Pure Desire [Pure 3] (Siren Publishing Allure) (26 page)

“Sunshine, we are going to get along perfectly.”

Chapter Twenty-five

Allura stopped pacing when the door to her room slid open and Channing walked inside. Unable to stop, a flood of tears and sobs escaped as she ran over and threw her arms around her brother. She hugged him close, so tight, she felt pleasantly suffocated.

Channing held Allura. He rocked her soothingly, whispering softly. “I’m happy to see you, too, sis.” He kissed the top of her head.

“I thought”, she said, sniffling, “oh, god, I thought the worst.”

Channing stepped back. “See, I’m alive and well. Don’t work yourself into a tizzy over me.”

Allura wiped her eyes with the back of her hand. “You should have thought about that when you rode off after Matt Graham. The vermin.” She seethed.

Channing grinned. “Ah, that is my sis. Already back to her old ridiculing self. Thank god.” He planted an affectionate kiss on Allura’s cheek. “I didn’t go after Matt Graham, but Caroline sent a letter to the ranch and informed me she was going to make a huge and scandalous stink about the illegitimate child she claims to carry to anyone who would listen. And you know all the townspeople’s ears would bend to hear it. She intended to accuse me publicly of getting her in a delicate condition and shirking my duties, if that isn’t gauche. With my history of flagrant behavior and Matt Graham’s money and influence, you know the highfalutin’ socialites would snub their noses at Mother. The two-faced ones would be condescending behind Mother’s back, the bolder outright, and then there would be those gossip leeches who would see any opportunity to bring up the humiliating hearsay consistently. I didn’t want Mother, you, or Father in the middle of that. I went to have it out with Caroline and get the distasteful encounter over with as silently as possible.”

“You don’t think Matt Graham was responsible for what happened to you?”

Channing shrugged. “I can’t honestly blame him, sis. They ambushed me and before I knew it, shots rang out and I was flat on my back. I never saw it coming and honestly I don’t remember too much of what happened.”

Allura fumed with fury. Tears brightened her eyes. “Regardless, they are cowardly, beastly animals, and I pray they burn in hell.”

“Noor didn’t tell you I was alive?”

“He did, but, right now, I’m don’t trust anything Noor has to say. In fact, I refused to speak to him and haven’t in the last few days. He’s livid. I don’t care. Do you know he believes himself innocent? Ha,” Allura said. She looked at Channing. “He saved your life, and I’m grateful, but, by bringing me here to this place, he has put both our lives in jeopardy, so should I really thank him? My God, what are mother and father thinking about our sudden disappearance? Are they safe? Did Noor think about them when he whisked us away? He is irrational, selfish, and I’m not giving him an inch.”

“Sis, you aren’t being fair to Noor. Remember he saved my life twice. Though I’m still trying to understand the unexplainable, being in this weird place, and everything that has happened, Noor deserves more credit.”

She hated when Channing was right. That didn’t mean she was ready to forgive Noor. “He almost got me killed.” Allura glanced at Channing nervously, sucked in her bottom lip. Then she said, “I’m married to a horrible man from this planet called Oridus who believes I can save the galaxy or something insane like that if I birth him a son. A child, mind you, he intends to murder.” She shook her head unbelievingly. “The man is a maniac…he tried to rape me. Maybe he did,” she whispered.

“What?” Channing said between clenched teeth.

“I may have my facts confused. Everything happened so fast, but I know if it weren’t for Noor, I wouldn’t be in this terrible nightmare to begin with if he’d been honest with me from the beginning. He should have told me why he was in Legend from the beginning instead of allowing me to be thrust into this nightmare unprepared.”

“I’m still stuck on the married part, sis, and that you were treated unkind.”

“I was drugged, raped, abused, and shot…” She waved her hand wildly. She sniffled. “I want to go home, Channing.”

That seemed like a simple request.

