Malaina raised her chin proudly as Collin chuckled. Snapping his fingers, he motioned to the men that accompanied him and ordered, “Bring her forward, Jon.”
Malaina watched as one of the riders dismounted, dragged another rider from his own mount and forcing him forward. She gasped in astounded horror as Collin proceeded to brutally rip the hat from the smaller rider’s head, revealing the hauntingly familiar face.
“Charlotte!” she cried out.
“Yes. Our dearest Charlotte,” Collin confirmed.
Charlotte burst into tears and was undoubtedly scared beyond rational behavior. Malaina stared disbelieving at the young woman who bore her similar likeness. Blue eyes, black hair, and beauty. “If you’ve harmed her, Collin...” Malaina began.
“What, darling? What will you do?” he mocked. “Now, there, there...Charlotte,” he muttered to the girl, putting a hand caressively to her face.
“Don’t touch her!” Malaina screamed, gripping the railing even more solidly.
As Collin sighed triumphantly, Maggie looked to Malaina for explanation. “Who is she?” she asked.
“My half sister, Charlotte,” Malaina mumbled.
“Yes,” Collin chuckled. “Dear, dear Charlotte. The spoiled baby sister. Though you do love her, don’t you, Malaina? Charlotte was always good to you. Even though your stepfather sold you to me so that his own daughter could have a dowry. Sad...but true. Now, come along with me, Malaina.”
“Malaina don’t listen to him! Please!” Charlotte pleaded.
“What do you want of me, Collin?” Malaina asked defeatedly. Charlotte was her sister, and she loved her deeply. There was no other choice.
He smiled. “Why...you of course, my dear. You come with me now...no more running away...and I’ll leave dear Charlotte here in your place. Otherwise, I’ll kill her here and now before your very eyes.”
“Nobody’s goin’ anywhere, mister.”
Malaina turned to see Mary coming out of the house, a rifle raised and pointed at Collin’s head. Slowly she went to stand before him as she spoke once more. “You get outta here. Leave the girl, too.”
Reaching out quickly, Collin grabbed the gun barrel, tearing the weapon from her grasp. “Come now, miss...don’t be silly.” Mary gasped and stepped back from him.
“You’re a pretty one as well, miss,” Collin said, tossing the gun aside. Then in one swift motion he had turned Mary to face the others, staying her with one hand while the other pulled a revolver from beneath his coat and held it to the girl’s head.
“Mary!” Maggie cried out.
“Collin...please,” Malaina began. “Let her go. Please.”
“Now this is comforting, Malaina. Pleading with me...as it were.” Collin nuzzled Mary’s neck, however, commenting, “She’s sweet as magnolia in summer. What do you say, honeysuckle? Perhaps you and I could enjoy a satisfying moment or two before I move on to my dear Malaina there. What do you say?”
“Get your filthy, smelly hands off her!”
Hope was renewed within Malaina as she saw Matthew approaching from one side of the house. He’d obviously returned and seen the trouble they were in. He now leveled his own rifle at the villain’s head.
Chuckling, Collin turned to face him still holding Mary in front of him with the pistol pressed firmly to her temple. “Ah. A farm boy. Don’t trifle with me, boy...or this little miss won’t be of any use to any of you. Except as perhaps fertilizer for your pitiful little crops come next spring. Put the gun away, boy. Or I’ll start the job for you with her brains. You could plant a lovely little flower bed just here...where her blood first spills.”
Malaina watched as Matthew’s chest rose and fell with fiery anger. She watched as an anguished expression crossed his face when he realized that the risk of Collin successfully shooting Mary should he attempt to fell the monster himself was more than he could chance.
Angrily, Matthew tossed his gun aside. “Let her go, then,” he ordered.
“Your wish is my command,” Collin said. However, in that next moment, he pushed Mary to the ground, pointed his gun at the young champion and fired. Matthew’s hand flew to his head and he staggered forward slightly before falling to the ground.
Mary screamed and Maggie screeched, “Matthew!” as the handsome young man lay silent and motionless a few feet away.
Malaina began shaking her head and muttering to herself, “No. No.” As she started toward the fallen hero, Collin kicked Mary squarely in the stomach and grabbed Malaina by the arm, staying her.
