by Dana Mentink
“Think?” the first man said with an indignant pitch. “We’re not getting paid to think. We’re getting paid to bring her back. Dead or alive.”
“I know, I know,” the other man replied in a younger, whiny tone. “But there’s no way anyone can survive the night out here. If she’s not dead already, she will be by morning.”
“Agreed. We’re supposed to bring back a body, though. Not just leave her lying around where someone might find her. There can be no proof that she was alive.”
The younger man let out a few more choice words. “Maybe we can get a body somewhere else?”
Thea cringed. That they were capable of that sort of thought and action both shocked and terrified her.
“Don’t be stupid.” Her heart pounded in her chest and for a moment she worried the sound would give her away. “We’re going to do this right.”
Snow crunched as they shuffled around on the ledge above them. They were so close she could hear their heavy breathing.
“What about him?”
“No one cares.”
“But he’s one of us.”
“He was one of us,” the older man shouted out loudly as the wind picked up in howling blasts again. “He chose his side.”
“If she’s dead out here, no one is finding the body anytime soon. I say we head back.”
“You’re probably right. Make sure you have the coordinates and we’ll come back when the snow melts if we have to. This is ridiculous and I need a doctor. I think I broke my arm.”
The voices were already sounding more distant, either from the wind or movement. Thea was glad she’d no longer have to listen to such wickedness.
Even after the sounds of them leaving had subsided, Thea sat perfectly still. She played each word she’d heard over and over again in her mind. With each passing moment the blanket over her head grew heavier as the snow accumulated on it. She focused on every breath, keeping it as slow and quiet as possible. She resisted the urge to throw the blanket off and run, forgetting her earlier vow to never run again. Fighting seemed so futile. Everyone wanted her dead. Would she even be safe when she returned home?
Ronin’s arms tightened around her as if sensing her fear and uncertainty.
For so many years she’d lived with the knowledge that someone wanted her dead. Even in that knowledge she’d somehow felt distanced, as if it wasn’t really happening to her, as if it was only a memory or a possibility. Since the death of her father and younger sister, she’d lived in a bubble of protection. She and her brother had been kept safe until a time when they would be old enough to handle the responsibility of the throne. To learn now that those who meant to harm her might have known where she was all along only opened up more questions.
There had to be a reason why the danger had become real these past few days. Ronin knew the answers. She was sure of it. The men had said Ronin had been one of them. Her mind raced with the possible meaning of their words and with the fear the men might return. As proud as she was that she had learned to protect herself, she was no match for anyone now. She had no silly brick-filled bag with her. She had only Ronin. The men’s hateful words reminded her she didn’t even know who he was.
Thea pushed back the hopelessness that threatened to fill her. Through all the years, she’d never allowed herself to feel sorry for herself and she wasn’t about to start now. God hadn’t brought her this far to leave her to freeze in the middle of nowhere. Some people trusted their gut. Thea trusted her heart. Despite the words she’d overheard, she knew in her heart Ronin was a good man. He was a little rough around the edges, but a good man nonetheless.
Thea whispered a prayer, more to herself than aloud, but she knew without a doubt it had been heard as a sense of peace flooded her. Ronin had been sent to her for a reason. She would get through this.
Thea felt around for something she could use to protect herself with, should the need arise. Her gloved fingers moved over the snow-covered ground slowly and rubbed up against a small branch. Her fingers wrapped around it tightly and she listened to the sounds around her. She strained her ears, searching for any indication of the men’s return. There was only the howling of the wind and her and Ronin’s breathing. It filled her ears. In and out. In and out.
“They’ve gone. You’re safe now,” Ronin said softly, but still his voice startled her.
She rose slowly, allowing him to help her to her feet as they heaved the snow off the blanket that had been covering them.
His words rung in her ears, over and over. You’re safe now. The words took her back to that night when she’d been rescued from the closet. Strong arms had held her tight then, too, and carried her through her burning home to safety. Over and over he’d said those same words to her and she’d known he was telling her the truth. But it was more than the words; it was the voice. The familiarity of it clawed through her mind.
She brushed the remaining snow from her shoulders. She’d never learned who that man had been, but she imagined he would have been a lot like the man in front of her.
“Were you planning on hitting me again?” he asked, his eyes darting to the stick she held by her side. He was only inches away from her. She fought the urge to throw her arms around him and hold him close. She already missed the warmth and the feeling of protection his arms had given her. She wanted him to keep telling her everything was going to be all right. When he did, it somehow made her want to believe even more. But the men’s words still blared in her mind.
“Should I?” she questioned.
Thea regretted the words the moment she spoke them. The warmth and compassion faded from his face.
“Do you really still think I want to hurt you?” His eyes burned with an emotion she couldn’t name. All she knew was it was very deep and something he struggled to control.
“No.” If he meant to hurt her, if he was really one of them, he’d had plenty of time before now to do so. She dropped the stick as she spoke. “I trust you.”
She did trust him, but so many unanswered questions still raced through her mind. Thea gave voice to the one that screamed loudest.
