Holdin' On for a Hero

by Ciana Stone

  “Why does he hate Wolfe? For that matter, why do you?”

  “That’s my business. Now, you get in there and untie her and make damn sure she’s cleaned up proper then bring her to the house. I’ll smooth the way with Maurice. You got it?”

  Greg nodded silently and after a moment his father walked away. Greg combed back his hair and entered the bedroom. Chance was staring at him with daggers in her eyes. He smiled and started cutting her free. “Hey, I’m really sorry,” he apologized then laughed as if it were all a big joke. “Really, I wasn’t going to hurt you, I was just having a little fun. Besides, I had to keep you here. It’s the only place you’re safe.”

  “Safe?” Chance jumped up as soon as the last of the ropes were removed. “This is the last place I’d consider safe.”

  “But it’s where your father thinks you’ll be safe.”

  “My father?” She looked at him in surprise. She had overheard bits and pieces of his conversation with Holling in the hall, but not enough to make any sense of it. “What does my father have to do with this?”

  “Why don’t we go ask him?” Greg motioned toward the door. “He’s at the main house waiting for us.”

  Chance’s first inclination was to run as fast and as far as she could. If Maurice was there, it was a sure bet that he and Holling had something awful planned. But she found it hard to run from a fight, especially one that had been building up for so long. “Fine,” she agreed, which seemed to surprise Greg. “Let’s go.”

  He ordered his men posted at the gatehouse to join the others who were standing guard around the perimeter of the grounds then led Chance to the main house. Seeing all the armed men who were patrolling the grounds made Chance more than a little nervous. She hoped she could get word to Wyatt that she was all right before he found Tsa’li’s abandoned truck and started looking for her. With all the men Holling had posted, there was no way Wyatt would make it to her without being killed.

  Her thoughts were centered on worries for Wyatt as she followed Greg inside the house. She paid no attention to the opulence around her, but followed him mutely as he led her to the massive den at the rear of the house.

  As soon as they walked into the room she saw her father bolt to his feet from a chair near the fireplace. “What in god’s name are you doing here?” he demanded angrily.

  “I think a better question would be, what are you doing here?” she asked in return.

  “I happen to have business with Holling. Not that it’s any of your concern.”

  “What kind of business?” She walked across the room to face him. “Arson, murder? Do you have any idea the kind of atrocities that are being committed against the Cherokee?”

  “Atrocities?” He cocked his eyebrows at her. “Young lady, you have no concept of what true atrocities are. Why those red-skinned bastards are—”

  “That’s insulting!” she cut him off. “And how dare you stand there and call—”

  “That is enough!” he shouted then lowered his voice when everyone turned and gave him a surprised look.

  Chance smirked at the expression on Winston’s and Greg Holling’s faces then looked at her father. “Enough of what? What is it you’re afraid I’m going to say, Father? That your friends here are killing people in cold blood or that the murders they commit are premeditated? Better yet, maybe what you’re afraid of is that the truth will—”

  “I said that’s enough! I will not tolerate this kind of behavior from you. I’m calling the airport and having my plane stand by. One of Winston’s men will drive you there and you will return to the estate in Charlotte and wait there for me to return.”

  “No, I won’t do any such thing.”

  “You—” Maurice’s face flushed bright red in anger. “You what? Did I hear you defy me?”

  “Yes, you did. I’m not going anywhere until all of this is settled and the people responsible are brought to justice. So save your commands for someone who’ll follow them. You see, Father, I’m not some ignorant afraid child anymore. I know what you really are and I’m not going to let you get away with it. In fact, I’m going to—”

  A stinging slap cut off the rest of her words. “How dare you! I should have known something like this would happen the morning you called looking for that…that bastard whelp. He’s been nothing but trouble from the moment I first laid eyes on him. But you, oh, you just couldn’t stay away from him, could you? Chasing him around like a bitch in heat the entire time you were growing up wasn’t enough for you, was it? You just had to come up here and wallow in the filth again. If I had known I would have—”

  “Shut up!” Chance yelled loud enough to startle everyone with her outburst. Maurice stopped talking but his mouth hung open in surprise.

