“What happened?” Brian demanded. The older man’s face was a mix of concern, fury and confusion.
When Gabe tried to hand Leslie down to her father, she cried out and clung to him. Gabe exchanged a look with Brian. Her father held the horse’s head and offered a steadying hand while Gabe carefully dismounted with Leslie still in his arms. Sarah ran to turn the covers down on their bed.
Gabe carried her inside, ignoring the concerned questions and anxious murmurs. There would be time to answer their questions later. Right now, he was only focused on tending to Leslie’s wounds, both external and internal.
“I’ll explain everything as soon as I can,” Gabe murmured, careful to keep his tone of voice low and soothing for Leslie’s sake. “Right now, Leslie needs our help.” He looked at Sarah. “We need your medical kit and some hot water and clothes.”
Leslie’s aunts, Naomi and Selena, were among those who had come running, and they helped to gather what was needed and shoo everyone else out of the bedroom. Brian wasn’t happy about waiting outside, but after a few quiet words from Sarah, he acquiesced. Once the bedroom door was closed, Gabe tried to lay Leslie on the bed, but she once again clung to him and whimpered.
“I’m not going anywhere, Leslie. I’m staying right here, and your ma and your aunts are here to help you, okay?”
Leslie appeared to notice the others for the first time, and while she refused to let Gabe put her down, she reached for her mother. Sarah enfolded her in a fierce hug, and both women started crying. Gabe swallowed hard, and his eyes met Naomi’s distressed gaze.
“She looks like she’s exhausted and in pain,” Naomi said quietly. “Here’s some tea with laudanum.”
With some coaxing from Gabe, Leslie drank the tea, and within minutes, she was asleep. He laid her down on the bed, and all of them got their first real look at her injuries. As his eyes drifted over her battered body, Gabe gritted his teeth so hard that he thought they might shatter.
“It’s probably best that she rests, right now. What happened?” Sarah managed to choke out through her tears.
Gabe told them succinctly what had happened. They exclaimed and asked questions, and he tried his best to answer them. He didn’t even know everything that had been done to her. He could only surmise from her wounds and her current state of mind that it had been a horrific ordeal. The other women were smart enough to fill in the blanks.
“She’ll want to get clean,” Selena stated quietly. “I’m sure she wants to wash away any trace of that man’s touch.”
Gabe sat on the side of the bed and held Leslie’s limp hand while her mother and aunts carefully washed her from head to toe. They exclaimed over her injuries, but Gabe focused only on her face. Her brow was creased even in sleep, and knowing that she still suffered tore at his guts. Once she was thoroughly clean, they began dressing her wounds. They rubbed a healing ointment into each of her wounds, and they bound the worst ones with cotton bandages. When they were finished, they tucked her beneath the covers to rest.
Sarah dabbed her eyes and blew her nose. “Thank heavens, her wounds don’t look very deep. It will take time for them to heal, but I don’t think she’ll have any scars. The last thing she needs is to have physical reminders of what that animal did to her.”
Gabe and the others nodded. He was eaten up with guilt, and he found it hard to meet Sarah’s eyes.
“Let us look at those cuts on your arms,” Naomi murmured.
Gabe sat on the end of the bed while the three women cleaned and bandaged his cut arms. Luckily, none of them were very deep. Sarah brought him one of Brian’s shirts to wear. Then, Sarah took Gabe by the hand and tried to lead him to the door, but Gabe refused to budge.
“I’m not leaving her,” he said simply.
“I understand, and you’re right to want to stay with her, but Brian will want to know what happened.”
She’s going to be asleep for at least two or three hours, because of the laudanum. You should take this opportunity to explain everything to him and the others.”
Selena touched his shoulder. “Brian needs to know what happened to his little girl.”
Gabe nodded and sighed. “Okay, but I don’t have much time to talk. I want to be here if she wakes up.”
Sarah nodded. “You’re right. It’s best to explain what happened as quickly as possible so that you can stay with her.”
