As she’d suspected it would, the sled slowed her down considerably, but the huge, sloppy grin on Bruiser’s face each time she looked behind her to check on him almost made it worth it. It took her three hours to reach the cabin, and the sun was already cresting over the ridge of the mountains.
The cabin door opened, and Bruiser hopped from the sled, lunging at Jake, the full weight of his attack knocking them both to the ground.
“He’s happy to see you.” Loki stopped the mare in front of the cabin and dismounted. “To be honest, so am I.”
Jake dusted the snow from his backside. “I’ve got a young girl and baby inside. They both need medical care. She’s thirteen, doesn’t remember her name, and the baby is hers. Way I see it, she was probably abducted and the baby belongs to the guy who took her. Considering what she’s been through, she’s fairly resilient, sort of taking everything in stride.”
Loki handed him the reins. “A guy stopped by the house last night. Said he was a police officer looking for a kidnapped child. Bruiser wanted to attack him, and I…” She hesitated, not sure how to explain her reaction.
“You what?” Jake asked.
“After he left, I threw up, cleaned the entire house, and took a hot shower. Something about him made my skin crawl. Dadron and Jules are on their way. They should be here by nightfall.”
Jake’s brows knitted together. “Did you see which way he went? He could be the guy looking for her.”
Loki clamped her lips together and turned away from him. Gee, Loki, I’m glad you’re okay. “No, it was dark, and Bruiser was throwing such a fit that I felt it better to keep him inside.”
“The girl’s awake feeding the baby. I told her about you so she wouldn’t be afraid. Go on inside, but don’t mention the guy. We’ll figure it out later. Once she’s finished feeding the baby, close everything up. I’ll keep a lookout.”
Loki reached into her saddlebag and brought out a thermos. She wasn’t mad at him. Not as mad as she would have been if he’d chastised her for coming after him in the dark. She’d been independent too long to want a man to feel as though he had to protect her. And Jake knew damn well she could take care of herself. “I brought you some coffee. I figured you were having withdrawal symptoms by now.”
His face lit up and his body relaxed, his lips lifting in a smile that reached his eyes. “I knew there was something about you I liked.”
Although Jake had told her the girl was young, Loki was shocked by the small figure that turned sharply when she closed the door. Fear quickly dissipated from the grayish-blue eyes, and she smiled tentatively. “You must be Loki.”
Loki crossed to the fireplace. “I don’t want to rush you, honey, but are you about finished? I think Jake is in a hurry to get to the house.”
“Almost.” She placed the baby on her shoulder and patted her back. In seconds a loud burp burst forth. “We can go now.”
“Grab a pillow and some blankets to wrap up in. I’m going to douse the fire and shut things down.” Loki poured a pan of water on the coals and spread them out. “What’s your baby’s name?”
“Hope.”
“That’s a pretty name.” Satisfied the fire was out, Loki stood. “Jake tells me you can’t remember your name, so what would you like me to call you?”
The girl shrugged, picking at the lint on the blanket around the baby. “It doesn’t matter.”
“Of course it matters.” Loki sat beside her on the bed and lowered her voice. “Why don’t you choose something for the moment until we find out what your real name is?”
“Would Grace be okay?”
Loki resisted the urge to wrap an arm around her. She seemed fine emotionally, but the slight trembling of her hands and the stiffness of her back said she was still skittish and unsure of Loki and Jake’s motives. “Grace it is. Grab your shoes, and we’ll get going.”
“I don’t have any shoes.” Grace rose, bundled Hope in a blanket, and picked up a pillow. “Jake gave me some socks, and it’s okay if I’m cold as long as Hope is warm.”
The hell it is. “Hang on a minute.” Loki dug through the boxes until she found an old pair of Jules’s moccasins and another pair of wool socks. They would be too big, but at least they’d keep her feet dry, and the extra socks should keep her warm. “Put these on.”