Chapter Twenty-six

Noor heard Channing’s footsteps and imagined his purposeful long stride as he walked over the plush carpet, headed in his direction. Coming to his feet, he finished off his drink, ran his fingers through his hair, and waited. Eventually he knew Channing would get around to him, not that he expected a warm welcome. Fighting it out with Channing about the situation he put his sister in had to be addressed, and he was sure Allura’s brother would handle the matter in his usual manner.

He couldn’t really blame Channing. If circumstances were reversed, he would kick ass first and ask questions later. That didn’t mean he was in the mindset to entertain Channing’s bullshit. Allura hadn’t spoken to him in days—ten days to be exact. And her stubborn, immature refusal to listen to reason had worn his nerves thin. He missed her, too. Out of everything, that is what piqued him the most because he couldn’t get his hands on the fiery piece and shake some sense into her. Of course, nothing too physical, he knew. The idea of hurting Allura again, in any kind of manner, was abhorrent to him. The intent was to keep her quiet and still for one minute so he could explain things thoroughly, which meant he might have to sit on her for that. Noor frowned. Allura had a more volatile temper than Channing did, and for that very reason, he hadn’t pushed the issue of them having it out for the last time.

His patience was as unstable as Allura’s temperament. He glanced at the time dial on the wall. She had two hours to come around and figure out he wasn’t always going to dance to her tune. If not, damn Channing and what anybody else thought, the sassy-mouthed, obstinate Ms. Allura Deverill would accept his apology if he had to implant it in her brain.

Channing bound into the room. “Give me one reason why I shouldn’t call you out.”

“I have no idea what that means.”

Channing cursed beneath his breath. “My sister is miserable, and I can’t rightfully blame her after everything she told me. You tricked her into coming here and put her in the hands of some lunatic who hurt her, all for the sake of saving some damned planet. My sister is not a pawn on a chessboard you can move around to suit your purpose. Whatever insane circumstances your people are in, we have nothing to do with it. I’m taking my sister home.”

“No,” he said empathetically.

“What the hell do you mean, no?”

“One, my government will not authorize it. Secondly, even if you return to Texas, Allura won’t be safe. Emperor Agaci will never stop coming after Allura until he secures her permanently or she is dead. If I can help it, she will not be in either predicament, as long as I breathe. That means she must stay with me. I can keep her protected.”

Channing snorted. “You haven’t done a good job of it so far. Why should I trust you now?”

Noor grit his teeth to hold his temper. He said quietly, “You don’t really have a choice.”

Channing shot Noor a testy glance. “The hell if I don’t.”

Noor owed Channing an explanation. That aside, he grew increasingly intolerant of having to convince him he was the best chance Allura had to survive. “I had no idea my government intended to deliver Allura into the emperor’s hands to save their butts until we arrived. My superior did not divulge that piece of information. The details of my assignment were to find, secure, and bring Allura back to Sanguine. It was to protect your sister from Emperor Agaci. She is the only surviving person in the Deverill lineage who could produce an heir and dethrone the bastard. Allura was a valuable asset to my government. Unfortunately, they chose to use her to further their political aspirations and not stop the emperor as I first believed.

Noor took a deep breath.
If somebody plays you for a fool, you seek revenge
. The mantra resounded in his head. “Upon our arrival, Allura went into political custody, and then was handed over to the emperor as a bargaining tool. There wasn’t a damned thing I could do about it.”

“So you sat on your hands and allowed some bastard to force her into marriage, not to mention the other ungodly things this man did. You know what, in Texas, we believe in swift justice, an eye for an eye. All political grandstanding your kind seems to favor means nothing when someone harms someone you love.” Channing was in Noor’s face. He pointed his finger between his eyes. “You did things your way. Now, I will handle matters to my satisfaction, which means I will hunt this emperor-idiot down and let him know in no uncertain terms you don’t mess with a Deverill.”

“I’m telling, not asking, you to let me handle things, Channing. Now, get your hand out of my face before things between us go bad.” When he didn’t move, Noor caught Channing’s hand between his clenched fingers and shoved it away. Channing didn’t like that. He didn’t give a damn.

