by Sandra Brown
She nodded again, dumbly, her heart pounding, and nudged the horse’s flanks. The gelding shied away from the water, tossing his head, and for a moment, Lauren thought he would refuse to go into it. Obedience won out, however, and he stepped into the boiling river. He had just gotten all four feet into the water, when he was almost immediately swept into the middle of the river by the swift current.
Lauren held on for dear life, thinking suddenly that if she died, her and Jared’s baby would die, too. Why didn’t I tell him I carried his child? She berated herself. She tightened her knees, gripping the sides of the horse. She risked looking back to see if she could spot Kurt and saw him urging his horse away from the bank into the water.
Darkness and rain surrounded them, but when the lightning flashed again, she saw the tree being swept toward her with alarming impetus. Oh, God, no! her mind screamed, and she braced herself for the impact.
The main trunk of the tree floated in front of them, but apparently a branch that was under the surface struck her horse in the forelegs, for he suddenly buckled and Lauren was all but thrown from his back. She gripped the pommel tighter, her fingers slipping on the muddy water that had doused the saddle. The horse was screaming in pain, and Lauren knew his legs must have been broken. The tree had not flowed past them, but was circling wildly as if seeking direction. In his agony, the gelding thrashed violently and, this time, Lauren couldn’t maintain her hold.
She was hurled into the dark murky waters of the raging river. The current lifted her up long enough for her to gasp a breath before once again she was sucked under. Beneath the surface, she struggled to propel herself upward. She could feel herself growing lighter, knowing that the surface and the much-needed oxygen were near, when her head struck something above her, and a blinding pain shot through her body. She floundered helplessly, felt the drawstring of the cloth bag with the medical supplies slip from her wrist, and began to sink into the deep oblivion of unconsciousness.
Then her head was stung with a million needles as she was lifted by her hair out of the river. She swallowed the brackish water in her mouth and began sucking in great mouthfuls of precious air. Kurt held her under the chin as she clutched his saddle trying desperately not to lose her hold on either it or consciousness.
Somehow, miraculously, Kurt’s horse was able to make it to the other side of the bank. He dropped Lauren gently onto the ground, where she lay choking and spitting. Kurt dismounted and lifted her limp form against him. He shook her slightly as he asked, “Are you all right?”
It took her a few moments to regain enough strength to answer, “Y-yes. I think so.”
“Come on, it’s not far now. Just at the top of the hill there.” He lifted her onto the horse, and she would have fallen forward if he hadn’t mounted quickly behind her and supported her with his sturdy arms.
She must have slipped out of consciousness then, because when she came to, they had stopped and Kurt was dragging her off the horse. He steered her toward what appeared to be a solid wall of rock. As they got nearer, she saw that there was a small opening practically hidden by a clump of bushes. Kurt drew them aside and pushed her into the cave. She had to bend from the waist in order to get through the low opening. She walked in the crouched position with dread of the unseen terrors lurking in the walls of the cavern.
Finally she saw light ahead and, knowing that she would soon see Jared, she quickened her pace. The pale light came from a small lantern hanging on the wall within the cave. She stepped into it and stood upright. She was looking directly into the hooded, reptilian eyes of Wat Duncan!
Behind him stood June, her pale hair forming a halo around her head as the light from the lantern reflected on it. Lauren’s eyes darted swiftly to all corners of the room, and nowhere did she see Jared.
Myriad horrors flashed through her mind, so quickly that her brain couldn’t catalogue them. She felt Kurt behind her as he stepped into the room.
“Well, well, Miz Lockett. I see you made it to our little party. Not a very nice night for a swim, though.” Duncan grinned indolently and his eyes roved her body.
Lauren whirled on Kurt. “Where is my husband? You said you were bringing me to my husband!” She clenched her fists and pounded his bulky chest ineffectually. Grabbing her wrists, he held her away from him.
“I had to tell you something to get you here. And it worked.”
Stunned, she stammered, “B-but why? You planned all of this? Why?” She was too shocked at the situation she found herself in to be frightened. That would come later. Now she was angry and puzzled.
