Wild Lilly (36 page)

Krisp staggered back and his face flushed red against the white of his mustache. “You’re what! You must have lost your mind, woman. You leave me, and I will kill you myself.”

“I’m leaving you, and I’m taking Lilly and Owen with me.”

Krisp started to reach for his gun, his eyes wide and his lips pulled back into a frightening grin. Lilly and Cìarán exchanged a worried glance and his hand began to inch down to the gun strapped to his thigh.

“Before you pull the trigger,” Eunice continued in a calm voice, “There are a few things you need to know.”

“The only thing I need to know is what kind of tombstone you want.” Krisp kept the gun at his side, not pointing the barrel at Eunice...yet.

“If you kill me, you’ll be a ruined man. I have envelopes at three different lawyers, none of whom you know or can control. I write these men four times a year. If they don’t receive my letter, they have instructions to open the envelopes and mail the contents to all the major newspapers, and the government.” Eunice finally looked up, her cheeks regaining some color as her long-suppressed anger peeked through. “Inside those envelopes are details of all the people you’ve swindled and killed for as long as we’ve been married.”

“They’ll never believe you,” Krisp whispered, though his skin had turned the color of cheese.

“Oh, I think they will. And even if the government doesn’t, all those people you ruined, they’ll believe me. And they’ll be coming for you.” Her grey eyes pierced her husband as surely as nails.

Lilly stared at Eunice in shock. She never imagined that Eunice had the strength to even think of something like this.

Eunice walked across the thick carpet, her head held higher now. “I’m leaving with Lilly and Owen. If you try to hurt any of us, I
will
release those envelopes. If you try to take her land, I will release those envelopes. It’s in your best interest that I live a long and happy life, and that you die before I do.”

“You bitch—” Lee screamed and started toward her while tugging at the buckle of his belt.

Eunice bared her teeth and pulled a Derringer out of her skirt pocket. The hand pointing the gun at Krisp didn’t shake. “If you touch me, I’ll kill you! Do you understand? God as my witness, I will kill you!” Her rage flooded the room and Krisp stared at her as if he had never seen her before.

“I am leaving, now, and taking Mina with me. When she is older, she will be free to visit you if she wishes...and if you promise not to hurt her.”

Lee spoke in a broken voice. “I would never, ever hurt Mina.”

Eunice’s face briefly softened. Then the fury and disgust returned to her eyes and her expression hardened into a mask of hate. “I’m going to the bank and withdrawing fifteen thousand dollars and putting it into an account in my name. I’m not going to divorce you. I don’t want you to be able to marry another woman ever again.”

“You bitch,” Krisp repeated again, his hand twitching toward his gun.

Eunice shrugged and didn’t lower her gun. “I am what you made me.”

Krisp didn’t respond. Briefly, his face filled with guilt. That moment quickly passed and the familiar mad rage returned to his eyes.

“Think of the money as payment for my family’s land. And payment for all these years I spent as your whipping post.” She spat at his feet. “I hate you. Everything you’ve done to hurt others, every pain you’ve inflicted on me, I hope it comes back to you and I hope you suffer.”

Lilly froze when Eunice glanced over at her. There was a hint of insanity in her eyes. “Let’s go, Miss Brooks.”

Cìarán gave a small nod and didn’t break his concentration on Krisp. Lilly rushed to Eunice’s side and let her hand fall before it touched her shoulder. Right now, she didn’t know what Eunice would do if anyone touched her.

As Eunice closed the door and shoved the Derringer back in her pocket, Lilly could hear Krisp roaring with rage. Wood splintered and glass shattered as he vented his fury on the room. Lilly shrank back from the door, but Eunice marched down the hallway. They went into the kitchen where the children were finishing breakfast.

Eunice knelt before Mina’s chair and smoothed the child’s long hair. “I have a surprise! We are going on a trip to visit Aunt Mabel in Houston.”

Mina’s hands flew in a dance that her mother watched.

“Yes, we’ll get to see all of her dogs and cats and you’ll be home in time for school.” Eunice choked on the last word and tried to cover it up with a cough.