Grace placed the baby on the bed and slipped the socks over the ones she was already wearing. A tear made its way down her cheek as she slipped on the moccasins. “Thank you,” she whispered.
Loki swallowed hard, blinking away her own tears. Dear God, what has this child been put through that an old pair of moccasins makes her cry? “I’ll get the sled ready while you’re finishing up.”
Stepping into the brisk morning air, she took a long, slow breath, bringing her emotions under control.
Jake came up beside her, his eyes still searching the terrain around them. “Everything okay?”
Loki shook her head and arranged the blankets in the sled. “It will be easier for Grace and the baby to ride with Bruiser.”
“She remembered her name?”
“No, but she chose one so we’d have something to call her.” She plopped the pillow along the back and fluffed it up. Bruiser hopped in and licked her face.
“You gonna tell me what you’re pissed about?”
“Nope.”
Grace chose that moment to step outside, and Loki smiled at her. “Just close the door. We don’t lock it from the outside. I hope you’re not afraid of dogs. This is Bruiser, and he’s a big baby and wouldn’t hurt a fly.”
“I like dogs.” Grace climbed into the sled and leaned against the pillow before spreading the blankets she’d carried out around her and Hope. Bruiser lay down beside her and placed his head in her lap.
“Looks like he likes you too.” Loki mounted the mare and waited for Jake to mount the stallion. She laid the rifle across her lap. “I’m going to ride ahead and keep a lookout.”
“Good idea.”
Loki gently kneed the mare and galloped off, her eyes studying the terrain, gauging the distance between the nearest hiding place and the path they were about to take. Jake had said Grace was being resilient, but it wasn’t resilience, it was compliance and obedience. The child had been beaten down to the point that she didn’t feel her life mattered. Loki swiped at a tear and gritted her teeth. The son of a bitch who’d taken her evidently thought girls and women weren’t allowed to have needs or wants. She placed her finger on the rifle trigger. I hope the bastard shows himself. I won’t kill him, because that would be too good for him, but I’ll make him wish he were dead.
CHAPTER FIVE
With the extra weight in the sled, the return trip took four hours, and an afternoon chill had settled over everyone. Loki dismounted and tied the mare to the stall door. “I’ll get Grace and the baby settled then come back and help you with the horses.”
Jake held the baby while Grace climbed down from the sled. “I can handle the horses. Grace is probably hungry, and the baby needs to be changed.” He nodded to where Bruiser was lying. “He hurt his leg again.”
Loki knelt beside Bruiser and examined his back leg. “I think the hip is out of place. Can you help me get him to the house?”
Grace walked up pulling a red wagon she’d lined with the blankets from the sled. “We could put him in this and pull him to the house. Then I can help, and Jake can stay and take care of the horses. I think we should get inside as quick as we can.”
Loki followed Grace’s gaze to a corner of the barn. She didn’t see anything, but she’d sensed and heard the urgency in Grace’s voice. “Help me lift him, Jake.”
Jake removed the rifle from the saddle boot after placing Bruiser in the wagon. “I’ll go with you and check out the house.”
The trip to the house was quick, silent, and filled with tension. Loki relaxed and let out the breath she’d been subconsciously holding as the door closed behind them.
Jake hauled the wagon into the living room. “Wai
t here and let me do a quick walk-through.” He returned in less than a minute. “All clear. I’ll be back as soon as I finish with the horses.” Loki shook off the feeling she should have gone with him and turned to where Grace was patiently waiting for instructions. “Come on, and I’ll show you your room, run a bath, and then see what kind of clothes I can find. There should be some of my old things here and maybe even some baby clothes in the attic. After that we’ll see what we can find to eat.”
“Shouldn’t we take care of Bruiser first?”
“He’ll be fine for a few minutes.” Loki led her down the hall to a guest bedroom. “This was the room I stayed in when I visited as a little girl. I hope you like it.”
“It’s not girly,” Grace commented.
