All Her Men (The Queen's Men Book 1) (13 page)

Chapter 34

Amelia took a raggedy breath. The wheezing broke through and caused the bastard to remove the knife from her calf, where he had been carving his initials. “What is that horrid sound?”

She smiled, at least her asthma was finally protecting her. She would pass out long before he could truly hurt her. Long before the pain became unbearable. Long before she begged him. He would kill her, but it was ok. Jacob didn’t remember her and she had no one else. Well, no one except for Gen, but Gen had Chris. Chris would make sure Gen was ok. He would be there for her. Gen was a strong woman, but Chris was her equal.

The sting of the slap across her face took her by surprise. “I asked ye a question!”

In answer she laughed — a dry wheezing sound, with a slight cackle. Jacob had protected her quite well. No one outside of the few involved knew of her asthma. She just had to bide her time until the darkness claimed her.

As he hit her again, the blackness tinged at the outer edges of her vision. It would not be long now. There was so much in life that she wished she had been able to do. So much that burned at her, left unaccomplished… Her wheezing grew worse. He took the knife and dug it into her thigh, bringing her back from the edges of unconsciousness. “Answer me!”

Biting her lip to avoid crying out, she sent silent prayers up to Heaven. Maybe one would be answered. The loss of blood made her woozy. She felt her hands and lips going numb. Not long now. Her eyes began to close.

As muted sounds of gunshots found their way to her ears, she felt herself falling. Falling into the blessed unconsciousness that the failure of her lungs would bring. Falling into freedom from the pain he would inflict and freedom from the pain death at any other avenue would bring. Finally, her asthma was a blessing. As she let go, she imagined that she heard Jacob’s voice, telling her not to go. Telling her to stay with him. Telling her that he loved her.

Chapter 35

Jacob pressed his hands to both sides of her face. “Please lass, stay with me!” He begged her to wake up. He begged everything holy in all of time and space, to leave her there. To spare her.

“Here!” Will shoved a small metal (or plastic) container into Jacob’s hand. “’Tis her inhaler.”

He was barely aware of Darren freeing her from the chair she was bound to. As Will pulled the knife from her thigh and focused on staunching the blood flow, he tilted her head back. Pressing the inhaler to her mouth he pressed down on the actuator twice. Dropping the inhaler into her lap, he moved forward quickly. He pinched her nose closed and blew a deep breath into her mouth. If he could get the medicine to her lungs it might save her. It had to save her.

He could not handle life without her. Amelia was everything to him. She was the wind, the rain, the sun. She was even the stars above. She was the reason he lived, and to be without her was… to simply exist. To walk along life, a shell of the man he had been. His heart carved from his chest and left with her… Existing meant nothing without her.

She didn’t move, but her breaths came in shallow, light whisps that caressed his face. A fleeting memory of her father came to mind. Something he had once said.
“
Son, there will be a time when pain will come. To spare a loss, the pain must be spread.
”
Pain. That was the key.

“Will, do ye have a bottle of yer caffeine pills in yer bag of tricks?” The sounds of Will rifling through the small bag made hope surge through him. He took the bottle of caffeine pills Will produced and shook out three. Tearing his shirt, he hoped it would work. Jacob wasn’t a doctor. The only thing he knew was that caffeine could help open up her lungs, he just had to find a way to get it into her system.

Rolling the three pills up into his shirt, he placed it upon the ground. Standing up, he carefully stomped on them with his boot, almost losing his balance in the process. He picked the bundle up and unwound it, then opened her mouth and poured it in. He used mouth to mouth in an attempt to get as much of the powder in her as he could.

“Will, I need…” Without a further word, Will handed him the small taser he kept. As the small device entered his field of vision he whispered, “Amelia, I am truly so verra sorry for what I am about to do. I do it out of love though.”

Sitting back he popped the panel off the back of the device. Riffling through its innards he adjusted it to the lowest voltage and placed it against her chest, just below her clavicle. He needed her to breathe in the crushed pills. It was only a theory that it might work, but anything was better than watching her die. He’d rather try and be wrong than live with the knowledge that he had let her go without a fight. Wincing, he pressed the button.

The reward was a deeper inhalation of breath and the possibility that they had more time together. As he continued to pray he turned towards Darren. “I cannae carry her.”

Nothing more was needed to be said as Darren understood his words and picked her up. Jacob moved as quickly as he could behind them, never losing sight of her hand as it dangled beside them. If he had anything to say about it there would be a wedding ring on it soon. He would stake his claim in front of the entire country and keep her safe from harm ever again.

As they neared the entrance he pressed the microphone and whispered, “We have Amelia. Exit in sight. She needs a medic.” An SUV was ready nearby, with a doctor and medical supplies in it. They had been prepared for her to need care, but Jacob’s heart hurt at the thought of how much care she would need. They exited before him. As he neared the entrance something grazed his calf. Pain seared upwards. His hands went out as he crashed to the ground. A raspy voice sounded from behind him.

