Forever Eva [Sequel to When Kat's Away] (Siren Publishing Ménage Amour) (2 page)

“Will you be okay there alone? I don’t know when David and Win will be back.”

Eva pushed her mother toward the door. “I’ll be fine, Mama. I like the quiet when everybody’s gone. It’s peaceful compared to our house.”

“Okay, but you lock up when you get there and get yourself on home as soon as they get back. Make one of your brothers walk you home. I don’t want you out too late by yourself.”

Eva groaned. “Mama, it’s not that far. We’re only a few houses away. What could possibly happen in that short a walk?”

Anna snorted and opened the door. “I thank the Lord every day that you don’t know the answer to that question.” She stepped out onto the boardwalk and glanced back over her shoulder. “Mind me, girl, and get yourself home as quick as you can tonight.”

Eva smiled. “Okay, Mama. I’ll hurry on home as soon as they get back.” Anna nodded and walked away, her shoes loud on the wooden boardwalk. Eva glanced down the main dirt road of Hamilton. All the hitching posts were empty except the ones in front of the mercantile at the end of the street. The clang of an iron hammer drifted through the large double doors of the livery, competing with the barking of a dog somewhere behind the building. Grinning, she closed the door and then pulled the brown curtains across the room’s only window. “Mama’s wrong. I know there’s a pair of men out there that destiny is saving just for me.” With a lightened heart, she clasped the locket between her fingers and headed back to the kitchen.

* * * *

Timothy Canders watched Kat with a feeling of hatred. He had a leather belt rolled around his hand, leaving an eight-inch strip hanging down. His father had been a disgrace to their family. Bart Canders had set fire to the Belmont Mill to destroy the proof he’d been stealing from them, and then left one of his painted ladies there, beaten and helpless, to get rid of her. Anna had somehow found out and been there to stop him, alerting the town before the fire could get out of control. When he’d kidnapped her to find out how she’d known about the fire, he’d discovered she came from the future. She’d escaped from his clutches, and he’d been hanged for his crimes, but not before he’d told his family about the woman from the future.

Timothy had tried for several years to get close to the family by courting Eva, but she wouldn’t have anything to do with him. When Kat had suddenly appeared, saying she was a friend of the family, he knew she had to be from the future, too. He’d kidnapped her and brought her to a remote cave, determined to make her tell him everything she knew.

“Now, I’m gonna ask you again, but it’s the last time I’m gonna ask nicely.” He took a step closer, hitting the strap against his palm.

Kat struggled to her feet, her hands tied with a rope in front of her body. She took a couple of steps back and came in contact with the wall of the cave.

“How did you and Anna travel here from the future?” He began walking steadily toward her.

She shook her head and sobbed. “I swear to you I don’t know. We were vacationing in Hamilton in our time and went to check out the old saloon. One minute we were knee-deep in cobwebs, and then this glowy red thing sucked us in and dropped us in the basement at the Silver Rush. That’s all I know, I swear.”

“So you’re telling me something in the Silver Rush’s basement is what brought you here.”

“I don’t know for sure. I just know that’s where both of us ended up.”

“That actually explains a lot. I’ve often wondered why Anna and her men didn’t move away from this dead town years ago.” He smiled. “She wanted to be close to the Silver Rush to wait for you.”

“You’re wrong. She didn’t have any way of knowing I’d follow her.”

“Then she’s been staying close so she could go home when she got tired of being here.” He looked up and down Kat’s body and smiled, then narrowed his eyes. He raised his arm and dramatically slapped the belt against his own thigh, the pop echoing in the small cavern. “Now, Miss Evans, I wanna know how to make this glowy red thing take me back to your time.”

“I don’t know, I swear. Don’t you think I would have gone home by now if I knew how to make it work? It’s like it has a mind of its own and only brings certain people here.”

Timothy raised his arm, the leather hanging menacingly down. “Last chance, Miss Evans. Are you gonna tell me what I wanna know, or do I give you a good strapping?”

