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For the next week, the men continued this much hated protection 'til Maggie
was about to scream and pull her hair out. The silence only lasted
a couple of days and the men started talking to her.
She was curt and rude and they still wouldn't leave her alone and Buck was the worse. She got all twisted up inside when he flirted with her and acted like the kiss had never happened. She was beginning to think that it had never happened but would catch him staring at her mouth and see the memory running through his mind as it ran through hers whenever he was near. They were sitting in the hot and sticky sheriff's office. Buck had his feet propped up on the desk, his hat pulled down over his eyes and his hand stuck in the front of his trousers looking for all the world to be resting, cool and comfortable. Maggie on the other hand, was feeling like a caged animal, nerves raw and was soaked with sweat. She felt crowded and said to Buck, "I will give you ten dollars to leave me alone for a little while." Buck pushed his hat back and she watched as his mustache twitched with mirth and his eyes twinkle. "Now Maggie darlin' I would dearly love to take your money or anything else you might have to offer but I can't leave you by yourself and you know that." Maggie's temper flared, "Dammit Buck! Nothing has happened in a week and nothing probably will happen. I need to be alone. I can't think anymore. The seven of you are making me feel like a prisoner!" Buck just smiled and pulled his hat back over his face, "Can't help you Maggie. Sorry." She got up and stepped outside to try and cool off a little and stared up at the cloud swollen sky. "It looks like it's going to storm outside as well as it is inside." She thought to herself. "They needed the rain and it would be a relief to finally have something else around here break besides her temper. She turned to walk back inside and saw that Buck was standing right behind her. He was gazing at her with a look that she had caught by surprise and it shocked her. It was a look that she had never seen in Buck's eyes, well never seen directed at a female. If she didn't know any better, she would think that Buck cared for her. She didn't want this on top of everything else going on in her life. Her feelings for Ezra, feeling trapped and imprisoned by seven stubborn men and the danger were enough to drive a woman insane. Buck whispered "Looks like it might storm." She turned her face up to his, "You think so Buck, I really couldn't tell with seven sets of broad shoulders blocking my view of anything these days?" She said snappishly. Buck's chest rumbled with laughter and he smiled at her nastiness. "Now there's the Maggie girl I know." She sighed and then smiled at Buck. "You mean to tell me that I have been acting ladylike this week? How can that be? I don't even know what a lady acts like." Maggie watched as Buck leaned up against the doorway and crossed his arms over his chest. "Maggie darlin', no offense but you have been a little bitch this past week. And I might ask you have begged and pleaded and tried to bribe each one of us to let you out of our sights for a few hours. It's nice to here the Maggie sarcasm come back and it not sounding so defeated." Maggie grinned again. "Lot on my mind and alot of men protecting my body with do that to a gal, Buck! It could give a girl a swollen head with all the attention I have been getting." She chuckled. Buck laughed and pushed away from the doorjamb. "May I escort you back inside where it's not so out in the open?" He all but pushed her inside not waiting for her answer. Maggie sighed and allowed him to push her inside. "Buck, when is this gonna end?" Buck shrugged his shoulders, "Maggie darlin' I believe it will end when Hank Barnes is either caught or dies, that's when it will end." She plunked back down in the chair to finish the paperwork strewn across her desk, not at all happy with this situation. Later that day, as regular as clockwork, the next man came to imprison her at four o'clock. This time it happened to be Ezra and she was in her room trying to read when the changing of the guards occurred. She continued to read, ignoring the conversation between Buck and Ezra, before Buck finally left her and Ezra alone in the room. Her chest got tight and the stinking butterflies were back. She continued to read and ignore Ezra, who sat in the chair next to the door, shuffling his ever present deck of cards over and over, his legs stretched out and crossed at the ankles. He hadn't said a word since Buck had left and she didn't direct one at him either. He was driving her crazy in both mind and body. Every once in a while she would peek over the top of her book and just watch his magnificent work on the deck of cards and dreamed how she would like them to work on her. She would quickly hide behind her books in fear that he would be able to tell what she was thinking. After an hour and a half of complete and utter silence, she snapped. "Ezra!" He raised his head from contemplating his cards. "Yes, Miss Chipmunk?" Thunder crashed outside and she heard the rain pelting the hotel. "Nothing. I was just going to suggest we go for a walk but that would be ridiculous now that it's raining." She sighed. "Indeed it would be Miss Chipmunk and the fine haberdashery that I am wearing would