Renegade Love (Rancheros) (17 page)

A fierce growl sounded before Esteban warned, “Let go of her.”

“I will, but understand she has been through much. She has a bruise on her face and I imagine on other parts of her from the fight she took part in.”

“Who inflicted this bruise?” Esteban demanded angrily.

“The man is dead,” Rafael informed him.

“Then I owe you a favor, my friend.”

“Not necessary, Esteban, just be gentle with her. As I said, she has been through much.”

“Thank you,” Rosa whispered to Rafael before walking away from him toward the dark figure, her heart beating madly in anticipation.

As she approached a hand reached out and quickly snatched her into the mouth of darkness.

She found herself pressed hard against her husband’s body.

“I should punish you here and now for disobeying me,” he whispered harshly.

Rosa tried to explain.

“Not one word,” Esteban warned with a finger to her lips.

She shivered. He was angry, very angry. She could feel it in every coiled muscle of his body and she wasn’t sure what he would do to her, so she remained silent.

He turned and started walking, tugging her along behind him. He fought the urge to stop and strip her bear and check every part of her body to make certain she was unharmed. But he couldn’t do that here and now. He and the others had to be on their way. He wanted to get her home as quickly as possible. He also owed Raphael for killing the man who had dared to lay a hand on Rosa. The thought that she had been in danger and he hadn’t been there to protect her made him furious. He kept walking, relief beginning to overcome his anger. He squeezed his wife’s hand. She was safe, and he would make certain she stayed that way.

Rosa didn’t know how her husband could manage to find his way through the woods in the dark, but he did. She kept pace with him all the while wishing that instead of her stomach churning nervously over their eventual confrontation that she could talk with him and tell him all that had happened since her arrival here. What she had learned had stunned her and made her feel as if she didn’t truly know who she was.

Esteban stopped suddenly, jolting Rosa out her thoughts and catching her around the waist so that she wouldn’t collide with him. She moved closer to him, pressing herself to his side when she caught sight of several men surrounding them. It was easy to see that they were renegades and Rosa grew fearful.

Not a one of them said a word. They all mounted their horses tethered nearby and with firm hands on her waist Esteban lifted her to the saddle, and then mounted behind her. With his arm snug around her waist and one hand on the reins they took off at a slow pace.

The silence, curiosity, or perhaps it was fear had her finally speaking up, “I—”

“Not a word,” he warned with a quick squeeze to her waist.

He was still angry and she was still anxious. Had he gone back to the renegades? Where was he taking her?

Her chest grew tight and she felt a well of tears threaten to choke her. What she had hoped would be a happy journey in discovering a family she never knew she had, had become a heartbreaking disappointment. And only now was she beginning to realize once again how much she had lost. Would heartache never stop? She swallowed hard, trying desperately to stop the tears from falling. It would do her no good to cry now. She had to stay strong, as she had watched Gaby do. But she didn’t feel strong, no matter how much she told herself that she was. She wanted to break down in tears and cry for all she had lost.

Her heart ached along with her body and the day finally took its toll, and Rosa was never so happy to welcome the oblivion of sleep.

Esteban felt a squeeze to his heart when Rosa rested her head to his chest. Her body grew limp with sleep soon after and he tightened his hold on her. He wondered what had happened to here since her arrival in Los Angeles, especially what led to her having been involved in a fight. He would not think her capable of that, and so his wife surprised him again.

He wished they were home where he could make certain she was all right. By morning they would reach the designated stop and they would switch horses and be on the road again. The next stop was where his stallion would be waiting for him and they would not stop again until they reached the hacienda.

Esteban had grown accustomed to traveling for days without rest, but it would be a grueling journey for anyone who had no experience with it. He had no choice in the matter though. It was either that or take the chance of Pacquito possibly finding them.

He shook his head to clear his mind. He had to remain focused. It would be a long night and even longer day before they finally reached home.

“Wake up, Rosa.”

Rosa winced at the pain from being jostled awake. It hurt too much to move. She much preferred the warmth of the comforting blanket. But the persistent voice continued to irritate her.

