by Liz Bower
"What's given you that look?"
He took a seat on the sofa next to her and grasped her hand in his. "Jenny just called. They've received a private donation for the drop-in centre. That means they can start on some of the other rooms, and she wanted me to go in and give them a hand. I told her I had to work but would start looking for some kitchen appliances online."
"Rob, that's amazing," Jess said, as she bounced up and down on her cushion. "Did you tell her I would go in and help them?"
The grin dropped from Rob’s face, and his hold on her hand tightened. "I don't want you going there on your own. Not after last time."
Shifting in her seat, she faced him, one hand on his thigh. "Nothing has happened since then, and I've not had any visions in ages. It'll be fine, and you can drop me off on your way to work."
As he chewed on his bottom lip, she let him think about it because she knew he just wanted to protect her. But she wasn't going to let him stop her from going; this was important to her too.
"But how will you get home?"
"I'll drive. I can drop you off at the gym. Or at the drop-in centre, it's not far to walk to the gym from there."
"That means you'll have to drive home alone since you'll finish at the centre before I finish my shift."
"Rob, I'll be fine. We lose if we stop doing the things we want to just in case something happens." Leaning forward, she placed her lips on his for a chaste kiss and then went upstairs to get changed.
***
And she had been fine, she thought as she got back home, shoving her key in the front door. The sound of the wind through the trees and the click of the gate latch opening made her turn. With a relieved laugh, she waved over her shoulder at Emma and pushed open the front door. As she turned back to Emma, two paws landed on her stomach. "Oof. Barney," Jess said, stroking his head. "What are you two up to?"
Leaning against the fence, Emma grinned sheepishly at Jess. "On the scrounge for a favour."
Jess pointed her thumb over her shoulder. "Do you want to come in?"
With a shake of her head, Emma said, "No. I can't, and that's the favour. Matt's at the museum today, and I've just been called to stand in on a job for a client. Could you take Barney for a walk, and then take him back to Matt's place?"
"Of course I can. You want to go for a walk, buddy?" At Jess's question, Barney's tail started wagging so fast it became a blur of white fur. Laughing, Jess said, "I think that's a yes."
Emma gave Jess his lead and gave her a quick hug. "Thanks, Jess. You're a lifesaver. I'll be back early this evening, no more than a few hours."
Jess waved her hand at Emma to dismiss her worries. "It's fine. Me and Barney have got this covered." Emma waved as she closed the gate behind her.
"Come on then, boy. I'll get changed, and we can go have some fun." She smiled as Barney wagged his tail again. Maybe I should get a dog.
***
Making her way down the lane towards Alt Hall, Jess dragged Barney behind her. She was seriously rethinking the dog idea if she would have to do this every day. She couldn't call it a walk when she had dragged him most of the way.
When he dug his paws in yet again, she stopped and looked down at him. "Come on, Barney. What's wrong?" She laughed at her own question. "It's not like you're going to tell me, is it?" Barney looked behind him and let out a whimper. She looked up as he started to run, yanking his lead out of her hands.
Frozen, she just stared as the wolf stalked towards her. Its amber eyes never left hers as its nose twitched the nearer it got. Its mouth dropped open, revealing long, sharp teeth as it pulled back its lips. Raising its head, the wolf let out a howl, and she jumped.
Spinning around, she ran in the direction Barney had taken off in. The hedgerows blurred as she ran, but she could hear the thump of the wolf’s paws as they hit the ground behind her. Glancing over her shoulder, she could see it was closing in on her.
Crying out as her foot hit something hard she flung her hands out in front of her. Her knees hit the stony path first then her hands scraped across the rough surface. The breath was forced out of her at the impact, and she yelped at the sting of her injuries.
But that was nothing compared to the searing pain of the wolf landing on her back, its paws piercing her skin. She screamed. It sounded louder in her head as the weight of the wolf made it difficult to breathe properly. It joined her screams by releasing another howl before its soft fur brushed against her neck. She felt its grasp tighten around her throat as she bucked her hips, trying to get the beast off her. Slowly, she began to lose all feeling, as blackness surrounded her. She welcomed it, fell into it.
