Breaking the Rules (1st in Breaking Series)

Chapter Eighteen

Chapter Eighteen

"You can't kill her, you idiot!" Rene exclaimed as he shoved Petey's hand and caused his shot to go wide.

"Why the hell not? Huh? Huh? She wants to die," Petey replied, nodding his head up and down quickly.

Elizabeth couldn't seem to stop screaming Brody's name as she looked down at him on the ground. She couldn't tell if his chest was rising and falling as his blood continued to soak into the hard, dry dirt. His rugged face was pale. His firm lips were hanging open. His legs were crumpled beneath him and his arms were spread wide.

Tears ran down her cheeks. The fat droplets falling to the ground and splattering in the dust. The one person she had left in her life that she knew she could count on and trust was lying dead in the dust. Her husband. Not even a full day did they get to spend as husband and wife before she'd been made a widow. It wasn't fair... God had not given them enough time. Not nearly enough time.

"Shut up!" Rene scolded and he backhanded her across the face, silencing her screams and bringing her attention back to the two men who were now her captors. She shook with her hatred of these men.

"Why can't we kill her Rene?" Petey demanded as he bounced around, "She wants to die just like her pathetic little husband there."

"We can't kill her because she's worth more to us alive. Just imagine what we can get Braxton to give us in order to keep our mouths shut and keep her away from her old man?"

"Money!" Petey replied with glee. "Lots and lots of money!"

"That's right. That Braxton man is foolish. He thinks I don't know who he is.. I always know who I'm working for before I ever accept a job," Rene replied as he holstered his revolver. "Now knock her out and come on, we ain't got all day. We wanna get away from that body before it starts stinkin'."

Something inside of Elizabeth snapped. She wanted to kill these men for what they'd done to Brody. Before Petey could hit her with his gun, she reached for the knife in the strap on his leg. She pulled it and then yanked herself from his arms and turned to face him, slicing the blade cleanly, and deeply, across his throat.

A gurgling sound filled the air as blood poured from the laceration. He reached out for her and grabbed onto the necklace Brody had given her. She tried to yank away but the string broke and he released his hold on it as it fell to the ground in the puddle of his crimson blood already forming at their feet.

"Petey!" Rene yelled. He saw the knife in Elizabeth's hand and watched Petey fall to the ground, lifeless at her feet. "You'll pay for killing my brother, bitch," he growled. He grabbed her wrist, squeezing so tightly she screamed and dropped the knife to the ground and then he brought his revolver down hard on her head and the last thing she saw was Brody lying in a pool of his own blood on the ground.

Rene tied her hands and ankles together and threw her over the back of his horse. He gathered up his brothers body and threw him over the back of the black mare that had always been Petey's favorite. He was going to miss his little brother but he couldn't lose sight of the goal and the goal was becoming rich. Elizabeth was worth more to him alive than she would be dead.

***

"Wake up, bitch," Rene snapped harshly as he kicked Elizabeth in the side.

She groaned and her eyes flew open, "Brody..." she moaned.

Rene rolled his eyes, "He's dead, bitch. Just like my brother." Elizabeth wanted to cry but she had no more tears left just now and she also didn't want to give this man the satisfaction of seeing her break down again, "I have a name, you bastard."