The Bride Series (Omnibus Edition)

by Bittner, Rosanne

  He watched her cautiously as he reached for the covers. He pulled them over them both, moving on top of her, putting his big hands to either side of her face. “You will help me?”

  “Only if you promise to kill Sam Gates and that I won’t get in trouble. They can’t know who did it, or they’ll think I helped.”

  “They won’t know. I have a plan. All I need to know is where he sleeps.”

  “His room is at the back of the building, upstairs. I can sneak in later and make sure the window is unlocked. No one would think anything of me going in there, and Sam trusts me. I’ve been with him longer than any of the others. If you’re good at climbing, you can get in by working your way up the tree at the back comer of the building and moving across the little balcony to the third window from the left as you look at the building from the back. You’ll be able to see once you get inside. Sam always sleeps with a lamp lit. He has a lot of enemies.”

  He watched her closely. “Why would you help me kill the man you work for? Is he not also your friend?”

  Her eyes turned colder. “Look at my back.”

  He rose and she turned over for him. He touched the scars, wondering what horrible things had been done to Emma. “He did this to you?”

  “One of his men, while he watched.” She turned back over. “That is not the work of a friend. You probably wonder why I have never tried to escape. I did—twice—a long time ago. These scars are from one of those attempts. I don’t even want to talk about what he did to me the second time. A woman soon learns not to anger Sam Gates. I’ve never had any hope of getting away from him—until now.”

  He put a hand to her hair, feeling sorry for her in spite of what she was. Joanna was astonished at the gentle touch. “What did he do to my Emma?” he asked. “Where is she?”

  “A Tommy Decker brought her here. She was very sick because she had lost a baby on the way. She was very weak from loss of blood.”

  River closed his eyes and groaned. Joanna felt him stiffen with anger and grief.

  “She’s all right now but still weak,” she said. “Sam let her sleep for about four days. He kept her drugged part of the time.”

  His eyes opened and he gripped her hair. “What did he do to her?” he asked through gritted teeth. “And Tommy! What did he do!”

  “Tommy never got to touch her. Her miscarriage kept him away from her, so it was a blessing, in a way. But the bleeding had stopped when she arrived here. And Sam…Sam always tries the girls out himself first, if you know what I mean.”

  His hands gripped even tighter, pulling at her hair so that it hurt. “He raped her!” he growled.

  “You’re hurting me,” she whimpered.

  He let go of her, rolling off her and grasping a pillow, groaning into it. “I came too late,” he moaned.

  Joanna pulled the covers up close around them, stroking his hair. “She didn’t even know it, River Joe. She was completely out from the drugs. I never told her. I could tell she would have been devastated to know. She’s a good, good woman. If you do manage to get out of here and find her, don’t tell her. Don’t ever tell her.”

  River hunched into the pillow, grasping it in fists so tight that his knuckles were white. He sat up then, his back to her, making odd little gasping sounds.

  “Where is she now?” he asked, his voice broken.

  She touched his back, feeling sorry for him. “Sam sent her away—to his coal mine.”

  He threw back his head and breathed deeply for control, then turned to her, resting on one elbow. She was astonished to see tears in his eyes. She had never thought of a man crying, certainly not over a woman.

  “What coal mine? Why did he send her there? Where is it?” he asked anxiously.

  “It’s about a five-day ride from here, up by Willow Springs. But she left only two days ago. You might be able to reach her in time.” At the look in River Joe’s eyes, for the first time in months, perhaps years, Joanna felt sympathy in her heart. But he had to know, for she wanted to make sure he hated Sam Gates enough to go through with killing the man. “Sam sends girls there to…to break them, as Sam puts it. The miners—” She lay back against a pillow. “When they’re through with a woman she’s ready to do whatever Sam wants her to do. She’s not much good for anything else. I know. I’ve been there.”

  Their eyes held, and River’s blazed with a myriad of emotions, sorrow for Joanna, agony over Emma, a need to kill Sam Gates. He struggled to remain calm. If he handled things right, he could get to Emma before she reached the mine.

