by Rye Hart
Marianna hesitated. She had taken lessons as a young girl, but hadn't ridden a horse in recent years. "A little," she explained.
Larsen raised a curious eyebrow. "Well then, if we are going to do such a long trip into town, it might be best if we ride together." He moved toward his horse and beckoned Marianna to follow.
Marianna suddenly felt hesitant about being that close to Larsen for the whole journey. Her fingers tingled every time Larsen touched her hand, now her stomach did somersaults as she thought of climbing behind him and wrapping her arms around his solid waist.
The sound of Larsen clearing his throat broke her train of thought. She blushed as she looked up and saw him watching her from where he stood next to the horse. This was going to be an interesting trip.
Chapter Eight
As they rode into town, Marianna made every attempt to keep conversation going. However, Larsen didn't make this easy.
"So why did you choose Texas to start a ranch?" she asked several miles into their ride.
He grunted and shrugged his shoulders. "Heard good things about this place."
"And?" she pressed further.
"That's it."
"Oh," Marianna said, slightly disappointed. She wondered how she would ever crack the hard shell that was Larsen Dover.
They reverted back to silence for most of the trip. The only sound was of the horse's heavy breathing and the rhythmic pounding of his hooves as they beat the hard ground. Marianna took the time to admire the gorgeous scenery. She hadn't realized how beautiful the land was. Although it was quite different from the familiarity of her quaint town of Valley Springs. Texas held a certain untamable mystique that intrigued her, much like the enigmatic man she was accompanying.
As the ranch behind them disappeared on the horizon, Marianna was sure that the rest of their journey would continue in silence. And in that moment, she made a silent plea to the heavens that something would happen to crack the wall that Larsen had built around himself.
Her wish was answered, although not in the way she had expected, when the sound of a gunshot startled the horse and caused the animal to almost throw both of them. Before Marianna had time to register what had just happened, Larsen had already spurred the horse into a full gallop.
As memories of the last time she took the same path at a breakneck speed raced through her mind, she had no choice but to hold on to Larsen with all her might. He heart pounded, while her mind raced with fear as the horse sped along.
A second gunshot was accompanied by the sound of pounding hooves behind them, which solidified Marianna's fear that they were being pursued.
A third gunshot came dangerously close, as the shell exploded in the dust next to them. There were shouts behind them, which signaled that a small gang was following them. Marianna dared not look back, but her curiosity got the better of her. As she peeked over her shoulder, she saw what appeared to be a group of bandits racing after them in pursuit. She had no idea why they would be the target of thieves, as they didn't carry anything of value with them.
Besides our lives, Marianna thought morbidly.
A sudden jolt in the horse's step brought her attention back to focusing on one thing: holding on for dear life. Her teeth rattled in her jaw and her fingers ached from where she gripped Larsen's shirt. Her heart beat louder in her chest as she heard the bandits gain speed up them. They were, after all, not two to a horse.
"Surrender your goods or we'll shoot the girl!" cried one of the bandits.
Fear raced through Marianna, she wanted to urge Larsen to ride faster, but instead he chose to slow down in response to the threat. They were instantly surrounded by a group of five men.
"Hold fire!" yelled the bandit that appeared to be the leader.
Larsen slowed the horse down, but didn't completely stop. She could feel the tension ripple off his body as he kept the horse in a canter and turned to face the men that had them surrounded.
"You may have our saddlebags, but there is nothing of value," he spoke stiffly to the group.
One of the men continued to hold a revolver pointed at them, while the 'leader' descended off his horse. "We will see about that," he said dryly as he advanced toward them. "Now get off the horse," he commanded in a harsh tone.
Marianna could feel Larsen's body stiffen next to hers, but he didn't say anything. "Larsen?" she said softly, unsure of what she should do.
"Do as he says," Larsen said in a voice that toed the line of danger.
