Sweet Silken Bondage (54 page)

When Luis had gone, Nathan turned on her, his
eyes burning with the fiery heat of his anger. "Well,
my darling fiancee, it would seem that you and I
have a lot to talk about."

"I can't imagine what," she replied haughtily,
though, in truth, her self-confidence was badly
shaken.

Nathan jerked her around toward him, forcing
her to look at him. "I'll tell you what, little girl," he
snarled. "First, there's our wedding. Then there's
our life together."

Reina tried to break free, but he held her easily.

"And we will have a life together, Reina. A long
and prosperous one, I should think." His smile was
evil, tinged with cruelty.

"I'd rather be dead!" she spat back at him.

"That could be arranged if you continue to defy
me," he threatened, tightening his grip to bruising
strength. "I like spirit in a woman, but I'm no
lovesick swain where you're concerned. You're nothing more than a commodity to me, a means to an
end. Remember that." He released her, but the
imprint of his fingers would mar her delicate flesh
for days to come. "Your father has given you to
me, and once we're married, you'll be mine.. .all
mine, to do with as I please."

"Why do you want to do this? If you feel nothing
for me, why don't you just let me go? Forget this
marriage. Tell everyone it was your idea to end the
engagement. I would gladly suffer the blow to my
reputation than suffer endless years married to you!"
Reina knew she had nothing to lose by telling the
truth.

Nathan chuckled. "There's more at stake here
than just the marriage, my dear. If you think I
went into this arrangement because I wanted you,
you're sadly mistaken. You're only a bargaining
chip to be used and discarded as I see fit."

Reina lifted her chin defiantly. "Then you intend
this to be a marriage in name only?"

"I didn't say that. You do hold some physical
appeal for me. There is, however, one thing I want
to be sure of before our wedding takes place."

"What?" She felt chilled by the look in his eyes as
he studied her.

"My sources tell me that you were booked on the
ship from Panama in one cabin under the names of
Mr. and Mrs. Cordell. I just want to make certain
that you're still untouched before I make you my
bride."

"You what?" Reina was shocked by the crudity of
his revelation.

Nathan could see that he'd shocked her, and he
gave a low, ominous laugh. He lifted one hand to
caress her cheek. She felt like cold alabaster beneath
his touch, and he wondered if there was any heat or
excitement in her. He wondered, too, if she would
be that cold and unresponsive in bed.

"I want to make sure you're worthy of the honor
of being Mrs. Nathan Marlow."

He took her by the arm and pulled her against
him. Brazenly, he fondled her breast through her
clothing and then let his hand slip lower to the
juncture of her thighs. Reina tried to break away, but to no avail.

"Let me go, Nathan!"

"Not until I make sure of your innocence, my
dear. Or perhaps you'd like to have me bring in the
doctor to check? That certainly could be arranged,
although the damage to your reputation might be
irreparable should any indiscretions in your past
come to light."

Reina saw the very real, intimidating promise in
his eyes and knew she couldn't bear to suffer his
hands upon her, ever. There was only one thing left
for her to do - alienate him in whatever way she
could by whatever means possible, even if it meant
lying.

"You don't have to examine me," she told him
proudly. "I'll tell you exactly what you want to
know."

"Oh?"

"I'm no virgin. I gave myself to Clay, and I'm
glad I did. We shared the cabin on the trip back as
lovers. I love him, and I'm pregnant with his child
right now! If my father hadn't forced me to return
home, I would never have come back! Never!"

"You're what?" Nathan's wrath was an awesome
thing, and he struck out at her, brutally backhanding her.

Reina staggered backward, uttering a small cry of
surprise and pain at his ruthlessness. She cradled
her cheek and bloodied, swelling lip with one hand
as she drew herself up to full height to face him
contemptuously.

"I'm going to have another man's baby, and I
couldn't be more thrilled. I love him as I could
never love you."

"You little slut..." He took a menacing step
toward her, but she held her ground almost daring
him to hit her again. He realized the precariousness
of his situation and restrained himself. He told himself the wedding would take place soon, and
then he'd make her pay, and pay dearly.

