Samuel (Samuel's Pride Series) (9 page)

Kennedy?
Her body wanted
to sag in relief when he spoke to her.
What’s wrong? I can feel your terror.
Where are you?

Aye, I am in terror. It’s running
through my veins like whiskey in an Irishman. A big fucking cat is standing in
front of me, and he looks hungry. I doona wanna die this way. I thought
he were you.
Then I asked him and he said he wasn’t. Then when he…I’m going to die, aren’t
I?
She was babbling, and she knew it. But the fact that she could speak at
all made her feel like she wasn’t completely losing it.
I doona wanna be
eaten alive by this mon.

You won’t. Just stay calm and don’t run.
She told him
she wasn’t sure her feet would allow her to anyway.
That’s my girl. I’m on
my way there now. I’m about ten minutes out.

I doona think he’s gonna wait for you to
come rescue me. He’s coming closer now.
She watched as he took small steps
until he was only about five feet from her.
Aye, he’s gonna kill me. You
should be glad that you doona see this.
Is mian liom raibh mé in ann a
fhoghlaim chun grá agat mar ba chóir dom a dhéanamh
. Wishing she really had
been able to love him like a wife did a man was all she had left to tell him as
the lion leapt at her.

She brought the bat up as he hit her
with his body. She knew it connected with something the way it jarred her arms.
He let her go, but she was bleeding pretty badly and knew that if she gave up
now, she might as well let him have her. As soon as she got her feet under her
again, she brought the bat up again and hit him with it in the front arm. He
roared at her and snapped at her again. When his teeth sank into her thigh, she
brought the bat down over and over onto his head until he let her go. Dropping
to the ground, she nearly let the darkness take her when he was suddenly over
her.

The bat was slick in her hands. She couldn’t
see what it was but thought it was hers and his blood. Lifting it took a great
deal of effort, but she brought it around hoping to connect with his mouth and
hit him in the leg, the other one this time. He went tumbling over her and lay
still. Before he could get up and have at her again, Kennedy knew that if she didn’t
kill him now that he’d kill her.

She must have blacked out once but knew
that it could only have been for a few seconds. The lion lay still, but she
could see that he was still breathing. It was labored like hers, but he would
still likely kill her if he got up. Trying to sit up to do what she needed she
nearly passed out when she got a look at her body. He’d really hurt her.

Her legs were torn to ribbons. Long
lines of open flesh bled onto the fresh snow. Her pants, her only pair, were
stained with it so much that they were dark with blood. She had a sudden
thought that she’d never get them clean no matter how many times she washed
them. One boot was missing, but her foot was still attached to her ankle, which
she found she was profoundly grateful for.

Her left arm hurt so badly that she knew
it had to be broken. She tried to move her fingers, and she nearly threw up on
herself when she realized that one of his teeth was still in her skin. One of
her fingers was nearly bitten off and hung on by the merest of skin. She looked
around for her watch, a gift from her da when she’d turned sixteen, and found
it shattered near the big beast. Tears stung her eyes, and she cried out when
the salty mixture touched a wound on her face. Reaching up with her good hand
she cried out again when she realized that her lip was torn open and her nose
was split as well.

If she didn’t get help within the next
few minutes she was going to bleed to death. She looked at the blood
surrounding her and figured that if a team of medics were there now, they more
than likely couldn’t save her. The lion stirred slightly, and she decided that
she had to get up or be his next meal.

Samuel told her he was almost there. ‘
Tis
too late for us both. We’re already dead. I’m so sorry, Samuel. Tell Seanmháthair
that I love her
.

Kennedy stood up, only to stumble twice.
Using the bat as a crutch, she moved to where the big lion lay and put the
cracked thing over her shoulder. Do or die time, she thought. When he turned to
her and roared again, his paw scraped her belly, and she stabbed the bat down
his throat. It was all she could manage before she fell to the ground again. Closing
her eyes, she thought she heard her name but was too far gone to hold on. Suddenly,
Samuel was there.

Is breá liom tú.
She tried to
lift her arm to touch him, but it was too difficult. She told him once again
that she loved him.

She opened her eyes when he screamed at
her. Kennedy was suddenly very cold and told him so. She had no idea if he
understood her or not, but suddenly she was being covered up. Every time he
moved her, she cried out, but the harder she tried not to the more it seemed to
hurt.

