A/N: Ok, hat is on and being very naughty. I'll be hiding somewhere where you can't get me with the pitch forks. The next few chapters were a challenge, I will admit. To make the decisions I have were not easy but I do feel they fit the times and the story. SSC has made massive contributions in the upcoming chapters and I thank you so much for that, Hun. You really know how things should work and you have helped me immensely.

Things are intense, be ready…

Thanks for the amazing reviews, please, keep them coming and if you have to swear then let it be so :)

Chapter 74

Hank sat with his uncle at the dining table as a late lunch was served. The smell of roast beef, mashed potatoes and corn drifted through the room. The colonel always did like to eat well and it wasn't often he didn't have an appetite.

"Do you think maybe our house guest is hungry?" the colonel asked as he shoveled a spoonful of potato into his mouth.

Taking a sip of wine, Hank shrugged. "I don't know. She probably is although I doubt she would accept any form of gesture right now."

The colonel sniggered. "Well, she should eat. She needs to be fit and well when she takes her vows now, doesn't she?"

As Hank nodded his agreement, McKeen held up his right hand and clicked his fingers. The servant, standing in the corner, was quick to rush to his side.

"Yes, sir?" he asked immediately.

After wiping his mouth on his napkin, the colonel looked to his worker. "Have Grace make up a plate of food for our houseguest and then take it up to her."

"Of course, sir," the young man replied, swiftly turning and leaving the room.

McKeen picked up the bottle of red wine and poured a glass. "You know, my boy, I'm still trying to work out what we are going to do with her."

Placing his glass down, Hank frowned, "Who?" he asked.

The colonel grinned into his glass as he took a sip of the fine, elegant alcohol. After he swallowed, he spun the crimson liquid around in his glass. "Sara," he answered.

"Oh…" Hank placed his glass down and cleared his throat. "Well I…um…"

"You see that's your problem, Hank," the colonel firmly stated. "You are too indecisive and you don't take enough control, especially…over your women. You informed me that Sara told you she loved someone else, now…I wouldn't be very happy with that."

Hank pushed his plate away, his appetite suddenly disappearing. "How could I have prevented that? We were engaged for just a few days before…"

The colonel thumped his fists down onto the table causing his wine glass to rock from side to side. He shot to his feet and Hank almost jumped from his chair.

With a firm finger pointed at his nephew, the colonel scowled at his family member. "You don't ever let a woman say no to you! You are a man, Hank! You are the man! You let her know exactly who is in control and you take her as your own!" He stepped away from the table and began pacing. "But no…even given our situation, you allow her to leave and go to the city…give her time to think…work things out…" Stopping he glared at Hank and then slowly approached him as he squirmed back in his seat, "…have you figured out who this so called other man she loves is? Because I'm pretty damned certain I have…and you let that happen. You let a piece of trash take her heart because you are so damned slow at getting things done!"

A look of deep confusion crossed over Hank's face, as if he were trying to work out his uncle's comments. "Grissom…." he snarled, his nostrils flaring. That worker had always been a thorn in his side, he hated him so much. "I'm sorry, Uncle, I…"

The colonel laughed. "I don't want you to be sorry, Hank. I want you to be in control, get your act together and be a man because if you want Sara to live another day after the two of you are married then you had better sort her out. She needs to know exactly who is in charge and what her purpose is, do you understand me?"

"Yes, Uncle."

"You better, for if you don't, then you are going to become a widower very, very quickly after you take your vows."

Hank's body firmed as he stood. "I understand, Uncle, and I promise I won't let you down again. Sara is mine and the fact that she thinks she can dare even love another…I will teach her a lesson and ensure she understands who she belongs to."

"Good." The colonel smiled and opened his mouth to continue but he was interrupted.

There was a knock at the door and Jared walked in.

Both Hank and the colonel looked to the worker as he entered the room and Jared removed his hat before coming to a stop in front of his boss.

The colonel looked over Jared's shoulder and frowned. "Did you come back alone, Jared?" he asked.

Clearing his throat, Jared nodded. "Yes, sir, I'm sorry but the reverend is out of town."

Working his jaw in a displeased manner, the colonel stepped closer to his worker, "Out of town?"

Jared swallowed hard, "Yes, sir. There was a death in his family and he had to attend the funeral. He will be back in three or four days."

A huge sigh roared from the colonel's lungs as he rolled his eyes and looked to the ceiling. "Fantastic," he mocked. "Such perfect timing."

"Isn't there anyone else that could perform the ceremony?" Hank asked.

