The Frenchman's Woman

by Lee Taylor

  Nianzu nodded his terse agreement and took off at a fierce gallop. The rest of the men headed to the waterfall.

  Bai continued to ride with Elena at an easy pace. He didn’t want to jostle her any more than he had to. He had seen her body. She must hurt like hell.

  ~~

  Chapter 4

  Wan Chang and Nianzu met them in the courtyard when Bai rode up. Wan’s normally stern face was pale, strained. His eyes were wide, twisted with a mix of anger and fear. A crowd of servants hovered behind a protective ring of Sing Leon members, peering out in horrified curiosity.

  Bai jumped off his horse, reached up for Elena and lifted her down. He strode to the house carrying her in his arms. Acknowledging the concern on her grandfather’s face, he motioned to Wan Chang. “Wan, let’s get her to her chambers first. I’ll tell you then what happened. Did you get the doctor, Nianzu?”

  “He’s on his way.”

  Wan reached out to grasp Elena’s hand. When she saw her grandfather she burst into tears. But when he reached for her, she buried her head against Bai’s shoulder and clung to him.

  Knowing the anguish Wan must feel, Bai explained “She’s bordering on hysteria, Wan. She has bruises and scrapes, but no broken bones that I know of.”

  Wan’s eyes were dark, fierce. He stole a glance at Bai’s bare torso, then at Elena wearing Bai’s shirt. His face blanched. In a choked whisper he asked the question he most feared.

  “Did they…?’

  Bai shook his head.

  “No, I got there in time. But it was a damn close call.”

  When they got to her chambers, Bai tried to put Elena down on the bed. She resisted, clinging to him, whimpering. “Don’t let me go, please.”

  “Listen to me, Elena. I’m going to lay you in your bed. I will be here beside you. When the doctor arrives, he’ll examine you and tell us what you need. Then we will tend to you, give you something to stop the pain, make you sleep. Oui, cherie?”

  Elena started to cry again, hiding her face in her hands.

  “I’m sorry, Grandfather. I know you are angry with me. “

  “God, no, Elena. I’m not angry, but I am alarmed, upset. Please do what Bai says. Let him put you down so we can see where you’re hurt.”

  Bai unwound her hands. He carefully laid her on the bed, then sat down beside her on the edge of the bed. Looking over his shoulder, he motioned to Augustina, the household manager. “Bring me a basin of warm water and soap. I also need something I can wrap around her so the doctor can examine her. She is practically naked under my shirt. Have Bolhai go to my chambers and bring me a fresh shirt.” He added to his crisp orders, “Also, please bring Elena a glass of water and bring me a bottle of bourbon and three or four glasses.”

  He turned back to Elena with an encouraging smile. “I don’t know about you, cherie, but bourbon sounds like a good idea to me.”

  Elena stared at him blankly.

  Augustina returned with a short gown that would fit loosely over Elena’s body. She handed Bai a clean shirt. With a questioning lift of her eyebrow, she murmured, “Would you like me to …?”

  Bai gave her a curt nod. “Augustine, please help Elena take off my shirt. Put this chemise on her while I pour Wan a big glass of bourbon.”

  Elena’s eyes widened in fear. She clutched at Bai’s arm. “You…you aren’t going to leave me, are you?”

