by Allison West
Gunshots erupted from the first floor. Aaron's heart skipped a beat and he held his breath.
"Lorelei?" He banged on the door, hoping she'd been able to get the weapon away. Aaron knew what she was capable of. If anyone could protect themselves from danger, she was the one.
"Aaron!" Her voice shouted and the wood groaned as she removed the bar, unlocking the door, pulling it open. The pistol still in her grip, she threw her arms around him.
He joined her on the first floor, glancing through the abandoned house to ensure no one else was working with the abductor or being held against their will.
The ranch house was empty. Aaron ran a hand through his hair. He grimaced from the slight pain and searched the bathroom for antiseptic and clean towels. They both were in dire need of a bath, but at the very least cleaning off the dried blood would be sufficient.
Aaron helped clean up Lorelei's wounds to her head. He had her sit on the closed toilet lid. "How are you feeling?" he asked. Not that he knew what to do for her if she felt sick, other than let her hang her head over a trashcan, but he wanted to make sure she wasn't seeing double like he'd been earlier. Though if she had, at least she still had deadly aim.
"I just want to find who did this to us."
"It's Henry," Aaron said, sure of it. He hated even thinking something so horrible of his brother but August had been a huge disappointment and it seemed Henry may have been following his lead, or perhaps he was just too enthralled with being king.
"That bastard," she said under her breath.
He washed the dried blood with a wet rag and then placed some antiseptic to keep infection out. She grabbed a clean rag, offering the same aid as she cleaned the gash on his forehead.
"We need to hunt down Henry, stop him from destroying our nation."
"Oh we will. As your wife, the Queen of Brayleigh, I will have his head on the guillotine by nightfall."
Aaron wasn't sure it would be that simple. They didn't know where this new palace was located. There'd been no indication of an uprising. Henry had done well keeping his plans a secret.
"First we change clothes. We need Henry and his men to believe we're still being detained if not dead." They had the element of surprise and needed to keep it.
Aaron wandered into the bedroom of the house. He rummaged through dresser drawers, pulling out a few rags of clothes. No one would expect to see a king dressed so inappropriately for the throne.
Lorelei searched the closet and then walked into the second bedroom, coming out a few minutes later wearing a dark green cloak. It didn't exactly blend in, but with her head down, no one would see her face. She stripped down, changing into solid black pants and a matching shirt. It wasn't unusual clothes for Lorelei but Henry hadn't met her, as far as they knew, and he would have expected her in a gown or courtesan dress.
The queen found a rubber band and tied up her hair, twirling the tangles into a bun. It kept her hidden even better under the cloak, making it impossible to know if it was a man or woman underneath until they saw the person's face.
Henry finished changing into old rags, the jeans had holes and the white t-shirt was threadbare. He fished out a set of old tennis shoes for himself. Luckily they were just about the right size.
Lorelei slipped on a pair of shoes and then headed for the front door. Staring outside, she glanced back at Aaron. "Fish the keys out of his pocket. We need his car."
"We also need weapons," Aaron said.
Lorelei disappeared down the hall, presumably to search for more bullets for the gun she'd acquired from the dead man. Perhaps there was a spare gun stored away. Otherwise Aaron would have to take a few knives from the kitchen. It was too bad he didn't have any practice with them. Now wasn't the time to learn how.
"Find anything?" Aaron asked as he stepped over the dead body, kicking him in the side to ensure he was dead. With a faint nod, Aaron bent down and felt over the guy's pockets before digging his hand in to pull out the car keys.
"Will this do?" She had neatly tucked her pistol into her pants and carried two semi-automatic weapons out of the bedroom.
The king's eyes shined with relief. At least they weren't going in unarmed. No one said the rest would be easy. "We still don't know where Henry's hideaway is," Aaron said. He walked outside with Lorelei and as they approached the vehicle, the doors unlocked. The king opened the car door, glancing inside the vehicle. It wasn't his first preference, he preferred to be behind the wheel, but it would have to do. He placed both oversized weapons into the cargo storage area. Blood caked to the carpeting. It must have been his or Lorelei's when they'd been transported earlier.
