In Wilderness Found

Chapter 19: "Tell Me What It Will Be."

“Here are your choices, Abner. Leave this property and let me live my life in peace, or die right here. Tell me what it will be.”

Though it’s slightly against Ellis’ better judgement, he is holding Abner still by his collar so that Madison can get in his face unharmed. She holds the pistol up in her right hand, her finger poised near the trigger, and her green eyes are blazing into Abner’s unfeeling blue ones.

Ellis watches her warily, not entirely sure how far she’ll really take this. He has seen her take a life with this pistol, and that creature had never hurt her the way this man has. Ellis can’t imagine the unthinkable things she’d do to Abner if she could.

“Bitch,” Abner spits at her, and Ellis tightens his hold around his collar. 

“You know what, you piece of shit? You’re not even worth a bullet,” Madison sneers at him before pulling the pistol back in her hand and slamming the weapon as hard as she can against Abner’s temple. The impact is so heavy that she almost drops the gun, and her fingers instantly cramp up. 

Ellis lets out a breath of surprise, and he loosens his grip so that Abner crumples to the ground. They stare at his motionless body for a moment without speaking.

“Ellis, I’m so sor-,” before Madison can get the apology out, he wraps her up in a hug so tight she almost can’t catch a breath. 

“I love you,” he breathes into her hair and he feels her arms tighten around his waist. 

It should feel sinful, holding this woman and declaring his love for her all while standing over her unconscious husband, but it doesn’t. How could it possibly be sinful to have feelings this big? He cannot lose her, and he decides in this moment to do whatever needs to be done to keep her safe from this man. 

“We need to do something with him. He won’t be out long,” Ellis whispers.

Madison nods into his chest. “Can we just drop him off across the property line?”

Ellis finally releases his grip on her and moves to pick up the deadweight of Abner’s immobile body. Madison helps him lift Abner onto his horse’s saddle, and they lay him on his stomach, sideways. She uses a thread of rough twine to bind his ankles together, and another one to tie his wrists together. Ellis straps his torso to the saddle so that getting off the horse will be difficult, but not impossible. 

Ellis guides the horse to the far end of the property, and by the time they get to the line, Abner is beginning to stir. Ellis gives the animal’s side a smack so that it starts a frenzied gallop down the steep land. 

“Don’t ever come back here, or you’ll wish she would have put you out of your misery tonight!” He yells and hopes that Abner is conscious enough now to hear his threat. Once Abner’s horse is out of sight, Ellis lets out a sigh and treks his way back up to the cabin. 

He finds Madison sitting in the rocking chair with her head face down in her hands. Based on the soft shaking of her shoulders, and Gal’s concerned expression as she watches her from her feet, he knows that Madison is crying. 

She does not look up to acknowledge his footsteps on the creaking cabin porch. To get her attention, he kneels before her and gently pulls her hands away from her face. She looks up at him and he takes in her red freckled nose, swollen eyes, and tear-streaked cheeks.

“He’s gone, sweetheart.” Ellis tries to keep his voice soft and comforting, mimicking the way he’d spoken to her when they first met in the woods. “Want to go inside?”

Madison squeezes her eyes shut, causing another tear to escape. She finally nods and stands from the chair. Ellis leads her inside and sits her down in the rocker by the window. He goes into the bedroom to pull a quilt from the bed.