Mail Order Bride: Journey's End: A Mail Order Brides Western Romance (Love On The Line Book 2)

by Harper, Catherine

  Journeys End

  A Mail Order Bride Romance

  Journey's End.

  By Catherine Harper.

  Copyright © 2015 by Catherine Harper

  All rights reserved. This book or any portion thereof may not be reproduced or used in any manner whatsoever without the express written permission of the publisher except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.

  Also By Catherine Harper

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  Review Of "The Irish Runaway.

  "Shannon lost her brother. Sean is on a mission to make her his but Shannon runs away to become a mail order bride taking someone else's name. This story has drama a mad man and then there's Dominic lots of suspense well written and short with an ending you will enjoy."

  Chapter 1

  Pushed firmly into a hard wooden chair, Elizabet fought to get back on her feet and felt a pair of strong hands hold her in place. Pushed backward once more, she found her head hit something and felt it fall limply to the side. Shaking her head to clear it, Elizabet tried her best to scream, but it was no use. Fighting against the cloth in her mouth, she found it absorb any noise she could make. Screaming at the top of her voice, Elizabet found the sound come out in a whimper. Listening as someone laughed at her efforts, she turned her head in its direction and wondered what was about to happen next. Grabbed suddenly from behind, Elizabet found her hands bound to the chair she sat on and the sack cloth pulled off her head.

  "Pretty little thing ain't ya?"

  Fighting against the light that attacked her eyes, Elizabet kept them open to a minimum and tried to take in her surroundings. Sitting in an empty room devoid of furniture, she turned her head and caught a glimpse of Alice's dress. Turning as best she could to look over her shoulder, Elizabet found the woman's head slumped forward.

  "What did she expect?"

  Elizabeth turned to face the man who'd taken her and screamed into his face.

  "There's not much point in doing that now, Missy. There's no one around. You can scream your little head off." Picking up her head in his hand, Elizabet fought against his hold as he turned her face slowly from left to right. "Have to give it to him—old Chuck, has good taste."

  Hearing the name and putting the facts together, she watched as the man smiled.

  "What? You thought I was abducting you to have my wicked way with you?" Caressing her face, he added, "Although right now I'm sorely tempted. So which one are you, Alice or Elizabet?"

  Trying to convey her hatred for the man, Elizabet stared hard at him and hoped he could read her how she felt. Stepping forward, Elizabet found him stretch over her and purposely brush his body against hers. Moving away from him as best she could, she watched as he took the sack off Alice's head and tossed it to the floor.

  "Doesn't really matter anyway. She's not bad either. After Chuck comes and identifies you, I know he won't want any witnesses. So then it'll be just be me and Alice all on our own." Rubbing her face once more, he smiled. "I do hope you're not Elizabet. If you are, I might want to think twice about that deal I made with Chuck-"

  Hearing the door open behind him, Elizabet looked past him to the man who entered the room.

  "Coast is clear."

  "And?"

  Elizabet watched as the one at the door, rubbed his knuckles and answered. "He won't be talking to anyone. Told him he didn't see nothin—didn't take much to get him to agree with me."

  "Good. We'll only be here for a few hours anyway." Walking to the door, he spoke to the younger man in whispers. Looking her over, Elizabet felt her skin crawl as the pair undressed her with their eyes. Seeming happy at her discomfort, the first man took out a key and held it out. "Just because you're locked in here don't go getting any clever ideas. Make a noise, cause a scene and well, I think you know what'll happen." Tipping his hat, he added, "Now you two girls have a great day." Leaving it at that, the pair laughed as they left the room and locked the door.

  Elizabet listened as the floor boards in the hall creaked as the pair walked away. Allowing them enough time to leave, she focused on the piece of cloth in her mouth. Biting down and working at it with her tongue, she found herself able to move it around. Knowing that she'd need to work on its restraint first to free it, Elizabet moved her head from side to side and worked on the bandanna that held it in place. Pushing with her tongue and moving her chin, she found it drop away from her mouth. Once done she spat the cloth free of her mouth and took a deep breath. Turning her attention to her hands Elizabet pulled on them and found them held firmly in place. Giving up on that idea, she turned and whispered loudly over her shoulder.