  “It is a terrible thing Sam Gates has done to you and others,” he said. He ran a hand through his hair and wiped at his eyes. “I thank you for agreeing to help me, for not screaming out.”

  She smiled amost wickedly. “This is the first time I’ve been one step ahead of Sam Gates. I like the feeling. You fooled him, River Joe! I don’t think any man has ever done that before, but you did it! You were wonderful down there.”

  “My God was with me. Tell me how I can find this mine.”

  “There is a well-traveled road that goes there. Anyone in town can tell you the main route. It’s called the Gates Mining Company. But Tommy will probably stay off the road as much as possible, since Emma might draw attention.”

  “Tommy! Tommy Decker has taken her there?”

  “Under Sam’s orders. Sam was angry for how Tommy handled this whole thing, especially for not being sure you were dead. Sam bullied Emma into telling the truth about you. I think she did it because she knew by instinct that Sam would hurt her badly to make her tell, and she’s right. She’s a survivor, River Joe. All she talked about was getting through all of this and staying alive until you came, so she could get back to her babies. She kept saying you would come. She seemed so sure of it.” She put a hand to his face. “And you did come. I think Emma is a very lucky woman. I envy her.”

  He took her hand and moved back on top of her in case they were being watched. Someone tapped on her door then and they both stiffened. “Everything all right in here, Joanna?”

  “It’s Stu, one of Sam’s men,” she whispered.

  River kissed her and she bent her knees so they would show under the blankets. He held her tightly then as she answered. “Everything is wonderful, Stu. Go away and leave us alone.”

  Stu laughed lightly and they heard his retreating footsteps. Joanna studied the handsome face so close to hers, then leaned up and grasped at his mouth with her own. River answered the kiss, sensing her desperate need to be kissed warmly, gently. She pressed against him, leaving his mouth then and licking at his ear.

  “Make love to me,” she whispered. “Make love to me like you do to her, River Joe.”

  He rose up, putting a hand to the side of her face. “I cannot. I belong to her, as she belongs to me. And I must hurry. Now that she is well, and is alone with Tommy Decker, I know what he will try to do to her. There is not much time. They have two days’ start on me. I will have to ride hard to catch up before they reach the mine.”

  She smiled sadly. “Of course. I should have known.” She rolled away from him, lying on her side, her back to him. “You’ll have to stay here awhile,” she told him then, a sadness in her voice. “It wouldn’t look right if you left just yet. I know you’re anxious to get to Emma, but if you’re going to continue to fool Sam, you had better stay up here a little longer. You can always leave later and tell Sam you already paid for a hotel room before coming here. Then you can leave and sneak back into Sam’s room later like I told you. You had better wait until about four in the morning.”

  She turned to face him, and he detected more tears in her eyes. “By the way, do you have the thirty dollars? I’ll have to show it to Sam or there will be trouble.”

  “I have it. That is about all I have to my name, but it is worth it to be able to find Emma. This will be a good night. Sam Gates will die this night!”

  “I hope you kill that Tommy, too. He’s a cocky bastard. He was mean to Emma. She was filthy and un
derfed when she got here. And you’re right. He’ll abuse her badly on the way to the mine, unless she thinks of a way to get away from him.” She smiled then. “And somehow I can’t imagine your Emma letting any man touch her. I think she’d die first. I’ve seen a lot of women come through here, River Joe. Yours was one of the most stubborn and determined ones. I ended up kind of liking her, but I didn’t dare let Sam know that.” She put a hand to her head. “God knows I lost most of my ability to care about anything or anyone a long time ago.”

  He pulled her close. “How can I repay you for all you have told me? I came here hoping to find out about my Emma, and my God led me to you.”

  “The only repayment I need is for you to kill Sam Gates. Nothing could make me happier. Stu is the only one besides me and Tommy and Sam who knows you might be alive. But if you aren’t seen, no one can say it was you. Stu won’t even bother trying to find out who did it because he wants to take over Sam’s place and his business. I’ve seen it in his eyes. I can handle Stu. I’ll talk him out of thinking it could have been you. No one else even thinks you’re alive anymore, so if you kill Tommy, too, you’ll be a free man. Hank’s black slave was hanged for Hank’s murder after he was captured and told Sam what he saw. No one knows you killed Hank Toole.”

