Struck by Thunder

by Taylor Lee

  “Goddamn it, Joey. I don’t understand. Why? Why, won’t she see me? Why the hell don’t Ri and Lei want to see you. Christ, you have been on their side from the beginning.”

  Joey shook his head. “I’m not who they’re talking about, Wyatt. They don’t want to see either you or Wan. I’m afraid you’ve become one and the same to Lei. Poor Ri has always been terrified of his father.”

  “Joey, please try to see her. Tell her what I asked her in this note. I want her to come back to the ranch. Let us share these last couple of months of her pregnancy. Christ, Joey, all I want to do is hold her, spoil her, and try to make up for these last five months. Will you please get to her somehow and tell her that?”

  “Wyatt, look at that staircase over there. They’ve got the whole goddamn Sing Leon army here. We can’t get in and Lei can’t get out. I’m sorry, Wyatt. The only thing I can suggest is to keep trying. She is hurt. I’m telling you I’ll never forget the day she left the ranch. She was crushed. She was in grief. And, Wyatt, she was angry. The only person I’ve seen with anger that intense is you.”

  Wyatt and Joey had taken the train from Cheyenne to Denver because it cut their trip to half a day. They assumed they would bring Lei back with them. At almost seven months pregnant, Wyatt didn’t want her to ride three days on horseback.

