The Payment (13 page)

When the buggy came closer, she suddenly
stiffened when she recognized one of the occupants. When the buggy
finally pulled up in front of her, it didn’t take a genius to guess
the other occupant who sat beside the woman. Raising her chin in
the air, she knew that this would not be a pleasant visit.

John King pulled the buggy up in front of
the woman standing on the veranda. He tied up the reins, turned,
and gave the woman an ugly sneer. “So this is the bitch that stole
your fiancé?”

A soft gasp at the man’s rudeness, India
felt her temper start to grow. “I can hazard to guess who you are
Sir, and I find you just as insufferable as your daughter. I
suggest you turn your buggy around and leave at once.”

Infuriated, grabbing the side of the buggy,
Dianne leaned forward. “See Pa, I told you she was vulgar and she’s
nothing but a whore. Good grief just look what she’s wearing, no
decent woman would ever be seen dressed in men’s pants.” Dianne
turned to her father. “And don’t forget what she did to me Pa.”
Turning back, Dianne gave the other woman a malicious look of
triumph. Knowing her father would not let this woman go
unpunished.

At his daughter’s words, John felt the rage
build up inside him. Jumping down from the buggy, he grabbed the
buggy whip and moved around the horses to stand in front of the
woman who attacked his sweet daughter. “By God you will pay for
attacking my daughter. My daughter is right you’re nothing but a
whore. Only a whore would steal another woman’s fiancé and deserves
to be punished.”

India stood frozen; she could not believe
that this man would actually strike her. Her eyes wide as she
watched him lift the whip over his head.

The feeling of righteousness on his side,
John raised the whip, held it suspended over his head. He was about
to bring it down when suddenly he froze at the sound of gunfire.
Paling, he slowly lowered his arm, turned to look behind him. He
instantly recognized one of the twins standing in front of the barn
with a smoking gun in his hand.

Numbly India collapsed against the post. Her
trembling body sagged in relief as she looked over at Traye.

Traye came out of the barn and saw old man
King with a raised whip in his hand about to strike India. Without
hesitating, he pulled his gun and fired off a warning shot. When
the old man dropped his arm, he moved forward. “If you don’t get
out of here the next bullet I’ll put in you.” His voice cold and
deadly, his eyes glittered with icy intent.

Slowly, John backed up. He could feel the
sweat bead on his brow. “You and your family will regret what you
have done to my daughter and as for your threat boy; I’m going to
make you pay for interfering.” Quickly he climbed into the buggy,
untied the reins before he spoke again. “You tell Dane he better
get himself over to my place fast. He owes me an explanation for
what he’s done to my daughter.”

After he finished speaking to the twin, he
turned back to the woman on the veranda. “And as for slut, I
suggest you pack up your things and get the hell out of here.
Because if you don’t I promise you will pay for hurting my
daughter.” With the last harsh warning, he turned the buggy around
and headed down the long drive, still fuming furiously that his
chance to strike out at the woman and make her pay interfered with.
However, he promised himself he would find a way to have his
revenge against her for hurting his daughter.

Dianne could only sit and curse their luck
that one of the twins was at home. It infuriated her that her
chance of making the woman pay was interrupted. However, she still
intended to find a way to have her revenge. With luck, she just
might find a way to have Dane as well.

Stunned she stood listening to the man’s
threat; India felt a shiver of dread go up and down her spine. She
managed to hide it as she glared back at the old man. Only when he
turned the buggy around, did she give way to her emotions. Moving
over to the nearest chair, she collapsed on to the seat and started
to shake.

Traye holstered his gun only after the buggy
went down the drive. He didn’t know what the old man might have
said to India, but it must have been something to frighten her.
When he noticed her pale and fall in a chair, he hurried forward.
He quickly bound up the steps and crouched down in front of her.
“What the hell were you thinking letting the old man get close to
you with a whip?”

India’s head snapped up and threw Traye a
disgruntled look.

