“You cannot harm me, McKinley.”
“You know who I am, which means you know what I am capable of.”
“All I want is the boy.”
“That’s not happening,” Wade said and took a step toward Chloe. He wanted to make sure he was positioned between the man and those he loved. He had no doubt Garrett was excellent with a sword, but the risk was too great if something went wrong.
“We can all leave alive, you only have to give him to me.”
“Why do you want the boy?” Wade asked as he took the final step to place himself in front of Chloe.
The man looked up at him, and his eyes were as dark as the soul Wade imagined was inside of him. A large scar marred the right side of his face, although the rest appeared youthful. The man sneered at him.
“You think I will tell you anything? You shouldn’t even be here.” He surged forward and stopped just as the tip of his blade pressed into the skin of Wade’s abdomen.
“Well, I am here, and you will not harm my son.”
“He is not your son!” the man growled. “He is a bastard. I am the rightful heir to clan McLaughlin!”
“Fergus is the only heir,” Garrett said from behind the man.
The man hissed and bared his teeth. “I am Darcy McLaughlin, Carrick was my brother.”
“I was not aware Carrick had any siblings.”
“Not surprising, you didn’t need to know. You murdered my brother and gave his legacy to his whore and bastard son.”
“You would do well to watch your tongue when you have a sword pressed to your back,” Wade growled.
“I do not fear death,” the man sneered. “I will run you through before the McKinley even has a chance to press his sword into my back, and I would die a happy man knowing I took you out with me.”
Blood spurted from his mouth as he fell to his knees at Wade’s feet. Garrett and his bloody sword stood behind the man’s now limp form.
“He will not harm anyone again. Figured I shouldn’t give him a chance to make good on his promise to you,” Garrett said and used the man’s dark cloak to wipe his blade clean.
Wade couldn’t help but be flabbergasted by how quickly Garrett rebounded after murdering a man. A man who deserved it, of course, a man who Wade would have killed in a second if he had gone after Chloe or Fergus again, but it still felt so normal for Garrett. Different time, Wade supposed.
“Were you aware Carrick had a brother?” Garrett asked Chloe.
“We had heard rumors, but everyone believed he had died years before Carrick had even been born.”
“Strange,” Carissa said, straightening.
“Is there a way to make sure there are no other siblings who are going to come after us?” Wade asked Garrett.
“We can ask around, but it’s unlikely anything will come of it. If he had been in hiding this long, I doubt anyone knows anything. ‘Tis more likely he was hidden away because the old McLaughlin was ashamed of him.”
“I heard he had attempted to poison his father and was killed for it,” Chloe whispered, staring down at his lifeless body.
“He is gone now. You and Fergus are safe, I know Wade will see to it.” The warning was apparent in Garrett’s words, and where jealousy would normally ring, Wade only felt comforted by how much Garrett McKinley cared for his family. That’s how he saw them, how he would always see them.
Chloe clutched Fergus to her chest and watched as men came and carried Darcy McLaughlin’s body away. It disgusted her that anyone would be willing to kill an innocent boy over a plot of land. He could damn well have it if it were that important to him! She and her son could live happily anywhere, they didn’t have to be in a castle.
Her body still shook from the fear when he had burst into the room, demanding she hand her son over, or she would face death herself. Carissa had just come in with Gabby and had managed to pull both kids with her into the corner of the room before the man could grab Fergus.
She closed her eyes and shook her head. The fear that reflected in her son’s eyes was not a sight she would ever forget. She made sure and thanked God for sending Wade and Garrett when he did. Without them intervening, she wasn’t sure what would have happened. She even thanked their Mrs. Kinley for sending Wade to look after her.
“Chloe,” she heard Wade’s voice and opened her eyes.
“Come on, let’s go to bed.”
“I can’t leave Fergus,” she insisted and pulled him closer.
“Fergus is asleep, I thought you could take him to bed with you, and I will stand watch. I can sleep on the floor by the door.”
“You don’t need to sleep on the floor.”
“I don’t mind. I want to make sure you both are safe.” Wade held out his hands, and Chloe reluctantly let him lift the sleeping Fergus.
“Thank you, Wade. I don’t know what we would have done without you.”
Wade leaned down and kissed her softly.
“You won’t ever have to find out.”
She wasn’t sure if he realized the silent promise behind his words. She hoped he did, and that he meant to keep it. She had fallen in love with him in the short time he had been there. What they had done earlier had only deepened her feelings for him. Chloe watched as he carried her son carefully as if he were made of the finest china, and it made her heart soar. This was their future, she thought to herself, and what a bright future it would be.
Chapter Nine
The next day when Chloe woke up, her first sight was of Wade and Fergus pretend sword fighting on the other side of the room. They were doing it so quietly that she hadn’t heard them until she began to wake for the day.
“Momma!” Silence forgotten, Fergus yelled and launched himself onto the bed. “Wade and I were sword fighting, like warriors!” He moved his arms as if he were holding a sword. “Only the swords are invisible, so the bad guy can’t see it.” He whispered it, and Chloe smiled.
