“I have a better plan,” Stone said. “I’ll take this little girl back to Syracuse with me, since I have a legal right to do so and—”
“No!” Faith tried to wrench her arms free, but Cuvier kept his arms strapped around her waist. “Judge, please, she’s a little girl. She doesn’t understand this. I’ll go with you. Duke will sign the deed. You can have the damn property, just let her go!” Duke sensed Faith’s growing panic and was afraid she’d break completely or push Stone too far.
But Stone ignored her. “Have Faith take the morning train to Syracuse. Alone. When I receive the signed deed, I’ll leave Cora with my mistress. You already know the address, apparently, so you can retrieve her there.”
“No.” Duke shook his head. “Leave Cora here, and we’ll take care of this matter now. No tricks. No trouble. You have my word.”
“Your word means nothing to me, Grayson. We do this my way, not yours.”
“You’ll get what you want, damn it. Right now. Just take that damn gun away from her head.”
A slick smile lifted the judge’s chapped lips. “I won’t hurt this precious little girl unless you do something stupid.”
That precious little girl was his little girl, and that deranged bastard was playing with her life. Molten fury rose up in Duke, bubbling and surging, seeking a way out. He longed to slam his fists into Stone’s face and pummel the man to death, but he checked his rage for Cora’s sake.
From the corner of his eye, he saw Radford sprint into the yard with a rifle. What the hell? Had Adam run for his brothers instead of the sheriff? His chest cramped and pain ravaged his shoulder. He didn’t want his brothers in danger, too. Damn it all, Radford had a gun but couldn’t shoot; not only was his position bad, but he hadn’t used a gun since the war. Did he think he could simply use the weapon to negotiate the situation? It wouldn’t work. The gun would increase Stone’s desperation. Duke wanted to wave Radford away before the situation got worse, but his brother stopped on his own, crouched beside the greenhouse, observing and waiting, ready to step in if needed.
Faith was seething, her expression outraged as she edged closer to Stone despite Cuvier’s grip on her shoulder. “You’re a judge, for God’s sake! You’re supposed to uphold the law and help people, not rob and threaten them.”
Stone ignored her, tightened his hold on Cora’s scarf and nudged her forward.
Duke’s desperation almost choked him, and he sidestepped to block Stone’s way. “Is it money you want?”
“Stand aside.”
“I’ll give you money. I’ll sign the deed. Anything you want.” He widened his stance, trying to keep his legs from quaking and to counter the woozy feeling that was creeping over him. He was losing too much blood. He had to force Stone to shift that gun away from Cora’s head.
Stone smirked. “It always amazes me what a desperate man will do when his back is to the wall.”
“Me too,” Cuvier said, his lip curled in disgust. “And I’m thinking your brother’s new position as senator is making you a little desperate.”
“Shut up, Cuvier! You’re nothing but a weak, stupid man.”
Cora started crying again.
A neighbor across the street stuck his head out the door and looked in their direction. He’d likely heard the shot, but all he would see was a cluster of people outside. From his distance, he’d likely assume they were visiting, helping a little girl build a snowman.
“Oh, God . . .” Faith’s head was bleeding and she was starting to break down. The situation was escalating out of control, and if Duke didn’t move soon, he wouldn’t have the strength to wrestle the revolver away from Stone.
“I’m c-cold, Daddy,” Cora said.
“I’m going with you, Stone.” Duke would push a confrontation. He would force the son of a bitch to turn the gun on him, and give Faith or Cuvier an opening to grab Cora. “I’ll get the deed and see you safely back to Syracuse.”
“Forget it.” Stone started forward again, but the sound of thundering horse hooves made him pause. The horse raced up the street, then into the yard, and stopped abruptly twenty feet away.
Boyd leapt off Evelyn’s mare, and Duke groaned. Adam had gone for Radford instead of the sheriff, and likely Evelyn had raced to the mill on her horse to get Boyd and Kyle.
“Hey, fellas, why didn’t you tell me you were having a party?” Boyd asked, swaggering toward them as if they were all old friends.
