by Linda Broday
Marley scooted deeper into the cover. Even if he found her, she needed to buy Roan and her father as much time as possible to get there. She had to believe they were on the chase.
“I ain’t messing with you, girlie. Get out here!”
The horses stood motionless in the night. She felt along the ground for a rock. If she could draw his attention away from the plants, she stood a chance of getting away. Slowly, she patted the area around her and was about to give up in defeat when her fingers brushed a small, rough stone. She clutched it and waited.
The noise of some small animal made Gentry whirl. Marley took advantage and launched the rock over by the horses.
The man growled and hurried over to them. “You trying to steal a horse, girlie?” he snarled.
Marley crawled on her belly deeper into the brush, grateful for the dark shield around her. If she could reach a ravine or some other place to hide, she might make it. She noticed the shadow of a rocky hill rising up ahead.
Her heart pounded, and she barely breathed.
Just a few more yards.
Only when she got there, she encountered a rock wall. And Gentry was wading into the brush behind her.
Trapped! Unsure what to do, she changed directions and began crawling west.
A fist reached down and closed around her hair.
Gentry yanked her up, backhanding her across the mouth. “You can’t hide from an old slave hunter. I know every damn trick in the book.”
“I’d rather be dead than with you.” Marley licked at the blood, the taste of iron on her lips.
“Ain’t gonna kill you. You’re going to make me a lot of money. But I am going to make you pay for the time I’ve lost hunting for you.”
“I’m glad Duel took me away from you all those years ago. It was the best thing he ever did. He’s my father, not you.”
“Like it or not, you have my blood in you.” He pulled a knife from his boot and grabbed her. “I told you what would happen if you tried to escape again, only a bullet makes too much noise. This is better.”
Marley swallowed past the lump in her throat and flailed her arms, aiming at his face. “I’m not going another step farther with you, so do whatever it is you have planned. This is it. Right here. Do it,” she hissed. “Get it over with.”
Though she twisted and squirmed and kicked, he stuffed a grimy bandana into her mouth, shoved her to the ground, and sat on her. Weighted down, she couldn’t move, couldn’t fight, couldn’t escape.
“Now, where would you like me to start?” He clamped a hand around the index finger on her left hand. “I reckon this one will do. Maybe next time you’ll heed my words.”
Marley tried to scream, the sound muffled by the filthy rag.
“Go ahead, girl.” Gentry chuckled, the knife blade held above her. “Not a soul can hear you.”
Blood coated her tongue and trickled down her throat. But the gag wasn’t in as securely as he’d thought. She worked to spit it out.
“Let the mighty Duel McClain and Roan Penny come. I’ll blow ’em to smithereens.”
His mouth went slack, his breathing harsh. Oh God. Now she understood. Hurting his victims excited him.
Gentry held her finger close to her face, past hearing anything she might say. “Look at it. Last chance you have.”
Then he lowered her hand to the ground and positioned the digit on a rock. Even if her mouth had been free, Marley would not beg this man. Not for anything!
* * *
Chills scrambled up Roan’s spine like frantic animals trying to avoid capture. The sudden, piercing scream had to come from Marley, an echoing cry for help.
Sound carried a long way in open country, but he felt in his bones they were close. Sweden Hollow was littered with dugouts and hiding places where a man could hole up and searchers would pass by, never seeing him. Each movement now came with extra caution. Marley’s life depended on their silence.
A nighthawk’s wings swished overhead as the bird dipped low, and Roan felt the eyes of night creatures staring. Waiting. Watching. Ever vigilant in the moonless landscape.
“Let’s leave the horses,” Duel whispered.
Tying the animals to some juniper, they stole forward. Each step Roan took was carefully made by putting down his toes, rolling on the ball of his foot, then resting his weight on his heel. Paying no heed to the sharp rocks that poked his thin boot soles, he repeated the process many times over.
Slow. Easy. Silent, ever mindful of Marley’s need for rescue.