  Bai stroked her cheek, gently pushing her damp hair off her face. “No, Elena. Your grandfather and I will be over by the window. I wish to give you privacy so that Augustina can help you put on this gown. It will cover you, at least a little, oui?”

  ~~~

  Bai motioned to Wan to join him on the other side of the room. He smoothed on the shirt Augustina gave him then poured two large glasses of bourbon, handing one to Wan.

  Wan’s voice was terse. “Who were they?”

  “I recognized the one they called Jake. A big motherfucker, mean as hell. Red hair, even taller than I am. Probably weighs a third more. If he’s the one I think he is, he rides with Dunwoody. The other’s names were Sam, Pete and Clem. I didn’t recognize any of them.”

  Wan’s face, like his voice, was tight with concern. “An overview, please.”

  Bai nodded. He kept his voice low so that Elena couldn’t hear him.

  “They came up on her after she was swimming. She had on her camisole and her riding pants. But not for long. The rest of her clothes were by the pool. She tried to get away. They shot her horse and wounded it. She shot one guy in the shoulder and got off some decent kung fu strikes. They overpowered her and beat her. They planned to gang rape her, came within minutes of doing so. I shot and killed all four of them. Had to put down her horse. More on that later. I brought her back here. No one followed us.”

  Bai took a sip of bourbon and looked over his shoulder to see if Elena was dressed. He looked back at Wan, who was staring at him, shaking his head.

  “I thought I was a cool son of a bitch, Bai. But that was the goddamn least emotional summary of a fucking nightmare I have ever heard.”

  Bai quirked a brow. “You asked for an overview.”

  ~~~

  “Elena, the doctor will be here any minute. We need to see how badly you are hurt. From what I can tell, you don’t have any broken bones, but we need to make sure you don’t have internal injuries.” Bai sat down on the edge of the bed. He kept his voice low, steady

  “You won’t leave me?” she whispered tremulously.

  “No, cherie, I won’t leave you.”

  Bai rose as Dr. Wong entered. Even though he was twice Bai’s age and a renowned healer, the diminutive man bowed to Bai, touching his hands to his forehead, a gesture of respect for his acknowledged leader. Bai responded with an impatient bow, closer to a nod. He gave a quick overview, detailing what happened and where her most severe injuries were. Dr. Wong began to examine her, paying attention to the injured places Bai pointed out. When he finished, the doctor indicated that she had no broken bones, but severe bruising, scrapes, and cuts.

  Dr. Wong stepped back, shaking his head, his face was pale, strained. He motioned for Bai to join him by the door. Hesitating, dread flickering across his face, he asked in a soft voice, “Was she penetrated?”

  “No.”

  “Are you sure?”

  Bai cast him an impervious glare, annoyed that the doctor questioned him. “When the three men who attacked her dropped their pants, I was five feet away. I killed them before they could rape her.”

  Dr. Wong staggered back, his hands darting to his mouth. “My God! Not only would she have been raped repeatedly, but from the look of the rest of her body, they would have killed her in the process.”

  Bai gave him a curt nod. “That is my assessment, as well.”

  The doctor turned back to Elena. “You are most fortunate, my dear, that Mr. Bai arrived when he did.”

  Dr. Wong gave Bai pain pills for her, as well as ointments to put on her cuts.

  After the doctor left, Bai insisted Elena swallow two of the pills. He washed the cuts on her face, arms, neck and chest, carefully applying the ointment, then turned her over to tend the injuries on her back and legs. His hands were firm, but gentle, schooled by years of tending battlefield injuries. While he worked, he murmured comforting words in French and English. By the time he finished, she drifted into a fitful sleep

  Wan left the room when the doctor arrived, returning as Bai finished dressing her numerous abrasions. Bai took one look at Wan’s pale face and pulled one of the arm chairs over by the bed. He nudged Wan into it.

  “She’s sleeping, Wan. The doctor gave her something to make sure she will sleep at least until morning.”

  With a bleak frown, Wan accepted the glass of bourbon Bai handed him. His voice was gruff. “Bai, the doctor said she would have been raped and killed if you didn’t get there when you did.”

  “He is correct.”

  Wan dropped his head in his hands, then looked up at Bai, unshed tears bl
urring his eyes. “Bai, I am in your debt for the rest of my life.”

  Bai smiled a grim smile. “You already were.”

  The glimmer of a smile crossed Wan’s stern face. “That’s true.” Seeming to gain control of his ragged emotions, he added, “Our men caught up with Wyatt this side of Stockton. He should be here within hours. I know he will want to talk to you, to hear precisely what happened.”

  Bai refreshed both of their drinks, then sunk down in the chair across from Wan. He noted the bandages, the bruises on Elena’s lovely face and grimaced. “I don’t plan to leave her tonight.”