Yanking at her mercilessly he pulled her against his powerful body. Looking down at the breathless, heartbroken and battered Mary he said, “No woman threatens me with a weapon, girl. Be glad you have your life.” Then he turned to Malaina, still holding her securely. “I own you, Malaina. He’s dead now. Forget your dirty little farm boy.” Reaching into his inner coat pocket, Collin retrieved a folded document. “My papers, Malaina. A bill of sale signed by your dearly departed stepfather.”
Malaina reached up and slapped him hard across the face. He instantly slapped her back, leaving horridly red welts fresh upon her tender cheek.
“Leave her alone, Collin!” Charlotte shouted. “I told you...I’ll take her place!”
“I don’t want you, Charlotte. I want your sister, and I own her. Legally.”
Then the sickening, wet kiss of Collin Mereaux met Malaina’s mouth. Her defeated heart cried out for Jackson--for his powerful arms to be protectively about her. For his mouth to be warm and tenderly passionate upon her own. At last her struggling won out and he released the nauseating seal his lips had on hers.
“Get the other girl back on her horse, men. We’re going home,” Collin commanded, laughing triumphantly.
Charlotte screamed, “No!” as the men accompanying Collin dismounted. Two of them took hold of Charlotte, dragging her toward a mount as another man assisted Collin in pulling Malaina toward the waiting group of horses.
“You promised, Collin!” Malaina cried, struggling with all the strength left in her. “You promised to leave Charlotte!”
“Did I?” Collin mocked. “Oh, fiddle. We’ll bring her along...just in case you decide not to...cooperate fully with me.”
“Malaina!” Maggie cried as Mary at last was able to rush to Matthew.
“Leave it be, old mother,” Collin warned Maggie. “I would as soon shoot her than take such a large financial loss. Do you know how much I paid for this piece of fluff?”
Malaina watched helplessly as the sister she loved so was lifted onto the horse, her hands then bound to the saddle horn. Collin shoved Malaina onto his own horse, bound her hands as well, and mounted behind her.
“I do thank you, old woman...for keeping her in good repair for me,” Collin said. Then Malaina felt all hope...the very will to live...draining from her as his repulsive lips toyed at her neck. She painfully looked at Matthew’s still body and Mary hovering over him sobbing.
It felt suddenly as if some all-powerful force hit Collin solidly, sending him falling from the horse. Her eyes fell to where he lay on the ground and resplendent joy was rekindled as she saw the man being beaten mercilessly by Jackson. Jackson’s horse stood snorting and rearing next to the one she sat on. She hadn’t heard him approach, yet he was there! Ever her protector.
“You dirty...” Jackson mumbled as his fists dealt blow after blow to the surprised man. He stopped abruptly, however, when three guns were cocked simultaneously, pointing at his head. Collin’s men encircled Jackson and Jackson ceased beating Collin and stood.
“Jackson,” Malaina squeaked out in a whisper. He looked to her only for a moment before returning his attention to the villain.
Collin stood, brushing himself off dramatically. “This is a silk shirt, sir,” he informed Jackson.
“Yeah? Well it figures you’d wear somethin’ that came outta a worm’s behind,” Jackson growled.
Collin cleared his throat and smoothed his hair. “Am I to understand that I’v
e disposed of the wrong...husband?” he asked sarcastically.
“That’s my brother lyin’ over there,” Jackson confirmed. His face blatantly displayed anger, disgust and hatred toward the man who stood before him. “Even though you killed my brother...I mighta shown some mercy and killed you quick. But you laid your filthy hands on Malaina. And for that I intend to make your death as slow and painful as possible. I ain’t never skinned a man before...though, I hear that some Indian tribes find that the most painful way to kill a man. Yer purty much neck deep in bull manure, mister.” Malaina had never seen Jackson in such a state of vindictive hatred and rage. She was sure he meant to kill Collin as gruesomely as he had just described.
“Jackson, no, please,” Malaina pleaded, “I’ll go with him! I don’t want you to have to...”
“You’ll never go with him, Malaina! Not as long as I have breath in me.”
“Which won’t be long,” Collin sneered. He looked to Malaina. “Don’t tell me you actually married this...illiterate trash? Oh, Malaina, Malaina, Malaina. You know that you’re mine. Your marriage changes nothing.” He pulled the document from his vest pocket once more, flaunting it in Jackson’s face. “My papers, um...sir. I own this girl. I’ve just come to collect the property that is mine, by law,” he said.