He could smell Will Gentry’s stench.
When he and Duel reached some rock slabs, they climbed up, hoping to spy Gentry. For once, Roan was grateful for the dark moon in hiding and the clouds. Yet his heart sank as he noticed the first threads of dawn in the distance.
He reached for his Colt and peered over the edge of the rock slab, Duel beside him.
Down below in a little draw, Roan could barely make out two horses. Not far away was one figure—that of a man, a dark mass on the ground beneath him.
Then the dark blob the man sat on moved. Marley! What was the bastard doing?
“Hold still, or you’ll lose more than a finger!” Gentry hollered, a knife blade flashing.
The realization of what Gentry intended to do made Roan’s blood run cold. They had to get closer and fast. But the only way to her was through the draw. The parallel ridges on each side prevented their going straight down.
He met the worry, anger, and frustration in Duel’s gaze. “Do you have a shot?”
“No. We’ve got to hurry, Roan.”
Roan crawled from the rocky slab and took the reins of his mare. Dammit, why couldn’t they be near enough to take a shot? His ragged breath stung his throat and lungs, and his heart beat so fast and hard his chest seemed ready to crack open.
Marley must be terrified, and he couldn’t do one blessed thing to ease it. If he failed to reach her in time…
A shudder ran through him. He couldn’t bear to think of it.
He couldn’t fail.
* * *
Gentry froze, cocking his head to listen. “Someone’s out there.” A gruesome smile spread across his face.
He planned on killing whoever it was. He stuffed the gag back into Marley’s mouth. She released a muffled cry. It could be Roan and her papa. She had to warn them.
He rose and yanked her up by a fistful of hair. He put his mouth next to her ear, and she gagged on his vile breath. “Have to set a trap and take care of ’em, then you and me’ll get back to business.”
A cruel twist of her arms behind her sent pain shooting through her. He bound her hands and feet, then checked to make sure the gag was still in place. “This’ll hold you till I get back.”
With the dawn’s light rising around her, she watched him disappear into the heavy brush. She strained, fighting against the ropes, but couldn’t loosen them. Tears ran down her cheeks. This time he’d stuffed the gag so far back it was at her throat. She couldn’t make one sound. Her rescuers wouldn’t know Gentry lay in wait.
They would walk right into the man’s snare.
Stiff and cold, Marley hunched quietly, unable to free herself or yell any kind of warning. The minutes stretched on in silence, except for the faint sounds of scurrying animals. She was grateful for the interruption, or she’d be minus a finger right now. She closed her eyes and prayed for a miracle. Just let Roan and Duel sense the bullets that awaited them and take measures to avoid the trap.
If Will Gentry succeeded, her life was over. Everything was over.
Please let Roan see him. Sister Frieda had taught him how to read the land. Let him now.
Her heartbeat was loud in her ears as time crept by.
One minute.
Then two.
When the shots rent the breeze, she jerked and sagged weakly
against her ropes. Please, please, let Gentry be the target and not Roan.
The next moment dashed those prayers. Gentry strode through the early dawn toward her. That could only mean one thing. Hope drained, leaving her limp.
Nothing mattered now.
Thirty-eight
Gentry jerked her up, growling. “They’re dead. I killed ’em both. Let’s go.”
Marley grunted, wishing she could talk. But what was left to say? He undid her feet, and she climbed numbly on the horse and rode beside her captor. They pulled up to the old watering hole, the boulders around it a jumble of sandstone. They gave the appearance of a child’s toys left behind after he’d tired of them.
“Try to escape and you’ll regret it.” He sliced through the ropes binding her hands and removed her gag. “I don’t think I have to convince you of all the ways I know of bringing pain.”
She spat out the bad taste on the ground. “I hope you rot in hell.”
“Plenty more will be there with me.” He shoved her toward the water. “Drink up. We’ve got a long way to go.”
“You’re vicious and vile. I am the daughter of Duel and Jessie McClain.”