  “You can say what you like about me,” she said in a cold calm tone. “But I won’t tolerate you speaking that way about my husband. You’ve caused him and his family enough hurt and it ends now. Do you hear me, Father? It ends.”

  Maurice’s lips were moving but no sound was coming out. His eyes were wide and his face had lost some of its color. Chance found a measure of satisfaction in seeing him that way. He could not seem to find his voice.

  “Your husband?” Winston Holling, however, had no trouble with his voice. “Are you telling me that you’re married to that son of a bitch?”

  Chance turned on him with her eyes flashing. “Don’t ever let me hear you say that again! Especially you, Mr. Holling. After all you’ve done, you have no right at all. All of this is your fault. Wyatt was just an innocent victim. But you—” she turned and glanced at Maurice, “and you. Both of you are the lowest, most vile, and poorest excuses for human beings that I’ve ever seen. You both deserve to rot in hell for what you’ve done.”

  “You’re married?” Maurice rasped, finally finding his voice. “Goddamn you to hell, you’re married to that Indian?” His last question came out in a full-fledged shout.

  “Yes!” she shouted back at him. “I’m married and I’m going to stay married and there’s not a thing you or anyone else can do about it.”

  “You’re lying!”

  “You wish.”

  “This is just your way of getting back at me. You think if you tell me you married that bastard it’ll hurt me. But your little scheme won’t work. I don’t believe you.”

  “Then how about me?”

  Everyone turned in surprise at the sound of John’s voice.

  “How did you get in?” Winston yelped in surprise.

  “Your guards aren’t very efficient,” John replied calmly.

  Just then a man ran into the room behind John. “Sorry, Mr. Holling!” he panted and raised his gun at John’s back.

  Winston frowned angrily as Maurice looked over at John with narrowed eyes. John smiled in return. “It’s true. She and Wyatt were married not long after she came here. Tsa’li and I were present as witnesses along with two of Wyatt’s friends. They are married, Maurice. Just as they were meant to be. Despite all that has happened in the past, all that’d been done to prevent it, fate was stronger. Chance and Wyatt were meant to be together. Their love was stronger than your hate. And now it is that love that will defeat you. You can’t stand against Wyatt. You are surely doomed unless you stop this madness.”

  “Let me tell you something, you ignorant bastard!” Maurice took a step toward John. “You and your bastard son can both go straight to hell for all I care. In fact, that’s just where you are going. Just as soon as the old man gives me the crystal, I’ll put a bullet through all your heads.”

  “So that’s what all this is about?” John asked. “Well, then you’re fighting a losing battle. Wyatt doesn’t have the crystal. He never had it. And Ts’ali will go to his grave before he gives it to you. So you go ahead, Maurice. Kill me. But it won’t get you that crystal.”

  Chance walked over beside John. “Wyatt’ll never let you harm his father and you don’t stand a chance in hell against him.”

  “I’m sick to goddamn d
eath of Wyatt Wolfe!” Maurice shouted. “Have been since the day that Indian bastard child set foot in my house.”

  “Then why did you let him stay?” Chance asked.

  “Well, why the fuck do you think, Chance? Are you that fucking stupid?”

  Chance stared at her father in shock as it all became clear. “It was the crystal. Oh my god! It was you. You and Holling. You killed Sarah! You were trying to get it from her and she wouldn’t give it to you. And since Tsa’li would never have given it to you, you figured Wyatt could. That he would know where it was.”

  “But the whelp would never tell me,” Maurice confirmed her theory. “No matter how good I was to the little bastard he kept to his story of not knowing where it was.”

  Chance cut her eyes over to John and could see the shock and pain on his face. “You?” he croaked. “You and Holling? You’re the ones who killed my Sarah?” After all these years, the shock of finally knowing the truth overwhelmed John. He had considered the possibility from time to time during the years, but never wanted to believe that it could be true. Knowing was almost like a physical blow.

