by Kara Summers
She knew that this was it. She should never have left the safe haven of Valley Springs. She had made the journey all the way here, just to be murdered by ruthless criminals in cold blood. Her eyes darted from the impassive mountain that was Larsen Dover and the five men that had them surrounded. Marianna felt like this was the end and she silently accepted her fate.
Her acceptance was cut short when Larsen suddenly whipped out a revolver and pointed it at the leader. The man raised his arms in surprise and backed up instinctually.
"I wouldn't do that if I were you," he warned Larsen.
"Doesn't seem like you have given me much of a choice otherwise," Larsen growled. "How about you let me know what it is your are after and perhaps we can work out a deal," he suggested.
"You know what I want," the bandit snarled.
"No," he countered, "I don't."
The bandit gave Larsen a suspicious look. "I want the ranch," he stated.
"Not happening," Larsen replied curtly.
"Larsen?" Marianna whispered. She would give these men a king's ransom just to get out of this situation alive. She couldn't believe that Larsen would refuse them what they wanted.
Larsen ignored her, which made Marianna angry.
"Listen to the woman," the bandit said mockingly.
"It's not her ranch," Larsen replied shortly.
"Just give them the ranch, it can't be worth our lives!" Marianna protested. She couldn't believe that he would be so stubborn. He was going to get them both killed.
"My choice," Larsen stated without taking his eyes of the man he had the gun pointed at.
"This is ridiculous, your stubborn pride is going to get us both killed." In her anger, she moved away from Larsen. This was a mistake, as she no longer was protected by his proximity.
The moment that she was not within reach of Larsen, one of the men behind them jumped forward and grabbed her roughly. It startled her and she screamed, forcing the man to clap a gloved hand over her mouth.
Her scream caused Larsen to look away for a split second. But that moment was long enough for the leader to jump forward. In an instant, Larsen and the leader were ensnared in a battle for control over the revolver. Marianna watched helplessly as Larsen quickly subdued the leader on the ground. The moment he pointed the gun back on the man, three others pointed guns at him. They were trapped.
"Surrender or she dies," the man that held Marianna threatened.
The leader mumbled from where Larsen had his faced pressed into the dirt. "If you don't surrender soon, the option to negotiate will no longer be valid."
Larsen took a look at Marianna, his face an expression of sorrow. Marianna knew the instant he had made his decision. With reluctance, Larsen released the leader of the group. The man rose quickly and grabbed the revolver from Larsen's open hand.
"Tie him up boys, we don't need a run away," the man spoke as he dusted off the dirt that had accumulated on his clothing during the scuffle. The other three men quickly tied up the infuriated Larsen. "We will bring them to the boss, he'll decide what to do with them." He turned and gave Marianna a curious look, "Especially with regards to the girl, as our instructions never included her."
Marianna felt disgusted by the man's roaming gaze. Anger welled up in her and she did something very uncharacteristic of her. "Coward," she bellowed and spat in his direction.
The man laughed at her. "I see we have a firecracker." He stepped toward her and brought his hand to stroke her cheek. "I will be very interested in hearing what our boss decides to do with you," he chuckled menacingly.
Marianna tried to turn her head to bite his hand, but the man retreated before her teeth could sink into his flesh.
"I see. If that is how it is going to be,” he motioned toward one of the men. "The Chloroform," he instructed.
Marianna gasped as she realized they were going to drug her. She instantly started to struggle harder against the rough grasp of the man that held her. "Don't you dare," she threatened him.
The man chuckled again. "Oh I do dare," he spoke as he moved forward with the wet cloth.
The moment he brought it to Marianna's nostrils, her world went dark.
Chapter: IX
Marianna slowly opened her eyes and gasped as she realized where she was. She was tied up in the corner of a dark, crowded cabin, and she was alone.