be ruined in this horrid weather." Her temper started to rise again. She needed to be alone. She had noticed lately that it didn't take much anymore for her to bite people's heads off. She was under so much tension, that she felt like she would explode at the least provocation. "Damn it Ezra! Is that all you can think of! I want fresh, wet, cleansing rain to hit my face and your worried about your clothing?" "My dear Miss Chipmunk you have no earthly idea how much this *clothing* cost me. I therefore will not go out into the rain and see all that money wasted. And as for you, because I cannot venture out then neither can you." He said in an amused voice. So he thought her predicament was amusing did he? Well she would soon wipe that smile off his delectable lips. She shook her head at that last thought and started devising a plan to get away from Ezra and be by herself. She waited until he had all but forgotten about her and asked, "Ezra would you kindly do me a favor?" Ezra glanced at her with faraway eyes. He had been thinking of ways that him and Chipmunk could entertain themselves on such a horrid day. He could not believe he was entertaining such ideas of Chipmunk. The images flitting through his mind made him want to groan, but he reigned his fanciful mind in and tried to concentrate on what she was saying. "What my dear, is the favor and I will tell you if it is in my generous nature to help." He laughed at the apoplectic expression on her face and heard her grumble under her breathe, "Generous nature my ass!" She turned a sweet smile on him. "Could you possibly fetch the box on the top shelf of my closet for me. I have finished this book and would like to read another but I am not tall enough to reach the box or the shelf." Ezra stood up and walked to the closet door. He opened the door, unaware that Maggie had gotten off the bed and was standing directly behind him. As he reached up to retrieve the box, Maggie shoved the door against his back, forcing him to become unbalanced and fall into the closet. When he fell, Maggie hurriedly slammed the door and locked it. She quickly yanked on her boots and grabbed a coat, all the while hearing Ezra call her some very colorful names and slam his fists on the door. She ran out of the room to the sound of him slamming himself against the closet door. She had just reached the bottom of the hotel stairs when she heard a loud crash, as if the wood in the hotel was being ripped apart by the hands of god. She ran for all she was worth, knowing damn well that when Ezra caught her he was going to kill her. Not so much for locking him in a closet, but for duping him so easily into doing it. Nothing got his goat worse than being made to look the fool. She ran out into warm driving rain and made a left to circle around to the alleyway on the side of the Lazy Daisy. This was a long and lonely alleyway, with only the general store on the other side to block it from the street. She could see the end of the alley open onto a busy street in town and if she could just get there, she could disappear for a couple of hours with no one guarding over her. She started running down the alleyway and was suddenly yanked by her hair from behind. She felt alarm race through her at the thought of it being Hank Barnes, but she heard Ezra's whispered words in her ears. "Don't you ever do that again, do you understand me?" He let go of her hair and turned her to face him and pushed her against the alley wall. "Let me go Ezra! PLEASE! I need some space!" "You are not to EVER do that again! Mr. Barnes could have been out here waiting for an opportunity just like that! Do you understand the danger you are in you stupid girl?" Ezra yelled at her. The rain was beating down on them like the clouds had been storing it away for weeks to let loose in one afternoon. The rain did not cool her temper down. She exploded. "Don't you ever call me a stupid girl again. You have no idea what it is like to be shadowed for days, never truly having time to yourself. Not being able to even go to the bathroom by yourself! Do you have any idea how humiliating that is? DO YOU?" She was literally and figuratively, backed up against a wall. Ezra pressed her shoulders against the wall so that she could not get away from her and she tried shoving him with her hands against his chest, so that she could escape but it was no use, he was too powerful and the energy had been drained from her. She was tired of fighting him. He had had it with her temper. He had had it with her disregard for her own safety. But most of all, he had had it with the feelings she exposed in him. He couldn't take it anymore and he broke. Ezra brought his hands up and grasped her face, splaying his hands through her soaked, wild blonde hair and his mouth plunged down onto hers. He felt her gasp in shock and tense up. He pressed his lower body against hers to keep her from bolting and the contact sent a shock through him. Maggie was spinning out of control. She gasped in shock as he deepened the kiss and she snaked her arms around his waist to pull him closer. Ezra darted his tongue into her mouth and let it glide along her teeth and to finally tangle with hers. She returned as well as she was receiving and he felt her hands drift up his back and shoulders and into his hair to pull him closer. He groaned into her mouth and ground his