Nick’s voice cracked. “You don’t intend to leave her with Bart.”
“Of course not. We will have to go the rest of the way on foot. The forest is too thick for the horses so they will be expecting us to stay on the trail. The only way we are going to get Abby back is if we have the element of surprise on our side.” The three men tied their horses, checked their guns to make sure they were loaded, and stealthily moved through the shadows of the trees.
By the time they saw the tiny cabin nestled in the forest, the sun was almost gone. A lone lantern lit the inside spilling enough light out onto the porch for Cord to see at least five men brandishing rifles. The shadows of several other men revealed their hiding places lurking behind dark trees along the edge of the small clearing. Unable to see Langley, Cord feared he was inside with Abby. A chill crawled up his spine as he remembered what they did to his mother. He tried to get the image out of his mind that Langley may have already raped Abby. The man was perverted when it came to women. Still, he felt she was alive. He didn’t think Langley would kill Abby until he was sure he no longer needed her.
Before it got too dark for them to see the enemy, they had to act quickly. Adam and Nick leaned in close so they could hear Cord’s low whisper. “You two wait here. I’ll make my way around back and see if I can get inside without being seen. Hopefully, I can get Abby out before they know we are here. If you hear me shoot, then start picking off as many as you can.”
Worried about Nick, Cord asked, “Do you think you will be able to shoot these men, Nick?”
“Don’t’ worry about me. You know how I feel about Abby. I have your back.”
Cord smiled and pulled out his knife. He knew Nick would do whatever it took to save Abby.
****
Bart walked into the tiny cabin and peered down at Abby. “What in the hell are you doing?”
She ignored his rough tone and continued with her prayer. Her eyes shut tightly and the words flowing from her mouth, she poured her heart into the prayer. Not even when she felt Bart’s strong hands on her shoulders, shaking her did she relent. Suddenly, he slammed her against the headboard causing a sharp pain to shoot up her back.
Abby shouted, “Amen,” and opened her eyes. “What does it look like I’m doing? I’m praying. Have you never prayed?”
In a cold, unfeeling voice, Langley said, “I don’t believe in God.”
Abby softly whispered, “Why not? Look at the trees, the beauty around you. Don’t you see God’s hands made everything?” She peered into his unusual eyes and realized her words meant nothing to him. Hard and uncaring, he had too much evil in him. In that moment she wondered what happened in his life to make him hate.
A sense of disquiet settled over her as Bart stared deeply into her eyes. “You are a hard one to figure out, Abby. I’ve never met anyone like you.”
Then she felt a glimmer of hope. Maybe he wasn’t as evil as he perceived himself to be. “Please let me go. My son is crying to be fed at this very moment.” Her breasts throbbed, needing to be relieved of milk. In her mind she could see Daniel wailing for her. “Let me go back to my husband and son. It is not too late for you to change. You can make amends.”
“Stop wasting your breath, sweetheart. You have no idea of the evil things I have done. I have stolen, raped, murdered. The things I have done will never be forgiven. Did Cord not tell you how many times I raped his mother? I watched while my men raped her.”
Abby struggled against her bonds wanting to cover her ears with her hands. “Stop talking! Get away from me!” She began to kick at him to get him off the bed as she cried hysterically.
Eyes sparkling wickedly, Langley squeezed Abby’s cheeks between his strong fingers. She shut her eyes tightly so she would not have to look at him just inches from her face.
“What do you think I am going to do to you when Cord arrives? Do you think it has been easy watching you lie in this bed and not have you? You are quite a temptation, sweetheart. I wanted to take you the moment I saw you.” He shoved her face causing the back of her head to hit against the headboard. She winced from the pain.
Feeling his weight leave the bed, Abby opened her eyes and watched as he angrily marched out the door. Never in her life had she hated anyone, until now.