Stone’s shoulders tensed. “Stay back or I’ll pull this trigger,” he snarled, making Cora sob harder. Her little mouth was wide open, her desperate eyes fixed on Duke, tearing him apart that he couldn’t save and comfort her.
And Boyd was walking into the situation blind. Duke’s heart thundered in his chest.
Boyd froze when he spotted the gun against Cora’s temple, and the look in his eyes turned deadly. “I guess this is invitation only.” He raised his palms as if fending off Stone’s glare, but Duke knew his brother. Boyd understood the situation now and was telling Kyle, who was climbing the creek bank, and Radford, who was still crouched by the greenhouse, that they were all defenseless against Stone’s position. “No need to get cranky over a small breach of etiquette,” he said, taking another casual step toward the judge.
A nauseated, drained feeling washed through Duke, and he knew a bone-deep fear he’d never experienced. If Stone realized he was surrounded and had a gun trained on his back, he’d know things were as bad as they could get. Without Cora to get him out of Fredonia, he was a dead man. And Cora might lose either way.
“What’s a man got to do to get an invitation to the party?” Boyd continued.
“Just take one more step,” Stone growled.
Boyd took the step, and Duke realized what his brother was after. The damn fool was trying to provoke Stone into shooting at him, because the man would have to shift the revolver away from Cora to do it. He was willing to risk a bullet to turn the situation to their advantage. And Duke had to let him do it.
Duke watched Stone’s gun hand, searching for a twitch or tick or shift in his protruding veins that would reveal his intentions. If Stone pulled that trigger and harmed Cora or Boyd, he was a dead man. Duke would use his last breath to rip the man’s heart out.
Stone narrowed his eyes at Boyd. “Either you’re an incredibly stupid man, or a very intelligent one.”
“What a coincidence,” Boyd said. “I was thinking the same about you.”
Stone’s lips lifted in a snarl. “Don’t push me. Get on your horse and leave or I’ll make you wish you had.”
“Your argument is with me,” Cuvier called, his voice echoing across the yard. “I’m the one who used your connections to get an offer on the brothel.”
Boyd grinned. “You got hoodwinked?” he asked, blocking Stone’s attempt to move forward. “You let this two-bit lawyer get one over on you?” Boyd’s laughter boomed across the yard. “Not too smart of you, eh, Judge? Talk about stupid.”
It worked; Stone growled and swung the revolver toward Boyd’s chest.
Duke leapt forward, arms extended, hands open. With his right hand, he palmed Cora’s tear-stained face and shoved her backwards. In the same instant, he hooked the bloody half- numb fingers of his left hand over the gun and pulled the revolver down and back, risking a bullet in his legs.
The blast echoed through the neighborhood, followed by another loud, deadly crack that sent Duke reeling backward.
Screams filled the yard, and Duke fell. He tried to twist his body and gain an advantage, but he didn’t have the strength to outmuscle Stone. They hit the ground together, Stone on top.
Duke gripped the man’s neck with his good arm and held him, refusing to let the bastard fire another shot, even if it meant his own death. Everything was turning gray, but Duke held on, praying he’d been fast enough to shove his daughter out of harm’s way, and that his brothers would hurry up and pull Stone off his shoulder that was screaming with pain.
Stone won their battle an
d tore himself away.
“Stop him,” Duke yelled, but the words were a croak. He grabbed for Stone’s arm, but other hands pulled him clear.
Radford was there, crouched beside him, yanking open Duke’s coat. “Where are you hit?”
Duke batted his hands away. “Get Stone. He’ll take Cora.”
“She’s okay. Faith has her.”
“Get him, damn it . . .”
“We did.” Boyd pointed to the judge, who was lying facedown in the snow.
Kyle lifted his fingers from Stone’s throat. “He’s dead.”
A huge stain covered the back and side of Stone’s coat, but Duke’s pain-dazed mind struggled to comprehend what happened. Stone was dead.
Shot.
By Radford. Who wouldn’t touch a gun. But today he had killed a man to save Duke and his family.
“You shot him . . .”
