“How can I assist you Mr. Slade?”
****
As requested, Jacob found the door to the servants’ entrance unlocked. Senses alert, he cautiously moved toward Lila’s room. The clock in the parlor chimed midnight. The house was dark and quiet.
He pressed his ear against the door before he turned the knob. Without making a sound he pushed the door open. The bedside lamp was lit, giving off a small amount of light.
Lila sat in the chair hands wrung tight together waiting for his arrival. “Hello, Lila. Are you ready for me to take your patient off your hands?” His whisper sounded loud in the quiet of the tiny room.
She smiled but did not answer. More than likely she would never see her brother again. Once he left Richmond he could never return.
He could barely make out the huge form of Jim lying on the much too small bed. He moved just inches from the bed and asked in a soft voice, “Jim, are you awake?”
“Yes, Dr. Greene. I’m so nervous, I can’t sleep.”
“Are you ready to go? The next step after you recuperate will be freedom.”
“I have never been more ready in my life. I’m so tired of staring at dese four walls.”
Jacob helped Jim sit, and slipped a shirt on his naked back. By the look on his face the cloth irritated the slash marks. It was a great effort to get his pants over his legs and hips. Pants buckled, shirt buttoned, he was dressed. Since he didn’t have any shoes, he would have to travel to his townhouse barefoot. “Do you think you can walk?”
“I tink so. I’m still purty weak, but I’ll try.”
Jacob hoped he could walk. He was an awfully big man and it would be a struggle to carry him to the waiting carriage.
Jacob took an arm, Lila the other and they hauled Jim to his feet. His breathing was labored from the exertion. “Don’t pass out on me. I would hate to know I had to carry a man your size over my shoulder.”
He stumbled, caught the bedpost, but forced himself to stay conscious. Seconds ticked by before he had enough strength to walk. When they got him to the door, Jacob said, “This is where you have to say your goodbyes, Lila. I must help him to the carriage by myself. If we have to leave in a hurry, I don’t want anyone to recognize you.”
She put her hand on her brother’s cheek and peered into his eyes. A tear slipped down her cheek. “Good luck, Jim. I hope ya fine happiness up North.”
“Tank ya for helping me, Lila. Tell Miss Monroe I’m b’holden to her.”
Arm draped around Jim’s waist, he led him out the servants’ entrance and into the street where the carriage awaited. With Scott’s help they hoisted Jim into the carriage. Slow and easy, Scott drove through the deserted street so they would not draw attention.
****
Busy changing bandages on a young soldier’s wound, Kate did her best to cause him as little discomfort as possible. He gritted his teeth, and bore his pain without making a sound. He flinched when she dabbed at the nasty wound with a cloth trying to clean away all the dried blood. “I’m sorry, Jeff. I know it hurts terribly. I’m trying to be gentle.”
“It’s okay, Miss Monroe. You are the most gentle and caring nurse here. You’re the only sunshine in this dreary hospital.”
Kate gave Jeff a warm smile. She had become close to many of the soldiers. When she became too heavy with child, she would miss them. She would have a new job then, mother.
As they often did, her thoughts turned to David. She hoped she was doing the right thing not telling him about the baby. Maybe he would marry her and they would live happily ever after. But she wasn’t willing to take the chance. Pride would help her stick to her plan and marry Jacob. Even though she didn’t love him as desperately as she did David, she would come to love him in time. Virile and sexy, she was sure he would be a great lover. His personality alone was a plus. Yes, in time she could see herself madly in love with Jacob Greene.
Penny approached and handed her a piece of paper. “A young boy gave me this letter to give you, Kate.”
“Thank you, Penny. Are we still on for tonight? I need you to help me with a few final touches since you are going to be my maid of honor.”
“Of course. Have Lacy bring the carriage at 6 o’clock.” She hugged Kate. “I’m so excited for you. Just think you will be married in a couple of days.”
“I know I can’t believe it myself.” Through the worry, Kate forced a smile.
“I should get back to my duties. I’ll see you tonight.”
Kate opened the letter to read the message.
