Renegade Love (Rancheros) (36 page)

~~~

Every bone and muscle in Rosa’s body ached. The first time they had stopped, her legs had almost given out from under her when she had been placed on the ground. It had taken all her strength to lower herself to the ground to sit, and it was only a short time after that that the man who had come for her—Jared—grabbed her by the arm and hauled her up. She was placed back on the horse and they continued to ride for hours.

She didn’t know how she kept her eyes open, though she had nodded off a couple of times, her chin lolling on her chest. She was completely exhausted by the time they reached a campsite. At first she had thought that the men there were part of the band she rode with, but then she spotted the difference. The men who had come for her were far different from the grimy, worn-out looking men at the campsite.

And that’s when she knew that they had finally arrived at Pacquito’s camp. Fear trickled through her, remembering the stories Esteban had told her about what happened to the women Pacquito captured.

She had to stay strong. She couldn’t let her fear show. Esteban would come for her. She had to hold on until then. One look at the way Pacquito’s men leered at her and she knew it was going to prove difficult to hold onto her courage. The men whispered to one another, pointed at her, and then laughed. She didn’t know how she would ever attempt to sleep tonight. She feared the thought of drifting off and being left vulnerable to these men.

Though the night was warm, a chill kept running through her. She kept her arms wrapped around her middle and her eyes focused on those around her. She wasn’t foolish enough to think that she could defend herself against so many men, she could only hope and pray that she wouldn’t have to try.

The other men scrambled to their feet at the approach of footsteps and grumbling. Then out of the shadows stepped three men. It wasn’t hard to tell which one was Pacquito since the other two men walked a step or two behind him.

Rosa shivered at the sight of him. He was shy of six feet by a few inches and lean, but it was his face that, no doubt, struck fear. It was heavy with lines and a ragged scar ran down from just above his right eye to his jaw. Another scar cut across his left cheek to his nose. A small scar at one corner of his mouth made it appear as if he forever frowned on that side and one earlobe looked to have been bitten off. The worst part though was his brown eyes. They were so empty that you would think he was dead. His dark shoulder length hair was unkempt and tucked back behind his ears. His clothes needed a washing, but then he and his men looked as if they’d been on the road for some time, dirt and dust covering all of them.

Pacquito grinned when his eyes fell on Rosa and he walked over to her. “Esteban has found himself a beauty.”

She suppressed the shiver that struggled to surface.

He walked slowly around her, inspecting her from head to toe, his eyes lingering in intimate places. “After I take you in front of Esteban, I will keep you for myself.”

Her legs trembled and her stomach roiled at the disgusting thought and though words rushed to spew from her lips, she kept them tightly closed. Antagonizing him would do her no good. She must be patient and wait.

“You’re a quiet one.” He laughed. “I’ll have you screaming in no time.”

She bit at the tip of her tongue to keep from responding. It was better she said nothing or so she tried to convince herself.

He walked around her again, rubbing his chin. “I was going to kill Esteban fast and be done with him, but now,” —he grinned wide—“I’m going to cut him so that he slowly bleeds to death and the last thing he will see as he lies there helpless and dying, is me riding you like a mighty stallion.”

The image his words evoked was too much for her to bear. She couldn’t hold back. Her words shot out like an arrow hitting its mark. “You are a hapless fool if you believe that.”

Pacquito’s hand shot out so fast that she didn’t see it, but she did feel it. Her head snapped to the side so hard that she feared he broke her jaw.

“You will learn to obey me,” Pacquito screamed at her.

Roberto screamed those exact words at her after having lived with the Curros for only one day. She had been a little girl unable to defend herself... she wasn’t a little girl anymore.

She tossed her chin up. “Never!”

He swung out to hit her again and this time she ducked and he missed her. He grew furious and lashed out at her again. This time Jared stepped between them, though not before Pacquito managed to catch the corner of Rosa’s right eye and she stumbled from the blow.

“Enough,” Jared ordered.

“You have no say in this. She belongs to me now. Take your men and leave,” Pacquito ordered.

“My orders are to stay until the end,” Jared said.

Pacquito laughed. “So you wish to watch me take her while Esteban dies?”

“What comes afterwards doesn’t concern me.”

“So you are to protect her from me until Esteban shows up?” Pacquito asked his laughter gone along with any remnants of a smile.

“I am here to see you get what is owed you.”

The chill that had lingered in Rosa grew until she couldn’t help but shudder. They spoke as if she didn’t matter at all. She was nothing more than a pawn to them and it made her realize just how dire her situation was.

“Finally, he realizes this?” Pacquito snapped. “It is about time.”

“Then do what you will with her tomorrow, but tonight she rests.”

Pacquito’s grin returned. “She’ll need the rest for what I have planned for her.”

His sneer turned her stomach and she was glad that he walked away and joined his men at their campfire. They passed a bottle around, talking and laughing and jabbing fingers in her direction.

With trembling legs, she made her way to the campfire and collapsed close to it, her whole body chilled. She held her trembling hands out to the fire. She wished there was something she could do, but what chance did she have against so many men? And what chance did Esteban have?

The thought sent her stomach roiling so badly that she thought she would be sick, but she fought the waves of nausea, not wanting to show her fear to these men. But the more she considered the outcome, the more she worried that Esteban would have little chance against so many. Pacquito’s men wouldn’t simply let him walk away. The only thing that gave her some solace was that she would be there with him. Whatever his fate, was her fate too and they would share it together.

If her husband was to meet death, then she would greet it alongside him. With that thought in mind she began to nod off, though she’d wake as soon as her head bobbed too low. And so went her night, dozing and waking, making sure no one crept up on her until, with relief, she greeted the dawn and prayed that her husband wasn’t far behind it.

