Stolen Moments 7

“True, I don’t. But that doesn’t give you the right to step all over other people’s lives. You’ve been in mine for as long as I can remember. Don’t you remember all those nights I held you while you cried about who broke your heart? Why can’t you just take my advice for once and learn to not be so tragic?”

            Emily laughed loudly and turned her back to her, bending over laughing. She slowly stood up and turned around to face her with tears in her eyes. “You’re so perfect; you don’t even know anything, Yelena. It’s not about me taking your advice; it’s about knowing who I am. You see, I like being tragic. I was raised in tragedy. Have you ever wondered if you were a twin whose fate was cut short? I always did and at night when my stepfather would visit me, I prayed that one day I would find my true mother.”

            Yelena’s eyes widened and she shook her head. “What? What do you mean?”

            “You have a great father who loves you like a father should! What do I have? I have a man who calls himself my father while he does things to me that no father should do. I have a right to be tragic! My mother never protected me!”

            Yelena walked forward to hold her, but she backed away. “Emily, I’m sorry.”

            “That’s right, Yelena, you just be sorry. You just continue to be sorry your whole life. As for me, I’m done being sorry. I hate being sorry. I’m not returning to that life and nothing you do or say can make me. I don’t care what you think of me.”

            Yelena watched as she walked inside the house and slammed the door. She watched after her and then she bent down, folded her hands together, and said a silent prayer for her friend.  

           

            The night fell and the house was quiet as Yelena lay under the covers watching the shadows of the trees dance across the wall. She’d taken a bath and was feeling rested and comfortable, but sleep wasn’t coming to her. The blankets were twisted around her legs and she was staring at the walls wondering where her life would lead to. Suddenly, tears filled her eyes and she started to cry. She felt her heart pound against her chest and she prayed that it would give out so she could rest in peace without worry.

            She sat up, her hair falling over her shoulders, and sat there, her whole world caving in. Everything she knew or thought she knew was taken away from her. She was alone and would never face another day with her father’s smile. Her fate to journey this world would be done alone. No praise, no love, no one to worry or care for her. Feeling weak, she dropped to the ground and started sobbing. She heard the door creak open and assumed Emily had come in. She stood up in time to realize it wasn’t Emily, but a man. Before she could open her mouth to scream, a cloth was put over her lips and she blacked out from the fume.

            Yelena woke to the sound of voices chattering and she sat up suddenly remembering what had happened. She was in a room with no windows and a small mattress on the ground. She walked to the door and yanked it open. She came out to find Governor Adam Brown standing in the middle of the room with his black suit and hat. Surrounding him was the sheriff, Edwin Ryan, and two other unknown men. Yelena frowned and was speechless as Adam walked to her, his tall frame overpowering hers.

            “Governor? What are you doing here?” she asked.

            He took a cigar out of his pocket and held it in his hands, but didn’t light it. “I found your inn and also found your father. I tracked you. Are you hurt?”

            She shook her head. “No.”

            He sighed and suddenly pulled her into his arms. “I’m so sorry about your father.”

            Yelena pulled away and put some distance between them. She looked around the room, confused. “I don’t understand. If you tracked me here, why am I the only one you brought? Where is Emily?”

            “Emily is with you?” Sheriff Ryan asked.

            She nodded. “Yes.”

            “We didn’t see her. We only saw you. Are you hurt?”

            Shaking her head, she replied, “No. The men who took me gave me shelter and food.”

            “Where are they?” Adam asked.

            “They’re gone, on a business trip or something. They left last night. I’m not sure when they will return.”

            “Did they say where they were going?”

            Yelena frowned and stared at the men before her. “If you were trying to save me, why didn’t you just rescue me? Why knock me out?”

            “We weren’t sure of the situation or how cooperating these people were. You have to understand, Yelena, these men who took you are wanted criminals. They’re not good people. You’re lucky you’re alive.”

            “You need to go back for Emily.”

            “We can’t. Before we arrived here, my men I had posted there said that there was movement at the house. If we go, we’ll risk being seen.”

            Yelena shook her head. “No! If you leave her there, she’ll get hurt. You said so yourself these men are criminals.”

