Sharon Poppen (10 page)

Johnny’s distraction provided Drake with an opportunity to bolt for the door. He turned and aimed at Hannah’s forehead. Though terrified, she refused to let him see her cringe, even facing death. He curled his lip and smiled and then turned his gun on the sheriff. He fired off a shot that blew the sheriff’s gun out of his hand and embedded itself into the sheriff’s palm. Hannah watched Drake disappear into the hallway.

An instinct to pursue him was immediately dismissed as Hannah raced to Liam. Pushing Johnny’s body aside, she touched Liam’s face. “Liam, are you all right?” She called Liam’s name over and over as she caressed his hair and face.

She was vaguely aware that the wounded sheriff was cussing his deputy and ordering him to get Drake. Eventually, a hand gripped her shoulder. “This one’s dead, ma’am.” The sheriff nudged Johnny with his boot. Blood from the sheriff’s hand dripped onto Johnny’s shirt.

The deputy entered the room. “He disappeared. He got away.”

“You fool,” roared the sheriff. “Grab a horse and chase him down.”

“He didn’t take no horse. I saw him hightail it out the front door, but when I got to the street, he was gone. Disappeared into the night.”

“Damn.” The sheriff shook his head.

Hannah continued to brush at Liam’s cheek, “Liam, please. Talk to me.”

“Here, ma’am, let my deputy untie him.” Liam was released from the chair and helped onto the bed. The sheriff grabbed a towel from a wall hook. He had the deputy rip it in half and wet it from the water pitcher atop the dresser. The sheriff gave the damped cloth to Hannah to dab at the caked blood on Liam’s bruised face.

“Liam, please. Wake up.” She couldn’t accept the possibility that he was gone. Guilt that it was Liam’s body so bruised and lifeless tore at her sense of justice. It should have been her. “Please, Liam, come back to me.”

Tending to his own wound with the other half of the wet towel, the sheriff shook his head. “He’s been beaten something awful, I’d –

A moan silenced the sheriff. Liam’s swollen eyes fluttered and opened a slit. “Hannah?”

Fighting tears, she whispered, “I’m right here.”

Liam coughed up some blood and exhaled with a groan. His body trembled and collapsed. He stopped breathing.

Hannah screamed, “No!”

Looking up into the grim faces of the lawmen, Hannah noticed several of Coralee’s girls gathered at the door. “Get a doctor,” she yelled. “For God’s sake, get a doctor!”

Chapter 17

Finding Hope

A rap on the hotel room door brought Hannah out of a light sleep. She opened it to find a worried Daniel.

“Come in,” she smiled, trying to allay his concern.

“Damn.” Daniel swore as he rushed over to the bed and looked down at his brother’s battered face. “What happened? Is he ...” His voice broke with emotion.

Hannah moved to stand beside Daniel and touched his arm. “He’s alive. He’s sleeping. The doctor gave him laudanum for sleep while his body heals.

“When did this happen?”

“Two nights ago. We found the men who killed my husband.”

Daniel had been looking at his brother, but at Hannah’s words he turned and asked, “you’re not hurt?”

“They only hurt Liam because he was helping me.”

“Where are they now?”

“One’s dead, but one got away.”

“Liam’s going to be alright?”

“When the laudanum wears off, he’s aware of what happened and his mind seems clear. But, the doctor says he has some broken ribs and multiple bruising.”

“When the deputy arrived at Aunt Emiliana’s ranch, all he said was that Liam needed either Frank or me and to hurry.”

“Thanks for coming, Daniel.” Hannah walked to the door. “When he wakes up, he’ll feel better just seeing you.”

“Where are you going?”

“I don’t know.”

“Hannah, I don’t understand.”

“Liam will explain.”

Daniel moved to stand between Hannah and the door. “My brother stayed to help you. Looks like he took a hell of a beating, for you. Stay until he wakes up. You owe him.”

“Who’s leaving?”

Liam’s voice startled them.

“Hannah,” Daniel answered.

