Shanghai Series

Chapter 5

The next morning Roy appears at breakfast minus arm in sling. Rebekah is glad to see him feeling better. Wanting to earn his keep, Roy asks what he can do to help out. Rebekah, not wanting him to push his recovery, is quick to feign innocence, but Mary Kate isn't as subtle. She tells Roy how the pasture fence has been in need of mending for a long while. Happy to have a chore of his own, Roy makes off for the pasture; Mary Kate in tow.

Rebekah is working in the house when Justice appears. Without warning, he opens the front door and walks in. She is startled but quickly tries to push aside her fear.

"Justice, can't you knock?" she scolds.

He walks across the room, tossing his hat onto the table. Looking around, he notices Roy is nowhere in sight, just as he thought.

"Where's your friend?" he asks curiously.

Rebekah busies herself folding the laundry. She doesn't want to look at him. "He's around. Why?"

"Well I don't see him around and I think you're lying. I think you're all alone".

Finally looking into his face, Rebekah sees a familiar rage building inside. Her body becomes rigid.

"I think you better go, Justice. This isn't your home anymore".

In the pasture, Roy worked harder than he had worked in a long time. With the sun getting hotter, he stripped off his shirt and lay it on his saddle. Sweat rolls down his face and back as he hammers and pulls, fixing the fence, inch by inch. Mary Kate, busied herself nearby, in her fantasy world. The sound of horse's hooves caught her attention over the sound of Roy's hammer.

Running across the hill, the little girl caught a glimpse of a familiar horse and rider heading in the direction of the house. Scared, she ran straight back to Roy, who was resting against a post.

"Roy, I think my Momma's in trouble".

"What? What kind of trouble". Being so far from the house, what could the girl possibly mean?

"I saw my Dad riding towards the house. And Momma's all alone".

Immediately the hairs on the back of his neck stood up. Remembering what she had told him before, a sick feeling rose in his gut. Putting a hand out to Mary Kate, Roy got ready to ride.

"Come on. We gotta go".

With the girl tucked in the saddle behind him, Roy made a mad dash for the house, hoping he wasn't too late.

Not one to be told what to do, Justice grabbed Rebekah by the arm. His fingers dug into her flesh, pinching her.

"Let go of me, Justice", she warned, trying to pull free. His grip was tight. He wasn't about to let go.

Pulling her to him, he leaned into her until his breath was in her face. "What have you been doing with that guy?" he demands in a low, warning tone.

She turns her head. "I said, let me go". Rebekah tries pulling free, but Justice takes her by both arms.

"You think I didn't see you throwing yourself at him? You're disgusting", he spit. "throwing yourself him like a whore".

Struggling with all her might, Rebekah manages to wriggle free. She backs away from him, looking around for an escape. Before she can get past, he is on her again. This time he grabs her around the waist, lifting her off the floor. Kicking and punching, Rebekah feels herself being drug to the bedroom.

"Get off of me!" she exclaims, beating him with her fists. He laughs at her and smiles.

"You're my wife", he tells her. "Mine".

Throwing her on the bed, Justice grabs her skirt in his hands. She hits him with all her might, but he hits back. A heavy blow to her cheek throws her back on the bed. He throws her skirt up and grabs her legs. Knees on the bed, he pulls her legs apart, planting himself between them.

She pushes at him with her hands. "Justice", she pleads. "Don't".

Ignoring her, Justice reaches into his fly. The sound of a cocking gun stops him cold.

"I wouldn't do that mister".

Justice spins around to face Roy and his pearl handle aimed straight at his head.

"I'm warning you", Roy tells him, "I don't want to, but I will".

Rebekah, pushing her skirt back down, jumps up and runs to Roy's side. Justice offers Roy a weak smile.

"You aren't gonna kill me. Not in front of my wife and kid".

Roy eyes him coolly. "Don't count on it. The way I see it, you won't be missed much".

"Just do like he says, Justice", Rebekah confirms. "Go home".

Looking at the two of them brings a sickening look to Justice Beachum's face. He steps closer to his wife. Roy readies himself to pull the trigger.

"You're a whore", he tells his ex-wife, "and you make me sick".

With Roy's gun in his sight, Justice steps slyly out of the room and out of the house. Roy finally relaxes when he hears him riding away. Rebekah throws her arms around Roy.