Angry red streaks crawled up Gentry’s face. He gave her a shove and sent her sprawling. Marley got up and stumbled to the water’s edge, where she cupped her hands, bringing cool water to her lips. After swishing the blood from her mouth, she drank her fill. From the corner of her eye, she noticed her captor had perched on a rock, staring at her through eyes filled with hate.
He wasn’t human.
She could not have come from his loins. Surely it wasn’t possible.
But sadly, another part of her knew it was. A layer of ice coated her heart. He’d killed Roan and her papa. A sob rose, choking her.
Will Gentry had no remorse, no conscience, no soul.
She washed her face and drank a little more, then rose. He scrambled down from his perch and grabbed her arm.
“Mount up. Rest time is over.”
A covey of quail suddenly took flight from the brush, drawing her attention. A tall, lean figure swung out from behind a boulder.
Roan.
He wasn’t dead!
Capable, strong, and deadly, he aimed his Colt. Her heart leaped.
Gentry saw him at the same time and yanked Marley in front of him, holding his pistol against her temple. “Get back or she dies.”
“Shoot him, Roan. Go ahead and shoot him,” she screamed. She’d never seen his eyes so hard, so cold. But strong determination glittered there as well.
“Are you all right, Marley?”
“I’m unhurt.”
Then Duel rose from the tangle of brush, a gun in his hand. Blood stained his shirt and hands. “I should’ve taken care of you from the start. I always knew you’d turn up one day.”
“Your problem is that you’re too soft. I took your herd, took your security, and I took your precious Marley Rose,” Gentry gloated. “I took everything you had, and you couldn’t stop me. It was as easy as eatin’ pie.”
“You always were a greedy bastard. Let Marley Rose go. This is just between you and me.” Duel gave a hard cough, and blood droplets flew from his mouth.
Marley sucked in a breath. Her papa was in bad shape. They had to get him to a doctor.
Gentry put his mouth to Marley’s ear. “Tell him you hate his guts.”
“No.”
“Say it or I’ll blow his head clean off.”
From the corner of her eye, she saw Roan move slowly toward them. Marley raised her foot and brought it down hard on Gentry’s instep, grinding the heel into his flesh. Then she rammed her elbow into his ribs and ducked as he dropped his gun.
Roan and Duel fired simultaneously. One bullet struck Gentry in the heart, the other in his forehead.
Marley ran to Roan and wound her arms around his waist. “You’re all right! I didn’t know how injured he’d left you. Then when Gentry boasted that he killed you and Papa, I didn’t hold out much hope that you were alive.”
“He did manage to shoot Duel. I fell and pretended to be shot so I could follow him to you. I was afraid I’d be too late.” Beneath the shadow of his hat, Roan studied her for a moment before covering her lips in a kiss that told her there was a forever.
She clung to him with all her might, afraid he was a mirage that would vanish. Finally, she pulled away to rush to her father where he had collapsed against a boulder.
“How bad?” she asked.
“I’ll live. It takes more than what Gentry had to kill me.” He touched her face. “Did he hurt you, Marley?”
That he’d left off the customary Rose part of her name didn’t escape her notice. It was a sign he’d finally accepted her as grown.
Tears filled her eyes. “Not yet. I owe you and Roan my life. I knew you’d come for me.” Her hand slipped into Roan’s. “Let’s get Papa to a doctor. Then we can rest and plan our wedding.”
* * *
The sun shone bright the day of the wedding, the rays setting the stained glass of the old church ablaze as though it were made of glittering jewels. Roan had never seen anything so perfect. Every pew was full. The McClains—including Duel’s brother, Luke, and his wife, Glory, who’d arrived the previous night—took up an entire section of the church. Granny Jack sat on the first row, her brand-new glasses fitting just fine, her eyes so large behind them that she resembled an owl, taking in everything. Silas Wheeler and his wife, Elizabeth, had come in from San Saba. And it seemed the town of Tranquility had turned out also.
