Sweet Silken Bondage

by Bobbi Smith

  Luis was worried as he stormed into the sheriffs office. If O'Keefe had had the misfortune to fall prey to a mob of law-abiding citizens, he was afraid Cordell would make him answer for his fate. The sight of the lawman sitting calmly at his desk reassured him somewhat. Surely, if his prisoner had been strung up, Macauley wouldn't be so at ease.

  "What the hell is going on, Macauley?" Luis demanded haughtily as he marched up to the desk and glared down at him.

  "I'm not sure I know what you mean, Alvarez," the sheriff replied coolly.

  "I want to know what happened here yesterday."

  "I'm not so sure that's any of your business," he said caustically.

  "As a concerned citizen, it most certainly is my business. There were all kinds of terrible rumors reaching the ranch, and I want to know the truth. Where's O'Keefe? Did they get to him and lynch him?"

  "Since when are you so interested in what happens to O'Keefe?" Macauley asked, his eyes narrowing as he studied the old Californio, wondering at his concern.

  "Santana was a friend of mine," Luis said, stiffening at the implied insult. "I want to know what's happened to the man who was accused of his murder!"

  "O'Keefe's not here," he answered bluntly.

  Luis stared aghast at Sheriff Macauley. "Then it's true..."

  "What's true? What have you heard?"

  "That vigilantes stormed the jail and O'Keefe disappeared."

  "That's the way it happened, to a point," the lawman snapped at the meddlesome rancher.

  "The vigilantes didn't hang him, did they?" he voiced his greatest concern.

  "No, but that's why I moved him out of here. I want to keep him safe. There's no guarantee those damned fools won't try again, although I'm hoping they're smart enough not to."

  "Where is he?"

  "You may be one of Monterey's leading, upstanding citizens, Alvarez, but that doesn't mean I have to tell you anything. Just suffice it to say, that O'Keefe is safe for now. There isn't going to be any mob justice in my town."

  "You're certain he's protected?" Luis pressed.

  The sheriff gave him a strange look. One minute it seemed the old rancher wanted the prisoner dead for his misdeeds, and the next he sounded thoroughly worried that something might happen to him.

  "He's protected, Alvarez."

  Maintaining his regal bearing, Luis dictated, "Just make sure he stays that way until the trial."

  "That's my job," Macauley answered in a level tone, though he would have liked to have thrown him right out of his office.

  As Luis turned to leave, he passed Molly on her way in. Sensing the tension, she glanced nervously between them. She waited until Luis had stepped outside and then shut the door behind her.

  "Is everything all right?" Molly asked.

  "I should be the one asking you that question." The sheriff's mood lightened to see that the young girl was well. He'd been concerned about her all morning, but didn't want to make a point of going out to her house and drawing suspicion down on her. "How did it go? Did you have any trouble?"

  She quickly told him about their trek through town last night. "So far, everything's fine. What do you want me to do now?"

  "O'Keefe hasn't given you any trouble or tried to escape, has he?" Macauley had to know.

  "No. Dev won't try to escape. He's innocent, sheriff. He has no reason to run," she said firmly.

  The lawman was surprised and a little pleased by her ardent defense of O'Keefe. He was glad that he was not the only one who saw the good in the man. "Can you keep him at your house for a while? It's about the safest place I can think of."

  Molly had been hoping he would suggest that. She had been miserable at the thought of Dev being locked up in that cell again. She answered quickly, without hesitation. "Yes. No one ever comes to see us. There's just my mother, my brother and me."

  "That's good, but how is your mother feeling?"

  "Better."

  "I'm glad to hear that. Now, listen, I don't want to bring O'Keefe back here to the jail until I've caught up with the ones responsible for the trouble last night."

  "Do you really think you'll be able to find them?"

  "Oh, I'll find them all right," Macauley answered firmly.

  "I hope you do, and right away before they do something else crazy."

  "I'm working on it, Molly, and maybe once I locate the troublemakers, I might have some real good news for O'Keefe."

