The Frenchman's Woman

by Lee Taylor

  One clear consistent life-enforcing thought coursed through him as he watched her torment Feng. He vowed when he got his hands on her he was going to beat the hell out of her. Even if he had no other reason to live, the thought of dragging her bare ass across his lap and spanking her until his hand gave out was reason enough to live.

  His fear soared as she brazenly taunted Feng, flaunting her beautiful body. Merde, she did not understand the rage building in Feng. Or, he realized in shock, perhaps she did.

  Bai saw Feng’s confusion, his angry flustered face. He saw him rush toward her, forgetting everything except getting his hands on her. Then Bai knew. Her words were clues, code, she was talking to him. Every outrageous taunt was a hidden message for him. When he saw the signal behind her back and heard the hoof beats, hope rushed over him. At that moment, he knew that the most beautiful, most brave, most outrageous woman in the world had indeed come to save him. Relief flooded him, then joy. He would be able to spank her beautiful ass after all.

  Feng started at the sound of horses approaching. He and his men shared questioning glances as they drew their guns. They all knew the Sing Leon would not ride head on into the clearing, plus they didn’t expect them for several hours.

  Frowning, Feng looked up astonished. He stepped back next to his men as a large band of Mexican banditos rode into the clearing.

  Their leader called out, “Hola, Chink men. Hola. Hold your weapons. We are friends – amigos – riding through. No trouble, Chink men!”

  Feng and his men kowered their guns and stepped back.

  Senor Panches and five of him men dismounted. They came forward to stand in front of Feng and his guards.

  Feng hesitated, trying to decide whether to call on his men hiding in the bushes. Knowing that would leave them unprepared for the Sing Leon, he decided to bluff it out with the Mexicans.

  Motioning to his men to holster their guns, Feng stepped up to the Mexican leader and said in an ominous voice, “This is a fight between Chinamen. It does not involve Mexicans. Go your way.”

  Senor Panches nodded in agreement, then looked around and said as if in surprise, “But, wait, you do have something we may want. It is the mujer de friego, the fire woman, the one who belongs to El Frances.”

  Elena marched forward, pushing aside Feng and his guards. She stepped up to Senor Panches and glowered.” You are mistaken, Senor. I belong to no one. Most certainly not to the Frenchman. Do you think I belong to that?” She walked over next to Bai and pointed at him in disgust.

  Senor Panches squinted at Bai with interest. Motioning to several of his men to join him, he moved next to Bai.

  “Well, well, it is El Frances. Not looking good, Senor Frances.”

  He turned back to Feng and grinned.

  “Hmm, Chink man, are you going to kill El Frances or ransom him off? Wan Chang, el hombre jefe, will pay good money for him. We might like some of that money, si?” he added with a menacing smile.

  Feng and his men stood warily watching the Mexicans. Feng knew he couldn’t hold off much longer before he called on his hidden men, but was worried about getting caught in the crossfire.

  Panches nodded to two of his men and said, “See if he is dead. If he is, he is worth nothing. Ah, but if he is alive, we can work with these Chink men to ransom him off – por mucho dinero, por supuesto.”

  The two men bent over Bai and one whispered, “Colgar en Frances. Nosotros le ayudaremous.” They pretended to kick him, probing to see if he was alive. Instead, they shielded him from view and cut the ties binding him. The excruciating pain from the slight movement caused beads of sweat to pop out on Bai’s face. It took every ounce of strength he had to maintain his bent twisted position against the post.

  While Feng’s attention was focused on Panches, the Mexicans still on horseback formed a circle around Feng and his four guards, separating them from their back up men in the bushes.

  At that moment Senor Panches shouted out, “Ahora! Now!”

  Like a well oiled machine, the two Sing Leon informants guarding Feng shot and killed their fellow guards standing next to Feng. Senor Panches shot Feng in the shoulder and with a second shot, hit him in the knee cap. The Rongue Ri men in the bushes took aim at the Mexicans and in doing so revealed their positions. The Sing Leon informants next to them picked them off easily, many of them with an assassin’s bullet to the back of the head. The ones they didn’t kill, the Mexicans did.

