Love's Sweet Surrender

by Love's Sweet Surrender (lit)

  “What’s the meaning of this?” Lily demanded, shaking when the men snickered behind their masks.

  The group of men separated as a lone rider made his way to the front. Lily’s skin crawled when she met the eyes of the stranger in front of her. He tipped his hat to her, and even though his face was covered, she could tell he was laughing behind his mask when the corners of his eyes crinkled.

  “We meet again, pretty lady,” he said in his gravelly voice. She immediately recognized him from her train trip, and she felt the color drain from her face.

  Her gaze locked with his. “What do you want?”

  He didn’t respond immediately. He just sat there and stared at her, raking her body with his eyes, making her feel like she was completely naked to his gaze. “Not much,” he answered, and the men around him chortled in response.

  Her heart beat wildly in her chest when he gently kicked his horse and moved closer.

  “Grab the boy.”

  “No! Leave him alone,” she demanded when one of the men grabbed him. Johnny struggled against the strong arm holding him.

  “Mother!” Johnny yelled, trying to reach her.

  “What do you want? He’s just a boy. He’ll do you no harm,” she said when the man kept coming closer.

  “Tie him to the tree and gag him.” The leader moved closer still. “Unhitch the horses and scatter them. That way if he does get free, he’ll have to walk back to town.”

  When his horse reached the wagon, and her eyes locked with his again, terror gripped her insides. What does he want? Why is he doing this? It’s not like I can identify him from the train. I didn’t even see his face..

  As quick as lightning, the man’s arm grabbed her around the waist and hauled her into the saddle with him. He held on tight when the horse side-stepped under them and she struggled with everything she had. She swung her arms, biting, scratching and kicking, until she heard him grunt.

  “If you don’t hold still, I’ll knock you out,” he hissed in her ear, and she stopped long enough for him to kick the horse.

  When they began to move, she struggled again and managed to work herself free. After she fell into the dirt beside the horse, she jumped to her feet and tried to run. Her long hair streamed behind her since it had come out of its pins during the struggle. She didn’t get far when she felt her feet lift off the ground as her hair was grabbed from behind. The air left her lungs when she hit the ground. Stunned, she lay there for a second, unable to catch her breath, and the man stood over her. When her eyes met his again, the anger that flared there terrified her. Then next thing she knew, she felt his fist come down hard across her cheek, and then there was nothing.

  Chapter Twenty

  His informant hadn’t told them about Seth being on the train, but from what he’d heard; his enemy had taken a bullet and was now lying dead at the doc’s house. He'd waited for Lily to come around the bend in the road so he could make the rest of his plans come to life, and now that he had her, everything was in motion.

  The man released her hair and bent down to pick her up. He slung her over his shoulder before he strode back to his horse. Throwing Lily over the saddle, he mumbled under his breath, “Damn woman.”

  The men rode for a short time when they finally stopped at a cabin, which was set back into a canyon that wasn’t visible unless you knew it was there. The stranger stopped his horse and dismounted, pulling Lily’s still limp body off with him. He carried her into the cabin and dumped her on the bed before he pulled the mask from his face.

  He grabbed a whiskey bottle sitting on the table, sat down in one of the chairs and rocked it back on two legs. He studied the woman on the bed as he tipped the bottle to his lips. The rest of the men walked in the cabin and the chatter stopped when they saw their leader sitting at the table.

  “What the hell are we going to do with her?” one of them asked.

  “That’s none of your business. She’s mine,” the leader responded, fixing his gaze on the man long enough to make him squirm under the cold stare.

  “I just want my cut, and I’m out of here. Kidnapping wasn’t what I had in mind when I signed on for this.”

  The leader pulled out a bag from his pocket and flung it at the man who wanted to leave. When he caught it in his hands, he said, “This isn’t a full cut.”

  “That’s all you’ll get since you want out early. Now get the hell out of here before I kill you and keep your share,” the leader growled.

  The other man took the bag, grabbed his gear and with a parting glance at the woman lying on the bed, left the cabin.

