A Reason to Stay

Chapters 13 - 23

by BonnieBee

Disclaimer: The characters and situations of the TV program "Big Valley" are the creations of Four Star/Republic Pictures and have been used without permission. No copyright infringement is intended by the author. The ideas expressed in this story are copyrighted to the author.

Chapter 13

Stephanie spent the next morning packing up her things. There wasn’t much, mostly just the few articles of clothing she had. She then put Scrap in a box and headed toward the orphanage. She knew he probably wouldn’t stay, but Stephanie couldn’t stand the thought of him being all alone at the house. Maybe he would be content to be at the orphanage with the children.

Stephanie then headed to town and went to the hotel. She found Albert sitting at one of the tables in the restaurant, having just finished his lunch. He stood when he saw her, wearing a look of apprehension on his face.

"Good afternoon, Stephanie," he said.

"Good afternoon, Albert."

They sat down and the waitress brought a cup of coffee over for Stephanie. She toyed with it for a few minutes, then lifted her eyes to meet Albert’s.

"I’ve decided I’ll go back with you. Maybe we can start anew. I’m sorry I don’t remember anything about our life together."

Albert wanted to reach over and take her hand, but after the way she’d pulled away from him the day before, he didn’t want to upset her. He did smile though so Stephanie knew he was happy.

"I’d like to leave as soon as possible," he said. Stephanie nodded, knowing he would want that.

"I can be ready any time," she said. She excused herself then and said she’d meet him at the train station the next morning. He seemed genuinely pleased, but did not try to take her hand again. She was thankful for that, and hoped he would be willing to wait before trying anything too soon. Stephanie still needed time.

She stopped at the Barkley Ranch to make arrangements to have Patty picked up at the livery stables in town. Nick was out on the ranch somewhere, a fact that made Stephanie sad and relieved at the same time. Sad because she wanted to see him one more time, and relieved that she wouldn’t. How mixed up she felt. She sighed and tried to pay attention to the conversation with Victoria. She wanted to make sure Stephanie was willingly leaving with Mr. Barthelomy.

"Mrs. Barkley, he’s given us proof that I’m his wife. I believe I should go back with him."

"I just wish you’d wait until Jarrod came home. I heard back from him today and he can be here by the end of the week."

Stephanie smiled. "I do appreciate your thoughtfulness. But I have to do the right thing."

Victoria nodded, knowing this decision was Stephanie’s to make. It did sadden her and she hoped the young woman would be all right.

"Will you write to us, let us know how you are doing?"

"I will. Mrs. Barkley, about Nick....I’m worried about him. I don’t wish to hurt him...."

"He’ll be fine, Ju....Stephanie. He wants your happiness above all else."

Stephanie smiled, knowing that was true. She would give just about anything to be able to make Nick happy in return, but knew that was not an option now. He had been so patient and gentle with her, letting her set the pace in their relationship, that she felt incredibly sad it was now over. She knew she’d spend most of her evening and night crying and excused herself before she started in front of Victoria.

"Thank you for all your help, Mrs. Barkley."

"You’ve been a wonderful tenant and a joy to get to know, Stephanie. It was our pleasure to help."

Stephanie drove away, unaware that Nick was watching her. He sighed heavily, wishing he’d said something to her, but he didn’t know what he would have said. The only thing in his heart was the plea for her to stay, but he wouldn’t ask her to forget her marriage vows. Nick had intended to go inside and wash up for dinner, but turned Coco toward the north ridge instead. Heath asked him where he was going, but Nick just said he had some things to check on. Heath watched his brother ride away, wishing things had turned out differently.

The next morning, the platform at the train station was busy. The train was due with in the next few minutes and its potential passengers hustled about, taking care of last minute details. Stephanie drove into town and left Patty at the livery. Victoria had said she’d have one of the hands ride in and pick up the horse later that day. Stephanie walked to the station and saw Albert waiting for her by the ticket office. He smiled when he saw her, noticing her strained features.

"Good morning, Steph," he said, using the term of endearment again. Stephanie smiled slightly and returned his greeting.

"The train should be here soon. Is this all of your baggage?" he asked, frowning a bit at her small valise.

"Everything I had before was destroyed when the train derailed. So my material possessions are few."

He nodded, but was looking behind her. She turned around and saw Nick standing at the far side of the platform. Her heart skipped a beat and she told herself to remember to breathe.

"Go tell him good-bye, Stephanie," Albert said, his voice firm, but not unkind. She turned to him, her face showing her confusion.

"You have no memory of who you are. You have been with this family for the past several months and it’s clear you and Nick Barkley have grown fond of each other. I don’t mind if you go and speak with him. I’d rather you tell him goodbye now than later wish you had and regret not doing it."

Stephanie smiled at him and then turned to walk toward Nick. He had been standing with his arms folded across his chest, but when he saw her coming toward him, he dropped them to his side. His look softened and his heart thundered in his chest.

"Albert said I should come and tell you goodbye. That was sweet of him, wasn’t it?" she asked, but didn’t expect him to answer it.

"I wish things had turned out differently for us, Nick," she said softly.

"Me too," he said, his voice husky. It took all of his self control not to gather her in his arms and kiss her, but she was someone else’s wife, and he would not disgrace her in that way.

"I’ll miss you, Julia," Nick whispered, then a bit louder said, "I mean, Stephanie."

Stephanie smiled. "A part of me will always be Julia. I’ll miss you too, Nick. More than you’ll know."

"Mother said you promised to write. I know it would be inappropriate for you to write to me. But if you ever need me-" Nick couldn't finish the sentence as he held back a choke in his voice.

"I will. I promise."

They heard the train whistle in the distance and knew their time was gone. Stephanie sighed and turned to walk away. She didn’t look back, because she knew she’d never stop crying if she did and she didn’t want Albert to have to put up with a hysterical wife on the train. He didn’t say anything to her as she stood next to him, but when the train finally stopped, he took the valise that she’d picked up and motioned for her to precede him. He showed her which seat he wished for them to take, then excused himself, saying he’d return in a while, needing to take care of some business.

The train had been traveling for over an hour when Albert came to sit next to her. Stephanie had been looking out the window, watching the scenery pass by, but looked over at him when he sat down.

"Will we be on this train long?"

"We’ll be on this train until we reach our destination."

"But won’t we need to transfer to another train at some point? Surely this one doesn’t go all the way to St. Louis," Stephanie said, wondering why he wouldn’t look at her.

Albert didn’t say anything for a few minutes, and then turned to her. His eyes were cold and lifeless, sending a chill up her spine. Memories began rushing to the surface and her eyes widened. He looked pleased that she was beginning to remember him now.

"How observant. But I see that you and I need to get reacquainted. Because it seems to me that you have forgotten," he leaned in closely to her and said menacingly, "that you are mine."

Stephanie wanted to scream but didn’t dare. She knew he was too dangerous and someone would get hurt. She couldn’t control her shaking though and he seemed to delight in her terror.

"We have a lot of time to make up, my dear. We’ve been a part too long. And you have some lessons you need to learn."

Stephanie turned her face away from him, refusing to let him see her fear anymore. A lone tear fell down her cheek and she could only think of one thing. A plea that she said over and over in her heart.

"Nick, help me."

Chapter 14

Nick awoke, his body bathed in a cold sweat. He sat up in bed, his mind telling him that it was just a dream, but his heart constricting just a bit. Every night since Julia (he just couldn’t bring himself to call her Stephanie in his heart) had left, he’d had the same dream. Julia was calling to him, telling him that she needed him. He knew it was just his sorrow over losing her that created these dreams, but the dreams always shook him and left him breathless. He got up, pulling on a pair of pants and walked over to the window which had been left open, the mild breeze causing the sheers to move. Nick pushed them aside, looking out at the blackness. There was no moon, so he couldn’t see much past the window. He took a deep breath, trying to calm the frantic beating of his heart. He closed his hazel eyes, and rubbed his hands over his face. He’d give anything to know where she was just at that moment, and if she really did need him.

Nick decided he’d get a drink and threw on a shirt, not bothering to button it. He didn’t think he’d see anyone this late at night, but didn’t feel right walking around the house without being clothed. He padded down the steps and made his way to the study. He waited to light a lamp until he got into the room, not needing it before since he’d lived in this house from his birth.

He poured himself a drink and stood beside the fireplace. The weather did not call for a fire, and Nick felt the black hearth fit his mood. He knew he’d been a bear to be around lately. Not so much at home as he was around the hands. They all seemed to take it in stride though, but the hands that didn’t know him well did give him a wide berth. He heard the door open and saw his mother standing there.

"Nick, are you not feeling well?" she asked, walking toward him. She put her hand on his face, feeling for any signs of a fever, just as she had done when he was a child. He found the action soothing, and Victoria knew if anyone else were in the room, he’d have never let her do it.

"I’m fine. Just couldn’t sleep. I’m sorry I woke you."

"Are you thinking about Julia?" she asked, and Nick knew she too was having a difficult time letting herself think of Julia as Stephanie.

"I haven’t been able to stop thinking about her. I keep having these dreams that she’s calling out to me, asking me to help her," Nick stopped. He let out a long sigh, and ran a hand through his hair, showing Victoria he was frustrated.

"Maybe she’ll write to us soon, let us know how she’s doing. I’m sure she’s fine, Nick," Victoria said. But Nick wondered if she were saying this to convince him or herself.

"I really thought she was the one, Mother. I really did. I’ve never met someone as special as her," Nick said softly.

"Would you have asked her to stay with you? Even though she’s married?"

Nick took a deep breath, knowing what his mother was asking him. Would he throw away his morals in order to have the woman he loved?

"I wouldn’t want to shame her that way," Nick admitted.

Victoria put her hand on his face again and said softly, "You should get some sleep. This is a working ranch you know, and we can’t have the Boss falling down on the job."

Nick smiled at his mother and the two made their way up the stairs. Nick went straight to his bed, but sleep was long in coming. His final thoughts were on Julia, and how he hoped she was safe.

The small room she was in was cold and damp. She could hear water dripping but didn’t pay attention to the sound. She didn’t know how much longer she would have until he came back, but she needed to focus her thoughts or she wouldn’t make it through his next visit. There was never a pattern to the timing. He came when he wanted, stayed as long as he wanted....and did whatever he wanted.

She took a deep breath and sat up, pain shooting through almost every part of her body. She didn’t need a mirror to show her how she looked. Her right eye was swollen shut and she was sure she needed stitches from the amount of blood that was caked in her hair. She was dehydrated but didn’t have the physical strength to make it over to the bucket of water that was in the corner of the room. Sitting on the stained and filthy pallet on the damp floor, she ached in every bone and muscle. The systematic beatings had left her weak physically, frail mentally and shattered emotionally. Bart was the master at killing a woman on every level.

She had been taught to go to a special place in her mind whenever things became too much for her to handle. After her first three years with Bart, she had become a master at it. She wished she had remembered this technique when she had first awakened from the train accident. It would have saved her and the Barkley’s a lot of trouble, she was sure. But at least she remembered now and that was all that mattered. At first, her special place was a sunny meadow with an azure sky and yellow tulips all along the hillside. She could hear children laughing and playing and there wasn’t a care in the world. She knew it infuriated Bart when she would go to this place in her mind and not allow herself to feel the horrible things he was doing to her, so he would invent new ways of torturing her, new ways to cause pain. During her last few weeks with him before she had escaped, it had gotten so that she couldn’t stay in the meadow any longer though. His presence had violated that most peaceful place. That was when her endurance had run out.

So now, when he came to her, she would retreat into her mind to the only safe and comforting place she could think of: into Nick Barkley’s arms. She would imagine him next to her, holding her hand, sitting on the porch swing. He would wrap his arms around her and whisper how that he would keep her safe. As long as she had this memory, she could make it through. She knew that she would die soon, and welcomed death like a friend. She couldn’t wait to be out of the clutches of this maniac and hoped that her work would help keep him from hurting any more innocent victims. It was just a matter of time before he was exposed for who he really was.

Bart paced back and forth, furious with his prisoner below. He knew all he had to do was kill her and it would be over, but he wanted to take the one thing from her that she wouldn’t allow him to have: her spirit. Her will had been broken a long time ago, and her body had been his from the beginning. That had been the easiest of all to take.

But he wanted to have it all before he killed her. He wanted to see the fear in her eyes. Before her escape, she had become good at giving him what he wanted, showing him enough fear to please him. He wondered if perhaps he had worn her down then. But he didn’t want to wait another 3 years to do it again. What was it that was keeping her spirit intact?

He went down to her again and saw how she was huddled in the corner of the room. His fury reached a boiling point and he stormed into the room. He grabbed her and began his tortures, needing to see the fear in her eyes. He needed to know he controlled her on every level. He watched her closely, and although he knew she was feeling the pain of his attack, and she even cried out against him, there was no real fear.

"You’re strong, Stephanie. But I promise you, one day I’ll have all of you," he said, his face almost puce in color with the fury of his feelings.

"Never," she said. She hadn’t meant to say it out loud, but he’d heard her and again his rage came to the fore. His torture increased and when he stood, she was a weeping mess, crumpled in a heap at his feet. He knelt down next to her, pleased when she stiffened. But it wasn’t enough for him.

"You’re holding on to him aren’t you?" he said. She refused to look at him so he grabbed her by the hair, her neck going back at such an angle she never would have thought possible.

"Why are you doing this? Why don’t you just kill me and be done with it. That’s your plan, isn’t it?" she asked, trying to keep him from talking about Nick. If Bart said Nick’s name, she wouldn’t be able to hide her feelings for him.

