Chapter Seventeen
Elizabeth kept one arm wrapped around Brody's waist as she turned in the saddle and waved at George, Carol Anne and Charlie. They had given her and Brody a brown mare to get home on and enough food and water to last for at least two days. Elizabeth vowed that someday she would pay them back for everything they had done.
Turing back around, she wrapped her other arm around Brody and laid her cheek against his broad back, enjoying his power, warmth and comfort. He kept one hand loosely on the reins and laid his other hand over hers as he looked out over the horizon. They rode for a long time in silence and the sun was high in the sky when he finally stopped next to an outcropping of trees.
He turned his head and looked at her with a smile, "Hungry?" he asked.
"Yes."
"Good. Me too." He jumped from the saddle and wrapped the reins around a low pine bough as Elizabeth jumped down and stretched out her aching muscles. She wished she could have worn her trousers and shirt but they had been beyond saving so she was still wearing Carol Anne's blue dress. She had to admit that Brody looked extremely handsome in Charlie's clothes. The crisp white shirt and midnight black vest hugged his muscular chest and broad shoulders and the black pants fit tight across his lean hips and long legs.
Brody walked over to her with a canteen and let her take a long drink before he pressed it against his own lips and took a sip.
"I've got something for you," he said as he screwed the top back on.
"What?" Elizabeth asked curiously.
Brody sat the canteen on the ground and reached in his pocket. He pulled out a necklace and held it up for her to see. The chain was simply cotton thread and the cross hanging from it was about two inches long and made out of shining pewter that caught the sunlight as he held it.
"I'll get ya a ring, I promise, but this is what I have to offer right now. The cross was my mama's. She wore it every single day and I took it when I left home. The chain got broke but Carol Anne gave me some string so you could wear it...." he shifted awkwardly and rubbed the back of his neck with his hand. "Do you like it? You don't have to wear it if you don't want to..."
"I love it, Brody," she whispered through the emotions tightening her throat.
He smiled with relief and then draped the necklace over her head and rested the thread chain against her shoulders. She looked down at the cross dangling on her chest and smiled as she closed her hand around it, "I'll wear it forever," she promised.
"My mama would have liked you. She was a tough one just like you. I still think that's why pa didn't tell her to hide when those men rode up. He knew there was no way she'd turn the other cheek and leave him to face those men alone."
"Neither of us ever have to face anything alone again. You'll always have me, Brody."
They shared a gentle kiss and then she smiled against his lips when she heard his stomach growl.
"As nice as that kiss was, I think right now my stomach needs my attention more than you do," he winced and she laughed. They sat together and munched on some of the ham and biscuits that Carol Anne had sent with them and then they climbed back on the horse.
"We should get back to the ranch by tomorrow afternoon at the latest," Brody informed her as they started on their way.
"I hope pa is still there...." Elizabeth whispered sadly and Brody squeezed her hand that was resting on his stomach.
"No matter what, I'll be there for you." he vowed. "I think there are some things I need to tell you before we get there though."
"What?" Elizabeth asked warily. She could hear the dread in his voice.
"I have a hunch about who wanted you dead. Elizabeth. Braxton has been trying to keep me away from you since I showed up at the ranch. He told me you were a man eater who liked to have her way with men and then spit them out. He didn't want me anywhere near you. I think he's the man that your pa is leaving the ranch to. I think that's why he didn't want to risk you falling in love and getting married."
"Braxton?" Elizabeth demanded. "Braxton has been around since my pa started the ranch! Braxton helped raise me!"
"I'm sorry. I could be wrong but I don't think I am, and it gets worse. I think Anita was helping him."
"Now you're just being ridiculous!" Elizabeth exclaimed angrily. "Anita is like a mother to me!"
Brody let out a long breath, "I saw the two of them having secret meetings. Somebody had to have told Braxton that you agreed to marry Grant. That's what made him act and send those men after you. Who knew other than you and your father?"
