Jaded Warriors book 2 (Jade Series)

Chapter 17

Chapter 17





Just as I settled into the bed in Megan’s spare bedroom and started to dose off, a knock pounded at the front door, startling me from sleep. I heard the creak of hinges as the door opened. Hushed tones floated on the air as I tried to listen to who might be at the door. My heart sank as the exchange grew heated and Megan's worried voice rattled off something with concern.


I rushed into the hallway and stopped stunned to see Darby with three soldiers with their wielded weapons push their way in without Casey's consent.


“You can’t take him,” Megan cried out.


“He's under arrest for abandoning his post,” Darby sneered.


“You have got to be kidding!” I lashed out as I confronted him. My breaths constricted tight in my chest as I felt my heart quicken.


“Jade, it's okay,” Casey said with reluctance, and I wondered why he conceded so quickly. 


“No it isn't!”


A faint cry called out from the back room. “Megan… go back to bed,” Casey said, his voice stern and unyielding. Reluctantly, she left to console the baby, a fragile reminder of who may get hurt if Casey let the dispute with Darby escalate.


“I don't want trouble here, Jade. If I need to go to keep things quiet, I'll go.”


“The sooner you start taking this seriously… the better off it will be on all of you,” Darby said, with battering criticism.


“He had a good enough reason to be gone for one day!”


“There is no good reason, princess!” He sneered with ascending dominance.


“I suggest you rethink this if you want your men to continue to be fed!”


Darby whirled around at my biting remark, stunned that I would dare challenge him. “Are you threatening me,” he raged, his voice low and hostile as his dark eyes narrowed into dagger-like slits. His chest puffed with arrogant protestations as my insides shriveled in fear. “I don't think you are in a position to be making judgment calls on behalf of the farm. That's Kane's call, not yours and I don't think he will agree with you.”


“He won't agree with what you are doing… Are you willing to take that chance? When Kane's gone, who do you think makes the decisions on what goes on here? It's me.”


My heart pounded with battered esteem as he glared at me enraged. My body trembled inside as his burly stature loomed with intimidation over me. I had no say in what happened at the farm and I didn't want that responsibility. If Kane wasn't around, I left that to Raύl and I hoped Darby didn't see through my fear and recognize my embellishments.


Casey positioned himself between him and me. Darby shoved him against the wall with a loud thud. His guards jumped to attention and restrained him as Casey refrained, outmatched by three. “You are in enough hot water, Casey… I suggest you stay out of this.”


“I told you I'd go, just leave her alone… let’s go.”


“I'm not finished here yet,” Darby said, and then turned his attention back to me. “I will take everything you have… if I need to… in order to keep my men fed.”


“I'd like to see you try,” I scoffed, with shadowed confidence, “you don't know the first thing about raising or slaughtering cattle, and right now, the whole herd is sick with scours. Just because Casey isn't under your nose where you can watch him doesn't mean he isn't contributing the efforts of the war. He's been helping me treat calves, so if you think you can do a better job, then by all means, you go right ahead and treat them yourself.”


“Get your hired hands to help you.”


“I only have two and they are both on their deathbed, sick with pneumonia, it's just me… Chale and Elias, who normally work on the farm, are out with Joel helping you,” I paused, as I waited for his response. “I need Casey's help… I can't do it by myself.”


“Ugghh!” I jumped back, startled by his choleric temperament as vulgarity spooled from his lips. He paced the floor with one quick swoop then turned on me with heated rage in his steely eyes. “You have three days! Do you understand me?”


“Yes,” I said, shriveling inside.


“Three days!”


“Thank you,” I said, but it went unheard as he stormed out of the door with his men behind him. The walls shook and the windowpane rattled as the door shut with force and Casey and I, both stood dumbfounded in the buzzing silence. I didn't dare move as I expected Darby to bash through the door and change his mind. I glanced at Casey, only to receive a numbing stare back, and then concern lit in his eyes as he looked past me. I heard a soft whimper and turned to see Megan in the hallway, Rylie in her arms.