"Every man has an inner animal, every woman wants to be dominated by a man. Women were made for only one thing, and EVERY man, Nick Barkley included, knows it! Every man, Stephanie, has a price, and I know I can find his."

"No!" she screamed. "Nick Barkley is nothing like you! He would never do this to any woman. It’s just your own sick mind that thinks that way!"

He saw with satisfaction that he’d found it. He’d found what was keeping her from releasing all control to him. He let go of her and walked away. As he ate his dinner, he went over different scenarios in his mind and discarded them. He thought about Nick Barkley again and then a plan formed in his mind. Now all he had to do was put the plan into action.

Chapter 15

Jarrod sat at his desk, finalizing a witness list for a jury trial which would begin the next week. Every thing looked to be in order and he sat back running a hand over his handsome face. His mind kept bringing forth the image of Nick at the breakfast table that morning.

Julia, no, Stephanie, had been gone for over a week and Nick still had that empty look in his eyes. Jarrod wished he had been in town and at the same time was glad he had not been. His mother had told him how Stephanie’s husband had shown up and it had broken her heart when she had seen the look on her son’s face.

Jarrod looked at the clock and decided he was ready to go home. Maybe he would suggest to Heath and Nick a small camping trip for the weekend. The trial was scheduled to begin Tuesday, so they could leave Friday and come back Sunday. The time away would be good for Nick.

Jarrod had just reached for his jacket when there was a knock at the door. He sighed, hoping whoever it was would not stay long. When he opened the door, his eyes widened and he stared in disbelief.

"Macklin," Jarrod said.

"Hello, Mr. Barkley. It’s good to see you again."

Memories of the last time he had seen Terence Macklin assailed him. Jarrod had been contacted by Macklin, a Federal agent, about helping to get a Union General to confess that he had a part in the conspiracy to kill President Abraham Lincoln. Jarrod had agreed, but later regretted his pursuit of justice when it placed his family in danger. Nick and Heath returned early from a cattle drive and it turned out that the General had been Nick’s commanding officer in the war. In the end, General Alderson had confessed to the conspiracy and was taken into custody. Nick was coldly furious with Jarrod, not only for being involved in the deception, but for putting the family in danger. Jarrod took the right hook Nick leveled him with, fully understanding his anger.

And now, standing before him, was the leader of those Federal Agents who had invaded his home.

"What do you want, Macklin?"

Macklin smiled slightly and said, "A drink would be nice."

"I really don’t have time for this," Jarrod said firmly.

"Well, you’ll want to make time, I assure you. I have some information you will find interesting."

Jarrod sighed and stepped back to allow Macklin entrance. He didn’t have anything personal against the man himself, but it had taken quite a while to get back on a sure footing with his family. He poured Macklin a drink, handed it to him and then went to sit behind his desk. Macklin sat down as well and took a long drink. He closed his eyes in pleasure and Jarrod thought for sure he was going to ask for a cigar next, which, of course, Jarrod would refuse to give him.

"What information could you possibly have that would interest me?"

Macklin’s expression changed. He set the now empty glass down and leaned forward on his knees, his eyes watching Jarrod closely.

"It’s about the young woman you recently had staying on your property."

As he listened to Macklin, Jarrod’s eyes widened. He was horrified at what he was being told, wanting to beg Macklin to stop, to not say anything else and at the same time, knew he owed it to Nick to hear the story. When Macklin finished, Jarrod stood.

"Let’s go," he said, reaching for his jacket.

"Where?" Macklin asked.

"To my home. Nick needs to hear this and then we have to form a plan."

"MOTHER! MOTHER!"

Victoria Barkley had just sat down in the parlor to read when she was startled by a loud male voice. She jumped up, a response already forming in her mind.

"Nick, must you shh-"

She stared in disbelief at her eldest son.

"Jarrod Barkley! I cannot believe my eyes...or ears!"

Jarrod looked a bit sheepish, and said, "Sorry, Mother. Where’s Nick? It’s important."

Victoria was about to answer when she saw a man walk in behind Jarrod. At first, he just looked familiar, then she recognized him.

"Mr. Macklin," she said, then she looked back at Jarrod, waiting for his explanation.

Jarrod was not ready to explain the man’s presence though and again asked where Nick was.

"I’m right here, Jarrod! Did you have to shout?" Nick asked, exasperated. He’d been upstairs in his room, washing up from a hard day’s work. When he reached the bottom of the stairs, Nick’s hard gaze landed on Macklin. Jarrod could see the anger in his eyes.

"What’s he doing here?" Nick growled.

"Nick, he’s here to help us."

"Help us do what?"

"Get Julia back."

Nick turned to Jarrod, his eyes wide in disbelief.

"What does he have to do with Julia?"

"Julia?" Macklin asked. He was in no way intimidated by Nick Barkley, but he grudgingly admitted he respected the man.

"That was name she used while she was here," Jarrod explained.

"Let’s go into the parlor. I’ll have Silas bring in some coffee. Have both of you eaten?" Victoria asked of her eldest son.

"We don’t have time for that, Mother. But we’ll go into the study instead. And Mother, we need privacy."

"You’re saying you don’t want me in the room?" she asked, not at all happy with the request.

"I’m saying I won’t allow it, Mother."

Jarrod’s voice was firm and even Nick showed his surprise at his brother’s order. Then his heart began to beat rapidly, thinking if Jarrod didn’t want his mother to hear what Macklin had to share, then Julia must be in horrible trouble.

"Jarrod-" Victoria began, but Jarrod cut her off.

"No. And I won’t discuss it," Jarrod said. His voice softened as he said, "Please. I’ll tell you later what’s going on, but time is of the essence. Where’s Heath?"

"Right here, Jarrod," Heath said as he came down the stairs, buttoning the sleeves on his shirt. He gave Macklin small nod, but other than that, didn’t react to the man.

Victoria very reluctantly nodded in agreement then walked up the stairs. Jarrod knew she was furious with him, but he didn’t want her to hear what was going to be said. Not until he could figure out some way to soften the blow.

The men went to the study and closed the door.

"All right, Macklin. What do you have to do with Julia?" Nick wasted no time in asking. He was impatient to know what was going on, and yet at the same time, he wasn’t sure he wanted to know.

"Nick," Jarrod began, then faltered.

"What, Jarrod?" Nick asked. "Does this have to do with her husband?"

"That animal is not her husband!" Macklin said angrily. Nick stared at the man before him, his heart stopping in his chest.

"Then who is he?" Nick asked, ready to throttle someone if he didn’t get answers soon.

"He’s a man I’ve been investigating for several years. After my assignment here, I began looking into the dealings in which Albert Barthelomy has been involved. He’s good at covering his tracks, keeping himself clean."

"What are you investigating him for?"

"He, along with several other men, are involved in white slavery," Macklin said.

"Slavery was outlawed by the Emancipation Proclamation," Heath said.

"Yes, Chattel Slavery was. The form of slavery that allows one person to own another," Jarrod explained.

"So what is white slavery?" Heath asked.

"The person is not owned per say, but is coerced into staying with their captors."

"For what purpose?" Again this was from Heath. Nick seemed incapable of speech, a fact that did not go unnoticed by his brothers.

"For whatever purpose they deem necessary."

"What aren’t you telling us, Macklin? For what purpose?" Nick asked, finally finding his voice. He wanted answers, and he wanted them now.

"Mostly for sex," he said bluntly. Nick and Heath’s faces showed shock. Jarrod, who had heard the story already, closed his eyes in pain. " There’s a slavery ring, men who find young women and then break their wills, causing them to almost want to stay under their control. They, at some point, willingly sign their names to a contract, stating they will remain with their owner until their death, allowing him to do whatever he wants to them."

Nick paled, and stepped back. No wonder Julia was terrified of men. She didn’t remember her past, but that didn’t stop her fear from rising to the surface. And Nick had let her go with the monster who’d caused the fear. He’d believed the story and didn’t fight hard enough. It would be a decision he would regret for the rest of his life.

"So how did Julia get involved in this?" Nick asked. He felt as though all of the wind had been knocked out of him.

Macklin regarded Nick for just a moment before he said, "It was part of Stephanie’s job to get involved."

"She’s an agent?!" Heath asked, catching on quickly.

"Yes. She went missing three years ago when she was part of the investigation of Barthelomy," Macklin explained. "She was able to escape from him and just before she showed up here, we received word that she was headed back to Washington. Before we could get word to her to stay in San Francisco, and let us come to her, she left and was involved in the train derailment."

"Where is she now?" Nick asked, his voice was soft, but as hard as steel.

"I’m not sure," Macklin said.

"WHAT DO YOU MEAN YOU AREN’T SURE?!" Nick yelled.

"Nick, calm down," Jarrod said, placing a hand on his brother’s arm. Nick shrugged it off.

"CALM DOWN? HAVE YOU HEARD WHAT THIS MAN JUST TOLD US?!"

"Yes, Nick. But we have to think clearly now. Julia’s life depends on it. We’ll find her and bring her back here, but we have come up with a plan. Find out where she is," Jarrod explained.

"She’s been in his clutches for over a week now, Jarrod. In that time, do you know what he could be doing to her?" Nick asked, his voice full of anguish and guilt that was tearing at his heart.

"Yes, Nick. Which is why we need to calm down. Let’s all take a seat and we’ll figure out a plan."

Heath was thankful for Jarrod’s seemingly calm demeanor, though he could tell just by looking at his brother, that Jarrod was not calm. He was ready to spring into action but was level headed enough to think through all possibilities.

They all took their seats and Macklin began to tell what he knew about Albert "Bart" Barthelomey. He was a ruthless, cunning man who did not have an ounce of decency in his body. The more Macklin described Bart, the more Nick seethed. And the more he blamed himself for letting Julia go. He should have more firmly insisted, no demanded, that she stay until they could find out more about her "husband".

"Where did he get her picture? And her signature on the marriage license?" Nick asked.

"Pictures are taken of the girls and put in a catalog of sorts. Men then look through the catalog, choosing the girl that they want for the evening or for however long they want to keep them."

The thought disgusted all the Barkley men, causing bile to rise in their throats.

"But her signature?" Nick asked.

"Some are tricked into signing a contract. Some are so frightened, they’ll do anything to keep the animals from touching them anymore. He probably had Steph....,"he faltered for a moment, then continued. "I mean Stephanie, sign and then had her signature copied by a writing specialist onto the marriage license as proof for you. He had to have known you wouldn't let him take her otherwise."

"So her father had nothing to do with her injuries?" Nick asked.

"Her father died when she was five. What injuries are you talking about?" Macklin asked. Jarrod stared at the man and realized that Macklin had some hidden motive for wanting to get Bart. There was more emotion and anger in his voice than would be normal for a dispassionate Federal Officer.

"She has scars, all down her back. Mother saw them," Nick said.

"She also has cigar burns on the back of her neck," Jarrod grimaced, remembering the day in his office when he’d seen them.

Macklin’s face showed his rage, but he managed to control it. He took several deep breaths before speaking.

"We have to find him. If Bart hasn't killed her already, then he will soon. I have agents at his home in St. Louis, but the last I heard from them, he wasn’t there."

"Could he have arrived without you knowing?" Heath asked.

"No, we have three different agents watching the house at all times. Even if one missed his arrival, the others would have seen him. He isn’t there."

"Does he have any other homes?"

"They’re all under surveillance," Macklin said.

"Even the one in Monterey?" Nick asked.

"Monterey? He doesn’t have one there," Macklin said, his brow furrowed.

"He told Julia that the reason she came out West was because her father didn’t know about their summer home in Monterey. That she felt she would be safe there."

"In all of my investigations a home in Monterey has never turned up. But Bart knows we’re getting close to him, so maybe he figured he needed a new place to hide. He must have let it slip...."

The three Barkley’s watched Macklin as he tried to sort this new fact out in his mind. Nick stood abruptly.

"Let’s go," Nick said.

"Where?" Jarrod asked.

"Monterey," Nick said as he walked toward the door.

"Nick, we have no proof she’s in Monterey. We need-"

"We need to get off our butts and go find her. I say we turn Monterey upside down until we do. Now you can either come with me or I’ll go alone. But I’m going and that’s that!"

They watched him leave the room. Jarrod and Heath looked at one another, agreeing in silent communication that they would go with Nick. Heath excused himself a minute later to go and pack his gear for the trip.

Jarrod regarded the man still sitting before him.

"What else, Macklin? What else are you not telling me. You obviously care a great deal about this woman."

Macklin sighed and ran his hand through his hair in frustration. Jarrod waited for the other man to go on, watching as Macklin fought a battle with himself about whether or not to answer Jarrod's question.

"Stephanie and I cared deeply for one another at one time. But because of our positions, we decided to not pursue anything."

"But that didn’t change your feelings for her, did it?" Jarrod asked.

"No."

"Did you give the order for her to go undercover?"

Macklin closed his eyes. "I didn’t want to. But my boss thought if we had someone on the inside, it would make it easier to catch Bart."

"What went wrong?"

"Everything."

Chapter 16

Stephanie woke to a noise in the room. The lantern was turned down low and she still couldn’t see out of her right eye. She could just make out the image of someone coming into the room. She took deep breaths to calm her rapidly beating heart. She was already bringing up images of Nick in her mind: him dressed in his black leather; his wonderful smile; his deep voice....

"Stephanie."

Stephanie gasped.

"Nick?"

