Dawn Redeemed

"Bianca, have you gotten soft in your old age?" O'Sullivan tisked. "She's just one human. If I didn't know better I'd think you were just like your brother," O'Sullivan grabbed her fingers in his fist and ripped her hand away from his crotch.

Bianca grinned a knowing grin. "I'm much prettier than Carter. Pray tell, what do you want with him?"

"Its personal," O'Sullivan gritted.

"Personal. And I thought you were as crazy as Roark; hell bent on world domination." Bianca slid her fingers from O'Sullivan's grip and inched them back to their former resting place. He was nice and hard against the stroke of her fingertips.

"Not hardly. I'm only after the domination of one man. I'm going to shatter his little world to dust and him with it." O'Sullivan wasn't one to turn down a woman's touch, especially if that touch was as skilled as Bianca's.

"Ah, a grudge match."

O'Sullivan gripped Bianca's tight French twist in his fist and extended her neck. His fangs skated across the long, delicate arch of her throat as he spoke. "There's an old saying. Do you want to know what it is?"

Bianca forced her body to relax in the cruelty of O'Sullivan's grip. His voice was thick with lust and harsh with threat. Reflexively, she sucked in a breath as his free hand plunged in beneath the folds of her skirt and slid between her thighs, working hard against her soft flesh with expert precision. "It's better to sit at the right hand of the Devil than to stand in his path," she gasped.

"Exactly. Tell me Bianca, are you at my right hand or in my path? If you get in my way, I'll take you down with him. Decide quickly, either stand at my right hand or keep out of my way, Bianca." He continued his onslaught on her flesh. Touching, stroking, sampling and licking her till she could hardly stand for the trembling of her limbs. She did the same to him, but all of the sudden, he just wasn't in the mood. He left her staring up at him as he dropped her in the floor, alone, shivering, and unfulfilled.

"Bastard," Bianca whispered beneath a long drawn out breath. Quickly she shook off the sensations created by his expert hands and righted herself on her four inch stiletto heels. She should have taken one of her shoes off and shoved the point straight through his black heart. But, ruining an expensive pair of Italian leather stilettos on the likes of him would be such a waste. After gathering her composure, she saw herself out and melted into the shadows of the brilliantly glimmering city lights.





Chapter 76

"Hanning, please sit down and give me a chance to explain," Ruby's voice was tremulous. Hanning towered over her, staring her down with cold, dark eyes the color of obsidian. He was angry and very hurt. She knew deep in her heart of hearts that if he could have, he really would have taken her down and finished her off. He wished her dead. And she couldn't blame him. The things she'd said and the things she'd done were unforgivable.

Hanning's forearm muscles trembled with the force of locking his fingers tightly into a fist. His jaw ticked with the strain of holding back his rage. Ruby cowered beneath him. He could smell the acrid scent of her fear permeating every molecule of air in the tiny bedroom. A growl came out of somewhere deep in his chest. His fingers clenched and unclenched into fists. "WHY!" he roared, landing one of those fists inches from her right cheek. Feathers burst forth in a cloud from the ruptured pillow beneath her head.

Ruby gasped and her eyes widened. A few more inches to the left and Hanning would have given her face a major makeover. "I... I was hurting." She sank deeper against the pillows, wishing herself as small as possible.

Hanning grunted and leveled his gaze. "Hurting?"

"Yes. I...I was jealous of you. You were so happy with everything and I was so damned miserable." Ruby lay trembling in terror her face pinned between Hanning's powerful forearms, tense with the strain of holding his body hovering inches above her.

"So you made your son and your husband miserable too."

Ruby nodded and blinked at the stream of tears bubbling beneath her lashes. "I loved Ramon."

"And you hated me." Hanning gathered his strength and pushed himself away from her. The rage inside of him was dying down to a steady roar of anger. She was right. He was happy. Perfectly happy and content being her husband and a father to their child. She had no right to wreck it for him. So what if it wasn't the absolute truth? For him, it had been real enough, believable enough to get by.

"I thought so, yes." Ruby exhaled an uneasy breath as Hanning backed away from her. He could hurt her, badly. And even if he did, the pain would be nothing compared to the pain she'd inflicted on him and their son. Nothing compared to the coals she'd heaped on her own head. She deserved anything he threw at her, including the threat of death.