“Wake up!”

She reluctantly opened her eyes and they popped open even wider when she stared into her husband’s dark eyes. She recalled then where she was and it wasn’t in bed wrapped in a warm blanket. She was in her husband’s arms on a horse.

“You have a few minutes to see to your needs and grab what food there is before we’re on our way again,” Esteban said and eased her away from him to dismount.

Rosa felt the pain of his absence, having to support her aching body herself, and she couldn’t help but wince again.

His hands were suddenly at her waist and he eased her off the horse to rest her sore body against his. “You had no business going off on your own.”

She did not want a confrontation here and now in front of these
renegades
, but she couldn’t stop from asking, “Where are you taking me?”

“Home, and I intend to make sure you stay there,” he snapped angrily, though he hadn’t intended to. Her suffering upset him, but then so had her question. Why would she think he would take her anyplace else, but home?

She took a sharp step away, forcing herself out of his embrace... a mistake. Pain shot and stabbed at her in so many places, she wondered how she was able to stand. And then she realized that Esteban had taken hold of her again.

He leaned his head down and whispered, “Defy me in front of these men again and I will have no choice but to punish you.”

Rosa recalled Esteban telling her how women were claimed in Pacquito’s group. She didn’t want to imagine how they were punished. She lowered her head to rest on his chest as if surrendering to him.

“Wise move,” he whispered. He then walked her to a secluded area. “Hurry and see to your needs.”

She did so quickly, ignoring her persistent aches. Afterwards he gave her a piece of dried beef , ordering her to eat. After she finished she went to the stream and drank handfuls of cool water, and gave her face and neck a quick scrub.

Esteban hunched down beside her and drank as well, then turned to her. “You would not ache so badly if you had obeyed me.” He took her arm and with a rough tug pulled her to her feet.

She tried not to wince, but couldn’t help it.

Esteban spewed a litany of oaths as he marched her to his horse. He hated to see her suffer and hated even more that he would add to her suffering. He had her up on the horse quickly and joined her just as quickly. He settled her against him and without a word took off, the other renegades following behind them.

The sun grew hot and so did Rosa. It was an exhausting day that never seemed to end. When dusk settled on the land, they finally stopped. And Rosa was ever so grateful, though her relief didn’t last long. Fresh horses were made ready, only this time Rosa recognized Esteban’s stallion and she wanted to cry out with joy for she knew that the animal would take them home.

Sleep claimed her during the night as they traveled and when she woke it was to find that she and Esteban were alone. She was curious about the renegades, who had only spoken to Esteban in whispers, but dared not ask him. They stopped only once for the horse to have water and then they were back on the road again. It wasn’t until dusk that they rode over a rise and spied the hacienda.

They were home and while Rosa was overjoyed, she was also concerned, for now she would face the consequences of her actions. And she wondered if Esteban would do as he had threatened... tie her to the bed and... tears pooled in her eyes.

She fought back the tears and prayed, prayed that he would take her in his arms and hold her, comfort her... and love her.

Esteban wanted time alone with his wife, and he wanted answers to the endless questions that had manifested in his mind on the return journey home. So after his parents enthusiastic welcome, he offered a reasonable and truthful excuse for Rosa and he to retire to their bedchamber.

“It was an exhausting journey and we need to rest,” Esteban said.

“I will see that Dolores has baths prepared and food sent to your quarters,” his mother said. “We will see you tomorrow after you have rested.”

They had barely entered the room when Dolores came in with several servants carrying a copper tub. She directed it to be placed before the fireplace and a fire to be lit.

“See to everything and then leave us,” Esteban ordered.

The servants worked fast filling the tub and bringing in a table and two chairs and covering the table with a white linen cloth, plates, platters of food and two decanters of wine.

Rosa watched them, waiting for the moment they would leave and her husband would turn to her and... do what?

When the door shut behind the last servant, Rosa stood where she was waiting, her stomach knotted with worry while tears struggled against her fragile constraint.