My dearest Kate,
“I need to see you. Please slip away and meet me in the stables behind the hospital. I’ll be waiting for you.”
David
The letter pressed to her chest, she took several deep breaths to calm her nerves. She couldn’t believe David was back in Richmond wanting to see her. Had she not made it clear she did not want to see him again? Why did he keep torturing her like this? Every time she was in his presence it made it harder to resist his charms.
Folding the letter and depositing it in her pocket, she wondered if she should chance a meeting with him. If Jacob found out she met with him yet again, he would be livid. One more time and he might break their engagement.
The urge to see David was more than she could resist. With a quick glance over her shoulder, she slipped away without being seen by anyone.
Kate stepped out onto the back terrace of the hospital. There were several recuperating soldiers enjoying the crisp fall air. Quickly sprinting across the grounds, she was out of breath by the time she arrived at the stables.
Determined to tell David she intended to marry Jacob, she practiced the words over and over in her mind. God give me strength to stick to my decision. She would have to be bold and strong.
She walked around the perimeter of the stable, but did not see him anywhere. Maybe he was inside the stables waiting for her. The large door squeaked loudly causing her to jump. She placed a hand to her rapidly beating heart to get a hold of herself. Just knowing David was so near had her stomach tied in knots.
“David, where are you?” It was quiet. Almost too quiet; surely someone was working in the stables tending the horses. Something was out of the normal. At that point, she decided to return to the hospital. She turned to leave when she felt a sharp pain to her head.
Slade watched Kate Monroe tumble to the floor. He peered down at her lying in a heap on the planks. Beautiful cream colored skin, thick full hair. He could see why Bob Lewis was obsessed with her. Perhaps Lewis had convinced himself he cared what happened to Miss Monroe, but in reality the man felt lust for her. If he cared, he wouldn’t take her away from the wonderful life she had in Richmond.
But then none of that was any concern to him. He was getting paid a large amount of money to escort her to Bob Lewis and he would do his job.
****
Jacob was searching for Kate, but couldn’t find her anywhere. They had planned to have lunch in his office and she never showed.
Penny was changing sheets on one of the beds. “Have you seen, Kate?”
“Yes, I saw her a few minutes ago when I gave her the letter a young boy asked me to deliver to her.”
Instinct told him something was wrong. She would never leave her patients. “What did the letter say?”
“I’m sorry, Jacob. I didn’t ask her.” The trepidation in his voice caused the color to drain from her face. “Is something wrong? Is Kate in danger?”
Not wanting to worry her he replied, “I hope not. Perhaps I’m being paranoid.” He placed a hand on her arm. “Will you please ask around and see if anyone has seen her. I’m going to see if she is with any of the patients outside on the terrace.”
Jacob ran outside onto the hospital grounds to search for Kate. Deep down he felt she was in danger. Seeing a couple of recuperating soldiers relaxing in the court yard, he asked them if they had seen her. They pointed him toward the stables.
He bolted to the stables feeling very unea
sy. Fear drove him forward.
A strange man was holding Kate when he opened the door and stepped inside the stables. He quickly swung around and pulled his pistol with the speed of a hired gun. Violence in his eyes he warned, “Stop where you are!”
Kate was draped over the man’s arm, and he didn’t know if she was dead or just unconscious. It was as if he did not hear the man’s warning or see the pistol pointed at him. Without thinking about his own safety, he charged toward the man. A deafening sound penetrated the quiet of the barn and he felt an intense pain in his shoulder. He fell heavily to the floor unable to rise no matter how hard he tried.
Lying on the floor of the barn, Jacob watched in horror as the stranger hoisted Kate onto his shoulder and hurried to the back of the stable. He fought to rise knowing he had to save her, but was just too weak. He could feel his strength draining away with his blood.
Slade carried Kate to the covered carriage where Abigail waited at the reins. She shouted, “I heard shots. Did you shoot someone?”
