The Heavenly Surrender (26 page)

Panic began to burn within Genieva, and in desperation she stepped in front of him protectively. “Move aside, Genieva!” Brevan demanded, pushing her aside. She only stepped in front of him once more.

“Hide behind your wife’s skirts, McLean. It won’t stop us,” the familiar-looking man threatened. As Genieva felt Brevan’s hands on her shoulders, no doubt intending to move her again, she turned and fastened her arms tightly about his waist.

“
Let me alone, Genieva!” Brevan commanded as he tried to detach his wife from his body.

“No!” she cried.

“Move the woman, McLean. She’s in our way,” the leader threatened.

“Genieva!” Brevan bellowed. “You’ll not dare to touch her, Mateo!” Brevan’s strength was a hundred times Genieva’s, and he managed to detach her and push her aside just before Cruz’s brother Mateo lunged at him with a knife.

Genieva saw Cruz was trying to stand. Quickly, she picked up a nearby board, hitting him solidly on the back of the head. He fell, dazed, and she ran into the street screaming, “Help me! Help!”

She saw Amy down the street talking to Mr. Clawson—pointing in her direction. Mr. Clawson dropped the large tool in his hand and started toward her. Two other men from a building across the street were nearing as well, and from her right she saw Joaquin intent on her as he ran toward her. Frantic, she turned back toward Brevan—saw him catch Mateo’s wrist, halting the knife the villain held in mid-air. Brevan’s knee met the man’s waist, rendering him breathless, and Brevan sent him tumbling to the ground.

Mr. Clawson and the other two men began shouting as they hurried toward Genieva. Their angry threats caused enough intimidation to send the two remaining to retreating.

“Get up, Mateo,” Cruz growled, raising himself to his hands and knees and spitting blood from his mouth. “You are only a coward if you lay there,” he spat.

Genieva looked to Joaquin. Brevan was still standing, but had been badly beaten by the men. Joaquin was fresh, and should he choose finally to side with his family and attack Brevan…

“No. McLean has done nothing, Cruz. Papá is wrong…you are wrong to attack him,” Joaquin said.

“Coward!” Cruz shouted. “When Papá hears of this, he will no longer call you son.”

Genieva could see the obvious pain in Joaquin’s eyes as he said, “Tell Juan Miguel that
I no longer call him father. And I no longer call you hermano, Cruz.” He looked to Mateo and urged, “Don’t do this thing, Mateo. It is wrong.”

Mateo spit on the ground ceremoniously and shouted, “Go away, you coward. Show your face no more on Archuleta lands.”

“You Archuleta boys go home!” Mr. Clawson ordered as he came to stand beside Brevan. “You’ve caused enough trouble today.” Cruz and Mateo walked past Brevan and down the alley. “And tell your father he’s no longer welcome in my business!” Mr. Clawson called after them.

“
I thank you, Ralph, for comin’ to me aid,” Brevan panted, shaking the man’s hand. “Hoof, Tandy,” he said, nodding his thanks at the other two men. Going to Joaquin, he offered his hand, and when the man took it tentatively, he assured him, “It was a hard thing to do, Joaquin. But it was the right thing, it was.”

Joaquin nodded, and it was obvious that he was still uncertain of his choice. “Please,” he began. “Please let me know when Lita’s baby is come.”

Brevan nodded and wiped at the blood that still trickled from the corner of his mouth. Then he turned his attention to Genieva, and she saw the anger in his eyes. “Never,” he said, shaking an index finger at her. “Never interfere. Ya could’ve been hurt badly.”

“You could’ve been killed badly,” Genieva argued.

Mr. Clawson chuckled, and as he turned he said, “I’ll leave this fight to you alone, McLean. And I wouldn’t be as confident of victory if I were you.”

Again Brevan wiped the blood from his mouth, wiping it carelessly on his trousers. “We’ll discuss this further in private, we will,” he muttered, taking Genieva’s hand and pulling her toward the wagon, which still stood in front of the store.

