by S. E. Smith
“How could he do that to her? He’s never had a thing to do with her when she was growing up,” Allie said hotly. “You have to help her, Papa!”
“I will, Allie. Or should I say, you will,” Sam promised her before turning his attention back to Jonathan. “Allie will fly you to Los Angeles. I will have someone I know meet you at the airport. You can trust him. Hayden is not the only one who has powerful friends,” he added with a smile.
Jonathan leaned forward again and nodded. “When do we leave?”
“First thing in the morning,” Sam said rising. “I have some phone calls to make. Allie and Aleaha will show you where you can get cleaned up and rest.”
Claire rose to follow her husband. She paused for a moment before turning back. Smiling, her gaze softened when she saw Jacob’s arm draped behind her youngest daughter’s chair. It was obvious Allie wasn’t thinking straight or she would have realized it and lit into him.
“This world is very different from ours but in many ways things have not changed,” she said quietly. “Men are still greedy and the world is still a dangerous place. If….,” she paused and drew in a tearful breath, shaking her head. “No, when you find Indy just love her with all your heart. I know she would be happier in your world than here,” she added quietly before turning and hurrying out of the room.
Aleaha frowned as she followed her mother with worried eyes. “What did she mean by ‘your’ world?” She asked puzzled.
Jonathan stood up and glanced at his brother with a light shake of his head. He snapped his fingers for Chester and Tweed who were lying on the rug in the living room. Both dogs scrambled to his side. He touched his fingers to their heads. There was something about them that helped remind him that Indy was real.
“You must have misunderstood her,” Jacob responded standing up next to Allie’s chair.
He ignored the way she rubbed the hand he had been holding on her pant leg and how she moved to get up on the opposite side of the chair from him. She could resist all she wanted. He already knew when he, Jonathan and Indy returned through the Pass they would not be alone. Allie Whitewater was his and he was going to make sure she knew it!
*.*.*
An hour later, Jonathan walked out of the bathroom that separated the bedrooms they had been given. Aleaha had given them both a brief tour of the rooms and the bathroom. Each bedroom was done in a different color. His was done in bold burgundy, copper, and beige while Jacob’s room was done in softer whites, yellows, and blues. They had remained silent until after the women left before bolting to the bathroom again to explore it. It had taken them a good ten minutes to figure out what everything was. They just shook their heads as they flipped the switch for the lights on and off in amazement before discovering how the sink, toilet and shower worked.
Jonathan threw the soft, plush towel he had been using to dry his hair on the end of Jacob’s bed. His brother was leaning against the headboard of the bed looking at a flat box mounted to the wall. Images flashed across it as he pushed on the small black box Allie had handed him before walking out the door.
“This world is too strange,” Jacob commented as he watched the images. “People on the wall, lights without fire, water out of the walls. Why would Indy or anyone else for that matter want to give it up to live back in the past?” He asked glumly pausing to stare at a group of beautiful young women wearing, or he should say not wearing, much clothing.
“Would you want to live here?” Jonathan asked. “The only thing I’ve found that I think I would miss is the bathroom. Indy was right about that being the only thing she would want to change at the ranch house. Maybe we could figure out a way to build one in the house.”
Jacob turned off the television and set the remote on the bedside table before sitting up and running his hand through his hair. “I would live here if I had to but there is something missing. Hell, I don't know,” he grumbled.
Jonathan studied his brother for a moment before he leaned back against the door jam. “What's wrong?” Jonathan asked bluntly. “You normally would be enjoying an adventure like this but something is off. I know it isn't just about Indy or all the unusual things we've seen.”
Jacob glanced at his brother before looking back down at the floor. “It’s Allie,” he admitted quietly. “I want to get to know her better.”
“Allie?” Jonathan said shocked before he frowned in concern. “Jacob, we aren't going to be here for long. I don't want to be here for long. I like our place. We would be lost here. Back home we have something.... something we made with our own two hands, a place our folks cut out through sweat and blood. A place we understand,” he added soberly.
Jacob stood up in aggravation and went to stand at the window, gripping the edge of the windowsill tightly. He stared moodily out over the modern ranch below him. There were huge metal machines in the distance that he didn't have a clue what they were. Wires wove from post longer and thicker than the telegraph wires and the area was lit up like the early dawn hours back home. No, he liked an adventure but he also liked knowing he was in control. Here, why would a woman like Allie need a man like him when she could obviously take care of herself with all the fancy machines available to her.
He turned around with a resigned expression on his face. “Let's concentrate on getting your wife back,” he said changing the subject. “Did you understand what Sam was talking about when he said Allie would 'fly' us to where Indy was? You don't think they can actually fly in this time, do you?” He asked with a wry grin.
“God, I hope not! Give me a horse any day. If man was meant to fly God would have given him a pair of wings. I'm sure it was just a figure of speech. Hell, I'm still trying to figure out what language they are speaking half the time. I know it's English but damned if I can figure it out,” Jonathan said, relieved to see his brother acting more like his old self. “Let's get some rest. If we are lucky, we'll have Indy back with us by tomorrow and can head home where we belong.”
