I stayed locked in my room for the next several days, my mind reeling. It was one thing for James to be a drunkard or lash out violently toward me, but now he had taken the life of an innocent man. James was a murderer. There was no coming back from that, no redemption for killing another human being. Any hope I still had of a peaceful marriage was gone. Now that James had shown the darkest parts of himself, it was something that I couldn't unsee.

Surely someone will come for him, I thought. Murder is still a crime.

I longed for the Guardians to come and cart James away, to make him pay the price for his impulsive and illicit actions, no matter what it may mean for me. But no one appeared.

I stayed locked in my room for three days after Caleb's murder. The violent scene was burned into my memories, the thought that was constantly at the forefront of my mind. How much of the fault fell on my shoulders, I wasn't sure- I hadn't pulled the trigger. But I knew it was my actions, my words and desperation to protect Charlotte, that had ultimately led to Caleb's death. I wasn't sure I could ever forgive myself for that.

When I found the motivation to leave my room, I wandered through the Manor in a zombie-like state, still in shock that James would stoop so low. I came downstairs for breakfast, my eyes red and swollen from the long nights of crying. I stared at the spot where Caleb had fallen cold and lifeless to the ground. There wasn't even a trace of his blood, the floor scrubbed clean as though the event had never happened. If only I could cleanse it from my mind just as easily.

Though my stomach grumbled greedily, I picked at my food, unable to suppress my nausea as the images from three days prior replayed in my mind. I could see my own grief reflected in Ruby's eyes as I watched her work. She had been friends with Caleb long before I arrived in Moberly Manor, so I knew his loss must be hard for her. I wondered if she blamed me for his death as much as I blamed myself. She knew there had been no affair, yet I didn't speak up when Caleb's life was on the line. Surely she thought I was a monster for letting his murder transpire.

Ruby and I hadn't spoken since the incident- what was there to say? We were fools to think we could ever find happiness in each other's company while living in such a dark state. We'd been playing with fire in our attempt to be friends- Caleb was proof of that. James made it clear that anyone found to have more than a professional relationship with his wife would pay the price. I couldn't ask Ruby to take a chance like that just because her presence made me feel a little less lonely.

After pushing my scrambled eggs around my plate, unable to force myself to take a bite, I left the room and silently made my way toward the third floor. I had just stepped onto the staircase when an urgent rasping on the front door caused me to freeze. Ruby rushed past me, wiping her hands on her apron, and opened the front door to reveal a frazzled young woman with olive skin, her dark eyes wide with worry. A young boy held her hand, and she balanced a baby girl on her hip.

"Delilah," Ruby said with surprised, ushering her into the foyer. "What are you doing here?"

"I'm sorry to stop by unannounced," the woman said in a soft voice. "I've just been so troubled. Caleb hasn't been home in a few days. Is he here?"

I stepped into the shadows of the stairwell, just out of the woman's sight, and leaned closer to listen. My stomach clenched when I realized that this was Caleb's wife. And there, clinging to her hand, was the son Caleb had talked about, along with his baby daughter. I covered my mouth to muffle the sobs that shook my body when I thought of the father they would never see again.

Ruby's shoulders tensed. "Caleb isn't here, Delilah. I haven't seen him since early Wednesday morning."

I wondered if Delilah noticed the way Ruby's voice shook. How hard it must be for Ruby to lie to this woman who had been so kind to her when she first arrived at Moberly Manor, who had treated her like a human being in a world where she was seen as expendable.

Delilah shook her head. From across the room I could see her dark eyes filling with tears. "He has stayed overnight before to tend the gardens during harvest season, or to stay with a mare that's gone into labor. But never for this long. And he always calls. I'm probably overreacting, but I just have this feeling in the pits of my stomach that something is wrong."

I wrapped my arms around my torso and pressed to ease the pain of remorse that filled me, digging my nails into my arms to stop myself from running into the room and telling the young woman the truth.

Ruby placed a hand consolingly on the woman's shoulder. "I'm sure Caleb is fine. He's probably just running an errand for Mr. Moberly and forgot to call. I wouldn't worry just yet."

The woman let out a sigh of relief and beamed at Ruby. "You're right. I'm worrying for no reason. For all I know Caleb is already home, worrying about where the children and I are. I suppose I should get back."

She made her way toward the door, hesitating in the threshold. She reached out and gave Ruby's hand a gentle squeeze. "Thank you for helping me calm down. Caleb and I are so fortunate to have a friend like you in our lives."

Ruby smiled as the woman stepped onto the porch, waving until she'd made her way down the driveway. Then she closed the front door and leaned her forehead against the dark oak, letting out a shaky breath.

"Ruby?" I said gently from the staircase. "Are you okay?"

Ruby straightened up and turned to look at me, her deep green eyes filled with tears. "No, Mia. I'm not okay," she croaked. "Nothing about this situation is okay."

I reached out to console her but she walked past me and into the kitchen, leaving me standing alone on the stairwell, broken and shattered as I thought about the loving father and husband that I helped take from the world.

***************

A week after Caleb's murder, his body was found in a ravine on the outskirts of town. The speculation was that recent rains had caused Caleb to lose his footing, that he had slipped and fell into the quarry, succumbing to his injuries before hitting the water below. It was ruled an accident, a mishap that could have happened to anyone. None were the wiser as to the real cause of death other than the residents of Moberly Manor, and who were we going to tell?