"I don't know how to thank you", she cries.

Roy is about to explain when Mary Kate rushes in. She wraps her arms around her mother's legs, hugging tightly.

"Roy saved you, Momma. He saved you".

Rebekah pats her on the head, eyes fixed on Roy. "I know, baby. I know".

Roy is surprised at how quickly Rebekah appears to recover from the attack. Within minutes, she was busy cooking dinner. The usual light-hearted conversation accompanied dinner, and she tucked Mary Kate in with a long bedtime story. Although he expected more, Roy settled down for the night tired and content. With Rebekah back in her own room, Roy and his faithful old bedroll occupied a corner of the living room.

Instead of sleeping soundly, Roy found himself tossing and turning. Maybe I'm just overly tired, he told himself. Whatever the reason, Roy was wide awake when he heard sounds coming from Rebekah's room. Getting up, he heard muffled cries. Instantly, he feared Justice had somehow gotten back into the house. Opening the door to her room, he found Rebekah alone, experiencing a nightmare.

She tossed and turned, crying out "No" over and over. Her breathing was rapid and shallow. Hurrying to her, Roy sat on the edge of the bed. Lightly shaking her shoulder, he hoped to awake her without scarring her.

"Rebekah", he said softly. "Rebekah".

Suddenly opening her eyes, she is startled a moment by the man at the side of the bed. When Roy speaks, she realizes she is safe.

"I'm sorry. You were having a bad nightmare".

Rebekah starts to cry. "Oh, Roy". Reaching for him, Roy takes her in his arms, hugging her tightly. A hand comes up to stroke the back of her head.

"Ssshh, it's all right", he soothes. "You're ok".

"I saw him in my dream. I could feel his breath, hot on my neck". She pulls back, looking into his eyes.

Seeing the welt on her cheek, Roy realizes how brave she really is. He strokes her cheek lightly. A spark ignites inside Rebekah. Alone in the dark, she realizes that no one will interrupt them now. She finds his lips with hers. There is a new longing in her kiss, one that Roy recognizes all too well, for he feels it too. With his lips entwined with hers, his hands caress the softness of her breasts through the thin cotton gown. Her nipples grow hard against his fingers. Her chest pushes against his hand.

Deftly, Rebekah's hands work through the buttons on his shirt quickly. She stops to kiss his chest as she pushes the shirt free. Her tongue grazes across his nipples, sending a chill down his spine. Bravely, she slips her fingers in the waistband of his band, pushing them down to his hips. Roy smiles. Standing beside the bed, he silently allows her to lower the pants to his knees before stepping out of them. Seeing him completely naked, Rebekah draws a deep breath. The feels a burning in her loins.

Reaching for her now, Roy takes her gown in his hands and slowly lifts it high above her head before tossing it aside. Her breast are firm and round. He feels a pang in his own loins, his hardness growing at the sight of her. He kisses her neck and begins working his way down, tongue following lips. Lying back, she is lost in this new sensation. Never before had a man been so gentle, so stimulating.

Roy's mouth skipped lightly across her stomach before following the slight curve of her belly down to the soft mound of flesh between her legs. Rebekah gasps at the feeling of his tongue against the tender flesh. Her body begins to shake. Embarrassed, she pushes his head away. Roy takes her hand, looking into her eyes.

"It's ok", he tells her.

Relaxing, she lets Roy work his magic. In only a few short minutes, she is overcome with a sensation she has never known. Roy stops only when she begs him to. Lying beside her, Roy lazily strokes her breast while kissing her neck. She smiles, feeling pure bliss.

Rolling over, she rests her body atop his. "I want to do something for you", she tells him.

The corner of his mouth turns up in a tiny smirk. "What do you wanna to?" he asks slyly.

"Anything to make you happy".

Taking her hand in his, Roy places her hand between his legs. She takes the hot flesh in her hand, smiling. With a quick kiss on the lips, she slides down his body until she is on her knees beside the bed. Roy sucks in a sharp breath when she takes him in her mouth. She moves her head up and down, mouth sliding along the growing hardness. The taste and sensation is foreign to her, but not unpleasant. The sounds coming from Roy make her want to do more. She strokes him with one hand, making his hips writhe. She feels the wetness beginning in herself again.

