Cera's Place (26 page)

“Yes, how ironic that my love of nature might jeopardize my survival,” Tessa answered ruefully. “But we don’t have to go outside to get to that barn.”

“What?” Cera and Jake asked at the same time.

“I didn’t want the workers going through the gardens when moving the wine from the cellar, so we built a tunnel.”

Jake’s smile spread across his face. “Madame Tessa, I could kiss you. In fact, if we get out of this mess, I will even if it means suffering Isaac’s wrath.”

“Oh, well, certainly.” Tessa patted her hair looking for stray strands, though not a lock had fallen out of place throughout the whole ordeal. “I’m sure Isaac won’t mind a small show of gratitude. There’s no need for jealousy…”

Cera interrupted with a wave of her gun. “Madame, perhaps you could lead the way? Later, we can all kiss Jake, but right now, we need to get rid of the enemy.”

“Of course, of course, so sorry. Follow me, please.” Tessa walked to the far side of the room and grabbed a lantern hanging next to a closed door. Swinging it open, she revealed a flight of narrow stone steps leading into darkness. Her hand felt along a ledge just inside the doorway. With a small cry of triumph, Tessa gave the lantern to Jake and opened her hand to reveal a small box of safety matches. “For a minute, I thought we were going to have to go down there in the pitch dark. I can navigate my house blindfolded, but the wine cellar would be difficult.”

As Tessa readied a match, Jake stayed her hand. “Wait. Let’s go into the stairway so they don’t see the light.”

After moving down a few steps, Tessa lit the lantern and took it from Jake. Holding it high, she motioned for them to follow.

Cera shivered as the temperature dropped the farther they descended. When they reached the bottom, the light from the lantern revealed a large room with rough stone walls and a low ceiling. Rows of floor-to-ceiling racks filled with dusty wine bottles lined the room. Several smaller rooms branched off the main one. Though the brightness didn’t reach into their corners, she assumed they also stored Tessa’s wine.

Noticing Jake’s hunched shoulders, Tessa gave an apologetic shrug. “My husband built the cellar. He was much shorter than you.”

Jake chuckled. “Don’t worry. I’ve been in tighter spots.”

Tessa led them through the room and into a long tunnel. The dirt floor muffled their footsteps, but Cera realized it would also silence any of the intruders if they found their way into the cellar. She strained her ears, hoping to hear what was ahead of them before she saw it.

A few minutes later, Tessa held up her hand to stop them. She turned the lantern down low and set it on the floor. “We’re nearing the end of the tunnel. Let’s go the rest of the way without the light. At the end, there’s a ramp to the barn. At the top of the ramp, a trapdoor opens near the back of the building. If we’re lucky, they’ll be toward the front and won’t see us.”

“And if we aren’t?” Cera whispered.

“Then, we’ll come up with another plan,” Jake replied. “Come on. I’ll lead.”

They moved forward slowly. As the darkness pressed in on Cera, her anxiety grew and her breathing became uneven. When the ground started to slope upwards, she said a prayer and then repeated all the terrible things Biggs and his men had done. Anger replaced the fear in her belly and she welcomed it like an old friend.

Chapter 16

Above Jake’s head, the light from the barn shone through the edges of the wooden trapdoor. The sound of angry voices filtered down, suggesting all was not well with the intruders. Cocking his gun, he lifted the trapdoor a few inches. In front of the open barn doors, about forty feet away, six pairs of boots stood in a circle.

Motioning for the women to follow, Jake raised the hatch higher and they crawled out. He carefully dropped the trapdoor back into place before they melted into the shadows of the barn, waiting for any signs that their entrance had been heard.

Jake recognized Biggs immediately. As the thug quarreled with two of his henchmen, he repeatedly jabbed his finger in one man’s chest while the other man tried to restrain him. The rest of the men stood with their arms crossed watching the fight.

Taking advantage of the commotion, he pointed to Cera and then the other side of the barn. With a nod, she slipped away. Placing a hand on Tessa’s shoulder, he held up his other hand to indicate she should stay put. When Cera was in position, he moved forward.