The colonel's eyes sprang to his nephew and the right side of his mouth twitched. "Oh yes…one other man."

Hank shrugged. "So why don't we get him to do it?"

A fake smile graced the ranch owner's lips. "It's the sheriff, Hank. Would you like to ask him or should I?"

"Oh…" he mumbled.

"Yes, oh indeed," the colonel retorted. "I can't see Jim Brass being very helpful on that one can you?"

"No, Uncle. So…what do we do?"

The colonel huffed a breath. "We will have to wait, what other choice do we have? But…" He smiled, "…it should give you a little time to stamp your authority with your future bride don't you think?"

Hank's brow lofted skywards.

McKeen approached his family member and looked him right in the eye. "Show her who is in charge, Hank, and exactly who she belongs to now. I know you want to…"

Hank's lips curled a sinister grin. Oh he wanted to…and he was going to…

Sara Sidle…would be his…

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Sara sat in a chair by the window and looked out, staring into the deep blue sky. It was such a clear day; there wasn't a single cloud in sight. She heard the door unlock and slowly rose from the chair, her heart beating, uncertainty brewing through her veins as to what to expect.

Her body relaxed somewhat when a young woman carrying a tray entered the room.

"I brought you some lunch, Miss," the woman announced quietly, placing the tray on a table by the bed. "The colonel wishes that you eat as its unhealthy not to do so."

Sara's eyes narrowed as she approached the worker but her attention sprang to the door…it was open.

"What have you brought?" she asked casually in attempt to distract the young woman.

"Oh…" Grace looked to the tray, "…roast beef and potatoes, Miss. All fresh and hot."

Sara laughed internally. These people really didn't know her at all. If they did, they would know she didn't eat meat. She didn't dawdle on the thought though and she didn't care about the food. She had only one thing on her mind.

"I'm sorry," Sara whispered.

Grace turned and faced Sara with a frown. "Sorry about what, Miss?"

"This…" Sara said no more but pulled her arm back and thumped the worker solidly between the eyes. Grace screeched and stumbled backwards, upsetting the tray of food. She quickly followed it and hit the wooden flooring with a dull thud.

Sara was shocked at herself for doing such a thing and for hitting a defenses woman who was only doing her duty, but this may be her one and only opportunity to get away. Within a second, she turned and sprinted from the room, her breath short and panicked. She stopped on the landing and looked around. The area was clear so she headed straight for the stairs, lifting her dress and rushing down them as quickly as she could. When she reached the bottom her heart pounded when she heard Hank and McKeen's voices.

She ducked around the back of the staircase and huddled into a ball, as tightly as she could as they approached. She shook as she tried to remain silent, covering her mouth with her hand in an attempt to keep her fast breathing silent.

They laughed as they began to climb the stairs and it made her blood turn cold but thankfully, they didn't see her. The second she knew she was out of their line of sight, she darted from her hiding place and bolted through the front door. She ran down the main steps and didn't stop…

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McKeen and Hank reached the top of the stairs and turned towards Sara's room.

"I wonder if she enjoyed her lunch," the colonel chucked.

Hank smirked but his smile quickly faded as all of a sudden Grace crawled from Sara's room on her knees.

"What the hell?" the colonel mumbled.

The two men rushed towards their employee.

"Grace, what are you doing?" the colonel asked, confused, noting his worker had a nasty bruise forming over her right eye.

"I'm sorry, sir," Grace replied, trying to gather her bearings and stand but she couldn't quite make it. "She hit me…I didn't even see it coming…"

McKeen's eyes widened and then shot to his nephew. "Check her room, Hank. Now!" he bellowed.

Hank nodded and in a shot, dashed into Sara's room. His eyes scanned every corner, his mouth dropping open when he saw Sara wasn't there. Running to the window he looked through it.

"Damn it," he grumbled, spotting Sara some distance away across the grounds. She was running and she was running fast.

After thumping the window, Hank bounded from the room. "She got out!" he yelled, rushing towards the stairs.

The colonel shook his head. "You better get her, Hank, do you understand me? If she talks to anyone there will be hell to pay!"

"Yes, Uncle," Hank replied but didn't stop. He ran down the stairs, out of the house and went straight to the stable. Leaping upon his horse he bolted from the compound and raced towards where he had last seen Sara…

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Sara kept running. She didn't stop and she never looked back. She cursed under her breath. How could McKeen have so much land? She avoided the driveway even though it was the easiest way to get to the main road but she was fearful of getting caught. However, she couldn't find a way off the estate now.