Esteban removed his shirt slowly all the while not taking his eyes off her. He tossed his shirt to a chair, and then went to the table and poured a glass of wine.

He held it out to Rosa.

She shook her head.

He took a sip. “You disobeyed me.”

Rosa remained silent, her focus on his bare chest and muscled arms. She wanted desperately to rest her head on his chest and have him wrap those powerful arms around her and hold her tight. Then she could pretend that he loved her, truly loved her, for at the moment she needed to know that she was loved.

He took another sip of wine before demanding, “Tell me, did you find a loving family to greet you with open arms?”

His words broke her crumbling control and she could no longer hold back her tears. They burst out in a torrent, rushing down her cheeks and she stood there, weeping uncontrollably.

Esteban let loose with a curse, slammed the wine glass on the table so hard that the stem broke, and rushed to his wife. He scooped her up in his arms and hurried to sit on the bed. He hugged her tight, her wet cheek pressed against his bare chest that continued to get soaked with her never-ending tears.

Her crying tore at his heart. He couldn’t bear to see her suffer. He took hold of her face, tears running down her cheek and brushed his lips over hers. “Don’t cry,
Caro
, you’re here with me now and everything will be all right.”

The strength of his arms, the brush of his lips, the endearment spoken with such heart all served to only make it seem that he loved her and it made her cry harder.

“Don’t,
Caro
, don’t,” he whispered kissing her softly.

But she couldn’t stop and she couldn’t stop from bearing her heart to him. “Why? Why is it so hard to find and hold onto love? I thought my family would love me as I would surely love them.” She shook her head. “How does a mother want her twin daughters dead?”

His brow knitted. Had he heard her right? “Your mother wanted you and your sister dead?”

“Gaby is not my true sister, my twin died when she was just a baby and the padres replaced her with Gaby.” Rosa heaved a heavy sigh.

“Easy,
Caro
, I am here. Tell me. I want to know everything.”

“My mother was a horrible woman. She plotted to have me and my twin killed shortly after we were born. If it hadn’t been for my true father taking us to California we would have been killed in Spain. My mother intended to finish what she started after arriving here. My true father tried to protect me and Gaby, but he was...” She shook her head, her tears still falling. “I don’t know if he survived his wound.”

“Don’t worry, we’ll find out,” he assured her, praying that the man survived and his wife would get to know her father.

“Men, my mother hired, took me and Gaby, though we struggled. They killed my mother and the man who claimed to love her. Gaby helped keep me strong and made a plan for us to escape. It didn’t work out as well as she had thought, but by then Raphael came to our rescue.”

He definitely owed Raphael and one day he would pay him back.

“Don Felipe, the man who thought he was my father, was a fool. He knew nothing of his wife’s deviousness or that she also planned on having him murdered while on their trip.” She shook her head again. “He didn’t even care about me. He only cared that I would do my duty as his daughter. Always duty... what of love?”

He felt a jolt to his heart and he knew at that moment that he loved his wife. He didn’t know how he knew or why he loved her, he just knew that he did and the realization astonished him. He had never thought he’d ever be capable of loving anyone. And yet here he sat knowing without a doubt that he loved this woman.

Admitting it to her was another matter, that might take time, but they had time. They had the rest of their lives together.

Since he couldn’t express what he felt with words, he did so through actions. He stood, with her in his arms, and carried her over to the tub. He eased her to her feet and then began to strip her gently. It didn’t surprise him that she submitted to his tending without protest. What choice did she have when she didn’t have an ounce of strength left?

He grew hard as he stripped away her clothes slowly revealing every part of her. He ached to harden her soft nipples with his tongue and to run his hands over every inch of her silky soft flesh.

He shook his head trying desperately to shake the enticing images away. Now was not the time. Rosa needed his help, his aching need would have to wait. Though he would have loved to have lingered in his task, he knew it was wiser to finish and get her in the water before it turned cold or before sanity failed him and he surrendered to his growing desire.