Page 25 of A Very Mountain Man Wooing

There’s a pit in my stomach as I watch how she acts around him. I don’t remember my dad ever hitting her before. He never really raised his hand to any of us, but I guess that’s changed.

I thought that maybe it was just the kidnapping thing, but now I’m wondering if something else is going on back at the church.

It’s starting to get dark, and I look out the front window, trying to find a way out of this small town. A few cars pass by, but none come close to the motel parking lot. I doubt I could get out of this room and over to the road to flag one down.

The motel room is obviously old; a musty smell clinging to the bedspread and flimsy curtains. I get the feeling that this motel doesn’t get a ton of visitors, and I wish I could get off the bed. Lord knows what all has happened on these sheets.

I cringe at that thought and move to sit up more.

“We should have the ceremony here,” Richard declares, and my father nods.

“We can get her ready while the boys go fix the van,” he says, and Nathan and Nicholas sigh slightly before they head out to do as they’re told.

“What ceremony?” I ask, and Richard turns to me with a creepy smile.

“Our wedding ceremony,” he says simply, and I gulp.

“I’m not marrying you,” I say, straightening my spine.

I never even see his hand coming at me. The next thing I know, my head is snapping to the side and my cheek is on fire.

“Don’t sass me, brat,” Richard snarls at me, and I reach up, cradling my cheek.

“I’ll get the wedding dress,” my dad says, and I look to my mom, hoping for a miracle.

The door opens, and I hear a cracking sound before my father falls back onto the stained carpet. It takes me a second to realize what’s happened, and by then, another shot rings out.

Richard goes down next; a strangled cry leaving his mouth as he clutches his chest, and I hurry to dive off the bed. I cower behind the couch as my brothers run up to the door.

“What’s going on?” Nathan asks.

“What did that little bitch do now?” Nicholas asks, a furious tone in his voice.

Two more shots ring out, and I hear their bodies hit the floor.

“Anise!” My mom cries, and she lands on the floor next to me. “I’m so sorry, honey. I’ve been sorry for a long time.”

“You have?”

She nods, looking miserable.

“I wanted to tell you that for years. I wanted to help you get out, but your father would never allow it, and then Richard chose you. I knew that there was no way for you to escape. I’ve been trying to call you to warn you that we were coming,” she admits, tears streaming down her face.

“I thought that you were with them. I thought that you hated me.”

“No, I’m so proud of you, Anise. You were always so much stronger than me. I love you, and I’m so sorry for all of this. I know that you’ll never be able to forgive me, but I really am sorry.”

“Me too. It was hard to get away and so scary to leave everyone, but it was the only way for me to be happy.”

She nods, tears streaming down her face, and I know we’ll never be close, but it means a lot that she apologized and that she was trying to warn me the last few days.

The shots seem to have stopped, and I peek over the bed in time to see Whit storming into the motel room like my very own knight in shining armor.

“Anise!” He yells, panic clear in his voice.

“I’m here.”

He leaps over the bodies and scoops me up in his arms.

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