            “And you said so yourself that these men gave you shelter and food. That’s all Emily needs to survive for now. We’ll go back once everything is slow again. For now, take it easy and just rest up.”

            Yelena watched as his blue eyes roamed over her body and then back to her eyes. True, the governor wasn’t that old and she had heard the rumor of him wanting her as his wife. She knew that a part of him wanted her, but she had never felt anything toward him but respect as an authority figure. But the way how he kept watching her made her uneasy and she backed up from him. She swallowed and looked at the sheriff to the other two men.

            “Where am I going to stay?” she asked.

            Adam smiled. “With me at my mansion, of course, until we can get your place fixed up. You don’t have a problem with that, do you?”
            “In fact, I do. What would the county think with me staying at your home? I’d hate to have your name smeared on my account.”

            He laughed. “Oh, thank you for thinking of me, sweetheart, but really, there’s no need to worry. I have a lot of good intentions in this town. You don’t have to worry about me.”

            “I’m not your sweetheart.”

            He smiled. “Of course, you’re not, but I call everyone sweetheart. The sheriff here will take you to my mansion and Dottie will get you settled.”

 

            Tom pulled the reins on the horse as they neared the house for it to slow down. They had been tricked. They were led to a deserted place only to find the troop had gone the other way. They’d been led four hundred miles the other way just so the criminals could escape. He’d been bickering all morning long and as he got off the horse, he found Nettie running out to meet him. It wasn’t her running that frightened him; it was her expression on her face. She looked as if she’d seen a ghost.

            “Nettie? What’s wrong?” he asked.

            “She is gone. I woke up this morning and found Emily eating breakfast alone. Yelena is missing.”

            He caught his breath in his chest. He stormed past her and up into the room where she slept. It was empty and he saw that she’d slept in the bed at some point in the night. The blankets were twisted over and one edge fell off the bed. He bent down, picked it up, and tossed it back on the bed. Then something caught his nose, something awful. He knelt down again and the smell intensified. He crouched lower and found a cloth near the end of the bed. He picked it up and brought it to his nostrils. Bleach. He turned and ran back down the stairs, almost knocking Emily off her feet at the bottom of the stairs.

            “Did you hear anything?” he asked.

            She was twirling her hair with her fingers. “No.”

            Irritated, he grabbed her shoulders. “You slept right across the hall and you heard nothing?”

            Shrugging her shoulders out of his hold, she replied, “I’m a deep sleeper.”

            He let out an angry breath and walked past her. Outside, Two Faced and Bobby were untying the saddle. Instead of taking the stairs, he jumped over the railing and they both looked up at him in surprise. Nettie was standing beside them with tears in her eyes.

            “I heard nothing, Tom. I’m sorry,” she said.

            “It’s not your fault. Someone took her.”

            “How do you know that?”

            He raised the cloth in his hand. “Saddle up the horses. We’ll track her.”

 

            The mansion was lit up like fireworks as Yelena came down the stairs from her room. She’d been given some rich gowns to wear and she felt as if she was being led to believe a fairy tale she knew would end up in tragedy. The gown she was wearing was deep red with ruby gems on the neckline. Her hair was curled and pinned up on top of her head. She felt strange, awkward, and afraid she’d fall down on her face if she didn’t walk right. She wasn’t fit for this lifestyle. She reached the dining hall and found Adam had returned and was sitting at the end of the table wearing a black tux. When she entered, he smiled, got up, and came to pull out a chair for her to sit beside him. She walked across the room and sat down as he went back to sit in his own chair.

            “Thank you,” she said.

            He smiled. “You are most welcome. You look beautiful. I hope you found everything to your liking.”

            “This is more than enough, Governor.”

            “Please don’t address me so formally, Yelena. I’d like you to address me by Adam. I look at you as an equal. If you should need anything, let me know and I’ll have my servants take care of it.”

            She nodded as he poured her some wine. He handed her the glass and his fingers touched hers. She swallowed down the urge to throw up as she smiled and took it from him. She took a sip and felt the liquid go smoothly down her throat. She watched as his eyes continued to watch her.

            “I never get a chance to talk to you in private. It’s always something going on at the banquet balls. Someone is asking you to dance or I am being led to give a speech. I feel as if we were to share a moment together, we’d be best friends,” Adam said as he took a sip of wine.

