Covet Not (21 page)

“Oh,
Clara. You can't wait around for Jude.” James slowed the truck and pulled onto
a side road. “I need to be truthful. Your mother is perfectly fine, and warm in
her bed tonight. And hopefully within a few weeks, you'll be pregnant.”

She
wanted out of the truck. She didn't know where she was. It was dark. She wanted
Jude. “Take me back to my husband, then.
Please
.”

“I
can't do that, Clara. He has no plans of ever impregnating you,” James said in
a consoling voice.

She
felt like she might hyperventilate. “I don't understand.” She didn't comprehend
why it was imperative that she get pregnant immediately. She didn't understand
why a father would do this to his son.

She
hated that she couldn't run. She was so scared.

“It's
not my place to say, Clara. I have a nice home for you to stay. There is
another young man there. His purpose is to impregnate you. Your purpose is to
get pregnant. You'll get to go home once you are. He's very handsome and very
nice.” He spoke like it was a normal thing. Like it was what people did. Maybe
it was. There was no way for her to know.

But,
it sounded horrible. She belonged to her husband. “Jude won't want me if I'm
carrying another man's baby.”

“It
doesn't matter what he wants. You are an Agnesson now. You'll be taken care
of.” James cared not one whit about his hypothetical grandchild. He realized it
was counterproductive to his mission, but Clara wasn't meant for the mission,
though he would entertain the thought later. This baby was meant to torment
Jude. That was its purpose. It would be difficult to kidnap this baby and sell
it. Women throughout history gained strength when one messed with their
offspring, and James hadn't the time nor the inclination to bother with it.

Unless
there was a hefty sum. He would have to see.

“I
don't like the idea of another man touching me,” Clara whispered.

James
was a little surprised. Maybe they were fucking. Or maybe she didn't want to be
touched at all. “It's only for a short time. The quicker you are with child,
the quicker you can go back to Jude.”

Clara
wiped the tears from her cheeks. She would be ruined. He wouldn't want her. She
truly didn't know what to do.

The
truck came to a stop in the dark, but was illuminated quickly by sudden
numerous lights around the house. Like the ones surrounding Jared and Shula's
house.

Clara
was led from the truck in a daze, and greeted by another man. He looked kind
enough, but she didn't want to lay with him.

She
followed him upstairs with Mr. Agnesson's hand on her back, and she wanted to
scream.

She
wanted to die.

A
door was opened. A gas lamp lit.

She
saw a boy sitting in a chair with his feet on the bed.

“Remember
what I told you? The faster you get her pregnant, you will have autonomy within
these borders. I can provide you with a job on my farm and housing. You won't
want for anything. Unless you desire to go back to your old life.”

Clara
saw the boy stand and stare at Mr. Agnesson. His eyes were a piercing blue.

He
nodded.

XXXII

Don't
do anything foolish.

Her
life certainly depends on it.

She
will be returned to you.

If
you'll still have her.

Jude crumpled the
letter in his fist. He sat heavily onto the floor, and tried not to ruin the
kitchen that Clara had made their meals in.

He
couldn't catch his breath.

He
didn't know how to process it.

There
was nothing to be done. He could slit his father's throat and he would never
find her.

But,
he still left it on his list of options.

Fucking
hindsight. There was no excuse. He and Jared were fools.

He
replayed all the things that should've taught him to leave: Anna, lifeless on
the bed she and his father shared, and Martin slumped over him with his brains
scattered, and only fire could take care of the mess.

There
was more. Jared spoke of his obsession with Shula and how he paid her a visit,
but Jared arrived and threatened to shoot him.

Jude
wondered what they didn't know. Who else had their father hurt?

It
showed him clearly that his father only kept up a façade of morality. That he
was incapable of humanity.

It
showed Jude that no one was safe around James Agnesson, even those who kept
below the radar.

He'd
been dead wrong. Possibly, literally. Jude thought that keeping the farm
efficient and having a wife would keep his father disinterested, even at such
close proximity. Especially at such proximity.

It
seemed to still work for Jared at that first visit, though he'd been hinting
lately of wanting to take Shula to the city and never return. Not until death
was certain.

What
the fuck were they waiting for? It would take them an hour at most to plan the
perfect murder. They'd missed their opportunity, and now Clara was the one to
pay.

Jude
hoped she could forgive him.

