Choices of the Heart (13 page)

Reese looked back out the window at an area Mr. Jones called Lincoln Park. It was the largest park he’d ever seen. To him, it looked more like an enormous, open, mowed pasture than a recreational park. He turned his head slightly, taking in Chloe’s stiffly held profile.

Something had been nagging at the back of his mind since they’d made love. Something he was having a real hard time trying
not
to think about. Reese had been her first, but how many had followed? Maybe, like she said, she hadn’t had sex with any others, but she knew what she was doing with her hands and her body, didn’t seem to have any difficulty or hesitation as she seduced him. Had she fooled around with others?

Why couldn’t he just stop thinking about such craziness? It was like a punch to the gut, envisioning her in another man’s arms. Women today were fast. He’d read all sorts of articles in the newspaper about the lack of morals in the cities, the way young women embraced their new freedoms and did things their mothers never would have considered doing.

He glanced at her, warmed but at the same time disconcerted by her smile. He winked at her and looked back out the window. Had she fallen prey to the perverse city society? Maybe it wasn’t nearly as bad as he’d read. The pictures, just cartoon drawings really, could have been exaggerated, couldn’t they? He had to get past this feeling. Had to accept her, no matter what. She was his wife now.

Jones steered the motorcar through the heavy evening traffic of downtown Chicago. The noise and commotion were incredible, and Reese couldn’t even begin to imagine driving through such a throng of cars and people.

“Would you like me to drop you off at the hotel?” Jones offered.

“We’ll walk,” Reese answered. “It’s a beautiful evening.”

Jones pulled into a parking spot behind his office building and cut the engine. “I’ll see to all of the items you were interested in getting shipped out to you as soon as possible. I’ll get the rest sold.” He climbed out and Reese and Chloe followed him back to the building. “Would you like me to go with you to the bank tomorrow?”

“Think we’ll need you?” Reese pulled Chloe to his side.

“Shouldn’t.” Mr. Jones shook his head. “The bank manager will have more papers for you to sign, so he can then wire the funds to your bank in Broken Bow.”

“Fine then.” He shook the attorney’s hand. “We’ll be in touch.”

“Let me know if there is anything else I can do for you.” Mr. Jones smiled broadly. “I would be happy to show you the other properties. I’ll even drive you over the border into Wisconsin if you would like.”

“I think we saw enough.” Reese couldn’t stomach any more excess. It might make it even more tempting to stay there, and that wasn’t an option. “We will want everything sold, except for Ronnie and Daisy’s clothing in their bedroom.” He shot her a glance, hoping she would realize
which
clothing he referred to. He still couldn’t remove the sexy, skimpy clothes from his mind. “And all of the boy’s items, the furniture and clothing and toys. Have those shipped, as well.”

“You could drive a vehicle back to Broken Bow rather than take the train,” Jones suggested.

“I think we’ll let you send one of them on the train.” He glanced at Chloe, pleased when she nodded in agreement. “We’ll sell the others.”

“That’s fine, then. I’ll get the estate sold off and be in touch.” Mr. Jones lit a cigarette and tipped his hat before heading into the building.

“Goodbye,” Chloe called after him.

When Mr. Jones disappeared around the corner, Reese turned to her. “Shall we go back to the hotel, get changed for dinner? We can eat in the restaurant at the hotel if you would like.”

“I would love it.” She threaded her hand through his arm.

The two of them walked around the corner of the building and were almost blown over by the wind. They each rushed to place their hands on their heads, to avoid losing their hats. Laughing, Chloe clung to him as they walked up the avenue.

“Where did that wind come from? I thought it was windy at home.” As soon as she was done yelling over the whistle of the wind, its power pushed her up against the building.

“Let’s get to the hotel.”

He pulled her off the building, and she landed against him.

“You in the mood to fool around for awhile?” She nuzzled his neck.

“Chloe.” He looked around. “People are watching.”

“No one knows us here.” She nibbled lightly at his ear. “Where’s your sense of adventure?”

“I’m not like that, and you well know it,” he stated, grabbing her elbow to move them along. “Your men in Lincoln may have been that way, but I sure as Hades won’t be.”