  Wan breathed a pained sigh. “Good.”

  ~~~

  For the next several hours, Bai sat in the armchair beside her bed watching her sleep. He sipped on his bourbon, occasionally lighting another of his slender Bolivian cigars. Her sleep was restless. Twice she thrashed about, starting to wake. As if in a dream, she cried out, “No, no, please. Oh God, please no.”

  Bai wrapped his arms around her, whispering soft comforting words. He rubbed her arms and back, then pushed her hair from her face, avoiding the bandaged places. Each time, Elena sank back to mercifully drugged oblivion until the terror of her dreams woke her again.

  Bai’s body was tight with emotion as he relived the horrendous events of the afternoon. In addition to his cold fury at the bastards who hurt her, Bai felt rising anger at Elena. He would never forget the terror in her eyes when they stripped her – their hideous glee when they told her how they planned to rape her. He looked at her lovely fragile face covered with bandages and scowled at the thought of the ones all over her beautiful body. He allowed himself to think what would have happened if he had not gone to the waterfall. Before he knew it, his anger at her turned to rage, surpassing even what he felt toward the men who attacked her. He glared at her, lying bruised and battered in the bed, and knew, for the moment at least, he despised her for what she had done.

  ~~~

  Several hours later, Wyatt rushed in, his face was grey with worry, his eyes dark, intense. Bai leapt to his feet and bowed respectfully. Wyatt moved to the bed, jerked down the blankets and ran his hands over Elena’s face and body. Wyatt was a famed horse whisperer. His legendary skills with injured horses worked with people, as well. Without speaking, he touched every bruise, every scrape, and every scratch on Elena’s battered body. He rolled her from side to side, from front to back. He felt each bone for breaks and tested every rib. She moaned in pain, but slept through his poking and prodding.

  Bai waited until Wyatt seemed satisfied that Elena had no breaks or internal injuries. He poured a large glass of bourbon, handed it to Wyatt, then refilled his and Wan’s glasses. With a flick of his wrist, he signaled to one of the guards at the door. Seconds later, two guards entered carrying an additional chair, two bottles of bourbon, and cigars for the three of them.

  Wyatt sat in the chair next to the bed. His expression was stern. Harsh lines creased his face. He motioned to Bai to sit across from him. His voice was tight, commanding. “Tell me what happened, from the moment you discovered she was gone until now. Do not omit a single detail. I want to know precisely what happened. What they looked like, what they said, what they did. I want to know what she did, what she said, when she cried or screamed or begged them to stop. Above all, I want to know what you did, what you saw, what you said, what you felt. Now. Please. Tell me everything. Now.”

  In his calm clipped speech, Bai recounted the horrors of the afternoon. He did not spare Wyatt. He continued to speak even when Wyatt buried his head in his hands, his face ravaged with pain, listening to detail after gruesome detail. Bai understood Wyatt’s intent. He hadn’t been there to help his daughter, but he needed to know what she went through. He needed to know what he would have done if he had been there.

  No one spoke for several long moments after Bai finished speaking. Wan broke the silence.

  “Why the hell were you smoking a cigarette when you confronted them? Why didn’t you keep your other hand free to draw another gun or knife if you needed it?”

  Wyatt took a puff off his cigar and looked at Bai with a rueful grin. “I can tell you why, Wan. When those assholes saw this tall, ruthless son of a bitch coolly walk up to four armed men and take a drag off his cigarette, they knew in their guts they were dead men.”

  Bai smiled a soft smile. “Mais oui. C'est exact. It scared the shit out of them.”

  Wyatt nodded. “I bet it did. Especially three seconds later when two of them were dead.” He added, “Do you have any regrets?”

  Bai shot him an impervious glance. “Oui. I wanted to torture them to death -- rather than shooting them. It was too quick. I wanted them to die as terrorized as she would have been if they had killed her the way they intended.”

  Wyatt nodded, then closed his eyes to hide his pain.

  At that moment, Elena roused up, her eyes puffy with sleep and the effect of the pain medication. She whispered, “Father, is that you?”

  Wyatt put his arms around her.

