Brazos Bride (26 page)

Haughtily raising her chin, Ramona snapped her fingers. “Reason enough.”

“
But how. Even the doctor did not suspect.”

“
Because I am clever.” Ramona’s smile held evil. “Your mama was too good to eat the poke greens
abuela
prepared. But I use the pokeweed to make a special tonic for her, and also I add it to her food. So, in the end she ate poke weed, did she not?” Ramona’s laugh held no happiness, only the cruelty of a demented mind.

“
But why me? Have I not always treated you as my sister? Shared everything with you?”

“
Sister?” Ramona yelled. “Did I have my own money to do with as I wish? Were there dozens of fine dresses in my armoire? Did I get to parade around as the daughter of a wealthy don?”

“
You know I would have given you anything you wished had I known.”

“
But it would be
charity
, when I deserve the same as you.” Ramona stomped her foot. “You stupid woman, did you even care that my
abuela
, she is the niece of your
mas abuela
?”

“
Truly?” She and Ramona were related? “How could I know? I only saw Aiyana twice a year. My parents, they said she was a mean-spirited old woman.”

Now Hope saw the resemblance between Ramona and the fierce Aiyana. So it must be true. All this time Ramona had begrudged Hope everything. A terrible new suspicion crept into Hope’s mind.

“
And Papa. Was that you also?”

Ramona tossed her head. “Of course. You know I am an expert shot. If you had not moved your, oh, so pretty, little head on your wedding night, I would have shot you then. And your husband protected you on your picnic. He even killed the rattler Alejandro placed in your bed after I signaled him. Always you man saves you, but he is not here, is he?” She rushed Hope and grabbed her arm. “And this time you won’t escape.” She dragged Hope toward the balcony. “You are going to have a terrible accident. I will try to save you, but what a pity I will not succeed.”

Hope screamed for help.

“
Shut up!” Ramona raised her arm to strike Hope.

Unfolding the razor with a flick of her wrist, Hope sliced at her assailant’s arm. And screamed for help again and again.

Ramona shrieked, “You worthless
puta
! Look what you’ve done.” Heedless of the razor and the blood running from her wound, Ramona lunged at Hope.

Hoped sliced her again before Ramona successfully grabbed Hope’s arm and fought for the razor.

Someone pounded on the door.

Maggie called, “Hope, what’s going on? Let us in.”

“
Through the other bedroom,” Hope screamed.

Ramona’s rage gave her added vigor. Hope hadn’t recovered all her strength and couldn’t hold her own against Ramona. With a last push of effort, Hope tripped Ramona and they both went flying to the floor.

The aunts rushed from the dressing area. At the same time, Consuela unlocked the main door. She, Maria, and Tomasina hurried in. Consuela and Maria each grabbed one of Ramona’s arms. From behind, Tomasina held onto Ramona’s hair that had come unbound in the struggle.

Kicking and writhing, Ramona screeched, “You cannot win! Diego will save me. We will kill you all, you will see.”

Consuela said, “Let us place her in the linen closet until we get more help. It locks and she will not be able to escape.”

Hope threw down the razor. “I cut her badly. What about her arms?”

Maria harumphed. “She would have killed you. There are bandages in with the linens. Let her treat herself until the sheriff arrives.”

The three women shoved a still screeching and kicking Ramona into the closet. Such expletives as Hope had never heard poured from her former friend’s mouth. Except now she realized that Ramona had never been her friend. Tears of sorrow and regret...and relief poured down Hope’s cheeks.

Consuela pulled out a key from her chatelaine’s ring. “My, she is very strong. I am afraid the lock, she will be able to kick it free.”

Wiping her cheeks, Hope said, “Tomasina, please hurry and get the men from the corral and barn. Send one for the sheriff and tell everyone else to bring rope. Everyone but Alejandro. Do not let him know his sister is captured.”

Lizzie took her hand. “Dear, you’ve cut yourself too. Sister, better get our doctoring box.”

