“Nothing much. The legend says that one of pure Irish blood must enter the cave to retrieve the emerald. Once you leave the cave, you can give it to me and you’re free to go with Liberty.”
“How do I know you won’t do something to her while I’m in there?”
“You don’t. But your choice is take a chance or stay here and watch her die.”
He curled his fingers into his palms, trying to fight the urge to wrap them around the bastard’s neck. “You can come with me.” It was a spur of the moment idea and one he hoped the jackass was stupid enough to take him up on.
Tony thought for a moment, his pale eyes studying Brady. “I guess I could. Nothing says that I can’t be there, just that the only person to bring the stone out should be Irish.” He turned to his goons. “If you hear anything or if he comes out alone, kill her. Ready?”
Tony nodded. He looked at Libby and fought the anguish that had him wanting to roar. She wasn’t in pain, and she wasn’t falling apart. Not his Libby. She was tough. But he could see the rise and fall of her chest as her breathing hitched every now and then. He knew she was fighting her own fear…for him…for herself.
“You touch her, harm her, even think about her, I will hunt you down and castrate you.”
They didn’t say a word but he could tell that they understood he meant every word.
“I’ll follow you, Saint.”
Brady walked into the cave, trying his best to fight the overwhelming sense that they were heading for a disaster. His throat almost closed at the fear that slithered down his spine. The damp, dark cave brought back the memory of stealing away on Sterling’s ship, not knowing if he had enough air to survive. Mentally, he ordered himself to calm down, worked on his breathing exercises and prayed it would help him get through this.
He just hoped he’d stalled long enough to give Libby some time to come up with a plan.
* * * * *
Libby drew in a deep breath and tried to fight the panic clogging her throat. She didn’t trust Tony; he’d gone completely insane. Never before had she seen anything so cold, calculating or downright crazy in his eyes. He really believed all the crap about being able to rule the universe while in possession of an emerald. She was trying her best not to scream from the pressure. She wasn’t sure how the guards would take it.
Fear lanced through her as she thought of Brady going into the cave. Tony wasn’t going to let them leave alive. She hoped that Brady didn’t let his claustrophobia get to him. He could handle it normally but with these conditions she was sure he wasn’t thinking straight.
It was just her rotten luck that she finally figured out that taking chances and letting loose wasn’t all that bad and her insane ex-husband had to show up and screw up the whole damn thing. She’d laugh but she wasn’t so sure she could keep from crying.
The guards had let her sit on a huge rock near the side of the entrance to the cave. She rubbed her arms as a cool breeze blew across her skin. The second sun was starting to set and the dampness in the air made it seem even colder. Trying not to draw attention to herself, she studied her guards from beneath her lashes. There was no way to overpower them but there might be a way to outwit them.
As she jumped from idea to idea, she heard the rustling of leaves behind her. She glanced over her shoulder. A murmur of voices drifted toward her.
Before she could blink, the area was swarming with men dressed in black suits. She couldn’t make out one from another but she knew they were human. They came in, stunguns drawn. There was a lot of shouting and scuffling but soon the guards had been subdued, unarmed and surrounded by a sea of black.
Two men separated from the group. Both wore the same fitted black suits as the other men but these men she knew. Robbie Masters and John Hunter walked toward her, both of them with expressions that looked like they wanted to kill someone. She just hoped it wasn’t her.
“What are you two doing here?”
“Saving your ass and Saint’s.” John said. “Where the hell is he?”
“In the cave with Tony.”
“Shit.” This came from Masters.
“What do you want to do?” John asked him.
Masters studied her, then looked at John. “If we go in, Freemont might freak.”
“Too late for that.”
Both men shot her a silencing look.
“Why do you say that?” John asked.
“Well, for one, he’s slipped over the edge. I mean, gone completely mental.”
Masters nodded. “I have to agree. We’ve had him under surveillance for months. His behavior is erratic. We just have to figure out what to do.”
“I can go.”
“You?” both men said together.
“Yes, me. He hears you all, he’ll freak out and maybe kill Brady. He isn’t expecting me to pop into the cave but he sees me as less of a threat.”
“Hmm, it could work,” Masters mused.
“Masters, Saint will kick your ass, you take her in there.”
“Do you see another way?”
John sighed and shook his head. “We’ll back you up.” He handed her a stungun and she shook her head.
“Knives. I’m really good with knives.”
* * * * *
“According to this passage—” Freemont held up a printed sheet of paper close to his face, trying to read it, “it says that you should find the emerald in the pool of water behind you.”
Brady looked around the dim cave and tried to repress a shudder. The only thing he hated more than heights was dark, enclosed spaces. It smelled of mold and salt. He had no idea what kind of creatures lurked in the dark and he didn’t want to know. He just wanted to figure out some way out of the cave, away from him and save Libby.
He glanced around and noticed a shimmer of light around the corner. He walked slowly, carefully placing each foot in front of the other. Avoiding the walls, he made his way to the shimmering pool. It seemed to glow, as if there were some source of light beneath it. The scent of salt grew and Brady assumed the pool originated from an underground saltwater spring. This area of Dranirick was known for its salt lakes.