“What men in Lincoln?” She stopped walking, dragging him back slightly. “What are you talking about?”

“Come on, Chloe.” He pulled her forward.

“No!” She dug in her heels, stopping short. “You tell me what you mean by that.”

He moved them out of the way of foot traffic and then bent his head so only she could hear. “What you did in bed to me today…well, you seemed mighty skilled. You learned all that from someone, and it damn sure wasn’t me.”

He pulled her back along. She was so angry, he thought her feet had turned into cement. He’d thought stubbornness was a trait she’d lost with time, but apparently he’d been wrong.

She stopped him again just a block from the hotel. “Reese, I’m not sure what you—”

“Reese Lloyd?” A motorcar pulled up right next to where they were arguing. A large man, wearing a bowler and smoking a cigar, leaned out the car window.

“Yeah.” Reese nodded and walked closer to the vehicle.

“Get in,” the man commanded.

“Pardon me?” Who the hell did this man think he was?

The man discreetly pointed a handgun at Chloe and repeated, “Get in.”

Chapter Thirteen

Reese pushed Chloe behind him, making sure his body safely covered her.

“I said, get in.”

Another man in the backseat of the car slid over and opened the door. Reese recognized him. It was one of the men who’d served in the war with Ronnie, one of the men who’d come to the farm years earlier to offer his brother a job. What the hell was his name, and why was he forcing them into the car?

“It’ll be fine, Chloe.” Reese felt somewhat reassured, but even if he didn’t, he wouldn’t let her see it. The man was one of Ronnie’s friends. But it could have been one of Ronnie’s
so-called
friends who murdered him, too.

Reese climbed in to the car first, slid to the center of the backseat and pushed Chloe up against the door. He turned slightly, so she was still behind his back, his body serving as a shield. The man in the backseat wasn’t waving a gun in their face, but Reese couldn’t be sure he didn’t have one hidden away under his suit coat or even in his pants leg.

The car sped away back toward the direction the attorney had driven, toward Ronnie and Daisy’s house.

“You’re Vito, aren’t you?” Reese finally asked the man sitting next to him. The name popped into his head suddenly, and he hoped that was the right one. It had been a good five years since he’d last seen him.

“Yeah,” Vito answered, shooting a half-smoked cigarette out the car window. “Remember me, do you?”

Reese gritted his teeth, wondering if that was a good or a bad thing. Would it get him in trouble or save their ass? “I do.” He nodded curtly “What do you want with us?”

“Johnny and I were sent to have a…
conversation
…with youse.”

“Regarding Ronnie?”

“Yeah.” Vito lit another cigarette. “You like one?”

“Yeah, I would.” Reese ignored Chloe’s jab at his ribs and took the cigarette the shady gangster handed him.

Johnny, the driver, pulled off the main road, turning onto a rutted, gravel road. Reese wiped shaking hands against his pants. His brain went into overdrive as he tried to sort through what little information he had, while trying to figure out how to anticipate the thugs’ next moves. Above all, he had to protect Chloe.

“What about Ronnie?” Chloe chirped up behind him.

He grabbed her knee, the closest body part to him, as a signal to still her mouth.

“Shut your trap,” Vito snapped. “I hate bitches. Only good for one thing, and all they wanna do is yap yap yap.” He looked away and blew smoke out the window.

Reese decided it was best to keep his mouth shut, too. He felt Chloe trembling behind him, knew she was probably scared, and he couldn’t blame her. Were their abductors planning to kill them? Why else would they drive so far from civilization? They continued to bump along in silence, Vito chain-smoking, Johnny whistling some tune Reese couldn’t identify. He considered jumping out of the car, pushing Chloe, out but feared she’d be injured, and then what would they do? They’d just have to wait for a safer opportunity to make their escape. Vito and his buddy had to stop sooner or later.

He squeezed Chloe’s knee and was happy when she joined her fingers with his. Her response gave him courage. He’d be damned if he’d go down without putting up a fight.

The driver pulled over and parked on a rounded out area of road that overlooked a deep valley.

“Out,” Vito ordered.

Chloe was quick to pull the handle up and step out the door. Reese followed but stood in front of her again. Johnny and Vito crawled out too, the size of their stomachs preventing a fast exit. Reese couldn’t see any guns. What game were they playing?