Jackson smiled, snatched the papers from his hand and said, “I know some of you folks have a hard time accepting this, but the war is over...the North won and Lincoln freed the slaves. No court is gonna hold to anythin’ so asinine as papers that say you own a woman.”
“She’s my property,” Collin said as his smile faded.
“Nope. It just ain’t so. You see...every court in this good country would most certainly hold to the paper I have concernin’ this woman,” Jackson said.
Collin looked about him, motioning to the men who held Jackson at gunpoint. “Well, no court’s going to enter into it, farmer. Either you’re blind or else you’re too ignorant to realize that you are at a severe disadvantage. The South will, indeed, triumph this time. Let’s just shoot him and get on with our journey, boys.”
“I’m really very surprised and disappointed, sir,” Jackson addressed Collin. “I always thought you Southern boys were so brave and chivalrous. I never thought you’d be hidin’ behind hired guns. I heard you boys always fought your own duels. But, then, I guess you’d be havin’ to get that wormy ol’ shirt all mussed up again. Is that it?”
Malaina looked at Jackson in dismay. She knew he’d struck at the pride in the enemy. A dangerous attack, for Collin was nothing if not prideful.
The rage of the insult shown clearly on Collin’s face. “Do not toy with me, farmer. I’ll easily dispose of you.”
Jackson grinned. “Now, by law, Malaina here is my wife...you can’t take her. But, since you’re such a lily soft boy, I’ll let you pick the way I kill you. Gun, fists, or...”
“Sabers,” Collin stated without hesitation. Motioning to his men to lower their guns, he took several steps toward Jackson.
“Sabers?” Jackson repeated.
“What’s wrong? You said I could choose, you swine.” Jackson nodded. Malaina turned to Maggie who had exhaled an audible sigh of triumph. Collin seemed to ignore her, while Malaina wondered if the strain had been too much on her mind, for she appeared to be somehow relieved slightly.
Straightening his vest, Collin said, “Very well. I assume you’ll be needing a saber. I’ve several with me.” He turned. But Jackson’s next utterance stopped him.
“Nope. Got my very own right upstairs. I’ll have my mama fetch it.” Then, turning to his mother he instructed, “Mama, would you run along up to my trunk and get my saber?” He tossed a key to her as the fear began to intensify in Malaina again.
“So,” Collin began, “you’ve a little trinket from the war or some such thing.”
“Nope. It’s my own. To do a little pattin’ my ownself on the back, I was best man with a saber for every one of my four years at West Point.”
Malaina looked at Jackson in astonishment. Black Wolf slipped into her thoughts as she now understood why the beast had referred to Jackson as ‘Captain.’
Jackson grinned at Collin. “You see, sir...I’m not what you thought you’d run into out here...am I?”
But Collin was all too confident. “What a nice bit of exercise this will be. Should last all of three minutes.”
“You think that long?” Jackson asked mockingly.
“It depends on how fast the blood will drain from that sun roasted body of yours, boy.”
“A lot slower than it will from your lily-white hide. Remember, I ain’t the one who has to buy me a woman,” Jackson chuckled.
Maggie returned then, and handed a beautiful saber to Jackson. She glared at Collin, reassured in her knowledge of her son’s skill and said, “Well, Mr. Collin whoever you are...you’re a mighty brave man if’n you think you can go saber to saber with Captain Jackson McCall and come out standin’.”
“Is that so?” Collin mocked.
Malaina screamed as Collin took a swipe at Jackson with his saber, cutting him deeply on one arm.
“Just a little taste of the mutilation you’re about to endure, farmer,” Collin chuckled.
Jackson retaliated then, cutting Collin nicely across one cheek in response. “All right, you purty little pansy...come on. I’m gonna carve you up with the McCall brand before I finish you, you coward.”