“Know him?” She hoped that he didn’t,
but he said he did. “Dead? I had to hurt him. He was….” She closed her eyes
again only to have him tell her to open them.

“He’s dead. And even if you hadn’t
killed him, he would have died anyway for hurting you. Stay with me, baby.
Please? Help is on the way.” She watched his mouth move but was having a hard time
understanding what he might be talking about. “I can’t change you without help.
Just stay with me until he gets here.”

“I’m hurt,” she said. He sobbed then and
told her he knew. “Tired. I’m tired.” Closing her eyes was hard when he kept
telling her to stay with him. When she saw someone else there, she didn’t
understand why the man from the house would come to see her. But asking was no
longer an option. She screamed when she felt someone bite her again. This time
she couldn’t have stopped the darkness from taking her if he begged her not to.

The last sound she heard was screaming.
It took her several seconds just before she went under to realize it was her. Christ.
She was screaming like a little girl.

Chapter 9

From the moment that he’d landed in this
forsaken country, he’d been cold. How these people lived like this was beyond
him. If Shamus didn’t need to complete this mission, he’d take his ticket and
turn it in for a sooner flight. But as it was now, he’d either find Kennedy or
it would be the end of him.

The phone call he’d gotten as soon as he
was off the plane had frightened him somewhat. Donald was screaming into the
phone for him to come back now. When a voice, very calm and self-assured, took
over the call, Shamus felt his bladder nearly loosen. His agent was not a happy
man.

“Those horses you sold me were taken
back yesterday. You said you had the papers on them to sell. And since I’ve no
bill of lading I’m being investigated along with you. I have a great deal to
hide, Shamus Buehler, to have the coppers looking into me and mine.” Alton
Stockberry was not a man to trifle with. Shamus should have known better.

“They’re me sisters. She’s ill, as I
said.” He cleared his throat twice before he could continue. “Aye, that’s it,
she’s very ill, and I needed the funds to come to her.”

“So you said. But what I found out is
that you’ve sold your sister off to the highest bidder and she ran. Both of
them. And now that you’ve a deadline to meet, you’ve decided to go and drag her
back.” Alton laughed. “You think that’s going to work for you?”

“She’ll listen to me or else feel the
back of me hand again.” Shamus hated looking stupid, and his sisters had made
him look a fool. “I’ll get yer monies back to you as soon as I get her.”

“I don’t want the money now. I want
Kennedy.” The back of his neck seemed to dance with live wires. Shamus started
to tell him that she was promised to another when Alton laughed again. “And you’ll
bring her to me. I don’t care if you have to beat her to do so.”

“Aye, but…well, I owe her to someone
else. He’s taking her for another debt I owe.” Shamus watched the people come
and go around him, and he wondered if he could simply take one of them back
with him and pawn her off as his sister. “You ever meet my sisters?”

“I’ve seen both of them in photographs. So
don’t be thinking you can pull a switch on me. I’ll know her.” So much for that
plan, he thought. “I’m coming there now. I’ve chartered a plane and should be
there by five your time. What part of that little part of Ireland are you in
anyway?”

He’d thought he was still home. Shamus had
been so glad that he’d not told anyone where he was going, especially not his
friend Donald. After he’d given him directions to Rose Manor, Shamus had gotten
off the phone quickly. He had no idea if the man was tracing the call or not,
but he suddenly dinna trust him. Now here he was standing in front of a hotel
counter where his family was staying.

“I dinna care that you have policies. I
have me own polices. It’s to talk to me family.” The woman looked like she
might hit him, but Shamus was prepared for that. If she did, he’d own her and
this building. “Get them to me now.”

“I’ve said this several times now, and I
refuse to say it again. So I want you to listen up asshole. For the ninth time.
I will not under any circumstances bring you anyone from this hotel even if it
meant you were going to live for another five seconds and I’d have the
opportunity to piss on your head.” He was taken aback by her rudeness, but
before he could say anything else, he was grabbed from behind. “Take this piece
of shit out of here and toss his miserable ass out into the streets.”

And the two men who held him did just
that. He was picking himself up from the snow when his phone rang. Pulling it
out, he nearly snarled into the receiver when he realized who it was on the
other end. His grandmother’s caller ID flashed with her picture. And she would
not like it snarling at her, he thought with a laugh.

