The Payment (21 page)

With a shake of her head, India sobbed
softly. “No, it was horrible Jesse, really horrible, and ugly
things were said. He didn’t need me.” She buried her face against
his shoulder and wept.

Oh, God Jesse thought it must be even worse
than he imagined, he searched desperately for a way to stop India
from crying. He almost sighed in relief when he saw Chin Li come
into the room.

Chin Li kept checking on little Missy every
few minutes ever since Dane rode out like the devil chased him. He
grew very concerned for her and when he found her weeping in
Jesse’s arms shook his head sadly. “You best go find him, Missy
needs him. If she keeps weeping, I worry about baby.” He sat down,
took Missy out of Jesse’s arm, and held her while she wept.

Jesse could only stare at Chin Li’s in
shock; no one knew that Dane and India were expecting a baby.
Seeing the worry in Chin Li’s eyes, he reached out, picked up his
hat and stood up. Shoving his hat on his head, he gave a quick nod
and hurried outside to start searching for his brother.

As he rode, Dane drank deeply from the
bottle, trying to rid himself of all the pain and worry eating away
at him. Swaying slightly in the saddle, he reined in his horse and
awkwardly slid from the saddle. When his feet hit the ground, he
took another long swig from the bottle and staggered towards the
river. He pushed a branch aside and sucked in his breath.

He stood motionless as he watched Dianne
standing naked waist deep in the water. His eyelids grew heavy as
he watched her place her hands on her breasts and lift them. He
watched as her hands slid down her body and beneath the water.

Dianne heard the horse ride up. At first
frightened, she turned to flee but when she saw Dane, she peeked
beneath her lashes and let a small smile play over her lips as he
stood staring at her. She intended to tease him and let him see
what he so foolishly gave up. Playing with her breasts, she let her
hands slip slowly down her body and under the water. Suddenly, she
turned fully to face him and let out a gasp of surprise. “Oh my I
had no idea you were here.”

Dane lifted the bottle and took another
drink, he could feel himself swelling and growing aroused. “Is that
right?” He slurred and grinned at her.

Her eyes traveling over Dane, Dianne grew
breathless and hot. She became aware of his state of undress and
noticed the bulge growing quickly in the front of his pants.
Licking her lips, she moved seductively out of the water and
towards him. When she reached him, she lifted her hand and placed
it on his naked chest.

“
Let me show you how good I can make
you feel, and then you’ll realize you should have married me.” Her
hand glided over his hard massive chest, down his ribcage, and flat
stomach to the top of his pants.

His breathing harsh, Dane didn’t move. He
wondered though, just how far Dianne would go, and he admitted his
curiosity grew to find out. As he watched her from heavy hooded
eyes, he took another drink. “Well then sweetheart stop talking and
let’s see.”

Unaware of his cold sarcasm Dianne started
unbuttoning his pants, her heart pounded in her chest as desire and
triumph rushed through her. When the last button fell open, she
pushed his pants down and wrapped her hand around his hardness. She
glorified in his raspy growl and the thrust of his hips. At last,
she thought, I have this man in my power, and now I will enthrall
him for all time. Dropping to her knees, she knew what she intended
to do would hold him to her for as long as she wanted him.

Dane, amused at Dianne’s antics, but when
she held his throbbing hardness in her hand, he couldn’t help his
reaction. When she dropped to her knees, he sucked in his breath
and stood eagerly, anticipating what would happen next.

THIRTY-NINE

Jesse spotted Dane’s horse and slowed his
own down to a walk; he pulled up beside the animal. Dismounting and
dropping the reins, he moved through the bushes and came to an
abrupt stop when he saw the scene in front of him. His blood turned
cold and sickness filled his belly.

He could not believe it, did not want to
believe what he was witnessing or what he could see his brother
about to do. He slammed his eyes shut as he tried to rid himself of
the horror his eyes just saw. He shuddered and opened his eyes just
in time to see Dianne drop to her knees. Unable to bear any more,
he let out a tortured roar and pulled his gun. “Get your scrawny
ugly body out of here bitch before I put a bullet in your filthy
whoring heart.”