  Maurice didn’t have a chance to respond to John before Chance started in on him. “You’re despicable, Father, and I feel sorry for you when Wyatt gets here. He’ll break you in half. And I’ll cheer him on. You deserve it. You betrayed John’s friendship, killed his wife and tried to use his son to further your own greedy ambitions and you didn’t care who got hurt in the process. Not even your only child. You deserve everything that’s coming to you, but I’d advise that you make peace with whatever you hold holy now, because sure as sunrise, Wyatt’s going to send you straight to hell where you belong.”

  “Oh, I don’t know about that,” Greg, who had been silent up until that point, spoke up. “I think I just might have a thing or two that will change things considerably.”

  Chance turned to see him smiling smugly. He walked over and leaned down close to her ear. “Just so happens I have hubby’s granddaddy all nice and cozy in the barn. And I made sure the boys left Wyatt a note so he’d know just where to come.”

  Chance looked up at him with narrowed eyes. “Then say your prayers, white boy, ‘cause you won’t live to see dawn.”

  Greg laughed in her face. “Is that so? Oh, of course, I forgot. Wyatt Wolfe, the Navy SEAL, the big bad-ass who can take on an entire army single-handedly. Well, here’s a newsflash for you, honey. I’ve got a dozen armed men just waiting for a glimpse of your little hubby and a ten-thousand-dollar purse to the man who brings me his head on a platter. So, if I was you, I’d start thinking about how I looked in black, ‘cause sure as shit, you’ll be a widow by morning.”

  Chance turned to her father. “You have to call this off. If you don’t, people are going to die and it’s going to be on your head. Stop it now, while you can.”

  Maurice seemed to regain some of his former composure. He poured himself a healthy glass of brandy and swirled it around, watching the light from the fire play on the liquid. “Greg’s right,” he said arrogantly. “Your bastard Indian will be dead by morning and then I won’t have to worry about my only child being reduced to living in squalor and bearing half-breed whelps. No, I don’t think I’d like to stop it just yet, dear. Not until I see Wyatt’s lifeless body, that is. And he will surrender, you know. He always did have to play the hero for you and that’s what’s going to kill him. When he sees that we have you, he’ll surrender. And then—well, then he’ll die.”

  Chance knew it was no use to argue with any of them. They were all set on killing and nothing would deter them from the path they had set down.

  Greg looked as if he was about to speak but Winston jerked his head toward the door. “Come on, let’s go see to the old man.”

  Greg walked to the door of the den but before he could leave the room Chance spoke up, “And what makes you think you can keep me silent if you kill John and Tsa’li?”

  Winston and Maurice both looked at her and Greg paused. “I know the truth. And even if you kill him you’ll still lose because I’ll go public with what I know and both of you will be lucky if you’re not executed.”

  Maurice looked as if he were about to erupt. His face was red and veins stood out in his forehead. Greg looked from him to Winston, then at Chance. “Just what’re you talking about?”

  She turned and looked at him, then glanced at his father. Winston was watching her with an anxious expression. She turned to Greg. “You mean you don’t know? I’m surprised. I thought you and your father were so close. And yet now I find that you’re not so close as you thought. No, in fact, he’s been keeping the most important part of all this from you—the reason he’s doing all this.”

  Greg watched her expectantly as she paused and took a seat on the couch, facing the door. “Pay her no attention,” Winston scoffed. “She’s trying to pull your chain, boy. Trying to rattle you, that’s all.”

  Chance laughed softly and Greg looked from her to his father. “So what it is she thinks she knows?” he asked. “If it’s nothing then why—”

  “Excuse me,” the butler stepped into the room. “Master Greg, there’s a lady here who insists on seeing you. I tried to tell her that you are—”

  “Get out of my way!” Iris Waters brushed by the butler and marched into the room. “Well, well, it looks like the gang’s all here.” She smiled like a cat who had cornered a canary.

  Greg immediately crossed the room to stand beside her. “Dad, this is Iris Waters, the woman I’ve been telling you about. Iris, this is my father, Winston Holling, and his business associate Maurice Davenport. Oh, and that’s Maurice’s daughter—”

  “Chance,” Iris interrupted him. “Yes, we’ve met.”

