“I know what he thinks. He thinks Ezra is dangerous, and it doesn’t matter that he makes me happy.”
“That’s not true. Well, some of it is. I mean, if Ezra started that fire at Monroe’s house, then yes, we both believe he’s dangerous.”
“He didn’t.”
Samantha watched her for a moment. “You’re sure?”
“Yes. He said he didn’t, and he showed me the proof.” Charlotte told Samantha what Ezra had shared with her. She explained to her about the full container of fuel that had gone unused. “Ezra spent that time with his father.”
“If all of that is true, then that’s good news.” Samantha stared out the window. Charlotte got the idea that she didn’t believe a word of it. “Are you sure you’re thinking with your head and not your heart?”
Heat warmed Charlotte’s neck. “Of course, I believe him. Why would he lie? The gas tank was right there. He showed it to me. Ezra is not a killer.” But an inkling of doubt sunk into her chest, warning her that maybe her heart was too close to the situation to reason. Not sure if she was trying to convince Samantha or herself, she said, “He’s not lying.”
“I hope you’re right.”
Chapter 25 - Ezra
Ezra sat up straight in his bed as the door to his room jiggled. Before his brain could understand what was happening, the door clicked and opened. He skittered to his feet as two men entered the room fully clothed in black from their shoes to the ski masks that hid their faces. They didn’t need to remove their disguises. He knew who they were.
“What do you want?” He stepped back to the wall, tripping over his own boots.
“Boss wants to see you.”
“I don’t work for you . . . him . . . anymore.”
“That why you burned down the house?”
“I had nothing to do with that.” His insides shrunk in fear. Garrett would kill him if that’s what he thought.
“Yeah, right. You can tell it to his face.” Rhett stepped closer, grabbed his boots, and threw them at his feet. “Put em on.”
“I’m not going anywhere with you.” Ezra stared down at his boots.
“Yeah, you are.” Bart pulled out his gun and pointed it in his face. “Tie him up.”
Rhett pulled a roll of duct tape from his pocket and proceeded toward Ezra.
“Okay.” Ezra placed his hands in the air. “I’ll go.” He reached down for his boots but stumbled backward when a blow hit him in the face. Rhett pulled his hand back and grabbed it with the other. “That’s for the horse that kicked me in the face. Next one'll be for that punk kid who shot my leg out.”
Not wanting to stir up any more anger with them, he put his hands in the air. “Please. I’ll go, just leave the rest of them alone.”
Rhett chuckled. “Oh, you’ll go alright. Put your boots on.”
“It’s lucky for you, Garrett said to take you quietly, or every inch of this place would be burned to the ground. Including your sweet Charlotte.”
Ezra shook violently as he put on his boots. He had no plans to push them. One false move and they would disregard Garretts orders and have the whole place ablaze.
“Tie him up,” Bart said. “He ain’t getting away this time.”
Before he could protest, Rhett pulled off a strip of tape and slapped it over his mouth. Ezra put up no struggle as the men taped his hands behind his back, then pushed him toward the door. “You got some walking to do, but don’t think of running. I’ll shoot you in the back myself.”
Ezra walked out the door. Both men came up beside him, and each took an elbow. He saw no sign of their vehicle. They walked him off the property. About a half mile down the road, Ezra saw the outline of a truck. They were smart not to pull up into the drive like they’d done the first time.
They can do whatever they want to me. Please protect Charlotte.
Whatever the outcome, Ezra knew the end was near. Bart pulled down the tailgate and pushed Ezra toward the truck. “Get in.”
Pain shot through his shoulder and up his neck as he tried to maneuver his way into the bed of the truck with his hands firmly taped behind his back. The guys laughed at his awkwardness as he struggled inside. As soon as he was in and sitting, Rhett taped his legs together.
“Don’t think of going nowhere. I’ll have a gun pointed on you the entire time. One fast move and we’ll be cleaning your brains from the back of the truck.”
