Chapter 22
Melissa was thirsty and tired, and her wrists were burning from trying to free herself.
The ropes her father had once again tied around her wrists were very quickly drawing tiny trickles of blood.
She was happy that Avery had escaped, but she felt more alone and uncertain about her future than ever before.
“I hope Avery is all right and managed to get back to Darragh and Daniel,” she muttered to herself, for lack of anything better to do.
Her father had alternated between napping and keeping an eye on her for the past two hours, leaving her bored and frustrated as she thought of ways she could escape.
The door suddenly burst open, making her wince as she flinched and drew away. Any sudden movements she made allowed the ropes to cut even further into her skin.
“Here’s your food!” George stomped back into the cottage with a sadistic grin on his face and tossed an old bannock at her head. He laughed as he sunk into one of the chairs.
Her stomach growled with hunger as she realized how hungry she was. She hadn’t eaten since her breakfast with Daniel. Her stomach began to growl as she thought of the sweet and slightly tangy cherry jam.
“I can’t believe Avery got away,” George bellowed as he lowered his face into his hand and shook his head. “But I guarantee you that you shall not.” He stood and paced around the cottage aimlessly, the veins in his neck bulging with rage.
“Papa,” Melissa said sweetly, a potential escape plan brewing in her mind, “I need to empty my bladder. Can you please let me out so that I can get some relief?”
“You are not going to move from that spot!” George spat. “You can put any ideas you may have right out of your head, young lady!” He seemed to revert back to addressing her in the way he had done in the past, giving her a slither of hope that her plan could work.
“So, you want me to relieve myself right here,” she said as if it were a real possibility at present. “Are you going to clean it up, since my hands are tied? Maybe that will remind you of the fact that I am your child and the time you actually loved me.” She got slightly sassier with her tone.
“Shut up, you insolent chit!” George lifted his hand in the air, making her squeeze her eyes shut and brace herself for the slap. “Oh, all right,” he muttered in a reluctant voice and hunkered down to untie her ropes.
Melissa felt a wave of hope wash over her as he slowly undid her bonds. She’d thought he would really slap her for a second, but something had made him stop.
Is he having regrets about kidnapping his own daughter?
She wondered if her plan was beginning to have an effect.
“Do not try anything silly,” he said in a stern voice, poking his gun into her ribs. “Let’s go.” He yanked her up roughly, sending hot bolts of pain shooting up her arm.
She felt the tight grip of his hand on her raw wrist and grimaced as he led her outside.
Once outside, she looked around and tried to see if there was anything at all that she could use as a diversion. Daniel’s lessons floated at the back of her mind as her eyes frantically searched for anything useful.
“Hurry up!” she heard her father shout as he took a few steps back and left her behind a bush. “And don’t think I can’t see your every move from here!”
Hunkering down behind the bush as if she were about to empty her bladder, she spotted a tiny mouse scampering away from her foot. The idea fell into her head. She quickly shot up and screamed.
“What in the blazes do you think you are doing?” her father cried angrily as he came rushing forward and pushed the barrel of his gun into her ribs.
“There’s a mouse!” She faked a few tears and clung to his arm as if she were still a child. “It ran over my foot!”
“For Heaven’s sake!” he swore under his breath and began looking on the ground for the offending creature.
Melissa took the opportunity to break free from his grip and started running off in the opposite direction as fast as she could.
“Stop!” George shouted and fired a warning shot from his gun. “Or the next one will be in your leg, my dear!”
His thundering voice made her stop dead in her tracks.
She took one last look at the trees around her.
Beyond those trees was the freedom she was longing for but had to unfortunately give up.
She raised her arms in surrender and turned around.
The sight of her father’s hate-filled eyes made her blood run cold.
She was trying to be brave and fight back tears, but the mind-numbing fear was making her wonder if she was going to survive this ordeal.
“That was a very weak attempt at an escape.” He sniggered. “You cannot escape your fate, my dear. Now, behave and be the obedient girl I raised you to be.” He grabbed her arm and dragged her back to the cottage.
He pushed her through the open door, then flung her to the ground and swung the door shut behind him.
