Blood Blade Sisters Series (4 page)

Well, they wouldn’t be able to annul the marriage for a while, but Cilla didn’t see the need to point out specifics. Brynne wouldn’t be twenty-one for another six months. So unless Jake reappeared, which after four months seemed less and less likely, they were going to need Leo to remain Brynne’s husband until then. But that didn’t necessarily mean Leo needed to stick around. They needed his signature on the register and his ring on Brynne’s finger, not his presence on their ranch. Not for too long anyway, Cilla hoped.

“And my brother?”

“We’ll do our best to help you find him. Like I said, we want him more than you do.”

“And what if I am already married?”

“You aren’t.”

They’d checked through his belongings. No ring, no letters from a loving wife, nothing to indicate he was anything other than a lone man. Traveling with an obscene amount of money.

Cilla tilted her head. “On your way back from the mines, are you? Or just back from exchanging some gold for cash? Rob someone? You were carrying an awful lot of money for a simple carriage driver.”

All amusement drained from his face and his eyes bored into hers. “You took my money?”

“I thought you were offering it up as payment.”

“Not all of it.”

The quiet statement sent shivers up her spine and almost made her regret goading him. She gripped the handle of the gun. “You’ll get it back, just as soon as our arrangement is concluded.”

His lips tightened into a nearly invisible line. She tried not to let him intimidate her as he took a step closer. Yet a streak of fear flooded through her anyway. She swallowed, forcing her breathing to remain slow and steady. She figured he would be angry, but being faced with the towering hulk of a man was much worse than she had imagined.

“Your money is safe. It will be returned to you, all of it. Like I said, we don’t want your money.”

“No. Just my hand in marriage.” He snorted. “And if I refuse?”

Cilla raised her weapon again. “We can’t have you running around knowing our secret, Mr. Forrester. Your choices are simple. A brief, sham marriage, and help in finding your brother. Or a cold, lonely grave in the middle of nowhere. Unfortunately, we really don’t have the time to wait for you to think about it. We need an answer.” She cocked the gun. “Now.”

Leo said nothing for a moment. “Why don’t you marry someone in town? I’m sure women are in as short of supply here as everywhere else in California. Surely there is someone who would be willing.”

Cilla nodded. “Yes, there are men in town who would be willing, but—”

“I have a husband,” Brynne interrupted. “I don’t need another one.”

“You married Jake?” Leo asked, his gaze softening as he looked at Brynne.

Brynne answered “Yes,” just as Cilla said, “In a manner of speaking.”

Leo looked back and forth between them. “I’m confused. Are you my brother’s wife or not?”

Cilla sighed but Brynne ignored her. “Jake asked me to marry him, but the town’s parson was on an extended trip. We didn’t want to wait, so we were married by a friend of Jake’s.”

Leo’s gaze flicked to Cilla. “Then I don’t understand the problem.”

“They were married by a friend of Jake’s from the Mojave tribe,” Cilla answered.

Leo’s eyebrows shot up to his hairline. “I thought the Mojave tribe was further south.”

Cilla shot him an impatient look. “It is. This friend is…complicated.”

Leo waited for an explanation and Cilla decided to get it all out quickly so they could move on. They were wasting time. “He’s actually an Irishman who lived with the tribe long enough to become one of their leaders. But he had to leave. The ceremony he performed for Brynne and Jake was a handfasting ceremony mixed with the Mojave ceremony. They consider it binding,” she said, nodding at Brynne, “but…”

“But it’s not technically legal,” Leo finished for her.

Brynne squared her shoulders. “Jake is my husband. I won’t marry some other man who will expect a true wife. And we won’t give our inheritance away just to keep Frank from it. We’ve worked too hard to keep this land, to keep this ranch running. It’s ours, no matter what the stupid law says about our being under age. Besides, any man who would be kind and treat me fairly deserves more than I can give him.
When
my husband comes home, we’ll have all the manpower we need around here. We don’t need or want anyone else.”

Cilla sighed again. “If you are who you say you are, you’re family. That child my sister is carrying is your niece or nephew. And the situation we are in at the moment is in large part due to your brother up and disappearing. We aren’t asking for much. A few extra days to help us out of this mess, and then you can be on your way and leave us in peace.”