“Did you really think I would let you leave with her alive?”

As Jacob rolled over onto his rear, he grimaced. “Marcus, ‘tis not yer fight.”

“You made it my fight!”

Jacob watched as Marcus neared him, with a sneer on his face. This was a long time coming. There was no way for it to end well. No way at all.

“Get up!”

He would get up and he would end this. For once and all, he would end it.

Chapter 36

As Jacob stood up he took comfort in the fact that Amelia would never know just how deadly he could be. That she would never see the damage he wrought upon Marcus — and he intended to do a lot of damage. However, only if he had to. He just hoped that his legs would hold. The pill Chris had given him seemed to do wonders to block out the pain from the damage. He just needed it to hold a little longer. Long enough to make Marcus realize his mistakes, and just maybe, if possible, save him. While he wanted to hurt him for hurting Amelia, he still wanted to save him. They were brothers after all.

“Marcus, this ‘tis a mistake.” He held out his hand in front of him, hoping to seem as non-threatening as possible.

His opponent pulled a knife. “No, it’s not. It’s actually a plot that’s been in the making for so many years now. Did he ever tell you why I accepted the contract? Well… before I killed him?”

“Nay, he dinnae.”

“Oh, good. Then let me tell you.” Advancing forward, he grinned. “He killed my mother and father. Not directly of course, but he’s the reason they’re dead. It’s quite ironic really. You see, he’s the reason that he took me in. I wasn’t like the rest of you — there by chance. I was there because he brought about the deaths of my parents and felt guilty.” He snarled the last word. Hate echoing on his speech.

Marcus had lost it. That was the only way to explain it. Brandir had never been in Africa. There had never been a reason for him to have been. “Marcus, I think someone has lied to ye.”

“No! Someone has lied to you! I know the truth and it’s time for revenge to come full circle!”

“Marcus! Think about it! What would Brandir have to gain from murderin’ yer family? Truly, what?” This was madness! Brandir would never have done such a thing. “Who did this to ye? Who lied to ye?”

“Shut up! I can’t do this anymore! I want this over! My family deserves better! They didn’t deserve to die!”

“Marcus, they dinnae deserve to die. No one does. But it cannae be changed.”

“No, but I can get revenge…”

Throwing his arms up in exasperation, he screamed, “Revenge? Revenge? There ‘tis no reason fer revenge! Why can ye not see that?” As he turned from Marcus he felt as if he had failed Brandir. He had failed to keep them together. He had just assumed that Marcus had turned on them. He never considered that there might be something that caused Marcus to turn. Losing Marcus, one of his brothers, had been painful. Something that he hated to dwell on. “We lost ye, Marcus. We lost ye and never ken the reason of it. Now, to find out ye thought Brandir a murderer… ‘Tis too much to bear.”

“Well, you’re going to do more than bear it.” As he lunged forward with the knife, Jacob finally understood. He tripped over his own feet as he tried to move out of the way of the blade. With a hiss of pain, he felt the knife slice his stomach through his shirt.

Marcus couldn’t be reasoned with. He needed to be stopped and then Jacob could save him. If he just happened to break some things in the process, then that would be payback for Amelia.

Anticipating the next arch of the swing, he moved to the right. Marcus swung it back. The look on his face was hatred, pure hatred. “Ye might not listen to me, Marcus, but there ‘tis things ye dinnae know. Someone pulls yer strings and I bet it’s MacMillan.”

“He told me the truth!”

“Did he now? Did he tell ye that Brandir cannae have killed yer family and been on a different continent, settling a feud in Brussels, at the same time?”

Marcus slowed to a stop, his right eyebrow furrowed in confusion.

“Brandir loved us all…”

“No! Brandir loved you. He didn’t love us all. He tore us from those that truly loved us. He took us!”

“Marcus,” Jacob took a deep breath, “if ye really believe that, then what are ye waiting fer? Get on with killing me!” He waved his hand dismissively. Marcus charged at him. As they both fell to the ground, Jacob struggled to knock the knife from Marcus’ grasp.

“ARGH!”

A gunshot fired in the ground near their feet. They both stopped.

“Are you boys about done?” Jacob turned to look the SNP Leader. “Dear Lord, you’re both so stupid.” He gestured towards Marcus. “This one here thinks Brandir killed his kin.” Then he gestured towards Jacob. “And you think that you can protect her.”

“Is Jacob telling the truth?”

“Of course he is, you dimwit! Do you know how long it took to plan this? I thought you would figure it out, but you never did. How ridiculous are you?”

“Jacob, I…”

“Never mind, Marcus. Focus on the problem.” It was a big problem indeed. The man aimed the gun back and forth between Marcus and Jacob, as if he couldn’t decide who to shoot first.

“If you had just let me kill her at Parliament then this would be done.” Thomas’ eyes were wide, his expression manic-like.

