The Payment (5 page)

A few hours rest then he’ll ride out again.
He wanted to be there to greet his wife when the train arrived at
the next town. It might be wrong but he looked forward to seeing
the look on her face when she saw him waiting for her. Yes sirry,
she is going to be in for one hell of a surprise.

As time passed and he still couldn’t sleep,
he cursed loud and long. He might as well saddle his horse and keep
on riding. Getting up, he quickly packed his gear away and saddled
his horse.

He might as well do his thinking as he rode
along, and he did have plenty of thinking to do. God how could he
have made such a blasted mess of things? If only his wife would
meet him half way, he felt positive that they would at least have a
half way decent marriage.

Even though surrounded by his brothers over
the last few years he started to feel lonely. He even started to
envy the men he knew who were married. He wondered what it would be
like to have a wife to come home to after a long tiring day, a wife
who would listen to his concerns and worries.

A wife that would snuggle her softness up to
him each night while they slept and would wake up in his arms in
the morning. Yes, for some time he often thought about marrying and
when he saw India, he knew she would be the only woman he would
want as his wife.

Could he have made a terrible mistake? No,
he shook his head, something in his gut told him that if he managed
to get past her anger and pain, he will find the real woman, one he
felt would make his life complete. Over the last few days, when she
was unaware he noticed her looking at him with regret and
longing.

Tuff is right. He could only blame himself
for this mess, and he grew determined that he would clean it up.
With luck, he would have the wife he wanted. He also hoped that
with her living in the house, both his youngest brothers, Tye and
Mason, would experience the gentleness of a woman for once in their
lives.

Ah hell, all this is just speculation. Until
he found his wife, he would just have to wait and see. At least
this will give them time alone. They could try to come to an
understanding. If not he didn’t know what the hell he would do.

He admitted he didn’t want to let her go. He
intended to try everything he could to keep her and hoped like hell
he would succeed.

Dane finally reached Victoria just a few
minutes before the train pulled into the station. Keeping out of
sight, he watched the passengers leave the train and finally
spotted his wife. When she went inside the eatery, he quickly saw
her horse taken from the train as well as her bags. He leaned
against the building and waited for her to come out.

After eating and seeing to her personal
needs, India stepped outside. She was about to return to the train
when she saw her husband slowly walking towards her.

Her hand fluttered to her throat in fear and
apprehension. How did he manage to arrive here so quickly? The
thought floated through her mind as she searched for some escape.
When she noticed Lightening, her shoulders sagged in defeat.

In long purposeful strides, Dane reached his
wife and none too gently took her arm. “I hope you enjoyed a
pleasant trip sweetheart. Now it’s time to go home.”

Filled with alarm and trembling, India
didn’t miss seeing the blazing anger coming from his golden eyes.
She wondered what he would do to her when they were alone. She took
one more desperate look around and thought perhaps she might have
some small chance of escaping. When she felt the fingers on her arm
tighten even more, she knew there would be no more running
away.

“
I wouldn’t try it if I were you. I’m
sure you're as reluctant as I am to cause a scene. Now I suggest
you come along, and we’ll discuss this somewhere private.” Dane
warned her in a cold chilling voice.

He hid his surprise that he didn’t have to
drag her over to her horse. When they reached the animals, he
picked her up and roughly tossed her on top. Keeping hold of the
reins, he mounted his own horse and rode out of town.

Only able to hold onto the saddle horn,
India let her husband guide her horse without protest. She did
wonder where Tuff and Jasper were and how her husband managed to
find her so quickly. He must have ridden all night to be here
waiting for her arrival.

She never thought he cared enough to come
after her. What a fool, not to consider his ego, or that she was
payment for the debt her brother owed him. It’s what got her into
this blasted mess in the first place. It didn’t look as if she
would be getting out of it any time soon. If at all.

Dane ignored his wife and set a steady pace,
he wanted to catch up with Tuff and Jasper before they managed to
get too far ahead. Not once during the long day did he turn to look
at his wife. Now, he only felt too damn angry and disappointed. He
hoped by the time they made camp he would be in a more amiable
mood.

He tipped his hat back, gazed up at the sky,
and grunted. His gazed dropped, and he started to look for
somewhere to camp. Finding a spot just up ahead, he slowed his
horse down. Gazing behind him, he shook his head. Damn fool woman,
why didn’t she say she needed a rest?

India hung on to the saddle horn, exhausted,
thirsty, and feeling immensely sorry for herself. However, she
would rather bite her tongue off before she asked her husband to
stop and let her rest. Even if she did ask, she doubted that he
would stop or show her any more consideration. Not after she kept
throwing it back in his face.

With a heavy sigh of tiredness and defeat,
she bowed her head and hoped they might stop soon. Then again, she
didn’t want him to stop. She definitely did not look forward to the
coming confrontation. She couldn’t stop her apprehension growing
over what he would to do to her.

All she could do is pray he wouldn’t turn
violent. Hopefully she might find a way to convince him how
senseless this marriage is and let her go.

NINE

As soon as he stopped his horse, Dane slid
another gaze at his wife and saw her sagging in the saddle. Damn
foolish woman, he silently mumbled. Swinging off his horse he went
around the animal and placing his hands on his wife’s waist, lifted
her down. He turned away, ignoring the forlorn and apprehensive
look on her face. He refused to feel sorry at how dejected and
pitiful or afraid she looked. She bought this on herself.

India stood with her head bowed biting her
bottom lip. She became more fearful as each minute ticked by in
silence.

After pulling off the saddle Dane looked
over his shoulder and his mouth tightened into a hard line. “Don’t
just stand there. Collect some wood and start a fire. For God’s
sake, don’t try anything stupid. My patience is at an end. I won’t
put up with any more nonsense from you.”