Marianna slowly slid off the horse and Larsen quickly followed. He slid his arm protectively around Marianna's waist, his body upright and his gaze locked in on that of the bandit, whose face was mostly concealed by a heavy bandana and hat.
"Step away from the girl," the leader demanded.
Larsen hesitated. "I told you, you may take what we have, but there is nothing of value," he repeated in a dangerously calm tone.
Marianna watched the event unfold before her.
"Step away from the girl," the bandit repeated, "or we will be forced to shoot her as well."
Marianna tensed. As well? Her mind raced with the implication of those words. These men were not here for the small amount of money they had brought with them, they were here for something else. Larsen. A cold coil of fear began to unravel in her stomach.
Larsen regarded the bandit coolly. "I'll give you one warning, either take the saddle bags and leave, or leave empty handed."
Marianna's eyes widened as she stared up at Larsen's cool face. He appeared to not be fazed by the bandit's threat to shoot him. Or her. He continued to take stock of the gang with a cool, calm demeanor. Marianna didn't know how he was able to be calm, as she herself was barely holding it together.
"Larsen?" she nudged him gently, "what are you doing?" she whispered through gritted teeth.
"Exactly what needs to be done," he said with a wry smile.
Marianna's heart sank; he knew that they were not here for their money, but for their lives. She suspected Larsen was not the type to go down without a fight, but the odds were against them as they were heavily outnumbered.
She knew that this was it. She should never have left the safe haven of Valley Springs. She had made the journey all the way here, just to be murdered by ruthless criminals in cold blood. Her eyes darted from the impassive mountain that was Larsen Dover and the five men that had them surrounded. Marianna felt like this was the end and she silently accepted her fate.
Her acceptance was cut short when Larsen suddenly whipped out a revolver and pointed it at the leader. The man raised his arms in surprise and backed up instinctually.
"I wouldn't do that if I were you," he warned Larsen.
"Doesn't seem like you have given me much of a choice otherwise," Larsen growled. "How about you let me know what it is your are after and perhaps we can work out a deal," he suggested.
"You know what I want," the bandit snarled.
"No," he countered, "I don't."
The bandit gave Larsen a suspicious look. "I want the ranch," he stated.
"Not happening," Larsen replied curtly.
"Larsen?" Marianna whispered. She would give these men a king's ransom just to get out of this situation alive. She couldn't believe that Larsen would refuse them what they wanted.
Larsen ignored her, which made Marianna angry.
"Listen to the woman," the bandit said mockingly.
"It's not her ranch," Larsen replied shortly.
"Just give them the ranch, it can't be worth our lives!" Marianna protested. She couldn't believe that he would be so stubborn. He was going to get them both killed.
"My choice," Larsen stated without taking his eyes off the man he had the gun pointed at.
"This is ridiculous, your stubborn pride is going to get us both killed." In her anger, she moved away from Larsen. This was a mistake, as she no longer was protected by his proximity.
The moment that she was not within reach of Larsen, one of the men behind them jumped forward and gra
bbed her roughly. It startled her and she screamed, forcing the man to clap a gloved hand over her mouth.
Her scream caused Larsen to look away for a split second. But that moment was long enough for the leader to jump forward. In an instant, Larsen and the leader were ensnared in a battle for control over the revolver. Marianna watched helplessly as Larsen quickly subdued the leader on the ground. The moment he pointed the gun back on the man, three others pointed guns at him. They were trapped.
"Surrender or she dies," the man that held Marianna threatened.
The leader mumbled from where Larsen had his face pressed into the dirt. "If you don't surrender soon, the option to negotiate will no longer be valid."
Larsen took a look at Marianna, his face an expression of sorrow. Marianna knew the instant he had made his decision. With reluctance, Larsen released the leader of the group. The man rose quickly and grabbed the revolver from Larsen's open hand.
"Tie him up boys, we don't need a run away," the man spoke as he dusted off the dirt that had accumulated on his clothing during the scuffle. The other three men quickly tied up the infuriated Larsen. "We will bring them to the boss, he'll decide what to do with them." He turned and gave Marianna a curious look, "Especially with regards to the girl, as our instructions never included her."
