He turned his horse and hers followed his as they began to trot back across the me
adows taking her farther and farther from Bridgewater. Taking her farther from the life she had come to love.
Please, she prayed, let Alex and Jesse realize that something is wrong. Let her pleas spread across the universe to them.
Tears ran down her cheeks and she reached up and swiped them away. When Frank wasn’t looking, she went through the saddle bags, looking for a weapon, anything to maim him.
“You know, sweetheart, I’m sure you’re no longer a virgin. I’ve heard terrible stories about Bridgewater. Did they share you with other men? I’ve heard they trade women like they barter for cattle.”
“Shut up, Frank. You don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“Oh, so you liked it then. I’ll have to remember that.”
Whatever she said to him would only be used against her. She had to look for any kind of chance to escape.
“You know I’m tempted to stop and take you right here. Just the two of us. No one to interfere with me taking what’s mine. They were wrong to interrupt us. I know you were just waiting to feel my cock up your young pussy.”
If only she could keep from hearing his horrible words. It was then she remembered how much he hated hearing anyone sing. She began to hum a song, she knew. Then the words formed and she began to sing.
“Shut up, Mattie. You know I don’t like music.”
She kept singing, knowing she had to push him to the edge before she could get him to stop.
“Mattie, I’m only going to ask you one more time.”
“I’ll stop singing if you’ll stop talking about fucking me. Because I’d rather die than feel your cock in me. My husband is on his way even now to find and rescue me from you again. Only this time, he’s not going to be as gentle.”
She began to sing once again. Anything to keep him from talking about how he planned on taking her.
“All right, I won’t say anything else about what I have planned for you. But know this, I will use you, marry you, and then my father can get his hands on your inheritance.”
“Oh, you’re not going to get any of my money?”
There was silence.
“Seems to me, you’re the one who is planning on marrying me. It should all be yours and not your father’s. You never could stand up to your father. Always willing to do his bidding, whether it was in your interest or not.”
There was silence.
“Just shut up, Mattie. We have another hour before we’re home. Be thinking about all the ways I’m going to fuck you.”
As the scenery rolled by, all she could think about was how she would retaliate for her mother’s murder. How she would fight Frank.
And if he killed her men, she would kill him. Because there was no way that Frank and Edward were going to win. She had found happiness and she would not let them destroy it.
14
ALEX
* * *
Alex couldn’t wait to get home to their bride. They had been gone all day and after the events of last night, he wanted Mattie.
Jesse gave a chuckle. “I can’t wait to tell Mattie about how Edward blew up when he found three dead, stinking cattle on his doorstep.”
“His customers could not enter the store without stepping over the rotting carcasses.”
“And the stench,” Jesse shook his head. “Buzzards on Main Street.”