Sensing it is time, Rebekah gets up. Roy pulls her back onto the bed. Looking into her eyes, he rolls her over until he is on top of her. His lips press against hers. Their tongues probe each other's mouths. They can wait no longer. With his hand to guide him, Roy pushes himself into Rebekah. She gasps, closing her eyes tightly. The pain is quickly replaced by a more pleasing sensation as Roy thrusts himself into her, over and over again. His rhythm steadily increases. Rebekah wraps her legs around him, rising to meet each thrust. She lets herself go at the very moment Roy loses control. He fills her with a pulsing liquid sensation, making her toes curl to the very end. With every ounce of energy spent, the lay together, the moonlight streaming through the bedroom window. When the dark is replaced by the light of day, they will still be side by side, wrapped in each other's arms.

Chapter 6

Roy and Rebekah found themselves casting secretive glances at each other over breakfast. Mary Kate, sensing something different, was quieter than usual. When Roy left the house to go to the barn, the little girl tagged along. She sat eyeing Roy as he worked. With the events of last night on his mind, he didn't even notice that something was wrong until the little girl spoke.

"I heard you", she informed him.

Roy heard her, but kept working. "Heard what?" he asked.

"I heard you and Momma last night. I know what you were doing".

She looked at him, making him nervous. She was just a kid, he thought. How could she have known anything about sex. He decided she was testing him.

"We were talking. That's all you heard". He wasn't about to get into a heavy conversation with a kid; or so he thought.

"Nu-uh. You were rooting. Like a pig in heat", she countered angrily.

"Hey", he warned. "Watch your mouth. Where'd you learn to talk like that anyway?"

"I've seen the animals, you know. I know how you do it".

Roy put his tools down and faced the girl. "Now look", he told her, "that ain't no way for a little girl to talk. What would your mother say if she heard you right now?"

Mary Kate cocked her head. "Do you love her?"

Roy was taken aback. "What?"

"Do you love her?" She sat waiting for an answer, but Roy wasn't sure what his answer should be.

"It's complicated", he explained.

"Complicated? What's that mean?"

"It means", he told her, "that only adults should be talking about it". Going back to work and ignoring her, he hoped she would get the hint. Mary Kate watched him for a few minutes longer before offering her parting words.

"You're nicer than my Dad. That's why Momma likes you".

Watching her skip away, Roy thought about her final words. For a little girl, she seemed wise beyond her years, but it seemed that she had given Roy her blessing, at least for the time being.

That night, Roy is sleeping beside Rebekah. An eerie feeling pulls him from his sleep. Opening his eyes, an orange glow fills the window. Jumping to his feet, his sees a fire through the window. He grabs his pants, struggling to get them on.

"Rebekah", he cries. "Rebekah".

She opens her eyes.

"The barns' on fire", he tells her, fleeing from the room. Throwing a shawl around her shoulders, she rushes out to join him.

Roy is already pulling the animals from the blazing fire. Grabbing a bucket, Rebekah scoops water from the trough and tosses it onto the fire. She fears each time Roy disappears into the smoke and flame, but he emerges victorious each time. With the animals free, Roy joins Rebekah in trying to contain the fire.

With nothing but a few buckets of water, the fire is too much for them. In the end, all they can do is watch, as the fiery bundle collapses at their feet. Roy temporarily ties up the horses before retiring into the house. Not bothering to undress, he collapses on the bed. With a last look at the remains of the barn, Rebekah lays down beside him. Before long, the sun is up and a new day has begun.

The next day, Rebekah is looking at the charred rubble when Justice rides up. He doesn't bother to get down from his horse. Instead, he stops beside her and surveys the incredible sight.

"Whew-ee! What a mess", he exclaims. Seeing Rebekah is going to ignore him, he goes on. "Boy, it's a good thing it was just the barn and not the house. Someone could have gotten hurt".

Rebekah turns abruptly. "What do you want, Justice?"

"I want you".

Roy comes from the house. Justice eyes him coldly.

"You wouldn't happen to know anything about the fire last night, would you?" Roy asks suspiciously.

Justice feigns shock. "What? Me? Of course not. Maybe it was lightening".

Roy chuckles. "Yeah. Lightening".

Justice turns his attention again to his ex. "If you came back home, you wouldn't have to worry about stuff like this. I'd take care of you".