****
Two guards hid in the shadows behind the cabin. Without making a sound, Cord slipped up on both and slit their throats. Stealthily, he made his way to the back porch of the cabin keeping to the trees in case someone watched from inside. By the time he stood at the door and glanced around the tiny room, he could hear his heart pounding in his chest. Relief washed over him when he saw Abby lying on the bed. She was crying because he could hear her soft sobs. But at least she was alive. Eyes closed, he could see she was praying.
As he tiptoed to the bed, a board creaked loudly causing her to open her eyes. When he saw the fright in her eyes, he knew she had been through a terrible ordeal. The moment she saw it was him, her expression went from terror to hope. He dropped down on the bed beside her, and cut the ropes around her wrists. Fingers curled into his shirt, she pulled him close as if her very life depended on him.
“I’m sorry, Cord. I should never have left the house. All this is my fault.” She burrowed her face into his chest.
“Shhh, Abby, it’s not your fault. Let’s get out of here.” Pushing her at arm’s length, he placed his fingers against her lips.
“I have been waiting for you.”
Both Cord and Abby turned toward the voice. There in the doorway stood Langley with a gun leveled at Cord’s chest. Cord’s eyes darted toward the gun he laid on the bed when he cut Abby’s bonds away. Should he go for it?
“Don’t even think about it. I would hate for it to be over that quickly.” Never taking the gun from Cord’s chest, Langley grabbed the gun, and threw it in the corner of the room.
Moving back a few steps, he shouted to his men, “Spread out and find the others! He didn’t come by himself!”
Cord and Abby both heard the shuffle of men outside as they darted in all directions to find Adam and Nick. It was difficult for Cord to keep his eyes on Langley when Abby wrapped her arm around his for comfort. He wanted to look into her eyes and tell her everything would be okay, but he knew never to take his eyes off a snake fixing to strike.
Langley gestured toward the chair in the corner with his pistol. “Move to the chair.”
Cord never budged. “Let Abby go. I am the one you want. We have a son and he needs her.”
“I have become quite fond of her. She is so sweet and much more beautiful than I anticipated.” He took a step moving further into the tiny room. “My plan was to rape her while you watched, then kill her. Now that I have gotten to know her, I plan on keeping her for myself. She will go to Mexico with me where she will have no chance of escape. She will bend to my will or die. The choice will be hers.”
Cord felt Abby tense. “Her father is Ian McDonald. Even if you kill me, he will find you. He will not rest until she is safe and you are dead.”
“She is worth the chance. Did you know she even tried to save my soul? I am baffled how you found such a charming wife when you have been chasing me all over Mexico.” Seconds passed as his eyes roamed over Abby.
“You are responsible. She is the one who dug out the bullet and nursed me back to health after you ambushed me near Tarboro.”
“Oh how sweet.” Langley’s sarcastic tone made Cord cringe. “It’s like an angel saving the devil.”
Eyes narrowing, Langley motioned toward the chair again. “I’m tired of waiting. Now get in the chair so I can tie you. I want you to watch while I enjoy your stunning wife.”
Still not budging, Cord asked, “Where does all this hate stem from, Langley? You killed my parents, and yet you call me the devil. If I didn’t know better, I would believe you were raised by a pack of wolves.”
Irritated Langley stepped closer. “One of the men you killed was my brother. Is that not reason enough to hate you?�
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Cord remembered the man he killed in Diablo, Texas, just before he followed Langley into Mexico. Now that he thought about it, he did resemble Langley. “Do you expect me to feel bad for killing your brother? He was just as evil as you.” All the ramifications began to run through his mind of what could happen if he did as Langley ordered and sat in the chair. He kept stalling, hoping to come up with a plan. Only thing was, a gun pointed at his chest made it difficult to think.
“You started this when you killed my parents. Did you think I would forget it and let you live?” Cord tried to calm down for Abby’s sake. “Let’s call it even. Let my wife go and we will end this here and now, just you and me. The victor will walk away.”
Abby screamed when Langley smashed his gun into Cord’s jaw. “Get in the chair now!”