“Listen,” Biggs growled, “You agreed to this job and you’d better do it—or else!”

“This ain’t what I agreed to,” complained the man who Biggs had been jabbing. “You said we were after that Cassidy lady and the saloon folks. Now you’re sayin’ we have to kill everyone here. Hell, that could be another ten, maybe fifteen people. We deserve more money for the extra people.”

The other men murmured, but it was unclear if they were agreeing or disagreeing.

Biggs’ eyes bulged with anger. “Stop calling her a lady
. She’s
a good-for-nothing bitch who can’t mind her own business. Now, the Tong wants no witnesses, so you’re going to do the killing—or you’re going to end up like the bitch—dead.” The group of men shuffled back a few steps when spittle shot from his mouth with each word.

The dissenter shook his head. “I want more money.”

Now, the other men nodded. Glaring at his gang, Biggs’ face turned from a bright red to a violent purple.

Jake took careful aim and fired one shot to the left of the circle of men. “Hold it right there. We have you surrounded.”

Startled, the men whirled, their eyes searching the darkness where Jake stood hidden.

“Who’s there?” Biggs pointed his gun in the direction from where the shot had come.

Ignoring the question, Jake called out, “Drop your guns, and put your hands in the air.”

Three of the men quickly did what Jake demanded.

Infuriated, Biggs bellowed, “What are you idiots doing? We don’t even know who this is!”

Biggs fired off a shot in Jake’s general direction, but he had already moved several feet to the right. “I’ll give you one more chance to surrender,” Jake offered. “Otherwise, your mothers are going to be crying over your tombstones.”

From across the barn, Cera shot at the group, landing another bullet behind the man closest to her. Jake couldn’t help but grin as the men jumped in surprise.

“Shit, Biggs! I’ve had enough of this. These people are your problem, not mine.” The dissenter ran toward the vineyard, but a shot from outside of the barn stopped him in his tracks. Defeated, he dropped his gun and clasped his hands behind his head. “Don’t shoot! I surrender!”

Jake hadn’t expected the third shot, but he quickly recovered. “Drop your guns, lie flat on the ground, and put your hands on your head—now!” Everyone but Biggs dropped to the ground. “Dammit, Biggs, I don’t want to kill you. Drop your gun.”

Biggs grunted out a harsh laugh. Holding his gun level, his beady eyes swept the darkness of the barn. Licking his lips, he turned in a circle, peering into the night.

Jake watched his face as the thug calculated the odds on successfully escaping. “Don’t do it, Biggs. It’s over and you lost. Now come peacefully.”

“I want to see the saloon bitch, if she has the guts to face me. I’m not surrendering to a voice in the dark.”

Jake heard movement from the other side of the barn. “No, Cera, stay where you are!”

“I’m not afraid of this scum.” She stepped out of the shadows with her gun pointed at Biggs’ chest. “You’re done hurting women. Either go to jail or Hell, your choice.”

Biggs sneered. “How about I take you to Hell with me?” As he aimed, Cera and Jake emptied their guns. The bullets tore into his body, spinning it awkwardly until it fell lifeless to the ground.

Keeping his gun trained on the men still on the ground, Jake moved to Biggs’ body and kicked his gun away. “Cera, are you alright? Did he get a shot off before…?”

“I’m fine, I’m fine,” she assured him, but her hands shook in disagreement.

Mary Beth, Sonya, and Li appeared in the barn’s doorway.

“Hey, y’all. There’s no bad guys in the house,” Mary Beth reported. “Guess they’re all out here.” She kicked the ribs of the nearest prone figure with her tiny foot, causing the man to let out a grunt in protest.

“No, we’re missing at least five others. What about the garden?” Jake asked.

Sonya shrugged. “We circled around the whole house. No one stopped us.”

Grabbing the jacket collar of the nearest intruder, Jake hauled him to his feet and stuck his gun barrel under the man’s chin. “What was the plan? Where’d the rest of your gang go?”

“You done killed my brother Jeb earlier you Yankee bastard,” the man choked out. “I ain’t telling you nothin’ else.”