“I don’t think I have to tell you why, Lauren. Surely you can guess my motivation.” His eyes moved from her face to her chest and all the way down her body, taking in every detail. Lauren shivered, but not from the cold. She looked down at the dripping garments that were molded to her and revealed every secret of her body.
“We done just what you axed us to, Mr. Vandiver. I got the lantern and brung some food. It’s all ready for you.” Duncan’s tone was sycophantic, and Lauren knew he must have been promised money for his generosity.
“Everything is fine, but what’s she doing here?” questioned Kurt, indicating June, who as yet had not spoken.
“June and me, we got a lot in common, and one of them common interests, you might say, is bringing down Mr. Jared Lockett.” At the mention of his name, Lauren started and June looked at her smugly, haughtily. “So she begged me to bring her along. ’Sides, she kinda took a shine to you, Mr. Vandiver. She wanted to see you again.”
Kurt smiled seductively and looked through half-closed eyes at the girl who stood with her feet planted far apart, hands on her hips, displaying her body shamelessly in the thin, low-cut dress. Lauren looked away in disgust as June’s tongue slid slowly across her bottom lip, making promises to Kurt with her eyes.
“You’re not bad, Miss June.” Kurt walked farther into the cave and stood directly in front of her. “Yes, not bad at all. I may have you for seconds.” Then he turned to Lauren. “After I’ve satisfied Mrs. Lockett.”
June shot Lauren a look full of jealous hatred and resentment, but Lauren didn’t see it. June posed no threat at all compared to Kurt Vandiver.
* * *
“Why did you do it, Olivia? It wasn’t necessary. Why did you endanger that girl?” Carson had not quite recovered himself after having faced the fact that Olivia had betrayed her own son. He still couldn’t believe that she was capable of such treachery.
Jared and his brother, along with Thorn, had ridden out of the yard only minutes ago. Carson hoped they would find Lauren before any harm could come to her at the hands of Vandiver. Carson stood over the woman he had loved for years and stared down at her black hair. The silver strands fanned through it, away from her aristocratic brow. He had always thought her hair was beautiful.
Olivia appeared not at all unnerved either by the events that had happened earlier or by Carson’s close scrutiny.
“Answer me, please, Olivia. Why did you do this?” His voice was raised and held more censure than she had heard since she had known him.
“Carson, really, I find this sudden streak of conscience in you surprising and tiresome. You, of all people, should know that sometimes in business we must do things that are not always appealing.”
“I have done things, yes, to manipulate people. As far as I know, however, I have never sacrificed an innocent young woman, who has done nothing to hurt me, to someone as ruthless as Vandiver.”
“Innocent? Ha! You men, you’re all alike,” she accused. “And I wouldn’t exactly call the way she turned Jared against us doing nothing. That was no small feat.”
“Lauren isn’t responsible for Jared’s convictions, and you know it. He has mistrusted the Vandivers from the beginning. He felt that his whole legacy from Ben was threatened by them. He protected it as he saw fit. Lauren has been good for him, I think. She has made him take a real hard look at himself.”
Olivia slammed her hands down
on the desk much the way Jared had done earlier. “I don’t want to hear any more about Lauren and her virtues. I’m sick to death of everyone showering her with accolades.”
Carson considered her closely. Her green eyes were flashing fire and her nostrils flared with the heavy breaths she took. Then he understood. “You’re jealous of the girl, aren’t you, Olivia? She came between you and Jared. I showed her some paternal affection. And Ben—”
She pounced on the name. “Yes, Ben! He had humiliated me for years with that whore of his. People laughed behind my back because my husband preferred that Mexican bitch to me. He loved her son as much as he did mine. His liaison with her was a continual insult to me. Me!” She punctuated the pronoun by pointing to her chest. “The belle of New Orleans society. Me, from one of the most respected, affluent, influential families in the history of that city. He brought me to this barbaric, godforsaken country and expected me to live like one of his Mexican peons.” Tears were streaming down her cheeks. In all the years he had known her, Carson had never seen Olivia cry.