Liam struggled to sit up, grimacing several times with the effort. “Why?”

Hannah shook her head. “Liam, lie down.”

Muttering a curse, he swung his feet to the floor.

Hannah rushed over and tried to force him back onto the bed.

Liam gripped her hand. “Don’t leave.”

“I have to. Please, don’t make this hard. Daniel’s here to take care of you.”

“Why do you have to leave?” Liam asked.

Hannah backed away. “Liam, I’m empty. It’s like the pocket of my future has been picked. All hope has been taken from me. I have no money, no clothes and worst of all no emotions, other than hate. I’m alone, stranded from decent folks. I’m no good. You’ve seen my body.” She walked into the hall, turned and whispered, “Thank you.”

Daniel and Liam looked on in disbelief. Liam tried to stand, but his bruised legs buckled. Daniel helped him back into bed.

“Go get her.” Liam begged.

Alone in the room, Liam waited. He cursed his legs for their weakness to avoid thinking the unthinkable; Hannah was gone. One look at Daniel’s face when he reentered the room and Liam knew the unthinkable was upon him.

Daniel shook his head as he came over to the bed. He touched Liam’s shoulder. “I’m sorry. She’s gone.”

“No!” Liam moaned.

Daniel grabbed some laudanum from the bureau and urged Liam to take some. “You need to heal. Once you get your strength back, you can decide what to do.”

Liam looked at Daniel’s offering and then at the closed door. “Hannah,” he whispered as if in prayer. Finally, he turned to Daniel. “Give me the damn stuff.”

*****

Daniel paused in his pacing to look out the window. The rising sun was unforgiving as it accented his five o’clock shadow and the worry wrinkles across his forehead. Liam had slept solidly for three days, and then yesterday evening, he’d refused any laudanum. A small candle lamp emitted scant light into the darkness of the hotel room, but it was enough for Daniel to see his brother’s eyes, open and staring at the ceiling. He had tried to start conversation several times, but Liam kept his silence and stared. When dawn crept across Liam’s face, he stood up. “Let’s go home.”

“You healed enough for a full day’s ride?” Daniel watched Liam struggle into his shirt.

“I’m fine.”

“It’s only been a few days. I don’t like this.”

“I said I’m fine.” Struggling to pull on his boots, he growled. “Damn!”

“Let me help.” Daniel tugged while Liam pushed and the boots were on.

After Daniel packed a satchel, Liam looked around the empty room. When he was drugged, he’d made himself believe that it was just a bad dream that Hannah was gone. But he was drug free now and had to accept that it was true. He shook his head.
It may be true, but I can’t just let it be. I’ve got to find her.
He walked to the door. “Let’s get the hell out of here.”

*****

Daniel reined his horse. “We’ve been riding for hours. Don’t you need to rest?”

“No.” Liam spurred his horse into a trot.

“Well, damn it. I need to piss. And, I’d like to rinse my face in that stream just yonder.”

Liam turned around and followed Daniel off the dusty trail. Once nature had been taken care of and the men had swabbed their faces, Daniel claimed to be hungry and refused to continue on until he ate something. Liam tried to argue, but in truth, he knew he was pushing too hard and decided some nourishment might boost his stamina. The brothers hunkered down under a cottonwood and Daniel handed his brother some jerky. They gnawed at the dried meat in silence with Daniel watching Liam sink further into his unshared thoughts.

“Liam.”

They jumped to their feet. Hannah was standing across the stream from them.

“Hannah,” Daniel smiled.

Liam stared across the water for a few seconds and closed his eyes in fear that she was a mirage, that his desperation was playing tricks on his mind.

“Liam, I...”

He opened his eyes and extended his arms to her. “I need you, Hannah.”

Daniel backed away. “I’ll be with the horses.” Liam was blind and deaf to the world around him as he began to move toward Hannah.

