Lord Darius walked across the yard toward the groundmobile. Her gaze followed his every move. His long stride and tall features sent a warm sensation through Tara’s body. It had been a long time since she’d seen a man so sexually appealing.
Her attention shifted from him to the truck.
The men struggled to lift something from the bed and set it on the ground—her motorcycle!
Tara groaned. They wouldn’t be able to start it, since it was coded, but they’d found it and brought it here. A lot of good it was going to do her if it was stuck up here! She watched the men lift the bike and carry it to a shed before she turned to join the women. Those solid stone walls seemed to close in around her, trapping her and preventing her escape.
“Enjoying the scenery of my backyard, are you girl?” Reena grinned as if she knew Tara’s thoughts.
The old woman would never know how wrong she was in guessing what was in Tara’s mind.
“I daresay it’s my son you’d be admiring.” Hilda looked at Tara but then turned to Reena. “They would make the most handsome claim in all of Gothman. Can you imagine? We would be sisters for real.”
“Just think of those gorgeous grand babies to show off.” Reena clasped her hands together as if it had just been finalized.
Tara glared at the two women as she joined them in the living room and sat on the end of the couch. Her future was ready and waiting for her. She had worked hard to deserve the title of heir to rule all Runner clans, and no one would take that from her. Especially two scheming old women with nothing better to do than play claim-maker with two people who were strangers to each other. Learning all there was to know about Gothman, and Lord Darius, would make her that much better of a leader.
The two women continued to chatter endlessly, talking about whatever came to their minds and laughing at each comment that was made. Tara blocked out their conversation and dwelt on her own predicament. For the time being, she was stranded. She hadn’t given any thought to leaving in the near future, but now she couldn’t if she wanted to, unless she stole a Gothman motorcycle or pulled off the near impossible and rescued her bike.
Tara didn’t want to leave, she wanted to stay and learn about these people. But having the option of departing taken from her was annoying. An image of Darius appeared in her mind. She imagined how smug he must have felt to have found her bike. Tara knew at that moment she would get it back. She would not let Lord Darius best her.
Tara stood, too restless to sit, and worked her way back to the windows. The men sounded like they were arguing outside, but try as she might she couldn’t hear what they were saying over the women’s voices, or through the blasted thick Gothman glass. She finally gave up and turned her attention back to the women.
“So, you’ll be staying for lunch then.” Hilda smiled and got up. “I’ve some cold ham for sandwiches, boiled new potatoes and cheese rolls. That pie will go along famously.”
Reena and Hilda walked through the dining room and back toward the kitchen. Tara followed, but none of the windows in the kitchen offered a better view of the men, or her bike.
“I had a girl to help with the house for a time. But Lord Darius didn’t take a liking to her and sent her back to her parents. I will say this big house is too much for an old lady to manage.” Hilda winked at Reena.
“I know what you’re saying, I do at that,” Reena sympathized. “My hands wear out long before the housework does these days. I’ve a liniment you might try. It does take the sting out.”
“Tara, be a dear and go cut some of those flowers out back in the garden, will you?” Hilda opened a drawer and pulled out gloves and clippers. “Take these…ah…there you are. Use caution, girl. The thorns can bring blood faster than you may think.”
Hilda watched Tara leave out the back door then close it so it didn’t make a sound. Never had she seen anyone move as Reena’s niece did. It was as if the girl were one with the ground she walked across. Quite captivating, and it was more than outer beauty. There was something in the girl’s eyes. Hilda wasn’t able to quite place it, but the girl seemed to put everything she saw and heard to memory. And Tara didn’t look like one to forget.
Hilda looked at Reena, who was still looking at the back door. Tara was already out of sight.
“Your niece, you say?” she asked.
“Isn’t she beautiful?”
“That she is.” Hilda didn’t think Reena had a brother.
To call her friend out on a lie would be a serious offense if she didn’t have proof. Hilda held her tongue, which was really hard to do.