"Now, if you'll excuse me -" Without another
word, Reina quit the room with a dignity befitting
her name. Once she was out of Nathan's sight, she
ran as quickly as she could to her own chambers to
seek solace there.

Nathan stood in the center of the study, his
temper raging nearly out of control. So, she was
pregnant, was she? he thought angrily. Well, this
changed things considerably. He didn't relish the
idea of taking some other man's whore as his wife
or some other man's bastard as his own, but for the
right price he could be convinced to do anything.

He wondered if Alvarez had any idea of his
daughter's whoring ways, and he decided the old
man didn't. Smiling to himself, Nathan went to seek
him out. It was time he learned of his daughter's
debauched behavior, and he knew it would be interesting to see how he responded to the possible
thought of her reputation being sullied by spreading
rumors around town concerning her indecent state.

"Luis?" Nathan found the older man in the parlor.

Luis was surprised that they had finished talking
so soon. "Where's Reina?"

"I believe she's gone to her room."

This sounded bad to Luis, and he wondered what
had happened between them. "Did you settle your
differences?"

"That's what I need to talk to you about."

"Oh? Is there a problem? Whatever it is, I'm sure
we can work it out."

"I'm afraid, Luis, that this is more than just a
simple problem to be worked out."

"I don't understand."

"Obviously, your daughter has not told you everything."

"Everything? What are you talking about?"

"I'm talking about the fact that she's pregnant
with another man's child." He dropped the news
with particular delight, and he enjoyed watching the
old man turn a sickly shade of gray.

"Cordell..." Luis uttered his name in a hoarse
rasp. Guilt riddled him as he realized what he'd
done. He was the one who'd thrown her together
with that lowlife gunslinger. He was the one responsible for her current state. It was all his fault. It
was no wonder that Reina hadn't trusted him
enough to tell him the truth about everything. Look
what he'd done to her! "I'm going to kill the bastard!" he declared, seething.

"Don't do anything drastic, Luis," Nathan urged
calmly. "I have no objection to saving her reputation. I'll go ahead with our plans and make her my
wife, but first I'd like a change made in our original
agreement."

The old Californio, a man of honor and pride,
held himself rigid as he listened to Nathan's proposal. "Such as?"

"Such as, I'll agree to marry Reina and call the
child mine, but only if you deed the ranch over to
me before the wedding."

"What?" He was astounded by his greed and
conniving. If Nathan had been a man of honor, if
he had really cared for Reina, he would have made
no such demand. The unsetding dislike he'd felt for
him before now turned to a full-grown hatred.

"Let's face it. Reina is no virgin. She's whored
herself around to God knows how many men, and
now she's carrying someone else's bastard.. .a
bastard she's going to want to pass off as mine! I
think I deserve some extra compensation for this
humiliation. If not, the deal's off. Do I make myself
clear?"

Luis was livid. In that moment, if he had had a gun, he would have used it on Nathan. How dare
he stand before him in his own home and say such
things?

He realized then that, regardless of what Reina
had done, she'd been right all along in her opinion
of this man. For all his money, important contacts
and business dealings, Nathan had no honor. He
was filth. He wasn't even good enough to clean out
the Alvarez stables, let alone marry his precious
daughter.

"You make yourself all too clear, Mr. Marlow,"
Luis stated firmly, "and as far as I'm concerned any
dealings we had are now cancelled. You may consider yourself relieved of your obligation to marry
my daughter."

"You're going to let this deal slip away?" Nathan
was shocked.

He ignored the younger man's question as he
continued, "I will see that the necessary people are
informed of the change in wedding plans. You, sir,
are no longer welcome in my home or on my land.
Do I make myself clear?"

"What about your land, Alvarez? Are you prepared to lose it? I thought this rancho meant everything to you?"

"I have just discovered that there are things in life
far more important than riches. To my sorrow and
shame I almost had to lose them before I realized
their true value," he told him, thinking of his
daughter and how much he needed her love and
respect.