Hope placed a restraining hand on Maggie’s arm. “It can wait, can it not? We must insure Ramona does not escape. She murdered my parents and tried to kill Micah and me. If she gets free, she will harm others.”

Where was Micah? If only he were here to comfort her and reassure her. And where was Eduardo?

Chapter Twenty-eight

“
Wait!” Micah pointed below. “Riders. Second one looks like Eduardo. Damn, I told him to stay with Hope.”

“
Whew, that’s Eduardo for sure.” Zach said, “No one else but him and his father wear those fancy duds. Who’s he chasing?”

“
And who’s after him.” Micah took out his spyglass. “Looks like another rider just pulled out of the trees behind Eduardo. But who’s the guy in front?” He handed the glass to Wooster.

“
Looks like Alejandro in back,” the foreman said, peering at the riders. “Not sure, but I’d guess that’s Diego Gonzales. Man’s one bad hombre. Heard he was in prison, but I’d bet that’s him.”

“
Let’s go.” Micah turned to descend the mountain. “I don’t understand what’s going on here, but if anything has happened to Hope, I won’t be responsible for my actions.”

“
Eduardo wouldn’t have left her without a good reason.” Joel followed. “Your wife won’t appreciate us letting her only cousin get shot to pieces, little brother.”

Micah slid and scooted down the trail. “One way or the other, Eduardo’s looking to get himself shot.”

Rocks and stones tumbled from the path on their hurried descent. The four men reached their horses and mounted. Micah urged his horse downward.

At the base of the mountain, Micah said, “Wooster, check on my wife, then ride back with help. We’ll try to pull Eduardo’s bacon out of the fire.”

The brothers galloped toward Eduardo. The man in front--possibly Diego--rode toward the Brazos River. Cutting a diagonal, they gained on the riders, but so did the man they believed to be Alejandro. Were others waiting ahead?

Alejandro opened fire. When he did, Eduardo took cover and so did the man he chased.

Pulling his rifle from the saddle scabbard, Micah took aim and pulled the trigger. Alejandro sagged and kept riding. Micah fired again, and this time his prey fell from his horse.

Joel signaled he’d insure Alejandro posed no threat. By this time they were near Eduardo, who gestured for them to join him. Micah hated knowing Hope was alone, but he trusted Wooster to look out for her when the foreman arrived at the hacienda. And Maggie and Lizzie were at the ranch house as were Consuela and the maids.

He and Zach ducked behind a boulder with Eduardo.

Eduardo yelled, “Diego!” and pointed to the man they pursued.

Diego fired at them, but missed. Three riders broke from the trees and joined him. Diego yelled something to his friends. They had better cover behind an outcrop of boulders from a long ago landslide. But Micah and his companions were uphill and had the advantage.

Micah returned their fire. “What the hell are you doing going after him instead of staying with Hope?” Micah asked as he reloaded.

Eduardo aimed and fired. “I left her safe inside the hacienda. Ramona, she said she wanted a walk in the garden. My cousin, she became suspicious and asked me to follow her upstairs. There we saw Ramona and Diego embrace.”

Micah raised up enough to get off a round and heard a satisfying cry. “So what happened to Ramona?”

“
This I do not know. To Hope, I say, lock yourself in the room of your husband.”

“
Dammit. You left my wife alone?”

“
Never. I tell Maria to get the other women and watch Hope. Then I rush to follow Diego. He is the key, of this I am sure.”

“
Are those the men from the saloon?” asked Zach.

“
Sí
, and I am thinking these men, it is they who killed the woman called Daisy. But
amigos
, never have I known another like Diego. That one, he has no conscience.”

Galloping in, Joel leapt off his horse and zigzagged toward them. A bullet from Diego sprayed rock shards across them as Joel slid for cover.

“
You still run faster than a rabbit,” Micah said as he reloaded. “Alejandro?”

