“But it wasn’t?”
“No, it wasn’t,” Victoria confirmed. In fact, the whole thing had been a total disaster. “We were terrified of getting caught and I’m not really sure he knew what he was doing. It was a huge let-down, if I’m honest.”
“Oh.” Lucy sounded crestfallen, no doubt having imagined something almost spiritual passing between Victoria and her lover. “Well, if he won’t help you, what about the Taar-Breckians?”
“The Taar-Breckians?” Victoria’s brow furrowed as she thought about their alien neighbors. “Why would they want to help me?”
“Because you’re a friend of their commander’s wife. Surely they’ll help you if you ask.”
Would they help her just because she knew Caroline? She doubted it. Why would a bunch of fearsome warriors give a damn about the friends of their leader’s wife? She wondered whether she might be able to secure their aid some other way. For a brief moment, she thought about offering herself to one of them. She’d often wondered about what it would be like to be taken by one of those big, muscular brutes.
As quickly as the thought had entered her head, she dismissed the idea. Even if she could find a Taar-Breckian warrior who was willing to help her, it was akin to escaping the frying pan only to find herself in the fire. Although the Taar-Breckian race intrigued Victoria, she’d heard rumors that their males exerted complete dominance over their females, keeping them as sex slaves in the most appalling conditions. While she might dream about being ordered about in the bedroom, she didn’t want to spend her whole life in sexual servitude. She wouldn’t be any better off with them than she was now.
“Anyway, there’s no point worrying about it.” Lucy filled the silence that had fallen. “It will all work out. Just wait and see.”
Victoria sighed heavily. “I hope you’re right.”
“I am.” Lucy squeezed her shoulder in a gesture of reassurance. “Now, try and get some sleep. I’ll stay right here with you.”
Glad that her friend was there to offer support, Victoria made herself comfortable and closed her eyes once more. She just hoped that there was some truth to the old adage and that everything would, indeed, seem better in the morning because, right now, it felt as though she was hurtling toward an abyss.
Chapter Two
In the cold light of day, the fears that had stalked her dreams slipped away and the feeling Victoria was left with was one of pure indignation. She could not believe that her stepbrother thought he could determine her future without so much as telling her what his plans were. The whole system of brokering marriage deals was a travesty and she had no intention of going along with what this messed-up society expected of her any longer.
Victoria rose early, slipping out of bed with the greatest care, so she wouldn’t disturb Lucy. Her friend had slept close to her all night, giving her a real sense of comfort. Although she hadn’t got any sleep herself, she felt rested and her mind was clear. She was going to get out of New Cambridge before the betrothal ceremony could take place. It was time to put her money where her mouth was as far as her political ideals were concerned. That meant she couldn’t simply wait around to find out who her stepbrother wanted her to marry. Nor could she risk the High Council finding out that she was not a virgin. She had to go underground and join with others who wanted to overthrow their corrupt government.
With exaggeratedly careful movements, she tiptoed around the room, looking for the most practical items of clothing she could find. It wasn’t an easy task. Even the plainest dress she owned was ridiculously voluminous. If she wore it without the petticoats that were standard attire for a woman of her class, she would still have only limited freedom of movement. Not for the first time, she cursed the laws that meant women must dress much as they had centuries ago. Every item of clothing she owned was completely inappropriate for making a quick getaway. Really, she needed a pair of men’s trousers, but there was no way she’d be able to get her hands on them at such short notice.
Eventually, she settled on one of the thin linen shifts she would normally wear beneath her dress. It was short enough to enable her to run if she had to, but it was a pretty unusual thing to wear in public. She could only hope that, with a jacket over the top, her outfit wouldn’t attract too much attention.
When she was dressed, she slipped on the most sensible pair of shoes she could find and turned to cast a regretful look over Lucy, who was still sleeping peacefully. Although she knew her friend would worry when she woke to find she wasn’t there, Victoria couldn’t risk leaving her a note to tell her where she’d gone. Lucy would never be able to withstand questioning about her whereabouts, so it was safer all round if she knew nothing.