Jacob nodded and looked around the plush bedroom again. “They have more comforts here than a King would have. I can't complain about having a soft bed to sleep in,” he said as Jonathan turned to head back to his room on the other side of the bathroom. A sudden thought came to him and he called out to his brother as he started to leave. “Jonathan, you're right you know. We need to see if we can't figure out how to build a couple of those indoor bathhouses at the ranch house. Maybe then the women won't mind living there so much.”
Jonathan opened his mouth then closed it, just nodding in agreement. He wasn't going to question his brother's use of the word 'women'. Whatever his brother had up his sleeve was fine with him as long as it made him happy. He would do what he could to support him, even if it meant what he thought his twin had in mind.
“See you in the morning, Jacob,” Jonathan said with a sudden grin, feeling lighter than he had since Indy had been kidnapped.
“Good night,” Jacob called out before turning off the light with a shake of his head, wondering what other surprises this world had for them.
*.*.*
Indy stood in the middle of her brother’s home office at his townhouse in Los Angeles and glared at him. She folded her arms across her chest and raised her eyebrow with a smirk. Hayden was doing his usual act of trying to intimidate her. It wasn't working. She'd had enough of her brother's attitude. She was ready to fight him tooth and nail if need be. He had gone over the line when he had sent men to kidnap her. Not only that, she had something very important to fight for now- getting home to Jonathan.
“If you know what is good for you, Hayden, you'll just let me walk away,” she said in a low voice. “I am over the age of eighteen and perfectly capable of making my own decisions in life. One of those decisions is to forget that you, Matt and Gus even exist.”
Hayden gritted his teeth in frustration. Gent had said ever since she woke up from the drug induced sleep, she had been a bitch to deal with. She refused to do anything she was told and only the threat of hav
ing Rodgers sedate her again stopped her from bursting into a fit of violence. Even now, Hammock was on his way from Washington, D.C. to pick her up. He needed to have her ready. He couldn’t present her looking like she had been wrestling cows and smelling like a horse. The problem was she refused to cooperate, even under threat. She had laughed at him and told him to bring it on. She was going to sue his ass anyway for kidnapping, assault, and a multitude of other offenses. He cursed giving Gent free rein on using whatever method he needed to bring her back but he had been desperate.
“Indiana, I have a signed document by the judge giving me guardianship over you,” he began.
“Save it, Hayden. We'll see what the judge has to say when he finds out you falsified information to obtain that guardianship. No judge in his right mind would have agreed unless you gave him some trumped up documentation,” she snorted. “By the time I get done with you, I'll have more than enough money to buy back the ranch if I want to!”
Hayden slammed his hand down on the desk in front of him scattering papers. He cursed the fact he had been detained. Gent had delivered Indiana late that afternoon but he had not been able to get home until ten minutes ago due to a court proceeding that didn’t finish until late. He opened his mouth to retaliate when the phone on his desk buzzed. He picked up the receiver, his eyes darkening even more as he listened to the voice on the other end.
“Rodgers, get your ass in here,” Hayden demanded loudly glaring at his sister.
A saccharine smile creased Indy’s lips. “I called the police,” she said gleefully.
“I know,” Hayden bit out, seething with fury.
The door to his office opened and Rodgers came in. Indy took several steps away from him, keeping him in her sight in case he tried to knock her out again. He glanced at her with cold, dark eyes before he turned to address her brother.
“You called,” he drawled out dryly.
Hayden shot him a heated glare. “You were supposed to watch her! She called the fucking police! I want you to stay with her until I get rid of them,” he snapped out before pointing his finger at Indy. “You and I are not finished.”
“Like hell we’re not,” Indy muttered under her breath as she watched him slam out of the room.
She turned to look Rodgers over from head to toe. He was no longer dressed in his faded jeans and button-down shirt but in a pair of navy dress slacks and a black long-sleeve pullover that was stretched tight over his bulging muscles. He was a good-looking man in a rough, predatory kind of way.
“Like what you see?” He asked, a slight smile tugging at the corner of his lips.
Indy’s eyes narrowed as she slowly returned them to his. “Not really, I’m imagining you and Hayden as cell mates and wondering who is going to be on top,” she replied sweetly.
Rodgers chuckled at the blatant insult. “Top or bottom, both positions have their advantages,” he replied enjoying the blush that rose up into her cheeks before she warily turned away from him.
“Are you in this just for the money? If so, I have a little. If you help me get out of here I’ll give you every dime I have,” Indy said suddenly, turning to look at him to see how he took her offer. “Hell, I’ll even sign over my future income if Hayden doesn’t find some way to steal it first. I won’t need it where I’m going anyway.”
Rodgers took a step toward her. “How much do you know about what your brother has planned for you?” He asked suddenly in a harsh voice.
Indy took a step back in alarm at the intense coldness that came into his eyes. “I…. I don’t know anything,” she began but stopped as his face grew even harder. “But…. But I suspect he is going to try to use me in some way. I’m just not sure how. I mean, legally he can’t force me to do anything.”
“But what about illegally?” he demanded, taking a step closer to her. “What makes you think what he wants is within the law?”
Indy paled at the implication of his words. “He’s an attorney. He wouldn’t throw his career away by doing something illegal…. Would he?” She whispered.
