Selena thought she heard a muffled gasp nearby, but she ignored it. “Oh Natasha, how awful for you,” Selena murmured with genuine feeling. She, more than anyone, knew what it felt like to have a man force himself on her.
Natasha laughed coldly and raised a haughty brow. “Oh spare me your sympathy, Selena. I assure you that I don’t want it. The first few times, he hurt me, but I soon realized that I was the one who held the power over him. He couldn’t help himself. He kept coming back like a moth to a flame. I started to enjoy his attentions. He taught me everything about how to please a man, and I must have pleased him immensely because he couldn’t get enough of me. He started inviting me for even lengthier visits, and my parents were only too happy to agree. When I was fifteen, I spent an entire summer warming his bed and learning how to use my body to get what I wanted. By the end of it, I was pregnant. Of course, he didn’t want the baby, and neither did I. He was already married, so he paid to have the baby taken care of. Then he paid me handsomely to keep my mouth shut.”
Natasha laughed as she gave a casual shrug. “The nice part of it was, by then I was tired of him. He had already taught me everything he knew, and I wanted to learn more. I found a new lover, then another. I liked the way I felt when men made love to me. They were so desperate for me, begging for my favors. I found that all I had to do was flash a little skin, and men would give me any amount of money I wanted. It was even better when they were married, because once I got them hooked, I made them pay to keep their wives from finding out. Men are such fools really, and so are my parents. They have no idea that I have a small fortune of my own. One day, I’ll use it to leave here. I have no intention of ending up as a farmer’s wife.”
Selena realized her mouth was hanging open, and she closed it with a snap. “If that’s the case then I don’t understand. Why Liam? If you don’t want to marry him, then why are you doing this?”
Natasha glared at her with seething hatred. “Of course I don’t want to marry him. Do you think I want to end up living in some pathetic cabin for the rest of my life, raising some man’s snot nosed little brats? It’s just that Liam is different. He’s a real challenge, although I could have had him long ago if not for you.” Natasha reached up to smooth her hair as if she were unconsciously trying to smooth her own bruised ego. “You know, I wouldn’t have had to kill you if you had just stuck to your word.”
“What do you mean?” Selena asked with a puzzled frown.
“I overheard you talking with Mama. I knew your marriage to Liam was a sham. You weren’t supposed to consummate your vows. When I found that out, I was so happy. I knew I would have no trouble seducing Liam since you weren’t a real wife to him. But then, like the conniving little bitch you are, you had to sleep with him. I knew, once you had done that, I would have no choice but to get rid of you. I got the idea to do away with you when you nearly drowned in the river crossing. I was hoping and praying you would die, but of course you didn’t. I hated watching Mama while she nursed you. She had never shown so much concern for me.”
“Natasha, you are so wrong. Your mother loves you very much,” Selena assured her quietly.
“No she doesn’t,” Natasha spat with bitterness. “She’s always been too busy with Susan, and now you. She dotes on you like a daughter. When you fell down that hill when you were pregnant, Mama felt so bad, she went rushing out to pick more blackberries to make you a cobbler. I fixed both of you though.”
“What do you mean?” Selena asked cautiously, feeling the hairs on the back of her neck rise.
Natasha gave her an evil smile. “I mixed quinine into your cobbler before I brought it to you that night. I was worried you would taste the bitterness, but you were so anxious to get me away from Liam that you gobbled it right down. I was hoping it would be a large enough dose to kill you, but it only made you lose the baby.”
“You killed my baby?” Selena asked in a weak whisper. “All this time I thought it was my fault, but it was you all along. You murderer!”
Selena would have launched herself at Natasha, but she was brought up short by the waving pistol that was still pointing at her chest. “Don’t come any closer,” Natasha ordered. She was obviously enjoying the pain she had inflicted on Selena. “Yes, I killed your little brat. Too bad Liam will never know. He would probably thank me for relieving him of that particular burden.”
“You really don’t know Liam at all, Natasha. He was deeply hurt when I lost the baby.” Selena stopped and stared as another thought occurred to her. “You tried to kill me again, didn’t you? That day when I was doing laundry, you caused the rocks to fall didn’t you?”