  "Alice!"

  Out of the corner of her eye, Elizabet found her friends head hang limply. Knowing that any escape would have to be her own doing, she tried her best to shake the chair she sat on. Confused by its lack of movement, Elizabeth looked down and found it tied firmly to Alice's. Pressing down on the floor firmly with her feet, she found the task of moving Alice's dead weight an impossible one.

  "Alice, wake up!"

  As before, Elizabet watched as Alice's head hung low and didn't respond. Wondering how she was doing, Elizabet thought back to the last time she'd seen Alice and the sickening blow she'd taken. Hit over the head with the butt of a pistol, she fallen like a sack of potatoes to the ground and been unconscious ever since. Thinking at first that their attack was related to money, Elizabet had found a strong hand placed over her mouth and had feared the worst. Going through all the scenarios of rape or possible murder, she knew she wasn't going to go down without a fight. Remembering back to how wildly she'd fought against her attacker, she thought strange the next thing he'd asked her. Leaning in close and not taking his hand off her mouth, he asked, "Are you Elizabet? Nod your head if you are."

  Her mind filled with questions, and wondering what giving her identity away would mean to both she and Alice, she'd remained perfectly still and silent. Looking to Alice's attacker and watching him tie her hands and feet together, she ignored the question in her ear again and kept silent.

  "Just forget it, she's not going to tell you."

  Looking as the man finished with Alice, she remembered the way he climbed off of her and walked over confidently. Smiling in her face, he'd said, "It doesn't matter. We'll take the two of them. And if she tries anything we'll just shoot her friend."

  All the way to their final destination, Elizabet had played that conversation over and over again in her head. Now she knew, there was only one man who was crazy enough to do this. Charles. But making a move like this, especially an illegal one like kidnapping, was putting him in a whole new light. Now she knew his earlier threat in New York hadn't been an idle one. But this was San Francisco. Surely he hadn't traveled across the country, had he? She knew she'd find out soon enough. Looking to the doorway, Elizabet prayed it would be Tom that she'd see first, but something inside her said that wasn't going to happen.

  Chapter 2

  Looking at the dirtied window that sat across her, Elizabet wondered if the world outside knew they'd been taken. Were Tom and John pulling the city apart looking for them? She doubted it. Even if they were they'd never think that Charles was behind it. Hearing a grunt from behind her, Elizabet heard a voice say sarcastically. "I take it we weren't taken for my vast collection of jewelery then."

  "Alice, oh thank God. I thought-"

  "Dead? Believe me, right now I wish I was. God my head is po
unding, what happened?"

  Looking over her shoulder, Elizabet was glad to see her friends head up and scanning the room. "It's Charles, he had us abducted. Well, I think it was supposed to be me, but you got tossed in the mix by accident-"

  "Tossed is right, what did I get hit with?"

  "Butt of a pistol, I think. It happened so fast—before I had a chance to scream-"

  "And the kid?"

  Elizabet shook her head. "Gone. Probably paid to draw us down that alleyway-"

  "Brat. So how come we're alone?"

  "I think they've gone off to meet Charles." Feeling the chair move, Elizabet added, "Don't bother, I've already tried. I couldn't free my hands. Best I got was the gag out of my mouth-"

  "You were gagged?"

  "Suppose they didn't need to do it to you, with you being out cold and all."

  Feeling Alice move around behind her, Elizabet heard her ask. "So what's next? I take it you're not planning to stay and wait around for Charles."

  "No," Elizabet answered. "Tried everything I could think of. Even tried to drag your chair closer to the door, but it was no use."

