Authors: Destiny's Surrender
Senora Ruiz returned with her daughter.
She had such innocence and beauty all he could think about was stripping her bare, throwing her on a bed and taking her in all the many ways a woman could be had. “Good afternoon,” he said.
She gave him an almost imperceptible nod in response.
“Mr. DuChance wants to ask you something,” her mother said.
“And that is?”
“You met a woman and a child at the Yates ranch. Describe her for me, if you would.”
The girl hesitated.
“Answer him!” her mother snapped.
And from the description the daughter gave in her quiet voice, Prince knew it was Billie. He thanked the saints for their grace.
Senora Ruiz viewed him with excited eyes. “Is it the same woman?”
“Yes.”
Rosaline looked between the two and asked, “What is this about?”
Her mother answered, “The woman who bore Andrew Yates’s bastard is wanted by the police for theft.” She looked so elated Prince thought she might actually jump up and down with glee.
“Is there anything else?” the girl asked.
“No.”
She exited.
Her mother didn’t seem to notice. “You will see that the police know where she is?”
Prince turned from watching the space where the girl disappeared. “Yes, just as soon as I leave you.” He wanted her daughter. Badly. But that desire had to be set aside for the moment.
Senora Ruiz said, “So, shall we discuss an extension on my repayment?”
“Of course.”
“What are the conditions?”
“Your daughter. I want her in my bed for a month. That should be ample time for her to work off your debt.”
“No!”
“I will be back within the hour. Have her ready or have what is owed.”
“You will roast in hell.”
“And by the time I’m finished with the girl, she’ll be right beside me.” He bowed. “Until my return . . .”
Laughing, he exited.
D
rew and Cassius were just readying to close the office for the day, when Rosaline Ruiz rushed in. “Oh, Drew, you must help me!”
His surprise at seeing her was immediately replaced with concern upon seeing the fear she exuded. The duenna Senora Martinez, mirroring a similar fright, stood in the doorway.
“You must help me get out of the city!”
“Whoa. Hold on. What’s happened?”
In a rush she told him a story that left him cold. Not only had her mother revealed Billie’s location to DuChance, the man was demanding Rosaline as payment for some sort of debt her mother owed. “I was listening on the other side of the door after I left them. Oh, Drew, please. Where can I go?”
He looked to Cassius. “I’ll need you to take the carriage and drive the women to Otis. Tell him to drive you to San Jose and catch the train to Los Angeles. I’ll give you money for the tickets.” Otis sometimes functioned as Drew’s driver and as Drew spoke he was writing frantically on a piece of paper, which he handed to Cassius. “When you get to Los Angeles, you’re to go to that address. It’s my cousin Alfredo. Rosaline, tell him the story and have him take you and your aunt to my great-aunt Felicity in Monterey. You’ll be safe there until you decide what you wish to do next.”
Cassius asked, “Should I come back here?”
“No. You go home to your family in Virginia. I don’t want you anywhere near San Francisco when DuChance finds her gone, because he’ll come here first.”
“But—”
“I’ll be closing the office.”
Rosaline said, “Drew, I’m so sorry that you have to close your office because of me.”
“Has nothing to do with you Rosa. Billie isn’t wanted for theft. She’s wanted because DuChance wants to sell our son.”
Her eyes widened.
“One last thing,” he said to them. “If you run into problems along the way, defer to Otis. He was with the Ninth and he’s good with a gun.”
They nodded.
They looked scared, but he had no remedy, nor could he accompany them. His duty lay with protecting his son. After pulling money from the safe, he handed it to Cassius. “Get going. Rosa, send a wire to the ranch when you get to Monterey.”
She nodded.
Senora Martinez had tears in her eyes. “How will we ever repay you?”
“No payment is necessary. Just take care of yourselves.”
Rosaline placed a kiss on his cheek. “Thank you, Andrew.”
“You’re welcome.”
They departed.
Drew locked the office, climbed the stairs to his apartment and began packing for the journey home. What in the world possessed Emmalina Ruiz to deal with a snake like DuChance? He had no answer but was furious that she’d exposed Billie’s location. Lips tight with anger, he hoped DuChance wasn’t already on his way to Destiny. Anyone wanting to harm a member of the family would have to go through Logan and Alanza first; a formidable duo, but he wouldn’t be able to relax until he arrived to offer his own guns. Speaking of which, he took down his gun belt and strapped it on. He fed both Colts then shoved them home. Cursing Emmalina again, he carried his bags back down to his office. He needed to get his client files before leaving.
He’d just tucked them away when he heard what sounded like someone trying to kick the door in. Quickly closing the bag, he drew one of the Colts and waited. Seconds later, the door crashed in, followed by two men wielding knives. Drew calmly shot them both.