"Justice...", Rebekah begins.

Roy steps in, cutting her off. "I'll be taking care of Rebekah from now on. We're getting married".

A wary smile forms on Justice's face. He looks from Roy to Rebekah. "What did yo say?"

"You heard me", Roy countered. "We're getting married".

Waiting for a rebuttal from Rebekah, Justice stood, mouth open.

"It's true", she finally confirms. "He asked me yesterday and I said yes".

"You're making a big mistake", he warns her, leaning over to peer into her eyes.

"No, Justice", she reminds him. "I already made the mistake with you. I'm finally doing the right thing".

Angry, Justice jerks the horse's reins, sending him stumbling around. Like a bat out of hell, Justice was gone. Rebekah looked at the ground a moment before speaking.

"Why did you tell him that?" she demanded. "It'll only make him angrier".

Roy is surprised. He thought by going along with him, that she was all right with it.

"What do you mean? It worked. He left".

"Sure he did, but not for long. He'll be back meaner than ever".

Roy knew she was afraid of him, but she had to do something to get him to leave for good.

"Look, if he thinks I'm staying around for good, then maybe he'll give up. It's worth a shot".

"And what if he decides to kill us both instead? This is my mess. I don't want you to pay for it".

Roy had never stopped to consider the man might take out his revenge on him. Suddenly, he wasn't feeling so smart.

"I was only trying to help", he managed, but Rebekah was already gone. Feeling alone and unsure, Roy went off for a long walk.

Chapter 7

It was already dark when Roy returned to the house. He was shocked to find Rebekah outside alone. She rushed to Roy, eyes wet.

"I can't find Mary Kate anywhere. I've looked everywhere. I've called for her. She's gone".

"Gone? How can that be?". Roy knew the little girl never strayed far. It just wasn't like her. "Are you sure you checked everywhere?"

"Yes", she cried. "I've looked again and again. She's gone. Oh God, my baby's gone".

Collapsing against him, Roy wrapped her in his arms. "It's ok. We'll find her. She couldn't have gotten far alone".

Pulling away, Rebekah looked at Roy, an odd expression on her face.

"What? What is it?" he asked.

"Justice", she told him. "Justice took her".

Roy thought about it. It made sense. He wanted to punish Rebekah, and what better way to do it.

"I'll go get her", he said, pulling away. But Rebekah grabs his arm, pulling him back.

"You can't go tonight. He could have set a trap".

He wouldn't put it past the guy. Yet it worried him to think of that sweet girl with that angry, violent man. "Is she safe with him?"

"I don't know", Rebekah replied. "I don't think he'd hurt her if he thinks it'll bring me back".

"I'll go first thing in the morning", he promised her. "I'm not coming back until everything is settled".

That night Roy cradled Rebekah in his arms, afraid to let her go. If he had it his way, he would return with the girl tomorrow and Justice Beachum would never bother them again. But fate had a funny way of stepping in when you least expect it. Silently, Roy prayed for help. Going up against a man like Beachum, he would need all the help he could get.

Roy was saddled up and ready to go when Rebekah bounded out of the house. She took her horse by the reins and lead him next to Roy's.

"What are you doing?" he asked her.

"You ain't goin' alone. I'm goin' with you".

"No way", he told her. "You're staying as far away from him as possible".

Rebekah loved the way he was trying to protect her, but she saw the bigger picture a little more clearly.

"If he sees you comin' alone, he'll kill you. He wants me. I have to meet him face to face".

Roy knew she was right, but he still didn't like it.

"You have to promise me one thing", he told her. "No matter what happens between Justice and me, you take Mary Kate and go".

Rebekah put a hand to his face, stroking his cheek. "What did I do to deserve a man like you?"

Leaning over, Roy's lips touch her mouth lightly. "You're just lucky, I guess".

Moments later, they are riding away.

Justice Beachum is waiting for them when they arrive. He looks very much pleased with himself. Rebekah eagerly looks around for Mary Kate.

"Well, well", he says. "What have we here? The newlyweds?"

"Where's Mary Kate?" Rebekah demands. Roy holds her arm, keeping her a distance from Justice.

"Mary Kate. Mary Kate", he calls. A sigh of relief escapes Rebekah at the sight of her daughter, unharmed. The girl runs to her mother.