“What did they mean when they said you were one of them?” Ronin stiffened. He had to know she’d ask, but he seemed caught off guard by her pointed question. He looked away and she stepped closer to him.
“What did they mean?” she asked again. A shiver shuddered through her body as the wind picked up.
“It’s very complicated and you are freezing.” Ronin shook the remaining snow from the blanket and once again draped it over her shoulders. “We need to get moving again and find shelter.”
“What we need is for you to uncomplicate it.” Thea stiffened to match his posture. He knew a lot more about what was going on than he’d shared. That was about to change. “I’m not moving until you tell me.”
“I could carry you.” His head tilted to one side in challenge.
She mulled the idea over. She did like the way his arms felt around her, but it was past time for some straight answers. “Then carry me.” She called his bluff.
He faced her, his hands on his hips.
Thea stood her ground. He might think to intimidate her with his bold stance, but she was determined. The snowstorm could blow giant drifts over her before she’d leave this spot without answers.
He stared deep into her eyes. She met his gaze confidently, not giving him an ounce of the timidity he looked for. He sighed and threw his hands up in the air.
“Short version,” he relented. “Then we go. I have no desire to watch you freeze to death.”
She nodded and waited.
“My family was Royal Guard.”
“Royal Guard? Were those men Royal Guard?” she questioned. They had said he’d been one of them. “Are my own people trying to kill me? Answer me. Is my own Royal Guard after me to kill me?”
His brows drew together in an agonized expression. She knew the answer before he even said it.
“Yes. For now they are not your Royal Gu
ard. They are under the orders of the king. If he wants you dead, they will kill you.”
“You think the king is behind the murder of my father and the attempts on my life?”
The muscles at his jaw tensed and relaxed. “It’s a possibility.”
He reached out his hand. Thea hesitated before taking it. She did trust him, but she still had questions.
“You had to choose between the Royal Guard and me, didn’t you?”
She didn’t really need to ask. She knew it to be true. It stung that he’d had to make that choice. But she was glad he’d chosen to help her rather than kill her.
“I made my choice years ago, Thea.”
There was more that he wasn’t telling her, she was sure. But she’d already learned more than her brain could process for now. “I guess we’d better get moving, then, before I truly do freeze to death.”
*
Ronin stamped down the conflicting emotions Thea’s questions had brought to the surface. He should explain more to her. He should tell her his father was one of the men who knew she was alive. That he was the one who had rescued her when she was a child and he’d been a huge part of keeping her safely hidden away.
Even when they’d imprisoned him and threatened to have him put to death for the murder of the king, he’d kept the secret.
She sensed it. He could tell every time she looked at him that she was remembering. He’d always been so much like his father. Even after all these years, she had to be noticing the similarities. It was a good thing. If being a reminder of the man who had saved her triggered more memories of that night, they could be that much closer to bringing the real murderer to justice.
He should explain all those things. But now was not the time or place. She had put him on the spot and he hadn’t liked that at all. Not to mention she could freeze to death if he didn’t find shelter for them soon.
He pulled Thea along behind him again as they made their way slowly out of the ravine. The snow still fell heavily, making each step even more difficult than the last. When they reached the top of the hill, he could see lights in the distance. The horizon glowed through the snow as the sunrise signaled the start of another day. He wasn’t sure what they were headed for, but they would be out of this weather.
He pressed on, feeling a surge of victory.
Thea would be warm and safe and he’d have a chance to tell her the rest of the story she was so desperate to hear. She deserved to know it all. He was certain that somewhere in her mind were the answers he needed to find those responsible for not only killing her father, but also trying to silence his. Only when the truth came out would she finally be out of danger. Then he could return her home.
“I think there’s a farmhouse up ahead.” He spoke loudly over the wind, hoping to encourage her to keep moving. He quickened the pace and within moments they were at the door of the two-story home.
Ronin banged loudly against the door. The curtain at the window fluttered and lights came on inside. A few minutes later the door creaked open slowly. He was never so happy to see other human beings.
“Hello—” He started to introduce himself but was interrupted as the lady at the door noticed their condition.
“Oh, my!” she exclaimed. “You two are a sight. You must be frozen all the way through.”
Without taking time to learn their names or why they were out in the cold, she ushered them in and motioned for them to sit in the chairs around the kitchen table.
“Our car went off the road—” Ronin started, but was once again not allowed to finish.
“The nearest road is a good mile from here,” the woman interrupted again. “That’s quite the walk, especially in the middle of the night through a blizzard. First thing we need to do is get you out of those wet clothes.” She clucked around them like a mother hen, urging them to sit in chairs around the table and remove their shoes. “Just pile those shoes and socks up in the corner there.” She pointed toward a doorway that looked as if it led to a washroom. “Earl!”
“No need to holler, woman.” A large man entered the kitchen, his arms full of blankets and towels. “One step ahead of you.”
“We make a good team, don’t we?”