Natasha dipped her head in mocking admiration. “That’s very astute of you, Selena. I heard you and Mama talking about me. When Mama left and you were there all alone, it was too good of an opportunity to pass up.” Natasha’s eyes narrowed to tiny slits, and she gnashed her teeth in frustration. “It would have worked too, if you had been just a little slower.”
Selena shook her head sadly. “Natasha, you really are quite pathetic. You won’t gain anything by my death. Liam doesn’t want you, and he never will.”
“She’s right, Natasha.” Liam’s deep voice, firm with conviction, had them both whirling to face him. “Now, give me the gun.”
For the first time, Natasha’s hands began to shake as she held the pistol, and she waved it back and forth between Liam and Selena. Natasha saw Marcia standing just behind Liam, and her eyes flared. “How long have you been there?”
“Long enough, Natasha. We heard most of what you said.” Liam’s voice was deceptively calm. Without taking his eyes off Natasha, Liam held out an arm toward his wife. “Come here, Selena.”
Selena started to run toward him, but Natasha stopped her with a scream.
“Stop! Don’t move, you little bitch, or I’ll shoot you, I swear it.” Natasha’s eyes were wide and crazed as she looked between the other three of them. She finally pinned her glare on Marcia. “How did you know I was here?”
Marcia took a few cautious steps forward to stand beside Liam. “I followed you, Natasha. I saw you slip out of the house, and I knew you were headed here, so I followed you. Please put the gun down, sweetheart.”
“Don’t call me sweetheart! You’ve never loved me, and neither has Daddy.” Natasha’s voice broke on the last.
Marcia took a few more steps toward her daughter, holding her hands out beseechingly. “We do love you dearly, Natasha. We always have. We just haven’t been able to understand what you wanted sometimes. I’m so sorry if I’ve hurt you, baby.”
Tears were streaming down Natasha’s face as she faced her mother. “It’s a little late for your motherly concern, Mama. All these years, you’ve always compared me to Susan. ‘Why can’t you be more like your little sister?’ you would ask me. Well I hate her, and I hate you. From now on, I’m going to do whatever I like.”
“Natasha, please give me the gun. I can’t let you do this. I won’t let you harm Selena or Liam,” Marcia said as she ventured closer still.
Natasha noticed for the first time that Selena had gone to stand next to Liam, and he was about to pull her behind him. “No!” she screeched.
Natasha aimed her gun at Selena and fired, just as Marcia knocked her arm upward. The shot whizzed harmlessly into the air as mother and daughter wrestled for the gun. Liam ran to help, but before he could reach them, the gun went off for a second time. Natasha’s face froze in horror, and her knees buckled beneath her.
“Natasha! Oh my God, Natasha,” Marcia wailed, trying to cushion her fall. “Oh baby, please don’t die.”
A large red stain was spreading rapidly across Natasha’s chest, and she gasped for breath. She gripped her mother’s hand as the color drained out of her cheeks. “Mama?” she gasped. “This wasn’t supposed to happen.”
“Oh sweetheart, I’m so sorry. I love you, and I’m so sorry I hurt you.” Marcia was sobbing quietly as she watched her daughter take her last breaths. “No!”
>
Selena knelt beside Marcia and hugged her tightly while she wept. Liam stood beside them feeling helpless. After a long time, Marcia managed to stop weeping, and she took a shaky breath before turning to Selena.
“I’m so sorry, Selena,” Marcia said quietly. “I had no idea that Natasha was capable of something like this.”
“None of us did, Marcia. But it’s not your fault.”
“Yes it is,” Marcia stated. “I heard what she told you. We should have protected her. We should never have let her go to that man’s house for visits, but we thought it was what she wanted.” Marcia gave a short, slightly hysterical laugh. “She always seemed to enjoy her stays over there. We had no idea that evil man was hurting our daughter. She was only an innocent little girl.”
Marcia began to sob once again, and Selena rocked her in her arms. Selena looked up at Liam and her eyes were full of tears.
“Let’s take her home,” she said quietly.