  The only thing worse than coming back without her was seeing Alex and Elena and Chief at the train station, eagerly waiting for them. They had been unable to reach Chief. Once again Wyatt was going to have to tell the children that Lei wasn’t with him.

  ~~~

  Chapter 28

  Wyatt lounged in a chair in the gazebo smoking a cigarette. Jesse was lying on the floor naked, still trembling from her orgasm. She had grown accustomed to Wyatt pulling away after he fucked her. He was distant, impersonal, and he wasn’t funny the way he used to be. She didn’t want to push him. She was afraid he wouldn’t come back.

  Taking a deep breath, she said, “I never see you naked, Wyatt. Why don’t you take off your clothes and be naked like me? You know you have an incredible body.”

  He looked at her with a half smile. “Honey, I never want to show my little whores too much; they might talk among themselves. It wouldn’t be safe for me to walk down the streets of Cheyenne if everyone knew what I have under here.”

  She sat up shocked. “Wyatt, that is not funny. Is that the way you think of me? One of your whores, like those women in the saloons in Cheyenne?”

  “Hey, don’t put them down. Some of those women are as good a fuck as you can get for the money. Hell, they’re willing to do it with any poor asshole as long as he can pay. Course it’s a little different with me. Lots of times, I have to force ‘em to take my money. They’d do it for free if I promised to come back. But, hell, I always pay. They earn every cent they get.”

  He looked at her with a lazy grin. “C’mon, honey, you know you love being my whore. Why else would you let me do anything I want to you on my schedule, with you begging for more? Not that I don’t return the favor. Christ, now all you want is for me to spank your ass to get you started. That’s fine with me if that’s what turns you on.”

  He took a drag on his cigarette and added, “You know I’ve been thinking, honey, you and Martin may have more in common than you realized.”

  Jesse sat up and grabbed her shirt from the floor, covering herself. “Why are you trying to hurt me, Wyatt? You know I don’t want to go back with Martin… unless I have to.”

  “Why the hell would you have to?”

  “Frank says I can live here, but I can’t if Martin is anywhere near.”

  “Why do you need Martin for Christ sakes? Get a manger for the ranch. Frank will cover all your expenses.” Wyatt knew Frank had agreed to take care of Jesse because Wyatt made it a condition of their land deal. Frank agreed as long as Jesse left Martin.

  “I don’t know, Wyatt. I’ve…I’ve been married for twelve years. I don’t know if I’m prepared not to be married.”

  “God, honey, doesn’t it matter who you’re married to? Don’t you realize that Martin is not only likely to go to prison but is literally the butt of every joke from Washington to Boston to Wyoming? Not only that, but after the courts are finished with him he is going to have to figure out a way to repay his partners the half million dollars they lost. They aren’t likely to forget whose fault it was. And you might want to remember that he also lost nearly four hundred thousand dollars of his own money and his brother’s and cousin’s. Jesus Christ, Jesse, what does it take for you to decide you might not want to stay with the guy?”

  “I know all of that, Wyatt. It makes me sick. I saw that cartoon like everyone else did. I don’t know how I am going to face my friends in Boston. But, Wyatt, we have three children. They all want to stay in Boston. Plus, Martin’s parents are pushing me hard. They think it will be easier for Martin to get back into society if it looks like I haven’t abandoned him. They are telling the children that I can come back if I want to.”

  “Honey, how are you gonna feel about being married to a guy in prison?”

  “Peter—Martin’s father, says that won’t happen. We have good lawyers. They’re getting some Congressmen involved. The man from the land office may end up in prison, but its unlikely Martin or the others will. They may have to pay a fine and they won’t get the money back they put down.”

  “You’re probably right about that. The ones who deserve it most always seem to buy their way out of prison the way they do everything else. I guess that’s a special kind of justice. Hit ‘em where it hurts the most -- in their wallet. Christ, Jesse, is that all that matters? Doesn’t it bother you that Martin was willing to steal from everyone in the state? Not only did he do something illegal as hell, but he was willing to steal a million dollars from Frank, his eighty-two year old grand uncle. Damn, honey, if none of that bothers you how do you fell about him winding up in a national cartoon buck naked with his ass in the air?”

  Jesse looked away, her voice was resigned. “It’s easier for you, Wyatt. You’re wealthy. You don’t have to worry about money.”

  “Easier for me not to be a thief? Honey, who the hell do you think is the Indian, me or Martin? Who grew up on a reservation without a goddamn cent and who was born with a family fortune sitting in the bank?”

  “You don’t understand, Wyatt.”

  “Hmm, I thought that was my line.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “Nothing. I just realized how empty those words sound. Especially to someone who understands better than you’ll ever know.”

  “Wyatt?”

  “Yeah, Jesse?”

  “I could stay if I thought there was a reason—maybe down the road…”

  “Honey, let me give you a little advice from someone who could have used it. You need to choose. The future or the past. The past may seem safer and the future uncertain as hell, especially if you have any idea that I might be in yours. But you do need to choose, Jesse. And the choice you make says a hell of a lot to the people around you. Goes to the heart of who you are.”

  He stood up and shook his head at her naked body. No question that she was beautiful. He felt a rush of anger at her unwillingness to face the truth about Martin or about herself. It felt too god dammed familiar – too close to home. It made him angry.

  Wyatt knew Alono was waiting for him on the porch and went out to the side of the gazebo and called to him. He stood in the doorway of the gazebo smoking his cigarette. When Alono approached, Wyatt said, “Alono, come back and have a drink with us.”

  Wyatt quirked a brow at Alono’s surprise. His invitation was the Caballero code, inviting Alono in for sex three way or four or whatever way they wanted. He and Alono had shared many a woman, but always with whores in the familiar setting of a brothel. Alono stared at Wyatt, his face a question mark.

  Wyatt said, “Come on in, Alono, you know Jesse.”

  Jesse grabbed her shirt and held it next to her naked body. She looked as shocke
d as Alono at Wyatt’s invitation.

  Wyatt took a drag on his cigarette. “How about it, baby? We both know you’ve always wanted to do it with more than one guy. You’ll never get the chance with anyone as close to perfect as Alono is--except me, of course.”

  Jesse face was bright red as she looked from Wyatt to Alono. For a moment, she looked like she might cry then a different emotion took over. She looked from Wyatt’s body to Alono’s and her eyes sparkled. A flash of excitement crossed her face. Without hesitation, she nodded yes.

  Wyatt shook his head with a glimmer of distain. He said to Alono, “It’s your call, Brother. Jesse will do anything I want her to, won’t you, honey? Anything I tell her to, and she’s got a hell of an ass.”

  Alono looked at Jesse and she nodded in affirmation. He smiled shyly at her then nodded to Wyatt. He said in a soft voice, “Which end do you want, Wyatt?”

  Jesse gasped with anticipation.

  Wyatt hesitated for a moment. “Tell you what, this time I think I want to watch. That’s something else you’ve always wanted to do, isn’t it, sweetheart? Have someone watch you getting your brains fucked out? Well, hell, I am the most appreciative audience you’ll ever have.” He leaned up against the doorway and took another drag on his cigarette.

  A slight frown crossed Alono’s face, then he reached over and took Jesse’s shirt away from her. He smiled in admiration at her beautiful body. Jesse’s eyes grew dark with desire. Alono reached down and unbuttoned his pants. He took out an erect cock almost as well hung as Wyatt’s and motioned her down to her knees.

  She hesitated then got down on her knees in front of him and took his cock in her hands. She began stroking it and leaned down to suck on him. Alono widened his stance. His tight ass tightened more. He took control of her hands and head and showed her how he liked it; hard, deep, and fast. She was moaning and groaning with desire and did what he showed her to do. Alono came with a burst of passion, filling her mouth and throat, a deep groan escaping his lips. Within what seemed like seconds his young eager body hardened. He turned her over face down on the floor and pulled her ass up in the air, mounting her from behind. His thighs were as strong as Wyatt’s. She shrieked with excitement when he reached around and tugged on the ends of her nipples as he pulled her body roughly up to him, thrusting his hard cock deep inside of her. She cried out as they both exploded together. In their passion, neither realized that Wyatt had left the gazebo some time before.

  When Alono got hold of himself he looked over for some signal from Wyatt as to what was came next. To his surprise Wyatt was gone. He pulled on his trousers, grabbed his shirt, and went out into the moonlight. He saw Wyatt standing by the pond smoking a cigarette with his back to him. He went up to him and put his arm around Wyatt’s shoulder. His voice was pained. “Christ, Wyatt, I’m sorry. Did I do something wrong?”

  Wyatt was startled to see him; pulled his gaze back from the horizon. He said, “Hey, Brother, it’s okay. No, no, no. This isn’t about anybody but me. Hope I didn’t put you in a bad spot back there. I just wasn’t up to it—so to speak.”

  Alono said, “No, it’s okay. I’m worried about you, Wyatt.”

  Wyatt shook his head. He patted Alono on the back and said with a rueful smile, “Don’t be. She’s a good fuck, isn’t she?”

  Alono blushed and nodded yes.

  Wyatt walked back in the gazebo. Jesse was sitting on the floor, partially covered with her shirt, her face flushed from her latest orgasms. Wyatt pulled her to her feet and helped her put on her shirt. He gave her a quick kiss on the cheek. “It’s been a hell of a ride, honey. Write sometime. Let me know how Boston is in the winter.”

  He turned and left.

