Chloe wrapped her legs around him and urged him to move.
“You feel amazing Chloe. Damn.” He growled as he moved slowly.
She felt her body climbing to the peak again and began thrusting her hips up to meet him. She pushed him to go faster as her orgasm built and when she reached the edge this time, they fell together.
“How are you?” He asked her as he pulled her into his arms.
“I feel wonderful. I didn’t know it could be like that.”
“When you are with the right person, there is nothing better. I am now with the right person.”
“It was good for you then?” She asked and turned to face him.
“Chloe, you have no idea how amazing it was for me. But don’t worry, I plan on showing you many more times before the night is over.”
Chloe grinned, and her heart began to thud in her chest again. What a wonderful feeling it was.
Chapter Seven
At the sound of the scream, they both shot out of bed.
“Fergus!” Chloe yelled, wrapping herself in the sheet and bolted for the door, Wade pulled his pants on and followed her.
They pushed open the door to Fergus’ room, and Chloe let out a sigh of relief to see her son sitting up in bed looking at them wide eyed.
“Momma!” Fergus started to get out of bed, but Chloe rushed over.
“It’s okay, Fergus. Shhh.” She pet her son’s hair and held him closely thankful that he hadn’t been the one who screamed.
“You two stay here, I’m going to go see what’s going on. Latch this door and stay inside.” Barefoot and wearing nothing but pants, Wade crept down the hall toward where he believed the scream had come from.
Garrett came out of his room, barechested with his sword in hand. “Do you know where it came from?” He asked Wade and then cursed when Wade shook his head. The two men broke into a run when they heard another scream.
They burst into the kitchen and Wade sucked in a breath when he saw the body on the floor. The man lay sprawled out soaking in a pool of his own blood. His eyes were frozen open in an expression Wade had unfortunately seen one too many times.
A woman was on her knees beside him, and two guards flanked her.
“What happened?” He asked as he checked for a pulse he knew wouldn’t be there. The man was still warm, so he knew he hadn’t been killed that long ago. He guessed it had been about ten minutes.
“I don’t know.” The woman sobbed into her blood covered hands. “I came in to make sure the cleaning had been finished, and I nearly tripped over him.”
“Do you know who this is?” Wade asked one of the guards.
The woman nodded. “Tis Bartley, the stable hand.” She started crying again, and Wade helped her to her feet.
“Go get cleaned up. I can handle the rest of this. Did he have any family?”
The maid shook her head and turned to leave the room.
“Did either of you see anything?”
“We came in as soon as we heard the screams. Bartley was a good man. I don’t know why anyone would want him dead.”
“What are your names?” Wade asked them.
“I’m Odran, this is Hugh.”
“Odran, we need to find out if anyone else saw anything.”
Odran nodded, and he and Hugh left the room.
“We need to look for a weapon.” Wade began to walk the room looking for a weapon, and Garrett followed his lead. They found nothing. From where the body lay it appeared that he had walked in on someone by accident and that person didn’t want to be seen doing whatever it was he was doing. Bartley was a good-sized man, either his killer had been bigger than he was, or he had known them.
There was no blood trail, or any splatter anywhere else in the room, so Wade assumed Bartley had been killed and then fallen to the ground, he hadn’t been drug. Unfortunately, Wade had no way of testing for any DNA evidence or even fingerprints.
The two guards returned within minutes wearing grim faces.
“It appears as though there is no one else in the castle.”
“Go up and check on Chloe and Carissa,” Garrett ordered them. “Stand guard until we get back.”
“You think someone is after them?” Wade asked him.
“You said today that Chloe was in danger. I wonder if this isn’t the danger you were warned about.”
Wade nodded. It was something he hadn’t considered but should have. Could this have all been a distraction?
“Son of a bitch!” Wade yelled and ran for the stairs when he another scream sounded.
Chapter Eight
They bounded up the stairs and saw the guards on the floor, each with their own mortal wound. Wade felt his stomach twist in knots as they came up on the open door leading into Fergus’ room.
“Give me the boy!” A large man with a short sword lunged toward Chloe who stood guarding Carissa and the kids.
“No!” Chloe yelled and pointed her dagger toward him. “I vow I will run you through before I let you anywhere near them.” She growled, and the part of Wade that was twisted into rage had to admit he was impressed by her courage.
“You had best be putting that blade away.” Garrett pressed the tip of his sword into the man’s back, and Wade saw the man straighten.
“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 his 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. The right side of his face was marred by a large scar, 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 McLoughlin!”
“Fergus is the only heir,” Garrett said from behind the man.
The man hissed and bared his teeth. “I am Darcy McLoughlin, 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 com
e 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 McLoughlin 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 guards came and carried the man’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 she had felt 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.
“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 it 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.
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!” 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.
PART III
Leon and 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
“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 had 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.
Ashleigh stopped in front of her next patient's room and forced a smile on her face. Only eight more hours on her shift.
“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 word ‘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 her 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 had 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 Two
“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.
“Yes, baby. Now go get in bed, and I’ll be there in a second. We can watch some PJ Masks!”
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