  “Anyone else want out? Say so now,” the leader demanded as he pinned each and every man in the room with his eyes.

  A whimper could be heard from the corner of the room, near the bed, and all eyes turned to a boy, who stood there with his eyes trained on the woman.

  “You said you wouldn’t hurt her,” the boy said to the leader when he came out of the corner. “You swore you wouldn’t hurt her.”

  “She’s fine, son. She was fighting me, so I had to knock her out.”

  The boy advanced on him with his fists clenched. He jumped on him and pounded on his chest, knocking him backward in the chair. The other men laughed as the boy continued to pound on him until he grabbed the small hands and pushed the child to the ground beside him. He turned to the other men in the room, silencing them with a cold stare.

  He heard a whimper from the bed, and all eyes turned in that direction as the boy rose and walked over to Lily.

  * * * *

  Lily moaned, trying to regain consciousness. When she finally became aware of her surroundings, she turned onto her back, and her head swam from the blow she’d taken. She closed her eyes for a moment against the pain shooting through her skull.

  Opening her eyes again, she whispered, “Where am I?”

  Tears rolled down his cheeks when Jarod approached the bed. “I’m sorry.”

  “Jarod?” Lily turned startled eyes on her son, not sure what to make of the situation. Why is Jarod here? Where am I? What was going on? The questions ricocheted around in her mind.

  “It wasn’t supposed to be like this,” Jarod whispered. Lily watched emotions flitter across his face. “He was supposed to just take you away so it could be like it was before.”

  “I don’t understand, Jarod. What’s going on?” Tears continued down his cheeks. She turned her head when she heard sounds from the table nearby only to meet the smirk of the leader, sitting there.

  “Hello, Lily.” Her eyes widened, and she gasped. She recognized him immediately now that there was no mask to hide his sneer. Her head began to swim again while her mind tried to grasp who had taken her prisoner and why.

  “Daniel?” She sat up on the bed and put her hand to her face where he'd struck her.

  “Yes, sweetheart, it’s me, but then again, I’m sure you suspected all along, didn’t you?” He placed the bottle on the table and signaled to the others to leave. Lily heard their laughter reverberate through the cabin before they left and closed the door behind them.

  “I don’t know what you are talking about, Daniel. Suspected what?”

  “That I’ve been the mastermind behind the train robberies. It has been rather convenient to know every time your husband and his cohorts were to be on a train so we could avoid each one. Your son has been very informative with that bit of news.”

  “Jarod’s been telling you when Seth would be on the train?”

  “Oh yes, he has been quite helpful. Of course today we weren’t aware Seth would be there, and unfortunately for him, he was alone.”

  Daniel studied her from across the room as she whispered, “No one knew he was to be on the train except for him and me.”

  “Unfortunately for him, he paid the price with his life.”

  Lily wasn’t going to tell him any different. She needed him to think Seth was dead in order for him to be able to find her and rescue her. If Daniel thought her husband was gone and no th
reat, he would let his guard down.

  “You killed my pop?” The anguished scream came from Jarod when he looked at Daniel.

  “I’m sorry, son. It appears he was shot in the head during the robbery today. Isn’t that right, Lily?” Daniel appeared to wait for confirmation from her.

  “Yes,” she whispered before she whimpered and bowed her head, not wanting Daniel to see the truth in her eyes.

  Lily put her hand on the little boy’s head when he cried. She wanted so badly to tell him his father wasn’t dead, but she couldn’t, not yet. She needed for Daniel to think he was gone right now, hopefully long enough for Johnny to get free, or for someone to find him so he could get help.

  “What happens now, Daniel? You can’t keep me here forever,” she said, her eyes meeting his again.

  “I’m taking you with me, Lily. You see, I’ve grown rather fond of you and that body of yours. You seemed to prefer Seth to me, up to this point, but I’ll change that, just like I changed Victoria’s feelings.” He raked her body with his eyes, making her shiver with revulsion.

  “I can’t leave my children, Daniel. The babies, they need me, especially since Seth is gone.”