            She looked away and forced a smile. “You’re being quite forward, Governor Brown.”

            “Forgive me.”

            She sighed. “Look, thank you for bringing me back home. But I would feel much more comfortable being in in a suite at the local hotel. I’ll stay tonight, but tomorrow, I’d like to leave. I’ll work on fixing my father’s inn when I have the money.”

            “If it’s money you need, I can certainly help out.”

            “No, please, don’t. I won’t have anything to pay you back with.”

            “I don’t want you to pay me back. I…can I be frank?”

            Yelena nodded. He sighed and moved his chair closer to hers. Then he reached over and took her hands in his. She tried to pull away, but he tightened his grip. His eyes were telling her to sit still and she felt her heart race.

            “Yelena, I am in love with you. I have loved you for as long as I can remember and I can’t find a way to stop. If you don’t allow me to love you openly and freely, I’m afraid I’ll go insane. When I found your inn in ruins, I was so afraid of losing you before being able to tell you that I loved you, that I nearly had a heart attack. I…I want to take care of you. And now with your father gone, it’s time for me to step in and do my duty.”

            She frowned. “Your duty? You make it sound like it’s a job.”

            “It is my job! It’s my job to take care of you and to love you. Give me that honor, please.”

            She pried her hands free from his. “Governor Brown, I am beyond flattered that you should want me that much. But I want the man I am going to marry to be someone I love too. You’re a great man, I am sure, but you’re not someone I want to spend my life with.”

            “You’ll learn to love me.”

            “I shouldn’t have to learn to love you. It should be from the moment I laid eyes on you. I have to feel something for you in order for a marriage or a relationship to work. You can’t force me to will my heart to want you. It doesn’t work that way, governor.”

            “But I love you.”

            “Will that be enough for you?”

            He didn’t answer. Yelena sighed and pushed her chair back. She stood up and stared at him. The silence in the air ate at her and she pushed the chair in. “Perhaps I should leave tonight. It won’t make things harder than it is. You’ll understand one day, governor, why I say this.”

           

            The ruins to the inn were ash covered and black as Yelena watched the air lift the dust and ashes. The sun was beginning to set as she stood there in front of the ruined inn. She’d left the mansion and came straight to see the house she grew up in. It looked like a haunting weeping ghost that carried too many memories. She walked to the front steps and sighed deeply as tears ran down her cheeks.

            “I’m so sorry, father,” she said.

            She started crying and fell to the ground sobbing. Every memory she had shared with him here was now singing around her and killing her. She could hear his voice calling to her and hear her laughter when she was happy. She wasn’t sure how long she’d been sitting on the ground crying until she felt arms wrapped around her. She thought it was the governor and moved away so fast that she almost fell over. But when she turned around, she found Tom staring at her. Shocked, she stood up and wiped her eyes.

            “What are you doing here?” she asked.

            He stood up. “I tracked you. It wasn’t hard. With the tracks I found, I knew whoever took you was taking you home. Who was it?”

            Anger shot through her and she shouted back at him. “Why does it matter? Whoever it was brought me back home where I belong. You should leave.”

            “Why are you upset at me?”

            “Because you’re trespassing! It was you who killed my father and you who took everything away from me! I hate you! I hate you!”

            He reached her in a few strides and grabbed her shoulders, pinching her flesh. “Fine, hate me if you want! But know that I won’t let you go that easily. I made a promise to myself that I would take care of you because it was my fault that your father died. It is my debt and I will fulfill it. So I am not leaving you here, no matter how much you beg me to. You’ll go with me to the end of the earth if that is the case.”

            She jerked herself free. “Never! I hate you! I hate you! I hate—“

            Her last words were cut off when he slammed his lips against hers. He slammed her body against his and she felt his muscles beneath the palm of her hands. She brought up her hands to separate them, but he grabbed her wrists in one hand and held them behind her back as he made love to her lips. When he had his fill, he pulled away and stared at her.

            “Say it. Say you hate me,” Tom whispered.

            “I hate you!” she cried.

            He brought his lips down on hers and gave her a deep kiss that almost sucked the life out of her throat. When he pulled away, she was breathless and panting as he stared at her. She watched as a smile came across his handsome face.

