Bound, Spanked and Loved: Fourteen Kinky Valentine's Day Stories (96 page)

Birdie didn’t hesitate and did as he asked, kissing him gently on his cheek. The smell of stale booze, body odor, and leather quickened her pulse. The dread of what would come of the evening weighed heavy on her, but she didn’t want to show her fear.

“Now go over there and give Jeremiah a kiss.”

Feeling her face heat up, she simply obeyed, but never once made eye contact with Jeremiah. Standing on her tiptoes, she quickly kissed his cheek, noticing that unlike his father, he didn’t smell of anything foul. Quite the opposite.

“Better watch your hands, boy,” her pa slurred as he stumbled out of the shack. “My Birdie comes with a mighty high dowry.” Both he and Abe laughed loudly. “But from what I hear, you can afford her.” Their laughter continued, but Birdie noticed that Jeremiah was not laughing but simply staring at Birdie.

Jeremiah cleared his throat. “Yes, sir. My mines sure have been lucky.” Jeremiah never looked away from Birdie, causing her to avert her eyes toward her new boots to avoid his stare. “I was hoping, if you don’t mind, that I could take Birdie for a walk to the mercantile in Boca for some peppermint candy.”

Birdie looked up to his face quickly and smiled. She had never had peppermint candy before, nor anyone offering to buy it for her. Realizing that by smiling, her pa might want to steal away her happiness, she washed any sign of excitement away and just waited anxiously for her pa’s response.

“I don’t see why not,” was his simple reply as Abe handed him a bottle of whiskey, distracting him of all else. “You kids be good.”

Birdie didn’t want to wait for him to change his mind, so she darted toward the woods, hearing Jeremiah close behind. As soon as they were out of sight, she turned to him. “Thank you for the offer, and I appreciate you getting me out of there, but you don’t have to buy me any candy.” She smiled as she released the breath she had been holding.

Jeremiah returned her smile and said, “I’m a man of my word, and I told your pa I was buying you some peppermint candy.” He reached for her hand and placed it on the crook of his arm. “Come on.”

They walked in silence for a few minutes before Birdie couldn’t take the silence any longer. “That’s wonderful news about your mines.”

“Yes, I guess you can say that.”

“So what are you doing here? If you don’t mind me asking? Shouldn’t you be overseeing your mines?”

Jeremiah shrugged. “I have some dealings that need to be handled.” He took a deep breath and released it in a rush. “I’m just going to tell it like it is, Birdie.” Jeremiah stopped them from walking and turned her so she was facing him. “Your and my pa have gotten themselves in a heap of trouble.”

“I don’t understand.” Birdie couldn’t possibly fathom what her father could have done.

“Your pa is not a good man. He’s always been involved in some shady dealings, swindling poor fools by selling land and mines that don’t exist. But he and my pa went too far this time. They sold some fake plots to the wrong men. Bad men who won’t stop at taking their revenge.”

“You have got to be mistaken.” Birdie shook her head in confusion. It’s not that she thought her father a moral man, but he remained piss drunk the majority of his waking hours. “How? I don’t—”

“I’m taking my father to San Francisco to try to get this mess cleared up. I’m hoping that my money can make it right. But I can’t buy a man’s pride back, and our fathers have stolen the pride from some ruthless killers. My father is a son of a bitch, but I don’t want to see him dead.”

Birdie’s head swam, trying to make sense of what was being said.

“We felt it a courtesy to tell your pa he is a dead man unless he makes good on this.” Jeremiah reached out and lightly touched the split in her lip. “But if you ask me, your bastard of a father deserves what’s coming to him.”

Birdie pulled away and glared. “Don’t say that! How am I supposed to know you are even telling the truth? My father doesn’t even leave home. How could he have done something like this?”

Jeremiah reached out for her hand and held it within his. “They come to him, Birdie. Surely you see this. Your pa runs quite the operation, and it’s finally caught up with him.” He paused for a moment before adding, “The thing is, these people he swindled are mean as the worst outlaw you can imagine. I worry for you.”

“Me?”

“Yes, I wouldn’t put it past them to hurt you to seek revenge on your pa—right before they kill him that is.”

Jeremiah placed her hand back on his arm and continued to lead them through the forest towards town. Birdie could do nothing more than allow him to guide her since the news stunned her senseless.

