by Taylor Lee
Bai smiled a soft smile. “Mais oui. C'est exact. It scared the shit out of them.”
Wyatt nodded. “I bet it did. Especially three seconds later when two of them were dead.” He added, “Do you have any regrets?”
Bai shot him an impervious glance. “Oui. I wanted to torture them to death -- rather than shooting them. It was too quick. I wanted them to die as terrorized as she would have been if they had killed her the way they intended.”
Wyatt nodded, then closed his eyes to hide his pain.
At that moment, Elena roused up, her eyes puffy with sleep and the effect of the pain medication. She whispered, “Father, is that you?”
Wyatt put his arms around her.
“Yeah, baby, it’s me.”
“Father, I got hurt.”
“I know, honey, but you are safe now.”
“They were going to hurt me bad.”
“I know, darlin’.”
“Bai stopped them.”
“Yeah, honey, he did.”
“He killed them all.”
“Thank God, Bai got there when he did.”
“Father?”
“Yeah, honey?”
“Bai killed Magic.”
“Hmm, let’s talk about that in the morning.”
“Will you stay with me all night?”
“Yeah, honey. Right here in this chair.”
“Will Bai?”
Bai nodded.
“Yeah, darlin’, he says he will. Go to sleep, honey.”
“I love you, Father.”
“I love you, baby. You’re my best girl ever.”
She giggled, her voice was weary. “Father, I’m your only girl.”
“I know, honey, I know.”
~~
Chapter 5
The next morning, Elena was surprised at the bevy of people and activity in her chambers. In addition to her father hovering by her bed, Bai had summoned several maids to attend to her. In a mix of French and English, he told them to prepare a bath for her, then showed them the ointments he wanted applied to her injuries. From the authoritative way he spoke and their obsequious responses, it was clear that he was in charge.
He came over by her bed and gave her a crisp nod. “Elena, after these women help you with your bath, I want you to eat the breakfast I ordered for you.”
Elena frowned. “I’m not hungry. I don’t want to eat.”
Bai’s eyes narrowed. “I want you to eat so that you can get your strength back. Do you understand?”
Elena looked up, surprised at his commanding tone, the stern expression on his face.
He turned to speak to Wyatt as if she were not involved. “Wyatt, I’ve arranged for the maids to bring you and Elena your breakfast here in her chambers. I have business in San Francisco. I’ll be gone for several days. On the way, I will meet with Sheriff Thompson to decide how we’re going to deal with the rest of the Dunwoody gang. When I return on Friday, Wan and I wish to talk with you and Elena about what happened, how to ensure nothing like it happens again. We can do that at your convenience. Depending, of course, on how quickly Elena recovers.”
Wyatt reached for a cigarette and took his time lighting it. He glanced from Bai to Elena, then nodded to Bai. “Absolutely, Bai. It’s a conversation we need to have.”
Elena stole a glance at the tall man speaking to her father. She noticed how all the servants obeyed his curt orders, how they bowed and looked down in his presence. She had not seen Bai since she was a little girl and was astonished at how grown up, how confident he was. Watching him with her father and her grandfather last night, he gave the impression he was one of them -- their equal, not like the young Sing Leon fighter she remembered.
He strode across the room, commanding, impressive. His fitted trousers hugged his lean muscled thighs. His dark tousled hair contrasted sharply with his white silky shirt. Completing his casually elegant appearance was a patterned vest and black string tie. Elena guessed the stylish vest was intended to conceal the guns he wore.
She tried not to think that this handsome, distinguished man saw what those awful men did to her. How they touched her and shamed her. She was sure he saw that disgusting man spread her legs and shove his fingers inside of her. Then, oh God, he had brought her back to the ranch on his horse, practically naked -- except for his shirt. And damn, even that kept riding up. She remembered his arms around her, how she clung to him, digging her fingernails in his chest. Dear God, he probably has marks from her on his chest and back. She felt her face heat at the memory. Peeking up, she saw him studying her with a knowing half smile, intensifying her embarrassment.
To her relief, her father broke in. “Will you join us for breakfast, Bai?”
“No, thank you, Wyatt. Before I go, I want to look at Elena’s shoulders and arms. As I told you last night they are my biggest concern. The way those bastards tied her could cause permanent damage if we’re not careful to watch how she heals.”
As he spoke, he walked over to the side of her bed. With a flick of his wrist, he motioned to her to turn over. Elena frowned. She was surprised and offended at his proprietary manner. His superior attitude annoyed her, but it was clear he was accustomed to being obeyed. Quelling her irritation, she rolled to her stomach as he instructed.
“This is what I am talking about, Wyatt,” he said. Bai rubbed his hands over her back, then manipulated her shoulders and arms.
When Elena winced, burying her face in her pillow, he said, “I know it hurts, cherie. It is a cruel thing they did to you.”
Elena peeked out from the pillow, remembering how he had comforted her on the ride back to the villa, how he spoke quietly in French and English, holding her close to him, gently rubbing all the places she hurt. But now he was examining her body as if she was one of his horses who had been injured. Elena was hurt and infuriated that he treated her in such a cavalier, impersonal manner.