Climbing into the car, Aaron turned the engine on and clicked the screen, tapping as he retraced previous routes the car had driven. With his knowledge of the land, Aaron pointed at the second to last trip that had been made. "That's got to be it." Not only did it make sense that he would have been to the hideaway recently, but it was also on an open stretch of land that had been owned by the courtesan slave trader, Lorelei's uncle.
He slammed the door shut and hit the drive button, letting the car take them to Henry.
Lorelei removed the pistol from her pants, opening the chamber to reveal the bullets before shutting it again. "You're not going to chastise me for having a gun this time?"
He shook his head no. Was she mocking him? When they'd encountered the traders, they'd been without a vehicle, on an abandoned road and were sure to face death. He'd only wanted to protect her, though it seemed she'd been the one looking after him. He wasn't used to that, at least not from a woman. Sure he had guards that watched his back, made sure he was safe, but he'd always evaded them when he escaped the palace for his joy ride excursions.
"No. You've proven to me that you've earned it."
"Thanks," she said and patted his arm. "Nervous?"
His stomach churned but he shook his head. "No need to be." Aaron didn't have time to feel the fear creeping inside of him. He needed to be able to act when he saw Henry and not hesitate. Delaying could get Lorelei or himself killed.
"How many guards do you think he turned?"
It was a good question. Aaron didn't have the slightest clue how many men he could expect that had betrayed them. "I would guess the slave traders are working for Henry." It made the most logical sense. They had the most to gain by putting Henry on the throne.
Aaron didn't have the power to please everyone. Something's weren't possible. He'd been generous, not arresting every slave trader in existence. His hope had been that they'd find other honorable work and could leave their past behind. That is what Aaron wanted for Brayleigh.
Nothing had gone as planned. He'd been a king for less than a week and already the country was in shambles. Did they think their king and queen had been murdered? What were the people saying about their leaders? He didn't have time to travel back to the palace and assure them that Lorelei and he were still alive. Besides, it would remove the element of surprise. They had one chance to attack Henry without him seeing it coming.
Chapter Thirteen
Aaron took the car off automatic and manually coasted to the nearest point without being seen. He parked the vehicle on the side of the road, killing the engine. "We walk from here," Aaron said. They couldn't chance a guard hearing the rumble of the engine as the car approached. The building lay at the top of the hill, about a half-mile hike.
He removed the weapons, handing one to Lorelei and taking one gun for himself.
"Do you think they can see us coming?" Lorelei asked as he shut the door and locked the car.
"I don't see any guard posts," Aaron said, but it was possible someone could spot them from a window or if anyone stepped outside. Aside from the hill, the land was flat and open. There were no trees or tall grasses to stay hidden behind as they approached.
"Yeah, me either." Lorelei didn't sound confident that they would go undetected. "There has to be guards on the perimeter. I mean what prince wouldn't have that?"
&nbs
p; Aaron agreed but didn't comment. He kept pushing forward, stalking through the grass, gun poised should the need arise.
"What's the plan?" Lorelei asked, keeping her voice down. "We have no clue how many guards Henry has surrounding him. If we break in, guns blazing, we might never make it to Henry's chambers."
The king sighed, contemplating her suggestion. "Are you suggesting we go in unarmed?" That seemed like a terrible idea. It would get them executed far before they even laid eyes on Henry.
"No, you're right." She grabbed his arm, momentarily stalling.
"What is it?" Aaron's eyes searched the area surrounding the house as they drew nearer, making sure she hadn't seen something. They were out in the open, with nowhere to hide. If they'd been spotted, they were dead.
"How about we smoke him out? Force Henry and his men outside. Make it so they don't know what's coming and then we attack."
It wasn't a bad plan and it was certainly more than he'd thought up. He wanted to storm the house but Lorelei was right, they wouldn't make it to Henry before being killed. The men protecting Henry weren't loyal to the crown or nation.