  River frowned. “The Negro who worked for Hank? They hanged him?”

  “Yes. Some men found him and brought him to Sam. Sam wanted everyone to think Jim Jackson killed Hank in order to be free and run away. That way no one would know about Hank bringing Emma to him. He doesn’t like people to know he deals in woman slavery. People know he has prostitutes here, but they think they’re all willing, not bought and paid for, then beaten into submission. When Jim was hanged for Hank’s murder, that closed the subject. That left Sam free to go after you and Emma. But now that everyone thinks Hank’s murder has been solved, you’re a free man, if you can get away with killing Sam and Tommy.”

  She grinned a little. “Tommy will be easy. Anyone can see he talks big but is a coward at heart. Sam killed Tommy’s friend Deek, and no one knows Tommy was taking Emma to the mine except Stu. If Tommy’s found dead in the woods, people will simply think robbers killed him. And Stu won’t bother looking for Emma after that. It was Sam who was bent on keeping Emma. It makes him crazy when things don’t go his way. This whole thing could have been avoided, but Sam was hell-bent on killing you for taking what he considered to be his property, and then he wanted to punish Emma for running off with you. That’s why he sent her to the mine. Then he figured you’d be easy to spot if you came here looking for her, and he’d have you killed, too. If you could just kill Sam without being spotted, you would be a free man.”

  River’s dark eyes turned cunning and vengeful. “I intend to kill Sam Gates in a way that it will not even be blamed on a man,” he said.

  “How in the world will you do that?”

  “Do not worry. Just know that it will be done.”

  She smiled almost wickedly. “Yes. I guess you’ll know what to do. I just wish I could be there to see it—to watch Sam Gates die.” She traced light fingers over the scars on his chest. “If you can kill Sam and Tommy, we’ll both be free.” She met his eyes. “I wish you luck, River Joe.”

  She saw fiery determination in his eyes. “My God is with me. I have no doubt that Sam Gates will die this night, and that Tommy Decker will also suffer. I will get my Emma back.” He put a hand to her shoulder. “And you have helped me. You will be glad for helping me, and blessed for it,” he said.

  She smiled at the lovely words. “Well, now, you are really something. I hope you find her, River Joe, and that she’s all right and Tommy hasn’t hurt her.”

  “When I am through he will never touch another woman, nor will Sam Gates.”

  She thought about the horror that would be visited upon her if this man failed, but somehow she knew in her bones he would not. In minutes she had sensed his power, his strength and will.

  Emma was right. Her River Joe would be the one who would get the better of Sam Gates.

  “You have to wait a little longer,” she said. “Will you do something for me? You said you owe me.”

  He studied the painted face, thinking how much prettier it would be without all the colors that covered it. “What is it?”

  “Will you…” She could hardly believe her own words. “Will you just hold me? You don’t have to…do anything. Just hold me. I haven’t been held kindly since I was little—before pirates came and stole me off a beach in Virginia.”

  He frowned. “How old were you?”

  “I was only eight.”

  “Eight! And they brought you here?”

  “Not directly. But Sam was at a dock where pirates sold their wares. He bought me, but he was kind enough to wait until I was eleven to show me what he expected of me.”

  River lost any remaining doubts he might have had about deliberately murdering a man. Killing Sam Gates would be like ridding the land of a black plague.

  He pulled the covers up around them and drew Joanna into his arms.

  He wondered if he could really trust this woman, but then he felt her tremble, felt a wetness against his chest. He realized she was crying. Sam Gates had forced her to live in hell for years. Yes, he could trust her.

  He petted Joanna’s hair. Tonight Sam Gates would die, and soon Tommy Decker. He would take his vengeance and then he would take his precious Emma home.

  Sam turned onto his back, stretching and snuggling down again. It was nearly three o’clock when he had gone to bed, and still he felt restless now. He couldn’t stop thinking about the lawyer from Ohio.