Elizabeth felt her heart break as the truth crashed down on her like a ton of bricks, "Anita," she choked out. "All over that stupid ranch? I thought those people loved me, Brody. I can't trust anybody...."
"You can trust me," he reminded her sternly. "And I'm gonna get to the bottom of things and make sure those responsible pay for what they've done to you."
"Pay how?" Elizabeth demanded. Her mind was reeling and having trouble wrapping around the fact that Anita and Braxton would want her dead just so they could have the ranch. Anita had raised her. Anita had held her when she'd cried. Anita had changed her mind at the last minute and told Elizabeth not to marry Grant.
"They'll pay," Brody assured her.
"There is no law in Bakerstown other than that worthless little sheriff and he's Braxton's brother. I don't think he's going to listen to anything we have to say."
"I didn't say a thing about the law," Brody warned.
"What are you trying to say? That you plan on killing them!?"
"Braxton is gonna die if he is the one that sent those men after you. There isn't a man alive that is going to hurt you without getting one of my bullets between his eyes."
Elizabeth's eyes widened at the cold, conviction in his voice, "You're serious!" she gasped.
"Damn straight, I'm serious," he agreed. "I've lost too much in my life and I sure as hell don't plan on losing you too. Any man, or woman, who tries to take you away from me, is going to answer to me about it."
"Brody, promise me you won't kill anybody," Elizabeth pleaded, suddenly very serious.
Brody shook his head, "No."
"Brody Atkinson, you said you'd do anything for me, remember? This is what I ask of you. Please don't be the man you were for so long, living with anger and hate in your heart. I don't want you killing anybody else unless it's in self defense. Please promise me that you won't."
Brody was silent for a long time and she could see the tension in his jaw as he stared hard at the land in front of them, "Killing people don't bother me, Elizabeth. I've killed too many to be bothered by it anymore."
"Promise me," she repeated sternly.
Finally he nodded, "Okay. But only because I care about making you happy. I still say they deserve to die."
Elizabeth breathed a sigh of relief, "Thank you," she said, laying her head against his shoulder.
He turned his head and kissed her hair, "You are something else, Mrs. Atkinson. But now you've done used up your one request for the year."
"Is that so?" she asked with a smile.
"Yep. I done told ya that nobody tells me what to do. I'll let this one slide but it's the only one you're getting. I'll give ya one a year so you better make sure to make 'em count."
"I would laugh, but it doesn't really sound like you're joking," Elizabeth noted.
Brody shook his head, "That's because I'm not."
"You're such a hard headed, pain in the ass sometimes. You better be glad....."
"Shut-up!" he warned harshly, cutting off her words and causing her to look around with alarm. He never spoke to her that way unless.....
The gunshot filled the hot summer air and the horse screamed in pain as it crumpled beneath them and fell to the ground. Brody twisted in the air as they were both thrown from the horse, and caught her body in his arms to shield her from hitting the ground. And then in a movement that was fast and fluid, he turned their bodies so that his was on top of her, guarding her from any more bullets that might come their way.
The silence was deafening. The only sound Elizabeth could hear was the last dying breaths that the horse was taking as it bled to death on the dusty road.
"There's two men," Brody whispered, "And I don't have a gun," he added. "You stay the hell behind me, do you understand?" Elizabeth didn't reply, "Damn you woman, you better do as I say and stay behind me!" he warned sternly and then he stood up and Elizabeth did the same, though her legs were shaking so badly that they could hardly support her weight.
"We don't have money if that's what you're after!" Brody called to the two men that were walking toward them, leading their horses by the reigns with their revolvers drawn.
"Shut up. We'll tell you when to speak," the taller of the two dirty men said. Brody's eyes narrowed. He recognized that voice but he wasn't sure from where.