“You tell me?” Rodgers said coming to a stop in front of her. “What would he do if he wanted something badly enough? Something like the U. S. Senate.”
Indy stared into his eyes for what seemed like an eternity, her vision clouding as her mind worked. What would Hayden do to get to such a powerful position? Would he do something illegal to get it? There were always rumors about things like that. About kickbacks, bribes, and even worse but surely he wouldn’t take a chance of ending up in prison by doing something so stupid. Surely he wouldn’t sacrifice one of his own family members? Doubt filled her as she thought about what he had done to their grandfather.
She jerked out of her thoughts when she felt a pair of warm hands on her arms, shaking her gently. She frowned up at him, she shook her head. She knew Hayden was a greedy son-of-a-bitch but it was hard for her to believe he would take such a chance.
“No, I don’t think he would. He might be a greedy bastard but he is also a cautious one,” she replied. “He wouldn’t do anything that might come back to bite him on the ass.”
Rodgers released her arms and took a step back. “Are you willing to bet your life on that?” He asked.
Indy shoved her hand through her hair in aggravation. “What are you talking about? Why should my life be in danger?”
Rodgers stood frozen in indecision for a fraction of a second before he glanced briefly at the closed door. “Your brother is using you as a bargaining chip. You and your money in exchange for support from a very powerful man who likes sweet, innocent little girls,” he bit out in a low voice. “You are payment, a commodity, a prize, Indiana Wild, nothing more but a plaything for a rich man who has decided he wants you.”
Indy stood frozen in horror. If what Rodgers was saying was true, her brother was selling her to the highest bidder. Everything started clicking into place as her mind sifted through different events in her life and Hayden’s subtle manipulations. That was why he wanted control over the ranch. He knew Matt and Gus were desperate for money and would do whatever they had to in order to get it. But, he knew Indy would have fought tooth and nail to keep it. By convincing a judge she wasn’t capable of taking care of herself, he had effectively taken control of her money and her body. A shiver of fear ran down her spine. She looked at the door judging the distance.
“You won’t make it,” Rodgers stated. “He has at least four other men between you and freedom.”
Indy started and she glanced at him, biting her lip in indecision. “I won’t let him get away with this. Jonathan won’t let him. We’ll fight him,” she hissed out. “If I don’t kill him, I know Jonathan will if he lets some slime ball touch me.”
Rodgers frowned. He had forgotten that she said she was married. That might change things but he wouldn’t count on it. He knew Hammock. The man wouldn’t care. He would simply quietly order Indy’s husband permanently removed so there would be no messy strings left untied. Of course, he would make sure it looked like Indy’s husband met with an untimely accident.
“You need to find out exactly what your brother wants,” Rodgers said making a decision to do what he could without jeopardizing his assignment. “I’ll stay as close as I can to protect you.”
“Why?” Indy asked puzzled. “I just want to go home,” she said huskily, suddenly very tired. She turned to stare out over the city. “All I wanted was to live on the ranch where I felt like I belonged. When Hayden and my other brothers sold it out from under me, I knew it wouldn’t stop me from living the life I wanted. I might not have the Wild Ranch any longer but I knew with my experience I could always get a job on another one somewhere. Hell, Sam would hire me in a heartbeat without me even asking.” She looked back at Rodgers again. “I just want to be left alone,” she finished in a small, tired voice.
Both of them turned when Hayden came back in followed by several other gentlemen. She didn’t recognize any of them but Rodgers must have as he stiffened and moved away f
rom her. She watched warily as the men came into the room.
“Jerry, this is my sister Indiana,” Hayden said heavily looking at Indy’s disheveled appearance with a disapproving eye. “Unfortunately, she has not had time to get cleaned up. She was just about to do so. Indiana, I’ve taken the liberty of having some clothes delivered for you since you didn’t have any.”
Indy’s mouth tightened as she watched the man called Jerry look her up and down like she was a prized mare at auction. She noticed the other two men who entered with him stood close to the door. It didn’t take a brain scientist to realize they were his muscle. The man standing before her was in his mid-fifties. He was still lean for his age. He stood several inches shorter than her brother but there was an air about him that told her size was not an issue. The man reeked of power. His hair had just a touch of gray at the temples and his piercing brown eyes drilled into her, as if in warning. This was a man used to giving orders and expecting them to be obeyed. Unfortunately, she wasn’t the kind of girl to follow orders very well. As far as she was concerned, he could take his ‘look’ and shove it up his ass for all she cared.
Indy turned her attention to her older brother with a sneer to her lip. “I told you once before you could shove your liberties up your ass, Hayden. My suggestion hasn’t changed. I’m leaving here. I don’t know what you told the police and personally I don’t really give a damn. My husband isn’t going to be happy that you have kidnapped me. You’ll be lucky he doesn’t put a bullet in you for doing so,” she said, lifting her chin in defiance.
“Husband,” Hayden said falling back a step. “You can’t be married!” He exclaimed, his eyes moving to her left hand automatically.
Indy raised her hand, showing off the simple, yet elegant ring. “I can assure you, I am,” she said with a triumphant smile. “I told you. You should have just let me walk away.”