“Do you think Darius will claim her?”
Hilda didn’t try speculating what her son might do.” “Is that what you want?” she asked instead of answering.
Reena hesitated, and for a moment seemed to look sad. When she looked at Hilda, her expression was serious.
“I want her to be happy,” Reena said and sounded too serious.
This time it was easier for Hilda to hold her tongue. She wasn’t sure any young lady would be happy as the lord’s claim. He was way too driven. She supposed that was good for Gothman but she doubted he’d ever be happy with any one woman.
Gloves and clippers in hand, Tara entered the backyard. There was no sign of the men, so she turned her attention to the different rose varieties growing bountifully along the side yard. As she knelt at the flowerbeds, she inhaled their strong fragrance. There were yellow and white roses and she began to clip a few of them. She jerked at the sound of footsteps and spun around as she stood.
“Ah, lass, no reason to be so jumpy. I won’t hurt you.” A tall man with thick curly blond hair stood before her. He smiled but focused on her body, not her face. “I’m wondering why a lass as pretty as you hasn’t been claimed. You’re too pretty to be keeping to yourself.” He reached for her breasts.
Tara pointed the clippers at him. “Stay back,” she warned him.
“Now that ain’t fair. I just said I wasn’t going to hurt you, and here you are ready to hurt me. I daresay you’re a wild one.” The man laughed and started to grab the clippers from Tara.
Submissive be damned. She wasn’t about to let this brute maul her. That wasn’t how she planned to experience Gothman. “I said stay back,” she repeated and pulled the clippers back, then punched the man hard in the stomach with her other hand.
The man was packed with muscle. He doubled over for just a second but then stood again, the grin still on his face.
“Ah, nothing like a frisky one.” The man lunged forward, sending Tara to the ground.
He was heavy and the ground was hard beneath her.
Tara moved faster than he anticipated, managing to avoid his full bulk on top of her. When he pushed to his knees, she brought her knee up hard in his groin and he howled loudly.
Tara rushed to put distance between them when he grabbed her foot and pulled hard enough for her to fall flat. The garden gloves protected her hands as they slapped the ground, but she groaned, knowing her rear end would be bruised later.
He crawled toward her and she turned around, nailing her fist against his jaw. The stunned man didn’t move as she jumped up.
“You leave me alone,” she growled through clenched teeth.
The man sat staring at her as she walked away. Tara was satisfied with his dumbfounded expression, although she hoped no one saw her act out of character. If she was lucky, the man had been so humiliated he wouldn’t comment on her ability to fight.
Tara headed toward to the house, then paused. She turned and grabbed the cut flowers lying on the ground where she’d dropped them. The women would question if she returned without the roses. And if they hadn’t seen her escapade, she didn’t want to have to tell them about it.
As she walked back to the house, she noticed Lord Darius staring through an opened upstairs window on the second floor. Adrenaline already pumped through her, but sudden panic made her heart race painfully. Her mouth went dry. The lord wasn’t stupid, like she’d ori
ginally thought. She didn’t regret putting the jerk in his place, but if she didn’t watch herself around Lord Darius, it would cost her life.
He was definitely watching her, and Tara wouldn’t pretend not to notice his appraisal of her. She stopped and studied him in return, wondering what he thought. Tara was sure she saw him grin when she finally looked away to return to the women.
Lord Darius turned from his bedroom window. A sudden thought hit him like a punch to the gut, but he had to be wrong. His walkntalk chirped and he turned to grab it.
“Your Runner bike is secure, my lord,” one of his guards said.
Darius growled his response and tossed the black box on his bed. It chirped again. He ignored it. Someone tapped on his door. Darius stalked across the room to open it.
“Darius, would you like your guests to join you for lunch today?”
His mama stood in the doorway, and he forced a blank expression so as not to unnerve her. “You need to hire more help.” He tried to sound calm. It wouldn’t do to upset his mama. The last thing he needed right now was one of her fits. “You don’t need to be climbing those stairs to find out how many people you’ll serve.”