Dark circles pulled the life from her already heavy, hollow eyes and the bleached bone paleness of her skin sent a panic through me as she staggered into the wall. In two steps, Casey moved to her side and caught her in his arms as her legs collapsed underneath her.


“Megan!” I rushed over and pried the baby from her arms as Casey picked her up and carried her back to bed. I sat at her bedside, looking at over my feeble friend with growing concern. I placed a hand to her forehead to find her slightly warm and I breathed a sigh, at least she wasn't feverish.


I watched her chest as her shallow breaths increased and her skin pulsated above her heart in rapid thready beats.


“Deanna said she's lost too much blood,” Casey said, as fear rooted him to her side. His eyes panic stricken and glossy as worry consumed him. His jaw tensed as she looked at him with desperate eyes.


“Where's…” Her voice trailed off as she scanned the room, passing me without a hint of recognition. Her look distant and I wondered how much of what she saw, really registered in her mind.


“Rylie's with Jade,” Casey said, and then acknowledged me at her side, “she's right here.”


“Oh,” she said, and then glanced at me as she smiled briefly then closed her eyes.


“She just needs sleep, Casey,” I said, with hopeful optimism. “Lot’s of water and red meat for the iron.” The baby grew restless in my arms. I bounced her gently as I watched worry wither the last bit of resolve he had as his jaw tensed. “She'll be okay… You've been up for two days, why don't you sleep first with Megan… I'll watch the baby… When did she eat last?”


“Megan just fed her… you've slept about as much as me.”


“No, I'm fine, go sleep, I will when you wake up,” I said, as I stood and pulled Rylie close to my chest, my cheek nuzzled against her warm fuzzy head to soothe her cute infantile sounds, then walked through the doorway. I looked back as Casey climbed on the bed next to Megan.


“I just need a few hours.”


“Okay,” I whispered, as I closed the door behind me.


Very little light filtered down the hallway as a faint amber glow cast an orange hue on the walls from the dying fire. I settled to my knees and placed Rylie in the bassinet on the floor and tucked blankets around her as her tiny body squirmed, defeating my efforts. I smiled at her little squeaks as she pawed her fists in the air then I left her briefly to attend to the fire. Bitter cold air drafted from the chimney in a subtle wave and sent goose bumps over my skin as I knelt in front of the hearth. The chilliness in the room crawled over my skin and I grabbed a blanket from the couch, wrapping it around me then set logs on the dying coals.


I watched the smoldering orange in a trance-like stare with heavy lidded eyes as I waited for the fire to capture. I leaned forward and blew gently as ash flittered in the air like weightless confetti, then with a poof the pine caught a small flame.


Sporadic, fragmented whines grew and I crawled over and looked at her in awe. My body ached with exhaustion as my weariness begged for sleep. I climbed onto the couch as I pulled her miniature bed closer. I brushed over her fuzzy hair and touched her velvety soft cheek as I watched her eyes droop before falling into a lulling sleep.


***


I woke instantly as the front door pushed open and glanced around stunned and disoriented until I saw the bassinet and looked to see Rylie quietly awake. I realized I fell asleep as Deanna walked in. Early morning light spilled in around her. Through the window, pink and purple clouds hugged the mountains in the distance as a golden halo preceded the sun against the horizon.


“Deanna,” I gasped, as my breath stilled in my chest. She glanced up at me as she stomped the snow from her boots and shut the door. “I fell asleep!”


“That's okay,” she smiled, “you don't have to hold her and watch her constantly. Having her close is fine.”


I sighed with relief as she peered in the bassinet.  “Oh… good.”


“How's Megan?”


“She collapsed last night…”


Her brows peaked with worry in her eyes.


“Casey is with her.”


“Oh,” she said, then walked into the kitchen and placed logs inside the stove and lit a fire. I watched Rylie wriggle around in her tightly wrapped blanket as Deanna messed around in the kitchen before finally asking. “And the calves?”


“Sick with scours,” I said, as I heard the gentle roll of boiled water and the kettle's steamy whistle from the kitchen. I pulled a miniature diaper from a bag and slipped Rylie’s feet out of her onesy to change her. The preemie, pre-packaged diaper, about the size of my hand drowned her. “Is it okay if I go? I need to check on Raul and the calves.”