Dane groaned and turned to look over his
shoulder to gaze drunkenly at his brother. “Ah come on Jesse. When
she’s finished with me, she'll do you.”

At first terrified, Dianne froze at Jesse’s
cold deadly words. When Dane started speaking, she smirked, but a
second later, she screeched in outrage at his ugly suggestion.
Pulling her hand away from his hardness, she jumped to her
feet.

Jesse moved closer, ignoring his brother,
his eyes drilling into Dianne’s. “Get the hell out of here
now.”

Dianne gazed at Dane hoping he would stop
Jesse.

“
Oh come on Jesse, put the gun away.”
Dane slurred out the words.

Dianne felt herself growing a little
confident. “Yes Jesse put the gun away and leave, Dane and I are
busy.”

Never before could he ever remember feeling
so disgusted or sickened in his life, Jesse let his gaze roam over
Dianne’s nakedness contemptuously and when he finished laughed
coldly. “I would prefer any one of the whores in town brother to
this skinny undesirable bitch. I’m warning you for the last time
Dianne leave now.”

Dianne became truly frightened at the look
in Jesse’s eyes and knew she didn’t have any choice. She slid her
gaze to Dane and wanted to shriek in anger and frustration when she
saw how unconcerned he looked. Turning away, she hurried to where
she left her clothes. As she dressed, she swore that she would get
even with Jesse for ruining everything.

After Dianne rode away, Jesse holstered his
gun turned to his brother and growled in disgust. “For God sakes,
what in the hell were you doing?”

Uncaring over his brother’s anger Dane
shrugged his shoulders.

Dane's indifference was the last straw,
Jesse swung back his fist and hit his brother square on the jaw,
sending him backwards and falling at his feet. “For crying out
loud, dress yourself.” Turning away, he hung his head and drew in
ragged breaths. He felt so hurt and disillusioned at his brother,
and he turned around and looked at Dane sadly. “In all my life
never would I have thought I would say that you disgust me. But you
have. For God sakes, you damn fool; you have one of the most
beautiful women sitting at home crying her eyes out over concern
for you. A woman I might remind you who is having your baby.”

He looked away and then back. “And where are
you? Here drunk and about to let that whore do something that
should only be shared with someone you love. You’re a fool brother,
a damn fool.” With one more disgusted look at his brother, he spun
around and headed back to his horse, reaching the animal, he swung
into the saddle and headed home.

Dane lay sprawled in the dirt; he rubbed at
the pain in his jaw. Each word his brother spat at him, he cringed
in self-disgust and horror. When Jesse walked away, he sat up and
bowed his head in shame and self-loathing over what he nearly let
happen.

The picture of his wife floated through his
alcohol-filled mind, and even though he might not have physically
betrayed her, he had. If Jesse hadn’t come along when he did, he
knew he would not have stopped Dianne. Just thinking about what
nearly happened he leaned to the side and vomited on the
ground.

Once again, their mother's poison seemed to
have done the job. Because of it, he just may lose the one thing
other than his brothers he loved dearly. Oh God what had he done?
What in the hell had he done?

Jesse rode home overwhelmed with what
transpired; he doubted he would ever be able to forgive Dane. Of
all the people, he knew he would never have imagined his brother
would act in such a manner. No matter the circumstances, he could
never dream of Dane doing such a despicable thing. With a sore
heart, he gave a disillusioned shake of his head; he wondered what
he could to say to India.

She was already upset and he hated to think
how she would react if she ever found out what Dane came so close
to doing. No, he could not tell her and hurt her more, but he
needed to think of something because he sure did not intend to be
the one that destroyed her.

He foully cursed his brother. When he
reached the barn, he swung down from his saddle and led his horse
inside. After unsaddling him, he drew in a long deep breath and
headed for the house. Reluctantly he went inside. Relief washed
through him when he saw Tuff and his younger brothers. Suddenly he
found the answer. “Tuff, see that the boys get packed, and you too
India. Dane said we should all go to town and visit with the
twins.”

