Tom and Callum were barely roaming the streets for five minutes before they stumbled across their first in-progress crime. A man with a handlebar mustache had a teenage girl tossed over his shoulder. She was kicking, screaming, and crying for help, so Callum didn't hesitate to act. He caught up to the man, grabbed him by the hair, and pulled him backward. Harriot might have handled it a bit differently, because it made him drop the young girl. When she hit the ground, she cradled an injured wrist.
“You like to attack little girls, do you?” Callum whispered as he held the man's hair, then he smashed his face into a streetlamp. “You like to pick on people that are easy targets?” Callum shoved the man to the ground and stomped on his head.
“Callum!” Harriot shouted. “Can you hold back a bit? We don't know the situation.”
“Oh, I know enough!” Callum leaned down to check on the kidnapper, but he was barely breathing. “Besides, I think it might be too late to hold back. Look at him! He's halfway to hell already.”
“That could have been her father,” Harriot tried to explain his reservations. “She could have been trying to escape. We should try to figure out what's going on before we start doling out punishments.”
“Why don't we ask the young lady?” Callum offered a hand to the girl, who looked reluctant to take it. When she finally did, he hoisted her to her feet. “Did you know this man, girl? Was he attacking you?”
“I-I don't know him!” the panicked girl replied. “I work at a pub. When I left work, he suddenly grabbed me!”
“See?” A self-satisfied smirk snaked across Callum's lips. “Sometimes it pays to act first and ask questions later.”
A minute later, the man was a corpse, and his remains were swept away by Eversio's soldiers. Harriot insisted on escorting the young woman back to her home, then he continued his patrol with Callum.
“This is really great, you know,” Callum joked as they walked across the road. “I feel like I'm really getting to know you, Harriot. We're really bonding through this. It's like we're on a date.”
“It's too bad you didn't bring wine,” Harriot said with a snort.
“Or flowers,” Callum added. “Such a shame.”
Upon reaching the seedier part of town, they had more work to do. A pair of voices led them to more misbehavior.
“Grab her purse, Marcus!”
“Gimme a moment, Danny! I want to check her pockets first.”
“Shove her to the ground and let's get out of here, quick!”
When they rounded a corner, Harriot and Callum found a pair of young thugs robbing an elderly woman. The lady was on the ground, sobbing, while Marcus shuffled through the pockets of her dress.
“Come on, Marcus! We need to get out of here!” Danny drew a sharp breath when he saw Harriot and Callum heading in their direction. “Oh shit!”
“What is it?” Marcus asked as pocketed the old woman's pennies.
“Eversio!” Danny grabbed his friend by the collar of his shirt and hauled him to his feet. “Shit... run!”
The young thieves tried to scatter, but Eversio's men were too fast. Danny tried to bolt down an alley, but Callum quickly caught up to him, shoved him to the ground, and stomped on both of his legs. Harriot ripped his pistol from its holster and took aim, shooting the back of Marcus' knee. When he fell, the contents of the old woman's purse rained around him.
As Harriot hog-tied Marcus, Callum dragged a moaning Danny back to the scene. Both of Danny's legs were broken, and when Callum tried to set him on his feet, he toppled to the ground in agony.
“Look at this!” Callum laughed, lifting Danny up again. He wagged Danny's body back and forth, making his broken legs sway like noodles. When Callum dropped him again, Danny started to cry. “He's got legs like a marionette. Maybe I should break his arms too, tie him to strings, and make a living puppet out of him.”
“Oh?” Harriot raised an eyebrow. “I'm fascinated. Where would you have your stage?”
“Right in the middle of the square, so all this boy's victims can come out and watch him dance!” Callum kicked Danny's leg, which made him cry harder. Despite being uncomfortably tied, Marcus knew he was getting off easy by comparison.
As Callum played with his new toy, Harriot collected the scattered contents of the woman's purse and helped her to her feet. “Will you be alright, ma'am?” he asked.
“Y... yes.” The woman sounded wary of him. He didn't know if she was frightened of his mask, or if Callum's sadistic behavior had put her off. Her heroes were nearly as terrifying as her attackers.