“Priscilla!” Lucy was running toward them as the sound of hoofbeats filled the yard outside the barn. Brynne grabbed the rifle from Lucy and shoved her into the stall behind them.

“Damn,” Cilla muttered as she yanked a knife from its sheath at her waist. “Why’s he back here so soon?” She went to Leo, flicking the knife through the ropes at his wrists as quickly as she could. “You’re about to see why we need you, Mr. Forrester.” She spun back to the doors just as they crashed open.

Leo had made no movement. Cilla prayed that he would go along with their plan.

If he didn’t…

“Well, what have we here?” Frank strolled through the barn toward them, Jed and Jackson flanking his sides as usual. “My sweet little sisters, alone at night in the barn with a strange man. Tsk tsk. Now that just won’t do. Good thing I returned.”

Cilla tried to calm the pounding of her heart. “You get outta here, Frank. You’re not welcome.”

Frank looked at his friends in exaggerated surprise before turning back to her. “Not welcome in my own home? Now that just ain’t right.” He stepped closer to her, his badge gleaming in the lamplight. She wanted to turn and run, but Lucy’s wide, frightened eyes stiffened her resolve.

“I said leave,
now
.”

“You need to learn some respect, you good-for-nothin’ bitch.” Frank raised his hand and Cilla tensed, waiting for the right moment to drive her blade into his arm. Instead, she found herself thrust behind Leo, who was holding the sheriff’s arm in a grip so tight, Frank cried out.

“I think you’d better mind your manners before someone gets hurt,” Leo said. Frank pulled at his arm and Leo released him.

Frank backed up, cradling his arm. “Who the hell are you?”

Leo pulled Brynne to his side. Cilla looked up at him in surprise. He wrapped his arm around Brynne’s waist and smiled at Frank.

“The name’s Leo Forrester.”

“You’d best be taking your hands off my sister, Forrester. I’m the sheriff around these parts and you’re on my property—”

“I’m afraid you are mistaken on that count. And I believe my sister-in-law told you to get out. I suggest you abide by her wishes. I can’t have you upsetting my wife.”

Cilla bit her lip to keep her jaw from dropping open in surprise. Brynne looked tense and uncomfortable by Leo’s side, but she didn’t say anything to refute Leo’s claim.

Frank sputtered in outrage. “Wife? She’s not your wife! That’s impossible!”

“Oh, but it is possible. And I don’t appreciate you barging in here and threatening my wife and her sisters. Sheriff or no, you don’t have any right to be harassing these women.”

“Harassing them? They are
my
sisters. I have every right to be here, on
my
family land. Every single one of them is underage, and as their closest male relative that makes it
my
responsibility—”

“Wrong.” Leo released Brynne and drew closer to Frank with every word. “We’re married. That means this woman, this land, and this house are
mine
. And I protect what is mine.”

Frank looked at his friends for support, but they were already backing away.

Frank turned back to Cilla, his expression making her blood run cold. “I’ll leave,” he snarled, “for now. But I’ll be back tomorrow. There weren’t no wedding. You ain’t got no proof. And when I show you for a fraud,” he said, turning to jab his finger at Leo, “I’ll toss you in jail for trespassing faster than you can spit.”

Leo waited while Frank and his cohorts mounted their horses and rode off. When they were out of sight, he turned back to Cilla, who stood staring at him in disbelief.

“What is your name? No more games.”

“Priscilla Richardson. Call me Cilla.” Her voice was hardly more than a whisper.

“We have a deal.” He nodded and turned, taking Brynne’s hand in his. “Now, I suggest we find a preacher.”

Chapter Four

“Right this way, Mr. Forrester.” Lucy hopped off her hay bale, slung her shotgun over her shoulder, and gestured grandly toward the house. “I picked up the reverend before you all had your little talk,” she said, nodding toward her sisters. “We thought it would save time if you decided to be agreeable.”

“You hauled a preacher out in the middle of the night for an emergency wedding? And he came?”

Lucy shrugged. “He owes us a favor.”

Leo’s eyes narrowed, and he hesitated. But then he shrugged and turned to Brynne and Cilla.

“Are you coming?” he asked. He didn’t wait for their answer, instead following Lucy.