  When the shots rang out, the Sing Leon, one hundred strong, appeared over the ridge. Led by Wan Chang, with Wyatt and Nianzu at his side, the fierce men rode into the clearing to rescue their leader.

  Wyatt and Wan had waited behind the ridge for the signal to attack. Watching her flounce about, taunting, teasing Feng, they shook their heads in a mix of anger and admiration at Elena’s outrageous behavior. When she opened her blouse and lifted her skirt and kicked high in the air, Wyatt groaned audibly. “Goddamn her. I don’t know who gets her first, Wan. Bai, you, or me. But I’ll tell you this, that is one little ass that is going to be more than bright red.”

  When Senor Panches yelled his command, Elena and the two banditos dropped next to Bai, shielding his body. He stifled his groans and struggled to remain conscious as unbearable pain swamped him. Elena clung to him, sobbing uncontrollably, saying over and over, “You are all right, Bai. You are safe. We’re here. I’m here. Nothing can hurt you now.”

  After the shooting stopped, Wan and Wyatt rode up next to Bai and dismounted.

  Elena leapt up and whirled on Feng. Turning to Panches, her face contorted with rage. “Pick him up, Senor Panches,” she ordered, pointing to Feng, bleeding and cowering on the ground. “Pick up that disgusting pig of a man and hold him.”

  Panches did as she requested. Her father and grandfather hesitated, then stepped back.

  “Hold him up for me. Now! Keep him upright.”

  Elena twisted her skirt in a knot and tucked it in the waistband freeing her legs in their lacy drawers and knee high boots. With a practiced turn, she spun and kicked Feng full in the face, shattering his nose and jaw.

  Feng fell to the ground, screaming in pain, wailing, begging for mercy. Her face dark with fury, Elena ignored his pleas and drove a merciless flurry of kicks at his body. Most were at his groin -- the rest at his face. Blood was everywhere. As she struck him again and again, she screamed at him. With each screamed question, she struck another furious blow.

  “You pig! You thought you could touch me? Beat me? Put your filthy hands on me? Touch the Frenchman’s woman? Wan Chang’s granddaughter? Wyatt McManus’s daughter? You? You filthy pig? Touch me? Never! Never!”

  Finally, Senor Panches spoke. His voice was soft, gentle. “Senora, you can stop. I think he is dead now.”

  She shook her head and wound up for another kick.

  Wyatt stepped forward, reaching for her. “Darlin’. Elena. That’s enough, baby.”

  She ignored him. Flipping over, she drove another crushing kick to Feng’s head, smashing his ear, splitting the side of his head.

  “Elena.” Bai’s voice was quiet but firm. “Bon travail, cherie. Well done, mon amour. You may stop now.”

  Elena stepped back, shaking, staring at what was left of the bloodied shattered man lying on the ground. She turned to Bai, her face was pale, her lips trembling. .

  “He…he thought he could touch me, Bai. That pig…that pig of a man! He thought he could touch me!”

  “Non, non, cherie, never. He never could and never will.”

  Nianzu and the others strapped Bai to a pallet, keeping him as still as possible. They placed him in a cart pulled by two pack horses cushioning the ride with a nest of hay. Elena sat next to him, cradling his head in her lap, giving him sips of water. Wan rode on one side of the cart, Wyatt on the other. Followed by their men, they headed back to Los Vistas.

  Bai drifted in and out of consciousness. She heard him whisper her name and leaned down next to his lips.

  “Elena?”
/>   “Yes, Bai?”

  “I am going to turn you over my knee and spank your bare ass so goddamned hard you will not sit down for a month. You know I am going to do that, oui, cherie?”

  She smiled through her tears. “You will have to get in line, Bai. Behind my father and your father.”

  ~~

  Chapter 42

  They entered the courtyard to Los Vistas and four of the Sing Leon sprang forward to carry Bai’s pallet to his chambers. Dr. Wong and Madam Chan were waiting for them, along with two of their aides. They had set up a narrow treatment table so that they could reach him from all sides and laid out supplies on a table next to them.

  Nianzu directed the men carrying the pallet to the treatment table. He and three other men slid their hands under Bai. When Nianzu gave the signal, they moved him to the table.

