Chapter 24 #2
Damn her, she didn’t understand. She just didn’t understand how she had tied him up in knots. How it seemed that danger awaited her at every corner, and he couldn’t begin to fight it because he couldn’t begin to recognize it. He hadn’t wanted her in his life, hadn’t trusted her an inch.
And now he quite simply couldn’t imagine life without her. He hadn’t the least idea when he had begun falling in love with her. Nor had he ever imagined that his feelings would grow so deep, so passionate, so nearly desperate. He’d never thought that he could look into silver eyes…
And forget to be wary.
Now he didn’t dare go near her. Not until she came to him. Believe, she had said.
She had to do some of the believing.
He heard a sound from his bedroom library. He strode there quickly, pushing open the door to see her standing by the globe. She was definitely pale.
“Are you ill?”
“No—I’ve got to talk with you.”
“Skylar, we have company downstairs. A senator from back east. If you’re hoping to get even with me in some way—”
“No, no, he’s not a senator from back east—”
“Skylar, I assure you that he is. He’s served several terms.”
“He is a senator. But he’s more. You can’t trust him. He’s—it’s him!” she said breathlessly.
“Skylar, I—”
She rushed at him suddenly, coming up on her toes, taking his face between her hands.
“He’s come for me. Not for me. Oh, God, I’m not making any sense.
I’m of legal age. He can’t do anything to me.
But he wants to hurt me.” She gasped suddenly.
“I should have known. He wants me dead. He’s always wanted me dead.
He needs her, but if I were to perish in the West—”
“Skylar, Skylar!” Hawk exclaimed, catching her hands and holding them tightly. “Skylar, he who? What are you talking about?”
“Dillman.”
“Dillman!” Hawk exclaimed incredulously.
“He’s the one. I’m sure of it. I don’t know how, but I know that he sent the Crows—”
“Skylar! The man is a crippled United States senator from Maryland! I’d heard he’d suffered some kind of an accident, and he’s still in a wheelchair. He’s probably in a wheelchair permanently. He can’t command renegade Crows. He can’t hurt you.”
She wrenched her hands free from his. “You’re wrong! He can hurt me. He’s been hurting me. The truth! You always wanted the truth. Well, I’ve given you the truth now, but I was right. I knew that you wouldn’t believe me.
“Believe what, Skylar? Why would a senator want to hurt you? I don’t understand—”
“He killed my father!”
“Skylar, slow down!” he exclaimed. He’d never seen her like this. Never. Even when he had burst into the stagecoach and dragged her to the cabin. She seemed more frightened now than she had been of the Crow. “Skylar, you’ve got to—”
“Sabrina!” she gasped suddenly. “Oh, my God, if he’s got her—he can’t have her. No, he came here because he hasn’t quite gotten his hands on her yet. He knows that she’ll come to me. He knows somehow that I’m here—”
“Skylar, he’s come because of the Black Hills.”
“No!” She wrenched free of him, pushing past him. “I’ve got to go. I’ve got to find out if she’s reached Gold Town, if Henry has heard from her—”
“Skylar—”
“You can’t begin to understand what he can do!” she exclaimed, pausing just briefly to stare back at him. She shook her head. “He is the worst kind of monster because most men never see his evil!”
“Skylar, wait. Keep talking to me. I have to understand what is going on, what has happened.” She didn’t seem to hear him. In a blur of soft color, she was gone. “Skylar, damn you, stop! Listen to me—”
She wasn’t stopping.
He tore after her.
She was swift, graceful, and as fast as a cougar. She was down the stairs by the time he reached the top of the landing. She moved silently, looking into the dining room before she quickly let herself out the front door. She was just seconds ahead of his descent to the ground floor.
“Lord Douglas!”
He paused.
Senator Dillman had rolled himself back into the foyer. He was a man possessing a certain dignified charm. He had a rueful smile that made him seem trustworthy, one with the common man. Level eyes, a square jaw. A voice that quietly filled space and seemed to command it.
“Senator Dillman, you’ll have to excuse me—”
“You’ve married my girl, eh, sir?”
“I beg your pardon?”
Dillman sighed deeply, looking down. “She didn’t tell you anything about herself? She ran away, you know.” He looked around, assuring himself no one else was within hearing distance. “She’s my stepdaughter. She pushed me down the stairs and ran away.”
“What?” Hawk snapped out, all courtesy forgotten in his astonishment.
Dillman inhaled. “Your father was a fine man, a very fine man. I’m sure you’re one and the same.
I’m so sorry to tell you this, but the girl has been filled with delusions since she was a child.
Her father was killed during the war. I was with him.
I didn’t die. She blamed me. I tried. All those years since, God knows I tried!
But I married her mother, you see. She couldn’t forgive me for living when her own true father was dead. ”
“I’m afraid I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“Skylar, Lord Douglas. Your wife.” He shook his head sorrowfully.
