Stolen Moments 8

The shadows of the trees played ghosts with Tom as he lay on the ground listening to Yelena breathe. Why the hell did he volunteer to sleep here with her? It was hard enough away from her, but now he had to lay here and listen to her softly moan when she dreamt. It was killing him and he had been tossing and turning for hours. He took a deep breath and sat up, no longer needing sleep. He kicked the blankets off of him and stood up. He walked to the window and pushed the curtains aside. The moon was high and full tonight. It was the night like this that his mother died. He hated nights like these. It brought back too many hurtful memories.

            The group he was after had led him in a circle because they knew he was coming. Someone had leaked out information. The question was who. He knew that he trusted Two Faced and Bobby with his life, but he also had a lot of enemies who had seen or heard of his movement and probably alerted them. He turned around and stared at Yelena sleeping on the bed. Her eyes were closed and one hand lay on her chest while the other lay over her head. She looked so peaceful that he wanted to watch her forever. He smiled, knowing she was safe. But the thought of her being hurt still haunted him. When he heard of Governor Brown’s name, it sent him on a whirlwind of emotions.

            From what he knew, Governor Adam Brown was a man who hid behind a figure of public authority, but behind closed doors, he was the biggest human trafficker. Tom had been trying to find him for years, but he had no idea where he was located because each time he would get close to finding him, the man was always two steps ahead of him. He was rich so he bought off people including sheriffs and the townspeople to keep voting for him.

            His hands curled into a fist when he thought about what the governor planned with Yelena. He wasn’t going to let him take her away from him. He’d made the mistake of bringing death to her father, but if he had to go through hell to protect her, he would. He wasn’t going to make another mistake when it came to her again. He hardly knew her, but the feeling he felt for her when it came to her safety made him want to give up his life. He knew he wanted to protect her. He walked to sit beside her on the bed and lifted a finger to brush the strand of hair away from her face. What was it about her that tugged at his heart? He liked arguing with her because it led to fires in her eyes and when her eyes were lit, it felt as if the world had bright lights for him to see. He liked kissing her. It was as if those lips of hers were sugar and made for him. He smiled when he thought of how he’d stolen her first kiss.

            “You stubborn lass,” he whispered.

 

            “Last night, Governor Brown told me that he had men stationed here,” Yelena said as they were they were getting ready to leave the bedroom.

            “Did he?”

            “Yes because he had only brought me with him and not Emily. I was worried about her safety. He said he had men here who alerted him that there were movements.”

            Tom laughed. “If he had men here, which he doesn’t, they’d be piling up for him to come gather. Trust me, he was lying.”

            She frowned. “Why would he lie to me?”

            “Perhaps because he could and he just wanted you off his back. Whatever his reason, you’re back here and you’re safe. He won’t be bothering you and if he does, I’ll deal with him.”

            She shook her head. “No, he’s going to come back for me.”

            “How do you know?”

            “Because he lo-“ she stopped and turned away.

            He watched her and then he walked around to face her. She had her eyes at her feet. He cupped her face and forced her to look at him. She was avoiding his eyes and he knew why. She couldn’t tell the truth that she loved him. Something kicked hard in his chest and it hurt. He wasn’t sure why it should bother him that the Governor and she were in love. He dropped his hand and sighed deeply.

            “I’ll be heading out to town later today. Don’t leave the ranch.”

            After a silent breakfast, Tom headed to the barn to saddle up the horses to go to town. Two Faced and Bobby were already there saddling their horses. He was all thumbs as he tried to work the saddle. Bobby noticed and walked over to help him. Tom let him help and turned away and found Emily walking toward them dressed in a light blue cotton gown. She was smiling and he felt annoyed by her presence.

            “Tom, I need some items in town. Is it alright if I come with you? I promise I won’t give you any trouble,” she said sweetly.

            Before Tom could answer, Two Faced replied, “Where we’re going, it’s unwise for ladies to come along. It’s best if you stay with Nettie and Miss Yelena.”

            She ignored him as she slipped her hands along Tom’s arm. “Can I? I promise I’ll be as silent as death.”

            Tom sighed. “Fine, get in.”

