No Greater Love

by Cate Dean

  “How did you find them?”

  “They fell out of your trousers. Answer me, Nick. What are they?”

  He sighed, and took them out of her hand. “My dog tags.”

  “Those are not military—”

  “They are, Victoria. Just not your military.”

  She stepped back, needing to put distance between them. “Tell me, Captain.”

  He rubbed his forehead. “Can you do me one favor first?”

  “I do not—”

  “Please, Victoria.”

  She hugged herself, afraid she might fly apart. “What is it?”

  “Hear me out before you make any judgement call.”

  She nodded, afraid to speak.

  He took a deep breath, then pulled the beautiful pendant out from under his shirt.

  “I found this pendant in an antique store in San Francisco, and bought it for my girlfriend. What I didn’t know was that a curse was attached to the pendant. A curse I activated when I broke her heart.”

  “A curse?” Victoria frowned, wanting to understand. “What are you talking about?”

  He looked at her, the despair in his eyes so deep, so profound, it took her breath away.

  “I destroyed the woman I loved, not caring that I was doing it. For that, I was cursed and sent into a kind of hell, not dead, but not living. Because the witch who cursed the pendant had a deathbed regret for what she’d done, her niece came to help break the curse. To give us a second chance.”

  Victoria backed away from him. What he was telling her bordered on madness.

  “Us?”

  “There are seven of us, all trapped in the same place.” He swallowed, staring past her. “I’m not from this time, Victoria. The pendant that chose me came from here, so here I am.”

  “Where exactly are you from, Captain Saunders?” Her voice sounded hollow, even to her own ears. The cold that seeped through her at each word threatened to crack her heart in two.

  “San Francisco. 21st century San Francisco.” He closed his hand over the tags. “I know it’s a lot to take in. I don’t blame you for thinking I’m beyond crazy, and I probably shouldn’t have said anything. But I wanted you to know what you were stepping in, before what’s between us—what was between us,” he said, a sad smile on his face. “Got too serious.”

  She swallowed, still wanting him, her heart still yearning for him, in spite of the madness he had spoken. “I have no idea what to say to you.”

  “Not surprised there.” He took off his coat, every movement heavy, as if the burden of his truth weighted him. “I have tonight, and maybe some of tomorrow, Victoria, then it’s over for me.”

  She stared at him, one hand pressed to her aching heart. How was she supposed to believe him? Witches, cursed pendants—it was the stuff of fairy tales, not real life.

  “Why did you tell me, Nick?”

  “Because I owed you the truth—the whole truth—before you said anything that would tie you to me.” He ran one hand through his hair. “I want to stay here, Victoria. To stay with you. But it will be your decision. I won’t hold it against you if you think I’m crazy and walk out that door right now.”

  Tears slid down her cheeks. He had given her the perfect reason to walk away.

  There was just one problem with his logic. She was afraid it was too late for her.

  “I am sorry,” she whispered. “I need to go.”

  His voice halted her at the door. “I don’t blame you, Victoria. I never will.”

  She covered her mouth with one hand to stifle the sob in her throat and ran outside.

  The evening hid her distress. All she wanted to do was find a place to mourn, alone. Movement near Will’s tent pulled her out of her own despair. She would check on him one last time, give instructions to the nurse who would be watching him through the night. That was most likely who had stepped inside his tent.

  Victoria wiped her cheeks, and made herself presentable as she walked toward the tent. With a deep breath, she plastered a smile on her face and pushed through the flap.

  “I wanted to have a last look at you, Will, before I—” She halted, staring at Katherine, bent over Will’s bed. At the knife in her hand. “What are you doing?”

  Katherine whirled, dropping the scalpel in her other hand, her brown eyes wide, and not completely sane. “I am sending him to a better place, Victoria. What kind of life will he live, with such an impediment?”

  “A good life. You will not make that choice for him.” Victoria saw Will behind Katherine, inching forward on the bed. She shook her head slightly. “Did you hurt the other men, Katherine?”

