Vickie Britton, page 23
I shook my head, feeling a sudden wave of dizziness. “It all happened so quickly.” He bent over me, his fingers lightly brushing my throat, inspecting the bruises there. A sudden, violent chill racked my entire body. His touch brought back memories of those other hands, squeezing so
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tightly, choking the air from me. The gaze from his dark eyes swept over me searchingly, as if trying to read the terrifying thoughts churning in my mind. He withdrew his hand. “Rest,” he whispered softly. “I’ll be back soon.”
Then he was gone. The door closed as he slipped back into the night—but had he really gone out to find my attacker, or was this all a carefully-planned act put on for my benefit? Had there really been anyone in the barn tonight but the two of us?
The letter. I reached into my pocket where the letter should have been. It was gone.
Alice came back with the tea. “Alice,” I cried. “The letter…it’s gone!” Fruitlessly, I tried to explain, but my head kept spinning so that it was an effort to think straight. “The letter…”
“Here, drink this,” she coaxed. The tea was warm, soothing. I was so very tired. I closed my eyes for a moment, drifting into a haze of nothingness. When I opened them again, I was aware of Alice bending over me. Her eyes were huge, dark and tormented in her ashen face. “You must get out of here,” she said.
“What do you mean?”
“You must leave now. Tonight. He doesn’t mean to let you go.”
“What?”
“He means to kill you,” she said.
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“Who?” I demanded, bewildered and frightened. “You must tell me!”
“I can’t explain. Not now.”
I was alarmed by the horror I saw in her eyes. “Please trust me!” she cried. “I never meant for him to kill her. And now, your life’s in danger.”
Still dazed and unsteady from my injuries, I watched her reach for my jacket. She tugged at my arms to put it on, easing it over my shoulders. Then she was pressing something into my hand. The keys to my Mustang.
“You must go now. Head for town and don’t stop. There’s no time…” She pushed me out into the cold night air.
“Alice—”
“Go. Now—while you have the chance. He’ll be coming for you soon,” she hissed. “He’s mad, don’t you understand? Mad!” The door slammed shut in my face.
I rattled the doorknob, calling her name. I heard a click as she locked it from the inside.
I banged on the door. “Alice!” The air was bitterly cold. My throat ached, my voice was hoarse and dry. Each breath of night air I drew made the soreness throb. And I was locked outside with a madman who wanted to kill me.
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For a moment I stood huddled by the door, shivering. Then I began to run blindly through the darkness toward the Mustang, parked at the far end of the drive.
I’d reached the edge of the driveway when I felt the presence of someone behind me. Tingles of fear brushed across my neck like icy fingers as I continued to race for the car. My knees were so weak they threatened to buckle under me. A shrill cry of terror escaped me as a hand suddenly snaked out of the blackness and wrapped about my forearm like a whip.
“Alice is right. You must leave.” I whirled around to face—Guillermo!
I struggled to be free from him.
“Anna, listen to me.” His grip on my arm tightened painfully. “Alice didn’t know things would go so far. She only wanted to frighten Colleen away. She had no part in the killing—”
“Wh…why?”
“She wanted Ivan to inherit the Devil’s Gate, but Tavas left it to you instead. She only meant to scare Colleen into signing those divorce papers so Ivan would be free.”
“I know. To marry me.” I could feel the blood rushing from my head. I swooned, would have fallen if not for Guillermo’s strong, vice-like embrace. “You’re in no shape to drive,” he said, steering me toward the old truck. “I’ll drive you into town and get you a room. You’ll be safe there until morning.”
He opened the heavy door of the old pickup and hoisted me up into the worn seat. The inside light came on as he moved around to the other side. He slipped the keys into the ignition, then turned to me again, a look of warning flashing briefly across his face. “We mustn’t let anyone know about Alice’s involvement in this.” I heard a
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strange catch in his voice. The way he said her name made me turn to face him, suddenly alarmed. “We must protect her at any cost.”