Away from the pain. Away from everything.
CHAPTER THIRTY-NINE
Rob hit the dial button again. With a frustrated sigh as the call went to voicemail once more, he hung up. Rubbing his hand against the back of his neck, he started to pace the gym reception area.
Jess had texted him to let him know she had made it home hours before. But since then, he couldn't get an answer from her, except her bloody voicemail message. Grasping the hair at the back of his head, he tugged at it, wondering what he could do.
Glancing at the clock, he saw he had another hour of his shift left, which meant he was stuck. Scrolling through his contacts until he reached Matt's name, he hit dial.
"Come on, come on," he said, listening to the ringing in his ear. He gripped the phone tighter as he heard Matt’s voicemail, letting out a deep breath as he hung up. "Where the bloody hell is everyone?"
"I'm sorry, I was just filing some documents.” Rob turned towards the voice coming from behind the reception desk as she stood. “Can I help?"
"Sorry," he said, as he held his phone up towards her. Walking away from her and outside, he scrolled back up to James's contact. His thumb hovered over the call icon before he hit it. He didn't care what James thought. He needed to know that Jess was okay.
"Rob," James grunted down the phone at him.
"I can't get hold of Jess. She said she got home hours ago, but now she's not answering her phone, and neither is Matt."
"Huh. I'm sure she's fine."
"With everything that's been going on, I'm not willing to take that chance. Are you?"
"I can walk up to her house to check on her if you want."
"Thanks. Thank you. Can you get her to call me when you speak to her?"
"Will do."
Rob pulled the phone down from his ear and stared at the screen, but he was right—James had hung up on him. A real chatty fellow. Shoving his phone back in his pocket, Rob strode back into the gym. Nothing he could do except wait.
But waiting was easier said than done. He had no clients booked in for a training session, and the gym was empty. With nothing else to occupy him, he resorted to checking his phone every five minutes and thinking that the worst had happened.
Finally, his phone rang, but he frowned at it when he saw Emma's name flash across the screen. He stared at it for another couple of rings before answering. "Emma? Tell me you found Jess. Is she okay?" He heard Emma inhale, and he prepared for the worst.
"James found her. She's ... I don't know, Rob. She's been attacked, and she's unconscious."
Gripping the phone closer to his ear until it hurt, Rob scanned the gym. Walking towards the pool area, he asked, "Where is she?"
"James took her to his house. We're all there with her."
Shoving open the door with enough force to slam it against the wall, he entered the pool zone. "I'm on my way," he said, then hung up and shoved his phone back in his pocket. "Hey," Rob called to Josh, who was on pool duty. "An emergency has come up, and I need to leave. Can you cover the gym for me? There's no one in there."
"Sure, you go. I hope everything is okay."
As soon as Rob heard him agree, he started walking away. "Thanks," he threw over his shoulder. Operating on autopilot, he grabbed his stuff from his locker and made his way to the car.
What if she wasn't okay? He'd only
just found her. The thought of losing her made his chest tighten painfully, and absently he rubbed at it. He needed to see her, hold her, so he put his foot down, not really caring about the speed limit because the roads were empty.
The drive passed without him realising as he pulled up outside James's cottage.
Switching off the engine, he sat in the dark of the car. Listened to the sound of the engine ticking and humming. His knuckles were white from gripping the steering wheel, and he forced himself to let go and push open the door.
Not bothering to knock, he walked inside and heard voices from upstairs. Slowly, he followed the sound to a bedroom. He stopped in the doorway as relief rushed through him. Jess was lying in the bed, looking like she was just taking a nap. Emma sat on the side of the bed, holding her hand. Matt and James were standing by the window, discussing something in hushed voices. They both turned to look at him when Emma said his name. Turning his attention back to Jess, he walked over to Emma.
"She hasn't woken up yet," she said, as she reached for his hand.