Logan arrived on the heels of that. He took one look at the men writhing on the office floor, then another over at the grim set of Drew’s face and said, “Guess you don’t need my help.”
“Not at the moment.”
The men moaning and bleeding from their bullet-shattered knees yelled at Drew to get them a doctor but he wasn’t in the mood.
“Who sent you?” he demanded, walking over to where they lay.
They spat curses.
Drew’s Colt barked again. Screams rose.
“Did you not hear my question!”
One of the men cried out, “He’ll kill us if we talk!”
“So you want me to kill you instead? Last chance.” He drew the hammer back and the men shouted in unison, “DuChance! It was DuChance! Oh God, please! Get us a doc!”
“Why’d he send you?”
“To bring back the Ruiz girl and to dispose of you.”
Pleased that they’d finally told the truth, Drew now wanted them gone. “More than likely someone nearby heard the shots and has summoned the police, so I suggest you leave if you don’t wish to go to jail.”
“But we can’t walk, you bastard!”
He shrugged. “Roll, slither, crawl—up to you. I’m letting you live, surely I don’t need to help them exit as well, do I Logan?”
“No. I think they’re big boys, they can probably make it on their own, but they should tell their boss to come himself next time and not send little girls.”
Suddenly, Mr. Volga, Drew’s landlord, rushed in armed with an old hunting rifle. He was a big burly man from the old country, as he often described himself. “I heard shots! Are you all right, Mr. Yates?” He suddenly noticed the men on the floor eyeing him with fright. “These vermin shoot at you?”
“No, I shot them. They came to rob me.”
His eyes widened. He then saw the door. “They did this!”
Drew nodded.
“I should shoot you, myself. Look at my door!” he cried.
The men cowered and tried to slide away.
“Did someone go for the police?” he asked Drew.
“I’m letting them go. I think they’ve learned their lesson. I’ll pay you for the door.”
Mr. Volga didn’t appear satisfied, but nodded. “I’ll get the missus to take care of this mess on the floor, too.”
“Thank you.” Drew turned his attention back to DuChance’s thugs. “Time to go, boys, if you want to beat the police.”
If eyes could curse, the air would’ve been blue, but the men managed to stand. Faces creased with pain, they hobbled as best they could past the angry Mr. Volga and out into the hall. Next came the sound of thumps followed by cries and moans as if one or both had taken a tumble down the long flight of stairs. Drew walked over to the window and looked down at the street in time to see them being helped into the bed of a wagon by a third man who quickly drove them away.
“Are you sure you are all right?” Mr. Volga asked again.
“I am.” Drew reached into his pocket and peeled off enough bills to handle the door’s repair and a few extra for Mrs. Volga as a thank-you for mopping up the small show of blood.
After the money was exchanged, Drew added, “I’m going to be gone for a few weeks. My grandmother in Mexico has taken ill. Would you be kind enough to collect my mail?”
“I will. I wish your grandmother a long life.”
“Thank you.”
Mr. Volga took one last look at the door. Muttering under his breath and shaking his head, he departed.
Logan cracked, “Never knew the life of a big city lawyer was so exciting.”
“Bastards,” Drew groused and in a somewhat lighter tone asked, “What are you doing here?”
“Alanza sent me to fetch you. She’s been putting off the birthday celebration for our children until your return and she’s grown tired of waiting.”
Drew’s lips tightened. “How’s Billie?”
“Fine. Has Alanza and Mariah wrapped around her finger. Tom Foster, too.”
“Tom Foster?”
“Yes. Saved him from a bear.”
“What?” He waved off further response. “Never mind. You can tell me on the train ride home.”
Logan looked confused. “What? Wait. I just got here. I wasn’t planning on going back until tomorrow.”
“Sorry, but I was on my way home when those thugs showed up. Thanks to Emmalina Ruiz, their boss now knows Billie and the baby are at the ranch and he’s probably on his way there.”
“So the story Billie told us about someone being after her is true?”
“Didn’t believe her, I take it?”
Logan shook his head.
“Well, we can rehearse your apology on the train. Let’s go.”
At the train station, Drew kept his eyes open for DuChance or anyone else who appeared overly interested in his presence while he purchased the tickets. When the train arrived, he and Logan boarded. Opting for the smoking car, they chose a table in the back to give themselves some privacy. Once the whistle sounded to announce the departure from the station, they relaxed, purchased a drink, and Drew filled his brother in on the eventful day. When he finally finished, he cracked, “So yes, this lawyer’s life has been very exciting—not that I’m going to be a lawyer for much longer.”
“What’s that mean?”
Drew told him about his visit with Judge Ross.
Logan sat back and let out a sigh. “Do you think this country will ever live up to its Declaration of Independence, especially the clause that states: all men are created equal?”