  “I could care less about Seth’s brats, Lily. You are mine, and from now on, you’ll do as I say. Be ready to leave at first light.” He got up and stomped out of the cabin, leaving her with Jarod.

  Lily sat stunned when the cabin door slammed shut behind him. She stayed where she was for a moment, stroking Jarod’s hair as she tried to think. She needed to get away from Daniel but wasn’t sure how she could do that.

  “Lily?” Jarod asked, wiping the tears from his cheeks with his shirt.

  “Yes, sweetheart?”

  She knew he hadn’t meant any harm in what he’d done, he just didn’t know how else to fix the situation he’d found himself in.

  “I’m sorry,” he whimpered before he curled up next to her. “I never meant for you to be hurt or for Pop to be killed.”

  “I know, sweetheart, I know,” Lily answered, hugging him. “We just need to figure out how we can get out of here.”

  “I know!” Jarod exclaimed while his face brightened. “They won’t miss me if I leave. I was coming and going before, anyway. I’ll walk into town and get help.”

  “That would be too dangerous for you.” She admired him for the courage he displayed, but she feared he would be caught and punished. “What if they found out you were going for help? They would probably kill you just as soon as let you go free.”

  “I have to. I have to help you. It’s my fault you are here because I believed him when he said he wouldn’t hurt you, but he has. He hurt you and killed my father, so now I have to make sure he gets caught.” Jarod pulled away from Lily and started toward the door.

  “Be careful, Jarod. Don’t let them see you if you can,” she whispered, and he smiled at her, slipping quietly out the door.

  Lily rubbed her arms as a menacing chill settled around her. Her thoughts drifted to the man who held her prisoner, the man she had tried to teach to read better, the man Madge thought was a good person. Daniel. How could he? He was behind the robberies. He shot and almost killed Seth.

  “I knew Daniel didn’t care for Seth at all, that was obvious, but kill him? Did he really want Seth out of the way so badly? What will I say to Madge the next time I see her, provided I ever see anyone I love again?”

  After a while she moved toward the door, only to find a guard posted on the outside to make sure she didn’t go anywhere. The man gave her a toothless grin, and she quickly shut the door before she moved back toward the bed.

  When Daniel didn’t return for a long time, Lily settled down on the bed to try to sleep. She needed to rest if she was to be able to get away given the chance.

  Her heart sank when she thought about her husband. If Jarod doesn’t get to him in time, will he search for me? When he finds out it was Daniel, will he think I ran away with him, the way Victoria might have, given the chance? Will I ever see him again? Will I ever see my babies? What of Johnny, Jarod and Anne? The questions ricocheted through her mind while she lay silently on the bed.

  When sleep finally claimed her, Seth calling out for her haunted her dreams. She dreamt she kept trying to reach him as Daniel laughed behind her, pulling her farther and farther away. When she awoke, the pillow beneath her cheek was wet from tears, and the early morning sun crept through the paneless window.

  * * * *

  Jarod ran. He ran with everything he had toward home. He needed to find Johnny. Johnny would know what to do. He cut through a grove of trees that wasn’t far from his home and heard rustling up ahead. He slowed his pace, so he wouldn’t startle any animals or people that might give away his presence. He didn’t want anyone to know he was there. He stopped behind a bush and pushed aside the branches so he could see what made the noise. When he did, his eyes widened when he saw his brother tied to a tree.

  Coming out from behind the bush where he crouched, he stormed up to his brother yelling, “Johnny? What are you doing here tied to the tree?”

  “Mmm… prffsss….” Johnny murmured, behind the gag in his mouth.

  “Oh, sorry,” Jarod said, pulling the gag away from his brother’s mouth as he started working on the ropes.

  “Mother and I were coming back from town when these men jumped us. They tied me to the tree and gagged me. One of them hit her and threw her over his saddle, and then they rode out.” Johnny feverishly worked on the ropes at his feet now that his hands were free.

  “Mother?” Jarod asked, looking at his brother.

  “Yeah, you know, Lily. We were riding back from seeing Pop, when we were ambushed.”