"Hanning, I regret hurting you and Evan. I've never been more wrong about anything ever in my whole life. I made a terrible mistake and I'd do anything. Anything to set it right. Evan is your son. I never had any shadow of doubt to the contrary. I shouldn't have lied about that." Ruby reached out her hand and then quickly dropped it to the bed. "I'm so sorry."

"Save your effort and your apologies. You punished me for being happy. The only thing I ever did wrong was show up on our wedding day and you've hated me ever since. I tried my best to be the man you needed me to be. I would have done anything for you. If only you would have given me a chance and loved me, just a little bit. in return.

Ruby, you threatened me with the only thing I have left. My son. And now you threaten me with the same. I've lost you. Don't take Evan away from me too."

Hanning spun on his heel and glared at Ruby. She sat on the bed beneath a wad of covers with her knees curled under her chin. Her cheeks were flushed and stained with tears. For a minute, he felt sorry for her. He could almost believe that she deeply regretted what she'd done. She'd never looked more like the woman he'd fallen in love with than she did at this moment. For the first time in a long time, she was being real with him.

"Love is a terrible bitter curse isn't it?" Hanning said slowly in a low voice. "You were all I ever wanted and I was all you never wanted." He shook his head and stared at the rug on the floor. "Doesn't change a thing. I look at you and I see the woman I married. But, I don't know who she is anymore. It hurts to know how much I love her. Despite everything, I still love her. And to know now that she never loved me." He maneuvered around the bed and headed for the heavy oak door.

"Hanning!" Ruby threw back the covers and leapt from the bed. "Hanning wait!" His shoulders tensed as he stopped mid stride. His back was still turned away from her. His eyes focused on the brass doorknob in front of him. "Hanning, you're wrong. I was wrong. I do love you. I always have. Please..."

Hanning squeezed his eyes closed and trapped the tears that burned beneath his lids. Dawn peeked around the tight layer of thick curtains, making narrow stripes of light across the floor and ceiling. Ruby's fingers gripped desperately at the sleeve of his faded jersey. He could smell her desperation emanating from every pore. Slowly, he turned. The sleeve of his shirt twisted in her fingers. In a series of fluid movements, he pulled her tightly against him and crushed her along his long, muscular frame. She was soft as a cloud and light as a feather in his arms. Molding her curves like putty against the hardness of his body.

Ruby's breath came out in a series of gasps. His touch was usually questioning and hesitant, timid and unsure. The final decision was always left up to her. He gripped her waist with determination and claimed her mouth with certainty and hunger.

Ruby opened herself up to him, body and soul. Her lips parted, yielding to his demands. She offered her body up to him as a peace offering. She couldn't erase the hurt. She couldn't take back all of the times his touch made her skin crawl and she laid beneath him counting the seconds till he was finished and she could move on to the next wifely duty on her list. He wasn't the only one who suffered from her deceit. She'd committed a far greater crime by allowing herself to believe the lie that she told herself everyday; that she didn't love him.

Hanning broke the kiss and cupped Ruby's chin roughly in his palm, forcing her eyes up to meet his. He stared for a long time into her brown eyes widened with shock. Her pupils were dilated with want, deep drowning pools in which he could die a thousand deaths. He released her and gritted out with a strained voice, "Whatever we had is done. I don't want you anymore."

The sound of the slamming door echoed through the quiet of the room. Ruby sank to her knees and covered her face with her hands. Her shoulders shook with the weight of her sobs. His words cut her to the quick. She was empty, desolate, with nothing left. No place for a sanctuary. Her heart died. Evan was the only reason that the battered organ still beat at all.

Chapter 77

Erica was hip deep in her database. Lunch time was nothing but an afterthought and already Fallon was standing in the door with her pink backpack in her hand. Erica hadn't stopped scanning and entering documents long enough to do anything more than take a quick bathroom break all day. "Is it time to go all ready?" she asked absently.

Fallon grinned and snickered. Now was her chance. Her mom was likely to agree to anything when she was distracted. "Nash asked us to stay for supper."

"He did?" Erica glanced at her watch. Time had really gotten away from her. Aunt Leigh had probably given up on her and had already put supper away. A fridge full of cold leftovers didn't sound all that appealing and she really wanted to finish scanning in the file on her desk. "What time do they eat?"