            “Say you hate me again,” he threatened.

            She pulled herself free from him and stepped back. “I hate you!”

            He reached her in one stride and gathered her up in his arms. “I’m going to teach you a lesson on manners. It seems like your mouth needs a good washing.”

            “You should practice what you preach. You have no manners. Didn’t your mother ever tell you that you shouldn’t grab a woman?”

            She immediately regretted it the moment the words came out because the lights died in his eyes and she suddenly remembered the life his mother had lived. He let her go suddenly and a darkness came over his face that frightened her. She swallowed as he took a few steps back.

            “Good you reminded me, Yelena. I promise I will not touch you again until you ask for it. And believe me, you will be begging for it. Get on the horse. We’re going home,” he said.

            She stood her ground and stomped her foot. “No! This is my home and I’m not leaving. You’re the stranger here. If anyone is leaving, it is you.”

            He narrowed his eyes. “Either you get on that horse nicely or I will make you beg for something that will make your cheeks blush for a week.”

           

            It was midnight when they arrived at Tom’s house. All the lights were on and she could see Nettie pacing back and forth on the porch. She saw another figure in the den, on the couch, and she assumed it was Emily. He helped her off the horse and she walked to the front porch. Nettie came down the stairs and threw her arms around her.

            “Oh my dear girl! I’m so glad to see you’re alive and well! I was so worried about you,” she said as she pulled away.

            “Thank you. I’m fine.”

            “What happened?”

            Before she could answer, Tom came by and took her by the elbow and began dragging her toward the house. She tried to free herself but he kept a strong hold. The house was warm and smelled of something good, which made her stomach growl. She tore herself free and stumbled over the kitchen chair as Emily came into the living room.

            “Where have you been? Do you know how worried we all were?” she asked.

            Yelena straightened herself up. “It’s not as if I had intended to run away.”

            Emily smirked. “You’ve always wanted to be a good girl, Yelena. Well guess what? This time around, the good girl in you lost. You gave us all enough to worry about so give up the act!”

            Yelena pushed past her and up the stairs. She heard chattering and slammed the door to her room. She walked to the bed and sat down, letting out a deep breath; back to square one. The door to her room opened and Tom walked in. He closed the door and she stood up.

            “Who took you?” he asked.

            “Why do you need to know?”

            “Did you know who they were?”
            “Yes, I did.”

            He raised his brows. “Really? When people I know try to save me, they tend to use bleach to knock me out too. Ring a bell?”

            She swallowed and turned away from him. It had been bothering her too, why that was the case in her rescuing, if you could call it that. “I’ve been trying to figure that out myself. Governor Brown only said he didn’t want to alert anyone on the ranch.”

            Tom marched across the room and snatched her arm to turn her around. “What did you say?”
            She frowned and pulled her arm free. “You’re hurting me.”

            He sighed and ran a hand through his hair. “You said Governor Brown.”

            “Yes, he’s the governor of the town I live in.”

            “That can’t be right. How can that be? The Governor Brown I know is a criminal who kidnaps women for trafficking.”

            “He’s been the Governor for the past three years now. You must be thinking of someone else.”

            “Tall, eyes as blue as the sea, and a broom up his ass.”

            Yelena laughed. “You’ve just described yourself.”

            “That wasn’t funny.”

            She stopped laughing. “How can the man you think and the one I think be the same one? How many Governor Browns are there? You’re mistaken. Besides, he won’t hurt me.”

            “How do you know that?”

            “I just do. I’m sure that his men were afraid of waking up the criminals that lived here so they decided to drug me. It might have been easier to get in and out of. I’m fine now, aren’t I? I’m alive and well. No need to worry about that. Now if you’ll leave, I need to take a bath. I’m tired and if you have forgotten, have been through quite an ordeal.”

            “I haven’t forgotten which is why I’m going to be sleeping in here.”

            “What? You can’t sleep in here!”

            “And if those men should come back again? Do you want to be drugged with bleach and taken away again? I am going to protect you and to do that I must be close to you.”

            “You’re taking this protector job too seriously. I am fine. I have Nettie and Emily. They can alert you.”

            Tom smiled sheepishly. “Those two didn’t hear a peep when they came in here the last time. What makes you think you’d rely on them?”