"Any chance you have matches on you?" Aaron asked. How would they start a fire without an accelerant and spark? They needed it to spread fast enough to engulf the house but slow enough to allow the courtesans to leave. The king didn't want any courtesan blood on his hands.
"I left them in my other pants."
As they approached the house, Aaron gestured for Lorelei to follow him around to the side window that had been left open for air to circulate through the house. "We'll start a fire in one of the smaller rooms." He'd have to find a lighter, matches, something other than two stones to rub together. There wasn't so much as a pebble on the grass, and he needed to make sure the fire spread swift enough to force everyone outside.
"You wait out here," Aaron said.
"Capture or kill?" Lorelei asked. "You make the call. If I run into Henry, I need to know how to proceed."
Aaron forced the window higher before he climbed through and landed with a thud on the wooden floor. He glanced back at Lorelei. "Kill him." Aaron didn't particularly desire to murder his brother, but after what he'd done to them, it appeared there'd be very little choice. Letting him live meant it gave hope to the slave traders.
He turned his attention back to the room he invaded. Filled with books, the room was the perfect tinderbox if only he had matches.
Bookshelves lined the walls and Aaron quietly tiptoed through the library, finding an old cigarette tray and a book of matches. Could this be his lucky day? He opened the book to reveal a single match.
Footsteps pattered down the hall. Aaron shuffled as fast as possible to the corner of the room, careful not to be seen from the entrance to the room. The boots clomped past the room, not so much as slowing down to take notice that anyone may have been in the library.
Aaron breathed a sigh of relief. One match. If this didn't work, he'd have to search the house further for another source of fire.
"Forgive me," he whispered into the wind as he pulled a book from the shelf and ripped the pages as quietly as possible. He struck the match, watching the flame sizzle and whimper from the wind. Carefully, he lit the pages from the book, watching as the pages turned to embers and floated with the wind. From one page he lit two more and then four more, quickly opening books, using each one as fuel as he set the room aflame.
The fire needed to spread faster and stronger. He'd remembered the curtains of the palace in the explosion and lit the curtain to the library, watching as the flames embraced the window, roaring to life.
Lorelei's eyes widened. Aaron pointed behind him. He'd have to escape out another room, which was probably best so he could help the fire spread even further. The only issue: making sure not to get caught.
With another fresh book set aflame, he stepped into the hall and let the pages sizzle and wilt, embers flying all around him as they grazed the walls. He pulled a flaming sheet from the book, lighting the paintings on the wall, one that he'd stolen himself many years ago. When had Henry claimed it as his own? He knew it was an antique and destroying it was selfish, but he needed to feel like a king and take back control of his country.
The painting smoldered and burned, stretching behind the frame to the wall, the nearby shudders and climbed the banister.
The fire alarm screamed with a deafening tone and Aaron knew that was his cue to get out, while he still could. He ran for the front door, his hand on the knob.
"Stop!" A voice echoed from behind.
Aaron shut his eyes recognizing his brother's voice. Perhaps if he'd worn the cloak, he wouldn't have been so easily spotted. The clothes weren't enough to hide his appearance.
"Did you do this, Aaron?" Henry asked.
"I should be asking you what you're doing out here, with courtesans upstairs, and planning the murder of your king and queen!" Aaron spun around to face Henry. His brother may have been slightly taller, but he didn't fear him, not in the way he had his father. He'd never had a reason to be afraid of Henry, until now. What had happened to change him? Had his desire for courtesans been so strong he was willing to destroy his country and his family?
"You can't prove any of it," Henry said.
"You assassinated Rhys. I know you're responsible for the bomb at the palace and for Lorelei's and my abduction."
Henry's brow furrowed. "You make what I've done sound so sinister. It was nothing like that, brother."
Aaron stepped closer to Henry. The room filled with smoke and behind Henry, the courtesans stood at the top of the stairs. Henry held out his hand, gesturing for them to go back into their rooms.