Ezra nodded in agreement, but inside he wondered if getting his brains blown off would be better than whatever Garrett had planned for him. The will to live overcame him as Rhett and Bart jumped in the cab and spun off. His only chance of survival was if Garrett believed he didn’t start the fire.
Questions spun through his head as to who had started the fire. The only logical conclusion he could come to was that Bart and Rhett had started it knowing Garrett would blame him. He’d told them he was dead, but the looks on their faces that night while Ezra stared through the window led him to believe they knew Garrett was lying. They were angry and wanted revenge. He wouldn’t put it past them to burn down the house and then blame it on him. But there was no way to prove it.
Fifteen minutes later, the truck pulled into Garrett’s long, dirt driveway. The house was burned to the ground. Not a single beam was standing. The charred remains of Garrett’s entire life hit Ezra like a bullet to the chest. Nothing had survived.
The men came around the back, Rhett opened the tailgate, and Bart grabbed his shoulder by the shirt. The two of them dragged him out of the truck bed and down the dirt driveway that led to the only remaining building standing. An old stable that Garrett used to store stolen goods.
Opening the door, they tossed him inside, closed it and locked it. Ezra looked around the dark room. Goods were piled all around him. Things that had been stolen and were awaiting a safe time to sell them.
Garrett had taught him when he was young that it was best to let things lay low before reselling them. It was how they avoided arrest for so long. Once the owners had gotten their insurance money back and were no longer looking for the items, they took them to various dealers who were just as shady as they were.
Where was Garrett? Where were they going? The pain in Ezra’s shoulder was unbearable, and his face felt like a truck had over run it. It wore him down, but he had to stay awake. He could not allow Garrett to catch him sleeping. It would show weakness, and Garrett would kill him before he got a chance to speak.
Instead of allowing the weariness take him, Ezra spent his time petitioning God for Charlotte’s safety. Nothing mattered to him more than being sure she was safe in all of this. His resolve was weakening that he would be able to convince Garrett of the truth, so instead, he would do whatever it took to keep Charlotte safe. Even if it meant his own death.
Chapter 26—Charlotte
Charlotte was awoken from a deep sleep by the sound of pounding on her bedroom door.
“Charlotte, open up!”
It was Cole. Charlotte jumped out of bed and rushed to the door. “What’s going on?”
Samantha stood next to Cole wearing the same light-blue pajama set she’d worn when they’d spoken earlier.
“It’s Ezra. They took him,” Samantha cried.
“What do you mean? Who?”
“I don’t know. I heard a commotion through the wall that connects our rooms, and then they were dragging him out at gunpoint. His mouth and hands were taped.”
“Who was it?” Charlotte shook as if she were standing in the arctic tundra.
“I don’t know. They were wearing all black and had on masks.”
“I think it was Garrett’s men,” Cole said.
Charlotte hadn’t had the chance to talk to Cole about Ezra’s innocence. By the time she got back to the house, he’d already been in bed. “Cole, he didn’t do it. He didn’t burn down Garrett’s house.”
“Samantha told me. I went out and saw the container still full of gasoline.”
“You believe me, then?”
Cole nodded.
“What are we going to do?”
“We have to help him. Garrett will surely kill him this time.”
“We better call the police.”
He was right. It was the only thing to do. There was no way they could go running over there, playing heroes. They’d all get killed. But if they did involve the police, what would happen to Ezra? The words he’d said about wanting to face the consequences of his actions flowed through her head. Even if it caused Ezra problems with the police, at least he’d be alive.
“Call them. I’ll get dressed.”
Cole nodded and pulled out his phone. “We’ll be downstairs.”
Over an hour later the same deputy who had come asking questions about the fire was knocking on their door.
“Come in.” Charlotte waved for him to come inside.
Samantha explained how Ezra was taken from his room, and the officer asked a dozen questions before calling in backup.
