Page 34 of Redeeming the Outlaw
Chapter Nine
“Whit Moore! Where are you?”
The sound of Brodie’s voice shattered Esther’s sleep, booming like thunder across the camp. Opening her eyes, she reached for Whit, but his side of the bedroll was cold. Her heart raced as she scrambled out of the tent, her hazel eyes wide with fear. She gripped her tattered paletot close to her slender frame, desperately trying to make sense of the situation.
“Where is he?” Brodie roared, his menacing gaze scanning the area. “That snake! He betrayed us!”
Esther’s breath caught in her throat, her mind racing with the implications of Brodie’s words. He stopped when he saw her standing at the edge of the clearing. “You. Where did he go?”
She moved her fingers up to her neck and fiddled with thefrog at the top of her cloak. “I don’t know. He wasn’t here when I woke up this morning.”
His eyes narrowed into slits, and his jaw clenched so tightly she could see the muscles flexing. He lunged forward, fingers outstretched to grab her arms in a vice-like grip. “Tell me what you know,” he growled, shaking her violently, as if trying to rattle answers from her very bones.
“I do not know what you are talking about.” Dread consumed her as she imagined every outcome. She desperately prayed for her mind to quiet down and for divine guidance in the moments to come. “Please, Brodie. You’ll hurt my child.”
He let go of her hand as if it was searing hot, and she could see the pain in his eyes for a moment. “Child? Ma…”
Whatever he was about to say was drowned by a loud commotion, followed by a voice shouting, “Found him!”
Brodie pointed his finger at Esther’s face. “I’ll deal with you in a few minutes, girly. First, I need to take care of some business. You’ll want to watch this and see how the Richards deal with people who betray them.” He turned on his heel and strode toward the fire. “Bring him here,” he growled.
Esther’s heart dropped to the pit of her stomach as she watched Big Joe and Digger drag Whit into the clearing, his face bloodied and clothes torn. She wanted to run to him, to protect him, but fear kept her rooted in place.
As she observed him, she couldn’t help but notice his tightly clenched jaw and the grinding of his teeth as his jaw moved back and forth. His swollen eyes glared with determination as the tight ropes cut into his skin. He refused to show any signs of weakness, even in this dire situation.
“Whit,” Esther whispered, her voice barely audible, as her heart threatened to break free from her chest. What could she doto help him without putting herself in danger?
Brodie’s voice dripped with disdain as he closed in on Whit, a dangerous glint in his eye as he brandished a knife. “Thought you could play us for fools, didn’t you? You’re not as smart as you think, boy.”
“Leave him alone!” Esther wanted to scream, but her voice was paralyzed. Esther’s feet firmly planted on the ground, preventing her from moving. Whit looked at her and tilted his head.
What did he want?
“Imagine my surprise when I went to town this morning,” Brodie sneered, his scarred face contorted with anger. “Did you know the Reverend’s family is alive? Someone even moved the boy from the Chapmans.” He paused, allowing the information to sink in before delivering a cruel blow to Whit’s stomach.
“Ugh!” Whit grunted, his body doubling over from the impact. Pain etched itself across his handsome features, but he refused to meet Brodie’s eyes.
When Brodie landed a second blow, Esther couldn’t bear it any longer. Her mind raced with possibilities, desperate for a solution as she watched Whit suffer at the hands of Brodie. “Lord, give me strength,” she prayed silently, her resolve hardening like steel.
“Whit did nothing wrong!” she blurted out, her voice wavering but determined. “You have no right to hurt him.”
“Stay out of this, girl,” Brodie snarled, his gaze filled with menace as he turned it on her. “This is between me and the yellow-bellied traitor.”
“Please,” Esther pleaded, her hazel eyes filling with tears.
“Silence!” Brodie roared, his patience clearly running thin. “Whit has betrayed us all, and he will pay for it.”
Esther could only watch helplessly, her heart aching with each labored breath Whit took.
“Get out of here, Esther,” Whit slurred through thick lips.
“No,” Brodie said. “I want her to watch as I take my time breaking you.” He dropped the blade of his knife in the fire before turning to land a boot on Whit’s side.
Whit groaned and rolled over. He looked up from the ground at Esther and adjusted his lips.
Run!
With her heart pounding and lungs burning, she spun on her heel and bolted toward the nearby creek where several horses were tethered to bushes. Without hesitation, she dashed toward them, dropping their lines as she went. She slapped their hindquarters, urging them to run through the camp and create chaos.