“I would take you with me to San Francisco if I thought that would keep you safe, but I fear that is just walking you into further danger. I may be able to clean this up for both of our fathers, but I have no way of knowing that. And then there is the discussion of marriage.”

Birdie froze. “Marriage?”

Jeremiah pulled her gently, urging her to continue walking as they spoke. “Yes, marriage. I can’t in good faith allow you to live this life anymore. As a boy, I had to just sit back and watch helplessly, but now I’m in a position where I can change that. Your pa is a mean son of a bitch, and I would like nothing more than to see him rot. But I refuse to know I left a helpless woman behind at his mercy once again.”

“But you barely know me. We haven’t seen each other in years. We don’t love each other.”

Jeremiah chuckled. “This proposal would not be one out of love, Birdie.” He laughed a little harder. “My interests don’t lean toward the...female attraction. I thought you knew this.”

“What?” Birdie had no idea what he was talking about.

Jeremiah took a deep breath to control his laughing. “My heart belongs to another. But my lead foreman, Wyatt, does not make proper marriage material.” He smiled and winked at her when Birdie looked up at him in shock.

“A man?” she barely squeaked out.

“So marriage provides you an escape from your father, his abuse, and this forsaken life you lead. And it provides me a proper wife to satisfy society. Your father won’t argue since I will help pay off these men in return for leaving you alone forever. A winning business deal for all.”

“You want to marry me? When?” This all seemed like a dream.

“Yes. I plan on leaving for San Francisco on the next train. Then when this mess is cleared up, I will come back for you, marry you, and we will head to Virginia City and make a fine home.”

Birdie shook her head. “I don’t...I don’t know.”

“I know this is all overwhelming, and maybe this isn’t what you had in mind for a marriage. But it’s either this, or watching your father be murdered...that is if they don’t kill you first. And even if your pa gets himself out of this mess, I can’t leave you to live like this anymore. If these men don’t kill you, it is just a matter of time until your father does.”

Birdie pulled away again and shook her head. Maybe if she could shake it hard enough, all this information would just go away. “I really should go back and check on pa. If I’m gone too long—”

“He’ll beat you. Hurt you. Make you bleed.” Jeremiah grasped her arm, hard this time. “I will not allow you to return to that monster.”

He was right. Her father was a monster, a fact that was pounded into her daily. “And where would you suggest I go?” She threw her hands in the air, losing her temper. “Last I checked, my options are limited.”

“Have you no friends? No place to stay until I come for you?”

“No.”

“Birdie...I find that hard to believe.”

For a split second, Birdie thought of the Langstons—they had offered her a place to stay—but pushed that thought out of her head. “Even if I did, Pa would never allow it.”

“He wouldn’t have a choice. Once I go to him and tell him that I will save his sorry ass, he will do exactly as I say. I will call the shots, and I will insist on leaving you completely alone. No contact.”

She shook her head. “I’m sorry, I can’t leave him. He’d be all alone. I can’t just leave him like my mother did.”

“Your mother’s dead. He killed her. Beat her to death, just like he will eventually do to you.”

His words were like a punch to the gut. “That’s not true!” She could barely breathe. “Don’t say something so awful!”

“You know it’s true. Painful, yes. But the truth.”

“No, she just left one day. She was insane and didn’t know what she was doing.” Birdie paused and wrapped her arms around her body. “My pa didn’t kill her...” Even as she said the words, she knew she was lying. She had always known he killed her, but just didn’t want to face the harsh reality.

Jeremiah pulled her into a hug and whispered, “All right. All right.” He pulled away to look into her eyes. “But we don’t want to risk having him hurt you any longer.”

Tears threatened to fall, but Birdie had become a master at keeping them at bay. Crying solved nothing. Jeremiah must have seen the pain in her eyes, however, so his voice softened.

“I will tell you the truth. I can’t love you like you deserve. Like a man loves a woman. But I can provide you a safe and secure life. But right now we need to figure out where to settle you in until I return. I promise you that I will do my best to make this all right by you.”

She nodded. “There might be a place I can stay...”