Rob couldn't take his gaze from Jess or believe that anything was actually wrong with her. She looked fine. "I'll take her back to her place, stay with her there."
"No, you bloody won't. You're not moving her."
James's harsh tone made Rob look towards him. He was still standing by the window, but Matt had a hand pressed against his chest, as though he were holding James back. Seriously? What was that about? Taking a step towards James, Rob clenched his fists, quite happy to go a round. Who did James think he was? Did he think he could keep Jess away from him? Emma quickly rose and stood in front of Rob, a hand on his arm.
Looking over her shoulder, she said to James, "Rob can stay here with Jess. Can't he?"
James leaned back against the windowsill, crossed his arms, his eyebrows drawing together as he scowled at Rob. "I guess. Means I can keep an eye on him."
Keep an eye on me? What the fuck? What the hell did James think he was going to get up to while his sister was unconscious?
"Good," Emma said with a clap. "That's settled, then. Let's leave Rob and Jess alone for a while." She ushered Matt and James out of the room. With her hand on the knob, she turned back to Rob. "Give me a shout if you need anything."
He nodded. "Thanks." Then Emma quietly shut the door, leaving him alone with Jess.
Pulling a chair up next to the bed, he sat beside her. Taking her hand in his, he noted how cold she felt. Lifting her hand he dislodged the covers and gasped.
Her neck was red and blistered. On the top of her shoulder and disappearing down her back, he could see red scratches covered with drops of dried blood. Where the hell had she been? Why hadn't she listened to him and just stayed at home? He knew what had done this. He recognised the marks and wounds from when he'd been attacked by the wolf.
Dropping his head onto the mattress beside Jess's head, he clenched his fists, trying to get a grip on his anger. He couldn't remember the last time he'd felt so worked up. But that was because he'd never felt this way before. He loved her. Yes, he could admit that now. He'd finally realised his feelings, but was it too late? There was only one thing left to do. He had to tell her. When she woke up, he would show her. He lifted his head and gazed at her beautiful face, brushed her hair back.
"I love you, Jess. You need to wake up so I can tell you how much I love you."
CHAPTER FORTY
For two days, Rob managed to avoid James. It wasn't difficult, as Rob spent most of his time by Jess's side, and James locked himself away in the dining room. Apart from the odd shout, and what sounded like a book being hurled against the wall, Rob could have been alone in the house for all he knew.
He'd called work that day, told them he wouldn't be back in for at least the rest of the week. He didn't plan on going anywhere until Jess woke up. Two days was a long time to be out of it, though. It hadn't taken him that long after he'd been attacked.
Brushing his hand across Jess's forehead, relief swept over him, as she felt much cooler to his touch. Pressing his lips to her forehead, he quietly left the room with one last glance at her over his shoulder. No change.
Jogging down the stairs, he headed for the kitchen to make himself some lunch. He stopped short when he saw James's head half-hidden inside the open fridge. Taking a step back, he wondered if he should just come back later. But that would be admitting he was avoiding James, and he had no reason to.
"Hungry?" James asked
"What you got?" Rob said, making his way over to the fridge.
"Bacon sound good?"
"You'll get no complaints from me." He leaned against the cupboards and crossed his legs at the ankles. Rob was going for the relaxed look, but he wasn't sure he'd managed it. What James thought mattered to Jess, and Rob wanted James to think he was an okay guy.
James closed the fridge door and pulled a frying pan out of a drawer. "Any change?"
Rob’s eyebrows drew together as he tried to work out what James meant.
When he didn't answer, James asked, "With Jess. Any change with Jess?"
Rob shook his head. "She's still not awake. Although her skin felt cooler to the touch. That's got to be a good sign, right?"
Lighting the gas under the frying pan, James glanced over at Rob for a moment. "I guess," he answered, noncommittally.
Now that they were talking, Rob didn't want to let the opportunity pass, even if he did annoy James. "Don't you think we should call a doctor?" Rob watched James as he added the bacon to the pan, the sizzle of it the only sound in the kitchen. Carrying on regardless, Rob said, "If she doesn't wake up soon, we should call a doctor."