“And he didn’t love me,” she added miserably, pitifully. “He didn’t love me.” She was still for a moment and then she tilted her chin in that autocratic way she had. “But I wasn’t going to stand by and let him deposit his latest doxy here in my own house. I’d be damned first!”
Carson spoke softly, “Olivia, you know that Ben brought Lauren here in hopes that she and Jared—”
Once again, she interrupted. “That’s what he said. But you heard the way he talked about her. Lauren was so beautiful. She was so kind, so innocent, so sweet, so polished.” She buried her face in her hands as her elbows supported them on the desk. “Why didn’t he love me? Why?”
The words tore at Carson’s heart. He didn’t want to ask, but he did. “You’ve loved Ben all this time, haven’t you?”
“No!” she cried. “I hated him. I hated him!” She pounded on the desktop with her fists.
“No,” he said quietly. “You loved him.”
Olivia looked up at him suddenly as if remembering that he was still there. Her eyes were bright with tears, the lashes spiky and black. “You!” she snarled with contempt. “Don’t you see that you were used as a means to hurt Ben? I carried on a shabby affair all these years with his best friend and business partner as revenge for all the humiliation he had heaped on me.” She laughed a bitter laugh. “But he just turned his back and forced me to tolerate you all these years. I look so forward to the day when the railroad is completed, Vandiver is satisfied, and I can throw you out of my house, my life, and never have to look at you again. Didn’t you ever ask yourself why any woman would want a short, fat, balding man who made love like a sloppy adolescent when she was married to a hard, virile stallion like Ben Lockett? You are a fool.”
The words really didn’t have any meaning for Carson. He had already been shattered to learn that he had given the prime of his life to a selfish, shallow woman. He had given up having a wife, and children, and the respect of his best friend for a chimera, an illusion. Worst of all, he had sacrificed his self-esteem. He looked at himself now and found himself wanting in every facet of his being. He was a shell of a man. Olivia’s words had not hurt him. He was too empty to hurt anymore.
Olivia sat staring straight ahead, her eyes glazed. She didn’t see Carson remove the derringer from his inside breast pocket. He moved the gun close to her head, and when at last she saw it in her peripheral vision, she looked up at him and laughed.
Her mouth was wide, her eyes streaming tears, and her head was thrown back in laughter as he pulled the trigger. He watched sadly as her head fell forward and thudded onto the desk. She was so beautiful. So beautiful.
He was still looking at her as he raised the pistol to his own temple.
Chapter 25
The heavy rainfall wasn’t making the tracking any easier. Had it not been for Thorn’s innate ability, Jared would have been even more desperate than he already was. Thorn had taught him and Rudy in their youth to track with precision but, though they were keen pupils, they still wouldn’t have been able to follow this mud-obscured trail. The darkness and the blinding rain made it nearly impossible to find.
They had been riding for an hour and a half when the tall Indian pulled the reins of his horse. “They’re headed toward the river.”
Jared heard him over the loud rumble of thunder and said, “Well, let’s get on with it.” He was puzzled by Thorn’s hesitation.
Rudy intervened. “Jared, do you know what the Rio Caballo will look like? It will be raging. I don’t think they could have crossed it, and even if they did, we couldn’t pick up the trail until morning. Shouldn’t we go on to Keypoint and wait out this storm? We can start again at dawn.”
“Hell, no!” Jared’s roar challenged the thunder. “If you aren’t coming with me, I’ll go by myself. No telling what that bastard has in mind for her. And she’s afraid of him. I know it.”
He wore the determined look he had inherited from two very forceful personalities. Rudy and Thorn exchanged looks. Rudy’s was exasperated. Thorn’s was totally noncommittal, as if it were of supreme indifference to him that he was riding around the countryside in the middle of the night in a fierce spring thunderstorm. Without speaking, he turned his horse toward the river and focused on the rapidly dissolving hoof prints.
“I don’t know how we’ll cross that damned river when we get there,” Rudy muttered. He was surprised when Jared answered, thinking he couldn’t have heard him over the sounds of the storm.