Bai continued speaking with her father, ignoring her. “See these bruises, Wyatt? They twisted her arms behind her. The way they tied them could have broken her arms. I am relieved to see that she has good motion in both her arms and her wrists. I will send in one of our Chinese healers to manipulate her muscles and to apply some of their magical herbs. We should see real improvement by the time I return.”
Elena glanced up at her father and ached at the strain on his face. He couldn’t hide his anguish, murmuring soft expletives, as Bai pointed out her various injuries.
Bai put his hand on Wyatt’s shoulder, acknowledging his distress.
“Wyatt, I have instructed the household staff to see that Elena gets as much rest as possible in the next several days. At this point, rest will be as powerful a medicine as those pain pills. And without question, the Chinese herbs will be beneficial.”
Wyatt nodded. “Thanks, Bai.”
Without looking back or saying good-by to Elena, Bai bowed to Wyatt with a reassuring smile.
“I look forward to our conversation on Friday. I am confident Elena will be much better by the time I return.”
He nodded to the maids who were standing at a respectful distance and strode from the room.
~~~
Elena soaked in the bath, reveling in the warm water suffused with fragrant herbs. She longed to scrub her body until it bled -- anything to get rid of the memory of the men who tortured her. She choked at the memory of their filthy, probing hands, their gagging smell. Even lying in this tub of perfumed water, she could smell their stench on her. She was sure the maids did, as well. She closed her eyes. Little by little, she gave in to the soothing bath, allowing her muscles to relax. The maids washed her hair and lathered her body. When they finished, Angel and Francine helped her out of the tub. They dried her hair, then gently dried her body. Sighing softly, they looked dismayed at the extent of her injuries, methodically moving from scrape to scrape, applying the ointments Bai had given them.
Shaking her head, Angel said “Here, honey, you sit down here. You look mighty shaky, like you m
ight faint.”
Feeling dizzy, Elena sunk down on the satin covered stool Francine slid beneath her quivering thighs.
Angel said, “It must be them pain pills or could be that you are just hurt that bad. I know we’re not supposed to say anything about how bad you got hurt, Miss Elena. But, by God, you poor little thing, I ain’t never seen nothing like this.”
“Hush, Angel, you know what Mr. Bai said. She is fragile. We aren’t to upset her more than she already is.”
Elena hid her smile while the two young maids brushed her dark red-gold hair, openly discussing her as though she wasn’t present.
“What else did Mr. Bai tell you to do?” she asked, trying to quell the nausea bubbling in her throat.
“Just that we should be gentle. And we’re not to talk about how you almost got raped.”
“Mon dieu, Angel. Now you are saying what he told you not to say. I’m sorry, Miss. Please ignore Angel.”
Angel mumbled that she was sorry and begged Francine not to tell Mr. Bai what she said.
Elena flushed, embarrassed. Of course they knew what happened to her. They were there when Bai brought her back to the villa dressed only in his shirt. That and the way she looked didn’t leave much to the imagination. She was sure the servants, the ranch hands, and all the Sing Leon were talking about her. Shame fought with the nausea, threatening to overwhelm her.
After they finished putting the ointment on her cuts, Francine brought her a nightgown, explaining, “Mr. Bai said to dress you in nightclothes so that you can sleep. Here, Miss Elena, let me help you put this on.”
Elena shrugged on the gown with an irritated flounce, refusing Francine’s help.
“I see. Did Mr. Bai tell you to feed me or will I be allowed to do that myself? And when might I be permitted to get dressed? Or do we have to wait until Mr. Bai returns with further orders for me?”
At that moment, there was a knock on the door. Wyatt stood in the doorway, assessing Elena with a concerned squint. “You look like you’re not feeling well, honey. Do you think you can walk back to your bed?”
“I might need some help, Father. I don’t know why, but I think I might get sick.”
“C’mon, baby. Let me help you.” He carried her back to her bed, propping her up against the pillows.
“Elena, you’ve had a terrible shock. You need to understand that and let us help you.”
“Now you are sounding like Bai, Father. Are you going to start giving the maids orders? Tell them what I can do? What I can’t?”
“Sweetheart, there is no need to get all riled up. These women are just trying to help, honey. Bai wants to make sure you are well cared for. And, darlin’, seeing how pale you are, I think he understands what you need better than you do.”
Pushing herself upright with a pained wince, Elena sniffed. “Father, honestly, why don’t you admit it? He is insufferable. When did Grandfather Wan put him in control of my life? Just because he helped me yesterday doesn’t mean he is in charge of me.”
Wyatt smiled and said in a mild voice, “That’s a mighty big ‘just because’ honey. Bai did more than help you yesterday; he saved your life.”
“I know that, Father. And, of course, I appreciate it. But he is so officious, so overbearing. It’s almost like he runs the Sing Leon, not Grandfather Wan. And please don’t forget he killed my horse, my Magic!”
Wyatt raised his eyebrows and exchanged a quizzical glance with Wan, who stood in the doorway.
Wan entered the room and bowed to her. “Good morning, Elena. I am relieved to see you awake and spitting fire as you usually do. Do you mind if I join you both for breakfast? And, yes, Bai instructed the maids to bring my breakfast here if I returned in time to eat with you.”