She stopped for a moment and tried to catch her breath, sucking in heavy, deep gusts of air. But then she heard it, the faint echo of hooves. Deathly slowly she turned around and her heart lunged. She couldn't quite make out the rider who was galloping towards her but she knew it was Hank. Her rest was over and she kicked her legs back into gear, bolting to the left and into the wood which boarded some of the fields.

As Sara scrambled through the woodland her legs began to burn. She tried so hard but her speed was lessening, the missed meals and hours of exhaustion, perhaps her pregnancy, severely decreased her endurance. But a final burst of energy came from somewhere and she propelled her body forward.

But she was no match for a well bred horse.

A whisper of despair escaped her lips as she heard the horse approaching behind her, getting closer and closer, the heavy pounding of hooves now hitting the dirt.

She willed her legs to move faster but as she managed a look over her shoulder her fears reached fever pitch when she saw Hank was almost upon her.

"Sara stop!" he shouted.

A distressed cry shuddered from her lips as she lost her footing, stumbled and went crashing to her knees. "Ughghhh…" she stammered, attempting to get up, trying to ignore the pain shooting through her battered body. She staggered forwards but didn't get much further. Hank leapt from his ride as he pulled up alongside her and tackled her to the ground.

"No!" she screamed as they rolled around on the ground. Hank grunted as he managed to flip her onto her back and pin her down with his body.

"Get off me!" she demanded, thumping his in the chest as hard as she could.

"Stop struggling, Sara!" Hank's nostrils flared and he fumbled to grab her hands with his own, simply shrugging off her attack. Eventually he managed it and with brute force, he pinned her arms by her sides, totally immobilizing her.

She struggled but it did her no good, he was simply too strong. Tears rolled down her cheeks now, her eyes closing as she sobbed under him.

"That was so…so stupid, Sara…" Hank growled.

Sniffing hard, her eyes opened, the feeling of his body enveloping her made her cold to the very bone. "Please, Hank…."

"Please?" he laughed, tightening his hold on her hands, causing her to cry out. "Please what?"

Her chin quivered, she knew no matter what she said, it would be in vain.

"You see…your problem…" He lowered his head, almost to a point their noses were touching, "…you can't do as you're told and…you don't understand who you belong to now…" He grinned, dipping his head to her neck and Sara began to shake as his warm breath tickled along her skin. She tried to struggle again but he held on firm and sniggered into her. His lips moved to her ear. "I'm going to teach you a lesson, Sara…Take you…Make you understand you're mine and on one else's…"

He lifted his head and looked into her terrified eyes. She understood his threat alright and her fear only made him smile all the more. "Up!" he demanded. Pushing himself from her body, he took her right arm and pulled her up. He kept a firm grip on her and it hurt, but the pain cursing through her body was the least of her worries…

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As Hank quickly ushered Sara back into the house, they found the colonel waiting for them in the hallway. "Upstairs." Was his only word but it was a commanding one at that. He didn't look very happy.

"Yes, Uncle," Hank replied quickly and pushed Sara towards the stairs.

McKeen followed.

They reached the room Sara had been imprisoned in and she jumped when the colonel grabbed her wrist, pulling her away from Hank. She winced at his painful grip.

"We are just going to have a little chat…alone…"

With fearful eyes, Sara looked to Hank but he wasn't going to do anything to help her. He was enjoying her torment; she could see it on his face.

Unable to object, Sara was dragged back into the bedroom, McKeen slamming the door behind them. He released her wrist but as she turned to face him, he swung his right arm. His flattened palm came into brutal contact with her left cheek, so hard it caused her to stumble and she fell, with a startled cry, onto her already bruised knees.

Her breathing became short and labored, pain cursing through her legs as her hand shot to her face in an attempt to sooth the pain there.

He hit her.

What else was he going to do?

Afraid and uncertain, her head raised slowly, her eyes meeting his as he glared down at her. His nostrils were flaring, his eyes twitching, so she knew he was angry. She wasn't given any time to think though as he lunged down at her, yanking her from the floor, he grabbed her upper arms and thrust her against the wall.

She couldn't fight him. Apart from being stunned from his blow and exhausted from her escape attempt, she simply wasn't strong enough. Her cheek throbbed and his unyielding grasp caused even more pain to her already battered arms.

A sob escaped her throat as he held her and she closed her eyes.

"Do you know how incredibly stupid that little stunt was?" the colonel growled. "Are you so dim to think that you can actually get away from here?"