 

            Yelena tossed the gown over the line and brushed the sweat off of her brow. It was hot and she was sweating. It was a good thing that Emily had gone with Tom or else she’d never hear the end of it. Nettie was working on lunch inside and she hoped that it was something good because this morning she’d been too angry to eat breakfast and was now starving. Angry at how Tom let Emily go with him when he had spent the night with her and didn’t ask if she wanted to go. What was it about that man that drove her toward wanting to jump off a cliff? Sure, he was handsome and when he smiled, all the stars seemed to be aligned. And when his lips touched hers, she was swimming in a pool of everlasting desire. But he also drove her insane with his deep thoughts and secret mind. And she barely knew him. What did he do as a side business? Why was he searching for those people? What did he keep in his room?

            Yelena’s head jerked up when she realized something she hadn’t before. Tom was gone. He was gone, away from the home and she was alone. She nearly giggled out loud at her stupidity for not knowing earlier that today was the day she’d find out the truth about him if she wanted to know. She left the water alone and hurried inside. She heard Nettie humming in the kitchen and hurried up the stairs without making too much noise. But her hopes were shattered when she found Tom’s room was locked. She sighed and walked past Emily’s room when she noticed that the door wasn’t closed tightly. She walked to close it when she saw something inside that made her heart sank. She opened the door and walked in, closing it behind her. Peeking out from underneath the blanket  were corners of papers. They were hidden beneath the blanket, but it looked as if this morning she had been in a rush and had not hidden it well. She pulled out the photograph and saw that it was of Emily and the governor. She dropped her mouth open and shook her head at the raw lies that Adam had fed her. In the photograph, Emily and Adam were holding hands and smiling at each other. She reached for the first letter and read it.

            My darling Emily,

            I am beyond insane with missing you. I haven’t found a moment where I do not think of you. When will we be together again? Each day when the sun rises, I think of how we spent the night together. I yearn for your body and I ache for your kisses. I will endure this for our future. I will endure it for our children we will have together.

            Yelena shook her head; amazed at how she had swallowed up the lies Emily had fed her. She tucked the letter back to where she had found it and walked out hearing a clutter in the kitchen. She rushed down the stairs and found Nettie on the ground, bleeding from a head wound. She rushed to the woman and had just held her in her arms when she felt the butt of a gun on her head. She felt faint and her vision blurred as she fell over.

 

            Tom cursed staring at the broken wheel and shook his head. This morning when he rode from home, it looked fine. Halfway to town, it gave out on him. Now they were stranded and he had sent his two men back home to fetch the second wagon. He was alone with Emily and she was sitting on the ground twisting her dress with her fingers, obviously bored. He ran a hand through his hair, sighing deeply, finding it hard to believe how his day had turned out.

            “You’re thinking about your luck, aren’t you?” Emily asked.

            “What’s it to you?”

            She shrugged. “Nothing, but I’m sure you’re feeling like a fool right now.”

            “Why don’t you just be quiet and continue twirling your thumbs.”

            Laughing, she stood up and walked to him. “You know, there are certain people in life that make me laugh. People who are so smart in other things but can’t seem to figure out the smallest details in life. Those people have me rolling in laughter.”

            He watched her smile and something about it made his gut feel empty. There were times when he could foretell the future by listening to his guts. This time, he felt it burning with a red sign of warning. Before he could utter his thoughts out loud, he felt the pistol at his head. He raised his hands in surrender and watched as Emily’s lips turned into a smile. The man holding the gun walked in front of him and smiled as Emily walked to his side. She reached out and held his arm as he smiled and stared at Tom.

            “Who the hell are you?” Tom asked.

            The man holding the gun smiled and he cocked his head. “Is that any way to greet your brother?”

            Tom felt as if he’d been kicked and left breathless. Brother? Did he just say that? He narrowed his eyes and stared at the older man’s face. His eyes held a familiar gaze and he watched as Emily turned his face toward him and kissed his lips deeply. When they pulled apart, Tom shook his head in surprise.

            “Brother? How the hell can you be my brother?” Tom asked.