The driver hiked up his oversized pants and adjusted his suspenders. He walked to the edge of the road and looked down over the cliff. Reese considered pushing him, but Vito still stood close to the car—and Chloe—and Reese still didn’t know if the man was armed.

“So here’s the situation folks,” Johnny spoke from where he stood. “There are places like this one”—he hiked his thumb over his shoulder at the valley below—“where a body can be dumped, and no one will ever know what happened to it.”

Reese nodded but didn’t respond. His leg muscles tightened as he readied himself to react, should either man attempt to harm Chloe.

“Could be your bodies if you ain’t real careful.” It was Vito who piped in with that information, circling them like a hungry vulture. He pulled Chloe away from behind Reese and studied her, focusing mostly on her breasts, which were well defined in the filmy dress she wore.

“Let go of me.” She pulled her arm away.

Vito grabbed her again, and Reese took a step closer. Vito might weigh more than Reese did, but he doubted Vito was as strong as Reese was, knew he’d lifted far more bales of hay, and protecting of his wife meant more than anything to him.

“What do you want from us?” He knew they were on shaky ground, literally, but hell if he would just roll over and play dead, even if they were as good as dead…

As if she were a rag doll, Vito shoved Chloe back to Reese, who caught her and put an arm around her waist, pulling her against him.

“We want you to keep your mouths closed.”

“About what?” Chloe spat. She shook with anger or fear. Reese couldn’t decide which one.

“Oh, you’re
good
, bitch.” Vito sneered at Chloe. “A real wisecracker. Just like that whore sister of yours.”

“My sister wasn’t a whore.” Chloe pulled away from Reese and took a step toward Vito. “And neither am I.”

What the hell is she doing?

“What is it that you think we know?” she continued.

“You know enough to be killed,” Johnny answered.

He walked toward them, and Vito came up behind them. Reese and Chloe were boxed in by the two huge gangsters. Vito’s hot alcohol breath hung on the heavy air, making Reese nauseated. Dusk was falling already. They’d made several turns down back country roads to get here. In full dark, they’d have a hard time finding their way back to civilization. If this didn’t end soon, Reese knew he’d have to make a move.

“Enough about what?” Chloe sputtered.

“Chloe,” Reese warned.

“I mean it,” she continued. “Here’s what I know.” She strode forward, getting in Vito’s face. “Ronnie and Daisy were murdered, but we have no idea who did it. They have a son, who is safe back on our farm. They left behind property beyond my wildest dreams—”

Vito slapped her across the face, and had Reese not caught her, she would have fallen on the gravel.

“Shut the
hell
up! Yap yap yap. Damn it.” Vito shook his hand as if it had pained him to slap her.

“Keep your hands off her, you bastard,” Reese shouted. “If you’ve got a problem, you deal with me.” He pulled Chloe against him and faced the hulking mobster.

“We were told to give youse a warning.” Vito lit a cigarette, as nonchalant as could be. “Your people died ’cause they were yappers, too, just like your bitch. Forget what you might know—or what you think you know—and go back to the boonies where youse belong.”

Vito stalked back to the car, climbed inside and slammed the door.

Johnny paused. “Be in your best interest to get outta Chicago as soon as youse can. If we do this again, it won’t end so pleasant for you. Consider this your only and final warning.” He made a big production of tossing his cigar over the cliff, making a whistling noise and ending with, “bang.” Rubbing his hands together, he winked at Reese and then wedged his hefty body into the car.

When the engine gurgled to life, Reese wondered if they actually planned to just drive away and leave them there. His question was quickly answered when they sped off in a haze of gravel and dust.

“I’ve never been so scared in my whole life, Reese,” Chloe said as she wrapped her arms around him, tears streaming from her eyes.

“Me, either.” Reese pulled back. “How’s your cheek, honey?”

“Hurts.” She touched it tentatively. “It’s probably no worse than what my father used to do.” She kissed him. “Thanks for standing up for me.”

“You’re my wife.” He pulled her into him. “What else could I do?”

“I thought we were goners,” she admitted.

“Me, too.”