“Miss Weatherly, there is no time for explanations. It is urgent we depart immediately.” As soon as Slade dumped Kate onto the seat, he climbed in behind her and shut the door. Abigail whipped the two horses into a gallop leaving the premises. No one saw the carriage bouncing along the back road taking Kate away from Richmond.
The two soldiers in the courtyard heard the gunshot. They hurried inside the hospital to get help. Penny was the first one they informed that Jacob had gone into the stables to search for Kate before they heard the gunshot. She did not hesitate for a minute. The two men tried to stop her, but she would not listen. She ran across the lawn and stormed into the stables to find Jacob lying on the floor in a puddle of blood. White as bone, she feared he was already dead. She checked his pulse. Thank God he was still alive.
****
Abigail drove the carriage to a secluded one room cabin on her land. It was deep in the woods where no one would think to look for Kate. She waited until Slade emerged from the carriage, Kate over his shoulder.
She snapped, “What went wrong? I heard the gunshot. Please tell me no one was hurt.”
“Dr. Greene surprised me. I’m afraid I had no other choice but to shoot him.”
Dull disbelief on her face she asked, “You killed him?”
“No, I didn’t kill him. Miss Weatherly, I am good at what I do. I don’t take a life unless absolutely necessary. I saw no purpose in killing Dr. Greene, but I did make sure he wouldn’t be able to follow us.”
He carried the unconscious Kate inside and carefully laid her on the bed. “I can handle it from here, Miss Weatherly. You have done your part.” He fished a cigar out of his pocket and struck a match. He took several deep puffs before he blew the smoke into tiny rings. “As soon as she is conscious, we will leave for Durham. Her family will be grateful to get her back. Thank you for your help.”
Obviously upset, Abigail hissed, “You promised me no one would get hurt. He saw your face. You came to my house. My servants saw you. What if someone knows I helped you?”
“We will be long gone before Dr. Greene regains consciousness. I assure you all is well. As I told you before, I am good at what I do. Trust me.”
“David will never marry me if he finds out I had anything to do with Kate being kidnapped. You may have ruined everything for me.” Hysterical, she stormed around the small room in a fit of temper.
“Miss Weatherly, you do not want to be here when Miss Monroe wakes. Pull yourself together, and leave now before she comes to and recognizes you. I don’t have time for theatrics.”
****
Vaguely, Kate could hear two voices quarreling. Concentrating with all her being, she tried to understand the conversation going on around her, but was still too dazed. The moment she moaned in pain, she heard someone run across the floor and slam the door behind them.
She opened her eyes and stared around the tiny room getting her bearings. The pungent smell of cigars filled her nostrils. She pressed her fingers to the bump on her head. She had one hell of a headache. Someone had hit her over the head knocking her unconscious.
When her eyes adjusted to the room, she met the intense stare of the man who she suspected of abducting her. A big, fat cigar dangled from his thick lips. She remembered being in the stables before everything went black. As she fought to regain consciousness, she had recognized Abigail’s voice. It was all muttered but she knew it was Abigail he was talking with. Out of fear she pretended she heard nothing.
“What do you want?” He sat on the side of the bed where she was lying. She inched over to the edge as far as she could because his leg was touching hers. She got the feeling she was in grave danger.
The ice-cold gleam in his eyes made her nervous. It was all she could do to keep from shivering as his eyes roamed over her body. Did he plan to rape her?
He removed the cigar from his mouth. “Hello, Miss Monroe. I’m Jeb Slade.”
“Why have you abducted me?” This time she was getting angry and her voice rose with her annoyance. He had no right to kidnap her.
“Let’s just cut straight to the heart of the matter. Bob Lewis hired me to find you and bring you back to him.” Sarcasm dripped from his voice. “He misses you desperately. You must mean a lot to him because he is paying me an exorbitant amount to bring you back safe and untouched. It has taken five months to find you. I have looked all over creation for you.”
She began to tremble as fear overwhelmed her. The thought of being forced to return to Bob Lewis caused her stomach to knot. “You can’t do this.” Her voice was raw and terrified. “My grandfather will pay you whatever you ask. Please don’t take me to Bob Lewis, I hate him. He is an evil man.” Unintelligible sounds strangled in her throat as she began to sob.