“Hello, Shamus. My name is Samuel Payne,
and you may not know it yet, but I’m going to kick your ass all over this state
before this is finished. By the way, did you get snow in your knickers when you
were tossed out on your arse?” The laugher that came over the line made him
look around. He was afraid the man was too close and would carry out his
threat.

“Where are you? If you have my grandmother’s
phone, you must know where they are?” Shamus looked around again and wondered
again where the mon was. “You’ll tell me this minute because I have urgent
business with them.”

“You mean selling off your sister to get
your ass out of trouble? Not going to happen. I’ve already married her. Kennedy
and I are starting our life together, and you’re not welcome in it.” Shamus
felt his knees weaken, and he fell into the snow again. The man had to be
lying.

“You canna marry my sister without my
permission. I’m her guardian, and she canna marry anyone unless I say she can.”
It was almost true what he’d told Samuel. Kennedy was his sister. “If you’ve
bedded her, then there will be consequences for your actions.”

“I’m thinking that you’re up the creek
without a paddle then.” Shamus had no idea what that meant, but it mattered
little. If he really had married Kennedy, then he was the heir to the estate. That
made him laugh.

“You think to marry my sister for her
money? ‘Tis gone. All of it. Nary a copper to her name and even her horses,
those precious bags of bones father left her, are gone.” Shamus stood up
suddenly, feeling as if he’d gotten one over the mon. “Kennedy is worthless to
you. Bring her to me and I’ll give you whatever you want.”

“I have what I want.” The words were
spoken with a harshness that made Shamus think that he’d rather have Alton
looking for him than this man. “As for Rose Manor, I’ve taken measures to
ensure its well-being. Right now it’s secured with people who will care for it
until my wife and I can visit. Even the title has been given to me. I’m the new
Earl of Lambton.”

“You lie.” That title was his no matter
what his financial situation was. “You canna take my title from me. By birth it’s
given to the first son. I worked hard in making sure it went to me.”

“How hard did you work?” The question
was asked softly, and it was on the tip of his tongue to tell the mon just how
hard it had been to kill his own da. How difficult it was to make sure that
none of the others were given their due when he died by forging the will that
left him nothing and everything to Kennedy. He almost told him that he had had
to practice for days on end before killing him to ensure he looked like the grieving
son, that he had put camphor into his kerchief to cause the tears to flow.

“I’ll see you in hell before I let you
take my birthright.” The mon laughed again, and Shamus was sure this time that
he’d heard him near and not just on the phone. “Where are you? Where did you
take my family?”

“Look to your right.” Shamus turned only
to hear the man laugh again. “Your other right, you moron. Don’t they teach you
your left from right in How to be a Villain school?”

Again the reference eluded him but
Shamus turned to look. He stumbled back when he saw the wolf standing there. When
he lifted his paw and waved at him, Shamus took a step back and walked into
someone. The arm that wrapped around his throat had him wet his pants.

“Don’t move.” The man’s voice was the
one from the phone. “I could snap your neck right now and no one would care
other than that you blocked the sidewalk.”

“You’re hurting me.” The man laughed,
and Shamus felt his breath fan across his cheek. “Please doona hurt me.”

“You’ll stay away from my family. If you
don’t, that big wolf over there and I are going to hunt you down and tear you
to pieces. Then we’ll bury you in a shallow grave so that any hungry animal
that comes along can feast on your bones.” A hard shake had his teeth rattle
together. “Do you understand me?”

“Aye, I do. Just give me Kennedy back
and we’ll call it—” His arm was brought behind him quickly, and Shamus screamed
when he felt it snap. “You’ve broken my arm.”

“That’s not all I’ll break if you come
near my wife again.” He was suddenly shoved forward and hit his face on the car
parked at the curb. Blood seemed to erupt from his nose and mouth, but before
he could turn and ask the man again to just give him Kennedy, the mon was gone.
And so was the wolf.

