Chapter 18

Gabriella

Gabriella let out a deep breath as she leaned back against the rickety, wooden chair. It was as if the energy, emotion… everything in her had drained from her body, along with her blood.

"Blake!" Harley called out as he turned the iron poker in the fire. It was already beginning to turn red, but she wasn't going to let them come near her with it. She closed her eyes for a moment, trying to think, willing herself to stay awake.

She just wished she had told Dirk who she was, that she had told him everything. She had been so stubborn when she first ran away, so protected and full of herself. She had never dreamed that anything like this could ever happen to her as her thoughts went to her uncle and her cousin. And then, she thought of Dirk.

Dirk was the first man she had ever truly loved, and now it was too late. If only she could see him one more time, she would tell him how she felt. As she watched the iron poker grow redder by the minute in the fire, she knew she had to act fast. It was now or never.

Think, Gabriella. Think. She opened her eyes and looked in the kitchen. Maybe there was a knife in the kitchen and she could make it there before they stopped her. Or maybe she could sneak over and grab Blake's gun, but Clayton was sprawled out on the sofa, half-asleep. If she moved an inch, he would be sure to wake. Also, Harley was kneeling with his back to her facing the fire, turning the poker right in front of her. She concentrated hard, trying to think. Then she looked across the dusty kitchen table, and something white caught her eye outside. She opened her eyes wide. Dirk was standing outside, waving his hand.

She sat up in the chair as she let out a deep breath, suddenly energized. Then an idea hit her, and she sprang to her feet. She just hoped it worked. "Don't you even think about touching me with that thing!"

"Shut up and sit back down," Harley ordered, not even glancing up.

On the sofa, Clayton folded his arms across his chest, adjusted his position, and then closed his eyes again, loudly smacking his lips.

Across the room outside the window, Dirk made a rolling motion with his hands, urging her on.

Harley looked up in Dirk's direction as Gabriella's breath caught, but Dirk quickly darted out of sight.

"Hey, Clayton! Did you see that?" Harley asked, the poker in the fireplace forgotten.

Clayton opened an eye. "See what?"

Gabriella knew she had to draw their attention away from him. "I said," Gabriella repeated loudly, placing her hands on her hips, "if you think you're going to touch me with that thing, then you've got another think coming!" She stomped her foot and folded her arms across her chest, cringing from the pain. "Besides, I have to go to the outhouse, and I'm hungry!" Then an idea suddenly occurred to her. "And… and… I'm hurting!" She stomped her foot again. "You haven't offered me any whiskey yet!"

Clayton suddenly sat straight up, wide awake. "Whiskey? Where?"

Gabriella scoffed. "The usual place where people keep whiskey is in the cellar… ooops! I shouldn't have said that!"

"Hey, Blake!" Clayton bellowed as he walked into the kitchen and opened the cellar door. "See any whiskey down there?"

With all her might, she shoved Harley into the fire, face-first. Then she ran into the kitchen, pushed Clayton down the stairs, and shoved a chair under the door handle, hoping that it would hold long enough for her to get away. She just hoped that Dirk didn't get hurt in the process.