“Probably not in our lifetime,” Drew replied. “But my future with the law isn’t an issue right now. My main concern is DuChance.”
“As well it should be. Sending Rosaline and her duenna to Alfredo was good thinking. I’d like to wring Emmalina’s neck. Any idea why she borrowed the money in the first place?”
“No.” And in the scheme of things it didn’t matter. Rosaline was on her way to safety and he hoped his help in its own small way made up for the embarrassment and hurt she’d no doubt suffered over the cancelation of their engagement. It was also his hope that one day she’d find a man who truly loved her instead of settling for her as he’d done. He hadn’t settled for Billie however; she’d been sent by the Fates, or better yet as a laugh from
Tlazolteotl,
the goddess of lust and sexual misdeeds. Their coming together had been akin to lightning sparking dry grass, but he didn’t want anything to happen to her or the baby, especially not at the hands of Prince DuChance. “Now tell me about this bear?”
And when Logan ended the tale, Drew stared in speechless amazement.
Logan said, “It was touch and go with Tom for a while. He lost a lot of blood, but he’s on the mend now. He’s been singing Billie’s praises all over the county. Everywhere I go, people are talking about your sharpshooting wife, and the more the tale spreads, the bigger the bear gets. One of the ranch hands said he heard the grizzly stood fifteen feet tall.”
Drew found this incredible.
“And in the meantime, she’s giving shooting lessons to some of the women, Mariah included.”
Drew’s confusion climbed higher.
“Tom wanted her to teach Amanda how to handle a rifle. Some of the other ranchers wanted their wives to learn, too, and it took off from there. Tom thinks so highly of your wife, I swear if he wasn’t already married he’d be challenging you to pistols at dawn for Billie’s hand.”
Drew’s drink caught in his throat and he began to cough.
Logan leaned over and slapped him on the back. “It’s been an interesting ten days, to say the least.”
Billie was so bone tired on the drive home she could hardly hold on to Duchess’s reins. She’d spent the afternoon planting eight rosebushes on the church’s property and the work had taken its toll. The plants were sent over courtesy of Tom Foster. As his way of thanking her for running the bear off, he had his hands scouring the countryside for rosebushes. The three he’d sent her a few days ago were planted near Alanza’s patio. The two that arrived yesterday were put in by Mariah’s front door. She knew he was grateful, and she appreciated the gifts; however, when eight new bushes were delivered by one of his hands that morning, she’d told the man to tell Mr. Foster, no more please. She’d had her fill of digging holes, manure, and being bitten by thorns for the season.
Tomorrow another shooting lesson was planned. She didn’t mind helping the women learn how to handle a gun; being able to protect themselves was a necessity, but she dearly hoped it rained all day so she could stay indoors and let herself be worn out by chasing Tonio instead.
The opened gates of Destiny were a joy to see, and each time she drove through them she felt welcomed home. For a woman who’d spent her formative years living hand-to-mouth on the hurly-burly streets of Kansas City, the reality of all the ranch represented—permanence, safety, family, caring—had been foreign, but it hadn’t taken long for those ideals to work their way into her blood. She felt a part of it now. Who knew that shooting at a bear would result in her being embraced by the community. The
good
women of the valley were not only seeking her out for rifle lessons but asking if she’d stop by and look in on their roses as well. She supposed because the place was so small, news traveled fast, but the story about her and the bear seemed to have spread like wildfire. Even people at Alanza’s church in Sacramento had heard about it, and Mariah said the incident was a burning topic with her customers as well. Billie shook her head. This was something.
As she drove to the stables, she mused on the only real problem in her life. Drew. He continued to be a different type of thorn. So far, he hadn’t come back from San Francisco and she hadn’t been pleased to learn that Alanza had dispatched Logan to make him do so. Billie agreed that his presence was warranted at his son’s first birthday celebration, but she was certain he hadn’t known about the event. If he had he may well have returned of his own volition. Now, all she expected was polite distance and resentment.
When she reached the stables she stopped the wagon and climbed down on sore legs. Handing off the reins to one of the stable hands, she started towards the house. Seeing Drew standing silently and watching her approach caused her to slow and then stop. She took in a deep breath to steady her wildly beating heart and resumed her steps. “Hello Drew.”
“Billie.”
Physically he was still as devastatingly handsome as he’d always been, but necessity had prompted her to store her feelings for him in the cellar of her heart and that’s where they remained. “Thanks for coming back.”
“Alanza didn’t give me much choice.”
“You could’ve chosen to ignore her.”
“Agreed, but he is my son and I was already on my way here when Logan arrived.”
She wanted to think that it was because he decided to try and make a go of their marriage but she doubted that had anything to do with his reason.