the word of the Rebel Flame against mine?”
Shannon did not make any attempt to conceal her anguish and tears. “If I lived forever, I wouldn’t have guessed you capable of such treachery and cruelty, or such stupidity. You’re wrong about everything, Blane. Corry isn’t responsible for Ellie’s troubles, and I had never heard of you before that night in Washington. And even if he were guilty, you had no right to make me pay for his sins. How wrong and wicked you are. What kind of satanic beast are you, Blane Stevens? Your revenge has succeeded beyond your wildest dreams. If you’re through tormenting me and gloating, why don’t you get the hell out of here?”
The sight of her agony vexed him. “Do you expect me to believe it was a mere coincidence that you entered my room that night? I promised Ellie justice. When you see Corry, make sure he knows the Stevenses have exacted their revenge. And make sure he knows I still plan to slay him if he doesn’t marry Ellie and legitimate his son.”
“I would never tell my brother what you’ve done to me just to punish him. If Ellie is anything like you, the man who marries her is a fool. How blind and rash you are, Blane Stevens. If you had told me the truth, I could have proven you’re wrong about Corry.”
“You can stand there and scold me for lying and deceiving you? What about your lies and tricks? At least you owe me for saving your lovely neck several times, my tempting Rebel Flame. And what about Hawke?” he sneered, his smoldering gaze wanting to singe his rival.
“You know I’m not a spy for either side, so don’t use that to excuse your wickedness. As for Hawke, I didn’t tell you about him because of your feelings about bastards and Indians, and because that area of my life was painful and private. I didn’t think he would ever come back to Greenleaf. Believe it or not, I was going to tell you about him tonight. I was going to tell you everything about me tonight,” she added sadly. How would he react to news of their child? Would he deny that he was the father, or demand the baby for misguided revenge on her brother? She couldn’t risk his answer.
“But Hawke returned today and changed your mind, didn’t he? How can you choose him over me? He deserted you years ago, like Corry did Ellie. When I learned about him from you and Thornton and saw his picture, I was afraid this day might come.” He told her what he had overheard in the past and his interpretations. “Were you using me to replace your lost love? Are you going to marry him?”
“Marry Hawke?” she echoed incredulously. “Are you insane?”
“What’s the matter, Flame? He beneath you, like me? Papa’s dead now, so he can’t stand between you two. And that bastard Corry hasn’t got the right to judge anybody! That night at the Thomases, were you really a virgin, Blue Eyes? Or was Thornton right? Were you sleeping with Hawke and me and no telling how many other gullible fools? Like brother, like sister. Once I get rid of Corry, you and Hawke can marry and have all of this to yourselves.”
“Oh, Blane, you don’t realize what you’ve done to me, to us. You don’t know how wrong you are about everything. I loved you. I gave you my heart and soul. I was going to marry you.”
“Until you discovered you could have Hawke again,” he charged.
Her eyes examined his harsh expression and frosty glare. “If Hawke was the only misunderstanding between us, I would shake some clarity into that stubborn head. But Hawke wasn’t the reason you set out to use me and betray me
. You didn’t know about him for a long time. We had something very special, or we could have had something special. How tragic that you had to destroy it all because of lies and hatred.”
She glanced at the destruction surrounding them. “You’re responsible for all this, aren’t you? When it looked as if you couldn’t obtain your bloody revenge on Corry, you saw me as the perfect weapon for hurting him. I wonder how Ellie will feel when you explain how you carried out your promise to her. In her place, I would die of shame and anguish. I would be ill for having had any part in such evil. You’ve ruined everything, Blane. When you learn the truth of your errors, I hope it tortures you as much as it’s tormenting me. Now that you have revenge, can’t you be satisfied? Will it give you and Ellie joy and freedom? How could I have been so wrong about you? How could you hate me and spite me so cruelly? What of all those nights and days we shared? How could you be so blind and vengeful?”
Blane impulsively confessed, “It wasn’t always Corry and Hawke. I didn’t start out to hurt you, Shannon. I hated Corry and wanted to punish him. You just got in the way. Maybe it was your destiny to tempt me into using you as my weapon. Lord knows you’re an irresistible witch. I’m not even sure Corry didn’t sic you on me.”
“You’re mistaken, Blane. You couldn’t have done such horrid things to me if you didn’t hate me. You’ve destroyed my whole world, and you wanted to destroy me. If that isn’t hatred and evil, I don’t know what is. All I wanted was to love you and to build a life with you. When should I expect Sherman’s guards to come and arrest me as the Rebel Flame? Will you be around for my mock trial and execution? Is that to be your finishing touch to this madness and evil?”
“You can relax, Shannon. I’ve cleared your name with Sherman.”
“That was decent of you, considering you’re the one who planted all the false evidence,” she stated sarcastically. “Damn you, Blane!” she raged aloud, then murmured tormentedly. “Damn you. We could have been happy.”
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