I looked across from him, stunned. The faint yellow light from the dashboard played upon his rugged, tanned face, the rough-hewn features, the piercing eyes below the silvery hair and battered hat. For a moment, something flickered in my mind, making frightening thoughts gather. Is there a resemblance, however so slight, between him and Ivan?
Surely it was only my imagination. I looked again. The likeness wasn’t marked—but then Ivan had always taken after his mother. Time and time again I’d searched for traces of Tavas or Lucas in his face and found none. And now, in the face of this man who was both friend and stranger, I was seeing something I didn’t want to see, a resemblance I didn’t want to recognize.
I caught my breath sharply. What if he loved Alice? What if he’d always loved her? Not Tavas, but Guillermo. My mind slipped back to the pictures in the old album. Pictures of Alice and Tavas, but always in the background, Guillermo. The close friend, the loyal hired man, watching, waiting…
Suddenly, I knew I’d misinterpreted the letter from Lucas. “Tavas wasn’t Ivan’s father, was he?” I demanded in a shaky voice, startled by my own revelation. “You are.”
Ever so slightly, he nodded. “Ivan is my son.”
“All these years…”
“Alice and I have kept our secret. We’ve waited, watching our boy grow into a strong, handsome man. Hoping someday he’d become heir to the Devil’s Gate.”
His eyes were as dark and unfathomable as the black night outside the dim glow of the truck’s headlights. “You might as well hear it all,” he said. In a quiet voice he
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continued, “We never thought Tavas knew about us, but Alice began to suspect that he did. Something he said toward the end, when he was delirious…something about a letter from Lucas…”
“Does Ivan know?”
“Yes. Just before the reading of the will, Alice told him. We wanted him to be prepared in case we were wrong, in case Tavas did know the truth. We didn’t want him to get his hopes up and then have them shattered.
“You see, it was a matter of revenge. Tavas loved Alice and me dearly, but he could never quite forgive us. It’s just the way he was inside—stubborn, unyielding. He couldn’t forget that we’d betrayed his poor, sickly brother, and that Ivan was the product of that betrayal. We were too close to him, so he took the anger out on our son. That’s why he never let himself believe in Ivan. That’s why he made certain that our son would never inherit.
“That night Alice went through Tavas’s things, she was looking for the letter.”
“Yes, but she couldn’t find it. I discovered it much later, when I searched the attic myself.”
“You know now,” he added. “Ivan was never of Tavas’s blood, but you are. Though you’re a step-child, your mother’s first husband was a distant cousin of Tavas’s, which makes you his closest blood relative. The Devil’s Gate has always rightfully been yours.” The tone of his voice suddenly struck terror in me. I met his gaze in alarm, seeing resentment and bitterness stamped so clearly on a face that so seldom revealed emotion.
“Guillermo,” I asked in a frightened voice, “why are you telling me all of this now?”
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“I want you to understand how Alice got herself involved in this. She despised Colleen. She only intended to give her a good scare—”
“But he killed her instead,” I finished for him weakly. “So that he could marry me. And now I’ve turned him down, he’s coming after me.” I covered my face with my hands.
“No, Anna,” Guillermo said gently. “Not Ivan. Good Jesus, girl, is that what you’ve been thinking? Alice hired someone to do her dirty work. I’m not exactly sure who he is, but I have my guess. We’ll find out tonight.” He turned the key in the ignition. “I’ll explain it all on the way to town.”
Fear pulsated through me as the ugly truth sank home. Though I tried to remain calm, one chill after another shook me as I remembered Alice’s words: “I never meant for him to kill her…” And Guillermo saying, almost apologetically: “Alice must be protected at any cost.”
If I were to disappear, Ivan would inherit the ranch. And he would, of course, share it with his mother. And, if Guillermo became her husband…
“Are you all right, Anna?” Guillermo looked over at me, his eyes gleaming in the darkness. “Come, now. Don’t be frightened. It’ll soon be over.”