“Get in the chair.” He motioned with his gun and kicked her foot when she wasn’t moving fast enough to his liking.
Doing as he asked, Melissa sat in the chair and waited for him to redo her bonds, beginning to cry out of frustration more than anything else. “Why are you doing this me!?” she shouted between sobs. “Surely there are other ways you can make your fortune.”
“Shut up!” George growled at her. “Do you really think there is a way for me to make an honest living when you and your sister along with your mother cast me off after the wedding to Darragh?”
“Do you blame us for what happened?” she asked incredulously as she realized that her father was blaming them for his own greed and bad decisions.
“Of course, I am blaming you!” he roared with the same hint of madness that had been in his eyes when he’d held the poker in his hands.
“Everything was going great until you lot decided that everything needed to be fair and played by the book.” He raised his hands on either side of his head.
“So, what if I did a few things that I probably should have thought through? Is that any reason to ruin a man’s life?
” He sat back down. “Enough of your insolent chattering, you’re making my head hurt. ”
Melissa wondered if her father had had a mental break at some point in the past that caused him to blame others rather than take accountability for his mistakes. She felt a strange pang of pity as she looked at the man who had clearly taken a wrong turn somewhere in life.
They both lifted their heads and looked at the door as a strange rustling sound came from outside.
George barely had time to reach for his gun once more when the cottage doors flew open, revealing Daniel in all his glory with a full belt of weapons.
“Let her go!” Daniel yelled, storming into the room. “Negotiation time is over!”
“Daniel!” Melissa shouted, tears of relief streaming down her face. She was so happy to see him that she felt a glimmer of hope for the first time since she had been kidnapped.
“Well, well,” George drawled, an evil grin contorting his face. “If it isn’t her knight in shining armor. How commendable of you.”
“Please.” Daniel slowly stepped forward, removing his hand from a dagger on his belt. “There is nae need for anyone to get hurt. Let’s sit an’ discuss this calmly between us.”
“Don’t take another step!” George shouted and put his gun to Melissa’s temple.
“Come any closer, and I will put an end to all of this right now!” He looked Daniel up and down.
“You say that you have come here in peace, yet you’ve brought an entire arsenal along with you!
” he accused him as he looked at the knives in his belt.
Melissa moved her head aside as she tried to get as far away from the barrel of the gun as she possibly could.
“These were just a precaution.” Daniel raised his hands in the air to signal his intentions. “As I ken ye would have done if ye were in me shoes.” He slowly reached down and retrieved the deeds to his castle and lands. “I have what ye asked for here. Now, put the gun down.”
“What are those?” George asked as he pressed the barrel of the gun harder into Melissa’s temple, making her grimace with pain.
“I know yer asking for money,” Daniel said.
“In exchange for Melissa, I’ll hand ye the title deeds to me castle an’ all of the surrounding lands.
I am prepared to sign the castle over to you along with the cherry orchards, in exchange for ye releasing Melissa to me right now.
This doesn’t need to end badly. I agree to do this, and ye agree to give me Melissa.
We both get what we really want, and no one has to get hurt. What do ye say?”
Melissa felt as if her heart would burst with love for the man she had married. She’d been questioning whether or not Daniel loved her, and yet here he was, willing to exchange all that he had in an attempt to save her life.
“Daniel, please, don’t do this!” she suddenly shouted as she realized what he was about to do. She’d never be able to live with herself if she were the reason he lost everything that he loved.
“Be quiet!” George nudged her head with the barrel of his gun. “This is a discussion between men, you have no right to interfere.” He licked his lips hungrily as he looked at the papers in Daniel’s hands, not realizing that he’d placed all of his weight on the gun.
“Don’t hurt her!” Daniel angrily hissed through his teeth as the barrel of the gun drew a trickle of blood from Melissa’s head. “The deal is off if she’s harmed in any way.”
Melissa felt dizzy as more blood trickled from her head. She kept her eyes closed and took a few deep breaths before regaining her composure. Her head was stinging, yet she had too much hope pumping through her veins to worry about the physical pain her father was inflicting on her.