“And the bullet might have hit you, too,” Radford said, pushing Duke’s coat over his shoulder.
“Rad, you shot him. You couldn’t . . . you shot him . . .”
“Hold still, damn it!”
Radford had killed men in the war and it had torn his life apart. A deep, cutting sorrow pushed a sob from Duke’s throat. “God, Rad, I’m sorry.”
“The man didn’t leave us a choice.” Radford’s jaw locked and he yanked Duke’s shirt open. Buttons flew, and Radford grimaced at the sight of Duke’s shoulder. “Jesus, you’re a mess.”
“Feels that way. Will you—”
“No!” Radford gripped Duke’s jaw and stared him in the eye. “I killed a man so you could live, and goddamn it, you’re going to.”
Boyd and Kyle brought Duke to his feet, and that was the first time since jumping Stone that Duke noticed what was going on around him. Cuvier was carrying Cora and helping Faith into the house. Iris was jogging down the street with Aster and Doc Milton hurrying behind her. Sheriff Phelps was racing toward them from the other direction, with Adam a few paces ahead, his boyish face filled with fear and anguish.
Everything receded in a black haze, and Duke’s body grew heavy.
“Put him down,” Radford said.
His brothers lowered him to the snowy ground, then knelt on either side of him.
“It’ll torture him if we lift under his arms,” Boyd said. Duke wanted to agree, but his tongue felt too thick to move.
“We won’t need to. Remember those chair races we used to have when we were boys?” Duke couldn’t answer Radford, because his head was reeling. “We’re going to give you a ride and see how fast we can get you to the house.”
He felt Kyle and Radford reach beneath his legs to lock their hands on each other’s arms and form a sling chair. Boyd moved behind him, locking his hands on Radford’s and Kyle’s forearms to provide a back support, which Duke needed because everything was moving in a nauseating, dizzying swirl that made it impossible to sit up.
Radford, being the eldest and the one who always gave the count when the four of them combined their strength to do the impossible, gave the nod to move.
Duke’s last conscious moment was feeling his brothers lift him in their arms.
Chapter 39
Stabbing pain jolted Duke from the black nothingness he’d been drifting in. He groaned and squirmed away from whatever was digging in his shoulder.
“It’s almost over,” his mother said.
He felt her fingers smoothing his hair back, then a cool cloth wiping his forehead. He forced his eyes open and saw Doc Milton and Aster bending over him, working on his shoulder, and his brothers standing near the bed. His mother was seated beside him.
“Is Cora all right?” he asked, but the black swamp sucked him under before he heard his mother answer. It seemed like a second later that another sharp pain jerked him back the surface, but it was Aster, bandaging his shoulder.
Faith was at his side wiping his face with a cold cloth. She tried to smile, but her lips quivered and tears slipped down her cheeks.
“It’s bad?” he asked, his voice gravelly and slow, his mind so groggy he fought to keep his eyes open.
“Doc got the bullet out, but you’ve lost so much blood.” Her jaw trembled. “Oh, darling . . .”
He understood the fear in her eyes. He himself had seen strong, healthy men die from festering gunshot wounds.
Faith’s cool hands felt good on his face, but he was slipping away.
“I love you, Duke,” she said.
Her tremulous voice lifted his heart, but the heavy black swamp swallowed him again.
When he woke, Faith was gone.
His brothers stood around the bed, and his mother sat beside him, holding his hand. “It would please me immensely, Duke Halford, if you would stay with us a while longer this time. A mother can only take so much worrying, you know?” She looked drawn and ashen, sitting there with fear etching grooves between her eyes.
“You shouldn’t worry,” he said, his voice hoarse. “It makes you look old.”
She laughed and sobbed at the same time. “You always were too honest.”
“Promised Dad I’d always tell the truth.”
She felt his forehead like she’d done hundreds of times before, but he’d never seen fear in her eyes. Worry, yes. Fear, no. His injury was bad, and the strain on his mother’s face confirmed it.
“How long have I been out?”
“About four hours.”
He turned his fingers up and grasped her hand. “I’m sorry Radford and I upset you with our argument.”