Marianna felt disgusted by the man's roaming gaze. Anger welled up in her and she did something very uncharacteristic of her. "Coward," she bellowed and spat in his direction.
The man laughed at her. "I see we have a firecracker." He stepped toward her and brought his hand to stroke her cheek. "I will be very interested in hearing what our boss decides to do with you," he chuckled menacingly.
Marianna tried to turn her head to bite his hand, but the man retreated before her teeth could sink into his flesh.
"I see. If that is how it is going to be,” he motioned toward one of the men. "The Chloroform," he instructed.
Marianna gasped as she realized they were going to drug her. She instantly started to struggle harder against the rough grasp of the man that held her. "Don't you dare," she threatened him.
The man chuckled again. "Oh I do dare," he spoke as he moved forward with the wet cloth.
The moment he brought it to Marianna's nostrils, her world went dark.
Chapter Nine
Marianna slowly opened her eyes and gasped as she realized where she was. She was tied up in the corner of a dark, crowded cabin, and she was alone.
Thankfully, her mouth was not gagged and she was able to suck in a few deep breaths of fresh air as the memory of the strong chemical smell still burned in her nostrils. Only when she regained her bearings, did she take a moment to try and sort through where she was and how she could escape.
A small lamp burned in the corner, offering her a little bit of light to see the interior of her prison. When she took a look around the room, she saw the walls were lined with unidentified wood crates, which naturally piqued her curiosity.
As for her body, her feet were bound tightly together, while her hands were secured in front of her. These were the only bindings on her body, which meant that, if she could somehow free one or the other, she might be able to get out alive.
That is, if she could even find her way back. She had only spent a few short weeks in Texas, and in that time, she barely left the ranch. Marianna had no idea where to go or how to make her way back. And by the lack of light that filtered through the cracks in the door, it was late at night and she would have no sense of direction.
She was trapped and she didn't know what to do. She wondered how she could have ended up in such a situation.
She couldn't make sense of it, unless Larsen was involved in less than legal activities. Had he cheated someone on a deal? Perhaps he was involved in smuggling activity?
"Stop it Marianna," she chastised herself in an attempt to quell her growing distress.
She needed to think of a plan, fast.
She took stock of the items in the room that might aid her ability to free herself. She noticed that a nail stuck out the side of one of the carts placed near her. She figured, if she scooted herself close enough, she might be able to use the nail to hook the rope around her wrists and pull the ties apart enough to free her hands. It was worth a shot and, at this point, she didn't have much else to lose.
She moved closer to the nail, hooked it under the taught threads, and began to pull. With each tug, the ties around her wrists loosened and brought her closer to finally freeing herself.
Her wrists chafed and stung with the exertion, but she pushed through. Her will to survive the night kept her going.
Eventually, with a triumphant and controlled squeal, she was able to pull her wrists free. She rubbed the sore skin for a moment, before she bent forward and untied the knot at her ankles.
Once she stood up, she made her way toward the door. She leaned against the wood frame and strained her ears to try and hear any noise from outside. When she was convinced that no one was waiting for her, she reached for the handle. She didn't know how she would get back to the ranch, or if it was safe to return, but she knew that if she could get far enough away and hide, she might have a chance of avoiding a more gruesome fate.
Before she opened the door, she gave a silent plea for Larsen's life. "Larsen," she whispered into the dark, "stay safe, please." Even though she had barely known the man, she felt drawn to him in a way that had transcended reason and she hoped that wherever he was, he was safe.
As she stepped outside, her body slammed into a tall, impassive wall. The wall muffled her shriek, when he placed a hand over her mouth to quiet her. It was Larsen.
"Shhhh, we don't want anyone to hear us," he whispered.
Marianna instantly relaxed.