Loki crossed to the bathroom and started the water running. “I wasn’t girly at the time, but I had my own bathroom, and the boys were so jealous.” She turned, biting her lower lip to keep from gasping as a small portion of the horror the young girl had endured was revealed as she removed her clothes. Her body was covered in bruises, and scars crisscrossed her back like huge welts. Tears welled up in Loki’s eyes, and she returned her attention to the bath. “I’ll put in some bath oil beads to help with the chafing from the wind. You can go ahead and climb in while I undress the baby for you.”
A soft sigh emitted from the girl’s lips, and the sound of water splashing filled the room.
Loki removed the soiled diaper and tenderly washed the baby with a cloth, checking for signs of abuse. From all appearances, Hope was healthy and well fed. “Here you go.” She handed the baby to Grace. “Lie back, and I’ll wash your hair for you.”
Grace was silent, but her body trembled each time Loki touched her. “Do you need help with the baby?”
Grace shook her head.
Loki placed two towels near the tub. “Take all the time you need.”
She closed the bathroom door behind her and leaned against it, listening to the quiet sobs. How could someone do something so horrendous to a child? And those were only the physical scars. Her hands clenched as she climbed the ladder to the attic.
Fifteen minutes later, Loki felt as if she’d hit the jackpot. She’d found two boxes of her old clothing she was pretty sure would fit Grace, and she’d found some baby clothes for little Hope.
Grace was drying the baby when she came in, but Loki didn’t miss the way her body tensed and her eyes immediately filled with fear.
“I have no idea why my grandfather kept all this stuff, but for once, I’m glad he did. I even found a package of diapers.”
Grace took the items and began dressing the baby. “You’re Indian, aren’t you?”
Loki sat on the edge of the bed. “Yes, Choctaw.”
“Is Jake your husband?”
“No, we’re business partners and friends.”
Grace seemed to contemplate her answer for a moment. “What happened to him?”
“Some bad men beat him up and cut him with a knife. They also killed his wife. I brought him here to heal.”
“I felt the sadness in him, and the anger.”
Loki nodded. “He may hurt for a long time, and he has a lot of anger inside, but he’s a good man.”
Grace buttoned the onesie on the baby and reached for the underwear, jeans, and sweater Loki had laid out for her. “So what happens to us now?”
Loki studied Grace’s face and body language, looking for the emotional breakdown she would have expected from someone so young who clearly had been abused for a long time. “That depends on what you tell us, Grace. Jake was a police officer for a long time, and he thinks you were abducted and the baby belongs to the man who abducted you. Is that what happened?”
“Are you going to call the police?”
Loki frowned, not sure why the question disturbed her so much. “Is there a reason you don’t want us to call the police?”
“I’m hungry, and Hope is too. Could we eat now?”
“Grace, I don’t want to push you, but we need to know what happened to you. I know it may be hard for you to talk about, but it’s the only way we can help you and Hope.”
Grace sat next to her on the edge of the bed and bowed her head. “I don’t remember a lot of things. I think I was ten when he took me. Until Hope was born, all I wanted to do was die.”
The baby was fussing, and Loki picked her up and bounced her on her knee. “Tell me everything you can. Where he kept you, what he did to you, what he looked like. Do you know his name?”
“We weren’t allowed to look at him. I never saw his face. He made me call him Husband, and I had to call the old woman Mother. We weren’t allowed to have names.”
Loki felt the blood drain from her face. Surely this animal isn’t holding other little girls captive. “We?”
Grace stood and walked to the window, keeping her back to Loki. “There were other wives before me. The last one was Isabella.” Her voice broke on the name, and her hands clenched and unclenched at her sides. “She was Husband’s wife before I was chosen. She told me about the bride before her and what was to come. And she died because of me.”
Loki could actually feel the sadness emanating from Grace. “How did she die?”