In my fury, I gnawed the inside of my cheek until it was bloody and raw. I knew the moment I heard the news that there was no such thing as justice. If justice were real, a decent, innocent man like Caleb would still be alive and it would be James rotting in a jail cell or found in a ditch somewhere, thrown out like the garbage that he was.

The worst part of the entire ordeal was that we had to go to the funeral. As if I wasn't remorseful enough, I would have to face Caleb's widow and pretend I didn't know what really happened to the man she loved.

"I'm the man's employer. It's expected that I attend," James told me the evening before the memorial service.

I wanted to argue, to scream at him for caring more about how the public viewed him than taking an innocent man's life. Instead, I nodded, keeping my eyes trained on the soup and salad I had yet to touch.

I was near hyperventilating when Ruby came into my chambers the following morning to help me get ready.

"I can't do this," I said, pacing around my bedroom. It was one thing to keep my mouth shut while I was stuck in the house, but lying in public is an entirely new level of deception.

"Breathe," Ruby said softly, taking her hands in mine. "You will be fine. It's only a few hours."

"How am I supposed to stand there and pretend that everything is okay?" I asked, tossing a pillow in frustration. "It isn't right, Ruby!"

"I know it isn't," she said. "But there's nothing we can do about it. If James was willing to take the life of his best farmhand just to prove a point, what do you think he would do to you if you risked exposing the truth?" I shivered at her words. "You can do this, Mia. You have to do this."

Ruby's words resounded in my mind as James and I walked into the church that evening. As we made our way to the pulpit to pay our respects to the family, I grew increasingly nervous. My heart reverberated in my ears and beads of sweat ran down the small of my back.

By the time we were two pews back, I was afraid I might faint. I could see the casket, closed from public viewing, the injuries deemed too extensive to subject the family to that pain. I scoffed. Of course the casket was closed- the bullet hole in Caleb's skull would be a clear sign that the story wasn't adding up. I wondered idly how much James had to pay the coroner to lie on his behalf and found my fury reignited- it wasn't fair that James would get away with this. He had the entire town in the palm of his hand.

When we were at the front of the church, James stepped up to Delilah and placed her hand gently his. "Mrs. Wilburn, I am so sorry for your loss," he said, his words dripping with sincerity. "Caleb was a fine worker and an even better man. If there is anything that my wife and I can do to ease your pain, please do not hesitate to contact us."

My eyes narrowed at my husband's caring and sympathetic words. Was this the version of James that the rest of the world knew? This handsome, charming man who could convince a grieving widow that he'd cared for her demised husband like a brother, that he had nothing to do with his untimely death.

Before I could dwell on it further, it was my turn to give my condolences. I took a deep breath and stepped forward, fighting back tears as I looked into Delilah's dark brown eyes. I stared at her for a moment, unsure what to say. But then the words came tumbling out.

"Caleb was a kind, gentle soul," I said, my own eyes pooling at the truthfulness of the words. "He made me feel welcome after my Awakening Ceremony and even took the time out of his day to teach me how to ride the horses." I smiled at the memory and she returned the gesture.

"He loved those horses," she said softly. "That was his favorite part of working for your family. It made the long hours spent away from home worth it. I'm glad that he was able to share some of his passion with you before he passed."

"Gunsmoke was my favorite," a tiny voice said.

"What was that?" I asked, leaning down to the young boy clutching the folds of his mother's skirts.

"Gunsmoke," Delilah mumbled, wrapping her arm around the boy's shoulders. "The dark black Mustang on your farm. It's my Aaron's favorite horse. He loved riding him with his father"

My heart broke as I stared at the young boy. His eyes were dry, but his brow was furrowed, unsure what was really going on, but knowing that something terrible had happened. I thought about how he would grow up without his father, how he would never be able to ride with him again. The guilt was almost more than I could bear and I found the tears flowing from my eyes.

"Well then, you'll have to come to our house and ride Gunsmoke every now and then," I choked out. "With your mother's permission, of course."

The boy gave a brilliant smile and looked up at his mother, full of excitement. His mother hid her pain and returned his grin, giving him a nod of encouragement.

"Thank you," she whispered to me. "I hope that will help keep his father's spirit alive."

I gave her a small nod and moved on, allowing the person behind me to give their sympathies to the mourning family. The boy's delight eased my pain just a little. I wasn't sure if James would actually allow him to visit, but I hoped he would find it in his heart to grant the family this one small gesture.

When we got home that evening, I was mentally and emotionally exhausted. I went upstairs, closed the bedroom door, and crawled into bed without bothering to take my shoes off. The days of guilt-ridden crying had made my eyelids heavy and tired, but every time I tried to close them, visions of Caleb's death replayed until my eyes were forced open again.

Later in the night, a gentle rasp sounded on my door. Before I could answer, the door opened and Ruby stepped inside. She climbed wordlessly into bed beside me, and wrapped her arms around my waist. We didn't speak, but the touch said more than words ever could and brought me comfort after an emotionally roller-coaster of a day. Somehow, despite my grief, I felt closer to ruby in that moment than I had to anyone else in my life. For the first time in a week, I slept peacefully that night with Ruby holding me close.  

Thank you for reading! What did you think about this chapter? What about Ruby and Mia's blossoming relationship and that kiss? As always, if you are enjoying "Bound" so far, don't forget to vote! :)