  Her expression brightened. "You mean you think there's more to this than just a bunch of drunks?"

  "I'm not sure yet, but as soon as I work it out, I'll let you know. Don't say anything to him, though. I wouldn't want to get his hopes up, just in case I'm wrong."

  "You aren't wrong, Sheriff, and we both know it." She was serious as she met his gaze. "Dev didn't kill anybody."

  "I hope I can prove it. Until then, let's leave things as they are. You go on about your regular daily routine. Don't come back here unless it's an emergency. I don't want anyone putting two and two together and figuring out where he is. All right?"

  "Yes, sir."

  "Good girl. As soon as I learn anything, I'll be in touch. Until then, tell O'Keefe to lay low."

  "I will" she promised and her mood was more confident than it had been in days as she left the jail. She was thrilled to know that the sheriff might be onto something, and she was also pleased that Dev would be staying on with her. At least, they would be together for a little while longer.

  Dev had been nearly driven out of his mind by his enforced inactivity of the past weeks, and it seemed even worse to him now that he was there at the house. He wanted to get outside, to breathe some fresh air, even to do some kind of work. He was tired of just lying around, letting time go by.

  When Molly left to see the sheriff and then go on to work, he decided to take a walk out back. He had seen the ramshackle barn the night before and wondered how bad it really was. He was not unused to hard manual labor, and the thought of fixing it up for Molly appealed to him. He wanted to give her something back for all she'd given him.

  Since Jimmy was busy with his mother in her room, Dev went on outside. He was glad that Molly lived so far on the outskirts of town. It made it easier for him to move around without being seen. He took care to watch, though, checking thoroughly before he emerged in the daylight.

  The heat of the sun's brilliant rays warmed him as he walked down the path, and he surveyed the old building inside and out with a jaundiced eye. It was in poor condition, but it could be fixed with minimal materials and a lot of elbow grease.

  Without another thought, Dev started to work on the inside, shoveling it out first, then sweeping and then making what repairs he could with the few old tools he found there. He labored non-stop for the better part of an hour, working up a sweat and finally shedding his shirt. He kept at it, enjoying the physical exertion involved and the quick passage of time. When he finally took a breather, he stared around himself at what he'd accomplished and felt a contentment he hadn't known in years. There was a certain peace about the work, about doing this for Molly.

  At the thought of precious Molly, Dev forced himself to get back at it. A long, hard day's work and total exhaustion would surely afford him a good night's rest tonight.

  Jimmy was worried as he searched the house for some sign of Dev. When his mother had decided to take a nap, he'd come out of her room to talk to him for a while and could find no trace of him anywhere.

  Disappointment filled the boy as he suspected the worst - that Dev had run away. It upset him to think that he'd do that. He had trusted him, just as Molly had, but it looked like the man had only been waiting for Molly to go so he could flee himself.

  Jimmy was busy debating whether or not he should leave his mother alone and go tell the sheriff that his prisoner had gone, when he glanced out the window that overlooked the path and barn. He almost did a double-take as he realized someone was down there cleaning it out. His spirits surged as he saw Dev appear in the barn door for a min
ute and then go back inside. His faith in him restored, Jimmy charged from the house to see what he was doing.

  "Dev!" he shouted.

  Dev heard him coming and went out to meet him, wiping the dirt from his hands on his pants.

  "What are you doing down here? I was looking for you everywhere," Jimmy asked breathlessly when he reached him.

  "Why? Do you need me up at the house?" he questioned him, thinking something was wrong.

  Jimmy had the grace to look shamefaced. "No," he muttered, looking at the ground, feeling mortified.

  "Jim, what is it?" Dev, seeing that something was really troubling him, put a hand on his shoulder in a friendly gesture.

  It was the first time anyone had addressed him as "Jim," and it made him feel more grown up. Still, he was ashamed that he'd thought Dev had escaped, and he was reluctant to look him in the eye.

  "Come on, you can tell me. What's bothering you?" he encouraged.