His voice sounded evil, menacing. Suddenly I knew that Guillermo had no intention of driving me into town. It was he, not Ivan, that Alice had tried to warn me about. Guillermo had murdered Colleen. And now it was my turn to die.
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Chapter 36
The motor roared into life. I sat stiffly on the seat, bracing myself. Then, as he pulled the truck into gear, I quickly swung the door open and tumbled out.
For a moment I lay on the hard ground, stunned by the sudden, jolting impact. I heard Guillermo calling my name, saw the door on his side fly open. He was coming after me. I had to get away.
Ignoring the sharp, crushing pain in my ribs, I scrambled past the open spaces, slipping into the dense thicket of sagebrush by the side of the road. There I crouched, barely daring to breathe as the crunch of his footsteps passed by.
Then he was returning to the truck. I remained hidden in the bushes like some small, frightened night creature as the blinding glare of his headlights passed slowly by. Then all was darkness. My bruised body sagged with relief. At least for the time being, I was safe—but he’d be back. And soon.
If only I could find Ivan, but where was he? I had to get out of here. Fast. I rose stiffly to my feet, brushing the dirt from my torn jeans and scraped knees. I felt bruised all over. Every step caused a sharp stab of pain in my chest as I
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edged toward the Mustang, one hand resting reassuringly on the keys in my pocket.
I’d almost reached the car when a dark figure drifted toward me from out of the shadows, to stand between me and the Mustang, blocking my way. A figure in a loose, flowing black robe.
I stared, transfixed, at the ominous hooded man. “Ivan?”
He didn’t answer. His eyes were hollows of darkness in the hooded face. Tears stung my eyes as I realized that he, too, was a part of this evil scheme. And why not? After all, everything that Alice and Guillermo had done was ultimately for him—their son.
A part of me still refused to believe that the man I loved could ever want to harm me. “Ivan—please. Help me—”
He threw back his head, filling the night air with evil, blood-curdling laughter. The dark figure stepped menacingly toward me. And then I saw the knife in his hand.
In terror, I backed away. Turning, I began to run as swiftly as my legs would carry me toward the lights of the ranch. Then, suddenly, I heard a sound to my left, then directly ahead of me. He was cutting me off from the house.
Forced to turn in the opposite direction, I stumbled along just ahead of him, wearily retracing my steps as he relentlessly pursued me. We reached the road. Deftly, he urged me into the darkness beyond. Stark terror filled me as I realized what he planned to do. Slowly but surely, he was herding me like some lost and helpless animal toward the canyon’s sheer edge.
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Stay calm. Think of a plan, I urged my fear-numbed brain as the merciless stalker forced me nearer and nearer to the gaping chasm.
The cabin! If only I could shake him off before we reached the canyon’s edge, I could run to the old cabin and lock myself inside. This new hope, however faint, gave me a sudden burst of energy. I began to run, darting in and out of the rocks, intent on losing him.
Breathless, I slowed, clutching at my ribs, gasping for breath. I listened, but heard nothing. And then the bushes just behind me began to move. Once again, I caught sight of the loose, black robe. I heard that evil, demonic laughter.
Blindly, I ran through the darkness. I searched desperately for some familiar landmark, but I’d lost the trail. The pale rocks, the blue-black clusters of sagebrush, seemed to merge into one winding maze. And then, just up ahead, I saw the cabin.
Once more, I slowed and glanced fearfully behind me. This time, I saw no movement, heard no sound. This time I’d lost him.
Quickly, I hurried toward the cabin and pushed open the door—and gave a cry of horror. Inside, I caught a glimpse of dark robe, gleaming knife. He’d guessed what I was going to do. He was hiding in the cabin…waiting for me.
The hood slipped back a little, revealing the mass of dark hair, the gleam of white teeth, as he came toward me. I whirled and ran, slamming the door behind me. I could hear it creak open again as I ran back toward the house. He was gaining on me. I could hear his footsteps closer and closer behind me. A hand lunged at me, grasping my arm. I could feel the blade of the knife pressing against my back, forcing me toward the canyon.