Quickly dropping his gaze from hers,
Traye silently cursed when he saw her eyes shining with suppressed
anger. He couldn’t help the reaction of his body and surging to his
feet, he moved a few feet away, took of his hat and dragged his
fingers through his hair.
Lord have mercy,
a man could drown in the fire that burnt hotly in those
eyes.
Breathing harshly, he fought desperately to
gather himself together.

Finally having control over her emotions,
India grew repentant. When Traye moved away, she realized how
foolishly she behaved. “You’re right Traye, I acted thoughtlessly,
but I never thought he would have used the whip on me.”

Slowly turning around, Traye grimaced and
shook his head. “Men like King like to show how powerful they are.
What did he say to you before he left?”

Unable to meet Traye’s intense gaze, India
dropped her eyes to her hands twisting in her lap. “He ordered me
to leave, and if I didn’t he threatened to punish me for hurting
his daughter.”

“
Son of a bitch.” Traye cursed he
stared intently at India. “You ain’t going to leave are
you?”

At Traye's question, India’s shot him a smug
smile. “No damn way am I leaving, you and your brothers couldn’t
get rid of me. If you think those two can, well you’re going to be
sadly disappointed. I’m here to stay and you and everyone else
better accept the fact.”

Unable to help himself Traye threw back his
head and laughed, Dane’s wife sure had spunk.

India joined in Traye’s laughter; it felt
good to laugh after such an explosive and tense scene they just
shared together.

TWENTY-FOUR

The sun was setting when Dane, Tuff, his
brothers and the hands rode into the yard. Dane noticed his wife,
Traye, and the younger boys sitting on the veranda. He felt a
twinge of jealousy at the family scene. He shook it away when he
saw his wife stand up and stepped to the railing. He lifted his
hand in greeting and when she waved back felt a kick to his heart.
He forced himself to turn away and head inside the barn, now in a
hurry to join his wife.

Her heart beat a little faster when she saw
her husband ride in. India quickly rose to her feet. Even though
she felt happy and excited to see him, she also needed to speak to
him first, about what occurred today. She knew Traye would
exaggerate what happened and no doubt, Dane would be in a rage and
wouldn’t see sense.

After bidding the hands goodnight, Dane
walked with his brothers and Tuff back to the house. He couldn’t
help his wide grin when he saw his wife hurry down the steps and
walk quickly towards him. When she reached him, he wrapped his arms
around her and gazed down at her upturned face. He bent his head
and whispered in her ear. “I’ve been looking forward to seeing you
all day.”

India felt her heart race. “So have I.” She
whispered back, and not at all surprised when his mouth found hers,
she eagerly kissed him back.

“
For God sake you two.” Tuff grumbled
when he saw Dane and his wife smooching in the yard.

Reluctantly taking his mouth from his
wife’s, Dane sighed and moved her out of his arms. Taking her hand
in his, he led her up the steps. “There’s nothing wrong with a man
greeting his wife.” He mumbled, embarrassed.

“
Humph, I ain’t known anyone who
greets his wife more than you do.” Tuff said
sarcastically.

Everyone else laughed except Dane whose face
burned with embarrassment.

India not at all ashamed laughed softly and
squeezed her husband's hand when she saw his red face.

Traye stood up, moving forward he stopped in
front of his big brother, hooking his thumbs in his gun belt his
stance and attitude serious. “We had some visitors today. Seems
your fiancé and her Pa are right mad at yah.”

His brow furrowing, Dane eyed Traye
wondering what he meant by that remark. “What damn nonsense are you
sprouting about now Traye?”

“
Well now King and his daughter paid
your wife a visit they’re not happy with her, in fact…”

Not wanting Traye to tell Dane the details,
India quickly cut him off and gave him a good glare. “Oh it was
nothing really they didn’t stay long but her father did…”

Traye quickly suspected that India would not
tell Dane everything, and he took the first opportunity to
interrupt her. “It damn well is not nothing. The damn bastard was
going to use a whip on you woman. Hell, if I hadn’t fired that
shot, he would have struck you.”

At first Dane was having trouble following
the conversation as India and Traye kept interrupting each other in
mid sentence. However, the mention of a whip caught his attention
and when Traye finished his explanation he exploded. “I’ll kill the
bastard.” He roared.