Shamus cradled his arm in his hand and
moved toward the hotel again. The two men from earlier were standing there and
wouldn’t allow him to come in. He asked them for medics to aide him when one of
them said that the police had been called. Shamus sat in the snow and waited. As
the snow started to melt into his pants, he thought that he’d be able to hide
the fact that he’d pissed himself. Fucking bastard was going to pay for that.

~~~

Kennedy opened her eyes slowly. She was
afraid that the lion was still alive, and when he found her awake, he was going
to finish the job. When the light proved to be too much for her, she closed her
eyes again and waited. The small laugh had her looking to her right.

“You’re awake finally.” Kennedy nodded
at Summer. “I’ve been a little concerned, but the doctor said you’d be fine
now. He attributed you being out for so long to the loss of blood. I thought it
was because you were simply exhausted. Either way, you’re awake now.”

“Hurt.” Summer nodded to her and reached
for her hand. “Hurt badly.” She did too. Not as bad as she’d thought she would
but… Summer had said something about a doctor and looked at her. “Lion?”

“Yes, there was a lion there. The news
is saying that he must have escaped from the zoo. Of course the zoo is denying
such a thing happened, but there was a lion there.” She smiled, and Kennedy
felt a little dizzy. “You’ll need to rest more darling. As soon as Samuel
returns, he’ll explain to you what happened.”

“The lion? He’s dead?” Summer nodded
again. “Not Samuel, but he said he knew him somehow.”

“Yes, he was his father. You killed his
father.” Summer moved to the door, the whine of the chair loud in the room. “I
would thank you for that, but I’m afraid that you’ll think horribly of me.”

With that she moved out of the door, and
as it closed behind her, Kennedy wondered why she wasn’t in jail, and realized
that in order to put her in jail she’d have to be healthy enough to be there. That
made her laugh a little, and when the door opened again, she expected to see
men in strait jackets, or at the very least handcuffs. Samuel standing there
made her blink several times.

“Mom said you were awake. I’m so glad. I
was terrified I’d been too late.” She looked away from him, trying to remember
what had happened. She remembered the lion that attacked her and that she’d
killed him, but the rest was sort of fuzzy. She turned back to him when he
whispered her name.

“When do they take me away?” He frowned
at her. “For murder. I can’t tell you I’m sorry that I killed your dad, but he
was bent on killing me.”

“The police are saying you’re one very
lucky woman. Rarely does a person live from the kinds of wounds you sustained.”
He leaned forward as he brought her hand to his mouth and kissed it. “If I had
been one minute later, you would have been dead. One minute.”

She looked away from him. Kennedy
wondered why he didn’t just wait the one minute and let her die. When he said
her name again, she turned to look at him, and he smiled at her. She wasn’t
sure what to make from that look.

“You have to know what I did. I had no
choice. I’m sorry that I couldn’t ask you or even explain to you what we did,
but there wasn’t time.” Samuel started pacing, and she watched him as he
continued. “I’d called Jimmy to come and help me kill my father. He’s a wolf
and would have been able to help me track him. But when I got there, you’d
already…you’d taken care of him.”

“He attacked me. I dinna do anything to
him. Suddenly he was just there behind me. When I was speaking to you, I knew
that he was going to kill me.” Kennedy looked down at her body, expecting to
see tubes and padding. Blood had been all over her, and now she was…. Kennedy
threw back the covers and looked at her legs. They were healed, as well as her
arms. Lifting her gown up, she pressed her hand over her smooth belly and
looked at Samuel.

“I changed you,” he said. She nodded,
then shook her head. “Into a lioness. If I hadn’t, then you would have died,
and I didn’t want that. Couldn’t want that. I need you.”

“How did you…?” She tried to think, and
she remembered the pain. “You bit me. You had Mr. Burger hold me down and you
bit me.”

“Even as weak as you were, you were
still strong enough to throw Jimmy off. I…I had to start before he got to us,
and you’d already hit me several times before he could hold you for me. But the
conversion took a great deal out of you. The loss of blood made your change
slow, and you still nearly died. By the time the police showed up, I had
finished, but…. You still might have died.”

She laid her head back on the pillow. “Why
do the police think that a lion attacked me? Wouldn’t he have changed when he
died? Changed back I mean?”

“The bat you used was silver, or at
least had some in the coating. And when you…Christ, I have no idea how you did
that as wounded as you were, but when you shoved it down his gullet, the
silver, even though there is very little in the bat, was enough to keep him as
a lion until he was completely dead. When we shift back as we’re dying it
happens at the moment we take our last breaths. He couldn’t because of the way
you killed him.”