Tuff looked curiously at Jesse; he could see
his eyes were filled with pain. After the boys gave a wild cry and
rushed upstairs, about to question Jesse he snapped his mouth shut
when India joined them.

“
Jesse is Dane all right and are you
sure he wants me to go to town?” India finally managed to calm
herself down and tried to act normally when Tuff and the boys came
home. Now though her worry returned.

Jesse forced a smile, reaching out he took
India’s hand. “Yeah, he said the twins needed to see them to keep
up their confidence, and he would be along later.” When he saw her
shoulders relax and the worry leave her eyes he gave her hand a
light squeeze then let go. When she turned away and went up the
stairs, he pulled off his hat and tossed it angrily across the
room.

“
All right boyo, what’s really going
on?” Tuff grabbed Jesse’s arm, swung him around to face him and
cursed silently when he saw the tortured look in his
eyes.

Unable to keep the pain hidden, Jesse fell
against Tuff and wrapped his arms around him. “Oh God Tuff I can’t
believe Dane would do such a thing.”

Completely undone by Jesse, Tuff lifted his
own arms and held him as the boy poured out the horrible story.
Tears ran down his wrinkled cheeks and sorrow filled his heart.
There is only one person he blamed for what is happening to them
all, and somehow he would try to find a way to stop the woman
before she destroyed his boys and the loving woman now
upstairs.

The bitch caused enough damage to this
family, and he would not allow her to do it anymore. The boys were
starting to change over the last few months and were starting to
trust and respect a woman. They were finally getting over the
damaged she had done to them all those years ago. He swelled with
determination to get her out of their lives forever.

FORTY

After dunking his head several times,
emptying his guts of the alcohol he consumed, Dane sobered himself
up. He now knew he could not put off going home any longer. Rising
to his feet, he strode to his horse and mounted. As he rode home,
he wondered if Jesse would tell India what he witnessed.

With a slight negative shake of his head, he
knew Jesse would not say anything. He felt miserable and guilty
knowing that he lost his brother's respect and possibly his love.
He deserved to after what he so foolishly nearly let happen. He did
not know how he would find the courage to face his wife or Jesse
when he arrived home.

He could not understand how he came so close
to nearly betraying his wife. No matter how angry or upset he felt,
he should never have let things with Dianne go so far. He did not
know if he could even bear to tell India how he nearly betrayed
her. He knew if he told her she would most likely leave him, and he
would not blame her if she wanted to.

When he rode into the yard, he frowned when
he noticed no smoke coming from the kitchen chimney or lights
lighting the windows. Fear gripped his heart as he stopped his
horse. Hurriedly he swung from the saddle and raced across the
yard, bound up the steps, crossed the porch and threw the front
door open.

Utter silence met him. With dragging steps,
he entered the house closing the door behind him. He dragged his
hat from his head and crushed it in his hand. Gone they were all
gone, and he deserved it, he betrayed them all especially his wife.
Love filled his heart for his wife, but knew it to be far too late.
Why did he never realize it before? Why after he ruined everything
did he finally realize just how much he loved her?

Now he would probably never have the chance
to tell her how he felt. Damn Jesse. He was sure Jesse would not
have said anything, how could he have been so wrong? Moving inside
the study, he collapsed on the chair behind the desk and tossed the
hat on top of it.

What should he do? How would he make things
right again? Could there be any hope of bringing his family and his
wife back home again? Is there any chance of winning their love and
respect back? Bowing his head, he covered his face with his hands
and wept for what he so foolishly lost.

Her fingers twisting together on her lap,
India peeked through her lashes at Jesse. She wondered what caused
him to look so upset. She knew, even though he tried to hide it
from everyone, that something troubled him. “Jesse, did Dane tell
you about your mothers visit today?” She asked him softly not
wanting the younger boys to hear.

As Jesse drove the buggy through town, he
tried to banish the picture of his brother and the bitch Dianne
from his mind. He found it hard and every time he looked at India’s
sad face, he felt as guilty as hell.