"Yeah, it’s me," he said softly, as he came toward her.

"How did you find me?"

"It doesn’t matter. I’m here now."

"I’m so glad. We need to go before Bart finds you. He’ll kill you!" she said with urgency.

"Not to worry."

She felt hands on her thighs and she stiffened.

"Nick, what are you doing? We have to go."

Still, the hands moved higher and higher.

"Nick!" she said, but her voice was barely above a whisper.

"You’re so beautiful, Stephanie."

Stephanie felt his mouth as it began to kiss her neck. She tried to shove him away but he was too strong.

"Stop! What are you doing?" she said loudly.

"Every man has his price....don’t you know that?"

Stephanie began to weep as the hands moved all over her body. How could he do this?

Bart listened as she began to scream. He smiled, knowing that soon, she would surrender everything to him.

Nick refused to wait until morning before leaving for Monterey. In his mind, Julia had been in the clutches of that wicked man for too long already. He wouldn’t allow himself to think of what she’d been through, but at the same time, those very thoughts fueled the fire in him to get to Julia as soon as he could. He had no idea where she was specifically. She may not even be in Monterey. But that seemed to be as good a place to start as any.

He’d given Jarrod and Heath a choice as to whether or not to leave with him. He frankly didn’t care whether Macklin came with him or not. He still didn’t trust the man. Jarrod tried to talk to him, but Nick wasn’t in the mood to listen. Now was the time for action, not words.

Heath and Jarrod were ready when Nick was. Nick was surprised when Macklin stood with them in the barn, but he didn’t question his presence. He just assumed the Federal Agent was eager to finish his investigation and be done.

They made it to town about an hour before the late train for San Francisco would be leaving. Jarrod paid the brakemen working the night shift a large sum to get the private car hooked up to the outgoing train. Once in San Francisco, they would hook up with another train headed south. They would ride the rails until they reached Watsonville, then they would leave the private car there and take horses to Monterey. They didn’t want to take a chance of Bart finding out they were in town and the sight of a private rail car would certainly alert him, if he were in Monterey to begin with. It was a long shot, but they didn’t have any other options at the moment.

They arrived on the outskirts of Monterey just as the sun was setting the next day. All were tired from their trip, no one having gotten much, if any, sleep. Since Bart had met Nick and Heath in Stockton, and Macklin was certain that Bart knew who he was as well, it was decided that Jarrod would go into town to make discreet inquiries. He left shortly after camp was made and promised to be back as soon as possible.

Hours passed. Nick paced around restlessly, hating the fact that he was possibly so near to Julia and yet not able to help her. His heart constricted as he thought about what could be happening to her at that moment. Heath had gone to gather more wood and Macklin sat by the fire that Heath had started, staring into the flames.

Nick’s pacing was fast getting on Macklin’s last nerve. He was by nature, a patient man, but was at the end of his emotional well being. He and Stephanie had been instantly attracted to one another when they first met. They played the game that all men and women play and enjoyed getting to know one another. But, eventually, both realized that if they wanted a career with the government, nothing could come of this attraction. When he’d found out that Stephanie had volunteered to go undercover, Macklin had been livid. He told her over and over what a bad idea it was, but she was insistent. It was only after his boss had overruled his objections, that Stephanie was allowed to go.

"Just what do you think you’re doing?" he asked her angrily. Macklin had waited until the door to his office closed before starting in on her.

"What?" Stephanie asked, her most innocent expression on her face, but Macklin wasn’t fooled.

"Do you have any idea how dangerous this man is?"

"Of course I do. Why do you think I agreed to do this?"

Macklin ran his hands through his hair in frustration. When he’d found out she was going to be the one to go undercover, he felt as though his world had been thrown off kilter. Even though the attraction between them had been strong, they had agreed not to see one another socially. There were too many complications, this very situation being one of them: The fact that he would eventually have to order her to take on a dangerous assignment. Stephanie watched her boss, as he fought a battle within himself. She walked up him and put her hand on his arm. He didn’t look up at her, but kept his gaze on her hand.

"Terry. It will be fine. This is what I’ve been trained to do. I can’t sit behind a desk forever. I’m the only one who can get inside and nail Bart. He has to be brought down. Too many innocent women have been taken against their will and brutalized because of him and others like him. If I can find the information we need, this entire slavery ring could be stopped."

She took a step closer to him. She placed her arms around his neck and he didn’t hesitate to wrap his arms around her. If he were surprised, he didn’t show it.

"If anything happens to you.." he said looking her in the eye.

"Shhh," she said, putting a finger on his lips. "I trust you. Let’s not talk about it any more."

Terry saw how her eyes darken with desire and although he knew he shouldn’t, he gave in and kissed her. It was as sweet as he had always imagined it would be. From the moment he’d lain eyes on her, he’d wanted her to be more than just an employee.

"I trust you...."

"Would you sit down please? Your brother probably won’t be back for a while and pacing around isn’t doing anything but annoying me," Macklin said, rubbing his forehead to try and get rid of the headache he felt coming on. Nick stopped at the sound of the agent’s voice. He slowly turned around, his hazel eyes flashing.

"My pacing is annoying you, is it? Well, it’s doing some good, then. And just who do you think you are telling me what to do?" he asked menacingly.

"I’m someone who is ready to tie you to the nearest tree!" Macklin said, standing.

"Hah! I’d love to see you try, Macklin!" Nick said, coming to stand toe to toe with the federal agent. He was exhausted from not having slept the night before and he was worried sick about Julia.

"Both of you need to cool down," Heath warned, coming into the clearing. He held in his arms a stack of wood and placed it in a pile at his feet. He had heard the raised voices and rushed back to stop the men before their discussion came to blows.

"We’re here to help Julia. And we can’t do that if we are at each other’s throats," Heath hoped he was getting through to his brother, but the look in Nick’s eyes told him he was being pushed to his limits. Heath didn’t blame him at all for how he felt but he knew Nick needed to stay in control right now if they were to rescue Julia.

"Just why is she so important to you, Macklin," Nick asked, his eyes narrowing, ignoring Heath’s warning.

"And why would that be any of your business?"

"Because I’m not about to let you play your little games with her in order for you to get to the man you want."

"I’m not playing any games, Barkley. And you need to step away from me!"

"Not until you tell me why she is so important to you. This is more than just a case you are working on, isn’t it?" Nick asked glowering.

"That’s none of your business, Barkley! Now get out of my way!"

Macklin pushed past Nick and stalked off into the woods. Nick almost made a move to follow him, but sat down heavily on a fallen tree and put his head in his hands instead. Heath stacked the small amount of wood next to the fire and quietly went about preparing a meal that he was sure no one would want to eat, but it gave him something to do. About an hour later, Jarrod came back to camp. Nick stood as soon as he’d heard him.

"Did you find her?" Nick asked.

"Most of the people in town are wary of strangers so I didn’t get a lot of information," Jarrod said, walking toward the fire and pouring himself a cup of coffee.

"What did you find out?" Nick was at his end and wasn’t wanting to play guessing games with his brother.

"Bart does own a home here in Monterey. I overheard some people say that they did see him in town a few days ago. Said he was looking for someone that matched a specific description. Apparently, he found who he was looking for and hasn’t been seen in town since."

"But you didn’t find out where his house his?" Macklin asked, coming through the trees.

"Bart is a powerful man in this town," Jarrod continued, wondering what had transpired in his absence. "He owns an older home down by the ocean but I couldn’t find out which one is his."

"How many homes are near the ocean," Macklin asked.

"Quite a few," Jarrod answered.

"Let me ask it this way. How many are large enough for a man of Bart’s social standing?"

"I’d say there wouldn’t be many," Jarrod said, knowing where Macklin was going with this.

"Describe the town to me," Macklin ordered.

"Why does he need to do that? There can’t be that many houses big enough for what we’re looking for! Let’s just go!" Nick said, his impatience resurfacing.

"We need to plan, Barkley. A good plan might be the only thing that keeps you from getting your fool head blown off!" Macklin said, his fury barely controlled. Nick calmed down just a bit and listened as Jarrod told them about the town.

"We should use the cover of darkness to get us close to the house. We can watch for while, and maybe find a way inside," Macklin said. Jarrod and Heath thought it was a good plan and Nick also reluctantly agreed.

"We should get some shut eye and then we’ll go tomorrow night-"

"No! We go now!" Nick said. "Who knows what kind of hell she’s going through right now. We’ve still got hours of darkness left and we need to go now!"

Macklin had just about enough of Nick’s interference. His emotional well being was being stretched to the limits. He wanted to go in right then as well, but he knew he would be putting Stephanie in greater danger if they didn’t have a sound plan. And he wasn’t about to let Nick Barkley possibly further endanger the woman he loved.

He stepped forward and quietly, but with an edge of steel in his voice said, "We will go when I deem it is appropriate and safe to do so. I will not allow you to endanger innocent lives. We don’t know who is in that house or where Stephanie is. If Bart knows we are near he could kill her. Is that what you want?"

"Of course not. But I don’t want to just wait around here."

"Neither do I but going off half cocked isn’t going to help anyone, least of all Stephanie!"

Nick stared hard at the man before him, knowing full well what he was saying was right, but Nick didn’t think he could bear to wait. His hands tightened into fists and he closed his eyes, trying to gain some control.

"Alright," he finally agreed. "But I won’t wait any longer than tomorrow night. So make sure you hurry up with a plan!"

This said, Nick walked off into the woods. Macklin walked off in the opposite direction leaving Heath and Jarrod staring at one another. Both wanted to go after Nick, but both knew he needed some time by himself. They sat down and quietly began discussing the information Jarrod had gathered in town, sorting through it and planning. Hopefully, when Nick and Macklin returned, they would both be calm enough to discuss everything rationally.

Bart sat at his desk, congratulating himself on how well his plan worked. Stephanie’s tortuous screams had been music to his ears and he couldn’t wait to visit her again. Just seeing the look of helplessness and terror on her face, knowing he had broken not only her will, but her spirit, drove him to the absolute heights of pleasure. He was amazed at how strong she was. All of the other girls had only last a month or two at most, but Stephanie had lasted years! She had definitely been a challenge.

Bart heard footsteps and looked up to see the man he’d hired standing in the doorway. The man had the same dark hair, and build as Nick Barkley, but in the light looked nothing like the rancher from Stockton. Bart had been fortunate enough to find someone who not only resembled Barkley, but was also willing to go along with whatever Bart wanted him to do. The man standing before him now had no morals. Bart could tell by the satisfied look on Peterson’s face that he had thoroughly enjoyed his time with Stephanie.

Bart stood and motioned for the other man to sit down. He handed him an envelope that was filled with cash. Peterson checked the total of the money and raised an eyebrow to find more than what was promised.

Bart saw his look and said, "Consider it a bonus for good work. You enjoyed yourself?"

"Yes. You were right in how you described her. She put up quite a fight in the beginning which I enjoyed, but eventually she was nothing but a rag doll and I could do whatever I wanted. Plus she is very beautiful."

"Of course," Bart said offhandedly. "I wouldn’t have her otherwise."

"I’ll buy her from you," Peterson said, handing the envelope back to Bart.

Bart looked at the envelope, but didn’t take it in his hand. He considered this man’s request. It would be easy to just accept the money and then go out and find a new companion. But no, he couldn’t leave Stephanie alive. She could escape from Peterson and eventually tell someone what Bart had done to her. No. He wasn’t going to take that chance.

"Sorry, but that’s not an option for me. I’m sure with the money you made tonight you could go out and buy your own. In fact, I can put you in touch with some of my contacts who could arrange a companion for you."

Peterson seemed pleased with the offer and nodded his head. Bart walked the other man to the door and then went down to see his prize. Stephanie lay huddled in a corner, holding onto herself. He could hear her weeping and smiled in delight. He wanted to go to her now, for one last time but decided he was too tired tonight. Besides, he needed to make sure she was truly broken and the test would be when he took her tomorrow. He smiled with self satisfaction and then took himself off to bed. He fell asleep, thinking he would want a brunette next.

Chapter 17

Several errands in town kept Bart from going to Stephanie until that next evening. He bought supplies and sent a few telegrams, one of which was to his contact, letting him know he was finally ready for something fresh. Bart waited around town at his office until he heard a reply. Once that business was taken care of, he headed home, eagerly anticipating his evening. Because Bart was so distracted, he didn’t realize he was being followed. The person following him kept his distance, but knew exactly where Bart was at every moment of his day.

Bart entered his home, and would be glad for when his servants arrived from St. Louis. He had thought about hiring another set for this home, but decided against it. The ones he employed now were paid to keep their mouths shut about his "home life" and he didn’t want to train any one else.

Walking down the steep steps to the lower level of his home, Bart whistled a happy tune. He had been trying to think of how he would end it with Stephanie but couldn’t decide on the best course of action until he saw the small dagger that had been given to him by an associate a few years ago. Stephanie had suffered quite a bit and she deserved a quick death. Bart may enjoy hurting her, but he had some compassion.

He entered the room where she was staying and his stomach protested at the smell. Ah well, he’d have a pretty young thing again soon who would smell sweet so he’d just suffer through this one last time. No need to be so picky, he thought to himself. He knelt down next to Stephanie and noticed with pleasure that she didn’t even flinch. She had resigned herself to her fate. He lifted her head up with his finger so that she would look him in the eye. He smiled at what he saw there.