“I don’t know either, but we have to go on. I’ve got to find her. We’ll proceed with Thorn’s plan—it’s our only hope.”
The trio rode on in silence.
* * *
The dull throbbing in Lauren’s head had increased to excruciating proportions. She suspected that when she was seeking the surface of the water and banged her head on the tree branch, she had been hurt more seriously than she had first thought. Waves of nausea threatened to make her vomit, and she struggled not to give in to them. She wanted to keep the focus of attention off herself. The other three in the confines of the cave with her were entertaining themselves with a bottle of whiskey. She had time to think.
Lauren’s main concern was for the baby she carried. She was still somewhat ignorant about pregnancy, but she was sure that an exhausting horseback ride, falling into a raging river, and receiving a severe blow to her head were not good for the embryo in her womb. She prayed fervently that it had not been injured.
What was going to happen to her at the hands of Kurt and Wat Duncan? Had she not been in such pain, she would have been more afraid. As it was, she more or less accepted her fate with a passive resignation. She couldn’t fight them. She lacked the strength and the ability. She couldn’t escape them. Where would she go in the middle of the night in a fearsome storm without anyone to guide her over the rough terrain? Just don’t hurt my baby, was her only lucid thought. That and the slim possibility that Jared might rescue her.
Kurt hadn’t mentioned him, and she was afraid to ask. He hadn’t been shot. At least, he hadn’t been brought here as Kurt had told her. He could have been wounded or… killed. No! She wouldn’t even think that. He might—just might—be alive and searching for her. He might not be motivated by any grand passion for her. He had made his feelings clear earlier this evening. But he might be motivated by pride. He wouldn’t let Kurt Vandiver take away anything belonging to him. Lauren grabbed on to that thought and clung to it.
Too much thinking had caused her head to ache even more, so she held that one thought and kept repeating it to herself as though to will it into a reality.
Wat Duncan and Kurt Vandiver were having an argument and, as their voices rose, Lauren raised her head and looked across the cave floor from where she sat on an old blanket toward the two men. It was hard to focus on their figures no matter how she squinted.
“I tell you, we got sumpum’ comin’ outa this too, Mr. Vandiver.” Duncan was stand
ing a few inches from Kurt and looking defiantly up into the taller and more powerfully built man’s face. “Juney and me, we been waitin’ a long time to bring Jared Lockett down. And you owe us for heppin’ you these past weeks. Ain’t we done everythin’ you axed us to? Didn’t we do right by you with that Mendez woman?” He thrust his face even closer to Kurt’s.
Kurt spoke softly. “I don’t care what you do to her after I’ve had mine, but right now you’re not touching her. Now the two of you get lost. When I need you again, I’ll let you know.” His superiority and carelessness was a mistake. He underestimated the Duncans’ feral instincts.
At a small, quick signal from Wat, June threw her arms around Kurt’s neck and toppled him to the ground. He landed facedown in the soft earth of the cave, June lying on his back, pinioning him on the ground with surprising strength.
Duncan laughed bitterly. “That’ll teach you to cross a Duncan, Mr. Vandiver.” He all but spat the name. “You hold him, Juney, while I service Miz Lockett here. Vandiver, you watch. You may pick up a few pointers.”
June laughed into Kurt’s ear, a soft, seductive laugh, and ground her hips against his buttocks. Kurt lay perfectly still, chagrined that he had let this lowlife get the best of him.
“Now, Missy, I’m gonna show you what a real man is like.”
Lauren watched with terror-glazed eyes as Wat Duncan approached her. His lips were pulled back in a lubricious grin, revealing putrid teeth. His black eyes raked her body and she shrank back against the damp stone wall. He licked his lips as he knelt down in front of her and reached out to the top of her shirtwaist and began unbuttoning it.
Lauren’s hands tried to push his away, but they seemed capable of only useless flutterings. His efforts grew more frantic as he ripped her chemise and laid bare her breasts, made fuller by pregnancy.