"I wanna know how they did it, Rene! Ask 'em how they did it!" the shorter man said. He was barely five and a half feet tall and he was thin and wirey with shockingly bright red hair that was tangled and messy, and dark freckles covering his pockmarked face. Brody looked at the taller man, who he now knew was named Rene. Funny name for a man, but this man clearly wasn't as helpless as his name made him sound. He was skinny but he had that hard look in his black eyes that told you he knew how to handle himself.
"Shut up, Petey," Rene snapped and Petey clamped his mouth shut but continued to bounce from foot to foot with excitement.
"How did you kill Tiny and Clark? You didn't have any guns inside that wagon," Rene demanded and suddenly Brody remembered the voice. Rene had been outside the wagon that he and Elizabeth had been transported in. He was one of the two that had ridden away.
"I had a knife in my boot," Brody replied, his mind racing as he tried to come up with a plan to save his wife. "I used it on the big man and then I used the big man's gun to shoot the other one."
"Can we kill him now? I say we kill him! Let's kill him, Rene." Brody didn't recognize Petey's voice. Petey must not have been outside the wagon and he was clearly a full bubble and a half off of plumb. Brody felt helpless. There was nothing he could do to save both himself and Elizabeth but maybe if he distracted the men, his wife would be able to run, hide and save herself.
The two men became distracted momentarily as they spoke to each other and Brody whispered to Elizabeth, "When I say run, you better run. You run like you've never run before into that forest over there and you don't stop until your legs fall off, do you understand me?"
"I won't leave youm" Elizabeth replied as she reached for his hand. He jerked away, "I can't save us both, cowgirl. Do as I say."
Brody took a step toward the men and drew their attention.
"Did I tell you to move?" Rene demanded.
"You should have heard your friends begging for their lives before I killed them," Brody said coldly as he walked closer to the two men, putting more distance between himself and his wife and using his body to completely shield Elizabeth from their view.
"We'll kill you and your little bitch too!" Petey said better letting out a maniacal laugh.
"Run," Brody said calmly and the two men looked confused. Brody realized Elizabeth wasn't moving behind him. "Run." he repeated, just as calmly.
Rene cocked his gun, "Enough of this."
"Dammit Elizabeth! Run!" Brody yelled and he lunged for Rene, as the gun fired. Brody felt the burning pain as the bullet entered his chest and lodged against his rib.
"Brody!" Elizabeth screamed.
"Run, you stupid woman! Run!" Brody growled out. He saw Petey aiming at Elizabeth and quickly jumped in front of the gun, sending the bullet tearing into his shoulder.
"No!" Elizabeth screamed. She wanted to run. She wanted to do as he'd asked but how could she. How could she run when Brody was being shot to pieces. She ran forward intent on helping him somehow and he turned to look at her.
"Why can't you just do what I say?!" he yelled.
"Because I love you too much to leave you!" she yelled back. She ran at Petey and punched him as hard as she could in the jaw. He laughed as he grabbed her by the arm, twisted her around and held her, struggling but helpless, against his body.
"Don't hurt my wife," Brody growled. He was having trouble staying awake as he stood there on weak legs. Blood poured from his chest and shoulder, turning his white shirt a deep crimson as sweat slicked his brow.
"I'm gonna kill her. Yep Yep. Gonna make her die!" Petey cackled happily.
Brody looked at Elizabeth helplessly and suddenly yet another bullet ripped into him. This one breaking the bone in his thigh and sending him to his knees.
"Brody!" Elizabeth screamed again.
Brody looked at her tear stained, pale face and mouth the words 'I'm sorry' just before Rene's boot kicked him in the face and he fell on his back. The fiery pain in his body was nothing compared to the fear he felt as he looked at his wife in that dirty man's hands. Brody was fighting off unconsciousness but he knew he was dying as his blood pooled on the dusty ground beneath him.
The last thing his eyes saw before they drifted closed was Petey putting his gun to Elizabeth's head. The last thing he heard before giving in to the darkness was the sound of the shot that he knew was ending his beautiful wife's life.