He
underestimated his father and that was a grave mistake. He didn't understand
what sort of test this was. It didn't make any sense. His father was rarely
around anymore. More often than not, his truck was gone, and the Caddy was safe
in the garage.

Jude's
thoughts turned more sinister. Where had he taken her? He vaguely remembered
seeing tail lights leave hours before and his father's vehicle was still gone.

Why
her? What did he need with her? Was she scared?

If
you'll still have her.

That
only meant one thing in society. A woman must be able to bear children. If she
came home infertile, it wouldn't change one thing. He would kill his father for
putting her in so much pain.

Maybe
his father was underestimating him.

Jude
stood and caught his breath. He had to keep calm and keep his mind clear. It
wasn't something he knew how to do. Clara kept his mind busy, and gave him a
goal, but it was only a distraction. She'd been his sanity. And now she was
gone.

He
had a key to the house. There had to be something. He took another moment to
calm himself, grabbed his keys, and went for the door.

It
took a few minutes to weave among the small line of trees that blocked the
straight shot to the back door. He could've taken the driveway, but it circled
a wide shallow pond, and made the distance seem longer. It was probably only a
quarter of a mile as the crow flies, but sprinkle in some trees and a winding
drive, and it seemed much further. The guesthouse was built after the original
barn for live-in farmhands, and Jude moved in the day Anna was buried.

His
father never commented.

His
father also never grieved.

If
not for the kindness of the women in his life, Jude might not know how to
behave at all.

His
perception of society was skewed. He had a grasp on what constituted
civilization, but people behaved differently before they realized an Agnesson
was in their midst.

Jude
used to enjoy their false smiles and careful politeness, but that was before
he'd understood it. As a child he felt important because it was his
great-grandfather who'd named Agnes Oaks when he bought enough acreage to
create a municipality. After Texas seceded, it was all the rage. Most of the
larger cities still kept their names, but only because the oilmen who invested
in their infrastructures decided to leave their egos at the door.

The
city was unfathomable to Jude. Some of the boys from church would brag about
being able to see the city, but it was always in hushed voices. His father
thought the cities were the gateway for moral decay, but Jude concluded that
his father mustn't have as much sway as he'd led everyone to believe.

Growing
up, he had assumed his father ran all of Texas, but it was becoming clear that
keeping people shackled to their villages was a key part in how people
perceived him. He had convinced everyone that the city wasn't safe.

But
the truth would be something altogether different, and something Jude had never
been a witness to.

When
Jude asked about his brothers being in the city, his father replied that they
were strong enough not to succumb. That he and Jared weren't blessed with that
strength.

Jude
began to wonder if it was strength at all, or wisdom. They were smart enough to
leave as quick as they could.

He'd
been to Austin with his father several times for larger farm supplies, but
never to downtown proper. All the places they patronized were all familiar with
the Agnesson's.

But
Jude never thought to pay attention except to seek those who were like him.

He'd
been ignorant and foolish, and that had to stop. He had to be a man.

Being
a man wasn't defined by how often he could bed his wife, but by how he could
protect her. He'd spent too much time feeling grateful for his erection than he
spent thinking about her safety.

And
since the danger was close, he'd failed her utterly.

Jude
let himself into his old home. It was a bit musty from the lack of dusting, but
he was sure some poor young woman would fix that fairly soon.

He
walked down the hall and peeked into his father's immaculate office. He hoped
there was information carelessly displayed, but there was nothing. He checked
the drawers and found them to be in perfect order.

He
flipped on the computer, and the noise of the fan startled him. Jude never
messed around with computers, not like Jared, so his lack of knowledge made it
practically useless for information. That, and the password that needed to be
verified.

Jude
shut the computer off.

He
had a fucking brain, so he would go sit in his father's favorite chair and
count down the hours. Each hour it took for him to return, the further away
Clara would be. But, that also narrowed the path.

James
opened the door to darkness and cursed. The maid would be there sometime this
week, and he wouldn't have to worry about such menial things.

He
flipped the switch and hoped the surprise didn't show on his face. His youngest
child was sitting in his favorite chair, presumably waiting for him. “I did not
require a homecoming.”

“So,
she's about five hours away,” Jude said calmly. He made the assumption that if
his father returned that night, he only stayed at his destination for a short
time. Jude estimated that his father had been gone for ten to eleven hours if
he could guess correctly about when he saw the taillights.