“Parliament?” Jacob narrowed his eyes in confusion. What did Parliament have to do with it?

“I thought I had gotten so lucky when I learned she had asthma. Just a hint of a trigger upon the air in the room and that would be the end of that. However, it didn’t work! You and your ridiculous rules!” He swung the gun back to Marcus, causing Jacob to turn back to him as well. “Don’t even think of going for it. I swear I will kill you. I swear! How many times must I say it before someone takes me seriously!”

Jacob had always taken the threats seriously. He just wished that he had realized that Thomas was the threat. “That ‘tis the thing. Brandir knew you were evil. He wished to protect Scotland — wished to protect Amelia.”

Thomas pointed the gun back at Jacob. “Are you judging me?” He seemed shocked, as if he didn’t expect to be judged by anyone.

“I dinnae judge anyone. I have my own secrets… My own crimes.”

“Jakey, I’m sorry at what I’ve done,” Marcus whispered to him.

Jacob felt sorry for him, but this wasn’t the time nor the place for feeling sorry for a misguided individual. “We will deal with that later, Marcus.”

A voice on the wind shouted Jacob’s name.

“If I dinnae answer, they will kill ye.”

“Fine. This isn’t over,” Thomas snarled.

“Not yet, but it will be,” Marcus whispered.

Jacob turned his head slightly to see what Marcus was talking about. As he opened his mouth he realized what Marcus’ plan was. There was no time to stop him. There was no time to pray. There was only enough time to hope that Amelia was far away on the route to the hospital before the explosions started. Marcus had always been good at bombs. That was his specialty, his gift.

Chapter 37

Tears fell softly onto the pillow beneath her head. Her heart and soul ached. He had remembered everything. Everything that they had. Everything he meant to her. Everything she believed that she had meant to him. However, he had pretended that none of it had ever existed. That she had not existed.

Maybe it was time for her to go back home. Scotland could find another Queen. Someone better suited for the throne. Someone that could handle the pain that came with it. She could not. It hurt too much.

The sound of the door squeaking open brought her out of her thoughts. Quickly she wiped her eyes to hide the tears. “I’m fine, so there’s no need to check on me.”

“Aye, but there is.”

Jacob. Why had he come? He had already proved that everything was a farce. Just to keep her in Scotland until they didn’t need her anymore. Her back went rigid. Was he there to gloat? About how he had never really loved her. That it was all made up?

“Lass, ye have to ken.”

She closed her eyes, it hurt too much to hear his voice. It was too hard to listen to whatever he might say. “Leave me, please.”

His footsteps came closer instead of further away. She felt the bed dip as he sat down. “I cannae leave ye, Amelia.” It seemed he was hell bent on ignoring her wishes as he crawled in the bed behind her and rested a hand on her side. “I dinnae want to leave ye.”

He pulled her to him, but she didn’t fight him off. She was too weak to deny him. Too weak to pull away. His arms were comforting as they wrapped around her. Soothing, despite the pain that they were destined to bring.

“Lass, I was wrong. ‘Twas a simple attempt to protect ye. Please dinnae think I dinnae love ye. Amelia, I love ye more than the breath in my verra body. I can no more live without ye than breath air under water.”

A sob tore from her throat. “Why?”

“Why do I leave ye?”

“Why are you still torturing me? You knew me, but acted like you forgot! You toyed with me and you’re still doing it! Why?”

“Lass, I swear on my honor that I am not—”

“No! No more lies! I don’t want to hear anything else! My father. My own father, asked you to stay with me. You decided the easiest way to do that was to profess love. That’s unforgivable.” She took a breath, wheezy cackles sounding in her lungs. “I just want to sleep.”

“Verra well, lass. Sleep fer now, but ken that no man shall profess love to a lass that he dinnae love. Scots dinnae tell such lies. Sleep, Amelia. We shall discuss this when ye wake,”

That was what he thought. She could sleep for a week from the stress of the asthma attack, her wounds from torture, and the pain medicines. The emotional drama of his lies just fueled her overwhelming desire to break away from the world and sleep. He could stay if he wanted, but he could not make her forgive him. No, that he could never do.

As they spooned in the small hospital bed, guards outside the door, she closed her eyes. The dreams would come soon, and she expected they would not be pleasant. As her breathing began to even out, despite the slight hiccup from the residual wheezes that plagued her she whispered, “Besides only a bastard would tase a woman he proclaimed to love.”

A breathy laugh sounded next to her ear. “Och my dear Amelia, ‘twas all I could think of at the time.”

“It still hurts.”

“Close yer eyes and sleep. Tomorrow will be better.”

Somehow she doubted that. Even with everything they had been through since the bombing she still felt as if there were worse things to come. However, as he hummed a light song she felt at peace. She began to hope that just maybe, tomorrow would be the first sunny day that they had seen in so long.