Bart began to undress, slowly, deliberately, watching Stephanie closely. She began to tremble and this excited him. She knew what was coming, but she did nothing to fight him off. Bart was almost finished with her when he heard a noise. He turned around to see someone standing in the doorway.

Angry at being interrupted, he jumped to his feet and began cursing at whoever it was that had barged into his home. Bart was punched in the face, blood pouring from his broken nose.

"What are you doing here?" Bart screamed. His eyes widened as he saw the blade of his dagger, the one he intended to use on Stephanie, flash in the dim lamplight.

"No!" he screamed just before the smooth steal pierced his heart and was quickly removed, killing him.

The three brothers watched the house, noting that someone was indeed home. The sun had set over an hour before and it had been torture for them to wait for the darkness to surround the area. Macklin had walked off by himself, but none had dared to follow him. They knew he wouldn’t be stupid enough to go into the house alone. Macklin had told them to wait until he returned, but Nick’s patience had run out as soon as the sun set. Jarrod had done his best to hold him back, but he knew that if Macklin didn’t show within the next few minutes, nothing on earth would keep Nick from going into that house.

Nick had just decided to go ahead when Jarrod placed a restraining hand on his arm. It took all of Nick’s self control to keep from planting his fist in Jarrod’s face to let go of his arm, but he realized that Macklin had just returned.

"Where have you been?" Nick hissed.

Macklin didn’t even glance Nick’s way as he said, "I think Bart’s the only other one in the house. From what I’ve seen, there are three levels. You can’t see the third level from the front, but it is clearly visible from the back. My guess is that’s where he’s keeping her."

Nick hated Macklin’s detached tone. He sounded as though he were discussing the weather. If that had been Audra in there...Nick’s stomach turned at the thought.

"How do we get in?" Heath asked.

"Right through the front door."

"You’re not serious," Nick said.

Again Macklin ignored him.

"I still think it would have been a good idea to alert the Sheriff to what is going on. There’s no telling what is going to happen in there," Jarrod said.

"I’ll tell you what’s going to happen," Nick said. "I’m going to kill that son of a-"

"No you won’t," Macklin said, his voice deadly calm.

Nick could see the fire that smoldered in Macklin’s eyes. He was blood thirsty and couldn’t wait to get his hands on Bart. It occurred to Nick that Macklin never had any intention of arresting Bart. He had planned to kill him from the beginning. Nick still wanted to know why Julia was so important to Macklin, but now was not the time to ask.

"Now wait a minute," Jarrod said.

"No, we’ve waited long enough. I’m going in," Macklin said and walked toward the house. Nick didn’t wait for his brothers and followed Macklin. Heath and Jarrod shook their heads, and both prayed for a good outcome, but neither thought that would happen.

Macklin and Nick walked quietly up to the front door, both noticing immediately it was open slightly. They looked at one another, each questioning this strange occurrence, but neither had any answers. With his gun drawn, Macklin entered first. Nick’s gun was in his hand as well and he stopped just inside the door to listen for any sounds. He saw Macklin about ten feet in front of him, peering around a corner. It must have been all clear because Macklin proceeded forward.

Nick looked behind him to see Jarrod and Heath standing in the doorway. He nodded to them and they both followed him as he went in the direction Macklin had gone.

It was eerily quiet, not at all what any of them had been expecting. There was an open door that led down and Macklin didn’t hesitate. He walked down the steps, careful not to make any noise, and stopped when he heard one of the steps creak. He knew the Barkleys were behind him, and he knew that Jarrod wasn’t about to let him commit cold blooded murder. There was no way he was going to allow Bart to live. His only wish was that he could make him suffer as much as he was sure Stephanie had suffered.

There was a dim light shining at the end of the hall and Macklin made his way toward it. The door to the room was open and he walked in. He felt, rather than saw the Barkleys come up behind him.

The sight before them made the four men sick to their stomachs. Julia lay on a mat on the floor, completely stripped of all her clothing. Her body was badly bruised, her face swollen almost to the point of making her unrecognizable. A knife lay next to her in a small pool of blood. Bart was on his stomach a few feet from her. Heath turned the half dressed man over and saw that he was dead. He shook his head at Jarrod who turned his attention back to Nick. He knelt beside Julia and reached out to touch her and whispering her name.

"Julia, its me. It’s Nick," he said softly. Julia began fighting against him, kicking at him.

"Julia! Listen to me. It’s Nick." Julia became hysterical.

"Please don’t! No! Don’t touch me!" she screamed over and over. The more Nick tried to calm her down the more frightened she became. She began screaming, begging him to not touch her.

Nick couldn’t understand what was going on. Macklin, who’d been standing in a state of shock, moved forward. Hearing Stephanie’s screams were too much for him to bear, and yet he had to go to her. He knelt down next to her and began talking in soft, loving tones.

"Stephanie, it’s Terry." Macklin kept whispering her name over and over. She fought him at first too, but then after a few minutes, she began to cry. She finally let him take her in his arms and hold her.

"You won’t let Nick hurt me, will you?" she sobbed. All of the color drained from Nick’s face when he realized she was talking about him. He started to go toward her, but Heath held him back.

"No, honey. He wouldn’t hurt you," Macklin tried to reassure her. Nick realized at that moment why Macklin was so intent on getting her back. It wasn’t just because she was under his command, it was because Macklin was in love with her.

"He came to rescue you," Macklin said, trying to calm her down.

Julia shook her head. "No. Every man has his price and Bart found his. I’m just so glad he didn’t get to you."

Nick shook his head, not able to believe what he was hearing. She thought that he had done this to her. She thought the he had hurt her. But even if Nick could ever convince her that he hadn’t been the one to hurt her, even if he had never let her go with Bart in the first place, he knew right at that moment, that Julia....no, Stephanie, would never be his.

Stephanie held on to Macklin and buried her face in his shoulder as he lifted her up. He walked past Nick, unable to meet the other man’s eye, as he whispered comforting words to the terrified woman. Jarrod had taken off his jacket and covered her with it as Macklin walked passed him. He nodded his thanks, then left the three men in the room.

Nick looked over at Jarrod, who was watching him guiltily. Nick could tell that Jarrod had known about Macklin’s feelings for Stephanie.

"You knew, didn’t you?" Nick asked.

"Yes. But I didn’t find out until just before we left Stockton," Jarrod admitted.

"Why didn’t you say anything?" Nick asked, his voice hushed. Jarrod hated the look of betrayal in his brother’s eyes.

"I’m sorry, Nick. I didn’t mean to keep it from you, but I didn’t know how to tell you. You weren’t exactly in the mood to talk..."Jarrod faltered. What else could he possibly say?

Chapter 18

The ride back into town was awkward. Heath had found an afghan on one of the upstairs sofas and Macklin wrapped Stephanie in it so that only her head and bare feet stuck out. Getting her up on his horse was a difficult task since she didn’t want anyone touching her but Macklin. Macklin reluctantly handed her over to Jarrod, so he could mount his horse. Stephanie fought against Jarrod, but she was weak with exhaustion and the abuse her body had endured. Her pitiful cries brought tears to the eyes of every man present. Jarrod tried to reassure her that it was only to help her get on the horse, but she would not listen. Macklin reached down for her and Jarrod tenderly handed her up to him. Once settled in his arms, Stephanie calmed down, but her body shook uncontrollably.

The moon didn’t give them much light so their pace was slow. Nick stayed well behind the others. When they had stepped out of the house Stephanie had caught a glimpse of him and became hysterical. It took Macklin a full ten minutes to calm her down. Nick didn’t want to cause her any more pain, so he stayed out her field of vision.

They arrived in town and Heath rode on ahead to the doctor’s to alert him to Stephanie’s condition. Jarrod rode toward the Sheriff’s office while Nick headed out to the camp they’d made when they had arrived in Monterey. More than anything, he wanted to be with Stephanie, but he but he knew that would only cause her further pain and he would rather die than have that happen. Nick loved her, he had known it for some time now, but once again fate had dealt him a bad hand and he needed to walk away, for her sake, as well as his own.

At the doctor’s office, Stephanie refused to allow the doctor near her. The doctor finally signaled Macklin that he was going to sedate her. Macklin distracted Stephanie long enough to allow the doctor to give her an injection. Stephanie cried out briefly, then succumbed to the powerful medicine.

Refusing to leave her side during the examination cost him a lot. Once the doctor was finished, Macklin excused himself, knowing Stephanie would not waken for several hours. What he had to do would only take a few minutes and then he would return to her side. Jarrod, Heath and the town’s Sheriff were all waiting for news of Stephanie’s condition, but Macklin stalked past them and out the door. The look on his face let them all know he better not be followed. Macklin walked to the back of the house only going a few feet into the wooded area before his body took over and he wretched. He heaved until there was nothing left in his stomach and then heaved some more. How could a human being endure such suffering? There wasn’t a part on Stephanie’s body that wasn’t bruised. The tortures that she had endured were horrific.

Macklin washed his face off at the outside pump. He then went inside to talk with the others before returning to her side.

"I’ll need to ask her some questions," the Sheriff was saying.

"She’s been sedated, Jed. She won’t be answering anything before morning," the doctor firmly told the lawman.

"Well, as soon as she wakes, I wanna know. I gotta find out what happened. You can’t just have a man like Albert Barthelomy killed and there not be a good reason. He was an outstanding citizen in this community-"

"Get out, Jed! She’s not answering any questions tonight and these men also need some rest," the doctor said. Jed huffed at being interrupted but left without another word.

Jarrod shook his head as the sheriff had departed and then turned back to the doc.

"How is she?" he asked.

"She’s been badly beaten, dehydrated and extremely malnourished. I’ve asked my wife to warm some broth. We have to get something into her as soon as possible. My guess is she won’t make it another day if we don’t."

The men all knew that those were the least of her injuries. The doctor took a deep breath before going on.

"I’m sure you are all aware of the other....abuse....she’s gone through."

No one said anything, but just nodded.

"Other than getting some nourishment into her and cleaning up the scrapes and cuts she has, there’s not a lot I can do."

"What can we do?" Heath asked.

"There’s certainly no one here who could help her. I don’t even know of anyone who could to be honest. But maybe in San Francisco or Sacramento...."

The doctor shrugged, knowing that physically he could help her, but mentally....he was out of his league and wasn’t too proud to admit it. He left the men to talk among themselves, going to see if the broth he’d asked for was ready.

"I’m going back to sit with her," Macklin said. The two brothers watched the other man walk back into the exam room.

"Where’s Nick?" Jarrod asked.

"I saw him heading back toward camp," Heath answered. "I can’t imagine the pain he’s going through. Having Jul...er..Stephanie think he did this to her."

"Wonder what Bart did to convince her?" Jarrod asked, rubbing his chin in thought.

Heath knew Jarrod wasn’t actually asking him, so he stayed quiet.

"I’m going to wire to have the private car sent here tomorrow. And I’ll ask mother to join us. I think Stephanie will feel more comfortable with her here."

"She seems comfortable with Macklin," Heath said. There was no malice or censure in his voice, but Jarrod knew Heath wasn’t happy with him for keeping Macklin’s feelings for Stephanie from Nick. Nick deserved to know.

"I need to find Nick. Try to explain," Jarrod said softly.

"Might be best to leave him be for now. He’s got a lot to think about and he might not welcome your explanation."

Jarrod knew Heath was correct, and reluctantly agreed to give his younger brother time to sort through all that had happened.

"I suppose we should check into the hotel and try and get some rest," Jarrod suggested. The doctor came into the room then and promised to send for them if there were any significant change in Stephanie. He figured she would sleep the rest of the night anyway.

With heavy hearts the brothers said goodnight, each seeking their bed, but sleep was long in coming.

The next morning, Jarrod went to the doctor’s after sending the telegrams. Heath had ridden out to find Nick, hoping his brother was doing better than the night before. When Jarrod got to the small yard in front of the house, he heard Macklin’s raised voice. He rushed in to see the sheriff and Macklin being separated by the doctor. Jarrod helped pull the men apart.

"What is going on here?" Jarrod asked.

"He wants to arrest Stephanie for murder," Macklin hissed.

"What?!" Jarrod asked incredulously.

"Someone murdered a prominent citizen of this town and I need to know what happened. I only threatened to arrest her when he wouldn’t let me talk to her," the sheriff tried to explain, his voice taking on a definite whine.

"Sheriff Larson, I’m sure the doctor has already informed you that Miss Altose is in no condition to be questioned by anyone at the moment. Surely, you can give her a few days to recover from her trauma," Jarrod said, his calm demeanor allowed the Sheriff to see reason and he agreed to question Stephanie later. The others in the room knew however it would be longer than a few days.

"I do want to know what you all know though. I expect you all in my office this afternoon!" he said in a huff and then stalked out. Jarrod turned back to Macklin who nodded to him gratefully.

"Sorry about that," the doctor apologized. "Jed’s not the best Sheriff this town has ever seen. Nor the brightest. But he’s much better than that one before."

"He’s an idiot," Macklin said.

"Can’t say that anyone in town would disagree with you," the doctor said.

"How’s Stephanie?" Jarrod asked.

"She was awake a few hours ago, but fell back asleep," Macklin answered.

"I sent a wire to have the private car delivered here and also one to my mother. She should be here tomorrow," Jarrod informed them. "As much as I hate to say it, the sheriff is correct. We do need to know what happened. Who killed Bart?"

"It wasn’t the young lady in there," the doctor said.

"Why do you say that?" Macklin asked.

"That woman is so weak she wouldn’t be able to raise her hand, much less stab someone. I’d say your friend had a guardian angel," the doctor said, and then excused himself.