  "I'm sorry, Dev" Jimmy began slowly for he didn't want to confess that he'd doubted him.

  "Sorry? For what?"

  "Well, when you weren't up at the house, I was scared that you'd run off. I'm sorry. I should have known better," he told him fiercely.

  Dev couldn't suppress a smile as he studied the boy. "You know, Jim, it takes quite a man to admit when he's wrong."

  "It does?" He brightened considerably.

  "It does," he confirmed, his deep, caring voice soothing the youth's fears. "It also takes a man not to run from trouble, but to face it squarely and deal with it."

  "That's why you're never going to run away, right, Dev?"

  "That's right, I'm not running," he stated, leading the way farther down the path to the pond to sit with Jimmy and take a break for a while.

  "How come?" the boy wondered out loud. "I mean, it would be so easy for you to go and then you'd be safe. You wouldn't have to worry about the trial or anything."

  Dev dropped down on the grass and the boy followed suit.

  "You're wrong about that. I would have to worry. I'd be a wanted man. I'd be hunted wherever I went I'd never be able to look myself in the mirror again, either. A man's got to have his self-respect and good name above all else. People won't like you, if you don't like yourself."

  Jimmy's father had died when he was just a toddler, and since then he'd had little real contact with men. He was relishing this time with Dev, listening to his every word as gospel. He seemed so big and smart. Jimmy could understand why Molly liked him so much.

  "Well, I like you, Dev, a whole lot, and so does Molly."

  "I'm glad. I like you, too."

  "Enough to stay forever?" he asked, innocent hope showing in his face.

  Dev didn't want to bring up the pain he knew would come, so he avoided answering directly and responded, "For as long as I can, Jim."

  "Good."

  For just a fleeting moment, Dev let himself imagine what it would be like to stay here forever. The daydream was blissful as he pictured them all laughing and working and loving together. He knew with some hard work and a little money this place of theirs could be shined up and turned into a real nice home. If he added some fence they could even run a few head of cattle and some horses. But reality had a way of ruining Dev's dreams, and he pushed the fantasy aside. He scolded himself silently for even allowing himself to think about it. He knew what the future held for him, and it was not a happily ever after ending with Molly by his side.

  "What do you say, we get back to work?" Dev invited. "Do you know how to hammer nails or use a saw?"

  "No," Jimmy admitted.

  "Well, come on then, it's time you learned." With an arm draped around the boy's slender shoulders, the two of them headed back to the barn.

  Wily glanced nervously back over his shoulder for what must have been the hundredth time that day, as he continued his ride out of Monterey to the shack he kept in the hills. Though he'd done what Stevens had told him to, leaving town as fast as he could last night, he still didn't trust the man, and he feared for his life.

  Wily didn't know why Stevens and his friends had been so intent on hanging O'Keefe the night before or why they were so worried about the sheriff now, but he figured it had to be pretty important for them to threaten him that way. He'd considered going to the sheriff and telling him about it, but the sheriff couldn't protect him all the time, and he was not eager to die.

  Wily always considered himself, above all else, a practical person, so he'd high-tailed it out of town. He planned to stay away for at least a few weeks until all the trouble was over. Only when he was sure it was safe, would he willingly return to Mon terey. Until then, he would hide out at the cabin and try to enjoy himself. He patted his saddlebags affectionately for he'd brought two bottles of whiskey with him, and he figured they were guaranteed to be his closest companions during the long days to come.

  Though Luis' concern about O'Keefe's safety had been temporarily set to rest, he was still a troubled man as he rode up the drive to his home. Worrisome thoughts of Reina plagued him. The days since she'd disappeared had turned to weeks, and now the weeks threatened to turn to months and still there had been no word. He wondered desperately whether Cordell had managed to find her yet, and he hoped that he had.

  The anger Luis had originally felt over Reina's defection was being tempered now by his growing anxiety over her personal safety. As he imagined her in some kind of life-threatening danger, his hands tightened involuntarily on the reins, and his horse shied at the unexpected pressure. If anything bad had happened to Reina he would never forgive himself. He loved her. She was his only child, and he only wanted what was best for her.