            The man laughed. “Oh, if only we had grown up together, I have a feeling we’d be thick as thieves. But there are some things that can’t be undone…like that whore of your mother.”

            Tom tightened his hands into fists at his sides. He watched as the man lowered his gun, put it in his holster, and looked up at him. “Don’t you dare talk about my mother.”

            “Don’t you threaten me, brother. You’re the scum of the earth when compared to me. Your dirty mother had to sneak her way into my father’s life by tempting him with her slutty looks. She was the reason why he left my mother.”

            “What are you talking about? My mother was raped! I was born from a rapist.”

            He laughed and shook his head unbelieving. “Is that what she told you? Is that the sad story your mother told you? Oh, my, you don’t know anything, do you? You’re just a lost, scared little boy who has been chasing a ghost all these years. Well, let me tell you something. That ghost you have been chasing, that ghost is…me. I’m the one who took your mother’s last breath. I’m the one whose hands are covered in her blood. Your search is over, brother. So why don’t you get over here and give me a great big brotherly hug.”

            The anger he felt exploded and he charged forward with fists connecting the other man’s jaw. They both landed on the ground with Tom pounding his fists into the other’s face. He saw the image of his mother lying in a pool of blood and he wanted to tear this man apart. He heard Emily’s cry and plea for him to stop. But he couldn’t control himself. He wanted blood; he hungered for it.

            “Stop it!” Emily cried.

            “Do it, brother! Kill me!” he said.

            Tom grabbed his collars and pulled him to a standing position. He was breathing hard; sweat covered his face, and his knuckles bloody from punching. “What is your name?”

            “Edwin…Edwin Ryan.”

 

            Staring at Edwin’s face, Tom felt the heated anger wash over him. This was the man who gave the thumbs up for the other men to kill his mother. This was the man who was behind the torture that killed his mother. He wanted to rip his head off. It was a good thing his hands were bound behind him. Otherwise, there would be bloodshed. He watched as the man who called himself brother attended to some meeting behind closed doors leaving him with Emily. She was sitting with her legs crossed and examining her fingers. She was a liar and he hated liars. When she finally caught his eyes looking at her, she smiled and lowered her fingers.

            “Are you still tender about what happened?” she asked.

            “I could kill you right now.”

            She smiled and stood up. “But you won’t, will you? I know you too well by now, Tom. You’d never touch a woman against her will. It’s your mother’s dying wish for you not to.”

            “Don’t you dare talk about my mother.”

            She walked to him and touched his cheek. He jerked away from her. She smiled and lowered her lips to his ear. “If only you had listened to me and let me into your bed, none of this would happen. I was rooting for you, Tom, I was. But all you saw was Yelena. And because of you, Yelena will have to pay.”

            “You leave her alone.”

            “I can’t do that. By now, she’s a liability. And what do we do with liabilities? We get rid of them. Actually, you should thank yourself. You brought this upon her. First, you killed her father and now you’re killing her. Boy, aren’t you busy.”

            “Did you have anything to do with her father’s death?”

            Emily narrowed her eyes. “What do you think? Of course I did. I hate Yelena. I will do anything to make her feel as rotten as me. It’s not fair that I get to live the crappy life while she gets to live the royal life. We both grew up in the same household.”

            He frowned. “What do you mean household?”

            She smiled and sighed deeply as she sat down again. “We’re sisters.”

            Tom leaned forward, not sure he was hearing her correctly. “What?”

            “Yes, we’re sisters. Well, you see, before her father decided he was too good for my mother he had her in his bed. But my mother was a prostitute and his family name just couldn’t be smeared with that kind of woman. My mother was two months pregnant with me when he kicked her out of the house. Then he married that good for nothing woman and had Yelena. Did he ever stop to think that he had me? No! Even after my mother begged and cried on her knees to him about me, he still refused to let her in. He didn’t take his responsibility as a man.”

            Tom swallowed hard. “What does that have to do with her? She’s innocent in this mess.”

            “Perhaps, but she still has to pay. She grew up well while I had to suffer at the hands of the men my mother called lover. You do not know the cruelty I’ve been through. She deserves to suffer.”