Larsen removed his hand from her mouth. He brought his lips close to her ear, as to allow his words to only be heard by her. "I was just about to come to rescue you," he told her.
"I can rescue myself," Marianna said a bit too hotly. She pulled back from him, the sensation of his hot breath on her ear still lingered. It had sent a shiver down her spine and, for a moment, she had forgotten that they were still very much in danger. She didn't need herself becoming distracted by Larsen, especially since she still was a little bit angry with him as he had been the reason she had been tied up in the first place.
"I can see," he drawled. "How about you follow me around back; I was able to get us a horse." He brought his arm around to capture Marianna by the waist and guide her away from the small cabin that she had been held captive in.
Marianna allowed him to guide her without protest. She was still caught off guard by his sudden appearance, and wondered how he had been able to avert the bandits and find her.
On the other side of the cabin, a horse was tied to a post. Marianna recognized it as the mare that the leader of the bandits had been riding.
"What happened to the horse we had been riding?" she asked cautiously.
Larsen whispered back, "She took off. I suspect she is already back home."
"But how did you get away?" she asked curiously.
Larsen chuckled. "I have a few tricks up my sleeve," he replied.
Marianna raised a curious eyebrow. "Oh?" she questioned.
Larsen motioned toward the horse. "How about we get ourselves out of here before we go into the logistics of how I escaped," he teased lightly.
Marianna shot him a hard look, but her eyes twinkled with laughter. She was surprised that almost being murdered by bandits, kidnapped, and then barely escaping could have her in such a good mood. She was pretty sure that she had started to lose her sanity the moment that she had arrived in Texas — or was it when she first laid eyes on Larsen?
Larsen helped her onto the horse and then swung up behind her. As he brought his arms around to secure his hold on the reigns, Marianna leaned back against his strong chest. She liked how she felt secure, safe even, despite the fact that a group of hardened criminals could jump out at any moment.
"Ar
e we heading back to your ranch?" she asked as Larsen turned the horse away and urged the animal into a gallop.
"No," he stated firmly. "It isn't safe at the moment. By tomorrow my Bessie should be back at the ranch, which will alert my workers that something is wrong.”
"Wouldn't they have figured that out when we didn't return before dark?" she questioned.
Larsen shrugged. "Not always. It's a long journey, and sometimes I stay in town for the night."
"Oh," Marianna exclaimed. "But how will you know Bessie will make it back to the ranch?"
"Because she is resourceful," he spoke into Marianna's hair. Larsen brought his hand up to touch her chafed wrists. "A lot like you," he added gently.
Marianna felt the hairs on her arms raise, and her body shivered where he touched her. She thought his hand lingered on her wrist a little longer than necessary, and she was surprised that she enjoyed the sensation. She felt a little guilty that she liked how Larsen looked at her and reveled in the way it felt to have his body pressed up against her back. She had only lost Kevin a few months ago, she shouldn't already be thinking about the touch of another man so quickly. But this was the man to whom she was considering marriage. Was it so awful that she didn’t mind the way she felt with him?
Something stirred within her when Larsen Dover was near, something she had never quite felt with Kevin. This feeling was exhilarating, enticing, and just a little bit frightening. Yet, despite her trepidation, she felt the urge to embrace the feelings that she had unknowingly begun to develop for Larsen.
She moved her hand out of his grasp and brought it to settle over his own hand. With a gentle ease, she guided his hand around her waist so that he held her securely against him. "I don't want to fall," she whispered shyly, but she knew that the real reason was because she enjoyed the way it felt to be in his strong arms.
"I would never let that happen," he said gently as his lips brushed the top of her head.
Marianna had had more excitement in her life in the past few weeks since arriving in Texas, than she had in her whole eighteen years living in Valley Springs. She had no idea she could be so resilient, yet so far she had survived a fire, bandits, and a kidnapping all in in the course of two weeks. Had she known that her world would be so different, she wasn't sure the old her would have agreed to come out here. But the new Marianna was glad she did.