Once they were alone, Macklin said, "I hate to leave her, but I need to go back to the house and search through Bart’s things. I also need to send a wire to have agents begin searching through Bart’s other homes as well. The proof we need to break up this ring is somewhere."

"What are you looking for exactly?" Jarrod asked.

"Names, contacts. Anything to lead us to whoever is in charge."

"I’m assuming you have the proper warrants?" Jarrod asked, ever the lawyer.

"Don’t worry, they’re on the way."

Mrs. Meeks, the doctor’s wife was just coming into the room as they finished their conversation.

"Mrs. Meeks. I have some errands to run. Would you be able to sit with Stephanie until I return?" Macklin asked.

"I’d be happy to," she answered, her husband joining them.

"Doctor, no one is to go in to see Stephanie. No one," Macklin said firmly.

"Of course," the doctor said.

Jarrod and Macklin retrieved their horses and rode out of town toward Bart’s house. The sheriff had informed Jarrod the night before that someone had been sent out to the house to retrieve the body. The men both hoped nothing else had been touched.

Neither of them were aware of the way they were being watched. This was a complication he had not planned on, but he was sure it would be just a minor annoyance that he could easily take care of.

Chapter 19

Nick sat against the fallen log with his knees bent and his arms resting on them. He had started a fire and made some coffee, even going through the motions of preparing a small breakfast, but he didn’t feel like eating. His feelings bounced back and forth between anger and hurt. He was hurt that Julia....he closed his eyes. Stephanie...her name is Stephanie, he told himself again. He was hurt that she believed he had done this to her. But it was the anger that bothered him most.

Some anger was toward Jarrod for not telling him about Macklin’s feelings for Stephanie. Some anger was toward Macklin for having those feelings, feelings Nick knew well and understood, and yet allowing Stephanie to be put in the situation she was in. Most of all, though, Nick was angry with himself for not going with his gut feeling and letting her go with Bart. He could easily have competed with Macklin for Stephanie’s affections and was confident he would have won. But there was no way he could compete against the monster who’d hurt her, who had caused her to believe Nick was that monster.

Nick heard a noise and looked up. Heath was just coming into view, allowing the older man to get used to his presence. Nick knew his brother well enough that if he didn’t want to be heard, he wouldn’t be. Nick looked away, not saying anything and Heath took Nick’s glance as permission to join him. He poured a cup of coffee and sat down. The coffee left a bitter taste in his mouth causing him to grimace slightly.

"I just don’t know how she could think I did that to her," Nick said softly.

"We don’t know exactly what she’s been through the last few days, Nick. Physically, we can guess, but mentally....who knows what a man like Bart has said to her...has done to her."

"What if she never believes me? What if she always thinks I was bought off?" Nick asked, he couldn’t stop the tears from coming to his eyes but he blinked them away angrily. "Every man has a price and Bart found mine...that’s what she said about me!"

Heath wasn’t sure what to say to comfort his older brother. Things like, "It’ll work out" or "Just wait and see" seemed unfeeling and callous. Maybe the best thing was to just let Nick know he was there for him. Heath reached out and put his hand on Nick’s shoulder and squeezed. Nick looked over at Heath, knowing that this display of affection was rare, but was grateful.

"Pappy’s concerned about you too," Heath said. Nick stiffened slightly.

"He should have told me about Macklin," Nick said.

"Yes, he should have. But he’s right in the fact you weren’t in the mood for talk when we left. If he had tried to pull you aside to tell you that another man, a man you strongly dislike I might add, had feelings for Stephanie, what would you have done?"

Nick smiled slightly at Heath’s question. "I wouldn’t have let him get a word in," he turned serious. "I was ready to get going so that I could rescue her. So that I could be her knight in shining armor. Instead, I’m her worst nightmare."

Victoria Barkley stepped down from the train into the waiting arms of her youngest son. In reality, Heath was her stepson, but since he had become a part of the family five years before, he was just like one of her children she’d given birth to. He smiled warmly at her and took her valise from her hands.

"Is this all you’ve brought?" Heath asked.

"No, I also brought a small trunk of clothes for Julia," Victoria stopped herself. "I mean Stephanie. I just don’t think I can get used to calling her that."

Heath nodded but didn’t say anything.

"How is she?" was Victoria’s next question as they waited for the porter to bring the trunk.

"She’s like she was before. Scared. She seems comfortable with Macklin, but becomes extremely frightened if any other men are around. We’ve been staying at the hotel, giving her some space."

"What about Nick? She’s afraid of him as well?"

Heath hesitated in his answer to his mother. He was hoping to allow Jarrod to explain, but it looked as though the delivery of bad news would fall on him.

"Somehow, Bart made her believe Nick was the one who hurt her," Heath said quietly.

"Oh no," Victoria said, her hand going to her mouth as tears sprang to her eyes. "Where’s Nick?"

"He wanted to stay away from Stephanie so she wouldn't be frightened. He was camping on the outskirts of town, until I finally managed to convince him to stay at the hotel with us. Macklin and Jarrod have been spending quite a bit a time at Bart’s estate, trying to find the evidence they need to put an end to the slavery ring."

Victoria’s eyes closed. Jarrod had given her a little information as to why they were leaving, but refused to go into any details. He had mentioned "white slavery", but little else.

"I don’t know who I should go to first. Nick or Julia."

"Nick went with Jarrod and Macklin so why don’t I take you to the hotel to let you freshen up and then on to the doc’s. His wife has been caring nonstop for Stephanie and I’m sure she could use the break."

Victoria agreed and once Heath had secured her trunk, they went to the hotel. A room had been reserved for her and she quickly changed and washed up. Feeling better with clean clothes on, Victoria met Heath downstairs and he escorted her to the doctor’s. He explained how the sheriff had been wanting to talk to Stephanie about Bart’s murder, but Macklin had left strict orders that no one was to see her.

When they arrived, Stephanie was sleeping so Victoria relieved Mrs. Meeks and sat beside the young woman, shedding silent tears over her physical state. Even though the nightgown she wore covered most of her injuries, her face was still badly bruised and the fitful way she slept told Victoria her young friend was not able to find peace, even in her dreams.

Heath had left to join his brothers and Macklin at Bart’s house to help in the search. When he arrived, he quietly informed the other men that Victoria had arrived and was now with Stephanie. Everyone felt relief knowing Victoria was now there to help care for her.

They continued searching through papers and files, trying to find any evidence at all. The sun was high in the sky when they heard someone riding up to the house. Macklin looked out the window and cursed.

"It’s the sheriff."

They had met with the sheriff briefly the day before, but the meeting had not lasted long. Macklin had received a telegram from his boss in D.C. saying he had the authority to search Bart’s home, much to the annoyance of Sheriff Larson. He enjoyed being in charge and hated being left out of the loop. Although Macklin had given the sheriff some information, he hadn’t been forthcoming with all of it.

"Just try to remember we’re all on the same side," Jarrod reminded Macklin.

Macklin snorted his disbelief in that statement but didn’t say anything. The sheriff walked in and looked around. He’d only been to this particular home once or twice, but had dealt with Albert Barthelomy on several occasions. Bart had lots of money and enjoyed throwing it around. He had paid the sheriff handsomely to make sure no one bothered his home and Larson was going to miss the extra income.

"Have ya found what ya wanted yet?" the sheriff asked gruffly.

"No," Macklin said.

"I came to see what progress you’ve made," he said, looking around. The other men knew he was really there to see what information he could get from them. They continued their searching, not paying attention to the lawman.

Feeling put out at being ignored, the sheriff decided to leave, but not before saying, "I got a court order from Judge Gellers to question Miss Altose. Ain’t nothin’ you can do about it neither."

The sheriff left, loving the looks of shock on the faces of the men before him.

Stephanie stirred, the sunlight streaming in through the windows, bringing her out of the darkness. She longed to just stay asleep, to never awaken and have to face reality, but her mind wouldn’t let her. She groaned, opened her eyes and looked into the concerned hazel eyes of Victoria Barkley.

"Hello," the older woman said softly.

Stephanie blinked back tears. Her mouth was too dry to allow her to speak and Victoria was there with some water. She gently raised Stephanie’s head so that she could take a sip.

"Not too much," Victoria said, her calm demeanor going a long way in keeping Stephanie from going into hysterics.

"Think you could eat some broth?" Victoria asked. Stephanie didn’t trust her voice so she just nodded.

"I’ll be right back. Do you want me to leave the door open?" she asked.

"No, please close it."

Victoria was back just a few minutes later with a bowl of chicken broth. She helped Stephanie into a sitting position and then began to feed her. The temperature was just right and it tasted so good, but Stephanie could only stomach a little bit. She refused any more, afraid she wouldn’t be able to keep it down.

She lay against the pillows, refusing to meet the eyes of the older woman. Victoria sensed the embarrassment the girl felt and put her hand on Stephanie’s.

"You’ve nothing to be ashamed of, dear," she said softly. This started Stephanie’s tears.

"Yes, I do," she said, weeping. "I went with him willingly."

"You thought he was your husband. You didn’t know-"

"No. Even after I remembered who he was I went with him," she sobbed. "Even when he gave me the chance to leave."

Victoria’s brow furrowed. "What do you mean, when he gave you the chance to leave?"

She handed Stephanie a handkerchief, which she used to blow her nose and wipe her tears. It took several minutes for her to calm down, but once she did, she explained.

"We were just about to pull out of San Francisco when Bart told me I could leave. He said he wouldn’t try to stop me. I got up and walked away, was almost to the door when I heard laughter. I turned around and Bart was talking with a young woman. She couldn’t have been more than sixteen. I knew he was going to take her, do to her what he’d done to me and I couldn’t let him do it, Mrs. Barkley. I just couldn’t. So...I willingly went back to him. When he saw me he said good-bye to the girl and didn’t talk to her the rest of the trip."

Victoria’s eyes too filled with tears and she held the young woman in her arms as they both cried.

"You were very brave to protect that young girl," Victoria said.

"No, you don’t understand. I was going to leave. I just wanted to get away from him, and I was going to sacrifice her. All I could think about was myself and how I didn’t want him to hurt me again."

"Those feelings are natural. I don’t know anyone who would have felt any different. You protected that young girl from a horrible monster."

Stephanie was too tired to think about it any more. Victoria helped her settle down again under the covers.

Just before she fell asleep, she asked, "The sheriff wants to talk to me about what happened, doesn’t he?"

"Yes."

"I don’t want to talk to him."

"Why?"

"Because I’ll have to tell him who I saw kill Bart. And it will bring you and your sons too much pain."

Victoria thought about this for a moment and then questioned Stephanie further.

"Who did you see?"

Stephanie couldn’t look her in the eye. "Nick....I saw Nick kill him."

Chapter 20

The sheriff beat the men back to town but not by much. Thankfully, the doctor proved to be more of an obstacle than the sheriff thought he would . He was sure once he showed Dr. Meeks the court order he’d let him in to see the girl. But he was mistaken. Not to mention the fact that some woman he’d never seen before stood between him and the door, refusing to allow him entrance to the bedroom. He was about to reach out and remove her bodily when he heard a gruff warning voice say, "Don’t you lay one hand on her."

The sheriff turned around and looked at the tallest of the Barkley brothers. Dressed in black leather, Nick Barkley stood with his arms folded across his chest, the severe look in his hazel eyes stopped Sheriff Larson cold.

"Now listen here," he began in a huff.

"No, you listen. You step one foot into that room before the doc says you can, and I’ll personally waylay you."

"I have a judge’s order-"

"Hang the judge’s order!"

"Nick," came Jarrod’s warning. To the sheriff he said, "I’m going to speak with this judge myself. I’m sure you left out a few details, Sheriff Larson. Such as what Miss Altose has been through the past few weeks. Once the judge finds out, I’m sure he’ll be happy to rescind the order!"

The Sheriff paled, knowing he hadn’t given Judge Gellers all the facts. He huffed and puffed, wanting to say something to best the men before him, but he couldn’t think of anything. He left the doctor’s office, promising to be back.

"We can’t hold him off forever," Jarrod advised Macklin. The Federal Agent nodded, knowing that was the truth. Jarrod looked over at his mother, noticing her pale features.

"Mother?" he asked, walking toward her.

"Jarrod, I need to speak with you." She looked around and then said, "In private."

Jarrod escorted his mother out of the doctor’s house and back to the hotel. They went straight up to her room and only when she was sure no one would overhear, did she tell Jarrod what Stephanie had said.

"That’s impossible, Mother. Nick was with us the entire time. There’s no way he could have killed Bart."

"Then why would Stephanie tell me she’d seen him do it? She wouldn’t lie about it."

Jarrod sighed in frustration, running a hand over his face.

"You’ve seen her, Mother. What she’s been through...she could have been delusional..."

"I assure you, she was very lucid when she told me, Jarrod. She is certain she saw Nick kill Bart."

"Tell me what she said again," he said, leaning against the small dresser in the room.

"She said she didn’t want to talk to the Sheriff, because she would have to tell him who killed Bart. That it would bring too much pain to me and my sons. I then asked her who she saw. And she said, ‘Nick. I saw Nick kill him.’"

Jarrod shook his head in disbelief. It just didn’t make sense.

"We were all together the entire time. Except...."

"Except?"

"When we were waiting to go inside Bart’s house, Macklin disappeared for a while. We didn’t know where he was. Then he showed up, gave us no explanation and then we went inside."

