Covet Not (26 page)

XXXIX

Shula followed the
fox pup into the woods. If it didn't find its mother, she hoped Jared would let
her keep it.

She'd
never had a pet growing up, and Jared mentioned getting a dog, but they hadn't
yet.

She
wanted this fox.

She
lost it a few times, but always caught sight of it again. Sometimes it took a
little while.

She
leaned against an enormous oak and looked up into the canopy. The leaves were
beginning to change, and it was beautiful. She stepped to the side and nearly
twisted her ankle on a rock. She looked down and saw an odd collection of
numerous rocks that were out of place. Most were small and round, ranging from
dark to light, but there was a large one that was unlike she'd ever seen.

It
was rough, black, and round on one side, but the other side was jagged and
purple. It was beautiful. It fit neatly in her palm. She couldn't wait to show
Jared her new treasure.

She
studied the mound of rocks, and moved them to the side. Someone obviously put
these here for a purpose. The dirt underneath was moist from a recent rain, and
she saw the edge of some sort of material.

Shula
pulled on it, and shook it. It was filthy, but she could see tiny bears, and
she realized that it was a baby blanket. The fox was forgotten.

She
looked back down. There was something round half covered. She wiped the dirt
away and saw there was writing on it. She didn't have a shovel, nor enough
light, so she dug her finger around the mysterious thing, and yanked upward.
She could feel it loosen at each pull, and finally it was free. She wiped the
dirt away with her hands.

It
was some sort of jar, and she tried to pull off the lid, but after a few
minutes, it showed no signs of budging. She tried to make out the writing on
top while she still had some light.

She
made out a
Josep,
then the word was smudged, but she could see an
ne
at the end. The second word was
Gr
, and the last was
Agne
with an
n
after another smudge.

She
got the
Agnesson
right away, but
Josephine
took a little longer.
Gr
could only be
Grace
. Shula could make out the first three numbers of the
year 226.

Shula
finally realized that she was holding the ashes of an Agnesson who was buried
in the woods instead of a family plot. She put the jar down and pushed the dirt
back and arranged the rocks. She would take the pretty one to show Jared, and
then she would take him to return it.

Night
was falling fast. She took off towards the house with the rock in her hand. She
had lost track of time. Dinner was in the slow-cooker, so the food would be
done.

She
heard Jared yelling for her just when she saw the lights from the house come
on.

“Over
here!” She didn't want to run and fall over a branch, but she wanted to get to
Jared quickly so she could ask about Josephine.

After
a few seconds of nearly tripping, she was shoved roughly against the tree, and
she fought her attacker with every bit of strength.

“I
thought he had you.” Jared pressed her harder.

Shula
slumped against him, relieved beyond words. She shook her head. “I was chasing
a baby fox.”

“You
aren't to leave the house unless I'm with you,” Jared breathed raggedly.

“I
wasn't scared
‒
”

“I
don't fucking care! You are not to leave unless I with you. I'm not repeating
myself.” His palm moved upward and his fingers wound around her neck.

Shula
thought it might be best if she didn't say anything, but she wasn't concerned
with what was best. “I wasn't far at all.”

Jared
took a step back and just stared at her. He didn't look angry or scared, but he
looked like something beyond both of those things. Something that would need to
be boxed away because it would otherwise deplete the part of the brain that
separated men from the animals. “He won't take you from me. I'll make sure he
won't want you.” He grabbed the front of her dress and yanked her to the ground
with it.

The
wind was knocked out of her and it was terrifying. She couldn't talk or say his
name. She didn't even feel the beautiful lilac stone that was tearing the back
of her dress.

Jared
ripped her knickers and threw them aside. He pushed into her roughly, and her
breath came back, followed by her voice. She wasn't wet enough. “Jared, I'm
sorry. Please. It hurts. Slow. Please.” She began to cry. Not because he was
hurting her, but because she didn't understand what was happening. She was always
his to take. Always. But this wasn't him.

He
looked at her the entire time, even while fucking her hard and fast, but she
saw nothing of Jared in his face.

She
didn't understand what he'd meant before he'd thrown her to the ground. But, as
he finished inside her, she thought she might have a clue.

She
was truly frightened then, because he was done with her, and she didn't know
how they would live with each other now.

Jared
pulled out of her and rolled onto the ground. His mind was blank. He didn't want
to talk, and he didn't think he could, but he needed to get Shula back home. He
stood, and without looking at her face, he lifted her like a bride. She began
to cry, and he knew there was nothing he could do to remedy that. She seemed to
have enough tears for the both of them.

