like a queen. I promise you that. You’re gonna be my woman. For always and always.”
He smiled at her fondly. She was bewildered. Luke Tate was evil, surely a spawn of the devil himself, and yet he was stroking her gently and speaking softly and smiling as though…he cared for her. He must know that she would plunge a knife into his heart if given a chance. What was wrong with Luke? Why was he acting this way?
He leaned over to brush his lips against her cheek before saying in a strained voice, “I gotta tell you somethin’, Kitty, and I want you to know I’m tellin’ the truth. All them times I was mean to you, I didn’t like doin’ it to you. I swear I didn’t. You was always special to me.”
He leaned back, an incredulous expression taking over his grizzled face. “I swear it. I know you think I’m mean and rough but you made me be that way ’cause you always fought me. I liked your spirit, sure, but not your fightin’ me off. Just one time, I wanted to see you use that spunk to show me how much you enjoyed what I was doin’ to you.”
He trailed his fingertips down her face as though touching a delicate work of art. “Beautiful. I swear you are the most beautiful woman I ever saw. Back when I was overseer for them snooty Collinses, and that young buck, Nathan, was courtin you, I’d watch the two of you and I’d want you so fierce I’d have to go find me a nigra gal and take my pleasure with her. All the time, it was your face I was seein’…your body I was touchin’.”
He sat up, his brown eyes wide, gesturing in a plea for understanding. “Kitty, you just gotta believe me. What I’m tryin’ to say is that despite the way I’ve treated you, I think underneath it all, I loved you. That’s why I want you with me now. That’s why I aim to keep you with me always, and I’ll kill any sonofabitch that tries to take you away from me. Nobody ever will, Kitty. I promise.”
He clamped his hands on her shoulders and pulled her up to a sitting position. “It’s gonna be good times from now on, Kitty, darlin’. You’ll see. Now, I know you’ll miss that youngun o’ yours, but we’ll have kids of our own. I don’t care so long as you don’t get all fat and loose on me, you know?” he laughed shakily. “I love that body o’ yours, and I don’t want nothin’ changin’ it. We’re gonna have the good life out in Nevada. You might not think so now, but if you’ll just relax and believe in what’s gonna be, then you can be happy.”
He cocked his head to one side and stared at her, eyes squinted as he studied her face quizzically. “Hey.” He gave her a little shake, and when she did not respond but continued to look back at him silently, blankly, he shook her harder. He kept on shaking her till her head bobbed like a cornshuck doll’s.
“Hey!” he yelled finally. “What’s wrong with you? Say somethin’. I been sittin’ here pourin’ out my guts to you, woman, and you’re starin’ at me like one o’ them loonies. Answer me. You tell me what I been sayin’ is just fine with you, that you understand that’s the way it’s gonna be, that you’re gonna be my woman from now on, and you’re gonna like it, ’cause you know I mean what I say, and if you let me, I’ll be good to you.”
Kitty felt herself somewhere far, far away, staring down at herself from someplace up above. The mute creature with that evil man was not she, but a living thing that was also dead. The spirit was gone. The body breathed on but the soul could no longer feel pain or dread or worry. It was as though all that was Kitty had gone away.
“Goddamn you, say something!” he screamed, slapping her so hard her head snapped back. Then he exploded, “See what you made me do, you bitch? Made me hurt you again! You like for me to hurt you? You like for me to beat you? Didn’t you hear me just get through sayin’ how I’d rather be good to you ’cause, damn it, I think I love you?”
He slapped
He smiled at her fondly. She was bewildered. Luke Tate was evil, surely a spawn of the devil himself, and yet he was stroking her gently and speaking softly and smiling as though…he cared for her. He must know that she would plunge a knife into his heart if given a chance. What was wrong with Luke? Why was he acting this way?
He leaned over to brush his lips against her cheek before saying in a strained voice, “I gotta tell you somethin’, Kitty, and I want you to know I’m tellin’ the truth. All them times I was mean to you, I didn’t like doin’ it to you. I swear I didn’t. You was always special to me.”
He leaned back, an incredulous expression taking over his grizzled face. “I swear it. I know you think I’m mean and rough but you made me be that way ’cause you always fought me. I liked your spirit, sure, but not your fightin’ me off. Just one time, I wanted to see you use that spunk to show me how much you enjoyed what I was doin’ to you.”
He trailed his fingertips down her face as though touching a delicate work of art. “Beautiful. I swear you are the most beautiful woman I ever saw. Back when I was overseer for them snooty Collinses, and that young buck, Nathan, was courtin you, I’d watch the two of you and I’d want you so fierce I’d have to go find me a nigra gal and take my pleasure with her. All the time, it was your face I was seein’…your body I was touchin’.”
He sat up, his brown eyes wide, gesturing in a plea for understanding. “Kitty, you just gotta believe me. What I’m tryin’ to say is that despite the way I’ve treated you, I think underneath it all, I loved you. That’s why I want you with me now. That’s why I aim to keep you with me always, and I’ll kill any sonofabitch that tries to take you away from me. Nobody ever will, Kitty. I promise.”
He clamped his hands on her shoulders and pulled her up to a sitting position. “It’s gonna be good times from now on, Kitty, darlin’. You’ll see. Now, I know you’ll miss that youngun o’ yours, but we’ll have kids of our own. I don’t care so long as you don’t get all fat and loose on me, you know?” he laughed shakily. “I love that body o’ yours, and I don’t want nothin’ changin’ it. We’re gonna have the good life out in Nevada. You might not think so now, but if you’ll just relax and believe in what’s gonna be, then you can be happy.”
He cocked his head to one side and stared at her, eyes squinted as he studied her face quizzically. “Hey.” He gave her a little shake, and when she did not respond but continued to look back at him silently, blankly, he shook her harder. He kept on shaking her till her head bobbed like a cornshuck doll’s.
“Hey!” he yelled finally. “What’s wrong with you? Say somethin’. I been sittin’ here pourin’ out my guts to you, woman, and you’re starin’ at me like one o’ them loonies. Answer me. You tell me what I been sayin’ is just fine with you, that you understand that’s the way it’s gonna be, that you’re gonna be my woman from now on, and you’re gonna like it, ’cause you know I mean what I say, and if you let me, I’ll be good to you.”
Kitty felt herself somewhere far, far away, staring down at herself from someplace up above. The mute creature with that evil man was not she, but a living thing that was also dead. The spirit was gone. The body breathed on but the soul could no longer feel pain or dread or worry. It was as though all that was Kitty had gone away.
“Goddamn you, say something!” he screamed, slapping her so hard her head snapped back. Then he exploded, “See what you made me do, you bitch? Made me hurt you again! You like for me to hurt you? You like for me to beat you? Didn’t you hear me just get through sayin’ how I’d rather be good to you ’cause, damn it, I think I love you?”
He slapped
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