Renegade Love (Rancheros)

by Fletcher, Donna

  She stared at him in disbelief, knowing he would. And worse, wondered why the image his words evoked had brought a tingle between her legs.

  She hadn’t realized that she was squirming and wasn’t sure if it was a feeble attempt to free herself or that the ache between her legs needed attention.

  Esteban became aware of it himself and he sat up and ran his hand down her body to settle much too intimately against her. “Shall I give you a taste of what your defiance will cost you?”

  He rubbed the palm of his hand against her mound and she gasped at the bolt of pleasure that shot through her. Before she could recover, his hand had slipped beneath her dress and his finger slide effortless between her legs to settle inside her.

  “Wet and ready,” he murmured seeming surprised.

  And then he began to... torment her. It was the only way she could explain it for she felt as if she wanted to explode with pleasure and yet he stopped her just as... he continued the torment until it became so unbearable that she had to bite her lips to stop from crying out.

  He stopped suddenly and brought his face inches from hers. “Defy me and the next time I’ll have you begging for mercy.”

  He untied the sash and striped it from her wrists, then walked out of the room slamming the door behind him.

  Rosa sat shaken, not sure which she should be more upset about, her husband’s threat to make her his sex slave or her reaction to it? Whatever was the matter with her? Would she need to go and confess her sins?

  She blushed at the thought. Never could she tell the padre what had happened here. He would not only think the worst of Esteban, he would warn her that she was being corrupted by evil. There was no one to turn to, no one to help her understand the right or wrong of it.

  Would her twin understand?

  The thought had her jumping out of bed. It was imperative that she go meet her true family. It could make all the difference. She straightened her dress and ran her fingers through her hair to tame the wild strands, then she hurried off to find the padre.

  It took only a moment to learn from the servants that Don Alejandro had offered the padre a meal before he took his leave. He took the meal in the kitchen so that he could spend some time with the servants.

  Rosa hurried along, hoping he was still there. She was relieved when she saw him sitting outside at the table enjoying his food with a couple of servants and Dolores.

  Padre Marten smiled when he spotted her and waved. “Come join us.”

  Rosa didn’t hesitate. She took a seat.

  After several minutes of pleasant conversation dotted with laughter, Dolores ordered everyone back to work, leaving Rosa alone with the padre.

  As soon as she did, the padre turned to Rosa. “You want to make the trip to Los Angeles to meet your family, don’t you?”

  “Very much,” Rosa admitted, trying to keep the eagerness out of her voice.

  “Has your husband changed his mind about allowing you to go there?”

  Her shoulders slumped and she shook her head. “Unfortunately, no.”

  “I don’t think Esteban realizes the importance of you going and what it means.”

  Rosa turned a confused look on the padre.

  “My dear,” he said like a patient father speaking to his daughter. “This means that you are not just a mere peasant, but of noble birth. And he cannot refuse nobility.”

  “That would not matter to Esteban,” Rosa said.

  “Perhaps but it would matter to the wealthy hacienda owners in St. Lucita. No longer could they look down on you. Actually, you would be far superior to them.”

  Rosa shook her head. “That doesn’t matter to me, Padre. What does is meeting my true parents and my twin sister.” She smiled just thinking of the idea that she had a twin. “I’m so excited at the thought that I have a sibling.”

  “Then you must go to Los Angeles,” the padre insisted.

  “But how when Esteban refuses to allow it?”