As quietly as she could, Victoria slipped out of the room. Hurrying along the corridor, she practically held her breath as she passed her stepbrother’s rooms, knowing that he was a very light sleeper. She ran down the stairs and paused to look back over her shoulder. She had to be sure that she’d made it this far without alerting Jonathan to the fact she’d left her bedroom. It seemed she had managed to evade detection.
Creeping along the corridor, she made her way to her stepbrother’s study. Once there she discovered, as expected, that the drawer in his desk was unlocked. Like everyone else, he imagined that she was far too docile to ever do anything she wasn’t supposed to and so had clearly never thought to secure his study. Although tempted to search through his papers for some indication of who he’d decided to marry her off to, Victoria knew she had to be quick. She pocketed the pass card for his office at the Town Hall and hurried from the room, terrified that she might be caught at any moment.
The best way to avoid being seen as she left the house was to go through the gardens at the rear of the property. Then she could make her way along the alley that ran behind the row of swanky townhouses where she’d spent her entire life in a gilded cage.
Walking into the kitchen, she was surprised to find Zinnie, their maid, standing by the window with a cup of tea in hand. It occurred to Victoria in that moment that it was only during these early hours that Zinnie had any time to herself. The business of looking after the family was laborious and her stepbrother was especially demanding. It shamed Victoria to think how hard the serving classes had to work when all that was required of her was to sit prettily and try not to misbehave. She yearned to find some more useful way to occupy her time.
“Vicky?” The other woman was clearly surprised to see her. Although they were a world apart in terms of social rank, the two women were of a similar age and Victoria considered Zinnie a friend. “What’s wrong? Why are you up so early?”
“I’m getting out of here,” Victoria said as she moved toward the door, worried that Zinnie might try to block her escape if she didn’t approve of her plan. “I’m not going to wait around to be married off to some old fossil just because he can help Jonathan with his political career.”
“He’s told you who it is, then?”
“No, but whoever it is, I don’t want him.” Victoria was firm on that point.
“Okay, then.” To Victoria’s relief, it seemed that Zinnie had no intention of trying to talk her out of leaving. “Where will you go?”
“I’m not sure, but there are people who can help me.”
“You mean the rebels, don’t you?” Zinnie scrunched up her nose in a way that signaled her doubt. She knew that Victoria had been involved with subversive groups and had never approved. “Are you sure it’s a good idea to get mixed up with that lot?”
“It’s better than doing nothing.” Victoria wasn’t really sure about that, but she had few options. “Look, Zinnie, I have to at least try to get away and if the rebels can help me, then so be it.”
“Well, if you feel you can trust them, I’ll say no more about it.”
“Thanks, Zinn,” Victoria said. She reached for the door handle and then paused for a moment before turning back to the other woman. “Do me a favor?”
“Of course. Anything.”
/> “If you get the chance to speak to Lucy alone, persuade her to find a way out before they can try to marry her off. She’s too sweet to end up with some domineering bastard.”
“Okay, I’ll try,” the other woman promised.
“And you should leave too,” Victoria added as she realized that her disappearance would make life even more difficult for Zinnie. Her stepbrother would be unbearable to be around once his plans were ruined and he would undoubtedly take his anger out on their servants. “Go to your family. You’ll be safe there.”
Zinnie nodded her agreement and Victoria hoped that she would actually follow through on her advice. After giving the other woman a swift hug, she stepped out of the back door, her heart lurching as she realized that she was about to leave everything she knew behind her. Once she crossed the threshold there was no coming back and she was surprised by how much that thought scared her.
* * *
Allik watched from the shadows as his target emerged from her family property, into the narrow alleyway at its ear. He’d been alerted that she was up and about unusually early by one of his subordinates, who’d been monitoring the house overnight. Curious about what she was up to, he’d decided to come down here personally to check out her movements. He knew the moment she stepped out of her back gate that he’d made the right choice. From the furtive way she was glancing around, clearly expecting to be apprehended, he could tell she was making a break for it.