“I’m telling you the truth,” she sobbed. “I can’t tell you what I don’t know.” She screamed when he brought the leather strap down hard against her lower leg. She screamed again when he pulled back for another blow, the belt slicing across the back of her thigh. Dropping down, Kat curled into a ball, covering the top of her head.

Timothy turned, his breath catching in his throat, when he heard a warlike cry. His blood turned to ice when Win rushed into the cave. He glanced toward his gun belt lying on the rocks near the small fire. He lunged toward the belt at the same time Win tackled him. They fought, rolling across the ground over the small blaze. He didn’t feel any burn it was so fast. They pummeled each other with fists, but Timothy couldn’t get the advantage.

“David,” Win called out.

Timothy knew he had to get away before David arrived. He raised his arm and punched the side of Win’s head. The Indian’s grip loosened, and Timothy slipped away.

“I’m coming in, Win,” David yelled. “Don’t shoot me.”

Timothy jumped to his feet and raced toward the hidden opening and darkness at the back of the cave.

* * * *

Eva unlocked the door at the Silver Rush and went inside. The room was dark, with only one window to let in light. She’d checked off and on all day watching for her brothers, but now it was getting dark, and she’d decided to go and get some food ready for when they got home. She took a moment to light the small lantern on the bar and turned sharply when she heard a noise coming from somewhere in the house.

“Is anybody here?” She started walking slowly down the darkened hall toward the side door. “Is anybody here?” she called again. When she passed the small closet her brothers used for storage, someone jumped out and grabbed her. His hand clasped firmly over her mouth while a gun pressed against her side.

“Be quiet now, Eva. I don’t wanna hurt you, but I will if you don’t mind what I say.”

She continued to struggle, her nails digging into his arm where it lay across her chest, his palm smashed flat against her lips. She recognized Timothy’s voice. When she sunk her teeth into his palm, he pressed the gun harder against her ribs.

“Stop it right now, girl, or your family will be planning a burying come morning.”

She stilled, but her fingers remained bedded in his arm.

He leaned close to her ear. “I’m gonna let you go, but you better know I won’t hesitate to put a bullet in you if you make a sound.” He pulled her tighter against his chest with the hand covering her mouth. “Do you promise to be quiet?”

She swallowed hard right before she nodded as much as his hand allowed. Slowly, he loosened his fingers allowing her to take a deep, rasping breath. “You nearly killed me, you damn fool. I couldn’t breathe.”

“Girl, you talk worse than the men at the mine. Didn’t your mama teach you any manners?” He pulled her down the hall and into the dimly lit kitchen.

Eva jerked away and glared at Timothy. “Didn’t yours teach you to keep your hands to yourself? What are you doing here, Timothy? I already told you I’m not interested in seeing you in a social way.”

“Don’t flatter yourself, little girl. I’m not here for you.”

She crossed her arms over her chest and narrowed her eyes. “Then why are you here?”

He reached over and grabbed her upper arm before she could pull away. “Your brother and that good-for-nothing Injun will be here soon.”

A feeling of fear washed over Eva. “What do you want with my brothers? They’ve never done anything to you.”

He let her go and pulled a match from his pocket and lit the kerosene lamp on the table. He pulled her closer, holding the light near his face. “Who do you think messed me up?” A large bruise, along with some swelling surrounded one of his eyes, the bruise distending down his cheek.

Eva snickered. “What’d you do to earn it?”

Timothy pushed her toward the stove. “Make yourself useful and make me something to eat. Eggs will do, and some biscuits if you’ve got any leftovers.”

Eva grabbed a match, lit a second kerosene lantern, and then pulled open the door of the large wood-burning stove. The boys always left it ready for a new fire. It didn’t take her long to get a blaze going. She moved the skillet to the front of the stove, dropped a spoonful of butter into it, and reached to grab the bowl of eggs they kept on the table. “Well, I’m cooking. What did you do to earn that black eye you’re developing?” She cracked three eggs into the warming skillet.

“Let’s just say the Injun didn’t appreciate the way I was questioning his woman.”

Eva gasped. “You did something to Kat? What’d you do? Is she all right?”