"So you think Macklin could have gone in and killed Bart? Then why would Julia say Nick did it, if Macklin was the one to kill him?" Victoria questioned.

"He’s in love with her. Maybe she’s still in love with him and is protecting him."

"What are we going to do? If she tells the sheriff that she saw Nick....At least he has you and Heath as alibis."

She looked up to see Jarrod’s worried expression.

"What?"

"I’m not sure if we’d be good witnesses. The prosecution could easily say Heath and I are lying because we are his brothers."

Victoria’s shoulders slumped. Jarrod brought her into his arms and gave her a hug.

"Don’t worry, Mother. We’ll figure this out. Just give me some time. If only I could talk to her..."

"She’s so frightened, Jarrod."

"We should get back. The others will want to know what’s going on. Don’t say anything about this to anyone."

"All right."

They walked back to the doctor’s, and found Nick standing outside.

"Nick, why are you out here?" his mother asked.

"Julia..." He closed his eyes. He didn’t think he would ever remember to call her by her real name. "Stephanie, saw me when Mrs. Meeks opened the bedroom door. She became hysterical. I thought it was best if I stayed outside."

The hurt look on his face was more than Victoria could bear.

"I’m sorry, Nick."

Nick shrugged it off, not wanting to be comforted. Jarrod too had a hard time looking Nick in the eye, hating to see the pain his brother felt. They could hear cries and Victoria went in to see if she could help. Macklin was sitting next to Stephanie on the bed, holding her in his arms, trying to calm her. Eventually, she fell asleep and he gently lowered her to the bed. He didn’t say anything to Victoria as he walked out, but she could see the torment in his eyes. The same look that was mirrored in Nick’s.

The men agreed to meet in Jarrod’s hotel room to talk about everything that was going on. Jarrod debated about whether to confront Macklin in front of his brothers or not concerning Bart’s death. After mulling it over a bit in his mind, he decided he would lay all of his cards on the table and see what reaction he could get.

"Seems we have a wrinkle," Jarrod said quietly. Nick stood over by the room’s one window, staring out at the street below. Heath took his position beside Nick, and leaned against the wall. Macklin who had been pacing, turned at Jarrod’s words.

"What?" Macklin asked.

"Stephanie told my mother that Nick killed Bart."

"What?! But that’s impossible," Heath said, his normally calm demeanor failing him. Nick turned around to face Jarrod’s accusation, his eyes wide with shock.

"That’s what I said," Jarrod said coolly. He was watching Macklin’s every reaction, trying to gauge if he was hiding something.

"He was with all of us, there’s no way he could have killed Bart," Heath claimed resolutely. He looked over at Nick, wondering why his normally out spoken brother had not yet said anything. He couldn’t tell if Nick was furious or hurt. Probably both.

"But you weren’t," Nick said, his voice cool. He was looking directly at Macklin.

"I wasn’t what?" Macklin said, his eyes narrowing.

"You disappeared for quite a while before we entered Bart’s home. What were you doing?" Jarrod asked.

"I was looking around, trying to find the best way in."

"And did you find the best way in? A way that would allow you to get inside and kill Bart, then come back out and enter the house with us? Making us your perfect alibi?"

"No! I didn’t kill him. I wanted to. I was going to in fact. But I didn’t get the chance, someone else got to him before I did."

Jarrod Barkley had made a point to know when someone was lying to him, watching for certain physical signs, such as not being able to look him in the eye, or acting nervous. He didn’t see either of those signs in the man before him, but, he reminded himself, Macklin was a trained agent. He chanced a glance at Nick and knew his brother was ready to explode.

"Just what did you do in that house, Macklin? HUH??" Nick asked, taking only two long strides before he was standing in front of Macklin. His hands were balled into fists at his sides, the muscles in his jaw tightening.

"I didn’t enter Bart’s house before you, Barkley! You need to back off or-"

"Or what?" Nick hissed.

"Alright you two. We need to calm down and think this through. One thing is for sure, we can’t stall the sheriff much longer, but we can’t let Stephanie tell him she thinks Nick killed Bart," Jarrod said.

Nick and Macklin continued to stare at one another, each challenging the other to make a move. Neither wanted to be the first to back down.

"Nick," Jarrod said. Nick didn’t take his eyes off of Macklin as he walked away, his eyes holding the promise that he and Macklin would finish this discussion later. Macklin watched the tall cowboy as he walked over toward Heath, his face holding an almost bored expression on his face.

"We know Nick didn’t do it, so who," Heath paused for a moment then continued. "Who could have done it?"

"The doctor is sure Stephanie wouldn’t have had the physical strength and I’d have to agree with him."

Macklin listened to the brothers as they talked, not paying attention to what was being said. His mind was working through the possibilities of who could have. Nick was pacing back and forth and Macklin was just beginning to block him out of his mind when Nick’s foot hit a point in the floor that squeaked. This brought back a memory of being in Bart’s house as he and Nick descended the stairs to the cellar. He had been trying to be quiet but one of the steps had creaked under his weight. If someone had been in the room with Stephanie, he could have heard the noise and escaped before the other men reached the room. None of them had been back down to the room since finding Stephanie. They didn’t know if there was another way in or out of the house from the cellar. He put that fact down in his mind, setting it aside for the moment. He then began to run in his mind the information Jarrod had learned on his first scouting trip into town. His mind latched onto one thing Jarrod had said. He whipped around and interrupted the conversation.

"You said you were told Bart had come into town looking for someone with a specific description," Macklin said.

Jarrod’s brow furrowed. "Yes."

"I need to talk to Stephanie," Macklin said, leaving the other men in the room stunned.

It was just after 8 o’clock when Macklin tapped on Stephanie’s door. Victoria answered it and smiled sadly at the man standing there.

"I need to speak with Stephanie, Mrs. Barkley. Would you excuse us?"

Victoria looked hesitant but Stephanie called out to her, "It’s okay, Mrs. Barkley."

"I’ll go get a small snack for you, Jul...er Stephanie. I’ll be back in about ten minutes," these words were said to Macklin. He nodded in agreement then walked into the room. He closed the door and noticed how Stephanie tensed. Her breathing became more erratic and her hands gripped the sheet that covered her. She knew Terry wouldn’t hurt her, but being alone in a room with a man still terrified her.

"Stephanie, we need to talk about Nick," Macklin said directly. Stephanie shook her head.

"No, Terry...I’m not ready to talk about...him yet..."her voice trembled and Macklin went to sit beside her.

"I know honey, but it’s very important. I need to know about when Bart was killed. The sheriff is going to come here tomorrow to ask you some questions. We’ve been putting it off as long as we can, but time has run out. I need to know what you saw."

Stephanie took a deep, calming breath, hoping it would slow down her frantically beating heart. Her knuckles were white from gripping the sheets and her eyes were wide with fright. Macklin knew they didn’t have much time until Victoria returned so he gently prodded her again.

"Please, Stephanie," he asked softly. He reached out and took her hand, causing her to jump slightly. She grabbed onto him and held on for dear life.

"Bart had come into the room to....he wanted his way with me one more time. He was going to kill me, I’m sure of it. He brought with him a small dagger and placed it on the table just inside the door. The room was still very dark, only the one candle was burning, but he made sure I saw it. He was finishing..."she stopped for a moment and closed her eyes. Her grip on Macklin’s hand tightened. "Someone else came into the room and took the knife. Bart turned around and began screaming....then he was lying on the floor."

Stephanie didn’t want to talk about it anymore, but Macklin wanted to know it all. He again prodded her to continue. Tears fell down her cheeks, but she made no move to wipe them away.

"It was Nick," Stephanie whispered. "I saw Nick kill him, Terry."

Macklin squeezed Stephanie’s hand. "Honey, you need to listen to me. It wasn’t Nick Barkley that killed Bart. He wasn’t in that room. He was with me and his brothers the entire time."

"But it was his voice that said..."

"Said what?"

"I heard Nick say that Bart would never bother me again and that he was going to take me away. That I would be his now. But I didn’t want to go with him. He was just about to reach for me when he stood up abruptly. He walked out of the room and then came back with you. Terry, I didn’t want him to touch me again! I don’t want to hurt Mrs. Barkley but I don’t want Nick to touch me again," she began sobbing and Macklin brought her into his arms. She clung to him and cried for several minutes. Then began to speak again.

"Bart told me that every man had his price and he knew he could find Nick’s. I didn’t think it was possible, I thought Nick would be...that he would refuse...But then he came to me and did horrible things to me, Terry."

Macklin pushed Stephanie back so that he could look into her eyes. He gently put his hands on her bruised and swollen face, asking her to look at him.

"Stephanie, you cannot tell the sheriff you saw Nick kill Bart. Promise me that you won’t tell him that. I don’t want you to lie, but I need you to keep that information to yourself. Until we find out who really killed Bart."

Stephanie closed her eyes but when she opened them again, Macklin knew she would do what he asked. She nodded then and he let go of her. He stood and began to walk away, but Stephanie’s voice stopped him.

""He was my safe place, Terry. He was the place I retreated to when it got to be too much."

Macklin didn’t know what to say to her, wanting so much to assure her again that Nick was innocent, not only of Bart’s death but of the torture she’d been through. Knowing she wasn’t emotionally ready to face that fact, he left her alone. He waited outside the door for Victoria to come back and then excused himself. He knew now there was someone else in the house with them that night besides Bart. Macklin had to find this man and soon because Nick Barkley’s life just might depend on it.

Chapter 21

The sheriff was grinning from ear to ear when he walked into the doctor’s the next day. He couldn’t wait to question the young woman and hoped that she would let something slip, allowing him to have more information on the activities of Bart. He knew that whatever Bart had been involved in had to be big or a Federal Agent wouldn’t be leading the investigation. Larson expected some resistance from the Barkleys and Macklin, but he was going to insist that he speak with the young woman alone. He didn’t want her to be influenced by them.

"Well, now let’s get on with this," Larson said, standing just a little taller.

"Just a minute, Larson," Macklin said. "I’m going to be in there with you."

"Oh no you ain’t," Larson said. "I don’t want you to influence her. I’ll see her alone."

"Mr. Larson, please. Allow Mr. Macklin in with you. Miss Altose is very frightened of men and Mr. Macklin is the only one she feels comfortable with," Victoria informed him.

"She ain’t got no reason to afraid of me," the sheriff blustered, moving toward the door.

"Surely you know her lawyer must be present for questioning," Jarrod said, his voice firm.

"She’s got a lawyer?" the sheriff asked, surprised.

"She does," Jarrod said and moved to follow the sheriff into the room. Macklin knew the sheriff wouldn’t allow him to stay in the room while he questioned Stephanie, so he had hired Jarrod as her attorney.

Stephanie was sitting in a chair, her back to the window, her body ensconced in blankets. The sheriff couldn’t help but show shock at her appearance. The swelling on her face had gone down slightly, but the bruises had turned to a deep purple. The way she looked at him reminded him of a scared animal ready to bolt. The girl had obviously been through a great deal and even though he didn’t like Macklin, he didn’t want to hurt this young lady any further.

"I need to ask ya some questions, Miss," the sheriff began. Jarrod watched as Stephanie trembled violently and he was sure she was about to become hysterical. She gripped the blankets tightly. The sheriff also noticed and decided to just ask her the most pertinent questions on his mind.

"Who did this to you?"

"Albert Barthelomy," she said in a quiet voice. He asked her to tell him what had happened and she started from the beginning. Although Jarrod had heard Macklin’s tale of the events and knew a lot of what had transpired, he was still horrified at Stephanie’s story. She spoke in a monotone voice, as though she were trying to detach herself from the events. She finished with Macklin bringing her to the doctor’s.

"Did you kill Albert Barthelomy?"

"No."

"Do you know who did?"

Stephanie hesitated. Jarrod held his breath, wondering what she would say. He knew Macklin had spoken with her, but the agent had not been forthcoming with what had been said.

"It was dark in the room. I couldn’t see who it was. I was drifting in and out of consciousness as well."

The sheriff watched her and wondered if she was keeping something from him. He was about to ask her another question when he noticed her shaking violently. What little control she had over her emotions was waning and Jarrod knew she wouldn’t last much longer. The sheriff realized that as well. After hearing the things done to this poor woman, he felt that Bart had gotten off too easy. His death had been to swift and painless to make up for the tortures he’d put this woman through. It was still the sheriff’s duty to find out who’d murdered Bart, but he wasn’t sure if the man deserved a hanging or a medal for ridding this town of such evil.

"Thank you for talking to me, Miss Altose. I’ll leave you alone now."

The sheriff left the room, Jarrod following behind him. Victoria immediately went into the room and the men could hear Stephanie’s muffled cries.

"I won’t need to question her anymore," the sheriff said to Macklin. He walked out of the doctor’s, feeling as tall as pond scum.

"She told him everything, but when he asked her if she knew who’d killed Bart, she said she didn’t know," Jarrod informed them, his eyes resting on Macklin.

"We all know that your brother is innocent of killing Bart. I think deep down Stephanie knows it too. We just need to figure out who did."

They decided to get some lunch before going back to Bart’s house to continue the search. Other Federal Agents were searching the other homes that Bart owned, as well as questioning the staff that worked there. Macklin was expecting a wire from them at any time so on his way to the hotel restaurant he stopped off at the telegraph office, hoping for some news. The attendant was quite talkative and didn’t seem to notice the conversation was one sided. He talked about every wire that had come through that morning and Macklin was just about to tune him out when the attendant said,

"Wish I knew what to do with the wire I got for Mr. Barthelomy. Tell ya, I’ll miss him! He always paid extra if I’d deliver the wires to his office. Even more if I took ‘em out to his home!"