Malaina was unable to tear her eyes from the nightmare that was the duel. She found herself holding her breath every time Collin lunged toward Jackson, and releasing it in relief as he parried and returned blows of his own. Oddly fascinated, she watched as Jackson’s saber met again with Collin’s cheek, the two wounds now forming what appeared to be an inverted V. Jackson lunged forward several times in sequence, forcing Collin backward, away from Maggie, Mary and Matthew. Collin was startled as Jackson masterfully inflicted the wounded cheek with two more small lacerations, completing a perfect letter ‘M’ there. The villain was stunned and raised his free hand to the wound. His face registered fear and shock as he pulled the hand away and saw his own blood forming an ‘M’ in the palm of his hand. Malaina watched the beads of perspiration dripping from Collin’s brow and triumph rose within her when Jackson completed the McCall brand by adding a bar above the letter with one final stroke.
Her joyous elation was short lived, however, as Collin, realizing that he was out-matched by the ‘farmer,’ barked a final order to his men. “Shoot the Captain!”
“No!” Malaina screamed. Shots rang out in that moment and she was utterly confused as she saw two of Collin’s men fall to the ground.
“Move away from my brother, boys.” Baker appeared from the opposite side of the house. In his hands he held a rifle aimed squarely at Collin’s head.
“Shoot him!” Collin shouted to his last standing man. Instantly Jackson lunged forward, fatally wounding the remaining man with the saber he still held.
The horses that Malaina and Charlotte sat tied to began to rear, spooked by the gunfire. Malaina saw Baker grab Charlotte’s horse by the bit, controlling the startled mare. Jackson turned from Collin and tried to grab the reins of Malaina’s panicked mount. They eluded his grasp, however, and Malaina gasped in horror as Collin grasped his saber firmly with both hands and raised it above his head clearly intent on ramming it through Jackson’s back. Another shot rang out then, and Collin fell to the ground.
“Matthew!” Malaina heard Maggie cry just as her horse bolted away.
As the horse ran from the ranch at a fierce gallop, she could feel the saddle slipping. She found it utterly impossible to gain control of the horse or regain her own balance with her hands tied as they were. But, as always, Jackson was soon at her side on his own mount. He whistled and shouted and the horse reared, stomping his hooves, and turned back toward the ranch, slowing its pace in the process. Malaina could see the house again--beacon of safety and love. Maggie and Mary were helping Matthew to his feet. Baker was holdin
g Charlotte protectively in his arms. Malaina was feeling the warmth of security beginning to ebb through her when the horse lost its footing. She heard the snap of leather and felt the sensation of falling. Then her soul memorized the looks of horror on the faces of the family as she plummeted toward the ground.
“Malaina!” Jackson’s anguished voice called. Her last thoughts before the terrible weight and darkness were, ‘He’s alive. My Jackson is alive.’
“She’s breathing.” The voices sounded distant and distorted.
“Pull him up! We’ve got to get him off!” It was Jackson’s voice and there was something frantic about it.
Malaina tried to open her eyes. She tried to force her throat to speak, but nothing would come. She was aware then of a great weight being lifted from her legs.
“He’s up! He’s up!” Baker shouted.
“Malaina? Malaina? Please...open them beautiful eyes and look at me, darlin’,” Jackson’s voice echoed in her mind. “Baker, get her hands free from the horn. Come on, honey. Look at me. You know you want to. Ain’t too many ol’ boys ‘round here that can beat me in good looks. You know that,” he said. “Baker,” he shouted, “get these dang ropes cut, will you. Mama, her wrists are bleedin’ somethin’ awful.” His intonation was harsh and unstable.
“I’m workin’ as fast as I can, Jack,” Baker assured him.
The stinging pain in her wrists as the ropes came free caused Malaina to gasp, filling her lungs with life giving air. Still she could not speak.
“Dang!” she heard Jackson mutter under his breath, and she felt herself being pulled into his urgent embrace. “Don’t you dare leave me, darlin’!” His calloused, gentle hands tenderly stroked her hair. Though she longed to gaze into his soft green eyes, to speak, reassuring him that she would be fine, her body refused to respond.
“Malaina. It’s Maggie.” Maggie’s voice was so soothing. “I’m wrappin’ those little hands of yours in my apron, sweet pea.” Malaina sensed the pressure of Maggie’s hands on her throbbing wrists. “Charlotte is safe with Baker, Malaina. Everything is fine now. Matthew was only grazed in the head.” Maggie’s concern and fatigued emotions were evident in the cracking of her voice as she continued, “Mary’s fine, too, and you’re gonna be fine. Do you hear?”
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