“Sir, I am ever so sorry. She’s gone completely mad.
Her mother’s death sent her over the brink, I believe.
I wanted to get doctors for her. The best money could buy.
I tried to keep my patience with her, but we quarreled, and she has tremendous strength, tremendous strength!
She sent me flying down the stairs, but she is my stepdaughter, my dear departed Jill’s beloved flesh and blood.
I couldn’t call the police. But I knew that I had to find her. Help her.”
Hawk crossed his arms over his chest, staring at the man. He had felt the lull of the man’s voice, his persuasion. It was easy to understand why he was such a successful politician. He was so convincing.
“She’s afraid of you,” he said bluntly. “Why?”
“Why? God alone knows, Lord Douglas! Have you been listening, sir? The girl is delusional, poor, poor creature!”
The worst kind of monster, Skylar had told him.
“I’m perplexed. Why did you follow her here?”
“I have business here, my good man. But yes, I did need to find her. She is my stepdaughter. I care for her welfare. And for yours. Before Almighty God, sir, I do swear to you that the girl put me in this chair!”
She had told him she needed to talk to him. Now he needed to talk to her. He couldn’t forget the look on her face, and he still couldn’t understand her terror and despair. Dillman was in a wheelchair. What kind of a threat could he be?
“My wife has shown no signs of delusion. Or of violence,” he added, even if it was a bit of lie. She’d only been violent when she’d been under attack.
Could Dillman possibly have been responsible for those attacks? How had he maneuvered renegades to his will?
“Then I’m glad for you, Lord Douglas. Yet still anxious to see my stepdaughter. You wouldn’t deny me the right to see her? Why, Lord Douglas, you are, in fact, my stepson-in-law!”
“Indeed,” Hawk murmured.
“I imagine that her sister is on her way here, attempting to be with her. Poor Sabrina! She is well aware of how dearly her sister needs help. We even believe she might be at risk of taking her own life. Still, I can’t let Sabrina cast away her life!
No, the child is still under my guardianship, and I intend to do the very best I can for her, in memory of my dear, dear wife! ”
Damn, Dillman was good. So convincing that he was as hypnotic as a rattler. He could almost be believed except that…
David Douglas had been no fool. Hawk realized with sudden clarity that his father had stumbled upon Skylar when she had been in a desperate situation. David had certainly been captivated by Skylar. She must have shown a tremendous strength under adversity.
He killed my father, she had said. Dillman told it a different way. The war—Skylar would have been young at the time. But still…
He didn’t know what had happened. He didn’t know the truth of the matter. But he was determined to discover it.
“Excuse me. Please do make yourself comfortable with your companions in my absence.”
He exited the house quickly, looking anxiously about the yard. He hurried toward the stables. He nearly collided with Willow, who had been hurrying toward the house.
“Where’s Skylar?” Hawk demanded quickly.
“She came out here, completely ignored me, bridled Nutmeg, and took off—hell-bent. I was coming for you, wondering if I should have been going straight after her instead.”
“I’ll go straight after her. She’s expecting her sister to have either arrived in Gold Town and will be heading here.
She’s trying to reach her. Willow, I need you to go back to the house and give Senator Dillman my excuses.
Tell him he’s welcome to stay as long as he wishes.
In fact, have Meggie do her best to keep him there. ”
“I’ll see to it, Hawk.”
In seconds, Hawk was mounted on Tor.
Seconds too late.
Skylar had scarcely left Douglas property when the attack came.
They’d been waiting for her.
Too late she realized her mistake. She damned herself, realizing that again she had underestimated Dillman.
They came from the copse of trees to the west of the property line.
This time, there were eight riders. They were all dressed in war paint, though even as she lay against Nutmeg’s neck to turn her horse and urge her to speed back toward Mayfair, she saw that they weren’t all Indians.
Dillman had called upon the dregs of the army, so it seemed.
And probably prospectors, too. Men who had come for gold and hadn’t managed to strike it.
Dillman promised them gold without digging.
All they needed to do was kill one woman.
And make the murder look like an Indian attack.
Even as she rode back to Mayfair, she realized the men had stationed themselves behind her. As she tried to race back, she was circled.
She had so foolishly run. It had been time to meet Dillman face-to-face, with Hawk. He hadn’t denied her. He had merely been stunned. Because she had made no attempt to explain any of it before. Because she had never imagined that Dillman could break in upon her life here. She had felt…
Safe.
She was Hawk’s wife.
But she had run away from Hawk.
And now…
She tried to move Nutmeg to the left. A rider, his face painted black, was there. She forced the horse to rear. Nutmeg pounded down to the right.
Then one of the men, laughing, leaped from his own horse to hers, dragging her down from Nutmeg.
Down, down, down…
Monsters had come.