Rubbing his jaw, he stood. He pushed Abby away as she clung to him. “It’s okay.” Her pitiful cries tore at his heart as he moved toward the chair. Without a doubt, he would not be able to save Abby from being raped by Langley if he restrained him. The thought of Langley touching her was more than he could endure. He had no other choice but to make an attempt to stop the man.
Just before Cord sat down in the chair, he fell backwards with all his weight pushing against Langley. The sound of the gun discharging was deafening in the tiny cabin. As he struggled with Langley for the pistol, he felt the pain in his side and knew he was wounded. Weakened from loss of blood, he desperately fought for control of the pistol. Blood trickled from his side where the bullet tore into his body. It was Langley who came off the floor holding the gun.
A small smile played at the corners of Langley’s mouth as he stood over Cord and aimed the pistol at his head. “I guess you won’t get to watch after all. Such a pity.” He pulled back the hammer, his finger on the trigger.
Cord heard the shot but felt nothing. Staring into Langley’s eyes he saw shock. Langley turned as if in a trance and looked behind him. Abby stood facing him holding Cord’s pistol with trembling hands. He shuffled his feet and held out his hand as if asking her for help. Against the wall, out of his reach, she once again fired and watched Langley fall to the floor flat on his back.
The moment Abby realized Langley was no longer a threat, she dropped to the floor beside Cord and examined his wound. Blood oozed from the hole in his side. He heard the volley of shots coming from outside, and tried to rise to a sitting position. Abby pushed him back down, ripped a strip of cloth from her skirt, and pressed it against his wound to stop the bleeding.
“I have to go help Adam and Nick. They are outnumbered.”
“You are not going anywhere, Cord. You are bleeding.” The pain was almost unbearable as she pressed against his wound. To keep from yelling out, he gritted his teeth. He closed his eyes and fought to remain conscious. He had to help Nick and Adam.
“Help me up, Abby. I have no other choice.” Even though Cord was in danger of bleeding to death, he convinced her to help him to his feet and hand him his pistol.
“Hide under the bed and don’t come out until I come back for you.” He stumbled through the door and disappeared into the approaching darkness.
****
Eyes clinched tightly, Abby said a little prayer. “Please God forgive me.” Then she stooped beside Langley’s body. His dead, lifeless eyes still stared at her. Her stomach was doing flips as she touched the still warm metal of the gun in his hand. The same gun he used to shoot Cord. It took several hard jerks before he relinquished his hold on his weapon.
“You can’t take it into hell with you, Langley.” Moving toward the window, she peered out, but could not decide who to shoot. The shadows of the trees and the gloom of darkness, kept her from being able to determine where Nick, and Adam were. She could still hear shots all around the cabin, but felt helpless.
Then Abby saw her father and brothers burst through the small clearing into the dusky light. Their horses’ thundering hooves vibrating against the ground as they galloped closer caused her heart to beat faster in excitement. It only took a few moments and Langley’s men were on the run now that the tables were turned and they were the ones outnumbered.
Immediately, Abby ran from the cabin searching for Cord. She saw him step from the forest and stumble toward her. Wrapping her arm around his shoulder, she helped him back into the tiny cabin. She tried not to look at Langley’s dead body as she lowered him to the small bed. In the kitchen she gathered some supplies and returned to clean his wound. Relieved, she saw the bleeding had slowed.
Breathlessly, Cord whispered, “I love you, Abby.”
“I love you too, Cord. I hate I ever doubted you.”
Ian’s booming voice echoed off the walls of the small cabin. “My daughter is out of my sight two days and is kidnapped! If you can protect her no better than that Cord Sutton, I think she needs to return home with us!”
Abby ran into her father’s arms. “Oh, shut up, Daddy. I’m fine. Cord almost lost his life trying to rescue me.” Tilting her head back, Abby looked up at her father. “How did you know where to find us?”
As her brothers, Nick, and Adam entered, Jeremy answered the question. “Meredith. You should have seen her riding Cord’s prized stallion. She was a sight to behold. I think I’m in love.”
Adam slapped him on the back. “You’re too late, Jeremy. She is engaged to Nick.”