His mama beamed. “Funny you should mention that. We were just talking about some more help.”
Darius waited for the woman to continue.
“Reena has brought her niece today for a visit.”
“You want Reena’s niece to help you around the house?”
“We had talked about it.”
“Have her start tomorrow.” Darius thought about the scene he had just witnessed in the yard. Reena’s niece, Tara, needed some serious training. And damn if the thought of doing it himself didn’t have its strong appeal. “And it’ll be just the guards and me that will be eating.”
His mama looked very pleased with herself as she left the doorway and shuffled toward the steps. The woman was obviously plotting. It’s what women did and their actions didn’t much matter to him. Their submission mattered to him. The way a lady honored her claim by obeying him and presenting herself properly in public mattered to him. What would it be like to have a woman who obeyed him in all areas, yet held on to enough of her wild nature to satisfy him in bed?
Darius turned back to the window. He would have that woman under his roof. In fact, he would have that woman. What better way to learn how she had learned to fight like a man. He had his strong suspicions as to where she’d learn to fight. The why was a strong mystery. Darius scowled at the shed where his men had put the Runner bike. His scowl deepened. Once he understood this formidable race, he’d have answers to many questions. He’d also better understand that sensuous little brownhaired woman who dared play as if she were a Gothman female. But if she liked games, Darius had no problem showing her the rules.
Tara was quiet when they drove through town and back up the hill to Reena’s home. She entered the small house and started a fire while Reena sat and wiggled her feet.
“Hand me that bag of potatoes along the kitchen wall, child, and I will get started on a salad for our meal later.” Tara brought the bag, then helped peel and slice the potatoes.
“Well, child, what do you think of Gothman now that you’ve had good exposure to us?”
Tara stared at the flames while the peeler dangled from her hand.
“I saw Lord Darius and two other men with my motorcycle. They put it in a shed behind the Bryton home.”
“No! That’s not good.”
“I’m stranded for the time being.” Tara turned and looked at Reena. Once again she felt the sensation of claustrophobia, and the feeling didn’t settle well at all. “Not that I was planning on leaving any time soon, but now I can’t. It’ll be rather difficult to get it back without being noticed.”
“Well, I don’t know now.” Reena was quiet for a moment. “Hilda mentioned something very interesting before we left. She’d like you to come live at her house, to help out with things.”
Tara pondered at the thought of living under the same roof with Lord Darius. She imagined sparring with the virile lord, and wondered if she would be able to fight with his hands on her. She looked up at Reena in time to see the older woman smile.
“What are you scheming? I’m not interested in marriage, Reena. Not to mention Lord Darius is not the most talkative man, and the men who work for him have no manners.”
“I’ve no doubt you’ll put them in their place. Did one of the guards get a bit fresh with you, child?”
“I had to fight one off when I went to cut the flowers for Hilda,” Tara said.
Reena glared at Tara and made a chuckling sound. “It’s not like a lady to fight off a man.”
“I’m not just going to lay there and play dumb so some brute can do what he will with me.” Tara stressed, trying to make Reena understand. “No one should have to do that.”
“You know you remind me a lot of myself when I was your age.” Reena smiled. “Granted, I was no trained warrior. But, I was loyal to one man. When he left, I’d have no other. So today, I am alone.”
Tara studied Reena, wondering what she would have been like as a young lady. She imagined her to have been quite beautiful. Tara wondered where that man was today who had captured the older woman’s heart.
For some reason, Tara couldn’t see Reena falling hard for any man unless he proved himself better than the rest. Reena had a quiet dignity about her. Not for the first time, Tara saw why Patha had included the older woman in his stories.
“And you, you will be loyal to one man too, someday. It’s in your nature.” She chuckled and reached for her knitting. “So, you’ll live in the Bryton home?” She paused and then added, “You’ll be close to your motorcycle.”
