by Janie Marie
“Melody, are you all right?” one of the women asked.
David couldn’t stand to even hear her name and almost turned to yell at her, but Nathan reached out for him. Jane didn’t even seem to be aware of what was happening anymore, and he went to her quickly as he took Nathan from her limp arms.
He hugged Nathan and gently lifted Jane’s chin with his other hand. He held her face as he caressed her cheek with his thumb. She was looking at him, but he knew she wasn’t truly seeing him.
Nathan squeezed David’s neck and mumbled, “David mad.”
David let go of Jane’s face and rubbed Nathan’s back soothingly, but he never looked away from Jane’s olive-colored eyes. “Shh, I’m okay now. I’m sorry.”
Guinevere walked up next to them while Arthur stood over the still coughing vampire girl. Her companions tried to help her up, but Arthur snarled, “Stay down, Melpomene. David, take them to their rooms. I will deal with our other guests. The rest of you are dismissed.”
The servants and other guests quickly fled into the castle, away from Arthur’s wrath, but David knew his brothers stayed. They might not have known what happened, but they knew him well enough to know he wouldn’t react so violently with a woman unless she presented some sort of threat to Jane.
He noticed the wives urging them to leave, and he finally looked away from Jane. He made eye contact with Gawain, then Jason. David nearly punched him in the face because he’d seen how Jason immediately admired the women when he got out of the van.
He growled but silenced himself when Nathan squeezed his neck.
“David?” Gareth called.
He shook his head. “Later.” He knew they’d understand he was too pissed, and given the child in his arms and Jane looking like she was about to fall apart, he needed to control himself.
“Call if you need us,” Gareth said before he turned away with a gesture for the others to follow.
David watched them retreat before looking back to Jane. She was far too upset to be left alone. She needed him, and he was just about done with holding back with her.
He met Jason’s stare and used all his control to keep his face blank. The bastard had the nerve to glare at him for being close to her when he had been observing another woman right beside her. It probably devastated Jane even though she’d been close to him and Death many times.
The point was she’d made her decision to stay with her husband, and he was disrespecting her when she needed his support the most.
David debated his options. He had said he would stay back, but he had also promised to step in if she needed him. He wasn’t going to just sit back and watch her revert to a shell of a person, and he’d already seen her shutting off since she’d chosen to stay with Jason. She was putting all her happiness aside for this man and her kids, and it was destroying her.
He shook his head and turned back to Jane. She was staring straight at his chest now, looking utterly lost. David tilted her face up. Her normally warm cheeks were like ice, and it was like she didn’t even see him. It reminded David of the time she’d shut off before and how she’d direct her gaze right over his shoulder. She was trapped in her head, but he could tell she wasn’t numb this time. No, this time she was seeing too much.
David made his choice.
He looked back at Jason, and after letting go of her face, he grabbed her hand. “Come on, sweetheart.” He glanced back at Jane. “Let’s get you inside, and we will all have dinner.”
Jason took a step toward him, fury etched across his face, but David wasn’t having it. He gave him the fiercest glare he had ever given a person before, daring the bastard to try him. He was done with this man’s self-righteousness. Jane came first.
Jason stopped approaching, but David didn’t waste any more time on him.
As David tore his glare from Jason, he smiled down at Jane even though she wasn’t very responsive. He squeezed her hand. “Come on, baby.”
Jane blinked, and he almost kissed her for showing some life at his voice. He knew she liked when he called her baby; she blushed every time. Of course he wasn’t going to make matters worse by kissing her, so he tugged her hand, smiling when she focused on him. He just had to keep her from slipping into that darkness.
Gawain, who still carried Natalie, came up next to him. “I did warn you.”
David shook his head because he knew Gawain was referring to a conversation they had about the women not taking kindly to Jane. “Well, I did not see you or Elle stepping in, so . . .”
Gawain grinned. “I shall vanquish the next wicked witch.” He tickled Natalie, who looked worriedly at her mom. “No witches, right, Natalie?”
David smiled when the little girl laughed, and he turned to Nathan. “Are you okay, little man?”
Nathan hugged him and pointed to Jane.
David squeezed Jane’s hand. “I will take care of her. I promise.”
Jane slowly took in the interior of the castle. The marble floors sparkled and the gilded portraits were stunning—she would have guessed every piece of furniture was either centuries old or worth more than anything she’d ever purchased. It was amazing. She should have been in awe, but she was stuck in misery because of the memories that refused to leave her in peace. They seemed amplified now, and she couldn’t stop herself from feeling like the most pathetic person in the world.
She shivered, but the warmth in her hand pushed the chill and a tiny bit of her sadness away. A small smile tugged at her mouth as she watched David rub his thumb over her knuckles, and she glanced up at him. He looked absolutely adorable with Nathan wrapped around him. He seemed to sense her stare and glanced down.
He quickly scanned her face before searching her eyes. “Are you okay?”
“I’m fine.” She was tired of everyone, especially David, getting hurt because of her mere existence. Sure, her memories were almost crippling, but she reminded herself this was simply how she was. Her horrible memories would never go away, and it made her hate herself because she couldn’t get used to it.