Jeremy smiled at Nick. “So the plow boy stole her heart. I hope you know what you’re getting yourself into. She is a handful.”
Nick’s eyes twinkled mischievously. “I’ll have you know she is as gentle as a kitten.”
“The hell she is.” Jeremy stated, “We had to tie her to keep her from following us. I like a woman with some spirit, but she was mad as a little wet hen when we left her. I have never been called such names by a lady before.”
Alarmed Nick replied, “I hope you did not hurt her?”
“We were the ones in danger, not Meredith.” Jeremy held out his hand. “Look where she bit me.”
Ian grabbed Langley’s legs and dragged his body from the cabin leaving a trail of blood. “At least we don’t have to worry about him anymore.”
Abby sat down on the bed beside Cord. “I know you are in pain, but I have to get back to Daniel. My breasts are hurting.”
“If you think you are leaving without me, you’re crazy. I’m not ever letting you out of my sight again.” Cord touched her face with the back of his hand. “I’m sorry you had to shoot Langley. I should have killed him long ago and none of this would have happened.”
“All that matters is he is dead and can never bother us ever again.”
Chapter Twenty
“I’ll be glad when your family goes home.” Tired of Cord’s complaints, Abby rolled her eyes. “Please tell me they are leaving immediately after the wedding.” The house was a buzz of activity because Nick and Meredith decided to get married before leaving for Tarboro.
Abby looked at Cord. He had been in a terrible mood since the McDonalds arrived that morning for the wedding. “Stop belly-aching.” Turning her attention back to Daniel, Abby smiled as he nursed. As was his habit, his chubby hand rubbed her cheek as he suckled. “I wish you would try to tolerate daddy. It would not hurt you to at least make an effort to get along with him.”
“You always take his side. He is the one that baits me.”
Without a doubt Cord was right. Every chance her father got, he tried to rile her husband. She had almost given up on keeping the peace between them. “I’ll talk to him. I’ll remind him he is in your house so he should behave accordingly.”
Someone lightly tapped on the door. “Come in.”
Nick entered looking as if he were thinking about running for the hills. His hand trembled when he held out the package for Abby. “This came for you.”
She covered herself and handed Daniel to Nick. The package was from Jacob. Odd, she hardly ever thought of him as her father anymore. Ian had taken over that role and she had to admit she liked the attention.
/> Cord slapped Nick on the back. “You’re not having second thoughts are you, Nick?”
“Of course not. I’m crazy about Meredith. I just wish the McDonalds would stop trying to scare me, especially Jeremy. He keeps telling me all these horrid things Meredith did in her youth. Please tell me he is exaggerating.”
“Wish I could. She was mother’s most exasperating child.” Cord pointed a finger at Abby. “See, I’m not the only one wishing they would all go home.”
Turning his attention back to Nick, Cord stated, “Abby and I have decided to give you a little wedding gift. You can have the chestnut stallion and the twin mares, Molly and Breeze. They should get you started on a horse breeding farm.”
Nick smiled from ear to ear. “Thank you, Cord.”
“You’ll need lots of funds to keep Meredith in the life style she is accustomed.” Cord laughed loudly when Nick’s worried expression returned. “I’m joking, Nick. I can already see a big change in my sister. You have done what other men have been unable to do. You have made her happy.”
“Come on Daniel. Let’s go to the barn and see my new horses your mommy and daddy have so graciously bestowed on Meredith and me.”
A tear slipped down her cheek when she opened the package. “What is it, Abby?”
“It’s the letters you wrote me after leaving Tarboro. Jacob sent them to me.” Abby laid the letters aside and read the note from Jacob.
My dearest Abby,
Please forgive me for keeping these letters from you. I should have given them to you when they first arrived. I hope you understand I always felt Cord was not worthy of your love. I know now that I was wrong and should have let you decide your future. You deserve all the happiness in the world and I now realize Cord can give you that happiness. Please try to remember how I was before your mother died and not the tyrant I became after her death. I will always think of you as my beautiful daughter.
Love Me Again Page 25