"Momma!", she exlaims, throwing herself into her mother's arms. Roy sighs with relief too.

Justice interrupts the tender moment. "I've tried to work things out with you, Rebekah. But if you won't come back to me, then we're just gonnna have to share Mary Kate".

"What!". Rebekah clings tightly to her daughter. "No. She stays with me".

Justice looms over Rebekah. "You have two choices. Either you come back to me or the girl does. Which will it be?"

Panicking, Rebekah turns to Roy. He mouths one word to her; 'go'. Slowly backing away, Rebekah keeps her eyes on Roy. Justice is slow to catch on until she lifts the girl into the saddle. He steps forward.

"What the..."

Roy draws his gun, aiming it straight for the man's heart. "The ladies are going to leave now so we can settle this once and for all".

Smirking, Justice counters Roy. "So, you're brave enough to stand up to me? You think?"

"I think it's time someone taught you a lesson".

Mounted herself, Rebekah is leery of leaving Roy alone with Justice.

"Roy", she begins.

"It's all right", he tells her. "Just take Mary Kate home".

"Yeah", snips Justice. "Wait for me at home. I'm sure this won't take long at all".

With a final glance, Rebekah rides away leaving the two men to finish the job.

"So how do you wanna do this?" Justice asks. Looking at Roy, he feels confident he can take him easily in a fight.

Roy, on the other hand, has a different idea in mind. "I thought about it all night actually. You're a big guy, bigger than me. I'm sure you could take me in a fight. And you're probably a good shot too. But then so am I".

"What's your point?" Justice inquires.

"It's this. I should have shot you the first time I had the chance. Your scum. You get off beating up women. You give decent guys a bad name. And frankly, I don't like you".

Getting bored, Justice wanted Roy to rush to the finish. "Why don't you quit yappin' and get to the damned point".

Lowering his pistol, his sights were now aimed at Justice's family jewels. "As I was saying, I gave it a lot of thought and I decided that I should you out of your misery. You want something that doesn't belong to you and you can't have it. I'm going to make sure you can't ever have it again".

Understanding Roy's meaning, Justice began another tune. His voice began to shake. "Now wait a minute. Let's talk about this".

Drawing back the hammer, Roy made sure his aim was true. "There's nothing to talk about".

The bullet flew from the pistol but Justice instinctively flinched. Instead of hitting it's target, the bullet went slightly left, hitting Justice in the leg. He fell to the ground, clutching the wound. Waving the pistol in the air, Roy let out a string of expletives.

"Look what you made me do. Now I have to shoot you again".

Justice pushed himself across the dirt, trying to escape from Roy. "No. Please. No more", he begged.

Roy stood over him, looking at the pitiful sight below. Holding the gun against his side, he smiled. "Don't worry. I'm not going to waste another bullet. By the looks of it, you should bleed out in a few minutes anyway".

Justice was getting weaker. He knew Roy was right. Maybe the bullet had missed the crotch, but it had struck the femoral artery. There was nothing anyone could do for Justice now.

Giving him one last look, Roy put his pistol back into it's holster and turned away. By the time he was riding away, Justice had breathed his last. For Rebekah, the terror was over. She would be a free woman.

Chapter 8

Rebekah and Mary Kate were thrilled to see Roy when he returned. He waited until he and Rebekah were alone to tell her the whole story of Justice's death. All Mary Kate needed to know is that she and her mother were safe. The little girl couldn't hug Roy enough after hearing that news.

Wrapped in Roy's arms, Rebekah bravely broached the subject that hung over their heads.

"What happens now?" she wonders.

Roy looks at the woman he has grown very fond of. He wishes things were easier, but it was never black and white with Roy. There were many shades of gray.

"I honestly don't know", he tells her. "I should go, but I don't really want to".

"Then why don't you stay", she asks. She almost wishes she could take it back until he kisses her again. He lights a fire within her that can't be extinguished. With Roy, everything is new again.

"You need to know, I'm not very good with long term relationships. I have the attention span of a knat".

Rebekah laughs. "And you need to know that it doesn't matter. I'll take you for as long as I can get you".

Pulling him onto her, Rebekah looks longingly into his deep blue eyes. With a little wink, Roy disappears below the sheets. A smile forms on Rebekah's lips.




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