  “Pray,” he instructed. “God will find a way to reunite you with your family whether Esteban agrees or not.”

  ~~~

  Rosa’s prayers were answered much sooner than she had expected. She took it as a good sign. She was doing the right thing by going off and meeting her family, at least that’s what she kept telling herself. Besides if her husband could go off for a few days and not even tell her that he was leaving, why shouldn’t she be able to do the same?

  A shiver ran through her recalling Esteban’s warning of what he would do to her if she defied him. And though it definitely should have been a deterrent, it didn’t stop her. She would face her fate upon her return.

  It was Teresa, the young servant girl who when asked if she had seen Esteban informed Rosa that he had left early that morning. When she had asked when Esteban was expected to return, Teresa had lowered her head and suggested that Rosa speak with Don Alejandro.

  It was after her brief talk with her father-in-law that her decision had been made. Esteban would not be returning for a week or more, though Don Alejandro did not explain why or where his son had gone. He had purposely steered the conversation away from such questions. Annoyed that her husband had left without a word or explanation, she decided to make plans.

  That night at supper she mentioned that she was thinking of spending a few days at the mission sequestered in one of the rooms the padre kept for prayer retreat. She knew about the private rooms kept ready for the privileged women of the haciendas since the Curros had been hired to provide meals for them. She had been the one who had cooked and served the meals, though she had never seen any of the women. The trays were left outside the door, and she would pick up the empty ones later.

  The isolated retreat would serve as the perfect concealment for her trip to Los Angeles. No one would question her absence and if she was lucky no one would need to know that she had ever gone in the first place. Not until it proved necessary.

  The more she had thought about it, the more perfect her plan sounded and when Dona Valerianna heard, she gave Rosa her blessing.

  “How wonderful of you to pray so diligently for your husband,” she said with teary eyes.

  Rosa felt a pang of guilt and silently promised that on her journey she would offer numerous prayers so as not to disappoint Esteban’s mother.

  Don Alejandro seemed agreeable and slightly relieved, as if a burden had been taken off his shoulders. “I am sure Esteban would appreciate your sacrifice and also would be pleased that you are safely tucked away at the mission. When would you like to go?”

  “Tomorrow morning.”

  And so she found herself deposited at the mission. The vaqueros escorted her to her room and saw her settled before taking their leave and returning to the hacienda to report to Don Alejandro that she had been safely ensconced in her temporary quarters.

  They no soon as left then Padre Marten and she collected what they needed for the two days it would take them to reach Los Angeles. The only person the padre confided his departure in was Anita, the woman who had tended the mission for the last ten years. He informed her that he had been summoned to another mission to help and would return in a few days.

  No one saw Rosa join him in the wagon and together they rode off, Rosa praying that she wouldn’t regret her decision.

  Chapter Fifteen

  Esteban went straight to his quarters upon his return. He needed to wash away the sweat and grime he had accumulated on his prolonged journey before letting his wife know of his return. He had been away longer than he had anticipated and hoped his efforts would prove worth it. He had set a plan in motion and now all he could do was wait.

  The day was warm so he decided to take a dip in the pond where he had enjoyed carefree times as a young boy. He hadn’t been there since his return, hadn’t wanted to go there, but now... he hurried along the winding path.

  After leaving his bundle of fresh clothes and towel under one of the numerous oak trees that gave the spot a modicum of seclusion, he hurried and st
ripped off his clothes. He ran to the water and was soon swimming out to the middle as he had done as a boy, though now his strides were more powerful and it took him less time to make it to the middle.

  He had expected to be assaulted by memories of wasted years with Pacquito’s band and how often he had thought about this place and wished he was here. Instead his thoughts focused on Rosa, the taste of her so sweet, so innocent, and so inviting.

  He floated on his back gazing at the clear blue sky sprinkled sparingly with white clouds. She constantly invaded his mind. No matter what his thought, she would pop in and interfere with it. He hadn’t expected to be so attracted to his wife—he frowned—that was a lie. He had been attracted to her from when he first saw her, and his thoughts about her had been anything but pure and continued to be anything but pure.

  Spending time with her had made him realize how much he enjoyed her company, and he was surprised to learn that she wasn’t as docile as he had first thought. There were many things about her that had actually surprised him.

  The most startling one was that she didn’t seem to be adverse to his kisses or his touch. He had expected her to cringe especially when he had tied her to the bed—he grimaced—something he shouldn’t have done and yet...

  She had grown wet and he had grown hard.

  He turned and began swimming, needing to erase the image the memory had brought. If not, he’d be finding her and finishing what he had started.

  I want more.

  The haunting words had him stopping and treading water. Damn if he didn’t’ want more from Rosa. He hadn’t realized it himself until after the words had run unexpectedly from his mouth that day. When he had finally returned home after all those years of capture, it was with the intention of seeing that his mother and father were safe and to stay for a while, though not permanently. He would have to finish things with Pacquito before he could do that. Then he had seen Rosa in town and had not been able to hide his interest in her from his father or perhaps he hadn’t wanted to.

  He could have left then and there but there had been something about the petite woman that kept him there and though he had railed against their marriage, there had been a part of him that wanted it, wanted something permanent.

  She was his now; she belonged to him.

  Not until their vows were consummated.

  The thought had plagued him and continued to plague him. He started swimming again, his strides strong and rapid as he tried to rid himself of the image of her tied to the bed. He had had no right to treat her like that and yet his anger had taken hold and he had reacted, reminding him of who he was... a renegade.

  He had spent more years with Pacquito’s band than he had with his parents. Yet those early fourteen years had been indelibly etched in not only his memory but his nature as well. His father had taught him well the way of a man and he had not forgotten... he hadn’t wanted to forget those lessons. He had felt that if he had, he would have surrendered completely to the hell that had become his life.