“I can’t leave my baby here,” Marcia wailed.
“We won’t,” Liam assured her quietly, placing a comforting hand on her shoulder. He turned to Selena. “Take Marcia back to the house, and I’ll bring Natasha.”
Selena rose to her feet and helped Marcia to stand. She put her arm around Marcia’s shoulders and led her back to the house. Liam waited just a moment before he knelt and gently closed Natasha’s eyes. He looked down at her with real sadness before lifting her body in his arms. They were halfway back to the house when Aidan and Brian came running to meet them.
“What happened?” Aidan gasped. “Sarah said there might be trouble. We heard shots.” His eyes widened in horror as he saw Natasha’s bloody form.
“Not now,” Liam said quietly. “Let’s get back to the house, and we’ll explain later.”
When they reached the house, Naomi ran to fetch a blanket. They laid it in the bed of Marcia’s wagon and wrapped Natasha’s body neatly. Marcia was clearly in shock, and she was trembling violently.
“Come inside, Marcia. Let me make you some tea,” Selena murmured.
“No,” Marcia whispered. “I need to get home and tell Gerald and Susan what happened.”
“I’ll go with you,” Selena said quietly.
Liam grasped her elbow and drew her to one side to whisper quietly in her ear. “Selena, you should stay here and rest after what you’ve been through. Let Brian or Aidan take Marcia home.”
Selena shook her head. “She needs me, Liam. I have to go.”
Liam could see the determination in her face and he released a long sigh. “Alright, then I’ll take you.”
Selena and Liam did everything they could to help the Boyds deal with their loss. Gerald was just as distraught as his wife had been to lose Natasha, and Susan wept bitterly. They kept the details of what Natasha had told them from Susan, but when Gerald found out, he became almost violent. Liam took him outside to soothe him. Neighbors learned quickly about Natasha’s death, although no one told them about the circumstances. Everyone thought she had died from an accident, nothing more. Folks were quick to bring food and help with tending the family’s needs. Due to her already frayed nerves, Selena left the washing of Natasha’s body to other women, while she stayed with Marcia to lend what emotional support she could.
It was late evening by the time Selena and Liam returned to their home. They had left the Boyds in good hands, with several neighbors offering to stay with them through the night. Selena leaned against Liam as he led her up the stairs to their front door. They hadn’t even entered when his brothers and their wives came running. Liam realized with a sigh that he had no choice but to fill them in on what had happened.
The entire family gathered around the table in their cabin, and Selena and Liam explained the events of the day. When the tale was completed, everyone sat in silence, thinking what a tragic figure Natasha had been.
“It’s really a shame,” Selena said softly. “Marcia told me once that Natasha had been a sweet young girl but she changed around the age of fourteen. Now we know why, but it was too late for anyone to help her.”
Brian looked over at Sarah who was holding their tiny daughter. “I feel bad for Gerald. I swear I would kill any man who did something like that to my child.”
“He’s vowed to punish the man. Now that Natasha is dead, it would be impossible to have him tried for rape. He would just deny the whole thing. However, there are other ways to make him pay,” Liam said with a grim frown.
“What is he going to do?” asked Sarah.
“His son is still back east. Gerald said Mr. Cooper’s wife is the one who holds the purse strings. Her family has always been wealthy. Gerald, through his son, will make sure that Mrs. Cooper finds out about her husband’s penchant for young girls. She will likely cut him off from her wealth and make sure he doesn’t get any opportunities to hurt someone else’s daughter. Of course, the man will be ruined in business. Once rumors of that sort begin to circulate, Mr. Cooper won’t be able to get banks or other businessmen to give him the time of day.” Liam shook his head grimly. “It’s the closest thing to justice that Gerald is likely to get for his daughter.”
“What about Marcia?” Naomi asked. “How is she holding up?”
Selena cocked her head to one side and sighed. “Amazingly well. Marcia is a very strong woman, and she knows that Natasha’s death wasn’t her fault. Still, she has a lot of guilt over not protecting her daughter when she was a child and making her feel unloved. But at least Marcia still has Susan nearby and her son back east. I’m sure they will help her get through this.”