hips against hers in response. Maggie couldn't breathe, she felt on fire. She wanted him now. She didn't care if they were standing outside. She had been waiting for this day for five years and wanted it more than anything else in her life. She felt his hand drift down her face and shoulder to the top button of her shirt. She gasped in surprise when he pulled his mouth away and kissed a trail over her chin, down her throat and the skin that had just been exposed by the unbuttoned shirt. Maggie clasped his head never wanting these feelings to end. The rain did little to cool them down, in fact it seemed to washing away there inhibitions. Ezra clasped her hand with his and kissed the palm, his tongue darting out lightly to lick the raindrops off. He placed it on his chest and over his heart, which Maggie could feel like pounding horses hooves. "Do you see what you do to me Maggie?" "Do you honestly know what the hell you are getting yourself in for." "You have driven me to distraction and I cannot stop, so if you have doubts please stop us now. "I tried being the sensible adult. Thought it was just being in such close quarters with a woman. Maggie, I don't want to lose you as my friend, my very close friend but I have to have you, right now." He groaned and plunged his mouth onto hers again. Maggie stopped thinking the moment his lips touched hers. She couldn't stop him now, even if she wanted to. She groaned into his mouth and let her hand wander over his chest. She could feel his skin through his rain soaked skin and taste the raindrops on his lips. She pulled her mouth away from him so that she could watch the exposed skin being exposed by her unbuttoning his shirt. She was at the fourth button on his shirt when she heard a noise behind him and felt him slump. Maggie grabbed Ezra to prevent him from falling to the ground and only managed to slow him down enough to not hit his head. She didn't have time to react and protect herself or Ezra as she looked up into the face of a stranger. She saw the ax handle in his hand and heard the blow to her head rather than felt it. She crumpled to the ground, out cold. Hank Barnes chuckled over his handi-work and whistled for his companions to help. The covered wagon was backed up to the entrance of the alleyway and Ezra and Maggie were loaded onto the wagon. He found it rather amusing that he had Maggie, who he most wanted to hurt, and now he had just the way to go about hurting her in her soul as well. He jumped up on the wagon and drove it out of town. Forcing the horses to go as fast as they could, before he was discovered with his bounty in the back.
Maggie came back to consciousness slowly and painfully.
She vaguely remembered a blistering kiss and a stunning blow. She
groaned and was not quite sure over which memory the groan had escaped
her mouth over. She raised her head quickly when everything came
rushing back.
Hours later, Maggie and Ezra were still tied to the chairs and had not gotten very far in either of their escape plans. Hank Barnes had come and gone. She now understood why she had been protected like a baby chick this last week. The man was insane. She had come out of the conversation with him with a bruised eye and a bad temper. Ezra was unable to do anything to help, being in the same chains as her. He wanted to rip the man's throat out for hitting her, he would have for even touch one piece of hair on her head. He was so damned proud of her. She didn't whimper, buckle under the pressure and she didn't cry when the bastard had hit her. He felt useless and his mind had run out of ideas. Maggie on the other hand was burning with anger, fear and loathing for the nasty man. Her mind had finally come up with a plausible plan of escape, now if she could just make it happen, then they could get away from Barnes and get some help. She turned her head to the side and whispered to Ezra, "Whatever you do, please do what I say and when I tell you not to move, don't move alright? I think I might have a way of getting us the hell out of here." It irked Ezra immensely to have to follow her lead but he did as instructed. Maggie asked him to push backwards, in the process push her towards the dresser. It took several minutes, sweat, and nervousness at being heard before they finally reached the point that Maggie wanted. "Now please don't move.." she begged afraid that he would shake the chairs and make her break the thing before the right time. Maggie placed her feet on the front of the dresser, on the drawers and walked her feet up until she had them resting on the top of the dresser. She ever so slowly, and not with much room for leverage with the ropes tied from her waist to her shoulders, opened her feet and inched them forward around a glass water picture that had been brought in to taunt them with the contents. She placed each foot on either side of the picture and slowly brought it towards her. She couldn't afford to have it break at her feet. There wasn't enough time. Barnes was due back shortly and this plan had to work perfectly or they would waste precious time in getting out of here. Ezra sat and listened to the noises coming from behind him, wondering what on earth she was up to. He remained motionless as he heard her grunt and gasp for breath. It was driving him insane not knowing what was going on or being able to contribute to their