A rare smile passed across his lips. He couldn’t help but admire the little human’s spirit. Over the past few weeks, as he’d made plans to extract her from this miserable planet with as little fuss as possible, he’d learned a great deal about her. Beneath the poise and grace that everyone in New Cambridge seemed to revere her for, lay a defiance he found appealing. She was not the delicate creature she pretended to be and he suspected that her stepbrother’s plans to marry her off might push her into revealing her true colors. This young woman had a real fire raging inside her.
As her head turned in his direction, Allik shrank back into the shadows. For a moment, he was worried that she’d spotted him. The way she shrugged her shoulders a few seconds later suggested she was dismissing whatever suspicions she’d felt as unfounded. After a moment’s pause, she started to walk briskly down the path. Following as close behind as he dared, Allik stuck to the darker spots along the walls that bordered the gardens of the neat little townhouses. It wasn’t particularly easy for a man of his size to conceal himself but, since he’d been badly scarred during brutal interrogations by enemy forces, he’d found ways to avoid being noticed. He’d learned to move quietly, to be light on his feet. In crowds, he’d hovered on the periphery, keeping his head bowed to avoid attracting attention. He’d worn dull grey colors that blended into the background and it had seemed to work for him.
For his fellow warriors, the scarring that blighted the left side of his face was a mark of honor but Allik couldn’t bear the looks of pity the women of Taar-Breck had given him. Worse still, were the grimaces of revulsion that greeted him whenever he ran into one of Earth’s more delicate females. His monstrous appearance had even caused one of the ridiculous creatures to faint. From what he knew of Victoria, he doubted that she would experience such an extreme reaction to him but he didn’t want her pity either.
His going unnoticed as he tailed Victoria was helped by the fact that he was clearly dealing with a woman whose awareness of her surroundings was not as acute as she probably imagined it to be. Although she was being cautious, she was nowhere close to being alert enough to sense all the possible dangers she faced. Part of him wondered if he should just scoop her up now. His vehicle was close by. He could get her to a shuttle that would take them to a military transport ship beyond Earth’s atmosphere within minutes. Bringing her into his protection when the streets were quiet would certainly be easier, especially if she decided she didn’t want to be taken. If need be, he could have her bound and gagged and off the streets in under a minute. But he was intrigued by her manner, the twitchiness that told him she was up to something and he wanted to find out what it was.
As he followed her toward the main street that led to the business district, he was surprised to realize that he was actually enjoying this assignment. When his superior officer, Lieutenant Taryn, had first relayed Commander Rossingham’s instructions, Allik had thought this mission was beneath his considerable talents. He, and several of his fellow warriors, had been tasked with locating friends of the commander’s wife and taking them into protective custody. It seemed they had all been members of some women’s group that had flouted Earth’s rigid laws on female conduct. Now they were at risk of being arrested and punished more harshly than their transgressions warranted.
Although Allik had no great liking for the corrupt tyrants who ruled Earth, preventing the High Council from getting their hands on these women seemed like a job that a less experienced warrior could handle. It was not what he had spent more than a decade training for. It was not what he had fought wars for and it was most definitely not the type of task he’d endured such harsh treatment at the hands of the enemy for. Allik had earned the right to lead men into battle. He’d been reluctant to move into the intelligence division while he regained his full strength and, at first, he’d thought that being assigned to this mission was an insult. But the request for him to rescue this woman had come direct from their commander, a man he admired greatly, and so he hadn’t refused.
From what Allik had been told, Rossingham’s wife had personally selected each man who would assume responsibility for one of her friends. She wanted them to take these women to Taar-Breck and help them to acclimate to their new surroundings. Although it had not been communicated directly, it was clear that she wanted the men to take her friends as brides. Why she had chosen a battle-hardened warrior like him to guide and protect a beauty like Victoria Walton, he would never know, but he was becoming increasingly grateful that she had.
