The further they moved on, the worse Jessica started to feel. Her stomach was hurting and she was getting a headache from hanging upside down for too long. If they didn’t reach the end of the wood soon, she really was going to lose her lunch down his back.
The men walked on for hours, with Jessica flung over Bac’s shoulder like a sack of potatoes. She fought back a groan, her misery complete. She felt like dying. The constant pain was overwhelming. Jessica lay there limply and tried to stay conscious. When she couldn’t hold the agony in anymore, she groaned aloud.
Bac halted and slowly let her slide down his body. When her feet hit the ground, she slumped and would have fallen if it weren’t for Bac still holding her.
“What is wrong with you, woman?” Jessica couldn’t answer. She rested her head on his chest and moaned. He swung her up into his arms and carried her over to a small patch of grass. Gently laying her down, Bac prodded at her stomach, making her moan louder from the pain.
“Please, no more. Just let me die.” Jessica wrapped her arms around her middle and rolled into a ball. She closed her eyes and tried to shut out the people around her. Bac was having none of that.
“You are weak. I told you, you were a weak woman and now you have gone and injured yourself. I won’t have it. It is slowing us down. You will get better at once.” Jessica would have rolled her eyes if she had the strength. He was starting to sound like a spoilt little boy, not the flirty confident kidnapper that he was when she first came out of the tunnel.
“Let’s kill her now and dump the body. Then we can wait for the bastards to come for her and ambush them, when they are mourning their loss.” The husky voice of the smelly man that took her cut through her pain.
“That’s not a bad idea, boss. She is dead weight anyway and has no further use.” Jessica didn’t know who said that, but she didn’t like the direction this conversation was taking.
“No, not yet. We may still need her,” Bac spat out. He turned and stood to face his men. “We need to get the horses. We aren’t far from where we left them. You two go and bring them back. We will wait here. Be quick about it.”
“I still think we should kill her.” This came from the smelly guy.
“You’re such a bloodthirsty bastard, aren’t you. Go get the fucking horses or it will be you lying there dead.” Bac turned his attention away from the men and crouched down over her. She was on her side facing him and when she opened her eyes a crack, Jessica noticed the dagger strapped to his thigh. It was a fancy jeweled thing, but if she could get her hands on it, she would be able to do some damage and hopefully escape. They were two men down now. It was the best chance she was going to get.
“You better yet?” Bac asked. He reached over to prod her tummy once more. Jessica bit back a groan and lay as still as possible. She wanted to take him by surprise.
Jessica waited for Bac to relax and think she was passed out. He remained crouched over her, but wasn’t paying attention to her. Something in the distance had caught his notice.
She took a deep breath and felt her body tingle with anticipation. This was it. She needed to rally her courage and her strength and just go for it. She opened her eyes slightly and looked at Bac. He still was watching something in the bushes.
Jessica opened her eyes wide and with a rebellious yell that would make any warrior proud. She sat up and grabbed the dagger from its sheath in one move. Without slowing her movements or taking the time to think it over, she thrust the dagger up and into Bac’s chest.
She felt the flesh give way as the blade pierced his skin and slipped into his body. Jessica let go of the dagger and shuffled herself away from Bac. He grabbed at the dagger, a look of shock and surprise on his handsome face. Blood ran from the wound and down his body in gushes.
She tried not to look, but was unable to look away. Swallowing back bile, she rolled over and got to her feet. She had to lean against a tree for support, but was able to stand.
Bac was cursing and screaming, unable to understand how a woman had gotten the better of him. Jessica watched as surprise turned to anger. He pulled the dagger from his chest, with a pain-filled groan, and stood. Shit, he was coming toward her, holding the bloody dagger in his hand. Blood still ran from the wound as he got closer and closer to her position.
“You can’t kill me, bitch. I’m too strong. You could have ruled at my side, but instead you have chosen death.” Bac raised the dagger high above his head and Jessica panicked. She closed her eyes and raised her arms to ward off the dagger’s descent, but it never came.