  Dr. Wong and Madam Chan nodded to the men.

  Madam Chan said, “You all may leave.”

  Elena’s voice rang out. “Absolutely not!”

  Elena came in the room, followed by Wyatt and Wan.

  “Nianzu, please stay, and you as well, Quitin.”

  She turned to face Dr. Wong and Madam Chan, who stepped back in surprise at the young woman issuing orders. They both looked to Wan Chang for directions.

  Wan nodded to them and said, “Elena is also a healer. Please do as she asks.”

  He turned to Elena. “My only request is if you do not know how to do something, you will defer to these two people. They have served me and my men well over the years.”

  Elena nodded and said to Wyatt, “Father, will you and Nianzu please get his clothes off and then help me remove the bullet.”

  Wyatt nodded. He and the men moved quickly. They cut away Bai’s shredded clothes trying to jostle him as little as possible. He groaned in response to their efforts, but then was quiet.

  Stepping up to his side, Elena felt carefully around the entrance to the bullet wound that was covered with dried blood and debris. She looked to her father, who smiled encouragingly and stepped up next to her.

  Bai opened his eyes and said with a wry smile, “Madam Healer, is the patient allowed to speak?”

  Elena startled and paled.

  “Oh, my God, Bai! What…I…I thought you were unconscious. What do you need?”

  “First, cherie, I need you to kiss me. Then, if possible, I would like as much bourbon as you can get down my throat before you start digging around for that bullet. And a couple of those pain pills I made you take would be useful, as well.”

  Elena sobbed, trying to control her emotions. “Oh, God, Bai. Oh my God, I was so afraid I would never hear you…touch you again…”

  “The kiss, Elena. And cherie, the way I would kiss you if I could.…”

  With tears streaming down her face, Elena leaned down and clasped his face in her hands. She kissed his eyelids, his cheeks, then brushed her lips against his. She ran her tongue around his mouth, nipping and sucking. Taking his bottom lip in her teeth, she bit down -- hard.

  Bai closed his eyes and murmured, “Mmm hmm. Like that ma belle petite fille. More….More like that, mon petit amour. I spent many hours tied to that post reliving your kisses -- among other things. Deep, cherie, deep. ”

  She drove her tongue deep in his mouth and was stunned when he responded. He wrapped his tongue around hers. She felt a huge rush of desire, matched by his, and for a long minute only the sound of their kisses, his murmured instructions, and her sobs, could be heard.

  Though Bai’s voice was weak, he still commanded. “Ah, yes. Now that I have confirmed that all parts are working and that this angel next to me is real, Wyatt, do you have that bourbon and those pain pills for me?”

  “Yeah, Bai, I do. And from the look of how deep that bullet is, you’re gonna need to drink as much of this as you can.”

  Bai gave a caustic snort. “It didn’t help that the fucking bastards kicked me a dozen or so times in the shoulder. I guess to make sure the bullet couldn’t fall out…”

  Wyatt and Nianzu lifted his head carefully. Bai swallowed the pain pills and sipped on the bourbon. When he had drank half a glass, Elena nodded to Madam Chan, who came up beside Elena with a pan of antiseptic liquid and cleaning cloths. As gently and carefully as she could, Elena cleaned the bullet wound. Taking a deep breath, she asked for the forceps to remove the bullet.

  “Are you ready, Bai?” Her face was pale. Her eyes were wide and dark and she couldn’t hide her fear.

  He smiled at her. “Yes, cherie, I am ready. And, mon amour, so are you.”

  Elena nodded. Wyatt and Nianzu held him in place. With tears streaming down her face, Elena swallowed hard and dug deep in the wound. After two tries, she grasped the bullet. Biting down hard on her lip, slowly, carefully, she removed the shattered slug. Bai was stoic throughout, only closing his eyes when she dug deeper for the second time.

  When she removed the bullet, Elena stepped back, motioning to Dr. Wong and Madam Chan to finish cleaning the wound and apply bandages to his shoulder and arm.

  Elena looked to Wyatt and he shook his head in agreement, understanding her plea.