Last night’s events seemed to have not even phased him. It made her very proud of her son.
“That sounds like fun.”
“It was,” Wade said softly and sat on the edge of the bed. “So Fergus and I were talking, like men.” He added with a smile toward the boy. “He gave me his permission.”
“Oh, yeah? Permission to do what, exactly?”
“This.” Wade got down off of the bed and onto one knee. “Will you marry me? I will be a wonderful husband, and I will care for you and Fergus every single day for the rest of my life.” He gripped her hand in his. “Please, Chloe.”
Her eyes filled as she felt the last piece of her broken soul fall into place. “Yes!” she yelled and threw her arms around his neck.
Wade reached his arm out and pulled Fergus into their embrace. The boy was smiling from ear to ear, and Wade couldn’t wait to officially be the father the young boy deserved.
Leon & Ashleigh
When you’ve found the one whom you are destined for, it doesn’t take long before everything seems to come together…
Chapter One
Leon raced through the trees on horseback, a dozen of his best men riding behind him.
Word had come that another band of thieves were raiding a nearby village on McKinley land, and he’d be damned if they managed to get away.
He and Garrett had discovered that the thieves who had been attacking six months prior had been tied to the late Carrick McLaughlin.
The bastard of a laird had starved his people, and then sent others to come steal supplies from anyone who possessed them.
Since a good family now owned the land, he was unsure of where these new thieves had come from.
Could have been they were just a random group of people doing horrible things.
“Smoke up ahead!” he shouted to his men and urged his horse faster.
As soon as the village came into view, Leon ground his teeth together.
Flames had shot up in various houses, the occupants of the village screamed and tried their best to flee, but the me
n with weapons were attacking.
He searched the crowd and headed straight for two men who were ripping at a woman's gown.
Not on his watch. He jumped off his horse and sliced down with his sword, not hesitating for even a moment.
Both men fell to the ground covered in their own blood, and he sent the woman on her way. He turned to see another three men chasing a woman clutching her babe to her chest.
Her husband was trying to fight them off, but this was a farming village. These were not warriors and would have been an easy conquest for this group.
If there was one thing Leon hated, it was cowards. And going after a group of innocent people who couldn’t defend themselves was the biggest show of cowardice he could imagine.
He and his men launched into battle, cutting down all those who sought to harm his people. They moved smoothly together, as men who had spent nearly every waking moment training.
The fighting came to a stop, and Leon searched for anyone else who might do them harm. He was just sheathing his sword when a sharp pain shot through his body.
What? He looked down to see a blade protruding from his stomach.
Is that screaming? Why are they screaming again? He fell to his knees, his vision blurry as the battle raged around him once more.
Why couldn’t he seem to focus on anything?
“Come, Leon, let’s get you back. Lady Carissa can help you!”
“What happened?”
“There were more hiding, we’ve got them, but we must go now.”
“But the people,” he insisted.
“We will be fine.” One of the men at his side had been the husband fighting for his family.
His mind was racing, completely unable to latch on to a single thought. Was this dying? Was he going to die today?
Chapter Two
“What do we have?” Ashleigh Hutchinson asked one of the nurses as she headed for a new patient’s room.
“Kid has a concussion, three bruised ribs, and a broken wrist.”
Ashleigh nodded and continued looking at the chart. Eighteen years old and no known health conditions.
“Hi, Mr. Caison, I’m Dr. Hutchinson, and I’ll be taking care of you today. Can you tell me what happened?”
“You're too hot to be a doctor.”
“And you seem to be feeling incredibly well considering the accident you were in an hour ago.”
The kid brushed it off as if it were something that happened every day.
“I’ll ask again. What happened?”
“I already told the paramedics, it isn’t a big deal.”
“Come on, Andy,” she said as she sat on the edge of the bed. “I want to hear it from you.”
“Look, it isn’t a big deal, doc. I tried a new trick on my board and didn’t land right.”
“So you were skateboarding down a handrail and fell off before you were ready.”
When he looked at her, she tapped the chart. “It’s all here, I just wanted to hear your side of things.” She stood and checked his heart rate even though it reflected on the machine. She always double-checked whatever the machine was telling her. It wasn’t in her to simply trust the readout.
“I’m fine. When can I go?” Andy insisted.
“You have three bruised ribs, a mild concussion, and a broken wrist.” She pointed to the temporary splint the nurse had done. “We need to get you in a cast and keep you overnight for observation due to the concussion. Maybe next time, you should wear a helmet?” she said it sweetly, but the warning was there.
“Yeah, sure.” Andy rolled his eyes.
“I’ll be back to check on you in a bit.”
Ashleigh turned to leave and met the charge nurse at the desk.
“Man, what is it with kids these days? Do they believe they are invincible?”
“Seems that one certainly does. Monitor his vitals and let me know if anything changes. He should be fine, but just in case.”
Susan nodded, and Ashleigh headed for her next patient. She had always loved helping people, but it seemed lately the job was weighing on her more than it ever had before. Probably because her best friend had been missing for almost six months. Not a single trace of Carissa or her daughter, Gabby.