  "You saying I'm fat?" Alice asked. "Because if you are, this is the wrong time to bring this up-"

  Elizabet turned and tried her best to explain herself. "What? I never said anything like that-"

  "Good job, because if I wasn't tied to this seat I'd…," Alice said, before breaking out in a chuckle. "Had you going, didn't I?"

  "You little madam. But now that you bring it up I-"

  "You sure you want my help? Because you're going about this the wrong way, you do know that?"

  Elizabet laughed. "Maybe. Or I'm just waiting until Charles comes in and sweeps me off my feet."

  "You sure it wasn't you that was hit on the head? I don't know about you, but I want to be far away from here by then-"

  "Alright. On the count of three, we both try and shuffle our way to the door-"

  "And then?"

  Elizabet looked to the door and shook her head. "Don't know, hadn't planned that far yet. Alright, let's see if we get that far—one-two-three." Pushing her back hard into her chair, Elizabet felt Alice do the same and push back against her. Feeling the back of their chairs leave the floor, Elizabet pushed her feet to the floor and felt the front lift as well. Holding that position, she gave the command to move.

  Skittering across the floor like a drunken crab, Elizabet was surprised to see that Alice was the stronger of them. Starting off with a position facing the corner, she found woman had overtaken her and had rotated them until they were traveling sideways toward the door. Wondering how they must have looked and giddy with how well their team work was going, she couldn't help laughing.

  "What's so funny?" Alice asked in a strained voice.

  Grunting in response, Elizabet answered. "I'm just picturing how we must look."

  Hearing Alice join her in a fit of giggles, she felt them start to lose momentum. "No, no keep it going." Feeling her concentration start to falter, Elizabet gave one last effort before losing her side of the battle. Thinking that Alice would do the same, she found the woman give a final thrust sideways. Not expecting it and unable to correct the mistake, Elizabet held tight to her seat and braced herself as they toppled over. Falling to the floor she grunted as her shoulder took the force of the fall.

  "Well that was fun," Alice grumbled.

  Shushing her, Elizabet kept her eyes fixed on the gap beneath the door. Expecting to see a pair of feet, or movement on the other side, she found no one respond.

  "What?"

  Nodding her head toward the door and then realizing that Alice couldn't see her movement, Elizabet added, "The door. There's no one out there. They threatened me that if we did anything, we'd-"

  "Doesn't matter much now anyway, does it?" Alice grumbled. "We're still tied to this blasted seat."

  Wriggling against her seat, Elizabet tested her ropes and found them just as tight as before. Laying the side of her head on the dusty floor, she heard Alice ask, "Want to play a game of eye spy?"

  "Huh?"

  "I spy with my little eye something beginning with f," Alice said sarcastically. "I know you'll never guess it."

  Elizabet smiled. "Let me guess, floor?"

  "First prize to the lady. So what prize would you like?"

  "How about a sharp knife?"

  "Sorry about that. But you get the booby prize."

  Elizabet chuckled. "And that is?"

  "You're tied to it, and she's busting for a pee."

  "Oh, God no."

  "Oh, God yes," Alice replied. "You thought being tied up was bad, how about lying in a pool of pee."

  Looking to the far wall, Elizabet groaned. Now thinking of Alice's predicament she suddenly felt an urge from her own bladder. "I think I could be joining you." Feeling the chair shake at first, Elizabet wondered what was going on, before Alice finally broke out in a fit or laughter. "What so funny?"

  "Can you imagine it, Charles coming in here and finding the love of his life lying in a pool of pee. He might just think twice about you."

  Laughing along, Elizabet added. "Might be a good enough reason to do it then. Oh, God—you better—stop it or—I swear I will." Squeezing her legs together as tight as she could, Elizabet fought to get control of herself and her bladder. Waiting a few seconds and hearing Alice calm down also, she asked. "So what do we do until they come back?"

  "I don't know. Suppose anything other than thinking of water?" Alice replied.