After a few hours of patrolling the streets, and nearly a dozen arrests, Callum and Harriot returned to the palace. As soon as they were through the door, Loreina practically pounced on them.
“Ahh... I was hoping to bump into you boys! You must be absolutely exhausted after a long, hard day at work!” She reached up, stroking Callum's hair, and then Harriot's. Both men had wavy dark hair. They were both over six-feet tall, with smoldering eyes and broad shoulders, though Callum was a bit more slender. They were a perfect match for each other, and Loreina was determined to get one of them into her bed—if not both. “Would you join me in the garden for tea?”
“I would be absolutely delighted, Your Grace,” Callum replied first. “I must confess, I'm not sure how to address you now that the imperial family's been dethroned.
“Your Grace is fine. Or you may simply call me Loreina. You're a handsome young man, so I really wouldn't mind.” She checked over her shoulder to make sure Harriot was following them. He was, though he kept his distance.
As soon as they reached the garden, Callum plucked a long-stemmed red rose and passed it to the former queen. When Loreina ran its silky petals across his cheek, he grinned.
Within seconds, the table in the garden was set for tea. Ever since Eversio took over, the castle servants were more efficient than ever. Fear was a motivating factor, of course, as well as a surprising pay raise.
“Your father frightens me,” Loreina confessed as a servant poured her tea. “After I failed to apprehend my daughter, I tried to remind him he owes me some airships. Gareth and I had an arrangement. If I helped him, I was to sail back home and reclaim my country. However... as soon as I broached the topic, he gave me a very scathing look. It was awful. I don't know when I'll feel comfortable discussing it again!”
“My father can be... imposing,” Harriot agreed as he studied the biscuits on the plate in front of them. With a shrug, he pulled out Isabella's lemon cookies and ate them instead. He expected to be teased by Loreina and Callum, but he didn't care. A lifetime of teasing left him immune to the scathing remarks of others.
“Do you think you could ask your father, Tom?” Loreina's eyelashes fluttered as she asked the question. “I'm sure he'd listen to you a lot more than he would listen to me.”
“I'll have a word with him,” Harriot said, even though he doubted he would.
Callum suddenly thrust a finger at Harriot's lemon cookie. “What are you eating?”
“A cookie. Vee made them.”
“Vee?” As he laughed, Callum gripped his stomach. “I've known her a long time, but I never took her for a cookie baker!”
“Those cookies look atrocious!” Loreina exclaimed as one of them crumbled apart in Harriot's hand. She picked up the plate of biscuits and practically shoved it under Harriot's nose. “These were professionally prepared. You should eat these instead.”
Harriot shook his head and continued to nibble on Isabella and Vee's concoction. “These suit me just fine.”
As the men sipped their tea, Loreina reached under the table. She put one hand on Harriot's leg, one hand on Callum's leg, and waited for their reaction. Harriot scooted his chair away, while Callum grinned.
It couldn't have been more obvious.
Loreina knew who her next lover was going to be.
Seventeen
“Lightly push the pedal. Not too hard, not too soft,” Kieran instructed his student. The motoca
rriage was in the middle of an open field, which seemed like the perfect place to give Ella her first driving lesson. Tobias and Lyneah, who were in the carriage's interior, had no idea what was going on, so when the motocarriage suddenly zoomed forward, Lyneah shrieked. “Lightly, I said! Lightly push the pedal!”
“Sorry,” Ella muttered a quiet apology as her foot relented from the pedal. “Maybe I'm just not that good at this.”
“You just started. Give it time. With a little practice, I'm sure you'll be a worthy co-pilot.” Kieran winked. “Now... you should keep at least one hand on the wheel.”
“What if I have to turn?”
“Don't worry about that yet. Just keep going straight. If you need to make a quick stop, push down on the slender pedal.”
After a minute or two, Ella seemed to relax a bit. At long last, her tensely held breath was expelled. “Alright...” she admitted, “it's not so bad.”
“See?” Kieran nudged her with his elbow. “I told you you'd enjoy it!”
Ella nodded. When Kieran offered to give her a lesson, she was reluctant to drive at first. After all, the motocarriage was Kieran's baby. She didn't want him to lose it in a collision that was caused by her.
