by Marla Monroe
Mike climbed back out of the truck, locking the door, and walked around to give the man the items. The man took them and handed them over to the woman. She smiled wide as the sky and teared up. She looked up at Kate and mouthed thank you. Kate smiled back at her and waved her hand. The man shooed the woman back into the station and proceeded to pump their gas.
Her brother got back into the truck and waited for the man to finish filling the truck up. Once that was done, he waved them off. Mike pulled out of the station and headed into the sleepy little town of Gateway. He refused to look at her. No doubt he knew what she was thinking.
“Don’t say it,” Mike interrupted her when she would have pointed out that it could have been her.
“Don’t you see, Mike? You never know if someone will be kind or mean. How can you chance it with me?”
“Fuck it, Kate! I’m doing the best I can for you.” Mike wasn’t known for cursing, so she knew she had upset him. Good.
She crossed her arms and turned away from him. There was no reasoning with him like he was now. He’d argue with a fence post. Kate swallowed down the tears threatening to fall only to find a giant lump in her throat. She couldn’t understand why he thought he could choose someone safe without knowing them. He was desperate. That was the bottom line. Mike was scared he would screw up, and she would get taken while he was supposed to be watching her.
She leaned her head against the hot window and stared ahead at the dilapidated houses on either side of the street. No doubt there were other desperate people living in them, wondering where their next meal would be coming from or if they would wake up the next day.
They spent the night on the other side of the little town after negotiating some food for some clothes. Evidently most of the stores were out of the necessities, and the supply trucks were never predictable.
“We’ll reach Barter Town the day after tomorrow around lunchtime. I want you to remember to keep close to me, and if anyone asks, we’re husband and wife. We don’t exactly look that much alike with your honey-colored hair and mine being a lighter blond instead of your richer gold.” Mike checked the tires on the trailer as he talked when they were getting ready to leave the next morning.
“I know. Don’t worry. I’ll stick to you like glue. I have no wish to be stolen and sold to someone,” she said sarcastically.
“I’m not selling you, Kate!”
“Oh, no. I’m not worth anything. You’re giving me away.”
“Damn it.” He stomped off to the front of the truck and climbed in the cab.
He started the truck, but waited for her to walk around and get in as well. Neither of them talked much the rest of the day or when they stopped for the night. She knew better than to wander off, but kept her distance from him until they went to bed that night.
Kate tossed and turned, dreaming of strange men pawing at her and kissing her. She woke up tired the next morning, with a serious headache. She took the painkillers they had and prayed it would help. Today they would reach Barter Town, and she didn’t want to be sick when she needed to be at her best and aware of everything around her.
Chapter Two
When they reached Barter Town, Kate could tell that Mike was even more nervous than before. They bartered for some gas, and after the way the men everywhere tried to get a look at Kate, he decided that it was too dangerous for her to go with him to barter for more food and water.
“It’s worse than what they said, Kate. I can’t hold you and barter for what we need at the same time. Someone will snatch you from me for sure. You’re going to have to stay in the trailer until I get back,” he said.
“How long will you be?” Kate wasn’t getting a good feeling about this at all.
“Not long, I hope. It will be hot back there since it’s just a little past noon, but the water is back there. You can drink plenty while you wait.”
“I wish we didn’t have to stop here at all,” Kate muttered.
Mike pulled the truck into a parking place under a tree for shade and got out to help her in the back. He closed and locked the door once she was inside. He slapped the door once and was gone.
Kate huddled in the back of the camper, waiting on Mike to return for what seemed like hours. Surely he wouldn’t look for someone here to take her. Not in this godforsaken spot. Someone fiddled with the door to the camper. Since Mike had the key, Kate knew it couldn’t be him. When the door suddenly wrenched open, Kate couldn’t stop the tiny scream from escaping.
“Well, what do we have here?” a man’s voice asked.
Kate slipped down beneath the table and curled up into a ball under it.
The man climbed up in the camper and approached her. She couldn’t see him in the dim light with the bright sunlight glaring from behind him. His face was in shadow.
“Think I found me a little woman to play with.” He walked further into the camper and knelt down to look under the table.
Of course he knew where she was. He would have had a bird’s-eye view of her from the doorway before he climbed up.
“Come out, girlie. I can see you back there. I won’t hurt you.”
“My br—husband will be back in a few minutes, and you’ll be sorry you broke into our trailer.”
“Aw, well, we’ll be long gone by then. Come on out before you make me mad,” he said.
“No!” She tried to push even tighter underneath the table, but the wall was uncooperative in letting her go further.
He reached in, and she slapped at his hand. When he tried to grab her hair, she bit his hand.
“Bitch! You’ll be sorry you did that.”
He climbed under the table and grabbed her hair with two hands before she had a chance to bite him again. He yanked and pulled until she was following him out of sheer pain.
When she attempted to run, he grabbed her around the waist and stopped her. She screamed, but no one came to help as he dragged her out of the camper and out onto the street. She kicked back and tried to butt him with her head into his chin, but he managed to avoid her pitiful attempts at breaking free.