“Settle down, missy. I didn’t hurt her none permanent. Gave her a strapping to loosen up her tongue.”

“If you really did strap Kat, you’d better get on your horse and get as far away from here as you can. Win and David will put a rope around your neck if you’ve hurt Kat.” She began to scramble the eggs, and took two of the biscuits they’d left under a towel on a plate and placed them in the warmer at the side of the stove.

“Your brother and that redskin don’t scare me. I’m gonna be waiting right here when they get home.”

“What do you want with them?” Eva flinched when he raised his hand and smoothed the hair across the top of her head.

“Never you mind. It’s between me and that woman of theirs.”

Eva’s hand came up to lightly clasp around her throat as her eyes lowered. “You’re crazy, Timothy, as crazy as your father was.”

“Don’t you say one word about my father. He wasn’t crazy. He knew your ma was from another time, and all he wanted to do was prove it. They wouldn’t let him say one word the night they came for him. He pleaded for them to listen, and they just laughed.”

“You were there when he died?” asked Eva.

Timothy’s jaw tightened as he glared at her. “Yes, I was there. They insisted me and my ma both watch. Said it would be a good lesson for his son. Said maybe I’d turn out better if I could see what happens to men that don’t follow the law.”

Eva laid her hand gently on his arm. “I’m sorry you had to witness that. It wasn’t right for them to make you watch.” She turned and poured the scrambled eggs onto a plate, added the biscuits, and walked over and set it on the table.

Timothy pointed to the empty chair, and Eva sat down. He dropped into a chair and picked up a fork. He shoveled a couple of bites into his mouth and then frowned. “They dragged him out of that shack we called home and tied a rope around his neck. Ma pleaded and begged, but they wouldn’t listen. Threw that rope over a tree in front of his own house and strung him up. The whole thing didn’t take more than a few minutes. He cursed them as long as he could, and then he just choked, his eyes getting wider and wider. Then, he got really still, just swinging slowly back and forth. They didn’t even have the decency to take him down after he was dead. My ma had to get his horse to get high enough to cut the rope around his neck.” He pushed the half-empty plate away and glared at Eva.

She patted his hand awkwardly, fumbling for the right words, feeling sorrow for the scared little boy he must have been. “Timothy, you can’t…”

“Quiet!” Timothy quickly blew out the lights in the kitchen, leaving the soft glow from the lantern on the bar in the other room.

Eva heard the sound of voices and bit back a yelp when Timothy grabbed her arm, yanking her from the chair. He pressed the gun against her side. “Not one word. If you give me away, I’ll shoot one of them first, and then you. I’ll make sure I take one of your brothers down with me. Do you understand?” he whispered.

Eva nodded and glanced fearfully toward the door.

Moving quickly, Timothy turned down the wick on the last lantern and pulled Eva to the kitchen door, keeping them to the side in the shadows. The front door opened, and she could hear Kat’s voice.

“What do you mean, a mistake?” Kat walked into the saloon and glanced around.

Win followed David inside. “If we tell the sheriff what happened, he’ll have a lot of questions we can’t answer.” Win laid his hand on Kat’s shoulder. “I think it’s best if we handle this ourselves and don’t tell him anything.”

“Now that’s the smartest thing I’ve ever heard you say, Injun boy.” Timothy watched as they all turned toward the kitchen door.

“Eva, did he hurt you?” asked Kat.

* * * *

Timothy laughed and glanced down at Eva. Tears were streaming down her face. “Not yet, but if you don’t do what I say, I’m gonna hurt her bad.”

David moved to stand next to Kat. “What do you want, Timothy?”

“That’s Mr. Canders to you, boy.” He used his gun to motion toward the bar. “Both of you put your guns over there and move over to the cellar door.” David and Win glanced at each other and then moved to the bar. Slowly, they laid their Colt 45s on the polished surface. “Good, now move over to the cellar door.” He pushed his gun firmly into Eva’s side, causing her to cry out. “Don’t try anything funny, or she’ll be the first one I’ll kill.”