David sighed. “You are not fine, but I will be by your side anyway.”
He really was the best man she’d ever met.
“Thank you,” she whispered, leaning her head against his arm for just a second.
“Always, sweetheart.” He squeezed her hand. “Do you like the castle?”
“It’s beautiful,” she murmured as they passed a painting of some battle, and she smiled softly when she recognized the knights along with David in it.
“I will give you a tour tomorrow,” he said. “Right now, I wonder what you might like to feed the children?”
“Pizza!” Nathan said as he lifted his head from David’s shoulder.
David laughed while Jane shook her head.
“No, Nathan. I don’t think we can have pizza.”
“Pizza,” Nathan repeated.
Jane opened her mouth, but David spoke up. “We can get him some, Jane. If that’s okay with you, of course.”
She almost laughed at David and Nathan’s similar expressions, especially when she caught the same hopeful look on Gawain’s face when he peeked around David.
She sighed and asked, “Are you sure? I mean, do you have any?”
“Sweetheart, we are in Canada, not on the Moon,” David said. “If he wants pizza, the kitchen can prepare him one. It’s not a big deal, and I am sure the rest of us would like some too. So is that okay?”
The cuteness of the entire situation shattered any chance of protest she might give over requesting pizza at Camelot. She actually struggled to not lean into him for the warmth and love he showered her with.
“Fine. As long as it’s no trouble.”
All three boys’ faces lit up and she let out a small chuckle; it was so easy to please them.
Jane glanced at Natalie and smiled, but when she saw the confusion on her little face, Jane’s smile fell. Natalie’s gaze was focused on her and David’s hands.
Jane’s chest throbbed, but she buri
ed the pain as she studied her and David’s hands again. His heat called to her. It begged for her to tighten her grip and let his arms wrap around her—to let him love and protect her.
You’re married. You’re horrible.
Her eyes burned from the sudden thoughts. Why did she always let this happen? She and David could never be, so why enjoy it at all? She admitted she made a mistake by choosing Jason, but Natalie’s reaction was exactly why she chose him. Natalie and Nathan wanted their mom and dad. David wasn’t their father. It didn’t matter if Jane was miserable; her kids needed her to suck it up and be a decent mom.
No part of her wanted to let go of him, but she pulled her hand out of David’s. She felt him watching her, and she felt Jason’s stare aimed at her back. It was a shitty situation, but she had promised Jason she would stay with him and not plaster herself to David.
If Jason looked at other women like he had done outside, she had to deal with it. Men looked at women. Hell, she ogled David and Death countless times. It wasn’t like she didn’t already know Jason liked other women over her. She just didn’t want to see it, especially with witnesses. It was too painful of a reminder that she wasn’t enough for her husband. She’d never be enough for any man. She’d never be happy.
No one said anything as they trudged up the stairs, but she repeatedly felt David’s stare. It was as if someone was shining a light on her every few seconds whenever he glanced at her. She knew he was giving her a chance to come back to him—giving her the chance to choose him, but she told herself to be strong because Natalie and Nathan deserved a family. She had to give them that.
Still, the heat from David’s body threatened to pull her back, but she shifted away from him. There was no need to burden him. She had made her decision to try and put everything inside and keep it there.
“Jane?” Gawain called.
She wiped all panic of losing David from her face. “Yes?”
“Do you think we can have pepperoni?”
David shot a glare at him while Gawain’s wife gave him a questioning look. Gawain kept his smile in place, though.
Jane had honestly forgotten about the pizza, but she was glad the insignificant question pulled her from the negative thoughts running through her head.
“Pepperoni is Nathan’s favorite,” she said with a forced smile.
Gawain grinned over at her son. “Good man, Nathan.”
She was about to say something, but David suddenly stopped in front of a door.
He pointed to it. “This is where Jason and the kids will stay.” He pointed to the door farther down the hall. “That’s my room.” He then waved his hand toward another door, opposite his, and added, “That will be yours.”
Jane stared at the last door he pointed to for a moment. She thought the cream-colored door was such a pretty door. On the outside. It could be a total mess on the inside, though. And no one would know what was hidden on the inside—just like her.
It was just as alone as she was with no other doors to share a wall with her. David and her family’s doors were on the other side of a narrow hall—they wouldn’t know what was going on with her. She would be there, silent and hidden, behind a pretty door—broken—because her heart couldn’t come inside.
“It is an agreeable room, Jane,” David whispered as she tried not to cry. “I’ll take you there after we eat and help you settle in.”
Jane didn’t want her sorrow to show. She could be like the door—pretty on the outside. As long as the outside was pleasant, no one would know or care what happened inside.
So, with a bright smile in place, she looked up at him. He instantly surprised her by letting go of the doorknob he was holding to cup her cheek.
She wanted to sigh and lean into his warm hand, but she didn’t.
David let out a frustrated breath and caressed her jaw. “I will always be right here. You’re not alone, Jane.”
Despite her internal suffering, she smiled again. “I know.”
It must’ve been believable, because David let go and turned back to open the door to her family’s room.