  “I sent them to a better place!” She visibly calmed herself. “You should understand that, more than anyone. When your Richard was so severely injured, would you have wanted him to suffer?”

  “I would have wanted him alive.” She forced herself to calm, and took a step toward Katherine. “I understand what you are trying to do for them, and I respect that. But you have to stop, Katherine.”

  “I knew you would not understand, that you would try to stop me. I will not be swayed from my duty!”

  She lunged forward and slashed the knife at Victoria.

  With a cry, Victoria raised her right arm and tried to move out the path of the knife. She screamed when the blade sliced into her forearm.

  “Look what you made me do.” Katherine yanked her up, and laid the bloody knife against her throat. “Now move—and if you make another sound, I will kill him while you watch. With a witness, he will simply die, and not join his comrades on the path to salvation.” Victoria swallowed, and bit back a cry when the blade nicked her. “Do you understand?”

  “Yes,” she whispered.

  NICK SANK TO the bed after Victoria left, knowing he’d just blown his one chance by telling her the truth.

  But he couldn’t be part of her life with a lie between them. Even if that lie saved his ass.

  “Damn it.” He pushed to his feet and stalked to the door. Victoria probably thought he was a nutcase, but he couldn’t let her go—not without a final rally.

  A pained scream shot him out the door.

  It was Victoria.

  He sprinted across the uneven boardwalk, and skidded to a halt when he saw her step out of Will’s tent, her face pale. Katherine appeared behind her—and he saw both the blood on Victoria’s right arm and the knife in Katherine’s hand a second before Katherine laid the blade against Victoria’s ribs.

  Victoria’s eyes widened, and Nick knew she had seen him. She shook her head slightly, then stumbled, forcing Katherine to pay attention to her.

  He cursed under his breath and slipped into the shadows of the building next to him, waited for them to move before he followed. It was late enough that anyone not on duty was in bed, but Victoria’s scream would bring more than him running. Nick needed to put Katherine out of commission before she hurt Victoria again.

  His hand moved instinctively to his hip for the pistol that wasn’t there, and he cursed under his breath. The crunch of footsteps behind him had him spinning. He grabbed the figure before he identified Reed.

  “Bloody hell—”

  Nick dragged him to the side of the building and pinned him to the wall. “I need your pistol, Reed.”

  “It’s not on me. I just came from surgery.” He studied Nick for a second too long.

  Nick hauled him off the wall and started toward their hut.

  “All right—I can walk on my own.” Reed kept his voice low, which kept Nick from having to gag him. “What is going on, mate? Was that Sister Belham screaming?”

  “She found our angel.”

  Reed skidded to a stop. “Stay on them. I’ll find you.”

  “They were headed for the damaged nurse’s huts.”

  Reed clapped his hand on Nick’s left shoulder. “Follow them, mate. Keep her safe. I will find you.”

  “No need.” Philips appeared, holding out his pistol. “I will keep the area clear, until I see you c
annot contain her.”

  “I’ll do what I have to.”

  He took the pistol and moved, sticking to the shadows. It didn’t take long to catch up to them; Victoria had obviously been using every stalling tactic she could. Now she was cradling her bloody right arm, shaking her head as Katherine whispered to her.

  Nick took a deep breath, lifted the pistol and stepped into sight.

  “End of the line, Katherine.”

  She yanked Victoria back and laid the knife against her throat. “I will hurt her, Nick.” A cold smile crossed her face. “You have already seen what I am capable of doing.”

  “Yeah. Smart move, implicating yourself with the comb.” He was hoping he could talk her down. She was nine kinds of crazy, but she could control it—getting this far through the system proved that. “Be smart now, and let Victoria go.”

  “You tell me I am smart in one breath, and in the next believe I am stupid? Without her, I am as good as dead. My own welfare comes first.”

  “You should have thought of that before you starting killing.”