  Wyatt stepped up to Dr. Wong and Madam Chan. His voice was pleasant, respectful. “Elena and I have worked together since she was ten years old caring for badly injured horses. Between the two of us, we will determine if Bai has any broken bones and, if not, we will dress the rest of his injuries. We will call you if we need your help, but unless there are broken bones to set, we have everything we need.’

  Wyatt continued, “Before Elena and I get started, Nianzu, will you please keep giving your boss as much of that bourbon as he can swallow.”

  The Chinese healers looked to Wan, who nodded. They bowed and left the room.

  Elena and Wyatt moved forward. As they had many times in the past, they worked together to determine that there were no broken bones and then systematically cleaned and applied healing ointments and bandages to the numerous cuts and abrasions on Bai’s body. By the time they finished, Bai had drank over a glass of bourbon and drifted in and out of consciousness.

  Wyatt and Nianzu and two of the other men carried the table next to his bed and then carefully lifted him from the table to the bed. He groaned, but was sleeping so soundly that they were able to get him in bed without waking him.

  Wyatt, Wan, Nianzu, and Elena sat by his bed. Nianzu gave Wyatt and Wan a cigar and then poured each of them, including Elena, a large glass of bourbon. The four of them sat in silence, sipping on the pungent liquor.

  Wan spoke first. “Elena, we could not have done what we did tonight without you. Your plan was brilliant and beautifully executed.” He bowed to her. “I am forever in your debt.”

  “Thank you, Grandfather.”

  Nianzu nodded. “Elena, you were our leader tonight. Every one of us trusted you and followed you and you never faltered – not once.”

  Wyatt nodded, a smile creasing his lips. “Honey, you know how proud I am of you. But like your grandfather and Nianzu, tonight I am in awe.”

  Elena smiled back at him with a saucy toss of her head. “Does that mean that you and grandfather aren’t going to spank me like you said you would?”

  “No, honey, we’re not. For one reason and one reason only. After seeing that kiss between the two of you, I am confident Bai will give you the kind of spanking you deserve.”

  Elena blushed and grinned at her father, understanding his implication. She went first to Nianzu and gave him a hug and a kiss. She turned to her grandfather and held him in her arms for several long moments, then kissed him on his cheek. Finally, she went to Wyatt and whispered to him. He nodded and picked her up in his arms and sat her down on the bed next to Bai. He pulled off her boots then helped her out of her skirt and torn blouse, protectively shielding her with a quilt.

  “Put your head down, baby. Go to sleep. We’ll be right here beside you both.”

  Elena nodded and lay down next to Bai, carefully reaching for his hand. Wyatt settled down in the cha
ir beside the bed. He looked over and smiled to see that Elena was already asleep and that Bai had put his good arm around her shoulder.

  ~~~

  The next morning, Elena woke. To her horror, Bai was not beside her. She sprang out of bed and almost collapsed in relief when she saw him fully dressed, sitting in one of the chairs by the bed, smoking a cigar.

  “Oh, my God, Bai, you scared me to death!”

  Relief struggling with fury, she marched over to him, her hands on her hips.

  “What do you think you are doing? Why aren’t you in bed? You are badly hurt!”

  He grinned at her. “I seem to remember someone saying to me ‘just because you saved my life, do you think that means you are in charge of me?’ Is that what you think, cherie?”

  She stood in front of him pale and shaking, struggling to keep from bursting in tears.

  He smiled gently and held out his hand urging her to him. “Here, cherie, kneel here beside me. Put your head in my lap, mon amour. That is the best I can do for now to hold you. Perhaps by tonight, I will be able to carry you to my bed and hold you as you should be held.”

  She sunk to her knees and buried her head in his lap. For many long moments, he stroked her hair, her face and wiped the tears from her cheeks, crooning comforting words in French and English.

  There was a knock on the door. Wyatt entered followed by Wan and Nianzu.

  Elena sat up, but didn’t move from the place beside his chair. She shrugged in response to the look of amazement on their faces.

  “Goddamn, Bai, do you think you should be out of bed?” Nianzu asked in shock.

  Wyatt and Wan just shook their heads, seeing the indomitable look on his face.