James turned the heat down under the pan and stared at Rob. "Emma already cleaned her wounds with the medication Matt was given. A doctor won't be able to help wake her up. The only thing they could do is get suspicious, and we don't need to draw unnecessary attention to our situation." James flipped the bacon over in the pan. He pulled out a loaf from the bread bin and two plates from the cupboard. Crossing his arms over his chest, he faced Rob again. "You care about her, don't you?"
What kind of question was that? "Of course I do," Rob said as he stood straighter, crossing his arms over his chest as well.
"Do you love her?"
Rob's eyebrows rose at James's words. The guy clearly had no issues with boundaries. He unfolded his arms and said, "With all due respect, James, I think the first person who should hear the answer to that question is Jess."
James gave a curt nod in response. "Fair enough." He turned away from Rob, took the bacon out of the pan, placed it on the bread, then handed Rob a sandwich.
"Thanks," Rob said, as he took the plate. He followed James into the dining room that also held all of their research. Rob glanced around the room as he took a bite of the sandwich.
Every spare inch of wall was covered with paper, drawings, lists or Post-it notes. There was an open book on the floor, probably from where James had thrown it. Raising his chin in its direction, Rob asked, "What's that?"
James scowled at the book, his nostrils flaring as he exhaled loudly. "I was trying to find out who the prisoner was in Jess's vision, but there's no mention of him anywhere. I found one obscure line that mentioned the escape of a prisoner and the disappearance of the legion commander, but that's it."
Rob put his sandwich down on the plate and stared at the book for a moment. Slowly turning to James, Rob asked, "What if that's it?"
"What do you mean?"
Setting his plate on the desk, Rob started to pace. "What if it was the commander who was killed? In Jess's vision, she never saw the prisoner being killed, just that he was tied to the tree."
"How could the commander be killed? And why would there be no record of it?" James started rifling through a pile of books until he dragged one out and flicked through the pages. "Look, it says it here. 'The commander's horse was seen leading the legion out of the village for the last time.' He was still alive when the Romans left England."
&nbs
p; "No," Rob said. "It says his horse was seen. It doesn't actually mention the commander himself. Don't you think that's a little strange?" Rob started pacing again; it seemed to help his thoughts to flow. "Jess said the prisoner was tied to a sycamore tree and a hole had been dug in front of him. But what if it wasn't him who ended up in the hole? Sycamore trees are planted by burial mounds. Coffins are made from sycamore wood. What if it's actually the commander who is buried there?"
James was scowling at him. Clearly, he was dubious, and Rob couldn't really blame him. What did he know about any of this? What did any of them really?
"Look, do you have any other ideas? The tree and the grave were in Jess's vision. I think the least we should do is check it out."
***
James's scowl deepened as he glared at Rob. It couldn't be. James wasn't willing to accept Rob’s explanation. How could history have completely missed the fact that the commander had been killed in England?
If it had happened, there would have been chaos. A fight to determine who would take his place and lead the legion. None of that was documented anywhere. James turned his back on Rob and set his plate on top of a pile of papers as he rubbed at the bridge of his nose.
Rob couldn't just rewrite history because it fit into their current situation. James didn't know Rob well, but he knew they could argue over this until the tides rose on the River Alten. He moved to face Rob again, looked him straight in the eye, and said, "Prove it."
Rob's eyebrows furrowed as he asked, "What?"
James crossed his arms and leaned back against the desk. "You heard me. Prove it."
"How?"
"We go dig up what you think is his grave. Except my guess is that we’ll find nothing but earth beneath that tree."
"I'm not leaving Jess on her own."
James slowly nodded, and a grin crept over his face. The boy has it bad. He just better be careful, because if he ever hurts her ... "Let me call Matt. He can help us, and Emma can stay here with Jess."
Rob nodded, putting the last bite of his sandwich in his mouth as James pulled out his mobile.