  “Yeah, baby, it’s me.”

  “Father, I got hurt.”

  “I know, honey, but you are safe now.”

  “They were going to hurt me bad.”

  “I know, darlin’.”

  “Bai stopped them.”

  “Yeah, honey, he did.”

  “He killed them all.”

  “Thank God, Bai got there when he did.”

  “Father?”

  “Yeah, honey?”

  “Bai killed Magic.”

  “Hmm, let’s talk about that in the morning.”

  “Will you stay with me all night?”

  “Yeah, honey. Right here in this chair.”

  “Will Bai?”

  Bai nodded.

  “Yeah, darlin’, he says he will. Go to sleep, honey.”

  “I love you, Father.”

  “I love you, baby. You’re my best girl ever.”

  She giggled, her voice was weary. “Father, I’m your only girl.”

  “I know, honey, I know.”

  ~~

  Chapter 5

  The next morning, Elena was surprised at the bevy of people and activity in her chambers. In addition to her father hovering by her bed, Bai had summoned several maids to attend to her. In a mix of French and English, he told them to prepare a bath for her, then showed them the ointments he wanted applied to her injuries. From the authoritative way he spoke and their obsequious responses, it was clear that he was in charge.

  He came over by her bed and gave her a crisp nod. “Elena, after these women help you with your bath, I want you to eat the breakfast I ordered for you.”

  Elena frowned. “I’m not hungry. I don’t want to eat.”

  Bai’s eyes narrowed. “I want you to eat so that you can get your strength back. Do you understand?”

  Elena looked up, surprised at his commanding tone, the stern expression on his face.

  He turned to speak to Wyatt as if she were not involved. “Wyatt, I’ve arranged for the maids to bring you and Elena your breakfast here in her chambers. I have business in San Francisco. I’ll be gone for several days. On the way, I will meet with Sheriff Thompson to decide how we’re going to deal with the rest of the Dunwoody gang. When I return on Friday, Wan and I wish to talk with you and Elena about what happened, how to ensure nothing like it happens again. We can do that at your convenience. Depending, of course, on how quickly Elena recovers.”

  Wyatt reached for a cigarette and took his time lighting it. He glanced from Bai to Elena, then nodded to Bai. “Absolutely, Bai. It’s a conversation we need to have.”

  Elena stole a glance at the tall man speaking to her father. She noticed how all the servants obeyed his curt orders, how they bowed and looked down in his presence. She had not seen Bai since she was a little girl and was astonished at how grown up, how confident he was. Watching him with her father and her grandfather last night, he gave the impression he was one of them -- their equal, not like the young Sing
Leon fighter she remembered.

  He strode across the room, commanding, impressive. His fitted trousers hugged his lean muscled thighs. His dark tousled hair contrasted sharply with his white silky shirt. Completing his casually elegant appearance was a patterned vest and black string tie. Elena guessed the stylish vest was intended to conceal the guns he wore.

  She tried not to think that this handsome, distinguished man saw what those awful men did to her. How they touched her and shamed her. She was sure he saw that disgusting man spread her legs and shove his fingers inside of her. Then, oh God, he had brought her back to the ranch on his horse, practically naked -- except for his shirt. And damn, even that kept riding up. She remembered his arms around her, how she clung to him, digging her fingernails in his chest. Dear God, he probably has marks from her on his chest and back. She felt her face heat at the memory. Peeking up, she saw him studying her with a knowing half smile, intensifying her embarrassment.

  To her relief, her father broke in. “Will you join us for breakfast, Bai?”

  “No, thank you, Wyatt. Before I go, I want to look at Elena’s shoulders and arms. As I told you last night they are my biggest concern. The way those bastards tied her could cause permanent damage if we’re not careful to watch how she heals.”

  As he spoke, he walked over to the side of her bed. With a flick of his wrist, he motioned to her to turn over. Elena frowned. She was surprised and offended at his proprietary manner. His superior attitude annoyed her, but it was clear he was accustomed to being obeyed. Quelling her irritation, she rolled to her stomach as he instructed.