            “Who are you to decide who is to suffer or not? Who made you God?” Tom asked with disgust.

            She laughed. “Why, I did, of course. I made myself the only one possible to give everyone who ever went against me the ultimate price to pay. And because you decided I wasn’t good enough, you’ll have to pay too.”

            “How did you hook with him?”

            She smiled and leaned back in her chair. “He’s been looking for you for years while you were looking for him. It’s like a dog chasing its own tail.”

            “What are you talking about?”

            She walked to kneel down in front of him. “Don’t you know? I’m the one who told him everything you were going to do. I’m the reason you’re looking like a damn fool right now.”

            Tom’s breath caught in his chest and his vision blurred. He felt distorted as she chuckled softly and stared at her fingers. The strength in his hands became more powerful than he imagined and he ripped the ropes off of him. Emily’s cry was silenced as he grabbed her by the throat and smashed her against the wall. She was filled with shock as his eyes were filled with deep rage. She choked and brought her hands to try to pry his fingers from her throat.

            “You will now feel my wrath as my mother did when she was killed,” he said.

 

            Edwin was looking over maps when Tom entered the room. His men were the first to take notice and he turned to their gaze as to what had caught their attention. When he saw Tom, he straightened and shoved the maps away and smiled.

            “I underestimated you, brother,” he said.

            Tom gave him a sneer. “You should.”

            “Where’s Emily? Did she run off scared to death?”

            “I’m afraid Emily won’t be doing any running from now on.”

            His face paled and he rushed past Tom to the room where he had been kept. When he found Emily on the ground, still and eyes opened to nothing, he let out a howl. Tom waited until he came out before he threw a fist to his jaw. Edwin tumbled over and he bent over, taking the gun from his hip. He pointed it to his men and cocked it.

            “If you want to die, come on,” Tom said.

            The men raised their hands and stepped back.

            “My fight here is with him alone, not with you. If you value your life, you’ll leave here and never return. If I see you anywhere in the future, I’ll shoot you on point.”

            The four men, whose eyes were filled with questions of whether to stay or go, stared at each other and then at their boss on the ground. Finally, the first one walked out and the rest followed. Tom turned his gaze to Edwin who was lying on the ground with a bloody lip.

            “You and I have a lot to discuss,” he said.

 

            “What do you want?” Yelena asked.

            Her head was pounding from where she had been hit. She saw that Nettie was standing before her, gagged and hands tied behind her back. Adam was pointing a gun to her head, a smile on his face.

            Adam smiled. “It’s so simple, really, Yelena. I want you. If you go with me quietly, I’ll let her go. If you make a fuss, I’ll show you how much blood can flow from one bullet wound.”

            She swallowed and tried not to let it show that she was shaking. “Let her go and I’ll go with you.”

            “I thought so.”

            Yelena watched as they untied Nettie and shoved her to the kitchen floor. When he took her arm, she didn’t give a fight. She turned and watched Nettie as she was led out of the house to the carriage waiting outside. Her heart was pounding, her legs were like noodle, and no matter how she tried to paint an escape plan it came up blank. She got into the carriage and watched as the house faded from her sight. When she turned her gaze to Adam, he was smiling, sitting comfortably in his seat, as if it was a routine he did daily.

            “What do you want from me?” she asked.

            “Yelena, why do I get the feeling you hate me?” he asked.

            “It’s not a feeling; it’s the truth. If you’re smart, you’ll let me go before he finds you.”

            Adam smiled and shifted in his seat. “You mean Tom? He’s not going to be finding you anytime soon. Right about now, he’s tied up and I mean literally.”

            Yelena swallowed the fear that he meant what he was saying. She hadn’t heard from Tom all day and going to town wasn’t supposed to take that long. “What do you mean?”

            “Oh, don’t worry; you’ll get to meet him soon, dear. That is if he survives Edwin first.”

            “I saw your photos with Emily.”

            He smiled. “Oh, did you? She’s quite the spark, isn’t she? But too bad that she’s not as innocent as you. You see, a man with my image, I need someone pure and untainted. That’s where you come in. If the town sees me with you on my arms, they’ll value me as a good decent man and give me more votes. In no time, I’ll rule over the county. I’ll get all the money from any charity I want and use it for myself.”