  “I was sending them to a better place!” She visibly fought to control herself, but Nick knew he was running out of time. She was on the edge, unpredictable. Victoria would be the first to suffer if she snapped. “You have to understand that, Nick.” She waved her free hand at him. “Your shoulder is not severe enough to make you one of my chosen, but it will be a hindrance the rest of your life. It will make you less of a man.”

  His right arm shook from the weight of the pistol. He moved to brace it with his left, and the pain roaring through his forearm reminded him of his recent injury.

  “I’ll accept that, Katherine. You know why? Because I saved my friends before I became less of a man.” As he said the words, he realized they were true. No matter what, the rest of his team was alive—and that was worth his sacrifice. “Let Victoria go, and you can walk away.”

  “I believe Major Philips disagrees with you.”

  Nick swallowed, but he kept his gaze on Katherine. “He’ll do what it takes to keep his finest nurse safe.”

  “The great Victoria.” Katherine sneered, and the knife pressed into Victoria’s throat. She didn’t make a sound, but Nick saw the blood sliding down her throat. “She can do no wrong. I am the one doing what is right, and no one can see it!”

  She dragged Victoria backward, toward the field. Once they were in the open, Nick knew she’d run. Probably with Victoria as her shield. He lowered the pistol, his shoulder on fire, and paced her.

  “Let Victoria go. There are other places for you to continue your work—”

  Her laughter cut him off. “You really expect me to believe that you will allow me to leave? I am not a fool, Nick. And the larger our audience becomes, the less chance you have of convincing me otherwise.”

  Nick glanced over his shoulder, dread fisting in his gut when he saw the people behind him, and more approaching. To their credit, they kept quiet. But Katherine was right—with witnesses, his bluff fell apart.

  “Nick.” Victoria’s quiet voice crossed the space between them. He was half afraid he’d never hear it again. “Let us go. It will be all right, just let us go.”

  He started to shake his head, not wanting to let her out of his sight. Katherine would kill her the second she was no longer useful.

  “Sister Sykes.” Reed stepped next to Nick, his hands in plain sight. “You know I always say what I mean. As head surgeon, I can make the final decision regarding my personnel.” He lifted his hand, halting Philips before he could take more than a step. “Leave Sister Belham here with us, and I will see that you are not followed.”

  Katherine started to waver. Nick watched her as she studied Reed, and he had hope this wouldn’t end with someone bleeding on the ground.

  Then she grabbed Victoria’s injured arm and dragged her backward.

  Victoria’s scream scraped across his heart, but Nick shoved down his rage and followed, lifting the pistol. He had to stop Katherine before they reached the bomb site.

  Katherine waved the bloody knife. “Any closer and I will slit her throat!”

  “I don’t think so.” He was deadly calm, like he had always been in battle, all his focus on the target. “Victoria.” She met his eyes, the pain on her face threatening to tear him apart. He kept his focus, kept talking, his voice quiet. “I need you to trust me.”

  She nodded. Blood from her arm stained the front of her uniform, telling Nick he was out of time.

  He weighed his options, made his choice, and gave Katherine one last chance.

  “Let her go, Katherine. You have until the count of five. One.”

  She jerked, and Victoria cried out as the blade nicked her jaw. “I am leaving—and you will not stop me.”

  Nick ignored his screaming shoulder, fought to keep the pistol level. “Two.”

  “Stop it!” Katherine stumbled backward, taking Victoria with her.

  He took a step forward. “Three.”

  Victoria’s eyes widened, and he nodded, once. Prayed that she would understand.

  She swallowed and closed her eyes.

  “Four.”

  “Stop counting, damn you!” Katherine’s tightly wound temper started to unravel. “I will kill her!”

  Nick took another step forward, and Katherine screamed, raising the knife to stab at Victoria.

  “Five.”

  He braced himself for pain and squeezed the trigger.

  The bullet slammed into Katherine’s raised arm. She screamed again, this time in pain. Nick lunged forward and grabbed Victoria, yanking her out of Katherine’s grip—right before Katherine tripped over the edge of the crater left by the bomb.