India cringed and threw Traye an
exasperating glare. “Now look what you’ve gone and done you
fool.”

Traye, not the least contrite, pulled his
thumbs from his gun belt, folded his arms over his chest, and
returned her heated gaze with a smug smile.

Everyone else held their breaths and waited
to see what Dane would do.

When Dane looked as though he calmed down
some, Traye spoke up again. “He wants you to hightail it over there
pronto. I think he wants to discuss your engagement to his
daughter.”

King's threat to his wife filled him with a
killing rage. If the bastard had struck her, he would have killed
the fool. Dane turned to her and saw how worried she looked. He
forced himself try to calm down, but it still lay there buried deep
inside of him.

“
Are you all right sweetheart?” He
took her in his arms and held her close; he buried his face against
the side of her head. He shuddered to think what could have
happened to her if Traye hadn’t been around.

Her worry lessening, India nodded her head
and cuddled closer to her husband.

Tuff sighed in relief, with a quick motion
of his hand led the boys inside the house knowing Dane and his wife
needed a few moments of privacy.

Once they were alone, Dane shifted his wife
slightly away and stared down at her intently. “Tell me everything
the bastard said to you India and by God woman don’t you dare leave
anything out.”

She knew she did not have a choice but to
tell him everything. India quickly told him all that happened. She
cringed when she saw his golden eyes turn cold, and she felt a
shiver run up her spine when she felt the fury emanating from them.
It frightened her that he might do something foolish, she clutched
the sleeves of his shirt tightly. “Dane please it’s nothing. I’m
sure in a few days they’ll realize how foolish they behaved.”

Dane tore himself from his wife, pulled off
his hat and slapped it hard against his thigh, breathing heavily he
stood glaring up at the sky. He felt the rage consuming him,
pulsing throughout his body; he intended to make King and his
daughter pay for threatening his wife. With that thought in mind,
he spun around and raced down the steps towards the barn.

Frightened at the waves of anger coming from
Dane, India stood wringing her hands together as she watched him
stride hurriedly towards the barn. She could not let him go of like
this; Lord knew what foolish thing he might do. With that thought
in mind, she picked up her skirts and dashed after him. There would
be only one way she could think of that would likely cool the anger
that consumed him.

Dane, about to lift his saddle off the
railing, felt his wife’s arms slip around him; he dropped the
saddle back down and turned around intending to free himself.

Time to be bold, India told herself when
Dane spun around to face her. She moved her hand down and started
unbuttoning the front of his pants. As each button came undone, she
could see the coldness and anger start to leave her husband's
eyes.

When he felt his wife’s hand drop to his
crotch, Dane stilled, his breath trapped in his throat. As each
button came free, his heartbeat accelerated. He felt the blood pump
through his veins. His groin started to throb as he started to
harden and grow. When he felt the soft touch of his wife’s hand
wrap around his growing hardness, only then did the breathe hiss
out of him.

His anger disappeared and he was now filled
with wild hot passion. A deep growl rumbling in his chest, he swept
his wife up in his arms and carried her to a clean stall. Placing
her back on her feet, his eyebrows shot up when he saw her tearing
frantically at her clothing.

India sighed in relief but swiftly the
feeling turned to intense desire. This might have started out just
to calm her husband, but now she couldn’t think of anything else
but having him buried deeply inside her.

TWENTY-FIVE

For a moment, Dane stood watching his wife
remove her clothing. Then with another growl rumbling in his chest,
he tore at his own. With only his denims left to remove, he watched
his wife lay down on her skirt in the clean hay. My God, she looked
so damn beautiful, and he could not wait to be inside her again.
Shucking his pants, he fell down beside her. Unable to hold himself
back any longer, he claimed one of her perfect breasts drawing it
into his mouth.

India let out a lusty cry when Dane fell
beside her and captured her breast inside his mouth. She lifted her
arms and wrapping one around him, the other went to the back of his
head and her fingers threaded through his hair. She never would
have thought that seducing her husband would be so exciting.