Cilla held back, knowing Brynne was about to give her an earful. She was already cringing before Brynne rounded on her.

“He’s Leo FORRESTER?” Brynne nearly shouted and Cilla tried to shush her.

“I had no idea. How could I?”

“He is my husband’s brother, for crying out loud! Here to ask for our help to find him and you want me to
marry
him? Are you insane?”

“Look, I know in your heart you consider yourself married, but legally you aren’t, and it’s the legal bit that’s got us in a bind right now.”

Brynne crossed her arms, clearly fuming, but Cilla could tell she was close to tears.

“Brynne, I know this isn’t the way things were supposed to turn out. I’ll admit it’s crazy. But if you think about it, it’s actually kind of perfect.”

Brynne tried to interrupt, but Cilla cut her off. “Just listen! We need his help. He’s all we’ve got. And instead of it costing us a small fortune, all we have to do is promise to do something we were doing anyway. Plus, he’s got added incentive to stick around until we do. We will find Jake, Brynne. I promise. And when we do, we’ll pay off our debt to Leo. And in the meantime, we get rid of Frank. All you have to do is say two little words, words you know mean nothing, and our lives get a lot better.”

Brynne still didn’t look convinced. But she was wavering.

“If you’ve got a better idea, I’m all ears.” Cilla tried not to snap at her sister, but her patience was wearing thin. They didn’t have time for this. “But Frank is going to be here first thing in the morning, if not sooner, and we’ll all be out on our rears. So you better decide fast. Go through with it and buy us some time. Or don’t, and start packing your gear. Because we don’t have any other choices that I can see.”

Brynne’s face fell. “I know. But Cilla…”

Cilla squeezed her sister’s hand. “I know. But it won’t be that bad. How can it? He’s Jake’s brother, after all. If he’s anything like Jake, we should be thanking our lucky stars he fell into our laps.”

Brynne sighed. “Let’s get this over with.”

“Good. Let’s go get you dressed.”

Brynne rounded on her sister, hands on her hips. “I agreed to go through with it, but I am not going to get all fancy about it. This isn’t a real wedding, Priscilla Richardson. It’s a charade, a ridiculous plan to get Frank out of our lives. Why should we go through more trouble than this already is?” She glanced in the direction of her new fiancé, who was waiting across the yard on the porch and looking more and more amused.

“Because the reverend doesn’t know this is a sham and he might find it odd if you show up to your wedding in a dirty, wet bathrobe. He’s suspicious enough with us dragging him out here in the dead of night. If he didn’t owe us a favor, he wouldn’t have come at all. Don’t give him any more reason to question things.”

Brynne couldn’t argue against that logic, though Cilla could tell she dearly wanted to. “Fine. Do whatever you want to me. Just don’t expect me to like it.”

Cilla hugged her. “It’ll be okay, Brynne. I promise.”

They marched to the house, their mud-covered boots taking their frustration out on the saturated ground. When they passed the parlor, Cilla called, “We’ll be just a minute!” to Leo, Lucy, and Reverend Mitchum, before hurrying up the stairs after Brynne. Cilla wasn’t sure what Lucy had told the town preacher about the circumstances. He sat in the parlor, looking supremely uncomfortable, so she guessed it wasn’t much.

A tense quarter of an hour later, Cilla stood looking at her sister. Brynne’s best dress strained at the seams around her waist, the full blue and white checkered muslin falling to the floor in gathered folds.

Carmen was happily keeping up a steady stream of rapid Spanish under her breath while she twisted Brynne’s hair into a becoming bun. This marriage was the answer to a thousand prayers for Carmen, who hadn’t stopped praying for the immortal souls of Brynne, Jake, and now their unborn child since they had, in Carmen’s mind, taken part in a damning pagan ceremony and started living in sin. Carmen wouldn’t have cared who Brynne married so long as it was religiously and legally binding.
Before
the baby came. Of course, Carmen would have preferred a Catholic groom and a proper church wedding, but at this point, she wasn’t going to split hairs.

Brynne scowled at them both and then at her reflection in the mirror.

“You can look nice, Brynne. It won’t kill you,” Cilla said. She slapped Brynne’s hands away as she plucked at her bodice.