Gabe allowed Sarah to lead him out of the room. Now that Leslie was safe, he felt like he was about to collapse at any moment. They joined the others in the living room. Brian was anxiously waiting, along with his brothers, his sons, and several of his nephews. When Brian saw Gabe’s pale face, he ushered him into a chair and handed him a glass of whiskey. Gabe downed it in one gulp.
“Tell us what happened,” Brian said quietly.
Gabe told them about finding the boot prints that Bernie had left behind and about his intention to confront the other man. He told them about coming home to find Leslie missing, and that he had known right away that Bernie was responsible for her disappearance. He told them about racing to Bernie’s cabin. But when it came time to tell what he had seen upon his arrival, Gabe paused. He glanced at the youngsters in the room and then at Brian. The older man’s brows rose in understanding.
“You boys go finish your chores,” Brian said.
“But, Pa! We want to know what happened, too,” Leslie’s oldest brother, Alec, protested. “I’m going to kill Bernie Phillips for what he did to my sister.”
“There’s no need,” Gabe stated flatly. “I already killed him.”
The room grew still as all eyes turned to Gabe. Brian nodded in understanding.
“Good,” Brian said quietly. “Saves me from having to do it. Alec, you and Gavin ride into town and fetch the sheriff. Don’t tell him anything else about what’s happened. Just tell him that someone has died and we need him here immediately. Understand?”
“Yes, Pa,” Alec said. He was obviously reluctant to leave before he heard the whole story, but he didn’t argue with his father.
“You other boys, get back to your chores.”
Brian’s brothers herded everyone else out. After they had left, only Leslie’s parents, aunts, and uncles remained, along with Gabe.
Brian met Gabe’s eye again with a nod of encouragement. “Tell us what happened when you got to Bernie’s.”
Gabe swallowed hard. “The bastard had stripped Leslie’s clothes off, tied her wrists together, and hung her by her wrists from a hook in his living room.” He ignored the gasps and curses and continued. “She was unconscious when I got there. It scared me to death, because, at first, I thought she was dead. The son of a bitch admitted to raping her and using a whip on her. You can see that he beat her, the miserable coward. God only knows what else he did to her. I was too afraid to ask her, to be honest.”
His voice cracked on the last few words. Brian gripped his shoulder in a show of support. Gabe took a deep breath and cleared his throat before continuing.
“He had a knife to her throat and threatened to kill her. I wasn’t sure how I was going to get him away from her without him hurting her even more. But then, Leslie woke up and started struggling. It provided enough of a distraction that I was able to grab him. We fought, and I killed him with his own knife. I got Leslie down and brought her straight here.”
Gabe’s hands were curled into fists. He opened them and ran them through his hair, hanging his head in misery. “This is all my fault,” he said, shaking his head. “I should have protected her. I should have figured out sooner that Bernie was behind all the incidents lately. I should have—”
Brian cut him off with a shake of his shoulder. He met Gabe’s eye and shook his head. “This is no one’s fault except Bernie’s. That bastard was an evil, gutless, son of a bitch, and he’s going to rot in Hell for what he did.” Brian glanced at the women and grimaced. “Sorry for my language.”
Sarah, Naomi, and Selena all waved away his concern. Brian looked back at Ga
be.
“The point is, he had every one of us fooled. We’ve all known him for years. Hell, he used to play with Leslie and the boys when they were all little. I never imagined he would ever do such a thing.”
The others all murmured their agreement. It should have made Gabe feel better, but it didn’t.
“I’m her husband. I should have protected her.”
Brian met his gaze, and the older man’s eyes were full of sympathy and understanding. “You’re just a man, Gabe. As much as you love your wife, and we all know just how much you love her, you can’t foresee everything. There was no way you could have known that this was coming. The best thing all of us can do for Leslie right now is to love her and give her the time and support she needs to heal.”
Gabe felt marginally better, although his guilt still festered in his soul like an open wound. He heaved a sigh and stood up. His shoulders were slumped with sadness, but he swallowed hard and firmed his chin. “When the sheriff comes, I’ll talk to him and explain what happened. But right now, I just want to stay with Leslie.”