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He’d outwitted me. Spirit broken, like a prisoner on his way to the gallows, I walked numbly toward my fate. I no longer felt pain or fear. A sense of unreality dulled my senses.
We’d reached the canyon’s edge. Suddenly, I was looking down into spanning, hazy darkness. Spasms of fear shook me from my trance as I imagined falling, my body being torn by those huge, jagged boulders far below.
I could see his hands move in the darkness, intent on shoving me to oblivion. Well, I was ready for him. I wouldn’t go dumb and docile as a lamb to my fate. If he took me down the cliff, we’d go together.
As his hands reached out to push me over the edge, I sprang at him with all my might, knocking the knife from his hand. Panic made the blood pump violently through my veins, giving me strength I never knew I possessed as I fought him like a wildcat, tooth and nail.
I felt a strange, trembling sensation beneath my feet as the ledge we were standing on began to crumble. Then, I was stepping off into nothingness.
I could feel the sharp clawing of twigs and branches against my arms and face. Then there was a jolting pain as my head struck something sharp. One of the huge boulders had stopped my fall. I was hurt, but still very much alive.
Up above, I heard his cry of triumph. Through dazed eyes, I could see him, the black robe flapping in the wind. Evil, insane laughter carried on the winds, drifting down toward me. I struggled to pull myself up, but darkness was already closing in, blotting out everything except the sound of his footsteps as he leaped agilely down the rocks toward me.
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Chapter 37
Something was tickling my nostrils. The heady scent of sage came to me thickly along with the first tingling sensations of pain and cold. I opened my eyes slowly. After a moment or two I realized I was lying in the brush near the altar, where he must have dragged me. A nightmare. This has to be a nightmare.
Then I caught sight of him, a formless shadow in the hood and dark, swirling robe. His back was toward me. I drew in my breath as, slowly, he began loosening the cowl from about his head, shaking free the dark hair beneath. I couldn’t still the cry of astonishment that slipped from my lips. Swiftly, he turned to face me. Black eyes glittered; pale, ghostly moonlight caught the silver glint of the knife in his hand.
“Esteban!”
“Does that surprise you?” he demanded. I could feel the hatred in his burning eyes. Madness twisted his face, distorting the handsome features.
“But…why?”
“Alice wanted Colleen out of the way. So she hired me to do her dirty work.” The smile I knew so well, that half-sneer, twisted his mouth. “I took pleasure in stalking the little whore, scaring the wits out of her.” His eyes were
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alight with evil rapture. “But the best part was having her
blame Ivan.”
“Alice never meant for you to murder her.”
He gave a cold little laugh. “No—that was my surprise.”
My God, he acts proud of what he’s done. A shiver of disgust crept over me, momentarily dulling the fear.
“Colleen was up at the cabin that night,” he explained. “She’d slipped off to see Brad, but he never showed. I was there instead. Waiting.”
His eyes flashed with anger. “I was never good enough for her, the little slut. Always teasing me, leading me on, never intending to deliver. I shook her up good that night—a robe, horns, the whole bit. Of course, Ivan got the blame for my little masquerade.”
He continued, his tone ugly, gloating. “Then, when she came running out of the house, all upset and excited, I was waiting for her. I forced her into the car and made her drive off. I was only going to take what she’d been promising all along, but she fought me…” I saw his hand squeeze and tighten on the knife. “I lost my temper.”
I had to know more.
“The marks on her neck—you strangled her. And then you brought her body back here, to make it look like the work of the Cult of Akerra.”
“Clever, wasn’t it?” Darkness made mask-like hollows around his eyes. “I just hope it works a second time.”
“You’ll never get away with this madness, Esteban. Alice—”
He gave a snort of contempt. “She’ll keep quiet. She’s scared to death of me. Of course, Ivan will get the blame. With him in prison and you out of the way, I’ll control Alice like a puppet on a string. I’ll take over here. I’ll rule