“It might,” Brynne mumbled.

Cilla bit her tongue. If Brynne and Jake had just seen fit to marry in the town’s small chapel, with a few more witnesses, they’d have all the proof they needed. Instead, they’d been impatient, had their strange,
nonlegal
ceremony, and now look where they were.

Of course, if Jake hadn’t upped and disappeared, they wouldn’t be in this position at all, secret marriage or no. But Cilla couldn’t say that to her already distraught sister. She sighed and grabbed Brynne’s hand.

“Come on, you look beautiful. And we better get downstairs before the groom bolts.”

Brynne glared. Cilla gave her what she hoped was a sympathetic smile and pulled her out of the room.

Leo was waiting at the bottom of the stairs. Brynne nodded to him and went to stand with the others in the parlor. Cilla confronted her soon-to-be brother-in-law. She leaned toward him so only he could hear her whisper.

“I know you are being forced into this, but I would be obliged if you’d remember that Brynne is as well. With any luck, you’ll be quit of each other as soon as possible. Until then…” Cilla drew a breath, hating to ask anything of him, of anyone. But for her sister she’d do it. “Until then, I’d ask that you be kind to her. She’s been through enough.”

Leo stared at her, his jaw clenched tight.

“Please,” Cilla added, the word rusty on her lips.

Leo’s eyes searched hers, burning with their intensity. Finally, he nodded. But he didn’t look away. Her cheeks grew warm under his scrutiny. She had put a little effort into her appearance as well and from the way his eyes widened slightly as he looked her over, he’d noticed. His eyes traveled from her plaited auburn hair, lingered on the buttons that strained to pop under the rather snug bodice, to her trim waist and back up again.

“You look…different,” he said.

Cilla cocked an eyebrow. “Thanks. I think.”

He certainly cleaned up nice. It looked like he had washed the blood from his head and the dust from his face and hands. And he had even run a comb through his thick, wavy hair. The stubble on his chin gave him an air of rugged handsomeness that was only accentuated by the sheer size of him. In the light of the parlor, without the dirt and grime coating his face, his resemblance to Jake was unmistakable.

What an indescribable mess.

Brynne came to join them and Cilla took her hand, giving it a supporting squeeze.

“Everyone’s ready, Mr. Forrester.”

“Leo. If we are going to be man and wife, you should probably call me Leo.”

Cilla tightened her grip on Brynne’s hand as it started to tremble.

Her sister nodded. “Leo, then.”

Leo held out his hand and Brynne stared at it as if it might up and bite her.

His lips twitched. “Well, do you need to get married or not?”

“I do.” Brynne’s cheeks flamed at her unconscious choice of words.

Leo snorted. “Well, at least you’ll know what to say.” He moved toward the door. “Let’s get this over with.”

Cilla wrapped her arm around Brynne’s waist and walked with her into the parlor. She stood by her side, trying to lend whatever strength and support she could. Watching her sister’s determination as she played her part in their charade, Cilla vowed she’d never marry, ever.

She’d held her sister as she had wept endless tears for her lost husband, had heard her hushed sobs in the dead of night, seen her happy, bright-smiling beauty fade with every day that passed without word from Jake. Cilla would never give a man power over her like that. Never.

Rev. Mitchum declared Brynne and Leo man and wife. Leo leaned forward and placed a quick kiss on Brynne’s cheek.

The grandfather clock in the hall chimed one. The reverend, trying to stifle his yawns, quickly excused himself after making sure the wedding certificate and register had been filled out properly. With all the paperwork in order, he vanished upstairs to the room they had offered him for the night. Carmen and Miguel gave Brynne a quick hug and excused themselves as well.

Everyone else stood silently, the only sound coming from the faint ticks of the old clock. Cilla nearly jumped when Leo cleared his throat.

“I don’t know about everyone else, but I’m about to fall asleep where I stand. Perhaps we could call it a night and hash out the details of our little…arrangement in the morning.”

Brynne nodded. “That sounds like a good idea, Mr…Leo. Follow me. Lucy, will you lock up?”

“Already on it,” Lucy said with a smile as she blew out the lamp on the table. Cilla grabbed a candelabrum and led the way up the stairs.