  He wished this River Joe would show himself and get it over with. Every tall, dark stranger he saw now made him nervous. He told himself he was being foolish. After all, Stu slept right outside his door, and men guarded the front and back of the saloon all night. They were all good men, and River Joe could never walk into a place like Knoxville and the Tennessee Belle, night or day, without being seen. The description they had of the man left little doubt in Sam’s mind that he would be easy to spot.

  Still, maybe this River Joe was smarter than Sam thought. Emma Simms seemed to think so, but then Emma Simms was, after all, a simple mountain girl who didn’t know much about the ways of men like Sam Gates. River Joe wouldn’t know how to handle him either.

  At least the lawyer had had his round in bed with Joanna and had left. He had paid the thirty dollars and gone to a hotel. It had all worked out, and the man was gone. At least that suspicion was done with. John Beck seemed at first to fit the description of River Joe in several ways, but a man who had been raised by Cherokee Indians and who had lived in the wilds as long as this River Joe had surely wouldn’t know much about states’ rights and the presidency and other important matters that ignorant backwoods people knew nothing about.

  Joanna had said the man gave her quite a good time and asked no unusual questions. He could trust Joanna. She was one woman who knew the ropes, and she had long ago learned not to cross Sam Gates. Joanna wouldn’t dream of trying to pull a fast one on him.

  He settled in between satin sheets. If he weren’t so tired he would order the new girl to be brought to him. He had just bought her that morning, a pretty little thing, an orphaned mountain girl whose neighbor figured he could make some whiskey money from selling her. The neighbor was right. She was only thirteen and a virgin. Sam would enjoy turning the shivering little thing into a woman who knew how to appreciate men. She would learn to like it soon enough.

  He grinned then at the thought of Emma Simms. Tommy would have finally had his turn at her by now, and the haughty bitch would soon have any lingering pride stripped away by the miners. It served her right, especially for lying to Tommy about River Joe’s being dead.

  He closed his eyes, finally beginning to drift off. The pendulum of a wall clock drifted back and forth, ticking to four o’clock. The guard in the alley below Sam’s window drifted off to sleep for a moment, and a shadowy figure
in buckskins moved silently past him. A gunnysack hung from the intruder’s arm as he deftly climbed the tree at the comer of the building, hoisting himself up with strong arms and with the agility of a man who knew the woods and shadows, a man who had spent his life hunting, stalking wary animals. Now he would stalk a wary man; he would use all his skills and instincts against the most dangerous prey of all.

  The guard blinked awake then, feeling a presence but looking around and seeing nothing. Above him the shadowy figure crept silently along the balcony, to the third window.

  Inside, Sam Gates had finally fallen asleep. He snored and settled even deeper into his pillow, unaware that someone crept through his window without making a sound. The intruder carefully opened the gunnysack he was carrying, grasping at something from the outside of the bag and carefully letting it come to the opening. He caught it then with one quick movement of his hand before walking on moccasined feet to Sam Gates’s bed.

  A quick, strong hand reached out then, a thumb pressing against Sam’s Adam’s apple just enough to make the man stop breathing for a moment. The strong grasp about his throat made Sam jolt awake. He tried to breathe, but something kept the breath from coming, and he could not call out.

  In the light of the lamp, as he came fully awake and realized what was happening, Sam could see him—John Beck! What was happening? He looked different, wilder, meaner. He wore buckskins, and in the next moment Sam Gates found himself staring into the open, white mouth of a hissing snake. He knew in that instant his first suspicion had been right. This was River Joe!

  River pressed his left hand tightly, maneuvering his thumb in such an expert way that Sam could not breathe enough to yell out. He was quickly losing strength, unable to fight back. But even if he could fight, common sense told him to lie still, for River Joe held the wiggling snake in his right hand, close to Sam’s face.

  “Do you know what kind of snake this is!” River sneered, his dark eyes on fire with vengeance. “Some call it a water moccasin. Others call it a cottonmouth.” His voice hissed like the snake, and he moved the snake’s mouth even closer, enjoying the absolute terror in Sam Gates’s eyes. “Whatever it is called, it is poisonous!” River whispered. He smiled at the look in Sam Gates’s eyes. “How does it feel, Sam Gates, to be the one who is afraid! The one who is threatened, tortured?”