Willow turned on her side, leaning on her elbow to rest her head on her hand, and placed her other hand on his chest. “What is it?”
“Beck wasn’t in cahoots with Sterling, he only made him believe he was. We had an ongoing skirmish. Who could best the other and I always won, not once did he win. That’s why he put me in that pit in the ground. He didn’t think I’d be able to escape, but just in case he dropped you down there with me.”
“Oh my Lord,” Willow said, her eyes turning wide with a revelation. “He knew you wouldn’t leave me there. You would have escaped if he hadn’t put me in that pit with you.”
Slatter lifted his wife’s hand off his chest and kissed her palm. “I had planned to escape the next morning.”
“You stayed for me?”
“I couldn’t leave you with him. Beck would have sold you to God knows who and I couldn’t let that happen to you. Though, he got greedy in thinking he beat me and won. So he upped the stakes, so to speak, and told me I could keep you if I could poke you while down in the confined pit. He lost and that didn’t set well with him.”
“So he faked a marriage between us to win?”
Slatter shook his head. “A fake marriage would have given me a way out. That wouldn’t give him a big victory. He not only bested me and won, forcing me to wed when he knew I never had any intentions of doing so while making Sterling believe otherwise. He told me one day that he’d get me good and he was letting me know that in the end that’s exactly what he did… except.”
“Except what?” she asked anxiously.
Slatter turned, easing his wife onto her back. “Beck never counted on me falling in love with you and wanting to spend the rest of my life willingly with you.”
Willow smiled. “So you do plan on sticking around?”
“Forever… if you’ll have me.”
A tinkle of laughter fell from her lips. “I had you as soon as I was lowered into that pit with you.”
Slatter shook his head and brought his face close to hers. “Not true, mo ghaol. I lost my heart to you the moment you entered my cell to tend my wound and completely ignored my attempts at charming you.”
Willow ran her finger slowly over his lips. “It’s not charming words I want from your tongue.”
“It isn’t?” Slatter asked, feigning shock, though his teasing smile said otherwise. “You better show me what it is you want.”
“First,” she said, tapping his lips with her finger, “promise me you will not sneak off anymore without letting me know where you’re going and why.” When he held his tongue too long, she understood why. “You won’t give me your word because you plan on going and rescuing Maddie, Kevin, and the others.”
When again he didn’t answer, she pushed him off her, though he moved only a little and she wiggled her way out from under him. She went and snatched her garments up off the floor.
Slatter scurried out of bed. “What are you doing?”
“I’m going with you to rescue them,” she said and dropped the shift over her head.
“You damn well are not going with me.” He grabbed the sides of her shift and yanked it up, but Willow grabbed his hands stopping him.
“I go with you or you don’t go at all,” she challenged.
He laughed. “You think you can stop me?”
“I can and I will,” she said, her chin jutting up.
He brought his face close to hers. “I think not, wife.” And with one hard yank her shift was off her and tossed to the floor.
Willow looked to her shift, ready to snatch it up again.
“Try putting it on again and I’ll rip it off you this time,” her husband cautioned.
“You wouldn’t dare,” she challenged.
“I’d dare do anything to keep you safe.”
“I would do the same for you, which is why I’ll not let you go alone.”
Slatter shook his head, turning away for a moment and when he turned back again, he had his wife up in his arms before she could protest and carried her to the bed,
Willow was so shocked finding herself up in his strong arms that she didn’t even have time to gasp. And she was even more surprised when he sat on the edge of the bed and placed her in his lap.
“You are a sensible woman and I won’t lose you over a foolish choice,” he said.
“I am not sensible when it comes to you. I am fearful that I will lose you and I couldn’t bear that. I could wait in the woods for you and help you get everyone to safety and tend those who need help.”
“It’s too dangerous,” he argued.