James
laughed. “Fair enough. She is indeed approximately five hours away.” He sat on
the underused sofa and watched his son.
This
was completely new
territory. “I'm curious how you came to that conclusion.”

“I
didn't. I guessed. You verified. Now I get to think about conclusions,” Jude
said calmly.

James
frowned imperceptibly. “I might be lying.”

“You
were too amused that I got it right to be lying. But, I will assume everything
else you say tonight will be a lie.” Jude didn't break eye contact.

“I'm
amused you think you know me so well.” This was already tedious.

“Most
of the drive would've been through small towns. There aren't any inns open this
late, and if there were, it's not likely you'd stay there. You couldn't be sure
that I wouldn't take that note and go to the police
‒
”

“The
police wouldn't
‒
”

“The
Austin police
would.
They don't give a shit about you.” Jude was trying
to control his voice. “You wouldn't want anyone to know which way you were
coming. Smart. If you had driven through Austin or San Antonio, you would've
gotten a room. It's right in the center, so you could've been coming from
anywhere.” Jude hoped he was deducing correctly. He wanted his father
unsettled.

“You
know how I hate the city. Why would I get a room?” James asked placidly back.
Unruffled.

“Because
of the deer.”

James
smiled insincerely. “Ah. Yes. The deer. Still a lot of ground to cover,
though.”

“Not
really. Directly north, or northeast, near Dallas, or south Texas. A route that
would keep you far enough from San Antonio. I'm betting north, though. Easy
enough to check the dirt on your tires.” his voice stayed steady and strong.

“North
Texas is vast,” James reminded.

“It
is. But you didn't stay in Dallas, which means you left from there. Or near
there.” Jude was sure.

“There's
Fort Worth
‒
”

“There
isn't. You would've been on I35 for much of that. Plenty of hotel rooms,” Jude
interrupted.

“Fine.
I still don't see how that does you any good. I tire of this. Go home,
Judas
,”
James hissed, irritated.

Jude
stood. He was called that a lot as a boy. The betrayer of Christ. His father's
delusions of grandeur were tiresome. “I miss Mother sometimes.”

“You
never knew her, ignorant boy. You killed her,” James spat.

“But
I'm relieved she's dead. Goodnight Father.”

In
that moment, Jude was pure controlled rage. He could have snapped that man's
neck, but he needed his wife back. He needed to let Jared know to watch Shula
closely.

Jared
watched Shula sleep more often than not, and the news that Jude shared would
keep him up tonight.

His
Clara was taken. It shouldn't surprise him that his father was capable of it.

He
had done his best to keep Shula safe without frightening her further. But she
wasn't a child. She was his wife. His lover.
His.

He
felt a deep longing
‒
a need to possess
‒
and he wanted to strap her to the bed for a very long time. He
wanted to claim her in ways that would make his father lose interest, but he
would have to break her. He would have to keep her broken until that monster
was gone. But by then, she would be changed indefinitely.

Jared
had two options. He could wreck her and passively wait for his father's death,
or he could kill him quickly, and not let Shula suffer.

The
answer was easy. He knew what was right. It didn't stop him from desiring her
forced subjugation. It didn't stop the need to see the shift when she realized
it didn't matter what she wanted anymore.

Maybe
he couldn't ever be rid of his father. Maybe it was his very blood that was
poison.

He
didn't understand where the change in him was coming from. Was it organic? Did
it truly have anything to do with his father? Surely, he would've manifested
cruelty as a boy. Even Jared's older brothers didn't seem to court the same
issues as their father. And they certainly didn't have his charisma.

Jared
knew he lacked such a personality. He didn't care for the things James Agnesson
cared for, though he wasn't quite sure if his father could even feel affection.

Jared
just knew that as each new day passed, his obsession with keeping Shula safe
became an all-encompassing preoccupation.

He
wanted to add another foot to the fence. He wanted to teach Shula to shoot.

But
he never wanted her to have to protect herself because once she put a bullet
into someone, it meant he'd failed her.

He
wouldn't fail her.

But
she needed to know what he'd be willing to do to keep her safe.

Their
bed was too warm. It was the brink of Autumn, and the air was getting cooler in
the evening, but he refused to open the windows. She thought he was silly, so
she would turn the air off when his back was turned.

The
sheet was pooled around both of their waists. A sliver of moonlight shone
across her full breasts and soft nipples. Her breathing was deep and slow.