Fallon shrugged, "I dunno. Soon, I guess."

"You don't mind sticking around?" Erica was eager for the extra hour or so to work ahead. She was so engrossed in the life of Nashoba Blackstone and his family and found herself amazed at the history contained in the row of filing cabinets lined along her office wall.

"Nope."

"You really don't think he'll mind feeding us?"

Fallon rolled her eyes in exasperation, "Mom, he invited us."

"Ok, ok, I get it," Erica said lifting her hands in resignation. "Just this once though. I don't want this becoming a habit. Aunt Leigh is probably very disappointed that we didn't make it home in time for supper. She works hard to keep us fed."

Fallon plopped her backpack in a vacant corner of her mom's office. "I'm going to go play with Marianne." That was one of the easiest arguments she'd ever won. She took off before her mom could change her mind.

"Have fun." Erica barely glanced up from her file as Fallon trotted off to play. The paperwork in her hands was dated from nineteen forty-two. A life insurance policy and military documents from a family member who had died in the war. The boys listed on the paperwork had inherited a not so small sum of money from their father. The men she knew by the names Hunter and Grant weren't older than thirty. They must have been named after the boys listed on the policy. There was no way they were one in the same. The boys listed on the paperwork had long since grown up into men and were probably in their seventies by now.

Erica skimmed ahead, flipping through another file of paperwork. Nashoba Blackstone must have passed away sometime in this decade. She no longer saw his scrawling signature on any paperwork. A part of her felt sad at his passing. He had been a great man and a very good provider for his family.

Torr pulled his cell phone out of the front pocket of his chambray button down and glanced at the blank screen. Erica hadn't called him. Nobody had, except for Nash. He hated the things the pack insisted on dragging him into. He had no business attending any meetings. He was a loner, just the way he liked it. Grumbling silently under his breath, he steered his truck along the narrow gravel lane leading to the house. He was an idiot for getting involved. But, Nash had a way about him that refused to take no for an answer.

Torr raised an eyebrow and parked next to Erica's battered once white economy car. He would have thought her work day would have ended an hour or two ago. But, she was still here slaving away on whatever project Nash had heaped upon her head. Seeing her would be a nice, albeit unexpected side benefit of the meeting that so desperately required his attendance. Nash was a wise old dog that never ceased to amaze Torr with a new trick here and there. Oh, he had no doubt there was a meeting. But maybe Nash was trying to help him out with a thing or two on the side.

"Dad!" Fallon squealed with delight. Marianne was teaching her how to climb a tree. Marianne was high up above her dangling her feet from a branch way far up. Fallon wasn't quite so sure of herself and stuck to the lower branches. She hung upside down from a low hanging limb and waggled her arms wildly as her dad passed underneath.

Torr ducked as he passed underneath the branch. "Is this my kid or a monkey cleverly disguised as my daughter?" He asked gently tugging her arms.

"Dad," Fallon giggled. She contorted her body and twisted until she was hanging from the branch by her arms. She wasn't afraid of falling anymore. Her dad wouldn't let her fall and get hurt. His hands were strong and solid, supporting her weight as she let go of the branch. The ground was as solid as her dad's hands beneath her feet when he eased her down. "Don't tell mom," Fallon whispered.

"I won't," Torr whispered as he picked a stray leaf out of Fallon's curls. He brushed bark off the back of her t-shirt like a dutiful dad trusted by his daughter should. The evidence of leaves and bark was enough to incriminate Fallon into a week's worth of extra chores. "Better."

Fallon beamed up at her dad gratefully, "Thanks."

Marianne scrambled out of the tree and landed gracefully on her feet stirring up a small cloud of dust that immediately settled on her sneakers. "Hi Torr."

"Hey Mouse. I see you're teaching my kid new and exciting ways to end up in the emergency room with a broken arm," Torr teased, playfully tugging on the end of her long braid.

Marianne snickered, "It's my job." Her dad was handsome. But, Torr was handsome with sprinkles and a cherry on top. She blushed intensely red and looked away. Too bad she wasn't about ten or fifteen years older.

"Well, keep it on the down low. If her mom sees you two pulling stunts like that, she'll flip out."

"Ok." Marianne shuffled her feet in the grass and clutched her hands behind her back. "Hey Fallon, let's go see if we can't stir up a game of hide and go seek with the other kids."