“So, you’re sure these men were from the Monroe property? What exactly would they have against this uh―” He glanced down at his notes. “Ezra McCain?”
Charlotte’s insides fought over how much to tell him. Within seconds, the safety of Ezra won out, and she told him about Ezra being raised in a life of crime by Garrett. Maybe it would be worse on him, possibly it would get him arrested and thrown in jail, but she had to take a chance. It was the only way to convince the officer of the urgency of the matter.
Charlotte blurted out everything Ezra had told her about his life with Garrett Monroe. Cole stared at her stunned. It was his first time hearing all that she had learned. She just hoped that it would change his view on Ezra. That it would help him understand, as well as the police, that Ezra was a victim in all of this. No matter what Ezra said, she believed he’d done those things out of necessity and had been forced into them by Garrett.
It was after dawn before the deputy decided to call for backup and go out to the Monroe place. As soon as they left, Charlotte went to her knees and prayed for Ezra.
Chapter 27—Ezra
Ezra lay on the ground, still bound and in complete darkness. Hours had passed, and he was weary. His wrists burned as the tape dug into his flesh. His hands tingled with the lack of blood flow reaching them. Each struggle to release himself from his bindings only made the pain unbearable.
The darkness of the room only intensified his urge to close his eyes, yet he’d not had an ounce of sleep. He spent the entire time praying for Charlotte’s safety. The fact that Garrett had not shown up yet worried Ezra that Garrett had gone to her place to do the unthinkable. He prayed it wasn’t so. It would be stupid of Garrett to cause himself more problems by trying to harm Charlotte and her family, but if he wasn’t there, where was he?
The door to the shed opened, and Ezra looked up. His eyes were tired, but there was no mistaking the man who stood before him. Garrett walked toward him. The look in his eyes was one of remorse. As if he was going to have to do something that greatly upset him. At that moment, Ezra knew his life was over.
Garrett pulled a bucket over in front of Ezra. Turning it upside down, he sat on it. He stared at Ezra for a long time. “Do I even want to hear what you have to say?” he asked.
Ezra nodded. The fear inside him that Garrett would refuse to let him speak and pull his gun out was overwhelming. He breathed in a deep breath through his nose.
Garrett reached over and ripped off the tape from his mouth. “You have two minutes to tell me why I shouldn’t put a bullet in your head.”
Ezra’s voice caught in his throat. He’d spent so much time praying that he hadn’t thought of what he would say to Garrett. “I didn’t burn down your house,” he answered.
Garrett chuckled. “No? Hm, I suppose it was a lightning bug?”
“Garrett, you have to believe me. It wasn’t me.” As soon as the words were out of his mouth, a feeling came over him, and he decided to tell the entire truth. “I wanted to. After Rhett and Bart went over there and harassed Charlotte, I was so angry. I got the stuff together and came here. I thought you were still in jail. But I didn’t do it. Instead, I listened to you tell those idiots that I was dead. That you had shot me between the eyes and buried me.”
“Oh, you did, did you? Then you know that I tried everything in my power to stop from having to kill you. And then you went and burned down my house? And you think I should just let that slide?”
“I didn’t do it. I swear.”
Garrett stood so quickly the bucket fell backward. He grabbed his gun from his belt and swung it, hitting Ezra in the face. His jaw popped unnaturally as pain surged through his face.
“You think I’m stupid?” Spittle flew from Garrett’s mouth as his face turned a beet-red. “You think I’m just supposed to believe you? After all I’ve done for you, and now you’re going to look me in the face and lie?”
Ezra held his head low to ward off another blow to his face. The sound of the gun cocking made him look up. Garrett’s gun was pointed right at his scalp. Ezra said a silent prayer.
“Put your hands up!” A voice called from the doorway.
Garrett turned around and shot at the intruder. The bullet hit the officer right in the head, and he dropped to the ground. Four more officers were behind him, and before Garrett could get off another shot, they had him straddled on the ground and were handcuffing him.