Thankfully, her mouth was not gagged and she was able to suck in a few deep breaths of fresh air as the memory of the strong chemical smell still burned in her nostrils. Only when she had regained her bearings, did she take a moment to try and sort through where she was and how she could escape.
A small lamp burned in the corner, offering her a little bit of light to see the interior of her prison. When she took a look around the room, she saw the walls were lined with unidentified wood crates, which naturally piqued her curiosity.
As for her body, her feet were bound tightly together, while her hands were secured in front of her. These were the only bindings on her body, which meant that, if she could somehow free one or the other, she might be able to get out alive.
That is, if she could even find her way back. She had only been in Texas for a few short weeks, and in that time, she had barely left the ranch. She had no idea where to go or how to make her way back. And by the lack of light that filtered through the cracks in the door, it was late at night and she would have no sense of direction.
Marianna was trapped and she didn't know what to do. She wondered how she could have ended up in such a situation.
She couldn't make sense of it, unless Larsen was involved in less than legal activities. Had he cheated someone on a deal? Perhaps he was involved in smuggling activity?
"Stop it Marianna," she chastised herself in an attempt to quell her growing distress.
She needed to think of a plan, fast.
She took stock of the items in the room that might aid her ability to free herself. She noticed that a nail stuck out of the side of one of the carts placed near her. She figured, if she scooted herself close enough, she might be able to use the nail to hook the rope around her wrists and pull the ties apart enough to free her hands. It was worth a shot and, at this point, she didn't have much else to lose.
She moved closer to the nail, hooked it under the taught threads, and began to pull. With each tug, the ties around her wrists loosened and brought her closer to finally freeing herself.
Her wrists chafed and a stung with the exertion, but she pushed through. Her will to survive the night kept her going.
Eventually, with a triumphant squeal, she was able to pull her wrists free. She rubbed the sore skin for a moment, before she bent forward and untied the knot at her ankles.
Once she stood up, she made her way toward the door. She leaned against the wood frame and strained her ears to try and hear any nose from outside. When she was convinced that no one was waiting for her out there, she reached for the handle. She didn't know how she would get back to the ranch, or if it was safe to return there, but she knew that if she could get far enough away and hide, she might have a chance of avoiding a more gruesome fate.
Before she opened the door, she gave a silent plea for Larsen's life. "Larsen," she whispered into the dark, "stay safe, please." Even though she had barely known the man, she felt drawn to him in a way that had transcended reason and she hoped that wherever he was, he was safe.
As she stepped outside, her body slammed into a tall, impassive wall. The wall muffled her shriek, when he placed a hand over her mouth to quiet her.
"Shhhh, we don't want anyone to hear us," Larsen whispered.
Marianna instantly relaxed once she realized who it was.
Larsen removed his hand from her mouth. He brought his lips close to her ear, as to allow his words to only be heard by her. "I was just about to come to rescue you," he told her.
"I can rescue myself," Marianna said a bit too hotly. She pulled back from him, the sensation of his hot breath on her ear still lingered. It had sent a
shiver down her spine and, for a moment, she had forgotten that they were still very much in danger. She didn't need herself becoming distracted by Larsen, especially since she still was a little bit angry with him as he had been the reason she had been tied up in the first place.
"I can see," he drawled. "How about you follow me around back; I was able to get us a horse." He brought his arm around to capture Marianna by the waist and guide her away from the small cabin that she had been held captive in.
Marianna allowed him to guide her without protest. She was still caught off guard by his sudden appearance, and wondered how he had been able to avert the bandits and find her.
On the other side of the cabin, a horse was tied to a post. Marianna recognized it as the mare that the leader of the bandits had been riding.
"What happened to the horse we had been riding?" she asked cautiously.
Larsen whispered back, "She took off. I suspect she is already back home."
"But how did you get away?" she asked curiously.
Larsen chuckled. "I have a few tricks up my sleeve," he replied.
Marianna raised a curious eyebrow. "Oh?" she questioned.