Mrs. Fenton gasped when she saw Brevan’s condition as he forcefully boosted Genieva up into the wagon. “Are you certain you are well, Brevan? The doctor is just around the corner and…”

“I’m fine, Lilly. Just need to get Genieva home now. I thank ya for everythin’. Have a nice day,” he said, smiling pleasantly at the woman. Amy and Mrs. Wilburn stood staring—mouths agape in awe. Amy offered a friendly wave to Genieva as the wagon lurched forward.

“
I can take care of meself and of you, Genieva! I don’t need ya steppin’ between me and me trouble,” Brevan scolded once they were well on their way.

“They meant to kill you!” Genieva reminded him, brushing a tear of frustration and residual fear from her cheek.

“That they did. But they wouldn’t mind riddin’ themselves of me wife in the process,” he grumbled. He inhaled a deep breath. “I should’ve killed Cruz anyway just for layin’ his filthy hands on ya.” After a moment, he chuckled—quite unexpectedly. “Still, it’s flattered I am…that ya would try to protect me as ya did.”

“No more of it, Genieva,” he ordered. Sighing and smiling with contentment, he handed the lines to her. “You drive them,” he said. He leaned back, stretching his arms wide before tucking his hands at the back of his head. “I want to enjoy the ride.”

Genieva was unsettled—frustrated. Fear and anger simultaneously welled up inside her. She pulled the team to a halt abruptly, jumped down from the wagon, and began walking.

“What are ya doin’, lass? We’ve got to get home. The day is far from over, and I’ve…” Brevan called after her.

Genieva kept walking, shaking her head as she raised one hand in the air to indicate to him she would not listen. Her body began to quiver with anxiety as her feet carried her to no particular destination. The tears were flowing freely down her cheeks, and she did not try to stifle them—for they gave her much needed release of powerful and conflicting emotions.

“Genieva, for pity’s sake, lass…” Brevan grumbled from behind her. She quickened her step, knowing he was directly at her heels. “’Twas a scuffle. A wee wrestlin’ match that…”

Turning to face him, she cried, “A scuffle? A scuffle? Do you really think me so dimwitted, Brevan?” His eyebrows rose in surprise as she continued her verbal scolding. “They meant to kill you!” she said. “Do you understand that? They meant to kill you. Leave you dead in the alley, with me standing there having watched! It’s not something I can dismiss…simply sigh and forget just because you’ve sold your corn for a good price today. Unlike you…there are more important things to me on this earth than the crops…than the farm for that matter.”

“
Come, Genieva. Get back into the wagon and let’s be for home. It’s early in the day…” he demanded, pointing to where the team stood, careless of what their masters were doing.

“I’m walking. I can’t sit still in that wagon after what just happened,” Genieva argued, turning from him and walking away once more.

“You? Pick me up and dump me in the wagon? In your condition?” Brazenly she returned to where he stood—the buttons from his shirt flying every direction as she ripped the garment open and inspected his torso. The painful-looking bruises, purpling and bluing on either side of his rib cage, indicated to Genieva at once that if his ribs had escaped breaking, they were bruised to an agonizing pain in the least.

Pointing to his chest indicating her suspicions had been confirmed, she said, “I doubt you can even walk without it paining you, Brevan. Look at this!” Again she motioned to the bruising at his ribs. She took his hands in hers—holding his bruised and bloodied knuckles up to his face for his own observation. “You see this?” she asked. She dropped his hands and touched his swollen jaw with her fingers. Letting them travel gently to the corner of his mouth where a streak of blood was drying, she dabbed at the sticky mess. Holding her own blood-stained fingers up for his inspection, she said, “Don’t threaten me with physical superiority today, Brevan McLean. You’re not up to following through with such intimidations.” The sight of him standing before her bleeding and bruised was overwhelming, and she turned from him as her tears fell more excessively than ever.

In the next instant, she felt herself being turned and hoisted into the air. As her mid-section came down roughly on his shoulder, she whined, “Put me down! Put me down, Brevan!” Still, as he strode angrily back to the wagon, she knew he intended to make good his threats.

“I’ve had enough of it this day, lass! You’ve tried your hardest to ruin me joy in me good fortune. Sulkin’ in the store with Mrs. Fenton when Jenny Evans was givin’ ya the screws…pickin’ a fight with Cruz Archuleta in the alley there in front of the entire population of the town!”