“We weren’t allowed to remember our names, and I accidentally called her Isabella one day. Mother beat her. She blamed her for remembering her name and sharing it with me. I begged her to stop, but she just kept beating her. When she was done, I held Isabella until she took one final breath and died in my arms.” Grace turned from the window, her jaw set as her voice hardened. “Husband made me dig the grave along the creek bank. He said it was my punishment, as if watching Isabella die had not been punishment enough.”
Loki continued to bounce the baby, her heart aching for the young girl. No wonder she was numb. And she didn’t look thirteen. “That wasn’t your fault, Grace.”
“It was my fault. If I hadn’t called her Isabella, Mother wouldn’t have known we’d been talking. She told me they were going to kill her, anyway. He always took a new wife before the babies turned a month old. Then he would come and take the baby, and soon thereafter Mother would kill the old wife.”
Grace’s eyes filled with anguish. “I heard him and Mother talking. He took a new wife yesterday.”
Grace took the baby from her and held her close to her heart. Her words were soft and barely above a whisper. “Hope will be a month old tomorrow.”
CHAPTER SIX
Loki stood by the barn doors so she could keep an eye on the house as she relayed to Jake the information Grace had revealed, taking a step backward as his face flushed red and his eyes darkened.
“Pedophile, serial rapist, and serial killer. No wonder you threw up.” He continued to brush the stallion with even strokes. “He must have been holding her somewhere near here along the creek.”
“They both seem okay, but I’m going to call Mary Coomer to come and check them out. She was grandpa’s doctor for the last twenty years, and a longtime family friend. Have you called the police yet? Grace can show us where at least one of the other girls was buried.”
Jake tossed the brush in a bucket. “This guy is a pro, Loki. We get the police involved right now and he’ll know the girl is still alive, then he’ll disappear and never be caught. He held her for three years, and if what she’s telling you is true, he’s been doing this for a lot longer than that.”
Loki took a step toward him. “This isn’t our case, Jake. I know your police instincts have kicked in, but we haven’t been hired to find this girl or, for that matter, to protect her. And our private investigator licenses aren’t any good here, plus we don’t have Harry and Jenna to pull our asses out of the fire if we get in trouble.”
His eyes darkened, and his jaw went rock solid as he glared at her. “Since when did you start obeying the rules or worrying about having someone to pull your ass out of the fire?”
When I fell in love with you. Loki turned away from him and took a deep breath. “That wasn’t fair.
What if you’re wrong and this guy gets away? Grace said she never saw his face, so she can’t identify him. We need to get a manhunt organized as soon as possible.”
Jake brushed past her, headed to the house. “You saw his face, Loki.”
She shivered as the unspoken words hung between them. Jake wasn’t thinking about Grace or Hope. Whoever this guy was, he’d managed to hide his crimes for years, and if he did get away, he’d eventually come back to wipe out the one person he thought could identify him.
Loki rushed to catch up with him. “You’re going after him?”
“As soon as Dadron and Jules get here.”
“I’m going with you. And it won’t do you any good to argue. I know this land far better than Dadron and Jules, and as you said, I’ve seen his face.”
~ ~ ~
Robert washed his hands in the sink, careful to make as little noise as possible. Mother was still angry, and he didn’t want to upset her more. There was no way he could find another girl this quick, and that was the only thing that seemed to calm her.
He sighed as he dried his hands. I’ve fucked everything up this time. Mother would have to understand how risky it was to stay here and for him to take another bride. I’ll take her to the city. I can go to work for a couple of months. She’ll enjoy the chance to do some shopping, and soon the Dillon girl will be forgotten.
An image of the Indian woman flashed through his mind. She was a perfect example of everything the poets used to describe beauty. Long raven-black hair, lush lips, and dark fathomless eyes. But it was the energy pulsating around her, vibrant and alluring, that had excited and terrified him. I could bring her to Mother. She’d seen his face, and if the girl was found, she’d put two and two together. His lips lifted in a smile. No, she’s mine. Mother will simply pound her until she’s dead. I want to do it slow, spend time with her. Watch her eyes fill with pain when I skin the dog.
The Forgotten Page 3