“Please, Miss Monroe. Get yourself together. I’ve already wired Mr. Lewis that you are safely in my care and will be returning you in a few days. We will begin our journey in the morning.”
Rather than to continue with her show of emotion, she stopped crying. Tears would not work on this man, maybe reasoning would. “I promise you my grandfather will pay dearly to get me back. My grandfather is Roy Talbert. He is very wealthy.”
“I know who your grandfather is, and it does not matter. I don’t want to hear you ask again, Miss Monroe. Bob Lewis hired me. My reputation means much to me. Mr. Lewis has hired me on several occasions to take care of problems he could not handle on his own. I’m sure he will have more work for me in the future. Now, get some rest because we leave at dawn.”
What other jobs had Bob Lewis hired him to perform? The two six guns strapped to his waist led her to believe he was a hired gun. What despicable deeds would warrant a hired gun? She could only imagine.
He tied her hands to the posts of the bed. “Sorry honey, but I can’t risk you finding your way back to Richmond.”
Uneasy with the intimate way he touched her hands, she trembled. Gritting her teeth, she remained silent because she did not want to goad him. Not giving up hope, she would attempt to escape while he slept. If he thought she was docile, then he might drop his guard.
****
There was only one bed so Slade made him a pallet on the floor beside the bed so he could hear if Kate tried to remove her restraints. In his line of work he had learned to sleep with one eye open. Besides, sharing the bed with her might be too much of a temptation. She was much too pretty and voluptuous.
He could understand Bob’s attraction to the girl. Thick lashes shaded the most beautiful green eyes he had seen. Her backside was round and shapely, and her breasts full and firm. She had his senses reeling.
He had firsthand experience how evil and cruel Bob Lewis could be. Three men that crossed him now lay dead in their graves. Men Slade killed for a price.
What would happen to the lovely Miss Monroe when she wouldn’t bend to his will? Would Bob kill her? After following her around for the past few weeks, he felt he knew her. The thought of someone as spirited and beautiful as Kate
at the mercies of Bob pulled at his heart strings.
Her grandfather would pay whatever he asked to get her back. The man adored her. Then there was her fiancé, Jacob Greene who was also a rich man in his own right. He could collect from both. But then Bob would only hire someone else to kidnap her since he was obsessed. Besides he was paid to do a job and he would finish it.
Chapter Sixteen
Jacob woke to find worried eyes upon him. Both Roy and Scott stood at the end of the bed looking as if they had a hundred questions. He tried to remember what happened, but it hurt too much to think. Then he remembered the strange man in the barn who kidnapped Kate.
When he tried to sit, Penny pushed back against the pillow. “Don’t move, Jacob. You don’t want to open your wound and start bleeding again. You have lost too much blood as it is.”
His voice nothing but a weak whisper, Jacob asked, “Is Kate okay? Have you found her?”
Roy moved to the side of the bed and placed his hand on Jacob’s arm. “We haven’t been able to locate her. We were hoping you knew what might have happened.”
“I have to go after her. Some man in the stables was holding her, and she wasn’t moving. He took her. I must find her.”
Scott moved to the other side of the bed. “Can you describe him?”
Attention on Roy, Jacob replied, “I’m sorry I didn’t protect her.”
Face full of worry, Roy returned, “I’m sure you did everything in your power, Jacob. I know how much you love her.”
Scott asked again, “Can you describe Kate’s abductor?”
Afraid they were losing valuable time in finding her, he tried to see her abductor in his mind. He tried to concentrate. His face twisted in pain, and the people around him were becoming blurry. “He was a big, tall man. I have never seen him before. He used his weapon with the expertise of a hired gun.” Jacob remembered how quick he had drawn the six shooter. He was extremely fast. Why would a hired gun kidnap Kate? None of it made any sense.
“Can you think of anything else, Jacob? Please, anything that can help us find Kate.”
Desperate (Harris Trilogy Book One) Page 23