The man laid the stack on the table and leaned over to give the woman a kiss on the cheek. The man might be older, but he was the same height as Ronin with a slightly heavier build. Ronin was well aware that although the man doted on his wife and had paid them very little obvious attention, he’d been measured up.
Ronin respected him for that. Given the circumstances, he’d do the same. He probably wouldn’t have let two strangers into his home to begin with.
“We only have one bathroom and bathtub, so you’ll have to take turns at warm baths. But we have a tub around here somewhere that you can soak those feet in.”
The man—Earl, she’d called him—was already leaving the room again.
Thea still shook from the cold. Ronin was worried for her feet. They had been out in the freezing temperatures for hours. She could have frostbite. But you couldn’t tell by looking at her. She smiled at the woman and thanked her, not once complaining or letting on about the pain she must be in.
“We were in an accident.” Ronin supplied the information, for the first time not being interrupted. “Our car landed in a creek.”
“Must have been Rock Creek.” The woman shook her head and made more clucking sounds as she helped Thea with her boots and socks.
Ronin leaned over as he pulled his own off to see if her toes showed any signs of being blistered.
“God must have been with you two,” the woman replied. “If you’ve been out in that cold for very long. He had His hand on you to keep you safe.”
“He did.” Thea spoke with a calmness that surprised him. She smiled up at him. “Of course, Ronin helped some, as well.”
A smile filled his body. Contagious warmth flowed from her.
The elderly man returned to the room with a large metal tub and began filling it with warm water from the sink.
“I’ll show you to the bath and find some warm, dry clothing for you to put on while your own clothes are drying out.” The woman wrapped her arms around Thea and guided her out of the room.
At the doorway, Thea stopped and glanced back at him. Her eyes filled with softness.
Thank you, she mouthed. Then she was gone.
“That lady of yours is one strong woman.” The man placed the partially filled tub down at Ronin’s feet, then returned to the sink to begin filling pitchers of warm water to add to it. “Reminds me of my own Elizabeth. She has that same stubborn streak in her.”
“She’s not my lady,” Ronin corrected. He didn’t want to repay the man’s kindness with lies. There had been too many lies already. Not that he had actually lied to Thea, but he’d kept the truth from her. And she had thanked him. Ronin sunk his feet into the warm water. His feet tingled, then sharp jabs of pain shot through his toes and up his legs. He jerked and grimaced.
“That’s a good sign. Means the circulation is returning and your toes aren’t completely dead.”
He held his feet under. He deserved the pain.
“I’m going to see if Lizzie needs some help rounding you young’uns up some clothes.” Earl looked down at him and then strode away after his wife.
He was right about Thea. She was a strong woman. She was strong and many more things that he wasn’t sure there were even names for. A man could spend a lifetime trying to figure her out. He shook the thoughts from his mind. She was also a princess. It had been so easy for him to forget her heritage and who she really was in the time he’d been with her. For so long he’d thought of her only as a means to an end. The truths in her mind could free his father.
She was his duty, a job. Nothing more, nothing less.
The memory of the look in her eyes before she’d left the room flooded him. She trusted him. Despite the few truths he had shared and the questions that remained, she trusted. She knew his family had worked
for the Royal Guard. She still trusted him. For now that was a good thing. He’d achieved part of what he’d set out to do.
He’d gained her trust. In the days to come he could very well crush it.
SIX
Thea would never again take a simple thing like a warm bath for granted.
She wrapped her hair in a fluffy pink towel and stared at the purple bruise along her chin. After a quick examination for other injuries, she dressed quickly in the oversize sweatshirt and sweatpants Lizzie had left for her. Her arms and legs were covered in bruises. Her ribs and right shoulder were bruised, probably from the seat belt or air bag. But nothing was broken.
Things could have been much worse. She’d thanked God several times since they’d entered the small farmhouse. She was alive. Ronin was alive.
They were safe.
For now. Thea pushed the errant thought to the back of her mind.
Mr. and Mrs. Hollis—or Earl and Lizzie, as they’d insisted on being called—had welcomed them in without hesitation. Lizzie had drawn a warm bath and set out clean clothes and towels, tending to her like family the whole time. She liked it. It had been a very long time since she’d felt that sort of caring. Her own mother had been that way. The attention reminded her of her mother’s gentleness. It was something she’d nearly forgotten. For so long it had been only her father, Leo and their younger sister, Adriana.
After her mother had died, her father had dated a few women, but he’d never really brought them into their lives. Mostly there had been servants. Some of them had genuinely cared for her. But that had been different. It always felt more as if they were doing it out of obligation than true emotion. She was their job.
Thea tugged on the thick pair of socks. Warmth had finally returned to her toes, and thankfully, they looked pink and healthy. She wiggled them again just to be sure. She never wanted to be that cold again.
She jumped at a light rap at the door and then laughed at herself. If the men who were chasing them had returned, she doubted they’d knock.
“Are you okay?” Ronin’s voice was filled with genuine worry.
“Yes, I’m fine.” She could hear Ronin pacing in the hallway. She smiled. She should have known he wouldn’t be far from her side. “Are you?” she questioned.