His boots splashed across the shallow stream. When he reached her, he cupped her face in his hands and looked into her eyes. “I don’t care about what happened. I don’t care about the marks on your body. I don’t care that you say you have no emotions left. All I care about is being with you. I love you.”

Hannah put her hands over his. “I left because I thought I was dead inside. I was afraid I’d hurt you by staying.”

“It hurts when you’re gone.” She offered the hint of a smile that settled right into Liam’s heart. He felt dizzy with hope that she was back to stay.

“When I rode away the other day, I felt it was the right thing to do. And, while it’s not as strong now, the need to find Drake still gnaws at me. But I found myself fighting the urge to turn around and head straight back to you.”

Liam pulled her into his arms. His heart raced as she relaxed into his embrace with her breasts crushed against his chest. Her hair and skin filled his senses with a soft aroma that he’d missed and needed so desperately.

“Each day it got worse,” she continued with her lips against his shirt. “When I found this stream, I lingered. I couldn’t make myself go on. This morning, when I leaned over to rinse my face in the water, I felt clean for the first time in ages. I looked deep into my heart and I felt hope. I felt love.”

“You felt love?” He lifted her chin.

She nodded. “I love you.”

Liam kissed her. “Let’s go home?”

She kissed him back. “I’ll try to never make you sorry you asked.”

Liam took her hand and started for the horses. “Hannah, I have a feeling that with your fire and spirit, there’ll be occasions when I’ll wonder about taking you home.”

She stopped and looked up in a scowl.

He kissed her scowl away. “But, I know I’ll never be sorry.” He squeezed her hand and said a quick prayer of thanks that she squeezed back.

As they continued on, a niggle of concern was demanding his attention.
What about her obsession with Drake? She’s going to keep chasing him. Can you live with that?
Liam wasn’t sure if he could, but he was damn sure he couldn’t live without Hannah.

Chapter 18

The Kidnapping

“There it is.” Daniel’s arm made a broad sweep of the horizon. “It may not be as green as that plantation we left behind in North Carolina, but it sure is bigger.”

Liam stretched his legs, which lifted him from the saddle and he craned his neck. “How much of what I can see is Canady land?”

“All of it,” said Daniel.

The pride in his voice was not lost on Hannah. Her eyes raked the horizon as the brother’s discussed the land. She couldn’t help but compare this bouquet of colors in the red rock formations, the glistening river and the inviting terrain dotted with brush and cacti to the flat sandy plains she and Caleb had worked at taming. A sense of guilt that she had lived to see this while Caleb had been cheated tugged at her heart. Her day began to darken with regret for what would never be.

A gentle breeze brought her back to the moment with its offer of cool relief to her dusty, sweaty body. She undid the ribbon holding her hair securely behind her and let the breeze have its way. Silky strands drifted over her shoulders and fluttered against her cheeks, only to sweep back behind her again. She let them have their way as she breathed in the sun, the view and the smell of the land to help dispel her pangs of regret, at least for now. She turned to find Liam watching her.

She smiled. “It’s beautiful.”

His eyes told her that he felt the same about her. “Beautiful.”

“All right, you two. Enough of this mushy stuff. I’m hungry and Aunt Emiliana makes some mean beef stew, to-die-for biscuits and the best gravy ever.” He spurred his horse forward.

With Hannah feeling the warmth of a blush across her cheeks and Liam wearing a sly grin, the couple followed his lead.

The trio rode up to the hacienda style building that Daniel had identified as their new home. It was the centerpiece of several buildings used to store equipment, preserve foodstuff and house livestock.

When they were still a few hundred yards away, Frank rushed out onto the veranda yelling, “It’s about time!”

The look on his face turned their mood from anticipation to suspicion. All three riders dropped a hand to the pistols at their waists.

“What’s going on?” Daniel acted as spokesman for the three of them. They remained astride their mounts.

“The baby’s been taken.”

“Taken?” Liam echoed his brother’s word. He looked up to see an elderly Spanish woman, followed by a petite, middle-aged, blond woman, come from inside to stand near Frank.