“Let go of me. Someone help me! He’s kidnapping me,” she screamed. Still, no one paid any real attention other than a passing interest. Kate tried scratching at his hands with her nails, but he retaliated by squeezing her until she couldn’t breathe. Tears flowed from her eyes as he started to carry her away.
“Let her go,” another man’s voice said.
“She’s mine, so butt out of what ain’t your business,” her captor said.
Kate looked up into the darkest eyes she had ever seen. His long black hair was pulled back into a ponytail, and he looked ready to do bodily harm. Standing next to him was another man with shoulder-length, shaggy brown hair and hazel eyes that seemed to be trying to tell her something.
“She says she’s not,” the brown-haired man said.
“They all say that. You know that,” her captor said.
“I’m not his. My husband is out bartering for supplies. This man broke into our camper. You can look at the door and see where he did.”
Her captor slapped a hand hard against her face, covering her mouth. She would have a bruise there for sure. She tried head-butting him again, but his hand over her mouth prevented her from any real movement. Kate began to feel as if she were suffocating despite being able to breathe through her nose. His smell made her nauseous so that she didn’t want to do it.
“There you go. She already has a husband. Put her down before we have to do something about it.” This came from the dark-haired man. He had a voice so deep it stirred something low in her belly.
Kate continued to struggle though it did little good. The two men advanced on them. Her captor couldn’t run with her, so he threatened to break her neck and wrapped an arm around it against her chin.
“I’ll snap her neck so fast you won’t have a chance of getting to her.”
“Kate! What’s going on here! That’s my wife. Let go of her now.”
Kate cl
osed her eyes in relief to hear Mike’s voice. Surely he could talk some sense into the man.
“I don’t see no ring on her finger. As I see it, she’s free for the taking,” the man said.
“Let her go, now, before you make us angry,” the dark-haired stranger said in a low voice.
Mike advanced on the man. He swung Kate around to face Mike, nearly doing as he said he would and breaking her neck. She began to have trouble breathing as his grip was cutting off her air supply.
So preoccupied with trying to breathe, she missed it when the other two men grabbed her captor from behind and jerked her from his grip. She heard a bone break. She was so afraid it was her neck that she began to struggle just to know that she still could.
From somewhere, she heard a scream, but knew it wasn’t hers. Strong but gentle arms pulled her back against a firm chest. Then there were soothing words in her ear.
“Easy, Kate. I’ve got you. Nothing is going to happen to you. Your husband is right here. Everything’s going to be all right now.”
“Give her to me.” Mike’s voice didn’t even soothe her as much as the stranger’s voice had.
She was carefully passed off to Mike, who hugged her and kissed the top of her head.
“Thank you for helping us.” Mike stuck out his hand to shake. “I’m Mike and this is my—wife, Kate Shaw.”
“Pleased to meet you, and glad we could be of help. I’m Bruce Hannover, and this is my brother, Marcus.”
They shook hands, and Kate couldn’t help but stare at them. They were good-looking men with broad shoulders and wide chests that tapered down to small waists. Their muscular arms promised that they would have muscles all over. She’d felt Marcus’s muscles against her back.
“Where are you headed?” Bruce asked.
“Looking to settle around these parts. Just haven’t gotten that far. I had to stop and get gas and supplies. I never dreamed anyone would actually break into my camper.” Mike shook his head, still holding Kate close to him.
“You can’t trust anyone around here. There’s no real law here.” Marcus crossed his arms.
“Is that why you’re not worried that you broke that man’s arm?” Mike asked.
“That, and I don’t care. He deserved it. Your woman is going to have bruises on her. He deserved a lot worse,” Bruce told him.
“We really are grateful to you. Do you have your own woman?”
The two men sighed. Bruce walked off with his hands on his hips.
Marcus looked out after him. “We did. She was killed by a wolf while we were out working in the pasture.” His jaw muscles worked as if he were trying to keep from showing his bitterness.
“I’m sorry.” Kate didn’t know where her voice came from after being so terrified.
“Thanks. Bruce blames himself. He doesn’t talk about her.”
“I’m so sorry I brought it up,” Mike said.
“No. It’s okay. He needs to come to grips with it and get over it. We never thought a wolf would come up in the yard like that. They never had before.”
“Well, we need to get going. I thank you both again.”
Mike walked her around to the passenger side of the truck and helped her in the cab before locking the door and closing it. Then he loaded up the supplies in the back of the truck and secured the camper door the best he could. He nodded to the two men then climbed up into the truck and started the engine. They pulled out of the parking lot and headed toward the open road.
“Where are we going?” Kate finally asked.
“I picked a spot on the map that looks like there should be plenty of houses. We’ll pick an empty one and set up in it.”
“See why I don’t want you to just give me to someone? You don’t have any idea who will be nice and who won’t. I doubt there are any nice men left out this direction.” Kate looked over at where her brother was gripping the steering wheel with both hands.
“What about those two men who helped us?”
“Well, they’re obviously still grieving for their wife. I think we’ll be hard pressed to find anyone else that nice in this godforsaken land.”