He ambled over to the water while trying to fight the clawing panic inside of him. They were so far in the cave he couldn’t hear what was happening on the outside. That fact had cold panic curling in his belly. Thinking about her out there on her own, worried about just what those creatures might try with her. He hadn’t wanted to leave her, but it was that or watch her die. He prayed he would make it out before anything else happened to Libby. He had to distract Freemont while he thought up a plan.
“So, what was it that you hit me for, Freemont?”
He peered over the rocks to look into the pond. It looked like a hot spring, steam rising off the water, but the scent of salt was almost overwhelming.
“You mean Libby didn’t tell you?”
“Uh, we haven’t been doing much talking.”
“Figures. The damn woman was cold as ice every time I touched her. Nothing I did in bed would please her.” Brady fought a smile and lost. He looked over his shoulder at Freemont, who was glowering at him. “See anything?”
“No. So, that’s it. That’s what you hit me for?”
He didn’t answer for a few seconds. “No. I hit you because the last time we made love was the first time she ever climaxed.”
Brady frowned. “And?”
“She called out your name.”
He turned and looked at Freemont, who was frowning again. Brady couldn’t stop the laugh that erupted.
“Oh man. I deserved that hit. Damn, I’d be ready to cut your balls off if she had done that to me.”
Freemont’s hand tightened around the gun. “Get the fucking emerald and you can have your precious Liberty back. Just hope that the men out there don’t think that maybe they want a little taste. “
Brady bit back his panic, looked into the water, and saw nothing but blackness. He knew the legend was a hoax but there was no way Freemon
t was going to believe him.
With each minute that passed, he knew the danger for Libby increased. But he couldn’t lose control. If he did, he would fall apart and wouldn’t be able to keep Libby safe. And once they were free, he didn’t care if she wanted to spend their lives together making schedules and spouting off about ethics. As long as they spent it together—that was all he cared about.
“Do you see it?” Freemont’s voice had tightened in anticipation and was edging toward hysteria.
Think. There had to be something to distract him and get the stungun away from the bastard. Then it came to him in one blinding flash. He reached into the water, cupping his hands.
“Freemont! Come look. It’s beautiful.”
A flurry of footsteps approached him, and when he knew Freemont was close enough, Brady turned, splashing his face with the salt water.
Freemont screamed. “Ahhhh, my eyes!”
“Brady!” Libby called from somewhere behind Freemont. He swung around, his hand still rubbing his eyes, telling Brady he couldn’t see. He lifted his stungun in her direction.
Brady was on his feet and jumping on him within seconds but not before Freemont got off a shot. He landed on top of Freemont, the stungun flying out of the man’s hands and skidding across the stone floor.
Brady lifted his head and was on his feet before he could think. Libby lay on her back, a burn on her shoulder. Real, mind-numbing terror rushed through him. Jesus, no. He knelt beside her and couldn’t think of what he should do next. She wasn’t moving.
“Brady.”
He looked up at the sound of Hunter’s voice but he couldn’t think.
“Does she have a pulse?”
Right. Pulse. He felt for one and relief edged away the fear as he felt her heart beat steady and strong.
“It looks like just a flesh wound but I want to put some salve on it,” Masters said as he leaned over as if to pick her up.
“Don’t touch her. I’ll carry her.” His voice was hoarse with anguish. Both men stepped back. John went to gather up Freemont, who Brady heard blabbering about the emerald.
Gently, he slid one arm behind her neck and the other beneath her knees. He rose and she murmured something against his neck. The warm breath against his skin made him want to sing.
“Brady.”
“Yeah, love.”
“My shoulder hurts.”
He chuckled. “I know, love.”
“Next time, you’re taking the hit, Brady.”
A lump clogged his throat even as his heart warmed. “You got it, Libby.”
Chapter Twelve
Hot, blinding pain burned Libby’s shoulder and radiated through her body. She tried to sit up, to walk off the ache, but something was holding her down. Struggling, she slapped at the barrier holding her down.
“Libby, love. You have to stay still so John can apply the medicine to your wound.”
She tried opening her eyes but she didn’t have the strength to lift her lids.
“It hurts.” She couldn’t keep the agony out of her voice. “I just don’t want to deal with it anymore.”
“John is going to take care of you. You’ll be just fine.”
“Brady.”
“Yes, love?” His voice was gentle, filled with love and warmth.
“I wanted you to know, just in case I die—”
“You are not going to die.” The vehemence in his voice comforted her. She sighed.
“Even so, I wanted you to know that I love you.”
His lips brushed her temple. “I love you too, Libby.”
She tried to smile but she felt tears gather in her eyes and slide down her face.
“I wanted you to know that I left before…” She sucked in a breath when another shaft of hot pain radiated from her shoulder. “I wanted to say that I left because I was afraid. You… me… different.”
He chuckled, although for some reason it sounded watery to her. “We are at that, lass. Well, to make it up to me, you have to marry me.”
“Sure, Brady, anything you say.” Warmth spread through her, relaxing her muscles. She figured John had given her something for the pain. That was her last thought as she drifted off into nothing.