Slowly, Sara's eyes opened and clashed with his. She didn't like what she saw. "Can you blame me?" she replied on a whisper. "Would you not have done the same if you were being held against your will?"

McKeen's eyes narrowed as he listened to her words, maybe he agreed with her and would have done the same but she would never hear him say that.

"Well…" He licked his lips, relinquishing his grip a little on her arms, "…if you had only just continued with the wedding as was planned and fulfilled your obligation then, you wouldn't be in this mess, would you?"

Sara was aghast at his words. After everything she had learned about the McKeen family, he actually still thinks this is her fault? "I bare no obligation to Hank or you either," she was brave enough to say.

"Oh but you do." His lips formed a sinister grin. "You see, I know your little secret…I know why you are a little delusional about your feelings and why you don't seem to have any affection for my nephew."

"I don't feel affection for you nephew because he is a pig."

"Oh really? Hmmm…So it wouldn't have anything to do with the fact that you are infatuated with…a certain…rancher?"

Sara's eyes flickered, her mouth involuntary popped open and her pulse suddenly soared to new heights.

"I see I have struck a chord," McKeen chided. "Tut tut, Sara. Falling for the workers? I can't see your father being very happy with that."

She shook her head. "I have no idea what you're talking about," she denied, trying to keep her voice composed although it didn't work very well.

"Oh I think you do, for I am not as gullible as my nephew and I generally work things out a little bit faster." He removed his hands from her arms and took a step back but he remained close enough that Sara was still afraid to move. "I know you went to his place, what did you tell him?"

"I didn't tell him anything," she replied quickly. "He wasn't there."

The colonel frowned. "Do you expect me to believe that?"

"I don't care what you believe but I'm telling you he wasn't there. If you feel I am so infatuated with him and he was there, don't you think I would have stayed longer?"

Now the colonel smiled. "I guess you would have but how would he have even received you anyway? After all, you are the reason he left, aren't you? Did you break his heart, Sara? That's not very nice is it?"

"Go to hell," she spat. How dare he say that, how dare he?

The colonel snorted, finding her words quite amusing. "Now…Sara, here's how things are going to work from now on...As soon as we get the reverend here, you will sign on the line and you will marry Hank. Without fuss, without arguments and you will keep your pretty little mouth shut, for if you don't…I swear to God, I am going to go to Grissom's little farm, drag his filthy ass back here and make you watch while I beat him within an inch of his life. Then, I'm going to hang him and let you watch as he kicks, twitches and breathes his last measly breath. Do I make myself clear?

"You are such a monster," she gasped. "I know what you're doing…using me to get the estate. Hank becomes my husband…he will be in control of any inheritance I get."

McKeen puckered his lips. "Maybe you aren't as stupid as I thought…" He'd said what he had to say and backed away towards the door. As he reached for the knob, he faced her again. "Maybe Hank can explain things in a little more…detail for you, my dear. I know he is just…very keen to do so…" He laughed. "Make sure you enjoy yourself," he finished with a snigger as he left the room.

Sara's gut tightened as she recalled Hank's threat in the woods and her world seemed to implode as he entered the room, locked the door and placed the key in his pants pocket.

Her skin crawled as he looked at her, taking small, slow steps in her direction. He cleared his throat as his eyes scanned all over her body. Starting at her face then her breasts, her mid section and finally her legs before his head rose, his eyes coming back to meet hers.

"Even a little battered, you are still incredibly beautiful, Sara," he said with a husky tinge to his voice, coming to a stop barely a foot away from her.

Sara squared her back firmly against the wall and held out a hand. "Please don't do this…" she pleaded.

He smiled. Raising his hand, he slipped his fingers through her hair, curling her long locks back around her right ear. "Take off your dress," he breathed into her.

Trembling now, Sara shook her head, a tiny choke escaping her lips. "Please…."

"Either you take it off…" His eyes passed down her body then came back to meet hers, "…or I do. The choice…is yours, Sara…"

"The water of the fountain ran, the swift river ran, the day ran into evening, so much life in the city ran into death according to rule, time and tide waited for no man, the rats were sleeping close together in their dark holes again, the Fancy Ball was lighted up at supper, all things ran their course."***

*** Extract taken from: A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens

A/N: Ugh, I even shiver reading this back. Although I did enjoy Sara giving a little whoopa! Please be gentle. More is just about ready, I will try not to keep you holding too long. Reviews very, very welcome, even if you havn't before. They make me happy! Although not so sure about the ones to come...*Hides*