“In a moment, we'll be at the end of this field, and that's where we'll need to turn,” Kieran warned her. “Keep it slow. Pull down on the right side of the wheel... gently... steady... I'm right beside you!”
Ella winced as she made the turn. When she realized she was successful, she nearly applauded herself. “I did it!”
Kieran gave her another nudge. “That you did. I'm proud of you, love.”
“I wish I could afford a vehicle like this.” A curly lock fell into Ella's eyes, so Kieran brushed it aside for her. “I'm sure Ben would love to ride in one.”
“Then we'll take him,” Kieran suggested. “As soon as we get back, and as soon as he gets better, we can take him for a ride.”
“I'd... really like that.” Every time Kieran was next to her, Ella's smile seemed determined to consume her face. He was kind to her—maybe kinder than any man had ever been. He had protected her more than once. He was a reluctant hero, and an undervalued one. Ella recognized his worth. “You know, I really do appreciate everything you've done for me, Kieran. I don't think I can thank you enough.”
“Eh... don't mention it.” Kieran shrugged away her gratitude. “After seeing your brother's little face, anyone would've done what I did.”
“I don't think so,” Ella disagreed. “This is a huge favor you're doing for me. You know I can't pay you that well... and yet you've given me several days of your time.”
“I didn't really have anything better to do.” When he saw her rolling her eyes, he explained, “Oh, I'm quite serious. I really don't have a life of my own, so I end up doing favors for other people. Just ask Lyneah. Not that long ago, she had me running all sorts of errands for her.”
“Did she pay you?” Ella asked.
“Well... yeah. Eventually I got paid.”
“Then it's different.” Ella's confidence was growing, so she pushed down harder on the pedal. “I can't pay you. I can't even pay for our hotel rooms, and yet you never abandoned me.”
“Of course I didn't. I'm not that much of an arse.”
Ella tried to keep her eyes on the road, but every now and then, she stole a glimpse of the man at her side. His beard, which he usually trimmed, had gone a bit scruffy, and his hair was almost always unkempt. Nevertheless, she thought he was handsome. And he was strong, too. He was exactly the sort of man she needed in her life.
“You know...” Ella began. “I sometimes worry that I haven't done a good job raising my brother.”
“Why would you think that? You seem like a lovely girl to me. Hell, you went all the way across the country to get medicine for the boy. I'd say you've done a damn fine job.”
“I appreciate that, but... at times, I wish he had a male influence in his life.” Ella drew a deep breath and prayed he would catch the hint.
“Then get yourself a boyfriend.”
Kieran's blunt suggestion made her flinch. It wasn't quite the reaction she wanted. “It's not as easy as that. I've... never actually had a boyfriend before.”
“You haven't?” Kieran's eyes went wide. “You're not serious, right?”
Ella nodded solemnly. “I'm absolutely serious.”
“Why the bloody hell haven't you had a boyfriend? You're gorgeous!”
Kieran's compliment gave her a bit of hope. “I'm shy, I suppose. I keep to myself. Most of the time, my attention is focused on Ben, so...”
“Damn.” Kieran gave his beard a few rough strokes. “That's hard to believe. Hell, it makes me think I should ask you out, but I can't do that.”
Ella's eyelids fluttered, as if she'd been punched in the gut. “And... why's that?”
“A guy like me doesn't deserve a good girl like you,” Kieran said. “A good girl deserves a better man.”
“But I think you're a wonderful man, Kieran!” Ella was desperate to convince him of his worth, to get him to change his mind. “I actually think you'd be a good--”
She never finished her thought. There was loud, sudden pop from one of the engines, so Kieran slid closer to Ella and mashed the brake.
Tobey's head suddenly appeared in the window. “What was that?” he cried.
“Vehicle trouble.” Kieran climbed down from the motocarriage's driver seat and checked beneath its hood. It had two engines, and one of them was steaming. “Every time you're in one of my vehicles, the blasted thing breaks down. I think you might be cursed, boy...er... Tobey.” He forgot that Tobey hated to be called boy.
“Actually, it's a good thing we stopped,” Lyneah suddenly spoke up. She stumbled from the carriage's interior and raced out of view. When they heard her retching, Kieran exchanged glances with Tobias.