~~~

Esteban rose with the dawn, eager to be on his way and see this thing done. He grew agitated when the sun was full up and the devil still hadn’t made an appearance. He tried not to let his annoyance show, fighting to keep himself from pacing.

When the short, stocky man appeared Esteban wondered if he was the devil’s emissary and that he wouldn’t even get to speak with the devil himself. But then if that was so why wouldn’t the man have spoken with him last night?

Esteban was about to approach the short man when he stepped aside and from behind a tree stepped a man so shrouded in black that Esteban took a step back. The man was covered from head to toe in a robe not that unfamiliar from what the padres wore. The hood hung over his head down to just above his chin and the wide sleeves fell past his hands making it seem as if he had none. He was tall, over six feet, and though the shroud covered him, from his imposing stance he appeared lean and muscular. He didn’t appear to carry a weapon, but then his appearance so terrified that it was weapon enough to stop anyone from approaching him.

“You requested a favor Esteban Cesare.”

His articulate and deep voice surprised Esteban. He sounded more cultured than he had expected. He nodded, though it hadn’t been a question.

“You are willing to owe the devil?”

“I am,” Esteban said without hesitation.

“You plan to put an end to Pacquito?”

“I do and he deserves it.”

“Are you playing God, Esteban?”

Esteban caught the vehemence in his tone and shook his head. “God had no use for me and I have none for him.”

“Then why does Pacquito deserve to die?”

“Because he was the reason the old woman Lequita took her life.”

“Lequita took her life?”

Esteban shivered from the stone cold tone of his voice. “She did.”

“Why?”

“Pacquito threatened that he would beat her again if I ever attempted to leave. She knew I would never let that happen. She had been so very good to me since the first day of my capture. I do not think I would have survived the ordeal if it hadn’t been for her kindness and love. I would not see her beaten again because of me. I planned to wait until her death to leave.” Esteban paused a moment before recalling the heartbreaking memory. “She was familiar with every plant, shrub, and tree in the area. She knew what could be eaten and what never should be touched. One day she ate berries she knew would kill her, though would give her time to speak with me first.”

“She spoke with you?” the devil said and then demanded, “What did she say to you?”