The room was lovely. And huge. It looked more like a medium-sized apartment than the guest room she’d been expecting.
She entered and walked around. There was an actual living area inside the room with a sofa, two oversized armchairs, and a large TV on the wall. There was a kitchen with a dining room, too.
“There are two rooms,” David said as he pointed to the door behind him. “This one is the main room, and this one”—he pointed to the door behind her—“Nathan and Natalie can share. We can add anything that will make them more comfortable. I know we lost a lot of your items when we left Texas, but I am sure we can gather some toys.”
Jane glanced over at Jason. She hadn’t wanted to look at him since the incident outside. Of course there was no way Jason could have heard what was said by the blond woman, but it was David who stood up for her, not her husband. No, he had been too busy staring at the bitch.
She shook her head as she met Jason’s gaze briefly. Her emotions were all over the place. One moment she was sad, the next, she was lonely—then she was ready to tear Jason’s head off.
“Do you like it, Jane?” Jason asked.
She ignored him because she was afraid she’d yell at him. So, she walked to the room David had pointed out as the kids’ room. It was perfect for them. There were two twin size beds with a small side table between them.
As she breathed out her frustration, she stepped in and tried to imagine Natalie and Nathan sleeping in there. Without her.
Her vision blurred for the tiniest moment as she trailed her fingers over the dresser. She felt so out of control. However, watching David holding on to Nathan’s hands as he and Natalie bounced on their beds, the chaos calmed a little.
“I think he chose this one.” David smiled. He hesitated as he watched her but then pointed to the door behind her. “That is a closet, and over there is the bath. Jason’s room is set up similarly.”
Jane quickly avoided his stare and went to the door he pointed at last. She didn’t want him to see how much this broke her. It was fantastic that they were gifted with such wonderful accommodations, but she was dying inside because she was still losing everyone.
She stood in the bathroom. It was pretty, too. The elegant claw-foot tub and matching sink looked right out of a magazine, but she hated bathrooms.
Still, she stood there because it kept David and anyone else from witnessing the devastation she knew showed on her face.
“I have just asked the kitchen to prepare pizza for everyone.” Guinevere’s voice carried to her from within the room. “The staff will bring up your belongings. I was informed most of your personal items were left behind, so I will have someone gather a few things until you can make a list of what you might require.”
Jane walked back out and sat on the bed next to Nathan. He touched her face, and she pulled him into a hug without saying a word. He calmed her down somewhat. The fact they seemed to like the room helped as well. It was probably a comfort for Nathan since it resembled the setup he had back home. Since the plague, he had struggled to get used to sleeping in the living room, and now he had a real room with a proper bed.
Jane was smoothing his hair down when David came closer.
He brushed her cheek with his fingers. “Do you need to get away for a bit?”
“No,” she said quickly. “Thank you for the room. He likes it.”
David watched her for a while longer but nodded. “Tell me if you need to go. I want to talk to you about what happened down there, as well.”
Jane didn’t want to talk about it, but she nodded, turning when Gawain approached them.
“Jane, this is my wife, Ragnelle,” he said with a smile she’d never seen on his face before.
Jane could understand his delight; the woman was breathtaking. Her wavy blond hair fell around her heart-shaped face, and her baby-blue eyes shone with happiness. It made Jane immediately self-
conscious again, but she smiled up at the curvy blonde and received a kind smile in return.
Jane held out her hand to her. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Ragnelle.”
The woman beamed and shook Jane’s hand. “Thank you, you as well. And please, call me Elle.” Ragnelle moved back to Gawain’s side. “I have never seen my husband look at another woman so adoringly. He’s behaving as though you are his long-lost sister. You have truly claimed all their hearts.”
Gawain scowled at his wife. “Elle, stop. You’re embarrassing me.”
David chuckled and shook his head. “No. You are just an idiot.”
Gawain turned to Jane with an exaggerated pout. “Jane does not think me an idiot. Do you, Jane? Tell my wife it was me who taught you all you know about fighting. David had nothing to do with your extraordinary talent. No fool could be the one responsible for her greatness.” Gawain winked at Jane before he addressed his wife again. “You should have seen her, my dear. She has all the makings of a great knight.”
Arthur walked in behind him and smacked the back of Gawain’s head. “Her talent in battle is her own. You are still a buffoon. None of us understand why she likes you. We just assumed she has a heart of gold.”
Jane chuckled. She did not accept any of their praise and realized Arthur knew this when he gave her a disappointed look, but she emptied her thoughts and smiled.
Arthur sighed and walked around Gawain. “Jane, I apologize for what happened downstairs.” She tried to tell him to stop, but he continued anyway. “No, Jane. She should not have said those things, and they are false. You mean so very much to us all, my dear girl. Do not let her make you think otherwise. Melody is an awful person with a tainted soul. I only keep her here out of obligation to her father, and to monitor her. I have made it clear her behavior will not be tolerated again.” He touched her cheek. “She is not permitted to David’s wing of the castle. I believe he has made that clear to her in the past.”
“It’s fine,” she said, not wanting to talk about this.