“Yeah, go ahead… but you should eat first.”


“I will when I get back… or, I'll probably eat with Raύl since I'll need to fix his for him if he's still sick,” I said, suddenly in a rush to get to the farm as the kettle whistled, spewing steam into the frosty air. “Casey was exhausted last night, when he wakes up, just tell him where I am.”


I looked up as I laced my boots to see Deanna as she watched me from the kitchen, leaning into the doorframe. She sipped a steaming cup as the fragrant aroma of mint wafted through the air and my stomach immediately churned with hunger. I ignored the pangs as I reached for my coat on a hook by the front door.


“Here, take this, it will at least warm you,” she smiled, and handed me an iron-grey thermos as a distant, sympathetic look lit in her eyes. “It's good to see you back to yourself again, Jade.”


“Thanks,” I said, her attentiveness warmed me more than any tangible heat at her constant concern and care she gave, even at the expense of going without herself at times. I smiled at her and took the thermos then walked out into the bitter cold.


*** 


Dappled shadows spotted the snow as I tied Fire to the hitching post under the lacework of bare branches of the old maple. The bright blue sky looked deceivingly warm as I pulled my coat closer around me. I huffed with clouded breaths as I headed towards the barn. The sounds of bawling calves echoed in the tall rafters of the loft, which calmed my worry, at least they were doing well enough to balk.


I pulled a pitch fork from the hook on the wall and walked towards the first stall. My mind filled with thoughts of last night and Darby's bristling temper, how it was possible to be at such odds with those who were supposed to be on your side. I had to question his approach to his newly appointed command and wondered if he would be a little more understanding if his subordinates would be a bit more receptive.


I sighed and absently raked the used straw into a pile then scattered a fresh new bale. I pulled at the tip of each gloved finger with my teeth and removed my gloves. In a feeder bottle, I mixed the concoction of egg and bourbon for the first sick calf.


I came to a solid black calf with bald face markings, slightly bigger than the other calves, and I clenched his neck between my knees as I straddled him to hold him in place. He lacked the weakness the other calves still showed and even though I was happy to see his strength improve, it made my task all that more difficult.


He wriggled as if I were about to send him to the butcher and tried to pull away from me, then he suddenly, bucked forward. I squealed as he swept my feet out from under me and I landed with a cushioned thud in the straw with the egg and bourbon down the front of my shirt. 


I sat stunned in the straw as the proud calf stood tall in the center of the stall. Frustrated I huffed at a stray strand of my tousled hair then looked to the stall door to see Casey rolling with amusement as I heard a bursting laugh.


“You didn't just see that, did you?” I asked, humiliated the calf got the better of me.


“All of it,” he laughed, “if you would've waited for me, you wouldn't smell like an alcoholic right now.”


“I'm not an alcoholic!” I pouted, with blistering embarrassment as I tried not to laugh.


“No… but you smell like one,” Casey said, as he walked into the stall and held the calf in place which struggled helplessly, unable to get away and stopped once he discovered he couldn’t move. “Hurry up… I don't know if I can hold him much longer.”


I scowled at his amusing mockery as he laughed, my strength nowhere close to matching his. He tensed his muscles slightly and I rolled my eyes at his exaggeration as I fed the calf his dose of homemade medicine.


“How's Megan?”


“She seemed better this morning.”


“Good,” I said, as relief calmed my worries.


“You didn't need to let me sleep so long, Jade.”


“I thought you needed to be with her,” I paused, “she needs you much more than I do… it might take me a while, but I can do this.”


“And if Damian shows up?”


I drew in a deep breath and sighed with inflated optimism as I ignored my inner restlessness, but before I could respond, he cut me short. “The last thing I want… is to see you end up with him again, you might not be so lucky next time… Don't underestimate him… if you do, he'll beat you every time.”


***


I sat at the kitchen table with Rylie in my arms as I wondered if Darby would be harsh with his allowance. Three days had passed and I expected him to pull up at any moment to take Casey away. I could only hope that he didn't treat him unfairly due to me.