An officer came to him and cut away the tape from his arms and legs. As the officer arrested Garrett, he spouted off all kinds of crimes that the two of them had committed together.
“He’s a common thief! And he burned down my house!” Garrett yelled as they dragged him out of the barn.
“Are you okay?” one officer asked. “It looks like your jaw is broken.”
Ezra nodded. It was too painful to speak.
“There’s an ambulance on the way to take you to the hospital, but then we will need to bring you in for questioning.”
Ezra turned away as another officer covered the body of the dead officer. The smell of blood made him want to vomit. His body shook with the realization that the man had saved his life by taking the bullet that had been meant for him. Trying to put the image from his mind, he turned back to the officer and nodded.
He’d prayed that God would show him how he could make amends for all he had done and he guessed this was what God had planned. The courts would decide whether or not he would pay for his crimes. It was okay. He’d admit to everything he’d done. He deserved whatever sentence they met out.
The ambulance came, and Ezra was taken to the hospital. After X-rays and exams, they found that his jaw was not broken but only badly bruised.
“This a gunshot wound?” the doctor asked inspecting his shoulder.
Ezra nodded. Before he could try to get a word out, he heard Charlotte on the other side of the curtain.
“I’m here to see Ezra.”
The sound of her voice made him sigh with relief. She was okay.
“I’m sorry, ma’am but he can’t see you right now. Once he’s cleared by the doctor, we’ll have to take him into custody.”
“What?” she cried. “But it was Garrett. He made him do all of this.”
“We’ll get it all sorted out. He’ll go before the judge today.”
“Please, can I see him for just a second. Please,” she begged, crushing Ezra’s soul.
The officer finally relented, and Charlotte burst through the curtain. “Are you okay?”
Ezra nodded as he opened his arms to her. She fell into them, and even the pain of her body pressing on his was nothing compared to the way his heart soared at the mere feel of her body against his.
She touched his face. “He hurt you.” Tears welled in her eyes. “But you’re alive. Thank God, you’re alive.”
Tears fell down his cheek. He wanted to tell her that everything would be okay, but besides the fact that his jaw was bruised, he didn’t know if anything would ever be okay again. Instead, he pulled her tighter and held onto her.
“Ma’am
, you’re going to have to clear the room now. If we can get him to the jail and processed soon, he’ll see the judge today.”
“You aren’t going to put him in with Garrett, are you? He’ll kill him.”
“No, ma’am. He’ll go straight to the medical ward. Now if you’ll let us do our job, we need to get him to the jail and process him, otherwise, he won’t see the judge until morning.”
Charlotte leaned up and kissed his cheek. “I love you, Ezra McCain. I’ll be praying for you.”
Hearing those words made everything he’d gone through worth it. He pulled her close then let her go.
“I’ll see you at the courthouse,” she said and rushed out of the room.
Once processed, Ezra was assigned a public defender where he was able to plead his defense. Although hiring his own lawyer would’ve been a much better choice, he was advised that he would most likely be released on his own recognizance and could then hire his own lawyer to defend him.
After telling his story from the time he was ten and met Garrett Malone, the attorney was shocked at all he had experienced.
“I can’t tell you what the judge will decide,” the public defender said. “But I will request a full investigation into what you’re telling me. I am going to request you be released with a court date later in the year. This will give us time to make your case.”
Chapter 28—Charlotte
Charlotte sat in the courthouse next to Cole, listening to each case as it was presented. One by one offenders came before the judge and sentences were given, plea bargains met, or continuations requested.
Finally, a group of men was escorted into the room, all of them wearing orange uniforms and shackles with long chains connecting their wrists to their ankles. She found Ezra among the faces, and her heart dropped. His cheeks were even more bruised than they had been in the hospital. She’d not slept at all since Cole had woken her up. She’d done nothing but prayed the entire time that God would grant Ezra mercy.
The Cowboy's Forbidden Bride (The Blushing Brides Book 4) Page 14