"I’ll take those wires," Macklin said firmly.

The agent’s eyes widened. "Oh, I can’t let ya do that! They ain’t yours! I could get into trouble with the law and I don’t want that. I spent one month in the jail for drinkin’ too much when I was 17 and I don’t want to do that again! No siree!"

"I’m a Federal Agent Mr....?"

"Oh, you ain’t gotta call me Mister. I’m Ben!" the young man said proudly.

"Ok, Ben. I’m a Federal Agent and I’m investigating Mr. Barthelomy-"

"Oh I know that! Everyone knows that! I just gotta wonder what he’s done! He seemed like such a nice man-"

"I really don’t have time for this," Macklin said, any attempt at being courteous was lost. "As a Federal Agent I have the authority to take these wires for evidence."

Ben still looked hesitant, but he finally agreed. He handed over three wires that were for Bart and then the one Macklin had been waiting for from a fellow agent.

Macklin walked into the restaurant and saw that the Barkleys had just finished their lunch. He had no desire to eat now and he motioned for the brothers to follow him. They went up to Macklin’s hotel room.

"I just got a wire from another agent who’s been working with me on this case. He did a thorough search of Bart’s St. Louis home and found records kept on each woman he’s ‘purchased’. Smart man that he was, he also included who he bought the women from. Guess he figured if he ever got caught, he wasn’t going down alone."

The brothers breathed a sigh of relief, hoping that no more women would have to go through what Stephanie had been through.

"I also managed to get some of the wires that Bart has received the past few days. I guess he decided he was through with Stephanie and requested another girl," Macklin said, his face clearly showing his disgust.

"Glad he won’t have that satisfaction," Jarrod said.

"Remember when you scouted around the town our first night here and reported back that Bart had come into town, looking for someone with a specific description?" Macklin asked Jarrod.

"Yes."

"I’ve been thinking about that," Macklin said, looking over at Nick. Stephanie’s words from before about Nick being her safe place had bothered him more than he’d let himself believe. They hadn’t had a future together but that didn’t stop him from loving her. It hurt to know that she had chosen Nick as her safe place and not himself. He sighed, getting his mind back on to the conversation at hand. "Stephanie told me that Bart was adamant in being able to buy you off. He was wanting to break her and figured the best way to do that was by turning you against her."

"Ju...er Stephanie had to know I wouldn’t do that to her though," Nick protested.

"Mentally, physically and emotionally he raped her, Nick. As agents part of our training is to be able to resist torture, no matter how severe. It’s a very difficult task to master, but Stephanie was one of the best. Like I said, he had to break her and he used you to do it," Macklin explained.

"What are you getting at?" Nick asked impatiently. This was a difficult subject for him to talk about.

"I’m wondering if the person Bart was looking for, was someone who resembles you."

All three of the brothers thought about Macklin’s words. It would explain why Stephanie thought Nick had hurt her. It would also explain,

"That’s why she thought I killed him, isn’t it? Whoever it was that Bart hired to be me came back and killed him," Nick said softly.

"He was probably going to kill Stephanie too so that she couldn’t identify him," Jarrod said, the pieces of the puzzle coming together in his mind.

"Actually, no," Macklin said. "Stephanie told me that the man who killed Bart was going to take her with him. He said that she belonged to him."

"Then she’s still in danger," Heath said.

"I’m going to back to the house to look around the cellar. I need to know if there is another way in or out of his house besides the front door."

"I’ll go with you," Jarrod said. Heath was asked to stay at the doctor’s just in case the mystery man decided to visit Stephanie. Nick went with Jarrod and Macklin, the three retrieving their horses from the livery. Nothing was said as they rode out of town, but none of them were looking forward to going back to the room where Stephanie had been held captive.

Heath informed the doctor and Victoria about what had transpired. Tears filled Victoria’s eyes. She went to the kitchen to get some food for Stephanie. Nothing much was said until Stephanie had finished her meal.

"Do you think I could get a bath? I feel so dirty. I just want to wash off some," Stephanie asked.

"I’ll ask the doctor, but I’m sure that will be fine," Victoria said cheerfully.

A small bathtub was brought in and buckets of steaming water were poured. Once the tub was filled, Victoria helped Stephanie undress. She helped the younger woman to wash her hair and then left her to finish her bath. Stephanie had not felt this good in weeks. The warm water felt like heaven against her skin and helped to ease some of her aches and pains. She scrubbed and scrubbed until she felt somewhat clean, knowing it would be a long while before she didn’t feel dirty. She leaned back against the side of the tub and let her mind wander. She replayed her conversation with Terry, and his adamant request that she not tell the sheriff what she really saw. Terry was certain that Nick had not killed Bart and she so desperately wanted to believe him. He hadn’t said anything when she told him Nick had been her special place. She wondered if she’d hurt him.

The water was getting cooler and Stephanie knew she needed to get out. Her muscles screamed in protest, and as she dried herself off, she wept silent tears at the bruises and scars on her body. She wasn’t so vain as to think she was beautiful, but seeing the cigar burns, the cuts and fingernail marks were disheartening. Images rushed back into her mind and she hurriedly dressed in the clean nightgown Victoria had placed on the bed for her. She wanted to get into bed and pull the covers up high around her. She knew they would offer no protection against any kind of attack, but it made her feel better none the less.

Victoria softly knocked on the door and when there was no answer, she peeked inside. Stephanie was in bed, her breathing deep and even showing that she was asleep. Heath and the doctor came into the room quietly to collect the tub. Victoria sincerely hoped Stephanie would be able to rest well.

The search of the house turned out to be quite profitable. It took them a while, but eventually they found another entrance into the cellar from the outside. This would help in proving that it was likely someone else was in the house with them the night they’d rescued Stephanie. Now they just needed to find out who. Stephanie had told Macklin that the room only had one candle burning and since there were no windows, the one candle did not provide much light. It would have been easy to fool Stephanie, especially since physically she was exhausted and she had also been worn down mentally. They all felt better knowing Heath was back in town, keeping watch over her.

The three men rode back toward town in silence. Macklin was next to Nick, with Jarrod bringing up the rear. The sun was just beginning to set when Macklin saw something glimmer in the fading sunlight. His mind quickly told him what it was and he gave a shout of warning.

There he is. He’s the one who took her from me. And he’ll have to pay. I can’t let her go. Not now. She’s mine. I tried to tell Bart that, but he wouldn’t listen. I would have paid him for her, even given him more money if he’d only given me a chance. Then, he had the gall to tell me he’d get me someone else. I don’t want anyone else! I want her! Stephanie...how beautiful she is. And her body fit so perfectly with mine. Her struggle was wonderful, but even better was the way she finally let me do whatever I wanted. I need her again and soon. I can’t stand the pain of not having her. Why couldn’t Bart have understood?! I didn’t want to have to kill him, but seeing him take her was just too much. And I knew then he wasn’t going to ever let me have her. He deserved his death. Just like the one who took her from me deserves his. It wasn’t fair! Why did he have to come? I would have taken Stephanie with me, cared for her...she is mine and no one else can have her! NO ONE! NO ONE! NOONE!

A split second before the shot rang out, Macklin screamed a warning to Nick and Jarrod. He pushed Nick, causing him to lose his balance and fall from his horse. Nick caught himself just as he hit the ground and then ran for cover. Jarrod too had sought cover against the gunfire. Nick fired a shot toward the movement he saw in the trees, hitting his target. A body came tumbling down the steep hill and landed about twenty feet from where they were. There were no more shots fired.

Jarrod noticed him first and nudged Nick. Nick looked over and saw Macklin’s body as it lay on the ground. A pool of bright red blood was underneath him.

Nick ran toward the prone form of the Federal Agent, Jarrod covering him in case there was more than one shooter. He grabbed Macklin by his shoulders and dragged him back to their hiding place. Macklin groaned and his eyes fluttered open. He looked at Nick and struggled to speak.

"Don’t try to talk," Nick said. "We’ll get you into town."

Macklin stopped struggling and fell unconscious. They knew there wasn’t much time. They had to get him to a doctor or he would bleed to death. They quickly scouted around the area to make sure there weren’t any more gunmen. Nick mounted his horse and Jarrod helped to lift Macklin up to Nick for the ride back to town.  Jarrod then tied the body of the gunman to Macklin’s horse. Neither brother said anything to the other, but both thought the dead man strongly resembled Nick. They headed back into town, each one watchful. They arrived at the doctor’s and carefully brought Macklin inside. Dr. Meeks and his wife were in the parlor and upon hearing the noise, Victoria came out of Stephanie’s bedroom. When she saw Macklin’s body, she turned back to make sure the other woman was still sleeping, then closed the door and followed the doctor and her sons. The doctor had Macklin placed on a bed in his surgery, ordering everyone to step out.

The Federal Agent was awake, but just barely and Macklin’s hand reached out and grabbed Nick. He began to say something and Nick had to bend low to hear the words. He straightened up and stared at Macklin, not able to believe what he’d just been told. Macklin’s hand dropped away then. The doctor examined his patient and then looked up to say, "He’s dead."

Chapter 22

"NO!"

The shout came from behind them and all turned as one to see Stephanie standing in the doorway. She ran to Macklin’s lifeless body and took his hand in hers.

"No, Terry. Please don’t die. Please...I need you... I’m sorry I didn’t make you my safe place. Please come back to me," she sobbed.

On instinct Nick moved toward her but when Stephanie saw the movement, she backed away from him in fright, knocking over a tray of scalpels as she sank to the floor. Victoria gathered her in her arms, cooing loving words, trying to get her to calm down. Eventually, Stephanie calmed down enough to allow Victoria to help her back to her room.

Jarrod went to get the sheriff to inform him of what had happened. The shooter’s body was still tied onto the horse outside. Jarrod watched as Sheriff Larson pulled the man’s head up so that he could see his face.

"Stanley Peterson?" he said in shock.

"You know him?" Jarrod asked.

The sheriff nodded and swallowed hard.

"Yeah, he works down near the docks. I ain’t never had much trouble out of him except for the occasional bar room fight. You sure he wasn’t out huntin’ rabbits and Macklin got caught in the crossfire?" the sheriff asked, though there was no hostility in his question.

"It could be a possibility, but to be honest with you sheriff, I don’t think so. Macklin must have seen the reflection of Peterson’s rifle in the sun because he shouted a warning to us and before he could get out of the way, the shot rang out," Jarrod said, his thoughts already turning to some questions he wanted to ask. "Tell me sheriff, did Peterson have any family in town I could talk with?"

The sheriff scratched his head in thought. He had done a complete turn around since interviewing Stephanie. His belligerent attitude toward all of them was now one of co-operation and Jarrod noticed he didn’t seem as haughty as before.

"Not that I know of. Guess we could talk to some of the men he worked with," the sheriff said and Jarrod thanked him for his time. They set up a time to meet the next morning to go to the docks. Jarrod saw no reason not to include the man in his investigation. He knew another Federal Officer would be arriving sometime in the near future to investigate Macklin’s murder and Jarrod hoped to have the facts in hand for whoever that would be.

The sheriff shook his head, still unable to believe what had happened. He took the body to the undertaker, muttering as he walked away.

Jarrod went inside the doctor’s house and found Nick and Heath sitting at the kitchen table, drinking coffee. He sat down with them and pushed his hat back before taking a sip from his own cup.

Victoria chose that moment to walk into the kitchen and Jarrod stood to pour her some coffee. She sat with her sons, the events of the day weighing heavily on their minds.

"How’s Julia?" Nick asked. Victoria smiled at the fact that Nick’s mind (or maybe it was his heart?) was refusing to call Stephanie by her real name. She guessed Nick would never be able to think of her as Stephanie.

"She asked to be left alone for a little while. Macklin’s death was a shock to her," Victoria said softly.

"To all of us," Jarrod admitted.

"We should start making plans to return home. I know the ranch is in good hands with Duke, but we’ve got that cattle drive coming up in a few weeks and there’s a lot to get done." Nick said all of this without much enthusiasm. The situation was getting to be too much for him and he was eager to return to the ranch so that he could get on with his life. The only problem was, he didn’t want to return without Julia...or at least without her knowing for a fact he wasn’t the one who had hurt her. He wondered if she would ever believe him.

"We can ask the doctor about Stephanie traveling. I’m sure he’d have no problem with it," Victoria said, watching her middle son carefully. She wondered, just like the others, what Macklin had said to him. But no one felt at liberty to ask. The long day was catching up to them all and the men decided to go to the hotel to get some sleep. Victoria decided to check on Stephanie one more time before turning in herself. She’d been sleeping in a spare room next to Stephanie so that she could be close to the younger woman. They entered the parlor to find the doctor and his wife in deep discussion.

"I don’t know, Martin. When the scalpels scattered, couldn’t it have fallen under the bed?" Mrs. Meeks was saying to her husband.

"I hate to lose it. Those came in a set. I’ll have to do a more thorough search in the morning," the doctor said, noticing the others in the room. Victoria bid goodnight to her sons and headed toward Stephanie’s room.

"Problem, Doctor?" Heath asked.

"When the tray of scalpels was knocked over they scattered. I’ve been able to find all of them except one," the doctor replied.

"Stephanie? Stephanie, open the door," Victoria called out. Everyone turned toward her and the doctor came to stand next to Victoria.

"What’s the matter?" he asked.