“And she has you,” Liam said quietly, laying an arm over Selena’s shoulders. “She loves you like a daughter, you know.”
Selena swallowed hard and nodded. “I know. I love her too. She and Gerald have been very dear friends to both of us.”
Liam directed a look to each of his brothers, and Aidan was quick to rise. “We’d better go and let you two get some rest. You must be tired after everything that’s happened.”
They all filed out, giving Selena and Liam quick hugs as they went. Liam closed the door and turned toward the living room only to have Selena fling herself against him. She clung to him, and his arms closed tightly around her.
“It’s alright, sweetheart,” he soothed.
“Oh Liam, I feel terrible about what happened to Natasha, but I can’t say I’m sorry she’s gone. After what I found out, that she tried to kill me and killed our baby . . . I swear, I could have strangled her myself.” Selena’s slender frame was trembling with shock and suppressed fury.
“I know, Selena. I felt the same way. But she won’t ever be able to hurt us again.” Liam smoothed her hair and laid his cheek against the top of her head. “I just wish the rest of her family didn’t have to be so hurt by what happened.”
Selena released a shuddering sigh. “I can’t help but feel sorry for Natasha. I can imagine what she must have gone through, having that man force himself on her.” Selena squeezed Liam even tighter. “If it weren’t for you, Jeb might have done the same thing to me.” She was surprised to hear Liam chuckle, and she tipped her head back to see his face. “What’s so funny?”
Liam gave her a lopsided grin. “As I recall, I didn’t do anything to save you from Jeb. You had already beaten the man up by the time I caught up with you. In fact, you were so adept at escaping from him that I almost didn’t follow you today. If we had left you on your own, you would have probably broken Natasha’s nose too.”
“I might have,” Selena said with a small smile. “I certainly wanted to a few times.”
Liam’s expression abruptly changed to a disapproving look. “What I want to know is why you went with Natasha in the first place. Why didn’t you call for me? I’m your husband. I’m supposed to protect you.”
“I was afraid she would hurt you,” Selena said, tracing his lips with her finger. “Natasha was obsessed with the notion of getting rid of me, and she would have hurt anyone who got in her way. I just couldn’t r
isk losing you. You’re more important to me than anything in the world.”
“Well, I still am not happy that you went off with her like that,” he grumbled. “If it weren’t for your tender condition, I really would take you over my knee.”
Selena bit her bottom lip while she smiled up at him through her lashes. “My condition’s not that tender. And you remember what Hank said. I should do whatever it takes to make sure my husband isn’t mad at me when we go to bed.”
Their eyes locked in warm communication before Liam bent to kiss her. All their fears dissolved as their lips melded. Having their arms around each other reassured them like nothing else could have. By the time Liam ended the kiss, their thoughts were already turned far away from the tragic events of the day and onto more pleasant paths.
Selena laid her cheek on his chest once more. “Take me to bed, Liam. All I want is to lie in your arms, with your baby growing inside me and know that we’re safe and you’re mine.”
“I’ll always be yours, Selena. God willing, we will grow old together and raise a dozen children.”
“A dozen?” Selena said with a frown. “I was thinking of four or five.”
Liam bent to nuzzle her neck. “Well, it’s just that I know how fertile your field is. And with the way you’re always trying to get me into bed, it just seems inevitable that we’ll have lots of children.” When Selena punched him on the shoulder, Liam opened his eyes wide as he gave her a helpless shrug. “Don’t get mad at me. What’s a man to do?”
“Oh Liam, you are impossible!” Selena sighed with a happy smile. “That’s one of the reasons I love you so much.”
Liam’s expression was serious as he met her eyes. “I love you too, Selena, with all my heart.”
When Liam scooped her into his arms, Selena wound her arms around his neck. Her heart was full to overflowing. The future still held many uncertainties. Crops could fail. The sorrows of life could still darken their door. But Selena knew in her heart that she and Liam could face anything together. Selena had found her home, and it was in Liam’s loving arms.
Trailing Home: Liam's Bride (The McKenzie Series #3) Page 36