Despite his initial misgivings about the whole enterprise, in the week or so that he’d been observing Victoria, he’d found himself becoming more and more intrigued by her. Everywhere he went in New Cambridge, there seemed to be someone singing her praises. Of course, they spoke of her beauty but they admired more than that. Apparently, nobody was more accomplished in the womanly arts, whatever they were. Nobody was more virtuous. There was, he had heard, no woman purer than Victoria Walton.
He’d first seen this paragon of virtue in the flesh as she and her stepbrother had exchanged pleasantries with an older man on the sidewalk outside their house. It had seemed to be an innocuous conversation but Allik had caught a subtle narrowing of her eyes, a wry twisting of her lips that hinted at a rebellious nature. He’d seen right through the carefully constructed veneer of respectability. Nobody was as well-behaved as she appeared to be. This was a woman with hidden depths and he looked forward to being the one to uncover her secrets. If she agreed to have him, that was. No matter what his commander’s wife had planned, or how much he was drawn to her, Allik would not press an unwilling woman to be his mate. He might look like a monster but he would not behave like one.
* * *
Knowing that her stepbrother kept a substantial amount of cash in his safe, Victoria hurried through the streets toward the Town Hall where his office was located. It was risky, walking right into the heart of the High Council’s operations, but it was also necessary. If she was going to persuade the rebels to help her lay low, she would need something to pay them with. Despite their high ideals, she knew that they would want money in exchange for their help.
As she crossed the road, she quickened her pace. People were beginning to emerge from their homes, a little earlier than she would have thought, to head for work. If she lingered, the chances of encountering someone she knew became greater. She couldn’t risk running into anyone who would ask her awkward questions about her strange manner of dress, or challenge her about being on the streets without her guardian.
Victor
ia entered the Town Hall by a little-used side door and moved quickly toward the stairs that would take her to her stepbrother’s office. Keeping her head bowed low and doing her best to avoid being caught by the security cameras, she hurried up to the third floor. By the time she reached the door to Jonathan’s office, her hands were shaking so badly that she needed to take a few steadying breaths before she could swipe the pass card to unlock it. The moment it was open, she hurried inside and closed the door behind her. With her nerves threatening to fail her, she ran to the safe. If she wasn’t quick, her niggling doubts about whether she was doing the right thing would overwhelm her. She keyed in the numbers she recalled Jonathan entering and prayed that he had not changed the security code. As the heavy metal door of the safe swung open, she breathed a sigh of relief.
“Oh, thank you, thank you, thank you,” she muttered into the silence.
There was not as much cash in the safe as she’d imagined there would be, but it was enough to grease a few palms and make it worth the rebels’ while to help her. She quickly stuffed bundles of high denomination notes into her pockets. As she stepped back, her eye was drawn to something precious at the back of the safe. Nestled on a small cushion of white satin, there was an exquisite emerald brooch. It looked familiar and it took her only a moment to recall that her late mother had worn it occasionally. It had been an anniversary present from her father.
If she was able, she would keep it as a reminder of a happier time with her warm and loving mother but, if necessary, she would trade it for her freedom. As heartbreaking as it would be to hand over such a treasure to the rebels, it would be a sacrifice worth making if it allowed her to escape from the life she was destined for.
Just as she closed the door to the safe, she heard footsteps as someone entered the room behind her. For a moment, she would have sworn her heart stopped beating. She swung around to find a security guard standing there, arms folded over his broad chest. She cursed under her breath. The foolhardiness of her plan was glaringly obvious now. She’d been propelled into action by her burning sense of indignation and hadn’t stopped to think things through. Now, she could see clearly that she’d made a terrible mistake.
Chosen for the Warrior (Brides of Taar-Breck Book 2) Page 2