“I’ll give it some thought.”
Later that evening, Darius stood in his bedroom. Maps lay strewn on the bed next to him, and additional charts were scattered across the long wooden table to his side. It had been a long day. Hell be doomed! It had been a long night.
His men weren’t pleased when he ordered that the Runner not be brought down. But they were loyal and obeyed his command. He had warred with his own decision but was sure he’d made the right one. His papa had never made any qualms over Runners. If seen, they were killed. No questions asked.
The Runners were skilled warriors. They would kill a man on sight. No one had ever questioned that knowledge about them. Runners didn’t associate with Gothman people. They weren’t allowed in Bryton at all. Only once in Darius’ lifetime had he ever known an exception to that rule.
That was with Reena. His papa had never shared the details. Darius knew from time to time a Runner visited Reena. His men kept him informed. Reena had been the one to bring her niece into Bryton to introduce to his people. He’d just happen to be in the right place, at the right time, to watch Tara use a weapon he’d never seen before to shoot a trash can and scare a bunch of young boys who were bullying Darius’ younger brother. He’d inched back to the edge of the building and continued watching when she consoled Torgo. This same woman, armed with an incredibly dangerous weapon, had then attempted to appear docile and willing when he’d spoken to her. The way her pretty blue eyes had glowed with emotion when he’d purposely handled her got his dick so hard he’d barely been able to think of anything since.
Darius paced to his open bedroom door, filling the doorway as he stared down the wide, dark and quiet hallway. Her behavior in his garden remained imprinted in his thoughts as well, even more of a distraction. No. He would be honest. The woman more than distracted him. It took all he had not to send for her right now. No Gothman lady, unclaimed or claimed, behaved like Tara.
It was as if she believed she had a right to refuse him. If he didn’t know better, Darius might think the woman had been raised believing she would choose her claim. For some reason that turned him on. This was proof that he needed to sleep.
Not only did the lass not act like other Gothman woman, she didn’t move like any woman he’d ever met. There was a confidence
about her. She seemed trained. Not once did she panic, or hesitate, when she’d stood from clipping roses and attacked Judo, one of his well-trained warriors, in Darius’ back yard. She’d known what she was doing.
Returning to where his maps were sprawled, Darius rested his fists at the edge of his table and stared down at them. He’d planned to spend his evening going over the revised borders of Gothman. Over the past quarter-cycle he’d travelled along those borders, confirming for himself the extent of land he ruled. It had been just over a handful of nights that he’d slept on the hard ground with his men while surveying Gothman. Tonight he was to validate the new maps drawn up to show all of Gothman. Once he gave his approval, Darius planned to have more maps made and sold in Bryton. His people knew they were strong. They knew he protected them. It wouldn’t hurt to show Gothman all the land that was theirs and hopefully encourage some to move on to undeveloped land.
These maps in front of him had consumed his thoughts until a blue eyed, brown haired woman had strolled into his life.
“She hardly strolled,” he grumbled to himself.
His vision blurred. “Get some sleep,” he ordered himself.
The beautiful young woman who had come to call on his mama had been trained to fight. Like she was a warrior— like she was his Runner. But it would be seriously frowned on if the Lord of Gothman took a Runner to his bed.
He turned and moved back to the open window, running his fingers absently through tangled curls. The signs were there, damn it. His men were in an outrage, and Darius was confused. Not that he would admit his confusion to a soul. The Lord of Gothman offered no weaknesses. But hell be doomed! He would understand Tara.
His papa, Lord Jovis, had never enlightened Darius on any of the thinking behind his decision making. The reasons for not doing that weren’t a secret. Darius had not been the intended heir. That didn’t bother him. He didn’t need his papa’s knowledge to rule Gothman. Darius knew he possessed a strength his papa never had, nor his older brother. Dwelling on either of the two was wasted thought. The only thing Darius wanted to know right now was why were Runners such a deadly enemy?
Nuworld: Claiming Tara Page 6