“Don’t you get it, Kate? If it had been just me, I would have lost you to that bastard. I couldn’t have taken him. He was nearly twice as big as me. It took those two men to get you away from him.” He slapped the steering wheel with the palm of his hand.
“I’m okay, Mike. He didn’t get me.”
“He hurt you, Kate, and I couldn’t do a damn thing about it.”
“I’m sorry, Mike. I know I’m making things hard for you. I wish I could take care of myself.”
“Oh, hell. Don’t go blaming yourself. It’s not your fault the world’s gone to hell. You shouldn’t have to be able to defend yourself. You shouldn’t have to hide in the back of the damn camper while I go bartering for supplies so we can live. This whole thing is fucked up.”
Kate didn’t say anything. She knew he was frustrated, but must of all, he was scared, and she wouldn’t call him on that.
* * * *
Bruce climbed up into the cab of their truck then waited on Marcus to do the same before pulling out of Barter Town and heading toward home.
“I liked her. She didn’t get hysterical when her husband came up.” Marcus looked over at Bruce.
“Husband being the operative word, Marcus.” Bruce stared straight ahead.
“Yeah, but she was pretty and feisty. It doesn’t hurt to look.”
“She’s another man’s wife, for God’s sakes,” Bruce all but yelled.
“Hey, calm down, Bruce. What’s gotten into you?”
“Sorry. I’m just keyed up over the fight and thinking about what could have happened to that poor woman if we hadn’t walked up when we did. Her husband needs to keep her away from Barter Town. He can’t possibly keep her safe alone.”
“Yeah, you’re right about that. I’m guessing he’s figured that out, though.” Marcus sighed.
Bruce felt guilty because he had fussed at Marcus for something he was even now doing, thinking about the pretty, honey-haired beauty. She was nothing like Irene. She’d had long blonde hair more white than the other woman’s gold, and a tiny body that he had often worried he would crush beneath him. She had never complained and was always ready for their loving.
Still, he couldn’t get Kate out of his mind. She had womanly curves and was probably around five feet five inches to his six foot three. He wouldn’t crush her beneath him while loving her. He and Marcus had never taken Irene together because of her small build, but he had no doubt they could take Kate together. Then he realized he was lusting after another man’s wife and hit the steering wheel in frustration.
Marcus, for once, wisely remained quiet.
They arrived at their home deep within the Border Lands at the farthest possible location they could drive without gassing up. When they had lost Irene, he’d insisted they move so they wouldn’t be reminded of her everywhere they turned. Their new home was too big for just them, but it had prime grazing land for their cattle and a garden spot already cut, though overgrown. It hadn’t taken much work to turn it into a rich garden.
They climbed out of the truck and began unloading in silence. They tended to do most everything in silence now, where before they laughed and talked and teased one another. Despite it having been nearly two years now since they’d buried her, they still hadn’t buried her memory.
It was nearly dark by the time they had everything unloaded and put away. They fixed a dinner of soup and sandwiches then sat in the living room where they discussed what they would work on the next day. When the conversation lagged, Bruce began to think about Kate and how her rounded ass was perfect for fucking. He’d come to the conclusion they had been too long without a woman and should have looked for one to share while they had been in town. He loathed using the brothel there, but surely they could treat a woman well and make her day a little brighter having been with them. He shook his head. No, he couldn’t see supporting t
heir abuse of the women.
“What are you shaking your head about over there?” Marcus asked.
“Just thinking that maybe I could use a good fucking to clear my mind. It’s been a long time since we shared a woman.”
“I’m not going to that brothel in Barter Town,” Marcus immediately said.
“That’s what I was shaking my head about. Neither am I. So, we’re stuck using our hands and dreaming about someone who’s long dead. What a fucking laugh.”
“Bruce, it wasn’t your fault.”
“One of us should have always been with her. I should have gone hunting that wolf the first time we saw the tracks out in the woods.” Bruce rubbed his face with both hands.
“We’d never seen the wolf. How were we to know it would attack a human? They don’t unless you threaten them.” Marcus leaned forward with his elbows resting on his knees.
“I’m over here thinking about fucking another man’s wife after I fussed at you earlier. I can’t get her out of my mind, and that’s wrong, Marcus.”
“It’s natural when she’s the first woman we’ve seen that wasn’t wearing a damn collar and chain. Besides, she was pretty and brave. That’s a heady combination in a woman to us.”
Bruce closed his eyes and tried to picture Irene’s delicate features, but they kept getting mixed up with Kate’s warm, amber-brown eyes and kissable lips. He felt guilty for a few seconds then decided it had been long enough that he shouldn’t. He had mourned her for nearly two years now. It was time to move on when he was attracted to another woman, especially another man’s wife.
“It’s time we went to bed. Dawn comes early, and we have a lot to do since we were gone all day today.” Bruce stood up and stretched.
They turned down the oil lamps, taking one apiece to their respective rooms. Bruce used the master bathroom though he slept in one of the spare rooms, as did Marcus. Marcus used the hall bathroom.