Elena blushed and sunk back against the pillows. She knew she sounded peevish. “I’m sorry, Grandfather, if I seem ungrateful. I’m just surprised that Bai seems to think he can take over my life. He is so bossy, so grown up. He has changed a lot since I saw him last.”
Wyatt laughed out loud and Wan smiled broadly.
“Yes, he has changed in the last ten years. Instead of being a precocious kung fu grandmaster at the age of eighteen and one of my most trusted men, he is now second only to me in the Sing Leon hierarchy. I thank God on a daily basis for his leadership. I am confident he thinks you also have changed considerably since he saw you last, although you are still as feisty as that little girl who used to chase him around begging him to carry you on his shoulders.”
Elena blushed at the memory and tried to decide why she was angry. She hated that Bai saw her shamed, helpless, unable to protect herself. But now he was acting as though she was still a child--telling her what she should eat, what she should wear, and when she should sleep. She didn’t know which was worse--that he saw her naked and vulnerable, or that he thought of her as a helpless child.
Most troubling was his anger. He blamed her for the attack. She saw it in his eyes. She looked at Wyatt, then at her grandfather. “Bai blames me for what happened. He thinks it was my fault.”
Wyatt protested. “No, honey, I’m sure he doesn’t think it was your fault. But I know he was upset, as I was, that you disobeyed your grandfather and went riding by yourself.”
“See, now you are angry with me, too, just like Bai is.” Elena’s eyes filled with tears, a sob catching in her throat.
“Elena, don’t cry, darlin’. I’m not angry with you. Neither is your grandfather. We are upset that you were hurt. Honey, you could have been hurt far worse. Right now you need to rest, baby. Rest and get well. But Bai is right. In a couple of days, when you are feeling better, we need to talk about the things you can and can’t do here at the compound. You know that, don’t you, honey?”
Elena blinked back tears. She sank down in the bed, overwhelmed with fatigue. Groaning, she admitted to herself that Bai was right. It was a good thing she was wearing a nightgown because she was desperate to sleep. Even though she had taken the pain pills he insisted she take, she hurt everywhere.
~~
Chapter 6
For the next three days, Elena slept more than she was awake, lulled to a restless slumber by the pain medication she took. On Friday, she refused the pills. She woke early, impatient to dress and leave her chambers.
Elena rang for her maids, smiling when Angel and Francine both came running at the sound of her bell. They looked surprised, then pleased when she asked them to bring her more than toast and tea for breakfast. For the first time in three days, she was hungry and wanted to eat. Her body still hurt in places, but not the excruciating pain she had felt after the attack. Now, for the first time, even without pain pills, her headache was gone.
After her bath, Elena rummaged through her clothes, trying to decide what to wear. After being in bedclothes for three days, she was eager to tap her extensive wardrobe. Rejecting several options suggested by Francine, she chose a white silk shirt and slim grey ankle-length skirt. She liked the skirt because the slim cut hugged her bottom, emphasizing her lush curves. Casting an approving eye at herself in the mirror, she smiled appreciatively at the outrageous slit up the front of the skirt. In addition to the practical advantage that made it easier to walk, she loved the way it showed off her knee-high lizard skin boots. Her stepmother, Lei, had all of Elena’s clothes made by high fashion European designers. Like Lei, Elena preferred simple clothes that showed off her curvy body. Too bad all those curves have bruises on them, she thought, grimacing at the ugly marks on her chest, that along with the swell of her breasts were visible at the ‘v’ of her blouse.
Francine clapped her hands in delight when she saw her.
“You look beautiful again, Miss Elena. You have such big–how do you say it–busties—we call them ‘seins’ in French. Yours are so full and lush compared to your slim hips and legs.”
Elena and Angel giggled.
“We call them breasts, Francine. And, thank you. Yes, I’ve always liked my ‘busties.’ I just wish they weren’t all cove
red with ugly marks.”
Angel glanced away, afraid to comment on her injuries, given Mr. Bai’s’ instructions. But Francine got up her courage. “Miss Elena, I have a special cream that hides my freckles when they get darker in the summer. Shall I put some on your bruises to see if they are less noticeable?”
Elena was excited. “By all means, Francine. My goodness, that would be wonderful. Grandfather invited guests for dinner and wants me to join them if I feel up to it. I was trying to decide what I could wear that would cover up the marks without covering up my ‘busties.’”
All three young women laughed as Francine ran to get her cream. After much fussing, they were surprised to see the marks seemingly disappear with Francine’s cream.
Elena studied herself in the mirror, turning from side to side. Giving Francine a quick kiss, she said, “Thank you, Francine. You are a lifesaver. Now I can wear that beautiful new dress my grandfather gave me. He will be pleased.”
Angel brushed Elena’s hair until it was a shining mass of curls.
“Your hair, Miss, it is like fire. But these curls--I don’t know how to fix them.”
Elena shook her head impatiently. “Don’t even try. Whatever I do to tame them, they break loose. Just let them go wild. I will put these clips here to try to hold it back, but you watch, in minutes it will be flying free.”