  Luis supposed it was a good thing that he hadn't heard from Cordell. No news was good news, and he could console himself with the fact that at least as far as he knew, right now, Reina was safe. He would try to be patient, though it was growing more and more difficult, and perhaps, if he prayed just a little harder, his prayers would be answered and she would return home soon.

  Reina appeared as tranquil and serene as the turquoise sea this late morning hour as she stood at the rail staring out across its untamed beauty, but in reality it was a very deceptive comparison. While the waters might be calm, there was nothing calm about Reina. Only a few hours before at breakfast the captain had announced that they would be making landfall in Panama the following day, and now she was frantically trying to plot an escape that would free her from Clay Cordell once and for all.

  Clay. The mere thought of the man was enough to infuriate her. He controlled her destiny completely, and she despised him for it. Yet, even as she'd claimed to hate him, he'd had only to touch her that fateful night, and her body had betrayed her, surrendering willingly to his sensual mastery.

  The discovery of that vulnerability had left her shaken. Of all the men in the world, why did this man - her father's henchman - have to be the one to set her soul aflame? Why couldn't she have felt this way about Nathan? If she had, none of this would ever have happened. As it was, though, she had only one alternative, and that was to escape.

  "Where are your thoughts, Reina?"

  Clay's voice came close behind her, and she actu ally shook with the awareness it ignited in her. He joined her at the rail, and his unexpected presence startled her. Agitated, she glanced up at him, and for just a fleeting instant their eyes met. He caught a glimpse of some emotion he couldn't readily identify in her gaze, but she quickly shuttered it from him.

  Clay gave a low chuckle as he slipped an arm about her shoulders in what appeared to all around them to be a gesture of protective affection between husband and wife. "Just the look on your face is enough to give you away, but you can forget running away. The only place you're going is Monterey with me."

  She wanted to jerk free of his touch. She wanted to tell him that in one more day when they got to Panama, she'd be gone. But instead, she gave him a cool smile.

  "If you say so, Clay," she replied all too agreeably, while silently she bristled over
his arrogant assumption that she wouldn't be able to get away from him. She planned on showing him and showing him good.

  "I say so," he said with a confident grin, giving her a little squeeze and then letting her go. He knew this sweet, submissive routine of hers was nothing more than a ruse. "It's almost time for the noon meal. Are you ready to go below?"

  Reina wanted to slap that self-satisfied smile right off his face. She wanted to get away from him, not go down to the dining room with him and appear to be his loving wife.

  "I'm more tired than hungry," she answered, and it was not an untruth.

  She'd gotten precious little sleep these last few nights for she'd been forced to continue to share the bed with him. At first, she'd demanded that he sleep in the chair or take another cabin, but he'd only mocked her. She'd flushed in furious anger when he'd told her that she had nothing to worry about, that he had no intention of doing anything other than sleep in the bed. Despite the fact that he'd kept to his word and had not tried to touch her again, just lying beside him in the darkness had left her nerves stretched taut. Each night she'd lain awake for hours before finally succumbing to a fitful rest.

  "I think I'll go back to the cabin and rest for a while. You go on and eat."

  Clay studied her for a moment, seeing for the first time the dark, shadow of weariness in her eyes. He felt a touch of guilt he had to do battle with. "Shall I escort you below?" He started to take her arm, but she moved away from him.

  "I'll be fine, unless you're worried that I'm going to jump ship and swim to shore"

  It has crossed my mind a time or two," he responded and when she gave him a quick look, he just gave her another taunting smile. "I'll see you later."

  As Reina hurried away, she could feel Clay watching her, and she was glad when she entered the companionway and moved out of sight. It felt good to be free of his oppressive presence if only for a little while. To her surprise, she came face to face with Michael.

  "Mrs. Cordell, hello," the young man blustered, thrilled to see her. Since the scene at dinner the other night, he hadn't had the chance to talk with her again, and he'd missed her.