She opened one eye to see that Bac had an arrow piercing his throat. The head of the arrow stuck out just enough for her to recognize it for what it was. When he slumped to the ground dead, Jessica squealed. She looked over to see Baen and Carr still mounted on their stallions. Carr still held the bow that had fired the arrow.
Jessica sighed in relief at the sight of her husbands. She looked down at Bac and her stomach rolled at the gory sight. She hurried behind the nearest tree and promptly threw up.
* * * *
Baen and Carr had ridden up just in time to see Jessica drive the dagger into Bac’s side. Carr’s heart had stopped in that moment and it wasn’t until Bac had pulled the dagger from his body and raised it to stab Jessica that he was thrown into action and grabbed his bow. The arrow had pierced Bac’s neck seconds before the knife’s descent.
He passed his bow to one of the soldiers and dismounted as Jessica ran for the bushes. He should have expected as much. She was a delicate little thing and the sight of all that blood would send any lady into hysteria.
When she had finished vomiting and wiped her mouth, Baen and Carr pulled her into their arms. Carr was ready to comfort her while she cried and tell her that she would never have to go through an ordeal like that again.
“You took your bloody time. A second later and I could have been dead. What took you so long?” Carr was taken aback by her demanding, forceful tone. Jessica stood with her hands on her small hips, ready to do battle. Where was the weeping and hysteria? Jessica looked mad enough to spit. If looks could kill, Baen and Carr would be roasted.
“We had a little trouble finding the end to the tunnel. In the end my squire had to crawl through it and raise the alert from the other side.” Baen pulled her back into his arms. She pushed him away again and held her arms out defensively.
“Stay away. I smell and I’m covered in sweat and dirt and God knows what else. I need a bath and a stiff drink. I’ve had a trying day.” Jessica did look a fright, but to him she still was the most beautiful creature to walk the Earth. They had nearly lost her and it was going to take him a long time to recover, if ever. She didn’t seem too fazed by the whole ordeal.
Baen hugged her to him and smiled down at her. Carr moved in again behind her and buried his face in her neck. He needed to hold her every bit as much as Baen. Not only to reassure himself that she was alive and well, but because he loved her with everything in him and more.
“I don’t care what state you’re in. We nearly lost you today. It is going to take me a very long time before I let you out of my sight again. So get used to me and most likely Carr pinned to your side.” Baen’s voice was gruff and filled with emotion. If Carr didn’t know better he thought Baen was going to cry.
“Yes, baby. I need to know you are safe too. I will be having nightmares about today for a long time,” Carr added. “When I saw Bac standing over you with his dagger raised, my heart just about stopped.”
“Well, I had things well in hand. I had a plan.” Jessica was such a stubborn little thing. He’d bet that she’d never admit that she needed help.
“What was your plan, baby?” Carr asked her, as they made their way back toward the horses.
“I was going to do a fancy drop-and-roll move to get out of his way. I was just waiting for the right time to make my move.”
“Was that going to happen before or after he stabbed you?” Baen was smiling, as he put the question to
her.
“Funny. Really funny. What happened to the other two men and the two men that were sent for the horses?”
Carr smiled at her change of subject. “You mean the two dead men over there?” he pointed to where the two bodies still lay where they fell. “I sent men after the other two. They will not be a problem for long.”
They reached the horses and Carr watched as Baen mounted his stallion. He gently lifted Jessica, passed her up to Baen and watched her settle on his lap. He wanted her to ride with him, but he understood Baen’s need to hold her too. He would get his chance to smother and pamper her after her long trying day later.
Carr sighed. He moved to mount his own stallion and then looked over at his lover’s. Jessica had already curled into Baen’s big chest and gone to sleep. His heart did a somersault at the sight. Both his lovers were safe and well. He couldn’t wait to get back to the comforts of the castle. It had been weeks since he had slept in a soft bed next to his family.