Fallon grinned with delight. She was good at hide and go seek. At least at the hiding part. She was little enough to wiggle into some very tight hiding places and the bigger kids had trouble finding her. She looked questioningly at her dad and giggled as he shoed her off.

Torr watched Fallon and Marianne trot hand in hand across the yard to a group of older kids. Mouse was doing her best to teach Fallon the basics of how to be the wolf she'd someday become. Hide and go seek was a game of strategy and patience. A game of stalking prey. He walked up the stairs onto the porch. Eloise stood in the doorway to greet him.

"Good to see you again, Torr," Eloise smiled lightly as Torr bent to press his lips gently to her cheek.

Torr smelled the soft scent of Eloise's perfume, lightly floral and sweet. "I don't suppose this is a covert attempt at matchmaking is it?"

"My husband a matchmaker? Not likely," Eloise tittered jovially. "After supper we'll convene in the study for a bit."

"Who is going to be at this meeting of the minds?" Torr asked suspiciously.

Eloise shook her head. "Just us. Really, Torr just try to relax and enjoy some good food and good companionship." Eloise stepped back and motioned for Torr to come in. "Oh, speaking of companionship, Erica's office is straight down the hallway, last door to your right," she said with a sly wink. "The poor girl has been at it all day. I'm not sure if she popped her head out for lunch or not." She giggled lightly. "I don't think Nash has her chained to the desk. But, I haven't checked."

Eloise shrugged, "You know your way around. Make yourself at home. I've got to go check on supper." She hated to be so evasive. If Torr knew what the meeting was really about and the part he had to play in it. He might take off for the hills and never be seen again. His pack scattered to the four corners with his father's death. Only he could call them home once again.

Erica looked up at the sound of a light knock at her door. "Hi, Nash." She was deeply engrossed in the financial savvy of another great patriarchal leader, Nash Stone. Somewhere along the line, the family had dropped Black off their name and adapted with the times. She had a picture of the man in her mind. The handwriting similarities between Nashoba Blackstone's thick, heavy handed scrolling letters and Nash Stone's neat, broad strokes with ball point instead of a fountain pen and its messy smears were uncanny. She could imagine Nashoba with the younger version of himself perched upon his knee, teaching him to scribble letters on a page.

"I'm sorry I didn't get the filing cabinet moved. Busy weekend," Nash said sheepishly.

"I think I'm kind of growing accustomed to the clutter. Don't worry about it too much." She looked up and studied Nash's broad cheeks and the character lines etched around his eyes. He was much too young to be the Nash Stone that had signed the documents in her hands. Maybe the Nash Stone who had signed these documents was his father or an uncle.

"What year are you up to?" Nash asked, peeking curiously over her shoulder at the scattered papers on her desk.

"Nineteen fifty-five, give or take a year here and there."

Nash nodded, amazed by Erica's fierce efficiency. "Oh. I stopped by to give you this." He reached into his pocket and laid a check on her desk.

"I've only worked three days. I can't have earned a paycheck all ready," Erica said, dazed by the numbers on the check. She hadn't seen a regular weekly paycheck in a long time, certainly not one this big in...well... never.

"Sometimes, payday comes early. Consider it a bonus check. When people do good work and go at it as hard as you have. They deserve to be compensated accordingly." Nash smiled at the astonished and grateful look on Erica's face. She handled the check as if it were a small fortune instead of just a fraction of what she was really worth.

Erica clamped her mouth shut and slid the check into her purse. Arguing with him wouldn't do any good. Besides, she really, really needed the money. Fallon had shot up like a weed this spring. Too bad clothes couldn't grow with the kid. Fallon desperately needed a new wardrobe and shoes. "Thanks. I don't know how to repay you for your generosity. I really appreciate this chance."

"Just show up every day and do your best. That's all I can ask."

Erica returned Nash's smile. "You've got it boss."

"Supper will be ready in about twenty minutes or so. You are planning to eat sometime today, aren't you?" Erica worried him. He could appreciate the virtues of hard work. But, she already skipped lunch. And as far as he knew the only time she'd emerged out of her office was long enough to take a bathroom break and quickly check on Fallon.

"Sure. I've just been so busy in here. Nash, your family has such an interesting past. I'd have loved to have had the opportunity to meet Nashoba Blackstone when he was alive."