That so many people wished them well boggled Roan’s mind. It was something he had to get used to.
The question of a last name came up a few days ago. Roan had asked her if she truly wanted to take the name that had marked him as worthless.
He smiled, recalling her words. “Of course I do, sweetheart. You made it worth something. Your rotten father did you a favor getting rid of Culpepper. You are Roan Penny, a man worthy of all the stars in the sky.”
At the first strains of the organ, Roan turned, and his breath lodged in his chest. He’d never seen anyone more beautiful than his bride. Her elegant dress was the color of ripe plums and had probably cost more than a year’s wages. She’d swept her hair up on her crown and secured it with some thingamajig, letting dark strands hang loose. But it was the happiness in her eyes that he treasured most. Gone was the terror, the worry, the pain.
They were free of Gentry’s vicious threats.
Free to love each other.
Free to marry.
Escorted by Duel, Marley stepped to Roan’s side, slipped her hand in his, and faced the preacher. From the corner of Roan’s eye, he caught Matt’s movement. The boy stole quietly to Marley and clutched her dress. Roan winked at him.
Of all he’d dreamed over the years, the last thing he expected was to marry a strong, captivating woman like Marley. The scared little boy in him had never let himself dream that big. His hopes had been to find a friendly face, a dry place to sleep, and have food in his belly. He hadn’t dared let himself think much further beyond that.
“I can’t wait to get you home,” Roan whispered in Marley’s ear. “I’m going to strip that dress off you and kiss every inch of your naked body.”
A blush stained her cheeks. “You’re scandalous, Mr. Penny.”
The reverend gave them a stern look. “May I proceed?”
“Of course. Sorry.” Roan gave Marley’s hand a squeeze.
The man of the cloth cleared his throat and, with a wide smile replacing his stern demeanor, began the ceremony. They gave the appropriate responses, then came the moment Roan had been waiting for. He slipped a ring on her finger that told all the world she belonged at his side. Then he slid an arm behind her and dipped her low, his mouth pressed to hers.
The hungry kiss probably made the reverend b
lush, for it certainly wasn’t the chaste kind for a church. But this was his wedding, and he’d waited a long time.
The velvet warmth of Marley’s lips seared a burning path right through him and brought a mist to his eyes. God, he loved this woman and her big, open heart. His heartbeat hammered in his ears. He didn’t know how he’d make it until they got home.
Someone whooped, and Roan realized the kiss had gone on far too long and was definitely too greedy. The minute he raised her up and released her, a crowd swarmed them.
He suddenly heard a sob, and he noticed Matt was crying. Roan picked him up. “What’s wrong, little man? Why the tears?”
“Mama Rose won’t like me anymore. She has you.”
Roan hugged him close. “Your Mama Rose will always love you. It’s a different kind of love than she has for me, but it’s just as deep and lasting. You’re still her boy and will always be no matter how old you get. And you know what else?”
Matt shook his head.
“You’re my boy too. We’re a family, and we’re always going to be together.”
“For a long, long, long time? I’ll never have to leave?”
“Nope, never. Do you know what ‘forever’ means?” Roan asked.
“Till I die?” Matt sniffled, brightening.
“That’s right. But I’ll tell you a secret. One of these days when you get big, you’re going to want to leave and make your own life, but that’ll be okay.”
“Nope. I’m never, ever leaving my Mama Rose and Papa Roan.”
“We’ll see. Now, go give your mama a kiss. I know she needs one.” Roan set him down and watched him fall into Marley’s outstretched arms.
Duel stepped up beside him. “That boy sure does love her.”
“That he does. I’m glad we can raise him. I’m looking forward to teaching him things about the world.”
“Jessie and I are happy for that. She’s decided to cut back on her obsession. The strangest thing happened. A childless couple approached us about the triplets, and they’re taking them as soon as they get a new room built.” Duel’s gaze found his wife, and their eyes met across the crowded room. Neither space nor time nor a roomful of people separated him from the woman who held his heart.