“Motion sickness, I guess,” Kieran said. “I'm surprised it affected her, though. She could handle the hovercraft and the airship, but she couldn't handle this? Seems odd.”
Tobey climbed out of the carriage to check on his fiance. “Actually, she's gotten sick on an airship before. Not always, but it's happened.”
Lyneah was wiping her lips as she staggered back to Tobias. When he saw her shaking her head, he looked confused. “It's not motion sickness...” she moaned. “I guess... now's as good a time as any to tell you this, Tobey. I... uh... I...”
“Are you pregnant?” gasped Ella, who was watching from the driver's seat. Lyneah confirmed her suspicions with the tiniest of nods.
“You're... pregnant?” Tobias slowly repeated the words. “I'm going to be a father? Are you absolutely sure?”
“I'm... quite sure. I can't say I'm absolutely sure, but I--”
Tobias suddenly threw his arms around her and brought her head to his shoulder. “How long have you known?” Her fiance's whispered words made Lyneah's ears tingle. “Why didn't you tell me sooner?”
“I haven't known that long myself. Not really. I suppose I had my suspicions, but with everything going on, I just needed to be sure... and then you were tortured... and I didn't know if that was the right time to bring it up.”
“I'm sorry I ruined the moment,” muttered a sheepish Ella. “I shouldn't have blurted it out like that. If I guessed your secret, I should've kept it to myself.”
“No. It's alright, Ella. It helped me, honestly. It--”
Kieran suddenly smacked the engine with a wrench, and the sudden noise interrupted her thought. To him, the smoking engine was more important than whatever was going on in Lyneah's womb.
“Why do you sound sad, Lyneah?” Tobey asked as he tucked a tendril of hair behind her ear. “This is happy news. Aren't you happy?”
“Well... yes...” Despite her answer, Lyneah's eyes were downcast. “But you're so young... and you probably didn't want this. Not this soon, anyway, so I--”
“I'm happy,” Tobias assured her. “This is the best news of my life. Honestly.”
Once
again, Kieran ruined the moment with a loud whack of his wrench. When Lyneah turned toward him, her eyes were narrowed and her nose was wrinkled.
“Don't look at me like that, girl. I'm happy for you too and all that,” Kieran dismissively said. “But for now, we should probably focus on getting this damn thing repaired. Dare I try bing bang bong?”
He expected a reaction from either Tobias or Lyneah, but neither of them seemed to understand what he meant. “Can you not get it to start?” Lyneah asked.
“No... it'll start, but we shouldn't go the rest of the way to Bordeaux with a smoking engine. We should get it checked by a mechanic.” As Kieran closed the motocarriage's hood, he grumbled a few curse words to himself. “As luck would have it... I know a mechanic who lives around here. And you guys know her too.”
Eighteen
“I realize you've been through a lot lately, Kitten, and I want to show you how much I appreciate you,” Doon recited the words as he reached into the pocket of his shabby gray coat. “So I bought you a gift.”
“A gift?” Kitt's brows shot to the center of her forehead. “Are you serious? Are you actually my boyfriend, or are you a man who happens to look identical to my boyfriend in the same way I look identical to Lyneah?”
Doon's smile dropped. “Am I not allowed to buy a gift for the woman I... love?” They had been together six months, and yet he still struggled with the word.
“No. I like that you bought me a gift. It's just... unexpected. We've been together for awhile now, and I don't think you've ever bought me anything.”
“I bought you some clothes,” Doon reminded her.
“True.”
“And I bought you that dagger.” He pointed at the cerulean-handled sheathed dagger on Kitt's dresser. Doon thought it was a spectacular gift. He would have loved to get a gift like that.
“Right. And it was such a romantic present!” Kitt skeptically eyed the box he held in his hand. “Alright then. What did you get me this time?”
Doon's smiled reappeared as he opened the box and presented its contents. There was a single, tiny charm on a long silver chain. As soon as Kitt saw the charm, her nose was involuntarily wrinkled. It was a pair of dueling pistols.
Prisoner Princess (Belles & Bullets Book 5) Page 11