Unable to prevent herself from jumping at
the harsh voice and the words whipping at her, India quickly spun
around and hurriedly moved off to gather some wood. No matter how
much she wanted to tell him to go to hell, she knew it would be
wiser to keep her words to herself. It didn’t take her long to
gather enough wood. Once she started the fire, she sat down on a
fallen log and stared at the flames.

She grew more worried and frightened as time
passed. The waiting to find out what her husband would do to her
now that they were alone, made her tremble inside and out. Lord she
never thought he would come after her, well he did. Now she will
have to face the consequences.

Finished seeing to the horses, Dane stood
and studied his wife. At least she is being biddable for once, but
he didn’t expect it to last too long. The longer he stared at her;
he could feel the familiar flames of desire lick through him. He
silently cursed when he felt himself start to harden.

He slammed his eyes shut and drew in a long
harsh breath in an attempt to squelch his growing lust. An
impossible feat, it grew too strong and he could feel the bulge
start to stretch the front of his pants. God damn it, he grumbled
and opening his eyes, he spun around picked up the saddlebags and
her bags and moved to the fire.

“
Go down to the river and wash up.” He
growled out as he dropped her bags on the ground by her feet. After
he hunkered down, opened one of the saddlebags, and started to pull
out the coffee pot and pan to start supper.

Relieved to have time away from the foul
tempered brute, India reached out and picked up her bags, she
jumped to her feet and hurried towards the stream. She was grateful
to be away from him and the anger simmering inside of him.

Once his wife left, Dane sat back on his
heels and let out a heavy sigh. Tonight, one way or another, their
future will be decided. Because once they reached Sherman, either
she would be put on the train for home, or he would take her home
with him. If they could not come to some arrangement between them,
he didn’t see much point in continuing their marriage.

He did not like the idea of letting her go,
but what choice would he have? As things were, he could not take
her home to his brothers with this hostility between them. His
disappointment grew, he hoped by now there would be some peace
between them and some intimacy. Letting out a heartfelt sigh, he
didn’t like it, but he might just have to admit defeat.

The dissatisfaction he felt was great. More
than anything, he hoped his marriage would have worked out, even if
it wasn’t what she wanted and the way he forced her to marry him.
Hell, he admitted to being a damn fool to even think it might have
a chance. Well, once they talked tonight, he would make his
decision. He hoped like hell that he never came to regret it in the
future.

Down at the stream, India took her time,
definitely in no hurry to return to camp and face her husband. She
knew that when she did there would probably be an ugly
confrontation. It still amazed her that he actually came after her.
It confused her too. Did he really want their marriage to work? It
seemed that he did, and it puzzled her. Yet she could not stop the
little thrill that rushed through her at the thought.

Lord the man kept confusing her and stirring
emotions inside her. She refused to acknowledge those feelings, and
she vigorously shook her head and grimaced. It would be foolish to
have any feeling towards him after what he forced her to do. Yet
she admitted that from the moment, she saw him, she felt an
attraction towards him. She even confessed that the powerful size
and his stunning good looks made her a little breathless.

However, what he did to her, she doubted she
could ever forgive him. She did not like to think what their future
would be like since he refused to let her go. Her eyes closed as
she thought of all the years to come living with this man without
any love or happiness between them. A very gloomy picture it made,
and she forced it away.

Her only hope is that he might see sense and
realize he made a mistake and let her go. With a heavy despondent
sigh, she finished undressing and stepped into the water to bath
away the dust.

Dane finished putting the pan of beans and
coffee pot near the fire. Standing up to stretch, his gaze moved
around the camp. With a shrug, he moved over and picked up the
bedroll. His mouth lifted in a smirk wondering how his wife would
react when she realized she would be sharing the bedroll with him.
No doubt, there would be another argument. Well it’s too damn bad;
he didn’t have any intentions sleeping on the cold ground just to
keep her happy.

Once he spread the bedroll out, he
straightened up flicked his hat back on his head and frowned. His
wife seemed to be taking an insurmountable time washing away the
dust. Hell he hoped she hadn’t done anything foolish like try to
walk back to town. If she did, well he definitely didn’t intend
going after her, damned if he would. He darn well would not spend
the rest of his damn life chasing after her.

Grumbling, he spun around and headed for the
stream. When he arrived, the breath whooshed out of him, and he
could only stare in hot lustful disbelief. Hell and damnation, the
sight before his eyes sent the lust raging through him, and he grew
rock hard and aching. His wife might be small but every slick wet
inch of her delectable body was a truly sensually provocative
sight.

He drew air into his starving lungs as his
gaze slowly slid over her, high pert breasts tipped with light pink
nipples. Slim waist, gentle flaring hips. Sleek thighs and a pert
little arse he couldn’t wait to hold in his hands. She turned
slightly and he saw her long dark hair plastered down her back to
the top of her hips.

Glory be, she is such an erotic seductive
picture, and he grew beyond having any control over himself. He
fought himself long enough and now seeing her naked with drops of
moisture sliding down her beautiful body, he could no longer fight
what his body craved since the moment he set eyes on her.

It might be wrong, especially since nothing
about their future has been decided but hell, what man could resist
such an evocative tempting vision? Well, by God, he couldn’t and he
wouldn’t a moment longer, he wanted her far too long to let this
moment pass and not to take her in his arms and finally make love
to her. He would surely be insane to pass up this opportunity. With
desperate impatience, he started stripping off his clothes.

TEN

India didn’t know what made her turn around
but when she did and seeing her husband standing on the bank
completely naked her mouth dropped open. Oh my God, how glorious
and powerful he looked. She could feel her whole body starting to
tremble at the magnificent sight. Slowly, she let her gaze slide
down his body. Wide shoulders and chest, washboard stomach and
ribs, slim hipped and oh my God.