Ashleigh blamed herself. She should have done something when she discovered Parker had been beating her. Carissa had gone to the police once, but since it had been a dirty cop that she spoke with, the case had never gone anywhere.
Now it seemed the detective who had been trying to help Carissa had gone missing as well, just as Parker’s body was found.
It saddened her to think something might have happened to him. Wade Cahill had seemed like a great man, and she hoped wherever he was, it was by choice.
Ashleigh stopped in front of her next patient's room and forced a smile on her face. Only eight more hours on her shift and then she could go home, soak her feet, and drink a glass of wine.
She nearly groaned at the thought. Suck it up, Hutchinson, this job pays the bills.
“How was your day today?” Ashleigh asked as she lifted her daughter, Jackie, into her arms.
“Good,” the little girl said simply. “Cal gave me his tater tots at lunch.”
“Well, that was nice of him.”
“I said thank you.”
“That’s good.”
“We also colored today, a lot.” Jackie emphasized the words ‘a lot,’ and it made Ashleigh laugh.
“Well, that sounds like it was a lot of fun.”
With Ashleigh working the early day shift, her neighbor dropped Jackie off at preschool and then picked her up and brought her home.
“Thanks again, Marie,” she said to the small woman who stood in the doorway.
“You know I don’t mind at all.” Marie smiled, and it brought little lines to the corners of her eyes. Well in her sixties, Marie enjoyed every minute that she got to spend with Jackie, and Ashleigh couldn’t have asked for a better neighbor. “Little Jackie always brightens my day.”
“She feels the same about you.” Ashleigh hugged the woman lightly and then headed down the steps and toward her own house.
“Do you think we will see Gabby this weekend? I miss her. When will she and Aunt Carissa be back from their trip?”
Ashleigh felt the stab of fresh pain in her heart. She knew one day she was going to have to tell Jackie that they weren’t coming back, she just wasn’t ready yet. She still held out hope they would see them again.
“Not sure, baby, soon, hopefully.” She kissed Jackie on the forehead and set her down to close the door to their house.
It was nothing special, Ashleigh was saving most of her money so she could send Jackie to a good college if that were the route she wanted to take. So they lived frugally, and it didn’t bother her at all. People nowadays seemed to spend as if there was no tomorrow. Ashleigh had to count on tomorrow, she was all Jackie had.
Jackie’s father had bailed on them when she turned two and then was killed a few months later when he got drunk and drove into a telephone pole at seventy miles an hour. Jackie didn’t remember much about him, and Ashleigh had felt guilty when she didn’t feel a sense of loss. She had just been grateful no one else had been hurt in the wreck.
He hadn’t been her best decision, but it had resulted in Jackie, and that was something she would always feel grateful for. She looked over at her daughter, who had gone over to her Barbie house and started playing. Jackie was all she needed in this world. The only light during her dark times, and although she missed Carissa so much it hurt, she prayed that she and Gabby had gotten far away from Parker and that they were safe.
Chapter Three
“Momma, can I snuggle you tonight?” Jackie asked as Ashleigh helped her pull on her pajama top. Her big blue eyes were nearly impossible to say no to, and since Ashleigh had been letting her co-sleep with her ever since Carissa had disappeared, she wouldn’t be saying no tonight.
It helped having Jackie so close to her. The anxiety of not knowi
ng what had happened to her friend made her afraid to let her baby out of sight.
“Yes, baby. Now go get in bed, and I’ll be there in a second. We can watch some PJ Masks!”
“Yay!” Jackie laughed and ran for the bed. Ashleigh was just about to follow her when she heard a knock at the door.
“I’ll be right back, baby. Sit tight, and it’ll be superhero time soon!”
Ashleigh tucked her revolver in the waistband of her yoga pants and headed for the door. After Jackie’s father had left, Ashleigh had gotten her concealed handgun license just in case.
She checked the peephole and noticed an older woman who looked to be in her fifties standing at the door, a panicked look on her face.
“Help, please!” the woman said loudly and knocked again.
Ashleigh opened the door slightly and looked at the woman’s kind but wide-eyed face.
“What is it?”
“Please, you have to help him, he is going to die without you.”
“Who is going to die? I’ll go call 911.”
“No, you have to help him now. You’re a doctor.”
How had the woman known she was a doctor? “How did you know I—”
“Oh, for Heaven’s sake, I am Mrs. Kinley, Carissa’s old landlord. She sent me.”
Ashleigh had remembered hearing Carissa talk about the kind woman, and the thought that she might know where Ashleigh’s best friend was had her heart racing. “You know where Carissa is? Is she okay?”
“Yes, she is fine. She is with him, but he is going to die without you.”
“Okay, let me grab my daughter. I have to drop her off at my neighbor’s house.”
“Very well. Get her and your medical supplies, we have to hurry!”
Ashleigh nodded and headed for the bedroom.
“What’s wrong, Momma?” Jackie asked her, and she smiled.
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