Brian gave him a hug. “That’s a good idea, son. She’s going to need you more than ever now.”
Brian’s brothers, Aidan and Liam, also hugged him. “Don’t worry about anything at your farm, Gabe. We’ll take care of the place. You concentrate on taking care of Leslie,” Aidan said quietly.
The women each gave him hugs of support, too. “We’ll check on you both. Go and have a rest now,” Sarah murmured. She squeezed his hand, and her eyes welled with tears. “And thank you, Gabe. Thank you for saving our little girl.”
Gabe blinked back his own tears and nodded. “Thank you. Thank you all,” Gabe replied, glancing at each person before retreating to the bedroom.
Leslie hadn’t stirred. She looked so small and fragile in the middle of the bed. The sight of her black eye and swollen lip stirred his fury, but Gabe tamped it down with a deep sigh. He removed his boots, climbed in the bed, and pulled her gently into his arms.
She whimpered and mumbled in her sleep. “Gabe, help me. Where are you, Gabe?” she whispered forlornly.
Gabe kissed her forehead and hugged her closer. “I’m right here, my love. I’ll never leave you. Just rest now. You’re safe.”
For the first time, her brow relaxed, and she sighed. She nestled closer in his arms and drifted into a deep, restful sleep.
The next two days passed interminably slowly. Leslie slept almost all the time. She woke for only brief periods, and Gabe was always there. He hardly ever left her side.
He dealt with the sheriff, telling the man only the barest facts of what had happened. Gabe saw no reason to divulge the more personal details of what Leslie had suffered. Sheriff Wilson agreed that Gabe had acted in self-defense, and he saw to the disposal of the body. He even found Gabe’s stolen horse and returned it. Gabe didn’t care about any of that.
Gabe’s only concern was Leslie’s recovery. He was relieved when, on the third evening after her abduction, she finally began to talk about what had happened to her. He had been worried that she was keeping everything bottled up inside, but he hadn’t wanted to pressure her to talk about her ordeal. She haltingly began, but once she got started, the words poured out of her like poison from an infected wound.
As she told him her story, he just listened. Gabe held her in his arms, letting her snuggle against his chest. As she filled in the details of how Bernie had spied on them, Gabe shared many of her emotions, chief among them anger, outrage, and disbelief that the other man had so thoroughly invaded their privacy without their knowledge. Gabe felt incredibly guilty that the things he had done with Leslie had been used as a way to hurt her.
“He taunted me,” she said softly. “He said he knew that I was a slut and a whore because of all the things he had seen us doing together. When I realized that he was going to rape me, I thought I would die,” she said with a shiver of remembered horror. Tears were flowing freely down her cheeks, and Gabe stroked her back soothingly. “In that moment, I decided that I would rather die than have him rape me. So, I mocked him, even though I knew that by angering him, he might hurt me worse. I didn’t care. I told him that he was disgusting, and that I felt like I would vomit if he touched me. I was actually relieved when that made him so angry that he decided to whip me instead of raping me. It wasn’t long after that when you came and rescued me.”
Gabe frowned in confusion. “But I thought he did rape you. Bernie said that he had.”
Leslie looked up at him and shook her head. “No, he didn’t, thank God. He was probably just saying that to hurt you. I’m sure he would have if you hadn’t come when you did, but he didn’t.” She clenched her eyes shut and more tears leaked from the corners. “Although I’m not sure it matters all that much. I feel awful enough from the things he did do.” She shuddered violently.
“Shh, you’re safe, Leslie.” Gabe kissed her forehead and met her watery gaze. His expression was full of guilt. “I’m so very sorry for what happened. I’m sorry that I didn’t protect you from that evil monster.”
Leslie’s brow furrowed, and she stroked his cheek. “Nothing that happened was your fault, Gabe. I knew Bernie better than anyone, and I never imagined he would ever do such a thing.”
“Still, I should have known. I should have come sooner. I should never have left you at home alone. I’m so sorry, Leslie.”