XL

He had carried her
all the way to their front door before letting her down gently. He didn't say
anything. Once they were in the house, he walked into the kitchen and took a
bottle of whiskey and poured himself a small glass.

Shula
stayed by the door and watched him.

He
took it down in two swallows, and put the glass in the sink. Still not looking
at her, he walked to their bedroom and fell face first on their bed. He was
filthy, they both were, but she needed to put dinner away. She was too sad to
eat.

Once
she was finished in the kitchen, she went to the bathroom to survey the damage.
Her dress was ruined and her knickers were left in the woods. Her front looked
okay. She might have some slight bruising around her collarbone from where he
held her against the tree, but she was always bruised somewhere once he got
done with her. She smiled slightly. Then more tears fell.

She
turned around. Her back was a mess. Several cuts, but it was the bruising that
was starting to form that looked terrible. The tree and the rough ground wasn't
forgiving at all. She would take a Tylenol and hopefully Jared would feel up to
doctoring her up tomorrow. Since he was dirty, she would do the sheets tomorrow
anyway, so she would worry about cleanliness then.

She
left the bathroom light on and sat at the foot of their bed. The adrenaline
drop and alcohol knocked him out, and he looked capable of absolutely nothing
while he slept.

But
he was changing. She liked pain and she liked how rough he allowed himself to
be sometimes, but the Jared she loved wasn't anywhere to be found tonight.

She
wouldn't lie. She loved that she could cause him to feel so much desperation,
but there was a disconnect tonight. A rift.

She
didn't want to forget to ask about Josephine, even though it felt so trivial.
Shula tried to remember where the tree was, but her stomach fell when she
remembered the rock. She'd had it in her hand, but at some point she dropped
it.

She
needed to go put it back. She desecrated that grave. It was a horrible
violation.

She
moved off the bed gingerly. She couldn't wake Jared. She put on her ruined
dress so she wouldn't dirty anything else up. She wouldn't be out long anyway.

She
looked at him from their bedroom door. She doubted it was possible for him to
wake. She grabbed a lantern, and put on her boots.

James
watched the woods from the kitchen window. Sofia was finally asleep. She had
been correct when she said she was high maintenance. But, he was really
enjoying himself. That was new.

Normally
he wouldn't tolerate such impudence, but she was beautiful and what he'd always
desired, but could never find. He would never be able to control her, and he
wasn't sure if he could live with that. He never would have believed it was a
possibility. There's never been a person he couldn't possess.

James
spent many nights scheming, and each plan was as far-fetched as the next. But
there was one that was a little more feasible. But, it would be tedious and
imperative that he stay on top of it. It would be worth it. He would need to go
to McAllen.

He
saw a light flicker in the trees. He shrugged it off, but then he saw it
several more times. He went to get his clothes on and to grab his rifle.

Jared
and Shula would have no reason to be out this late. Jude could be on his way
home from there, but he never came out of the tree line.

He
walked toward the light. It was definitely a lantern. He tried to be as quiet
as he could.

The
light seemed to be seeking something on the ground, and he saw this person
kneel down to look closer. It was Shula. He took a few more steps.

Shula
heard something and she stood suddenly. She assumed it was an animal. Her light
shone on James Agnesson's face, and she felt every bit of Jared's desperation.
He was only ten feet away.

“Shula,
Honey. What are you doing so deep in the woods at this hour? You
know
what sorts of things can get you out here.”

She
took the light and looked for a clear path to run.

“Why
don't you let me walk you back home? I can get you there safe without a scratch
on you. At least I'll try.”

She
turned the light off.

Shula
ran. She ran and ran and ran until the sound of the running river deafened her.
She'd never been over there and she needed to hide. She walked along the edge
trying to see by the light of the moon for a place he wouldn't find her. The
full moon reflected off the water and gave her more to see.

Shula
looked behind her, but she couldn't see anything. She didn't want to chance
turning on the light. She didn't see the earth split into a large crack.

And
there was nothing to grab onto as she fell into the river racing fast to the
Gulf.

The
woman waited until the moon was high to walk into his house. She knew he would
be in for the night. The door was set up with a backward dead bolt to keep
inhabitants inside. And because the Snawder's were lazy, they only locked the
part that didn't require a key.

She
didn't know if the boy was still there, but she found his identification. She
grabbed it and made her way to the room off the kitchen where he'd been before.

His
bed was stripped.