* * * * *
Libby ground her teeth together and decided that maybe, just maybe, she should have left Brady in that cave.
“Brady, I’m not an invalid.”
His bland look spiked her temper another degree. “Doc says bed rest.”
“John is not a doctor.”
He stared at her, blinked once and turned his attention back to his handheld digital reading device. It had been three days since she’d been hit and he had been driving her crazy. He treated her like glass. She didn’t like it one bit. In fact, she was ready to stab him with a fork.
Sighing, she looked at the ring on her finger. He’d held her to her promise but she’d insisted on a fast wedding. At least, after they sorted out the mess of what had happened.
After the dust had settled, they’d found out that both Masters and John were operatives for some agency, although neither of them were forthcoming about just who they worked for. But they’d been watching Tony for months as he embezzled from the Northern Federation. He’d not only been stupid but sloppy.
“You never did explain what that nonsense was about being royal Irish blood.”
He shrugged. “My family is distantly related to the English aristocracy.”
“You’re royal and you didn’t tell me?”
He looked up, surprise lighting his eyes. “We don’t think much of it and really, Libby, you know my family and I don’t talk anymore. But I guess you could say that I have some blue blood in me.”
Dismissing her again, he went back to his ebook reader. She sighed and looked around the room. She had nothing to do. Brady wouldn’t even join her in bed. She’d tried to convince him just a few moments earlier, even offered to put on the genie outfit, but he’d refused. If she heard him utter the words “Hunter said so” one more time, she was going to punch him in the nose. Hard.
“Isn’t there something I can do? Why don’t you get me a book too?”
He looked up, frowned but nodded, and went to do her bidding. Before he reached the door, loud voices sounded down the hall and the door burst open.
“What the hell have you done to my daughter, Saint?”
She blinked. “Daddy?”
She jumped out of bed, ignoring Brady’s reprimand.
“Daddy.” She threw herself into his arms. Taller than her by three inches, and muscled, without an ounce of fat on him, he could easily lift her off the floor. He hugged her close and she closed her eyes, enjoying the familiar scent of peppermint that she always associated with him. He kissed her cheek and the whiskers from his beard tickled her face.
“What did you do to yourself, Libby?” His voice was gruff with emotion and she felt her own eyes sting with tears.
“What she did was risk her life to save your sorry ass and you don’t even appreciate it.”
Slowly, her father set her aside and faced Brady.
“And what did you do? Let her go off running around. You’re supposed to protect her.”
“I did protect her but the ass she married tried to kill me so he could have some fictional emerald. And another thing—”
“You didn’t do a very good job of it.”
Both of their voices had risen to the point where she winced from the sound bouncing off the walls.
“Shut up.”
Both of them looked at her as if she had grown two heads.
“I can take care of myself.” The men looked at each other and smiled. “You’re going to piss me off.”
“Never mind that. You’re safe and that’s all that matters. Hunter says you’re good to go. Get your things and we can hop on out of here. I have some meeting down in New York City in a couple weeks, so we have to get going if I’m going to make it.”
“First of all—” Brady grabbed her arm and p
ulled her over to his side. “she’s not going anywhere. And second of all, what the hell happened to your quest?”
“Not going anywhere?” Sterling looked at both of them, his eyes sparking, his face flushed with anger. “And just why do you have some say-so in that?”
“Because I’m her husband and she’s staying with me.”
Her father’s eyes widened and then a smile curved his lips. “Well, now, that’s more like it. When did this happen and why couldn’t you wait? I wanted to walk you down the aisle.”
She smiled. “I didn’t want to wait and we did a quick civil ceremony. Neither one of us wanted a big wedding.”
“Ahh, Libby, that’s okay. Fantastic, in fact.”
Brady stopped his celebration with a question. “Sterling, what the hell were you doing running around after the legend of the Snake King?”
“Oh that.” Sterling shifted from one foot to the other. “Well, see, Libby was unhappy, I had been researching things and…it was a good plan.”
“Plan?” Brady’s voice was lethally soft.
“I knew I made a mistake about Freemont, Libby. And I knew you’d never stopped loving Saint. So I figured out a way to give him to you.”
For a moment, she couldn’t speak. Shock held her tongue. This was beyond anything her father had pulled before. “You mean you concocted this story, put my life in danger, and yours and Brady’s, to get us back together?”
She heard Brady chuckle and shot him a dirty look.
“Ahh, love, you know your da does nothing in a small way.”
“So you think I should just forget about it?”
“Well, it did turn out well.”
“Brady St. James, you know if we let him get away with this now, it will only keep getting worse.”
“He did get away with it.”
She turned and realized her father had slipped out the door. She stomped her foot. “Dammit.”
Brady pulled her back into his arms. “Ahh, love, it turned out perfectly.”
She sighed. “I guess so.”
He leaned down and brushed his lips against hers. “Your father is safe, your ex is in jail and we’re married.”
She felt his erection against her stomach and her body responded in kind. “Saint, you know that you’re easy, don’t you?”
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