Megan shuffled into the kitchen and settled cautiously into a chair next to me. Her movements still slowed and splinted from the traumatizing effects to her body. I smiled as I handed Rylie to her, happy to see her up and moving coherently on her own. Her color, though still pale, brightened some and glowed with the morning sun that filtered through the sheer curtains. Tiny dust motes floated through the air, gold and glittery in a flurry from her entrance into the room.


“Thank you for helping,” she said, as she tucked the baby under the blanket draped over her shoulder to feed her. She propped her feet on a chair in front of her. I watched her cautiously as she winced with scrunched brows and curled her toes from the pain, then I heard tiny gulping noises which made my own breasts hurt.


“It’s not as bad as it seems,” she said, with a weak smile.


I went to protest and voice my misgivings when the side door opened and Kane walked in with Casey. Surprised, I jumped to the edge of my seat, hopeful for a brief moment, that Gage followed. Disappointment took over and I slumped back down into the chair as the door shut behind him.


“Don't look so devastated, Jade,” Kane said, offended by my discouragement and rolled his eyes. “Just so you know… he's surviving without you… barely.”


“Good,” I said, “I hope he's as miserable as I am.”


“He is…” Kane chuckled under his breath as he sat in a chair and glanced at me with an amusing look on his face before his smile faded into a daunting, harsh glare.


“What?”


“He wasn't happy when he heard about Darby,” he scolded, “Casey told me your side of what happened and neither am I…”


“It had to be done.”


“If I'm gone, and-”


“I know, it's Raύl and Jorge's decision, not mine… but he needed to be put in his place, Kane,” I protested. “He's rude and offensive, and he is insulting to all of you, he doesn't appreciate-”


“Hey!” His sternness cut me short as I stared at him crossly because it needed to be said. “I was going to say… that you can make decisions for the farm… ”


“Really?”


“Yeah… you are very much, part owner and if there is anyone who is capable, it's you…” I gaped in disbelief as he continued. “I know he deserved it but… I don't want you to get mixed up with him, he's dangerous and I don't trust him.”


“He said he would take our farm,” I said, still reeling from the confrontation.


“I’d like to see him try,” Kane huffed. “With as much as I hate hearing about what happened, I'm glad to hear you put him in his place… he's wrong and when Mike and Prescott get back, I'm sure words will be said about how he's running everything.”


“Can he really come here and arrest him? Did you sign papers or something that said he owned you?”


“No… he can’t. We aren’t part of the army, there isn’t much left of it. We’re just a large number of men who’ve come together to fight with them for the same purpose,” Kane said. He ran a hand through his dark hair then clasped his hands together behind his head. His thick shoulders slumped, as he stretched out, slightly relaxed in his chair. “We’re all adults… we know where our priorities are and how important defeating Morrison is… but if Casey needs to take time off to be here, then that’s what has to happen.”


Kane glanced at Casey as Megan handed Rylie over to him. Her dark fuzzy head poking out from under the blanket nestled in the crook of his elbow. His large arms surrounded her completely as he held her. He watched her, his eyes haggard and heavy with fatigue, committing all of her to memory then softly kissed her forehead. I felt a twinge of sadness as I knew he felt torn but would be leaving soon with Kane. I glanced at Megan, her smile content to watch them but faintly masked her obvious sadness at him leaving.


“Jade,” Kane said, I glanced at him. He nodded towards the door. “Come with me over to the farm for a few hours, I want to check on the calves and see how Jorge and Raύl are doing.”


I jumped up rather quickly and smiled at my brother’s thoughtfulness, his way of giving Casey more time with Megan. “Okay.”


Kane stood as well and followed me from the kitchen, his hands rested on my shoulders as he gave them a squeeze and glanced back at the three of them as we paused in the doorway. “Casey, thanks for helping Jade, we’ll leave first thing… tomorrow afternoon… or late evening.”


He glanced up at Kane and chuckled lightly, the stress and sleepless nights that had etched into his face over the last three days seemed to soften. “I’ll be ready.”