  Now there was Rosa and somehow she seemed to make a difference or was it that he was thinking differently? But she was not truly his until they joined as one and Esteban wanted to make certain that when he did it wasn’t the renegade who sealed their vows, but the man his father had taught him to be.

  After making sure he was thoroughly washed and dried, he slipped into fresh clothes and made his way back to the house. He wondered what his wife was up to and if she would be annoyed with him for having left without a word to her.

  She wasn’t in her quarters or the gardens she enjoyed frequenting, and then he realized that it was suppertime. He entered the dining room expecting to see her at the table with his mother and father. His parents were present, but his wife was not.

  Esteban ignored his parents’ startled expressions and demanded. “Where is my wife?”

  “Rosa has been at the mission since your departure, safely sequestered in prayer for her husband,” Don Alejandro said, “at her own request.”

  She prayed for his soul and Esteban wasn’t sure whether he should be annoyed or pleased since his thoughts of her were much more sinful.

  “I hadn’t realized you had returned,” his father said.

  His mother smiled. “It is good to have you home again, please sit and join us.”

  “Yes, do join us, Esteban,” his father said, hoping to find out where his son had been, though he dared not ask him directly.

  His parents appeared eager for his company while he was eager to retrieve his wife. “Another time, I want to go bring Rosa home.”

  “They serve an early evening meal at the mission for those in prayer and bedtime soon follows,” his mother explained. “By now she would be asleep after a full day of prayer. Why not fetch her tomorrow? She will rise early to start another day of prayer.”

  Esteban didn’t want to wait another moment to see his wife, but he also didn’t want to disturb her sleep. He would be there when the sun rose to bring her home. For now he would please his parents and join them.

  It wasn’t until later when he found himself restless in bed, slipping in and out of sleep that he was suddenly struck by the question...

  Why?

  Why had Rosa decided to seek solitary prayer at the mission as soon as he had left? The question nagged at him. And when a possible answer finally came to him, he jumped out of bed, dressed, went to the stables, saddled his horse and took off for town.

  He arrived just as the sun rose bright and strong, Padre Marten taking a quick step back inside the entrance of the church as Esteban brought his horse to an abrupt halt only a few feet away. He dismounted so quickly and approached with such a determined gait that Padre Marten stepped further back, seeking the safety of the church.

  Esteban walked right up to the padre keeping step with him as he kept retreating further down the aisle of the church until he bumped into the wood altar railing.

  “Where’s my wife?” Esteban demanded.

  The furious look on Esteban’s face had the padre blessing himself and silently asking for forgiveness for the lie he was about to tell. “She’s in prayer and should not be disturbed.”

  “You’re telling me that if I go search the prayer rooms that I will find her on her knees praying for my condemned soul?”

  The padre attempted to take a firm stand. “You will not disturb those who have sought solace here.”

  Esteban snickered. “And who will stop me, Padre?”

  The padre tried a different tact. “You would embarrass your wife after she has spent time in constant prayer for you?”

  “Then bring her to me and that is not a request, Padre.”

  “She finishes her prayer vigil in two days. Come back for her then,” the padre said hoping that Rosa would return by then, having left her with her newfound family with a promise they would see her safely home.

  Esteban leaned his face closer to the padre’s. “Bring her to me now or I will tear the mission apart searching for her.”

  The padre was well aware that Esteban would do exactly as he said and so he had no choice but to tell him the truth. “Rosa has gone to Los Angeles.

  He kept his hands tightly fisted at his sides for fear of reaching out and strangling the padre. “When did she leave and who went with her?”

  The padre’s mouth went dry and he had difficulty answering. “She left the day after your departure and I took her.”

  “No one else accompanied you?” he asked stunned that the padre and his wife had traveled without any protection. He kept a tight grip on his fists or else... he’d kill the foolish man. “And did you expect her to return home alone?” He grew even more furious at the insane thought.

  The padre shook his head. “I would never do that.”

  He felt a sudden punch to his gut as another thought hit him. “Or perhaps you don’t expect her to return home.”

  “No, no,” the padre rushed to assure him. “Rosa has every intention of returning. She is your wife and
takes her vows seriously.”

  That she would return out of duty annoyed him, but what did he expect... for her to miss him?

  “Rosa got along well with her sister, and her parents assured me that they would see to her safety.”

  “You left her with strangers who guaranteed her safety but not her return home?” Esteban had to step away from the padre. He was that close to raising his fist to the man.

  The padre tried to reassure him. “Rosa will return home to you, my son.”

  Esteban glared with fiery eyes at him. “You’re right, Padre, she will because I’m going to go get my wife and when I lay my hands on her... God won’t be able to help her.”

  Esteban turned and hurried out of the church, the padre rushing after him. He mounted his horse with such speed that it startled the padre and he quickly blessed himself.

  “Blessings won’t stop me from making you suffer if anything has happened to my wife,” Esteban said with such cold resolve that the padre shivered. “Now tell me where you took her.”

  ~~~

  “I can’t believe the padre would take that upon himself to do and not tell us,” Dona Valerianna said, a hand to her chest after hearing the news.

  “And I can’t believe my wife defied me,” Esteban said. “Where is Father, I must talk with him before I leave.”

  “I heard what you said to your mother,” Don Alejandro said to his son as he entered the parlor. “Take as many men as you want with you.”

  Esteban shook his head. “The vaqueros will do me no good.”

  “You will go alone?” his father asked concern in his aging eyes.

  “No, I will take men with me,” Esteban said.

  “You cannot mean to—”

  “I will do anything necessary to get my wife and bring her home.”

  “Safely,” his mother said firmly.

  “That remains to be seen.”

  “Esteban!” his father said.

  Esteban hadn’t heard that warning tone since he was a child. “I’m not a little boy anymore, Father. I will deal with my wife as I see fit.”

  “It will do you well to remember who you are, my son.”