Baen nudged his horse into a gentle canter, with Carr riding along beside him. The guards moved into formation around them and they all headed back toward the castle. They would leave the bodies there for the wild animals to take care of. It was a warning to anyone else that tried to hurt their family.
Normally Baen let the opposing side bury their dead, but Carr could see he wasn’t in the mood to play nice. Bac and his men had tried to harm their wife. They would get no mercy and no proper burial.
“When we reach the castle, send word to Balfour that his plan was thwarted and his commander is dead. If he leaves quietly and backs down, he may retrieve his dead and live to see another day.” Baen’s voice was hard and mirrored the anger that Carr felt.
“I’ll send Athdar. He will see that the message is received loud and clear.” Carr suspected that Balfour would go quietly. With Bac dead and their forces dwindling, he would only be risking his own throne by staying.
Carr knew Baen didn’t want the responsibility of another kingdom. He was happy to let Balfour rule Barak, as long as he left Marak in peace. He wasn’t a greedy man and he wasn’t after power. He just wanted his kingdom to be safe and prosperous.
“Good, we all need rest and a good meal. Then I think we need to teach our little queen who the head of this family is.”
“Yes, Jessica is,” Carr said and Baen let out a laugh. Jessica shifted but didn’t wake up.
“She had a fire in her eyes when she told us off for being late.” Baen said, smiling. “Our little woman is full of spirit. She will keep us on our toes.”
“I agree. It will take the both of us to keep her in line. Spirits help us, if she ever learns just how much she has us wrapped around her little finger.”
“Do you think she has given up on the idea of going home? If she decides she wants to, I don’t think I can give her up. I love her too damned much.” Carr heard the worry in Baen’s voice. He, too, was worried that she wanted to leave. She still hadn’t given up her search to find a way home and that made them insecure.
“All we can do is wait and see, and try to show her that by our side and in our bed is where she belongs. But I can see the love in her eyes. I really feel she will want to stay,” Carr said.
“Even if she has men trying to kill her? There will always be someone trying to take control of our kingdom and putting her life at risk “
“I hear you, my love. But you know we will always put her safety first. The bastard Bac got lucky. We will never be that lax again. Jessica will have no reason to fear for her life or the lives of her babies. You are just feeling jittery because we almost lost her.”
“I know you are right. It will take a while to get over this scare and return to normal.”
They broke out of the woods and rode into the grassy patch that separated the castle from the woods. They were almost home and, with every step closer, Carr felt the tension leave his body.
Chapter Twelve
Baen woke curled around Jessica with his arm stretched out so his hand rested on Carr’s waist. They had all fallen into bed late last night after they had bathed and eaten. Baen and Carr had checked Jessica from head to toe for injuries. Her ribs and stomach were still tender from spending so much time over Bac’s shoulder, but they would heal. He had sent for the healer Elsbeth to patch up the nick to her neck caused by the dagger.
He had paced back and forth the entire time, cursing the bastard that had dared to cause his little wife pain. Every time she so much as winced as Elsbeth tended to her, Baen grew more and more agitated. Carr had attempted to calm him down, reminding him that it was over and that she was safe and back in their arms, but it was no use. He had worked himself up and it wasn’t until Elsbeth had finished and left that Jessica was able to soothe the raging anger inside himself.
Spirits, he loved her and he had almost lost her. His enemy had gotten the better of him and that was unacceptable. He wished he could go back and kill Bac all over again or at least torture him for a while.
Baen lifted up and placed his hand under his head. He looked down at his sleeping wife and husband. They were his world. Jessica looked so little and fragile in her sleep, but Baen knew better. She was a strong woman, full of fire, and a match for Carr and himself in every way. Carr was right when he said she had them wrapped around her little finger. He would give her anything she wanted.
He sighed and looked toward his other lover. Carr had a peacefulness to him when he was asleep. His face softened and the hard lines smoothed out. His scar looked less threatening and he almost looked boyish. Not that he would ever say that to Carr. His lover would take offense at him saying something like that.