She
heard someone moving upstairs. She was sure it must be him.

She
tried to stay silent as she moved. Once she made it upstairs she could hear
voices. And it was clear what they were doing. She slipped a note and his
identification under the door.

She
was around seven months pregnant. She wasn't healthy to begin with, but it was
likely that delivering this baby would kill her.

She
was premature herself, or so her mother said, and the further along she was
with the pregnancy, the sicker she became.

She
fell in love with her baby.

She
wouldn't let Mr. Agnesson have her. She hoped her father would.

XLI

Jared ran in
through his father's back door right as breakfast was being served. His gun was
at his hip. “Where is she?”

James
frowned insincerely. Sophia could see through those now. “Who?”

“My
wife. Where is my wife?”

James
frowned more genuinely. “Did she not come home last night? I saw someone
walking in the woods last night, so I went to check. Sometime after nine. Once
I realized it was her, I told her to be careful. She ran, but I didn't see
which direction. I came back home. I didn't see anything else.”

Jared
took off.

He'd
scared her. He'd been too brutal. She left him asleep in their bed. She'd
waited to leave him until he slept.

She'd
left him. He was cruel, so she left him.

Jared
walked into Jude's and there was no sign of her. He ran to the barn to see if
Jude knew anything, and he didn't. “I'll check the woods, Jared. Go see if she
went to Mr. Kelley's.”

Jared
ran back to his father's house. He'd nearly ran into the porch with his truck.

Edward
Kelley was having a quiet morning, like most mornings. The phone certainly
never rang so early. James Agnesson spoke before he could even greet the
caller. “Your daughter is missing and my son is coming over to see if she's
there. Is she there, Edward?”

“No
one is here, but me.”

“Have
you heard from her?” The voice asked calmly.

“The
last time we spoke was before she got married. I have no desire to see her ever
again.”

James
was surprised by that admission. She had brought him shame her wedding day, but
he seemed angrier now than he had at the wedding. He was silent another moment,
trying to connect the dots. He wasn't drawing any conclusions.

“Then
this is a courtesy call to let you know that my son will be there soon looking
for her.”

“I'll
send him on his way, then.”

“If
she arrives, will you let us know?” James asked patiently.

“She
isn't welcome.” James was a piece of work. This charade has gone on long
enough.

“I
gathered. You are behaving just as unreasonably as her. I guess she gets it
honestly
‒
”

“Are
we still doing this? Is it not obvious, yet? She doesn't get
anything
from me,” he spat in the phone.

James
had to connect quickly, and when he did, he had to sit down. “Oh Edward, I
didn't fuck your crazy wife. And if I did, I wouldn't have initiated a
betrothal contract when Shula was born. I lack every scruple known to man, but
I would never bed my own daughter. Nor would I want my son to fuck his sister.”

“You
did something to her. She came home late one night scared to death saying you
were a monster. She found out she was pregnant soon after. She never went back
to your house. And she fought the betrothal. She became obsessed. She was going
to take Shula away as soon as she turned sixteen. She didn't want her to marry
her brother.” Edward had been sure.

James
worked out a little math. He had come home to Mary helping several times, but
he told Grace he didn't want her there because he felt Mary was too persuasive.
He didn't want Grace to build any kind of rapport with her and tell her what
sort of things he liked. So, she was hiding one of those days, or Grace had
told her. “Jesus Edward. She likely saw me fucking my own wife. It could've
been a number of things she witnessed. I've never been a kind and gentle lover,
not even close. I probably choked her until she passed out. Mary might've
thought I killed her.” James looked at the backdoor to make sure it was still
closed. “All this time, you thought she wasn't yours. And she is. And you
wanted her to marry her own father. Edward, that's diabolical. I'm impressed.”

Edward's
hands shook. “Shula is mine.”

“Of
course, Edward. But why did you keep her those two years? The law doesn't
command it. It's just a courtesy.”

“I
did anything I could to make it inconvenient for you.”

James
laughed. There was something at the edge of his brain. Something that he'd
brushed away because it wasn't logical, or maybe he didn't think it mattered at
the time. James needed to pull up that information. “What gun did Mary use on
herself again? I remember thinking it was an odd choice. A little bigger than
she could probably handle?” James heard the phone disconnect. He smiled. It was
an interesting morning.

Jared
heard a gun go off as soon as he stepped onto the Kelley porch. He kicked the
door down. He wished he hadn't.

Sophia
watched the brothers talk near the barn. James had left and said he would be
back later that night because he had some duties in the city.