release. Maggie had managed to pull the picture of water to the edge of the dresser. She pulled her feet off the dresser slowly so as not to bump it and send the picture flying. She again asked Ezra to push backwards.."Slowly!" she almost yelled. She didn't want to bump the dresser with her knees. Ezra pushed her far enough forward where her knees were almost brushing the drawers. She didn't realize that the threat of death could make someone so limber and contorting. She brought her feet up slowly never touching the dresser until her knees were almost touching her chin. They were unable to go any farther because she couldn't slide down in any farther. She again opened her legs and brought them forward so that her calves now rested on the top of the dresser. She closed her knees around the picture and braced herself for the cold water that was about to her in the chest and stomach and lap. She gasped as the water poured out of the top of the picture when she brought her knees forward to drop the picture into her lap. Water poured all over her splashing over her shoulders and going down Ezra's back. She heard him hiss in shock. "What in god's name are you doing Maggie?" Ezra spat as he felt the water trickle down his now ruined haberdashery. "I don't have time to explain Ezra...just one last thing I am going to ask and that will be it. On the count of three, throw your body to the left. We need to tip over the chairs." Maggie panted giving anything to be able to wipe her face off. "I will bow to your wishes but only this one last time," he stated, his pride hurting due to the fact that she was the person in action and he was following orders. When Maggie reached three, they both threw there bodies to the left sending them flying to the floor. Maggie grasped the picture in a tight grip and prayed that she didn't sever off any fingers when it smashed on the floor. She grunted for the pain the impact caused and heard the same and more curses come flying out of Ezra's mouth. She really had no idea that Ezra could talk so like a commoner when he was angry. She almost giggled from the idea and would have if her body wasn't in extreme pain and Ezra wouldn't have beaten her to a pulp when let free. She quickly grabbed a sharp shard of glass and went to work on the ropes encircling her lower arms. About twenty minutes had passed and her hands were shredded from the glass but she had done it. She had cut through a majority of the ropes and freed herself. She stood as quickly as her aching, bruised and battered body would allow. She looked down and did manage to giggle at the site of Ezra on his side, totally soaked and still tied to the chair. She couldn't help it. It was very rare to see Ezra this defenseless and she was enjoying it. "Release me at once!" Ezra practically yelled when he heard Maggie giggling. The embarrassment was really too much for him. He thought he might actually take her over his knee once released for laughing at him. "Can you say, Maggie I am yours for a week, Ezra?" she said as she laid down on her side and gazed at him to gauge his reaction. His eyes burned into hers and she felt a jolt go through her body at the look. She wasn't sure if he wanted to kill her or make mad passionate love to her but either way the stare had been powerful. She was never going to get a chance like this again with Ezra and she took it. She placed bloody hands on either side of his face and kissed him deeply, passionately and with all her heart, hoping that he wouldn't break it. She had control over the kiss and ended it before things got too much more out of control. She quickly untied him and helped him to stand, wiping her blood off his face in the process. He grabbed her by the shoulders and pulled her to him, "Don't you ever kiss a man like that again when he is not free to reciprocate. You are playing with fire and you might just get burned." He pulled her hard up against him and kissed her as if he would die without a taste of her lips. He released her and turned away trying to draw in breathe. He turned back and grasped her ruined hands. "We have got to go. I will look after your hands when we reach safety." Ezra pulled her towards the window, unlatching and pulling it up. He looked out into the pitch black night, recognizing the part of town they were in and was shocked to realize that they were still in town. He practically pushed Maggie through the window and out into the darkness, following close behind. His gambler's intuition was telling him that they didn't have too much more time to make their getaway. They ran from the house on the edge of town, and heard the bellow of pure rage that was issued out the open window. They ducked quickly behind the livery hoping they hadn't been spotted and trying to catch their breathes. Before they left the protection of the livery, Ezra leaned over and whispered into Maggie's ear "I am yours for the week, do what will have me do." Maggie's thoughts ran into a thousand directions at the admission. She turned, smiling like a contented cat and said before dashing off to find a safe haven, "Oh you will be mine Mister Standish, but for alot longer than a week." Ezra followed suit, knowing that they were not out of danger, especially Maggie as long as Hank Barnes was still alive and kicking. ***to be continued***
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