  “You saw Pop?” The color drained from his face.

  “Yeah, we saw him at the doctor’s place. Why?”

  “I just didn’t think you would want to see him like that.” His knees gave way, and he sank to the ground.

  “Like what? He looked fine to me. He was kind of tired and pale, but he talked to me.”

  “He talked to you?”

  “Yeah, Jarod, what’s going on? What are you doing out here in the middle of nowhere? Why aren’t you at home with Carmen?” Johnny asked rapidly, crouching next to his brother and looking him in the eye.

  “I… uh… I have to help Lily. We have to help Lily.”

  “I know, Jarod. We have to find her, but I’m not sure where they took her.” The boys headed toward town on foot. They needed to get help, and town was the first place they needed to look.

  “I know.”

  “You know? What do you mean you know?”

  “I’m sorry, Johnny. I helped those men kidnap her,” Jarod cried, looking into his brother’s eyes, which now raged in anger.

  “You did what? You helped them? How could you help them after everything Lily has done for us? Look how happy she has made Pop,” Johnny yelled at his brother. “He loves her, you know.”

  “I know that now, Johnny, and I’m sorry. I didn’t want her taking Momma’s place. I told Lily I was sorry before I left to find help,” Jarod whimpered in the face of his brother’s wrath.

  Anger was so bright in Johnny’s eyes that Jarod took a step back, afraid his brother would knock him to the ground.

  “We need to get help right now. Come on,” Johnny said, grabbing his brother’s arm in a rough grasp and pulling him along.

  They approached the doctor’s house, and Jarod pulled back before he asked, “Where are we going?”

  “To see Pop, so we can tell him what’s going on.” He knocked loudly since it was still very early.

  The sleepy doctor opened the door a crack, but when he saw the boys, he opened the door wide. “Boys, what can I do for you so early this morning?”

  “We need to see Pop. We have to tell him something that’s happened,” Johnny said, walking inside with Jarod following reluctantly behind him.

  Jarod wasn’t quite sure how they were going to tell their father that Lily had been kidnapped and wha
t exactly he would be able to do about it. Jarod followed his brother up the stairs to a door at the end of the hall. When Johnny slowly opened the door, Jarod stood back, shaking, when he saw his father for the first time.

  Johnny approached the bed quietly and whispered, “Pop?”

  * * * *

  Seth groaned as he tried to awaken from the drug-induced sleep.

  “Poppa?” He heard Jarod say a little above a whisper. Seth slowly opened his eyes to find his two sons standing next to his bed.

  “Johnny? Jarod? What are you two doing here? Where am I? What happened?”

  The doctor approached the bed, gently reminding him of what had happened the day before. He reminded him that Lily had been there with him but had to leave for Seth to recuperate.

  “Where is she now? Johnny, what’s going on?” Seth asked, struggling to sit up on the side of the bed. He listened closely when Johnny recounted the events of the ambush on the road.

  “I’m sorry, Pop. I tried to stop them, but one of them grabbed her. She struggled and almost got away, but the leader caught her and hit her. She must have been out, because he threw her over his saddle and rode away. They tied me up, so I couldn’t go for help.”

  Seth could tell his son must have been hurt because he didn’t help Lily, but he also knew it wasn’t his fault. “Johnny, it’s not your fault, son. There were probably several men there, I imagine. You couldn’t have done anything. I’m proud of you.” Seth reassuringly put his hand on his son’s shoulder.

  “Poppa?”

  “Jarod, what are you doing in town? You should be at the house,” he said to his younger son, trying to put the pieces together, but his head was still pounding.

  “Poppa, it’s all my fault. I helped them. The men who took Lily, I helped them.”

  “Jarod, what do you mean you helped them?”

  “I saw Johnny and Lily leave for town yesterday. He told me to tell him if I ever saw her alone. When I saw them leave, I rode over and told him. He swore he wouldn’t hurt her, but then he did.” Seth heard Jarod’s words as they rambled on, and tears streamed down the little boys cheeks.