            Yelena felt sick as she listened to him. “You’re supposed to help fix our community, not steal from the good of the people.”

            “Everyone steals, darling, it’s a matter of life and death. I’m sorry to break it to you, but it’s part of life. Just like your father.”

            Her head shot up at her the mention of her father. “What about my father?”

            “He was a pebble. What do we do with pebbles?”

            “You killed him?”

            “I was doing a job. A job Emily asked me to do.”

            She felt her whole world come crashing down. She sat up and tears filled her eyes. “What are you talking about?”

            He leaned forward on his knees and laced his fingers together. “You see, darling, the truth is you and Emily are sisters. Your father isn’t as innocent as you think he is. His little snake wandered from town to town until he found Emily’s mother. You know, if he hadn’t been so stuck on living the high life, perhaps you’d be happier. But he just couldn’t live with the fact that Emily’s mother was a whore. So he found your mother and had you. Poor Emily grew up without a father and in turn, found me, who was able to give her peace when I took out your dad.”

            Yelena started to cry and she lunged forward clawing at him. He caught her by the wrists and held her down as she screamed out at him. He laughed and licked her cheek, holding her close to him. She fought him and pushed him off.

            “You murderer!” she cried.

            “I was doing my job, darling. When you see Emily, you can kill her if you want to.”

            “I’ll kill the both of you!” she cried.

            Adam laughed. “I’m looking forward to it.”

 

            The carriage came to a halt outside an old cabin at midnight. Adam pushed Yelena out and she took off running until he caught her by the waist and hoisted her over his shoulder. She screamed until her lungs gave out as he walked up the stairs. He kicked open the door and set her down on her feet. She turned to find the cabin empty. He frowned and looked around, probably surprised as to the emptiness. She took off again and this time, he pulled out his gun and fired a shot in the air. She screamed and fell to the ground with her hands covering her ears.

            “If you try that again, I’ll murder you right here,” he warned.

            She swallowed and looked past him at the pair of legs sticking out from the room. He followed her gaze and cursed. He walked toward the room and she followed. Yelena was met with the stilled body of Emily. Adam dropped to the ground, picked up her body, and shook her. But she remained as still as she was before. Yelena turned and found a broken chair and some ropes. She picked up the rope and turned it over in her hands. Adam was still bawling at the loss of Emily. She could care less as she tried to figure out what was going on. The house looked like it had been an escape plan for them at some point. She walked out to the front door and saw the maps on the table. She turned them over and saw that they were land that was waiting to be bought. Frowning, she saw that one of the lands that were to be bought was the land her father had built their inn on. Why? Still frowning, she was caught off guard when Adam returned and grabbed her arm, turning her around. He took one look at the maps on the table and shoved her away.

            “Go wait in the carriage,” he ordered.

            “No. I’m not your prisoner. I do not have to do as you order.”

            He slapped her hard across the face. “Go now before I gut you.”

            As she turned to go, they heard the gun shot from behind the cabin. Adam bolted out the back and she followed. It was dark and she couldn’t see anything. Twice, she tripped and felt her skin break open from the ground. She couldn’t see where Adam had gone and now she wished she’d stayed inside because she lost track of where she was going.

            “Adam?” she called out.

            There was no answer. She heard the sound of crickets and running water. The moon up above showed little light and she was beginning to worry about what might be waiting for her in the dark shadows. Shivering, she tried to circle back to where she had begun, but ended up deeper into the thickness of the forest. Before long, she came upon the river she had heard. She dropped to her knees, scooped up a handful of water, and drank. When she finished, she stood up and a hand covered her mouth, dragging her into the forest.

            Yelena kicked and swung her arms, but whoever had her wouldn’t let go. She finally took a bite out of his hand and he dropped her to the ground. As she scrambled back up, he picked her up and turned her around.

            “Shh, it’s me, Tom,” he whispered.

            She gasped and threw her arms around him, never happier than now to see him. “I was so worried about you!” But then she pulled away suddenly. “Wait, what are you doing here?”