Leslie stretched up and gave him a soft kiss. Despite her sadness, he could see her love shining in the depths of her beautiful eyes. “Stop blaming yourself, Gabe. You didn’t do anything wrong. In fact, thinking of you was the only thing that sustained me. Otherwise, I think I would have gone crazy. I just kept thinking of you and praying that you would come for me, and you did. I love you so much.”
Gabe had to choke back tears as he tenderly stroked her cheek. “I love you, too. More than you’ll ever know.”
They returned home, and things gradually settled back to some semblance of normalcy. However, Gabe was reluctant to leave Leslie alone by herself. The McKenzie family pitched in, helping around Gabe’s farm so that he could stay close to home. Sarah came every day to visit with her daughter and to keep her company when Gabe was doing his chores.
Leslie’s physical injuries healed. Sarah’s prediction proved true. After three weeks, there were no scars or outward signs of Leslie’s ordeal. She insisted on resuming her own chores, saying that she preferred to stay busy rather than brood. She was a bit pale, and her appetite wasn’t what it normally was, but otherwise, she was healthy and whole.
Emotionally, Leslie struggled. She was plagued by nightmares, and she often woke up sweating and trembling. Gabe was always there to soothe her. He held her and murmured calming words until she fell asleep again. She felt horribly guilty, thinking that perhaps something she had done or said had caused Bernie to be obsessed with her. She felt guilty that she hadn’t been smart enough to protect herself. She felt guilty that she hadn’t given a thought to her unborn child in that moment when she’d been willing to die. But she couldn’t talk about her feelings with Gabe, because she knew that he was still struggling with his own guilt.
The worst thing for Leslie was knowing that her relationship with Gabe had changed. She longed for things to return to how they had been between them before, but they didn’t. If anything, things grew more and more strained. It was as if the specter of her abduction was between them, serving as a constant reminder. Every day that Gabe didn’t treat her the same as he had before only increased her guilt. He was loving and tender and caring, but he no longer looked at her with passion in his eyes. He hadn’t made love to her since the abduction. Leslie grew more and more withdrawn with each passing day.
About a month after her abduction, Leslie’s Aunt Selena came for a visit. Leslie was pleasantly surprised to see her, and the two women settled at the kitchen table with tea and some sugar cookies that Selena had brought. After they had chatted for a few minutes, Selena gave her a searching look. “I really came to see how
you are holding up.”
Leslie shrugged and looked down at her hands. “I’m fine.”
Selena covered her hand and squeezed gently. “You don’t seem very fine. Can I tell you a story?”
Leslie nodded, curious to see what her aunt would say. Selena took a deep breath and sighed. “Not very many people know about this, but a long time ago, I was attacked by my stepfather.” Leslie gasped, and Selena nodded sadly. “He almost raped me, twice, actually. If I hadn’t been rescued, first by my mother and then by Liam, he would have.”
“I’m sorry,” Leslie whispered, her eyes full of sympathy.
Selena squeezed her hand again and smiled softly. “I’m only telling you this because I know something of what you might be going through. The guilt, the self-doubt, the anger and pain. I think it would help if you talked about it, and I’d love to help, if you’ll let me.”
Leslie started to cry, and Selena hugged her while she wept. Leslie told her story, and Selena listened patiently, expressing sympathy and support.
When Leslie finally calmed, she wiped her eyes and heaved a dejected sigh. “And now, everything has changed between Gabe and me. He doesn’t look at me the same way. He doesn’t kiss me or make love to me. I know that it’s because of what happened. He doesn’t want me anymore. How could he ever want me again? I’m tainted and dirty.”
She started weeping again, and Selena hugged her close, stroking her hair softly. “Oh, sweetheart, you’re so wrong. You’re beautiful and pure. Nothing that happened was your fault. And I know for a fact that Gabe loves you very much, even more now than he did before. He would never think anything bad about you for what happened. I’m certain that Gabe wants you just as much as ever, but he’s afraid to show it. He’s afraid it would remind you of what happened.”
Leslie searched her face. “Do you really think so?”
His Sweet Kitten (Return To The McKenzies Book 1) Page 25