“That is nothing for you to worry about now.” She smoothed her palm over his knuckles. “You’ve been so little trouble, always my helper, then my keeper, then the town protector. You’re a good man, Duke, and a good son. You deserve a long, happy life. Your wife and children need you. I need you.” Her voice broke and her chin trembled. “And your brothers . . . it’s always been the four of you.” She kissed his cheek. “They need you too,” she whispered, then hurried from the room.
Duke felt woozy, but he needed to talk to his brothers before he got sucked under again. A spear of pain shot through his shoulder, and he struggled to ignore it. “You could have gotten yourself killed, Boyd,” he croaked.
Boyd arched his eyebrow. “Did you have a better idea?”
“No. Not one. Thanks for being there.” He directed his thanks to all of them, forcing himself to confront the truth. “Will you look out for Faith and the children if I . . . if this turns bad?”
One by one his brothers nodded, gravely silent.
Radford gripped his hand. “Damn it, Duke, I saw men get their legs and arms blown off in the war, and they survived. If they can pull through that, and I can fight my way back from being half-insane, you can fight your way through this.”
“This may be bigger than me,” Duke half-whispered.
“Bullshit.” Boyd laid his hand over his brothers’ clasped hands. “You’ve always said nothing is impossible if the four of us tackle it together.”
“That’s right.” Kyle covered their hands with his. We’re here, Duke, and none of us is quitting. Got that?”
Duke got it—their strength, their commitment, and their love. His brothers would be there for him, no matter what.
Chapter 40
Adam stood outside Duke’s bedchamber door, unable to stop shaking. He’d gotten to Radford, he’d brought the sheriff, but he didn’t know if he’d gotten them in time to save Duke.
Duke’s brothers and mother were in the room with him now. Aster and the doctor had taken the bullet out of his shoulder. Faith slipped in and out of the room, but Cora whimpered the whole time she was away. No matter how many times Faith told Cora the judge was dead, Cora insisted he would come back and get her. She was terrified of the man. And like Adam, the thing the little girl feared most was that her new daddy would die.
Nobody was telling Adam anything, and that’s why he couldn’t move away from the door. No matter how many people came and went, he didn’t budge. Not even when Duke’s bro
thers Kyle and Boyd brought their mother out to wait with the others in the parlor. Not even when Duke groaned, and Radford’s low murmur responded; Adam didn’t move, because if he left that spot, then his silent plea to Duke might not be strong enough to reach him.
The door opened again, and Radford Grayson came out, his face drawn, a fat tear streaking down his left cheek. He wouldn’t cry unless Duke was going to die.
Adam’s heart cramped, and a big, ugly sob burst from his mouth. He hung his head, not even caring that his nose was starting to run. Nothing mattered now. Duke was the only man he’d ever looked up to. Ever loved. The only man who’d ever been nice to him.
“Come here, son.” Rebecca’s father pulled him into a hug, and Adam sobbed like a five-year-old against the man’s hard chest. All Adam knew of having brothers was from the memories Duke had shared with him. Without Duke’s stories and his advice, Adam would have to guess how to become a decent, honorable man—like the sheriff, his father, his friend.
“He’ll pull through, Adam. I know my brother, and he won’t let us down.”
Adam stepped away and wiped his nose on his sleeve, ashamed of his tears. “Sorry I messed up your shirt.”
Mr. Grayson pulled a handkerchief from his pocket, and handed it to him. “I owe you an apology, Adam. Your interest in Rebecca was no reason for me to suspect you of bad intentions.”
Adam dried his face on the soft cloth. “I should have stayed away like you said, sir.”
“Rebecca told me what happened when you two met in the gorge.”
“I didn’t know she would be there.”
“I know. I judged you unfairly. You’re an intelligent, courageous young man, and today your quick thinking protected your family.”
Adam shook his head. “You did that, sir.”
“No, Adam. If you hadn’t done what you did, my brother could be dead.” Mr. Grayson gripped Adam’s shoulders and looked him square in the eye. “Thank you.”
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