Chapter Five

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R
em stood before the fire, resting an arm on the mantle he personally carved, thawing the ice that flowed in the veins of his hands. The stinging wind this evening had an extra bite, and he couldn’t help but worry about Birdie being cold in it. The only thing that helped ease the anxious ball in his stomach was the knowledge that no snow was falling, and not a single cloud in sight. He reached down and stoked the fire, stabbing at the wood like he wanted to do to Jedson Bluebell. Damn that man. It took all his might not to storm through the woods and beat the living tar out of Birdie’s pa and then pick her up effortlessly and carry her home—his home. But those were thoughts of a crazy man. He couldn’t go and rescue her and claim her for his own. That wasn’t the way things were done in these parts, and her pa could have the town folk up in arms if he wanted to.

“She’s a fighter, son,” his ma said as she came up behind him and placed her hand on his shoulder. “She knows we are here. I made that much clear.”

“She shouldn’t have left. I have half a mind to snatch her up and force her back here.”

“That girl is one stubborn mule, I’m not so sure you wouldn’t have a fight on your hands.”

Rem huffed. “Her pa is going to kill her one of these days. Birdie’s body is too frail to take the wholloping he gives her.”

“I know. I was going to make up some of those biscuits she likes so much and bring them to her tomorrow. I found some old clothes in a chest that don’t fit me anymore. I’m sure she could find good use for them.”

Rem spun around and glared at his ma. “I don’t want you going anywhere near the Bluebell homestead, ya hear. That man is dangerous.” He turned back toward the fire. “Birdie has no business staying there.”

His ma squeezed his shoulder. “She really got to you I see. I haven’t seen you worry or care so much.”

Rem turned to look at his ma. “Anyone with a heart would care.” He sighed and shrugged. “Ain’t much we can do I reckon.”

“Hmmm,” his ma hummed. “No son of mine is a quitter. Since when did you lie down and not fight for what you believe in?”

“I’ve always minded my own, Ma.”

“The minute you carried that girl across your threshold, you stopped minding your own, and you damn well know it.”

The knock on the door was welcomed. Rem didn’t like the way the conversation was headed, so he readily moved to open the door before his ma could. It wasn’t quite supper time yet, so it wasn’t too late for company, but he and his ma weren’t one for visits. When he opened the door to find Birdie standing next to an unfamiliar man, his heart stopped.

“Hi, Rem...I’m sorry to bother you. This here...this here is Jeremiah.” Birdie stumbled over her words. “I was hoping we could talk to you.” The puffs of white air coming from her mouth and the way her body shivered against the elements almost had him seizing her into his arms and rushing her to the fire.

Rem scanned Birdie quickly for any further injuries—feeling instantly relieved that she didn’t seem to be harmed—and then turned his attention to the man beside her. He didn’t recognize him, but something about the man made Rem feel he was not a threat to either Birdie or him and his ma. He was tall but not very broad shouldered. It didn’t appear the man did much heavy lifting. His features were soft but distinguished, and from the way he dressed, you could tell he possessed a fine amount of money. He was handsome, but not exactly manly. He wouldn’t survive a day as an icer.

With a slight nod, Rem opened the door wider and moved out of the way, motioning for them to enter.

“Well what do we got here?” his ma said as she wiped her hands on her apron. “Shut the door before the chill catches us all.” She ran over to an afghan slung across the back of a chair, grabbing it and covering Birdie’s shoulders with it. “You are nearly as frozen as the ice Rem chops at all day.”

“Mr. Langston, Mrs. Langston,” Jeremiah said as he removed his hat and nodded at both. “Thank you for seeing us unannounced. My name is Jeremiah Banks, and I’m a friend of Birdie.”

Rem signaled for them to sit down. “Why don’t you tell us what this is all about?” He looked at Birdie, whose big brown eyes skittered around, clearly nervous. Her busted lip looked better than last night, and her shiner hadn’t gotten any worse, both of which made him happy. Her shoulder length hair shone bright without all the mattes and tangles, giving Rem an odd sense of pride. This young lady sure did look different than the one he brought in last night from the storm. “Ma, why don’t you get some coffee started?”

Jeremiah pulled out a chair for Birdie and then sat down beside her across from Rem at the head of the table. “Well, Birdie here has told me all about the kind act you and your ma did for her, and how you helped a woman in need. I’ve known Birdie since we were kids, and I know what type of man her pa is. Which is why we are here, hoping you can help us.”