He dropped the man on the ground. “Let’s get these lowlifes tied up.”

Jake and Li secured ropes around the men’s wrists and ankles. They had just covered Biggs’ body with a tarp when they heard the approach of several riders.

“Get out of sight everyone,” Jake ordered. “This could be the rest of the gang.”

Half a dozen men on horseback appeared in the barn’s entrance. With gun pulled, the leader dismounted and walked into the barn, looking at the hog-tied men on the ground.

When the light hit his face, Jake breathed a sigh of relief. “Chief, damn I’m glad it’s you.”

Chief Williams grinned at his old friend. Motioning to the riders behind him, he said, “I got your note, and then when I talked to Miss Cassidy’s young friend Sam, I figured you’d need more than just my help. Guess I was wrong.”

Jake pointed to the tarp. “Biggs wouldn’t come quietly.”

“No, I wouldn’t expect him to.” The chief took off his hat and scratched his head. “Did you leave me anything to do?”

“There’s another dead man near the house, which leaves five more men unaccounted for. They may have headed back to San Francisco.”

The chief nodded. “We’ll find them.”

When the others stepped out from their hiding places, Jake introduced the chief. “Madame Contessa Rocchelli is the owner of the winery. She should be commended for allowing us to take refuge here and risking her life, as well as the lives of her workers.”

Tessa brushed off the compliment with a shake of her head. “Speaking of my workers, I should tell them that it is safe to come out.” Pointing at Biggs’ men, she added. “Unfortunately, I don’t think we have room in the house for these outlaws. They will have to spend the rest of the night on the barn floor.”

Jake smiled, as he double-checked the knots binding the men. “I like your style, Madame.”

Tessa laughed lightly. “Well, remember, Mr. Tanner. You still owe me a kiss.”

“That I do, Madame, that I do,” Jake agreed with a wink.

Seeing the bemused expressions on Sonya and Mary Beth’s faces, Cera linked arms with them. “I’ll explain later. Let’s go tell everyone what’s happened.”

As the women walked back to the main house, Jake turned to Li who stood with his head down and fists curled.

Jake placed a hand on his shoulder. “These men will get what’s coming to them, Li. Don’t you worry. The chief will see that justice is done.”

Li lifted his head, showing them a face masked in hatred. “Justice is death. I want to kill.”

“Very understandable, my friend, but you need to walk away.”

Li stared at the men for another long moment. Then, without another word, he turned on his heel and headed for the house.

“Looks like tonight’s your lucky night, boys,” Jake said with a short, humorless laugh. “You get to live.”

Chapter 17

The strong odor of lye soap in the hallway mixed with delicious aromas from the kitchen, as the house staff cleaned up the night’s damage and the cook readied a well-needed meal. Back in the library, Cera was talking to the other women about replacing the burned curtains and rugs when Jake appeared. Nodding hello to the group, he grabbed her hand and tugged her from the room.

“For heaven’s sake, Jake, slow down. You’re going to pull my arm right out of the socket. Is something wrong?” Realizing they were headed toward the guest wing, his intentions became clear. With her feet backpedaling, she demanded, “Jake Tanner, what do you think you’re doing?”

Stopping in the middle of the hallway, he grasped the back of her neck and pulled her against his chest. As his lips devoured hers, sparks of passion shot down her spine. When a soft moan finally escaped her mouth, he continued toward the bedrooms.

It took Cera a few moments to recover from the kiss and find her voice, but when she did, she used it for scolding. “What’s gotten into you? You’re scaring me.”

Jake stopped again. The desire in his face knocked her back two steps. He closed the gap between them, but this time his kisses were gentle. As his lips traveled her jaw line, Cera’s eyes closed and her body melted against his.

“Life, Cera. Life’s what’s gotten into me. I’m not dead anymore.”

Her heart skipped a beat at the seriousness of his words. Behind the naked lust in his eyes, she saw something else. Could it be hope?

Her bedroom was closest. She swallowed a sigh of relief when he halted their march in front of the door and let go of her hand. Hiding it behind her back, she flexed her fingers until the blood flowed through them again.