Mina thought about this, then threw her arms around her mother and kissed her cheek. Lilly tried to give Owen a reassuring smile. He gave her a questioning look as the sound of something heavy falling echoed from the game room.

Leaning back from her mother’s embrace, Mina’s hands traced the air an intricate pattern.

Eunice gave a hoarse chuckle and smoothed her daughter’s hair back again. “Of course we’ll bring your father presents. Now, grab your tablet. It’s time to go.”

Clearing her throat, Eunice said to Lilly, “Shall we, Miss Brooks?”

Lilly held her hand out to Owen. “Time to go. You can ride with Mina in the back of the wagon.”

Owen grinned and grabbed Mina’s hand. “We’ll meet you outside!” The two children scrambled down the hall together, racing for the front door. She and Eunice followed quickly as Lilly glanced behind her shoulder and waited for Krisp to appear like a white-haired boogey man.

The maid, Regina, waited for them in the foyer. She handed Eunice a large carpetbag with tears spilling down her dusky cheeks. “All of your jewelry is in there, Mrs. Krisp.” Her lower lip trembled. “Please be safe. I sent the trunks of your clothes ahead to the hotel. Your wagon is waiting outside and the children settled in with your trunks.”

Eunice gave the woman a hug, which she returned with interest. “If he starts in on you, come to me, Edwina.”

The woman shook her head. “He never beats any of the servants. Now you go, be safe, and live.”

Lilly swallowed past the lump in her throat as Eunice hefted the bag. “I’ll do my best.” Silent tears fell down her cheeks as she gazed about the foyer. “I feel like a man getting out of prison.”

A loud bang shook the house as something heavy hit a wall.

“Time to go.” Regina pushed them out the front door.

Once outside, Lilly asked, “Are you all right?” The children tussled together in the back of the wagon, ducking behind the trunks.

Eunice staggered down a step and got sick in the rose bushes bordering the porch. Leaning against the railing, she panted out, “I’ve been dead for the last ten years.”

From the rear of the house came the harsh tinkle of breaking glass. Eunice pulled herself upright and wiped her mouth with the back of her hand. “Can you drive?”

Lilly nodded and hustled Eunice into the passenger seat of the wagon. It seemed like any second, Krisp would appear on the porch and shoot them. She hauled herself into the seat and urged the two bay geldings away from the house, both women bouncing as the horses flew down the stone drive. Owen laughed and shrieked from the bed of the wagon.

From behind them, a man’s voice screamed in rage and madness.

Chapter Twenty Five

Wrath

Paul splashed a hefty dose of whiskey into a cut-crystal glass for Eunice. They were in the green parlor of the McGregor house and Catherine rubbed Eunice’s hands briskly between her own. Mina was fast asleep upstairs, happily wedged between Sampson and Delilah, with Owen sleeping on a cot next to the bed.

“Thank God you found the courage to leave,” Catherine told her in a soothing voice. She had changed into a clean amber gown and a string of pearls hung around her neck. Sleeping Bear had returned to his tribe to bring them the news of the trade status and the deed to the land.

Watching Catherine tend to Eunice, Lilly felt sorry for her. Bound by society, Catherine could never give into her obvious desire to be with Sleeping Bear. Catherine glanced up and gave Lilly a puzzled look. Lilly forced a smile and smoothed her hand over the dress she wore while mouthing the words ‘thank you.’

Their things had arrived ahead of them and Lilly’s trunks were still at the station. Catherine had lent her a blue silk dress to replace her bloodstained and soiled lavender gown. It was long on her and loose in the bodice, but the dress was clean. She hadn’t had a chance to return to her cabin yet to change into clothes of her own. She and Eunice had gone directly to Paul’s house as soon as they left the Krisps’ ranch.

Eunice was in no condition to be by herself.

Tears continued to flow down Eunice’s cheeks. “I learned how to cry without making a sound,” she told them abruptly. “The noise of my crying would enrage Lee, and he’d beat me until I stopped.”