  ~~~

  After Jesse left Wyatt surprised himself by going to Cheyenne less and less. Along with hours at the dojo, anonymous sex had been Wyatt’s most reliable outlet for his anger or pain. Neither seemed able to fill the hole he was facing now. Lei was the only one who could and she didn’t want him.

  At first, Wyatt believed he could break through Lei’s resistance. But when it was clear she wouldn’t see him, he plunged into impotent fury. He had been sure if they spent time together he’d convince her to come back to him. He ached for her physically and emotionally. He almost wept when he remembered her spicy exotic smell, how she cried out when he sucked on her beautiful breasts and how tight she was when he thrust into her. He longed for the nights when they laid in bed and talked for hours after they made love. He couldn’t believe she wasn’t missing him the way that he missed her.

  But the longer she refused to respond the more resigned he became. He began to understand she might not want to be with him. He had never considered that possibility. Women didn’t leave him. He left them. But he reminded himself that Lei wasn’t “women.” She was the mother of his unborn child and, he now admitted, the woman he loved with all his heart. Each week, he wrote her a letter. Each week they came back unopened. At Joey’s suggestion, he kept sending them. It was just as well she didn’t open some of them. They were full of the fury he was feeling, but the next week’s letter was an impassioned entreaty. To no avail. She had a wall of Sing Leon around her living quarters and a higher impenetrable wall of anger surrounding her.