Fists started flying like turbulence.

Channing landed a punch to Noor’s chin. Noor smashed Channing a good one, grabbed him by the arm, twisted, and put him in a chokehold to subdue him. When Pulura entered, she found Channing gasping for air and turning a peculiar hue.

She stormed over to them. “Noor Rynoir, you release Channing this instant!”

“I will when he calms down.”

Channing growled, broke the hold, whirled around, and delivered a powerful kick to Noor’s midsection that made him double over.

“Sonofabitch.” Noor sucked in air, and then launched at Channing like a projectile and bowled him over. He pounced on Channing, grinded his knee into his chest, and pinned him solid.

“He is going to kill him!” Pulura shrieked when Vale and Angel walked inside the chamber.

Angel looked at Noor and Channing disinterested, sat down, and crossed his arms and legs. His tone nonchalant, he said, “Noor is the law, auntie. I doubt he will kill in cold blood. He might hurt the young fellow a little, but if so, Noor probably has a damned good reason.”

Pulura slammed her balled hands to her hips. She glared at Angel. “That is not funny, mister.”

Vale came up on Pulura’s side and patted her on the back. “Auntie, you know Angel doesn’t have a humorous bone in his body. What’s going on here?” he asked, taking a ringside seat.

“He is a hothead and needs to learn his lesson,” Noor said.

“Go to hell,” Channing spit. He put his knee in Noor’s stomach and shoved him away.

“Umm…he’s good,” Angel said.

“Noor had me down like that one time, and I couldn’t budge him,” Vale said, amused.

“Are you two just going to stand there and do nothing?” Pulura said.

Noor and Channing circled each other like two rams about to butt heads, each determined to win the pissing contest.

Angel shrugged. He was interested in a move Channing did, where he swept his brother’s ankle and set Noor on his ass.

More diplomatically, Vale attempted to appease Pulura by offering an explanation. “It’s probably best to let them get it out of their systems. Being alpha males and all, these situations are rarely handled amicably.”

Pulura’s stony stare intensified. Then she let loose with a litany of brutal admonishes for all the men present that left their ears ringing.

Vale grinned. “Auntie, I didn’t think you had that in you.”

Angel spoke matter-of-factly. “She is a Rynoir.”

“After what you did to my sister, I should kill you!” Channing breathed.

“I saved her!” Noor shouted back. He sprung to his feet.

“Like hell you did!” Channing snarled, and then tackled Noor.

Noor spun out of the hold, lifted his knee, and rocked Channing back. He grabbed him by the collar—Channing flew through the air, landed with a thud, destroyed a priceless figurine, and smashed it to fragments.

Seeing Channing shake it off, Noor pointed at him. “Stay down!”

Channing ran his fingers through his hair, moving it out of his eyes, and wiped the sweat from his face. He was on all fours, taking in air. He looked up at Noor. “You are a bastard!”

“And you are an asshole. I don’t know why I’m even considering marrying into your family because I’m sure you will be a thorn in my ass for the eternity of our marriage,” Noor roared.

“You can marry my sister when hell freezes over!”

“I was making a statement, not asking permission.”

Pulura hurried over to Channing and tried to help him up. “Darling, please don’t do that.” He politely moved her aside.

“You’re bleeding,” Pulura whispered, worry etched in her expression.

Channing wiped the blood from his mouth with his shirtsleeve. He looked at the crimson stain against the white material and then at Noor. The sound that escaped from his mouth was low and primal—he lunged, landed a jab into Noor’s jaw, and caused his head to rock like a bobble head.

“You two stop it this instant!” Pulura stomped her foot. Tears bubbled in her bottom lids, and a single tear rolled down her cheek.

After seeing how distraught Pulura had become, Vale and Angel were up on their feet in a millisecond. One grabbed Noor, the other Channing, and subdued them both until they stopped trying to rip each other apart.