“She told me it was her time to go. She was too tired to live any longer and that I wasn’t to blame myself.”

“That was all?”

“No, her last words were, ‘Tell the devil I love him and to forgive me and not to forget his promise.’”

Esteban jumped back as did the short, stocky man when the devil let loose with a terrifying roar. The short man shuddered and Esteban felt his blood run cold. They both stood still, not moving a muscle or saying a word, waiting for the devil to calm down and speak.

After several silent minutes, the devil said with a growl, “You remained with her until she died?”

“Lequita died in my arms.”

“You will kill, Pacquito.”

It was not a question or a statement. It sounded more like a demand. And since the devil wanted Pacquito dead, Esteban wondered if perhaps it would be more a favor to the devil and it would negate owing him anything.

“You seem to want him dead as well. Will it then be a favor I do for you and owe you nothing?”

“You owe me more than you know, and I will extract payment when the time comes.”

A chill ran through Esteban again, the devil’s voice ominous in his promise. He did not like, at all, owing this man. He feared the payment might be too high, but he could think of no other way.

“Then I will be on my way and see this done,” Esteban said wanting away from the devil. “Where can I find Pacquito?”

The devil turned and nodded to the short man who proceeded to give Esteban the directions.

Once finished Esteban turned to leave when the devil called out to him and he reluctantly turned around.

“I had my men take your wife to his camp. She waits there for you.”

Esteban clenched his fists, his fury mounting. If Rosa had been in Pacquito’s camp since last night there was no telling what he had done to her. He shut his eyes against images that rushed into his head to torment him. He wanted to lash out at the devil, but instead he did what he never expected to do... he prayed for his wife’s safety.

Before Esteban turned to go, he took a step forward and the short man blocked his path to the devil. With his fists clenched at his sides he stared straight at the black shrouded figure. “Know this and know it well. Devil or not, if anything has happened to my wife, I will hunt you down and kill you.”

The sun had been up for several hours and Rosa grew worried, not that her husband had yet to show up, but with the tension growing in the camp. Pacquito had been talking to his men in whispers since after sunrise and it seemed obvious to her, and she hoped to Jared and his men, that Pacquito was planning something.

She had noticed the whispering after returning from the nearby stream where she had gotten a chance to refresh herself. Her reflection in the water had startled her. Her jaw was bruised and swollen as was the corner of her eye. And her hair was a wild mane of tangles. She had quickly washed her face, and then had combed her hair with her fingers, getting the knots and tangles out as best as she could and hurriedly braided it. She hadn’t wanted to greet Esteban looking a sight. It would make him think she had suffered worse than she had, and he didn’t need to be worried about her. It was Pacquito he needed to focus on.

Now, however, she wondered if Pacquito had a change of plans. It certainly would seem that way with all the whispering and maneuvering his men were doing. So when the attack came, she shouldn’t have been surprised. But she was, though only for a moment.

The melee gave her a chance to escape. She didn’t stop to think, she ran; darting around fighting men, falling over wounded ones and ducking when she heard a shot ring out. She didn’t stop to look behind her, she kept going. The edge of the camp and the safety of the trees were only a few feet away. She would make it. She would be free and when she was she would keep running.

She was almost there, another step or two and...

She was yanked back by her braid, swung around, and tossed to the ground. She grasped for air, the breath having been knocked out of her from the fall and tears stung her eyes from her braid having been yanked so hard. Her first thought was to urge herself to get to her feet, but her breath had yet to fully return to her.

It was too late anyway, a body suddenly straddled her and the sharp slap to her face startled the breath from her again. She felt and tasted blood pooling in the corner of her mouth.

“You’re not getting away from me that fast,” Pacquito said and leaned down to roughly press his lips against hers.

Unable to breathe, instinct had her raking her nails done his cheek. He jerked back away from her cursing and slapped her again, her head snapping to the side.

“You’ll pay for that,” he growled, “many times over.”