Larsen motioned toward the horse. "How about we get ourselves out of here before we go into the logistics of how I escaped," he teased lightly.
Marianna shot him a hard look, but her eyes twinkled with laughter. She was surprised that almost being murdered by bandits, kidnapped, and then barely escaping could have her in such a good mood. She was pretty sure that she had started to lose her sanity the moment that she had arrived in Texas — or was it when she first laid eyes on Larsen?
Larsen helped her onto the horse and then swung up behind her. As he brought his arms around to secure his hold on the reigns, Marianna leaned back against his strong chest. She liked how she felt secure, safe even, despite the fact that a group of hardened criminals could jump out at them at any moment.
"Are we heading back to your ranch?" she asked as Larsen turned the horse away and urged the animal into a gallop.
"No," he stated firmly. "It isn't safe at the moment. By tomorrow my Bessie should be back at the ranch, which will alert my workers that something is wrong.”"
"Wouldn't they have figured that out when we didn't return before dark?" she questioned.
Larsen shrugged. "Not always. It's a long journey, and sometimes I stay in town for the night."
"Oh," Marianna exclaimed. "But how will you know Bessie will make it back to the ranch?"
"Because she is resourceful," he spoke into Marianna's hair. Larsen brought his hand up to touch her chafed wrists. "A lot like you," he added gently.
Marianna felt the hairs on her arms raise, and her body shivered where he touched her. She thought his hand lingered on her wrist a little longer than necessary, and she was surprised that she enjoyed the sensation. She felt a little guilty that she liked how Larsen looked at her and reveled in the way it felt to have his body pressed up against her back. She had only lost Kevin a few months ago, she shouldn't already be thinking about the touch of another man so quickly. But this was the man to whom she was considering marriage. Was it so awful that she didn’t mind the way she felt with him?
Something stirred within her when Larsen Dover was near, something she had never quite felt with Kevin. This feeling was exhilarating, enticing, and just a little bit frightening. Yet, despite her trepidation, she felt the urge to embrace the feelings that she had unknowingly begun to develop for Larsen.
She moved her hand out of his grasp and brought it to settle over his own hand. With a gentle ease, she guided his hand around her waist so that he held her securely against him. "I don't want to fall," she whispered shyly, but she knew that the real reason was because she enjoyed the way it felt to be in his strong arms.
"I would never let that happen," he said gently as his lips brushed the top of her head.
Marianna had had more excitement in her life in the past few weeks since arriving in Texas, than she had in her whole eighteen years living in Valley Springs. She had no idea she could be so resilient, yet so far she had survived fire, bandits, and a kidnapping all in in the course of two weeks. Had she know that her world would be so different, she wasn't sure the old her would have agreed to come out here. But the new Marianna was glad she did.
Marianna allowed her eyes to close and her mind to drift, assured in the knowledge that she was safe with Larsen. The horse galloped in a steady rhythm, while the nighttime noises echoed around them. She didn't know where he was taking her, but she felt confident that it was somewhere safe.
Chapter: X
Marianna came awake when she felt Larsen nudge her gently.
"We need to go on foot from here," he said softly. He slid off the horse and helped the still sleepy Marianna to descend. With a swift motion, he slapped the horse's rear and sent the animal into a rapid gallop away from them and back into the night.
"Why would you send it away?" Marianna gasped in horror. She wondered how they would ever get back without their only mode of transportation.
"He would simply lead our would-be kidnappers right to us. It is best to send the horse back to its owner and throw them off our scent," he explained.
"But where will we go?" she protested.
"Into the cliffs," he motioned behind her.
Marianna turned around and gasped as her vision adjusted to take in a large outcrop illuminated by the full moon. "We’re going where?"
"Here," he reached for her, "take my hand."
Marianna felt hesitant about climbing into the cliffs, but as soon as her hand slid into Larsen's large strong palm, she instantly felt safe. "If you say so," she relented.