  "How about what happened to you since San Francisco?" Elizabet asked and found her friend go silent. Fearing that she'd taken a step too far, she added, "I shouldn't have asked, it's none of my business. Forget I asked-"It's OK. It might help me get the dirty details off my chest.---You sure you want to know?"

  Nodding her head, Elizabet realized that Alice didn't see her movement. "Sorry, yes. If you'd like to…" Hearing nothing for a moment, she heard Alice take a deep breath.

  "Once upon a time there was a gullible woman…."

  "Don't."

  Alice protested. "It's my story, you want to listen to it or not?"

  "Yes, but don't say those things about yourself-"

  "If you don't like it, there's the door," Alice joked. "Well?"

  "You're not going to give me a choice are you?"

  Alice ignored the question and carried on like before. "Once upon a time there was a gullible woman…"

  Chapter 3

  "… who thought that she found the love of her life. When I think back to the naïve woman who sat across from you at Henley's, three men to pick from and she picked the worst of the bunch. You know those weeks on the paddle steamer were the happiest of my life. Every day I woke up with excitement thinking that it was one day less until I met Walter. God, if I'd known what was ahead of me, I would have thrown myself overboard and taken a chance with the currents-"

  "Alice, you don't have to say anything more-"

  "You ever been hit Elizabet?"

  Elizabet stiffened at the words, "No—never."

  "It's funny that, being hit, I mean. First time it happened, I thought I imagined it. Before I had a chance to react, he was all over me with apologies and promises that he didn't mean it. It was an accident, it was the drink,' he said. I don't know who he fooled more, me or him. But I forgave him. You know the craziest thing, I thought it was my fault. Can you imagine that?"

  Not knowing whether she was given a question to answer, Elizabet found Alice carry on before she had a chance to answer.

  "If I'd been walking down the street and someone else had done it, I wouldn't have stood for it. But—when it's someone who says they love you, you accept it…"

  Elizabet turned her head as best as she could and caught a tear run down Alice's face. "Oh Alice, I'm so sorry. You should have told me, or even Martha."

  "What good would that do? You were both on the other side of the country. And anyway it's not something I wanted to share with anyone. That's another thing t
hat I find funny. I found myself lying for him. Why in God's name would I do that, covering up for a man that wasn't even a man?"

  "I don't know, Alice-"

  "Pride, Elizabet, that's what it was. Too proud to say that I'd made a mistake. Worried what you and the others would think. Blabbing my mouth off saying that I'd found the love of my life. How could I turn around and say I'd made the biggest mistake of my life? When I think back to the day when I had a go at you about your pride."

  Elizabet shook her head, "Forget it. At least you had the sense to leave him."

  "Took my time doing that. Probably my biggest mistake…"

  Elizabet sensed her friend's tone change as she left the sentence hanging. "It's OK-"

  "He raped me, Elizabet…"

  Elizabet found Alice's hand stretch back to take hold of hers.

  Squeezing it, Alice added. "After that, well there was no going back…"

  Filled with anger and sadness for what her friend had gone through, Elizabet struggled to find a response. Saying the words, I'm sorry, just didn't seem enough, but she said them anyway. "Alice, I'm so sorry."

  Alice cleared her throat and sniffed her nose. "That's the gist of it. I could go into greater detail of his drinking, how it changed him, how many times he slapped me, but what's the point? After that, I packed away the little dignity I had left and ran. I tried to find accommodation with the little money I'd left-"

  "Didn't you report it?"

  "To who, who would believe me, Elizabet? No lawman wants to get mixed up in what goes on between a man and a woman. You know whose side of the story they'll take. No, I just knew I had to get out of there. The only place I could afford was that rat infested place you found me in. Guess you were the answer to my prayers."

  Elizabet felt her hand being squeezed hard once more before Alice continued.

  "I'd prayed to God for a little help and well…"

  Feeling a tear run down her own face, Elizabet rubbed Alice's hand. "I'm glad I was there for you. What are friends for?" Hearing Alice break out in a chuckle, Elizabet wondered what was going on. "What's so funny?"