  She toppled, shrieking like the devil. Nick leaned over, and found her at the bottom, clutching her arm. If his aim had been true, he’d shattered her bone. She wouldn’t be sending anyone to a better place, ever again.

  He held on to Victoria, his right arm shaking. “Hey, beautiful.”

  “Nick—” She pressed her face against his shoulder.

  He held on to her for a few seconds, then eased away. “Let’s get your arm taken care of. It must hurt like a bitch.”

  She let out a choked laugh. “It does.” Reed appeared, and she moaned as he carefully cradled her arm. “I believe I will need some time off, Major.”

  “That’s a certainty, Victoria.” She blinked at him when he used her first name. “Bloody hell, you scared ten years off my life. Both of you.” He glanced over at Nick. “Nice shot.”

  “Thanks.” For him, it was the one that would count. His shoulder was screaming at him for even using a weapon again. His physical therapist had warned him, and he finally believed her. His days as a soldier were over. “Take care of her. I’ll be right behind you.”

  Nick leaned against the nearest building, not sure which arm hurt more, and watched three soldiers pull Katherine out of the crater. She fought them every inch, her jaw set. When they started to haul her past Nick, she dug her heels in.

  He straightened. “It’s okay. You have something to say to me?”

  She lifted her chin. “This does not end here. I have my mission, Captain, and I will carry it out, wherever I land.”

  Nick stepped to her, using his height to tower over her. “There’s one small problem with your grand plan, Katherine. Once other people know about your mission, they’ll be happy to keep you from it.”

  Her eyes widened, and he saw the second she understood.

  “No!” She struggled against the soldiers gripping her. “I will not be stopped! You can never—”

  “That will be enough, Sister.” The soldier on her right side tightened his hand on her shoulder. Nick admired him for causing her as little pain as possible, though she didn’t seem to notice her limp arm or the blood dripping off her hand. “We need to have your arm seen to, before Major Philips has a word with you.”

  “I will—he has to...he will listen to me?”

  “Of course, Sister.” His qui
et voice calmed her—and mention of Major Philips finally seemed to get in past her ranting. She sagged, and the soldier lifted her in his arms. “I was wondering when she would collapse. It was a good shot, sir. Better than she deserved, given what she did.”

  He carried her toward the med huts, the other soldier alert for any sign that she might start struggling again.

  Nick slumped against the wall. The adrenaline that had kept him going was fast leaving his system.

  “Need a hand, Saunders?” Philips appeared at his side, and wrapped one arm around Nick’s waist once he got a closer look. “You look like you could use a stiff drink and a night in bed.”

  “Sounds good. I want to see Victoria first.”

  “I assumed as much.” Philips led him toward the med huts, his arm tightening when Nick stumbled. “I will need to have a talk with Sister Belham. She has broken more than one rule concerning you. The staff will know by morning, since news spreads around here faster than a flu.” He shook his head. “I hate to lose such a fine, skilled nurse.”

  “You’re not—firing her?” God, she’d hate Nick forever if his actions cost her the job she loved so much. “I’ll be leaving soon. Give her another chance, Philips.”

  “Like I said, I will talk. If you plan to leave, then it hardly concerns you.” He sounded—pissed. Nick knew when to stop poking.

  He just had to get through the rest of the night, make sure Victoria was going to be all right, and prepare himself to go back to the hell he had created for himself.

  Eleven

  MAJOR REED TREATED Victoria’s arm, stitching the long gash. It was not as deep as either of them feared, and he told her that she would make a full recovery.

  Lilian brought her a sleeveless nightgown, and her coat, waiting to take her back to the nurse’s quarters. The Major left them alone, and Lilian helped her into the nightgown, her hands fumbling.

  Victoria finally stopped her, and laid her left hand on Lilian’s wrist. “I will be fine, Lilian.”

  “I was so frightened for you, Sister.”