“Allow me,” Leo said, taking the heavy branched candlestick from her. Cilla nodded her thanks but avoided looking at him, instead turning to take Brynne’s hand. They led him to the door at the end of the hall on the left. Lucy came bounding up the stairs just as they reached the end of the hallway.

“This was my parents’ room,” Cilla said, opening the door. “You will stay here while you are our guest.”

Leo walked into the room and turned to Brynne. “And where will you sleep?”

Brynne looked at him, surprised. “My room is just across the hall from yours.”

“No.”

“What do you mean, no?”

Brynne’s eyes narrowed dangerously. Cilla wasn’t sure she wanted to hear Leo’s answer.

“You are my wife. You should be where I am.”

Brynne’s face turned scarlet. Lucy slapped a hand over her mouth, barely containing an inappropriate laugh. Cilla gave her a scathing look. She turned her attention back to Brynne, who was now breathing like she was the barnyard cat trying to escape the sheep dogs. Cilla jumped in, hoping to avoid an explosion.

“Mr. Forrester, in case I didn’t explain the finer points of this arrangement clearly enough, let me refresh your memory. This marriage is for appearances’ sake only. Brynne certainly doesn’t need to share your room or your bed or…any other part of you,” she said, inwardly cursing the slow blush she felt creeping over her face.

Leo put the candelabrum down on the dresser with an irritated huff, marched to the door, and shut it in Cilla’s face.

“What do you think you are doing?” Brynne’s muffled voice came from the other side of the door.

Cilla’s face burned and she fumbled at her waist for her gun, only to remember she was wearing a damn fool dress and had left her gun in her room. No matter. She had another one strapped to her ankle.

“Slam the door in my face, will you?” she muttered. She was going to kill him. Cilla started hiking up her skirts, but Lucy grabbed her arm.

“Let them alone, Cilla.”

“I will not,” she ground out. “We can’t leave him alone in there with Brynne! What if he—”

“I don’t think he’s going to hurt her, Cilla.” Lucy pressed her ear to the door and waved Cilla over. “Come on,” she whispered. “If it sounds like she’s in trouble, we can bust in there. Just remember, pregnant or not, Brynne is one of us. No one forces her to do anything.”

Cilla sighed. Her younger sister was right. Their older sister was more than capable of defending herself should the need arise.

Reluctantly, Cilla leaned over and pressed her ear to the door. The voices were muted, but Cilla could just make out what Leo and Brynne were saying.

“I understand the more intimate details of our deal perfectly,” Leo said. “But I don’t think
you
have thought it all the way through.”

Brynne sputtered. “I have so thought this through!”

“Don’t you think it will look a little odd to the good Reverend Mitchum if he wakes in the morning to find that the happy couple he just wed is sleeping in separate bedrooms?”

There was silence. Lucy leaned closer to Cilla and whispered, “He’s got a point there.”

“Shh,” Cilla said, waving her off. She went back to listening, her ears straining as she heard the sound of bedsprings.

Leo’s voice came from farther away. “Like it or not, if this marriage is to be for appearances only, we have to make it
appear
that we are well and truly married.”

Cilla’s hand trailed to where her gun should be hanging and Lucy slapped at her.

“Stop it,” she hissed, rolling her eyes. Cilla glared at her.

Brynne’s voice filtered through the door, close. She must have still been standing right by the door. “I guess you have a point,” she conceded. There was a pause. “Well, you have to sleep on the rug by the fire for tonight. We will make more comfortable arrangements for you tomorrow.”

Satisfied, Cilla nodded and started to move away from the door.

Leo’s retort of “No” caught her off-guard.

She pressed her ear against the door again, knocking against it in her haste. Lucy slammed her finger to her lips, glaring at Cilla.

Sorry
, Cilla mouthed. They listened again.

“I am sorry to disrupt your plans, Mrs. Forrester. But I am dead tired. I have been beaten, tied in a barn, threatened, and forced into marriage. I refuse to…” his voice was too muffled to understand for a second, “…a sleepless night on a hard floor. You wanted to marry me. Well, we’re married. There is nothing wrong with sharing a bed. I promise I will not lay a finger on you. Just come to bed. It is large enough for the two of us.”