The siren continued to wail, offering no reprieve but the pain from the noise had been numbing. Aaron had managed to drown it out or perhaps the roar of the fire had done it.
"You're going to let them all die?" Aaron couldn't believe Henry's arrogance.
"No, you're going to see to it they die. You set the new palace on fire and I assure you, brother, the nation will know of your treachery."
"I haven't betrayed anyone!" Aaron shouted. Henry was unbelievable, turning the fire and the deaths around as if Aaron was entirely to blame. His plan to force Henry outside hadn't worked. The guns were outside with Lorelei. There was no way to stop him, other than with his bare hands or if the smoke got to Henry first.
The king's eyes burned. Aaron did his best to hide the sting as his lungs seared from the smoke. Coughing, he backed away from his brother.
Slave trade guards rushed to put out the flames, dousing the hallway in water. They filled buckets but they weren't quick enough.
"Help us!" a courtesan blonde sapphire screamed from the top floor. The staircase hissed and groaned as the fire leapt up to the second floor, eating through the wood, making it an impossible escape.
From behind Aaron, he heard the front door groan. The fire swept to life, encompassing the ceiling as oxygen fed the beast above them.
Lorelei handed Aaron the gun, while keeping hers positioned with her arm and her finger on the trigger.
"Freeze!" Henry's men shouted, half lifting guns toward Aaron and Lorelei, the other fighting the flames.
Aaron had a decision to make. Shoot his brother and in the process he'd likely get shot along with Lorelei or fight this battle later.
More courtesans shouted for help.
"You are such an asshole!" Aaron shouted at his older brother, slinging the gun over his shoulder as he grabbed a bucket and filled it with water. He never thought Henry would have been so selfish to let the girls die in the flames.
Lorelei followed in pursuit, slinging the semi-automatic over her shoulder. She kept the pistol in her pants and found a large bowl to fill with water.
Aaron rushed back and forth with the bucket, the water sloshing and dripping onto the floor at his feet.
Henry made no attempt to save anyone but himself, storming outside into the fresh air and escaping his brother and queen.
&nbs
p; "Go after him," Lorelei shouted at Aaron over the hiss and crackle of the fire. "I'll help the girls."
Aaron didn't want to leave her in a burning building but she was right, Henry needed to be stopped. The fire wasn't quite out but it was under control and within a few minutes it would just be smoldering and smoke.
"Be careful." He squeezed her hand briefly before taking off out of the palace. Leaving Lorelei behind was one of the worst feelings in the world, concerned that the structure from the house might give way, or she could become disoriented from the smoke. Those were the two lesser horrifying scenarios. She was also in a room filled with slave traders. The mere thought of what they enjoyed doing with young women against their will, made him sick.
With the weapon over his shoulder, he repositioned it with one hand on the barrel and the other on the trigger. Aaron stepped outside, the sun felt blinding and his lungs choked on the fresh air, coughing momentarily.
Henry lunged at his younger brother, his fists pummeling the king repeatedly. Aaron pulled the trigger and the gun fired, but there was no chance it hit Henry. The barrel was too long for the weapon. Henry was too close. He needed Lorelei's pistol, but that was inside the burning house.
"You're a coward!" Aaron shouted, blocking the third blow to his face as he kicked his brother hard in the crotch and then elbowed him in the stomach. The king didn't stop there, his hands gorged at Henry's eyes, forcing him to scream in agony.
Henry stopped fighting and jumped back to get away from Aaron. "Stay away from me!"
"I think you have it the other way around. As your king, I order you down onto your knees." Aaron gripped his brother's neck, pinching his shoulder forcefully, forcing him down onto the grass and dirt.
"I ought to shoot you. End any further suffrage of courtesans." Why couldn't have Henry just gone along with the new regime? "You murdered Rhys, didn't you?" He had to hear it for himself, to know without a doubt he'd been the murderer.