The hike into the cliffs was brutal, but Marianna refused to allow Larsen to see how taxing it was for her. As they treaded up a narrow path on the side, she did her best not to look down. It was Larsen's confidence that kept her calm and assured her that they weren't going to walk right off the cliff.
"We are here," he finally said, breaking the long silence that had descended over them as they had climbed.
"Where?" Marianna looked around her. They were standing on an outcrop shielded by a few overhanging rocks.
"There is an entrance to a tunnel." He guided her around the little bend.
"A tunnel to where?" she questioned.
"To the edge of my property," he explained. "My lands are quite expansive and this outcrop marks one of the farther edges of it. I'd discovered this tunnel in the cliffs several years ago. We should be safe here."
Marianna trusted that Larsen knew what he was doing.
"Once it starts to get light out, we can make our way through. It's not too long of a walk."
"And until then?" she asked.
"We will have to stay the night," he stated calmly.
Marianna nodded that she understood. But as she agreed, she felt a gust of wind whistle past her and send a chill down her spine. She brought her arms around her chest, and she could feel her teeth rattle slightly.
Larsen responded the moment he saw that she was cold. "Here," he took off his thick cowhide jacket and brought it around Marianna's petite frame. "I would build a fire, but I don't want to alert anyone that we are here."
"I understand," Marianna replied. She clutched at the corners of Larsen's jacket, it was large and warm and it smelled like him; like musk and sandalwood. It was oddly comforting, yet it all felt like too much. Marianna felt her resolve crack and the intense pressure of the situation they had just survived weighed her down; she felt tears sting her eyes.
Larsen must have seen the wet gleam in her eyes reflected in the moonlight, as he instantly moved forward to bring Marianna into a comforting embrace. "I'm so sorry," he whispered into her hair. "I should never have brought you here," he said.
Marianna sniffled. "I wouldn't change that you brought me here," she said softly in between a few hiccups.
Larsen went still. "But I have already brought so many problems into your life," he said in
his enticingly deep voice.
"My life was already far more complicated before you," she confessed. She turned her face up to meets his, their gazes connected through the dim light that seeped into their stone shelter.
As their eyes met, Marianna wondered if Larsen would kiss her. Kevin had been the only man who had ever kissed her before, and even then, it had been short and chaste. But here, all alone with a man she barely knew, Marianna longed for him to bring his lips down to meet hers. She wanted to know what it would feel like to push up on her tippy toes, slide her arms around his neck, and feel the roughness of his thick beard as it brushed against the soft skin of her cheeks. She could feel those cheeks heating and she hoped that Larsen couldn't see her blushing through the moonlight.
Larsen cleared his throat gruffly. "It will be dawn soon, so we won't have to wait here for long," he muttered. His voice sounded thick and hoarse as if he was struggling with himself.
"I see," Marianna mumbled. She retracted her arms from where she had brought them around his waist when she was seeking comfort. She started to move away when he stopped her.
"Wait," he said as he caught her hand up in his.
Marianna looked at him expectantly.
"We will need to sit together, for warmth," he explained.
Marianna simply nodded her agreement and allowed Larsen to lead her to a spot on the rock floor. He showed her where to sit, and when she was comfortable, he moved in next to her.
She tried not to think of the close proximity of their bodies. She was starting to get an idea of who Larsen Dover was. He was a lot more complicated than she had originally anticipated. When she had agreed to come out west to see if she could even marry him, she had thought he would be a cold and believing a wife was meant only for her domestic qualities. But after the short time she had been staying on the ranch, she had already seen how it wasn't just her who was interviewing him for a potential spouse, but Larsen was testing her too. After she had met his two boys, she understood why he had written to his family to ask for them to send him someone who could care for them like a mother. The thought behind his action demonstrated how kind, thoughtful, and caring he was underneath the thick beard and manly demeanor. She felt like she had finally started to crack his hard character, and she liked what she saw.