“
Damn fool’s dead. Not even as old as you are, little brother. A wasted life.”

“
You saying I was wrong to shoot him?” Micah snapped.

“
Simmer down. I’m saying he was a fool to throw in with a bad bunch when he had plenty of other choices.”

“
If Diego and his lowlife friends make it across the river, we’ll lose them. Here’s what I think we should do--”

“
You?” Joel said, “I’m the oldest.”

Micah sent his brother a glare. “Remember, Sergeant, as a Captain I outrank you.”

“
Should have figured you’d pull rank, even though you were on the wrong side.”

“
You forget, I was on the
winning
side. Now, Joel, can you still outrun a bullet?

“
Outran plenty of Yankee bullets in my time.”

Ignoring his brother’s sarcasm, Micah used a pebble to draw in the dirt at their feet. “You take the left flank and dodge between those trees. I can slip between this rock and the cliff and come up on the right flank. I’ll wait until you’re in place to show myself. Zach, you duck down and attack the center.”

Brows furrowed, Eduardo asked, “And me? Am I not a part of this?”

“
You keep them so busy they don’t have time to figure out what we’re doing. Change positions from here--” he drew X’s in the sand “to here and back so they think we’re still with you.” He removed his Stetson and changed it for Eduardo’s sombrero. He laid the large-brimmed Mexican hat on the sand. “They’d spot you moving back and forth and we want them to think you’re firing is all of us.”

“
Sí
, this I can do.” He placed a hand on Micah’s arm. “Do not make my cousin so soon a widow.”

“
I don’t plan on dying for a long time.”

Zach looked like a runner waiting for the race’s starting gun. “Whew, I have a feeling someone else will cash in his chips before we’re finished today.”

“
Let’s make sure it’s not one of us.” Micah slithered through an opening that liked to have scraped the buttons off of his shirt. Keeping low, he moved quickly to his position. Zach’s movement was hidden until the last boulder. Joel raced from tree to tree, Micah heard the thunks of bullets striking bark. He prayed none hit his brothers or Eduardo.

Or him.

Eduardo’s rapid return fire pinged into the boulders in front of Diego and his cohorts. Micah heard a yell of pain from the outlaws and gave his new cousin credit for being a good shot. Joel signaled his readiness with a shot.

Micah rushed into the open. “You’re surrounded. Throw down your weapons.”

Joel and Zach leveled their rifles at the ruffians.

“
You heard me, drop them or die.”

The three outlaws dropped their guns and raised their hands. Diego fired and zigzagged to escape. A loud whistle brought a horse from cover and Diego hid behind the animal as they moved rapidly toward the Brazos River, the divider between Montoya land and his.

Micah left his brothers to capture the other three men while he raced after Diego. Had this man alone planned the assault on Hope and her parents? No time to puzzle that out.

Diego waded into the water, still using his horse for a shield. Suddenly, he halted. Flailing his arms, he dropped the reins. The horse struggled and let loose an eerie whinny. Free, the animal turned and trotted down the beach.

Diego stretched his arms toward the shore, but his feet appeared anchored. “Aii,
arena movediza
!”

Quicksand! Micah realized Diego had strayed off the limestone bridge.

A string of curses preceded another cry from the outlaw.

Micah reached the shore, but had no wish to join Diego in the engulfing quagmire. He retreated to find a branch. Extending it to the descending villain, Diego grabbed for it. Micah tugged, Diego held on.

With a loud snap, the branch broke near Diego’s hands. “Aii, I’m sinking.”

Glancing quickly around, Micah saw nothing that might help. He needed a rope. He kept one coiled on his saddle, but there wasn’t time to run for his horse.

Eduardo rode toward him. He tossed a lasso over his head.

Micah called, “Help’s on the way. Hold on, Gonzales.”

He saw the man’s face change from despair to resignation. “No. I went once to prison for her. I’ve no wish to return or to hang.”