“Me?” Genieva exclaimed. “I did no such…”

“I’ll not have it, do ya hear me?” Brevan muttered as he sat Genieva solidly on the wagon seat once more. “Ya glue yar bum to that spot, and don’t dare to move until we’re home again.”

“Don’t bully me, Brevan. I’m upset and…” Genieva began.

“I’ll bully ya anytime when it’s the only way to get some sense into that skull of yars,” he interrupted. Wincing at the obvious pain caused him simply by climbing up beside her, he said, “And I’m well aware ya’re upset, lass. But stewin’ on it only serves to make yar mind less and less at ease. Look at me,” he added, gathering the lines in his hand. “There I am…just loadin’ our things into the wagon. And what happens? Amy Wilburn comes a runnin’ into the store like the bloomin’ banshee itself is at her heels, screechin’ about Cruz snatchin’ ya into an alley. I run out there and find me wife pinned against the wall and that slimy, sick scoundrel droolin’ over ya like ya were roast lamb on the Sunday table!” He shook an index finger at her as he continued, “Ya think that didn’t upset me? Ya think I wasn’t all churnin’ and burnin’ inside with the agonizin’ anger of a crazy man?” Genieva snapped at his scolding finger with her teeth, but he pulled it away quickly enough that it wasn’t trapped. “But it’s a fine, beautiful day, and we’ve had good fortune. It’s over. What’s done is done, and we can’t change it. And…considerin’ I have been nearly beat about like an egg in a bowl, I think I deserve to have ya respectin’ me wishes! And I’m wishin’ to put it behind me and enjoy me day!”

Genieva brushed the tears from her cheeks with the back of her hand and straightened in her seat. “If that’s what you want then,” she agreed curtly.

“That’s what I want,” he affirmed.

They were each silent on the way home.

As soon as the wagon halted before the barn, however, Brevan spoke. “Now…there’s no need to be gettin’ Brian and Travis all nervous about this…”

Genieva had seen how Brevan’s body had begun to stiffen from the soreness he was beginning to feel. Thus, once he’d begun to climb down from the wagon, she swiftly leapt from it. Hitching up her skirts, she began to run headlong in the direction of Brian and Lita’s farm. Brian at least must be told. Someone
had to help her protect Brevan! He certainly didn’t plan on protecting himself very well.

“Genieva!” Brevan shouted after her, “Ya get yar bum back to this house! Genieva!” But she knew he was too sore to keep up with her when she had such a good head start. Even were he to take out after her in the wagon, she could still outmaneuver him and avoid being captured again. Memories of her encounter with Cruz between Brevan’s farm and Brian’s pricked her mind, but still she ran on. Panting and gasping for breath, she arrived at Brian’s farm to find him and Lita in the house enjoying an early lunch.

“Híjole!” Lita exclaimed as Genieva burst in upon them. “What has happened to you?”

Brian was on his feet at once asking, “What is it, Genieva?”

“
In town…just this morning…” Genieva panted. “Cruz…he dragged me into an alley, and when…when Brevan came…he…there were others waiting. Oh, Brian!” she pleaded, “You’ve got to make him understand how serious this is! They tried to kill him!” Lita immediately buried her face in her hands and began to weep. “I’m sorry, Lita,” Genieva apologized. “But…but Brevan’s chasing me. He didn’t want me to tell Brian…yet you had to know, Brian! Someone’s got to help to protect him from…”

“Get back in the wagon, Genieva,” Brevan ordered from the doorway then. “I swear ya’re like bein’ shackled to a toddler’s tantrum, ya are.”

“Oh, Brevan!” Lita cried upon seeing Brevan’s bruised and bloodied condition.

“Ya’ve got to be more watchful, Brevan,” Brian muttered, inspecting his brother. “They mean to kill ya, and they’ll do it if ya fight them alone.”

“He laid his filthy hands on Genieva, he did!” Brevan explained.

Lita gasped, suddenly doubling over.

Genieva was immediately at her side. “He didn’t harm me, Lita. I’m fine. Don’t worry. I…I had to tell Brian, though. I had to…” she stammered.

“I’m all right, Genieva,” Lita said, exhaling a heavy sigh. “Do not worry for me. I’m fine. I’m only sorry that mí familia is so…so evil!”