"Right now you may think there are more important things than riches, but I wonder if you'll feel
that way once you've lost everything," he taunted.

"The state of my affairs is no longer any of your
business. I suggest you take your leave."

"You're going to be sorry, Alvarez."

"I already am, Mr. Marlow. Good-bye."

Luis had cut him dead, but still Nathan refused
to leave.

"Mr. Marlow," the rancher said with slow precision, "will you leave my home of your own accord
or will I be forced to call some of my men to assist
you from my rancho?"

Nathan's eyes narrowed dangerously as he regarded the old man. "This ranch will still be mine!"

"Rancho Alvarez is mine and will ultimately belong to Reina. You'll never lay your filthy hands on
it! Never! Now get out of my sight before I forget
that I'm a gracious host and take great pleasure in
seeing your back bloodied before you're thrown
bodily from my property!"

Nathan was furious as he strode from the house
and mounted his horse. "You haven't seen the last
of me, yet!"

Luis, however, ignored his shouted threats. He
watched him ride away into the night with great
relief. When the rage of the moment had passed, he
sighed deeply, then went back inside.

He knew he had to speak to Reina, but he was
afraid. He had ignored her pleas for understanding.
He had overruled her at every turn. Now, he had to
go to her and tell her that she'd been right all
along. It was a difficult thing for him to do. He
would have to swallow his pride to do it, and his
pride was all he had left right now. Knowing he
could not put it off, he started down the hall that
led to her bedroom.

Reina was sitting at her dressing table with a cold
compress pressed to her cheek when she heard the
knock at her door. She cringed at the thought of
anyone seeing her this way. "Who is it?"

"Reina, it's your father," Luis answered. "May I
speak with you?"

"Please, Father, could we talk in the morning?
You've won. I'll do whatever you want, but I really need to be alone for a while."

She tried to put him off, but he would have none
of it. What he had to say, needed to be said right
now.

"Reina, please, child, it's really important. Please
open the door."

She'd never heard him sound so humble, and it
bothered her. She wondered if he was playing some
sort of game with her or if he was really having a
change of heart.

"All right," she conceded, laying the compress
aside as she went to answer the door.

Luis was completely taken aback by the sight of
her injured cheek and lip. "My God!" He was
overcome by the thought that she'd been hurt this
way, and tears stung his eyes.

"I'm sorry, Father, I didn't want you to see me
like this"

"He did this to you?" he asked, his tone hoarse
with emotion.

"Yes" she answered softly.

At her response, he felt even more embarrassed
by what he'd almost done. He had nearly forced his
precious daughter to marry a violent, woman-beating fiend. The man deserved to be horsewhipped.

"Reina, child..." his voice was choked as he
reached out to her. He was surprised when she
allowed him to hold her. It had been so long since
they'd shared any affection. "Reina, I'm sorry...
so sorry. I almost made an unforgivable mistake,
but I've taken care of that now. You'll never have to
concern yourself with Marlow again."

"Father?" His words surprised her, and she drew
back in total confusion to look up at him.

"You were right about Marlow all along. I was
just too desperate, too worried about losing the
rancho to see the truth. He's an amoral, manipulative bastard, and he's not worthy of you! In fact, I'm not worthy of your love. When I think that I
almost sold you to Marlow-"

Tears of relief and joy filled her eyes. She was
thrilled with the news. When Luis saw the happiness in her gaze, he was relieved. He held her once
more, his throat constricting with the power of his
emotions.

"But Father, what are we going to do?" she asked,
thinking that they might now lose the rancho.

"It'll be all right," he told her earnestly, thinking
about her pregnancy.

"It will?"

"Yes, and I understand"

"You do?"

"Yes, Nathan told me all about it, so you don't
have to keep it from me any more."

"Nathan told you?" For a moment she didn't
realize what he was talking about, and when it
suddenly dawned on her, she turned decidedly pale.
Luckily, the way he was holding her with her head
against his shoulder, he couldn't see her face.