  She turned away before Chance could speak and looked at Holling. “I’m so glad to finally meet you in person, Mr. Holling.”

  Winston walked over and shook her hand. “Ms. Waters. I’m pleased to meet you as well, however, this is something of an inconvenient time, if you’ll excuse me for being blunt. Maurice and I have some business we have to attend to and we really don’t have time for social—”

  “I know all about your business.”

  Winston looked from her to Greg in surprise. Greg put his arm around Iris’ waist. “She’s been helping me. In fact, if it weren’t for Iris we wouldn’t have been able to get the jump on—”

  Chance bounded across the room before Greg could finish. “So you have been helping them! Just exactly what kind of help have you been giving them, Ms. Waters?”

  Iris smiled smugly at Chance and stepped around her to walk over to Maurice who was standing silently on the other side of the room. “Maurice Davenport,” Iris said as she looked him over. “Well, we meet at last.”

  Maurice’s eyes were narrowed as he looked at her. “Have we met before? You look very familiar.”

  “Do I?” Iris raised one eyebrow then turned away. “Well, as I said, I do know all about your trouble with the Wolfes. As a matter of fact, I’m positively intimate with the entire affair, wouldn’t you say, Chance?”

  “Why?” Winston suddenly asked.

  Everyone’s attention was on Maurice except Chance, who was staring fixedly at Iris.

  “Why what?” Iris asked.

  “Why are you interested in what’s going on?” Winston asked Iris. “What’s in it for you? Has my son promised you something?”

  Iris smiled and cut her eyes at Maurice. “Let’s just say I’m honoring a promise I made to my mother a long time ago.”

  “Your mother?” Winston exclaimed. “What in the world does your mother have to do with anything? Who exactly is your mother, anyway? Do I know her? Have we had business dealings—”

  The rest of his questions were cut off as one of his men entered the room. “We can’t keep the old man in the barn. Short of killing him, that is. Every time we turn our backs he gets untied and we have to chase him down. What do you want us to do?”

  Winston looked at Maurice who was still staring at Iri
s with a perplexed expression on his face. Chance looked at her father and noticed as well. Then she looked at Iris who was smiling as if she were holding all the cards in a poker game. Suddenly it all clicked into place. All of the things Tsa’li and John had told her made sense. She knew who Iris was.

  “Goddamn Indians,” Winston grumbled. Then he looked at Maurice. “I think it’s time we settled our business with Tsa’li once and for all. Come on.” He looked at the man who held the gun on John. “Bring him!” Next he looked at Iris. “If you’ll excuse us, Ms. Waters, Maurice and I need to borrow Greg for a little while. Make yourself comfortable, have a drink.”

  “Why don’t I accompany you?” she suggested.

  “I think that’s a good idea,” Greg spoke up. “After all, she’s been instrumental in helping us get this far. Let her be in on the end.”

  “I don’t think that’s a good idea,” Maurice argued. “She can stay here until we’ve finished.”

  “I think she should go,” Chance said. “She should be with you when Wyatt finds you. After all she was so instrumental in your little plans. I know how much that’s going to mean to him.”

  Winston snorted and looked at Maurice. “This is ridiculous. Get your loud-mouthed daughter and bring her with us. We can’t take a chance on her trying to escape.” He turned to Greg. “You want your lady friend with you? Fine, then bring her. But remember this, both of you. You’re as much a part of this as anyone and if you try to use any of this against us, you’ll end up just like Wolfe. You got it?”

  Greg shrugged and looked at Iris. “Why, I wouldn’t have it any other way,” she said sweetly. “Shall we?”

  Maurice took Chance’s arm as everyone started out of the room but she jerked away from him. “Don’t touch me.”

  He didn’t say anything or attempt to take her arm again. In silence they all went outside and made their way to the rear of the estate to a large barn. Men were posted at every corner of the structure with additional patrols roaming the grounds. Winston nodded to the man stationed at the door and the man stepped aside for them to enter.