  The closer it got to Lei’s due date, the more frustrated Wyatt was. He knew from Joey that she and her father had reconciled. Hell, that meant after the baby was born he would have to go through both Wan and Lei to see the child. Given his failure to see Lei, he could only imagine the wall he would have to climb to get over her and Wan.

  He was working late when Joey knocked on the door and came in, his face contorted with worry.

  “Wyatt, something is wrong. I got a message from Ri asking you to come. Lei went into labor yesterday and still hasn’t had the baby. Ri said the midwife is concerned and her father is frantic. Wyatt, something is wrong if Ri got the courage to send you a message –especially telling you to come. Wan would kill him if he knew.”

  Wyatt was startled. Wan Chang controlled all aspects of Lei’s life and he must have given thought to every detail of her delivery. Knowing Wan, if there was a problem that he didn’t know how to deal with, he would be too arrogant to admit it. Wyatt’s gut curdled with hatred.

  More than anything, he was afraid. He knew Joey was right. Ri was risking his life to contact him. If something was wrong with Lei or the baby, he needed to get to them. And this time Lei, Wan, and the whole goddamned Sing Leon weren’t going to stop him.

  “Go wake Chief and Alono. I need them to come with me. Tell Chief to bring everything we use to deliver our mares.”

  Wyatt had been delivering mares since he was a boy. He had a knack for it. His fame had spread. Soon women were asking him to help with their births and midwives started calling on him to help with their difficult deliveries. After the tragedy with Vivian, he had pulled back. He delivered a baby only when a midwife was desperate and begged him to help.

  By morning, the three men were on their way to Denver taking the now twice daily train from Cheyenne. When they got to the hotel, Wyatt asked for the manager. He knew him from political and business deals and knew he would help if he could.

  “Look, Charlie, let’s cut through the crap. I need your help. I know that Wan Chang has his daughter holed away in your penthouse. I need to get a message to him that I am here and need to see Lei.”

  “Goddamn, Wyatt, you know who these people are. No one is to know she is here. We are supposed to guard her secrecy like the U. S. Mint. I can’t go up there and say she has visitors.”

  “Charlie, listen to me. Wan knows I know Lei is here. Please go now or my father and brother and I are going to shoot our way up that staircase. Someone is bound to get hurt.”

  Charlie came back several minutes later shaking his head. “Wyatt, I’m sorry. He wouldn’t even let me finish my message.”

  Wyatt turned to Chief and Alono. “C’mon. We’re going up.”

  When they got to the bottom of the
stairs, the Sing Leon members closed in.

  Wyatt looked them in the eye and said in Chinese, “Listen here, fellows. You know who I am. I am going up to the eighth floor to see Lei. She’s in labor and needs my help. Do you understand? You will have to kill me if you try to stop me.”

  The men hesitated. They did know who Wyatt was. He knew most admired and respected him. But, ultimately, they were Chinese first, and members of the Sing Leon, second. And he knew they had specific orders from Wan Chang that if Wyatt tried to enter with force, they were to kill him.

  Wyatt saw the resolve in their faces. He felt an overwhelming sense of frustration that quickly became anger.

  He looked at the leader of the group and said in a quiet voice, “Lei is in trouble. So is my child. I am going up there. You are not going to stop me.”

  He knew Chief and Alono were right behind him and knew they were as willing as he was to fight their way up, even though it was an impossible task. Their only hope was that the Chinese fighters would see his determination and remember who he was. Remember that he had fought and won the right to pass. As they started up the stairs, the phalanx of men in front of them tightened. The leader at the front of the pack shook his head, drew his gun, and pointed it at Wyatt.

  At that moment a voice came from above, “Let them pass.”

  ~~~

  Chapter 29

  In surprise, Wyatt looked up and saw Ri standing on the landing three floors up. His face was pale and strained, but determined.

  The Tong members all turned to see who had given the order. They looked confused. The only people they obeyed were Wan Chang and Lei. Ri said in a firm voice, “I am Ri Chang, son of Wan Chang and brother of Lei Chang. Do as I say. Let them pass.”