"She’s locked the door. She won’t answer me," Victoria explained.

"Let me have a try. Miss Altose. Please open the door," the doctor said, trying to sound as kind and yet forceful as he could. Again there was no answer.

Nick watched them, an unease settling in the pit of his stomach.

"Julia was the one to knock over the tray," he said.

"What?" the doctor turned to Nick.

"She knocked over the tray. You can’t find one of your knives. I bet she has it!"

"No, Nick. She wouldn’t-"Victoria began.

"Wouldn’t you? After all she’s been through, wouldn’t you be tempted?" Nick asked, his voice rising in volume. He went over to the door and tested the lock again. Seeing that there was no way to unlock the door, he took a step back and kicked it open. Wood splintered as the door was thrown open. Nick rushed in, and found Stephanie standing in the corner of the room. She looked at him, her eyes widened with fright. She began to step back and saw that there was no where to go. Blood was dripping from her wrist, but the scalpel in her hand was now poised to protect herself from the man she thought had assaulted her.

"Stay back!" she screamed.

"No! I won’t let you do this! You’re stronger than that, Julia! I know you are!" Nick yelled, his desperation to save her overriding the fact that she was terrified of him. He then softened his voice, in hopes of getting through to this woman who he cared for deeply. " Julia, listen to me, you don’t have to do this. Let me help you. Please, don’t take your life. Don’t let Bart win! Please Julia!"

She stared at him in shock. She then asked softly, "What did you call me?"

Nick closed his eyes for a second. "I’m sorry....Stephanie. Your name's Stephanie," Nick reminded himself as he held back tears. "Please don’t do this."

"No, you called me Julia. You’ve always called me Julia. Even at the train station when you knew my name was Stephanie, you couldn’t bring yourself to call me by any other name. And then when you found me...." her voice broke into a sob. "You called me Julia even then. It wasn’t you, was it? It wasn’t you! How could I have thought it was you, Nick? I’m so sorry!"

The shock of the truth she’d just learned, coupled with her attempt to take her own life caused the young woman to faint. Nick caught her just before she hit the floor. He carefully lifted her into his arms, tears unashamedly running down his cheeks as he held her close. His chin resting on her soft hair. He looked up and saw his family watching. The doctor and his wife stood with them, all wearing the same look of shock on their faces. The doctor was the first to recover.

"Get her up on the bed, Nick. Let me examine her."

Nick reluctantly placed her on the bed. He held her right hand as the doctor examined her injured left wrist. Thankfully, the cut wasn’t deep and he quickly stitched it and bandaged the cut. "Barring any infection, she’ll fully recover," the doctor assured them.

Nick stayed with her for several more hours. Victoria tried to convince him to go back to the hotel for some much needed rest, but he wouldn’t hear of it. He’d waited for her to realize the truth that he’d never hurt her, and he wanted to know she still believed that fact when she awoke.

It was close to dawn when her eyes began to flutter open. Nick had been dozing but her restlessness got his attention. He waited for her to awaken, holding his breath that she wouldn’t be afraid of him. Hoping that she would remember what she’d discovered. Blue eyes opened and looked into hazel ones.

"Nick?" she whispered.

"Yeah, I’m here," he said softly.

"I’m so sorry," she said, and began to weep. Nick crooned to her, telling her over and over it was alright and that she just needed to calm down. She begged his forgiveness again and he finally gave it, if only just to calm her. She fell asleep again, this time, holding tightly to his hand.

Chapter 23

The decision was made to return to the ranch a few days later. Jarrod and the sheriff interviewed several of Peterson’s co-workers down at the docks, none of whom were sorry to hear about his death. The man apparently had no morals whatsoever. One co-worker, Eli, had been in the saloon the night Bart approached Peterson about a job he had for him. Eli was surprised that Bart even came into this particular waterfront saloon, considering his "high status" in the community. The next time he’d seen Peterson, he told Eli he’d met someone and was planning on taking her with him when he left town in a few weeks. The sheriff and Jarrod both felt this confirmed the Macklin’s theory that someone else had been in the house that night. Peterson had been hired by Bart to impersonate Nick with Stephanie, and then Peterson had killed Bart. He’d also been responsible for Macklin’s death.

Julia, as she now wanted to be called, was ensconced in pillows and made as comfortable as possible for the ride. The private car proved to be a valuable asset, allowing her the privacy she needed and the family some time together. Julia and Nick did not spend any time together alone, but both thought that was for the best. Although Julia knew in her heart that Nick was innocent, she still battled her fear of men.

They arrived home in the late afternoon, Audra greeting each one excitedly. For her credit, she did not show shock at the bruised appearance of her friend. Although Julia wanted to visit with Audra, she was exhausted. Nick carried her up to a guest room, with Victoria following closely behind. Nick left, promising to see her again soon. Victoria helped Julia change into a nightgown and settled her into bed. The younger woman was asleep before Victoria left the room.

The next few weeks were busy as Nick and Heath caught up on chores at the ranch. Jarrod spent most of his time in town working at his office and in the courtroom. Audra entertained Julia with conversation and games of checkers or the occasional card game. Victoria and Silas took turns trying to coax Julia into eating foods that would help her regain her strength.

The night before he was to leave on the cattle drive, Nick asked Julia to take a short walk with him. They walked in silence for time, each lost in their own thoughts. There was so much Nick wanted to say to her, but the words that came to his mind didn’t seem adequate.

"I wanted to thank you, Nick," Julia started. She glanced over at him.

"For what?" he asked.

"For not giving up on me. You should have. Especially after I accused you..." she faltered, not knowing how to go on.

"That wasn’t your fault, Julia. You didn’t do it on purpose. You believed in your mind that I’d...that I’d been the one....But I never blamed you."

"I’ll miss you while you’re gone," she said softly.

"Maybe when I get back, we can go to dinner together?" Nick asked, his most charming smile in place. Julia returned the smile and nodded in agreement.

Three weeks later, Nick and Heath rode into the yard, each covered in trail dust and both tired from their long trip. Nick was eager to get inside and washed up, hoping to spend some time with Julia and to see how she was doing. He opened the door and called out for whoever was home, Audra came to stand at the top of the stairs.

"Nick! Must you shout?" she asked, he hands on her hips.

"Where is everybody? Mother! Julia!"

Audra rolled her eyes at Nick’s loud voice and came to stand before him. She’d been hoping Jarrod would be home to give Nick the news, but he was still at the office and wouldn’t be home until dinner time.

"They aren’t here, Nick," she said.

"Oh? Did they go into town? Why didn’t you go? I thought you loved to shop," he said jokingly. Heath had just come inside the house and stood next to Nick.

"No, they aren’t in town," Audra replied. Nick’s eyes narrowed.

"Where are they?" he asked.

"About a week after you left, a telegram came for Julia. It was from her boss in Washington DC, stating they needed her to come back immediately."

"She didn’t leave did she?" Nick asked.

"Yes. Jarrod checked everything out and it was genuine. Mother went with her because Julia was afraid of traveling alone. I’m sorry, Nick," Audra said, placing a hand on her brother’s shoulder. She gave Heath a helpless look and then went back up the stairs. Just as she reached the top of the stairs, she turned.

"Nick? She left a note for you. It’s in your room on your bed."

Nick nodded his thanks and then slowly made his way up the stairs. He closed the door to his room and then walked to his bed. He saw the envelope and opened it with care.

Dear Nick,

It pains me deeply to know I won’t see you again before I have to leave. Please know that this decision was not made lightly. There are still some loose ends that need to be taken care of with Bart’s case. They need me to testify as well as fill out reports on what I know. This will go a long way in helping to ensure other women aren’t taken against their will. I have to fulfill my duty to my country, I just wish that didn’t mean I’d have to leave you.

I don’t know what the future holds. To be honest, I need some time, Nick. I need to figure out my own heart. I don’t expect you to wait for me. If you find someone else, please don’t let me get in the way. Your happiness means more to me than anything.

Thank you again for not giving up on me.

Sincerely,

Julia

Nick read the letter over again before returning it to the envelope. He placed the letter on his dresser and then went to clean up. He was disappointed that he’d not been there when she’d left. He would have assured her he’d wait for her. But maybe it was best that he wasn’t since he would have tried to convince her to stay. She was right, she needed to get things settled.

Victoria returned several weeks later and informed everyone that Julia had settled nicely in Washington. She would no longer be what was considered a "field agent," but would remain on desk duty. There was still a lot of work to be done on the case involving Albert Barthelomy, the ramifications of the case reaching to even some Senators and Congressmen. From what Julia explained to Victoria, it could take years to settle everything.

Nick listened with pride as his Mother told how Julia bravely gave her account of what had happened to her over the course of the past three years. She didn’t shed a tear, but was every inch the professional. It took Nick a while to return to normal. He missed Julia terribly, but was glad that her work would help keep other women safe.

Jarrod suggested that the three brothers go on a camping trip. His plans of mentioning the trip earlier had been interrupted by Macklin’s visit. The men enjoyed their time together, fishing, hunting and relaxing around a campfire at night, renewing their bond of brotherhood. It was around the campfire that Nick shared with Jarrod and Heath what Macklin had whispered to him before he’d died.

"He said he wanted me to take care of her, because I was her safe place," Nick said, his voice taking on a softness his brothers had not heard before. The three brothers fell silent and never was the conversation brought up again between them. They hoped in time Nick's pain would lessen, but they also knew their tendered heart brother would never forget.

Two years later....

Nick steered the supply wagon toward the rental farm. It was the last place he wanted to go, because it was filled with too many memories of her. He didn’t understand why it couldn’t have waited one more day, but his mother was insistent that it be done. The new tenant wanted the materials as soon as possible.

Nick’s thoughts turned to Julia and he wondered where she was now. He hoped she was safe and happy. He missed her more than he had ever thought possible.

He jumped down from the wagon, walked up to the door and knocked. He couldn’t help but turn toward the swing. The memory of the first time he’d held her hand made him smile. She’d written to him a few times, and he’d gladly written her back. She still encouraged him to feel free to give his heart to another, and not wait for her, but he knew he’d never be able to give anyone else what already belonged to her. He was so lost in thought, that he didn’t hear the door open.

"Well, hello there," a feminine voice sounded.

Nick closed his eyes for a second before turning toward the voice. Julia stood in the doorway, a small smile on her face. They both stepped inside and Nick closed the door then leaned against it. He wanted to touch her, but was afraid if he reached out she would vanish.

"Are you really here?" he asked, his voice taking on a husky tone.

She nodded and Nick couldn’t wait any longer. He gathered her into his arms, his eyes closing in delight. She leaned against him, taking in everything about him, from the feel of his body to the smell of leather that was distinctly Nick. Julia looked up into his hazel eyes and wondered how she could have ever stayed away from him for so long. Nick slowly lowered his head and just before his lips touched hers, he asked, "May I kiss you?"

She smiled. "I’ve dreamed of nothing else for a very long time."

Nick leaned in kissing her gently and was delighted when he felt her arms go around his waist. He gently parted her lips and she accepted him. For a long while, both stood locked in their embrace, exploring one another with their mouths. It was intoxicating to them both, making each feel light headed and delirious. Nick pulled back to look into Julia’s eyes. He placed his hands on either side of her face and said huskily, "Julia, if you are going to ask me to leave, you had better do it now."

Julia stared at him, her deep blue eyes filled with passion.

"Nick, I don’t ever want you to leave. Stay with me," she whispered.

He placed his hand on either side of her face and said, "From this moment on, all that matters is now."

Julia nodded and Nick reclaimed her mouth. She groaned and this fed his urgent need to be with her completely. He scooped her up in his arms and carried her to the bedroom and kicked the door closed with his foot.

Afterwards, as the two lay content, Nick drew Julia close. He wanted to ask her a question, but wasn’t sure how to go about it.

"Julia," Nick said quietly.

"Hmm?"

"Tell me about what...."Nick paused. "Tell me what happened."

Julia shifted so that she could see Nick’s face.

"No, Nick."

"Julia-"

"No. You don’t need to know that. All that matters is what’s now. That’s what you said to me before. I don’t want you to know," she whispered.

Nick struggled. He wanted Julia to know he could be there for her. That if she needed to talk he would listen. He said as much, hoping to make her understand. He thought she was the most beautiful woman he had ever seen, even though her body was scarred for life because of what had happened.

"Oh, Nick. I know you would listen. But I don’t want you to know because I couldn’t stand seeing the look of pain on your face. I know that other man wasn’t you. There’s no doubt in my mind," she said, running a finger over his bare chest. Nick felt the stirrings of passion well up in him again. He reached for her, pulling her on top of him and again they became lost in their own world.

Their wedding was six weeks later, an event that was that talk of the Valley, causing married women to sigh with romantic thoughts and single women to shed tears at not being able to catch the eye of the hazel eyed Barkley. Victoria and Audra relished planning the event, the Bride content to let them make the decisions. Julia talked to Jarrod about legally having her name changed to Julia Barkley. On the day that she signed the papers, Stephanie Maria Altose ceased to exist, and Julia Barkley was born.

Nick and Julia spent their first year living at the rental farm. Julia wanted to finish the job she’d started and Nick wanted his wife all to himself. By the time they’d moved back into the main house, Heath had married and Jarrod was engaged. Audra herself was serious about a young man and hoped that wedding bells would ring for her soon too.

Their life was happy and both Nick and Julia knew contentment. Nick was thankful Julia had come back to him, and Julia was thankful that Nick had given her a reason to stay.

THE END