            “It’s a long story. I’ll tell you later. For now, be quiet.”

            She looked around and turned back to him. “Where did you come from?”

            He took her hand. “Come on, let’s go.”

            Yelena followed as he led her back toward another part of the forest. They crossed over a few logs and she tripped, but this time he caught her before her knees touched the ground. In the light of the moon, his eyes stared at her and she felt his hands on her arms grow hot. Seriously, she thought, in this moment, while being lost in the forest, you’re thinking of this? She looked away and the moment was lost. He must have picked up on her vibe because he continued leading her without looking at her or touching her again.

            The cabin came into view a few moments later and she saw the sheriff arguing with the governor. She frowned and crouched down beside Tom, their knees touching. She watched as Adam threw a fist that connected with his jaw and left. Edwin stood there for several moments and then followed him. The carriage drove away a few moments later. Tom sighed deeply beside her and stood up, helping her out.

            “What was the sheriff doing here?” she asked.

            Tom stilled and turned toward her. “The sheriff?”

            “Yeah, Edwin is the town sheriff.”

            “He’s a murderer.”

            Yelena took his arm. “Wait, what is going on? What happened to you? How did you end up here with…,” her voice trailed off remembering what Emily was to her.

            She walked to sit down and he took a seat beside her. “Emily was my sister.”

            “I know.”

            She looked at him. “How did you know?”

            He sighed, long and deep. “Because the sheriff is my brother.”

            “What?”

            Yelena sat and listened as he told her the story. She felt angry, cheated, and betrayed. Emily was supposed to be her sister, yet she was the one who had her father killed. Edwin was Tom’s brother, yet it was his hands that his mother had died at. At the end, she felt as if this world had no peace. She put her hands over her ears and shook her head when he finished. He reached over and gently took her hands away. She started crying, the hurt, the pain, and the lies colliding with her at full force.

            “I never used to believe that cruelty existed. I was raised in such an innocent place. Now everywhere I look, all I see is blood and pain. When will this end? Will I ever feel the same peace again?” she asked.

            He took her into his arms and held her. “Yelena, I’m so sorry. I wanted to protect you from this. I didn’t want you to know anything about this side of life.”

            She pushed away from him. “But it exists, doesn’t it?”

            “I’m afraid so, sweetheart.”

            She sobbed and leaned in to him. She could smell his musky scent and it comforted her. His hands were at the sides of her waist and her fingers were inside his shirt. She could feel his flesh pulsing beneath her fingers. She looked up at him and he took that as an invite because he kissed her deeply. When his tongue entered her mouth, everything inside her multiplied and she felt as if she was floating on air. The world around her turned hazy and she felt as if she was swimming in a pool of fire. It burned, yet she welcomed it with open arms.

            He pulled away from her lips and nibbled her ears. “You don’t know what you do to me, Yelena. When I am near you, I forget everything and all I want is you. You make me forget the bad man I’ve become.”

            She shivered against him as he turned her toward him and crushed her against him. She could feel his heart beating against her hands. “I’m scared of how I feel.”

            “Don’t be, sweetheart, I promise you it’ll feel good.”

            She shook her head. “No, I can’t. I need to know that I mean more to you than just a roll in the sack. I’m…I’m…what was I saying?”

            He laughed and took her hand, guided it to his heart. “Do you feel that, sweetie? Do you feel how fast that is beating? It’s because of you. Do you know how much I want you? Each time I see your face, all I want to do is kiss you until you beg to be taken.”

            She blushed and was thankful for the darkness. He lowered himself to the ground and pulled her on top of him. He cupped her cheeks, pulled her down, and kissed her deeply. Tom’s hands trailed down her back, over the laces that held her gown together, and rested on her hips. She felt as if she had melted as he continued to nibble her neck. When she moaned softly, he moved his hands under the laces that held her gown together. Slowly, she felt his hands untied them and she felt the fabric loosen. He sat up and held her against him, nuzzling her chest.

            “You’re going to make me go crazy,” he whispered. “But I can’t do this to you here. I want your first time to be special. I want you to remember it forever. I don’t want you to forget how I first made you mine.”