Placing a gentle arm around Eunice’s shoulders, Lilly said, “You never have to see him again.”

“Mark is on his way to the telegraph office with your message. We’ll get you on the first train to Houston.” Paul handed the half-full glass of whiskey to Eunice.

Eunice shuddered and hugged the glass to her chest. “Thank you.” Trembling fingers toyed with the glass and she stared at Paul with red-rimmed eyes. “When he finds out Lilly gave that land to the Indians, he’s going to be furious.”

Catherine snarled, the wild expression out of place on her elegant features. “He can go shoot himself in the groin for all I care. I’m worried about him coming after
you
.”

“He won’t. If that information gets out, he’ll lose everything. He was an abomination to me, but he loves Mina more than life itself. He’s obsessed with making sure she has a cattle empire to inherit. If he’s ruined, Mina loses her inheritance, and in his mind that is the ultimate failure.”

Paul rubbed Lilly’s knee through the silk dress and his touch brought her peace. They couldn’t get enough of touching each other, and Lilly could scarce believe that they were actually here, together and safe.

“Do you think Cìarán is all right?” Paul lowered himself to the floor next to Lilly. Looking through the front parlor window, Lilly could see Estrella keeping vigil in the late afternoon light, waiting for Cìarán.

“I think so,” Lilly answered as she stroked the hair away from Paul’s ear. “He stayed in character the whole time we were there.” She tried to keep her voice light, but it was hard so soon after the terrifying confrontation with Krisp. “Cìarán is great at pretending to be a ruthless assassin.”

“Lee thinks he’s a cold-blooded killer,” Eunice said and took a gulp of the whiskey. “He was bragging to his men about hiring a professional to take care of business.”

“How did he find Cìarán?” Catherine asked as she poured herself a glass of whiskey.

“Lee is friends with a senator from Kansas. When they were younger, Lee helped the senator win a local election by killing his opponent. The senator returned the favor by setting Lee up with an assassin.” Eunice gave them a cold smile. “That’s one of the things I have proof of at my lawyers’.”

Paul whistled. “I see now why Lee will leave you alone. His life won’t be worth chicken-feed if your story gets out.”

Eunice set her glass on the dark wood table and rubbed her eyes. “I need to get to the bank before it closes.”

Paul got to his feet and put his tan Stetson on. “I’ll get Rufus to go with you.”

Eunice nodded and smoothed her dress over her bustle. “Thank you. Lee is probably in too much of a rage to do much right now, but I appreciate the company.”

Catherine tossed back her whiskey with a grimace. “I’ll stay here. I want to spend some time with Owen. If I can get past Sampson and Delilah.”

Helping Lilly from the couch, Paul held her close in a hug. “Do you want to go to your cabin and get some clothes? You’re staying here tonight.”

Lilly hid her blush against his chest. “Yes, please, as long as you promise me a bath.”

***

Tossing the dark green velvet dress on the bed, Lilly glanced out the window at the setting sun. The sky burned with apricot and gold clouds against a twilight-purple sky. Colorful leaves cloaked the walnut trees and the air held the sharp chill of fall. Paul watched her from the doorway with a grin as she dug through her winter clothes. Most of her summer dresses were still in the traveling trunks at the station.

“Woman, you don’t need to pack everything you own,” he said in an amused voice.

“Look, I was stuck in the same clothes for six days, which is not ever going to happen again.”

She brushed past him to the shelf that held her perfume and hairbrush. The silver-backed brush flashed in the light through the window as she waggled it at him. “You may enjoy being dirty and smelly, but I—”

He grabbed her in a kiss that made liquid heat flow through her pussy and the hairbrush drop to the floor with a thud. “You what?”

“I love you?”

Her hand moved down the curve of his hip and gave his cock a gentle squeeze. She loved how he grew firm in her grip and thrust his hips into her stroke. He began to lean toward her lips again and she released his cock with a grazing caress of her finger over the fat tip. “Bath first, and I promise that once we are done, you can inspect every inch of my body with your mouth.”