“Couldn’t sleep?” Jessica asked. He looked down at her and then leant down to place a gentle kiss upon her lips. She had a big bruise on her cheek from where one of Bac’s men had hit her. He clenched his jaw and held back the swearword that threatened to escape.
“No, I’m awake now and ready to show you just how much I’ve missed you.” Baen continued to kiss her, running his hand along her side and up to tangle in her hair.
“Baen, I missed you and Carr so much. When Bac took me, I thought…well, I thought I wouldn’t get the chance to tell you how much I love you.” Jessica nipped at his lips and he breathed in her scent. It was fresh like the lemon soap she had used last night and a smell that was distinctly Jessica.
“You are so beautiful, my little queen. I love you too. I was going crazy when I thought I might never see you again. You light up my life, little one, and bring brightness and joy to a dark, battle-filled world. I’m never giving you up. You are mine now, mine and Carr’s.”
“I’m not going anywhere. I love you both too much to ever leave you.”
“Good, because we would never let you. Now roll over and tell me how much you love me.” Carr pulled her from his arms and took her mouth in a passionate kiss. Baen felt his cock getting hard at the sight of his lovers kissing.
“I do love you, Carr. So much. You are my big warrior and I love every solid inch of you.” Jessica untangled herself from Carr’s arms and sat up to pull her nightgown over her head.
When she lay down again, she was naked as the day she was born. He stared at her body and his cock hardened more. He was desperate to make love to her, but she was injured and he didn’t want to hurt her more. Baen moved to leave the bed and remove himself from the tempting sight.
“Where do you think you’re going?” Jessica asked. She grabbed his arm and pulled him back to her.
“You are injured, little one. Your stomach is black and blue. I don’t want to hurt you, but if you stay lying there like that, I don’t think I’ll be able to help myself.”
“Baen is right, baby. You must be sore,” Carr added.
“I’m fine. I may be small, but compared to you everyone is. I’m not going to break, and I need my husbands to make love to me. To show me how much they care and to wipe away the bad memories of yesterday.”
“You are a sly little thing aren’t you
?” Carr smiled down at her, and then stared to remove his breeches. They had both gone to bed wearing their pants not wanting to upset Jessica with their manly urges. It seemed they had little to worry about.
“Well, I hope it’s working. Hurry up and get naked. I need my lovers to fuck me. I want to feel your hard cocks inside me.”
Baen ripped off his breeches as Carr moved back to lie at Jessica’s side. He ran a hand along her stomach and up to cup one of her firm breasts. Baen watched as Carr kissed her, their tongues tangling. When he had watched enough, he moved closer and reached out to take Carr’s long erection in his fist. He squeezed it and jerked it, as Carr made love to Jessica’s mouth. He didn’t stop until Carr was panting for breath, his cock hard and angry in Baen’s hand.
He let go of Carr and moved his attention to Jessica. He ran a hand over her torso and cupped her free breast with his hand. Tweaking her nipple between his thumb and finger, he played with the bud until it was hard and pebbled. Baen moved his hand down her body to tangle in her curls. Her pussy was damp and her little clit poked out from beneath its hood.
Moving down her body, he spread her thighs wide. Making a spot for himself between her legs, he dove in. Running his tongue from her bottom to her clit, Baen moaned when her flavor burst on his tongue. He loved her unique taste and could stay down there all day, licking and teasing her pussy with his tongue.
Baen slipped one long finger inside her tight channel and curled his finger. She shifted and moaned on the bed under him and spread her legs wider in invitation.
“Fuck, that’s so hot. You have a gorgeous pussy, baby. When Baen is finished, I want a taste. But first…” Carr moved away from Jessica and pushed at Baen’s hips. He rolled to the side to give Carr access to his cock. Carr didn’t mess around engulfing his entire length into the hot cavern of his mouth.
The Magic of You [Mystical Realms 1] (Siren Publishing Ménage Amour) Page 13