She
needed answers, even if it was selfish. She walked quickly to them, and she
didn't even wait for them to acknowledge her. “Is it true, Jude? What you said
to your father the other night?”

It
took a minute. “That I would kill him if he didn't bring back my wife? Yes.”

“No.
The rest of it. What he's done. All of that?” She was breathing hard from
trying to get to them as quickly as he could.

“All
of it.”

She
looked at Jared and he nodded.

“I
don't sleep around him anymore. Last night he stepped out, and I watched him
walk into the woods. I lost sight of him for only ten minutes. The only thing
plausible is the river. You've got to look in the river. If she ran, and she
didn't run back home, that's where she went.” She turned back to go to the
house.

“Sofia!”
Jared shouted. She turned. “Does he hurt you?”

“No,
but I don't know how satisfied he will remain not hurting me. Men like that
can't be fixed. But, I've got my eyes and ears open, boys. We need to talk
soon. When we've found Shula, we need to talk.”

Raphe
had held her for much of that evening. She was too in shock to cry, but he knew
the tears would start. He kissed her forehead, then her nose.

He
didn't expect her to move her mouth upward. Her mouth tasted of saltwater
taffy, and he kept his pace slow so she could break away if and when she needed
to.

But
she didn't. She raised her head and kissed him hungrily, like a dam had burst,
and he didn't care if she was pretending he was someone else.

The
letter was horrible. Raphe thought it was a lie. But he couldn't tell her that
because it would possibly give her false hope.

They
had been sitting up against the headboard when she kissed him, so he pulled her
onto his lap. He ran his hands up Clara's thighs while she wrapped her arms
around him.

They
kissed for an eternity before Raphe pulled the dress over her head. He freed
her from her bra and palmed her breasts while thrusting upwards so she could
feel him.

Once
he was able to pull his mouth away, he dipped down and sucked her nipples one
after another, and she ground down against him.

She
never moaned, but she was making delightful gasping noises along with quick
shallow breaths.

He
did his best to get his pants mostly off his hips. Once his dick was free, he
pulled her panties to the side, and slid in slowly while pressing his face
against her collarbone. It had been so long, and he'd forgotten how intense it
felt to be inside someone else.

Once
he was in all the way, he sought her mouth again, and it was so good he nearly
forgot to start fucking her.

He
did, but slowly. And she learned how much power and control she had from her
position. After many long moments, and raw lips, they moved together at a
frenzied pace. Biting, licking, and sucking until Raphe felt her come on his
cock. He emptied inside her and held her.

She
cried, but when she moved off him, she kissed him again.

He
wanted to say something, but he knew nothing would help. She already knew he
wouldn't leave her.

The
next morning, they woke to a knock on the door.

“What?”
Raphe shouted, annoyed. It was too early, and he'd slept horribly.

“Mr.
Agnesson will be here to fetch you today.”

Raphe
listened to him walk away before he chanced a look at Clara.

“Did
he say...?”

“Yes,
he did.”

“Raphe.
We
‒
”
Clara cleared her throat and
sat up.

“Yes.
We. You're pregnant with my child. It will be obvious that we've been fucking
for months, yes? Forget about last night.” He sounded annoyed.

“I
won't ever forget about last night.”

He
looked up at her.

“Just
don't tell my husband about it.” She gave him a small smile.

“What
about when your husband is screwing me, am I supposed to tell you about those?”

Her
eyes became unfocused. “I think you should tell me before it happens.”

He
laughed and hugged her. “I love you, you know.”

“I
know,” she said. And she kissed him once more.

Mr.
Snawder brought up breakfast, and when he shut the door, Raphe noticed his
identification and note on the floor.

Come
for the baby. Name her Josephine Grace. Keep her safe. 3112 Wellington ST. New
Year's Day.

“Your
baby?” Clara asked.

“I'm
assuming.”

“We'll
need to figure this out, then. To come back to get her. Somehow.” Clara leaned
on him.

He
nodded, and put them in his pocket.

“Don't
forget to thank Mr. Snawder for his hospitality,” Agnesson shouted from the
car.

Raphe
looked back at Mr. Snawder. He'd never really looked at the man, and he hoped
to never see him again. He couldn't stop the words that left his mouth. “I
watched as Agnesson raped your son's mouth and forced him to choke on his vile
inbred load. Exhume the body if you don't believe me.”

Raphe
walked out with Clara. His vision blurred.

It's
cold. So cold. I'm going to die of the cold.