They turned back the direction they thought they’d come. So much for making it back before nightfall. Hopefully, there wouldn’t be any clouds, and the full moon would help light their way. It would be a long journey back downtown, but they were both used to hoofing it. Just still being alive was reason enough to celebrate.

~*~

“Aren’t you gonna talk?” Chloe chided.

They had walked for a good hour and were still a long way from the lights of the city, glowing in the distance. Her feet were throbbing, and although the wind had died down, it had also turned cooler.

“You don’t want to know what I am thinking about.” The light of his match pierced the dark night. He lit a cigarette and tossed the used match on the ground.

“I don’t want to hear it right now,” he warned her, referring, she supposed, to his smoking.

“Why are you so angry with me?” It sounded like she was whining, and maybe she was. “I didn’t dump us out here.”

“I’m not mad at you.” He exhaled a stream of smoke. “I’m just irritated in general.”

“Are you worried?” Chloe figured that had to be it. He was scared, had admitted that but there was more on his mind.

“Hell, yes, I’m worried. What if they change their minds and come back for us?”

He stopped walking, and in the approaching darkness, she saw him put his balled hands on his hips. “What if they decide to come out to the farm and hurt Bobby—or you—or my parents?”

“They won’t.” Chloe sounded more confident in her answer than she felt and started walking again.

“How can you be so sure?”

“Because they have plenty of hell to raise here,” Chloe answered, relieved when she heard him walking behind her. “Why would they waste their time on us?”

“I reckon you’re right,” Reese agreed. “They made their point. While we’re here, we mean trouble to them. Even if we don’t plan to turn in what we learn.”

“But what did we learn?” Chloe stopped walking once again. “We still don’t know who did in Daisy and Ronnie. Or why. I guess we could speculate, but that doesn’t really tell us anything.”

Reese didn’t answer. He just kept walking, smoking his cigarette.

“You’re gonna let it go, aren’t you?” Chloe grabbed his shoulder and turned him toward her so she could see his face. “You’re not gonna pursue these people?”

“How can I give up? Ronnie was my brother. How can
you
walk away without knowing? Daisy was your big sister.” His tone was accusatory. “Would she just walk away without helping you?”

“Um…yes, and if you remember, she did. She ran off to Chicago and left me to get beaten by my father.” Chloe swallowed hard, struggling to put the past in the past. “That’s old history, though.”

“You read Ronnie’s letter. He wouldn’t let her stay in touch with you.”

“Right,” she agreed. “And I think we now really know why. I don’t think it will help anything to dig deeper into this.” She sat on a large rock on the side of the road, rubbed her right foot and then shifted to her left. “We were warned, Reese. Next time, we’ll be dead.”

“Maybe.” He looked away from her, off to where the lights were twinkling in the distance.

“How would your mom feel then? Which would she rather have? The answer to her son’s murder or both sons dead? And what about Bobby?” she said. “Who would be there to love him?”

He continued to walk down the road away from her.

“I don’t want to die, Reese Albert Lloyd,” she yelled at his back. “I want to go home like the hoodlums suggested we do. That’s where our future is. The past is dead.”

She raced up behind him, even though her feet rebelled. She grabbed him and forced him to face her. She could make out his features in the scant, soft moonlight.

“Reese! Tell me what you plan to do,” she demanded.

“Someone’s coming.” He looked over her shoulder.

She heard the gravel crunching and then turned to see the glow of headlights just beyone where they’d started walking.

“Let me do the talking.” Reese placed an arm at her waist.

An auto pulled to a stop next to where they stood on the side of the road.

“Need a lift?” A woman hung out the passenger window, offering them a ride.

“Are you headed downtown?” Chloe asked.

“I can.” The woman nodded. “Hop in.”

Reece glanced at Chloe, who shrugged. They had limited choices at this point.

He opened the back door for Chloe, and she climbed in. He joined her and thanked the woman. They remained silent as she pulled away.

“Where you from?” the driver asked after she lit herself a cigarette.

“Nebraska,” Reese answered.

“How the hell did you two find yourself way out here?”

“We got lost.” He glanced at Chloe, a warning look in his eye. “Had some car trouble,” he lied.