Scarred Horizon (Scarred Series Book 4)

by Jackie Williams

  Amy ruffled his hair.

  “Whatever it is, the baby is going to be far too small to play games or to see frogs for a while. You forget how big you are already.”

  Robbie looked up at her with wide eyes. He looked a little sad as he nodded wisely and sighed dramatically.

  “I suppose I am getting a bit old now. I’m eight. There’s a girl at my school who says she’s going to marry me. We’re too young at the moment but when I am old enough I’m going to do it all different to you lot,” he took Amy’s hand and smiled up at her. “Trust the adults to get it all wrong all the time. When you and Paul get married and start having babies, you make sure you have the boy ones all together. It’s not fair otherwise.”

  Amy laughed and glanced back through the wide doors into the hall. Her cheeks flushed as she caught sight of Paul but he was deeply engrossed in a conversation with Patrick and didn’t he look up as Patrick suddenly lifted his head and glanced back in her direction. Amy couldn’t help the unease that fluttered in her heart. Something was badly wrong, she knew it but she couldn’t speak to him yet. They needed to find Samadi and nothing was going to stop Patrick and the others from doing that, not even Amy’s breaking heart.

  Ellen came out onto the terrace with a glass of wine for Amy and a mug of hot chocolate for Robbie.

  “Bed time soon young man. Your papa is on his way home. Gemma and James have just picked him up from the hospital. He’s going to come and tuck you in. Mama is staying in hospital just for the night. Nothing is wrong but the doctors want to make sure she is okay.” She sat down and watched as Robbie downed his bedtime drink and then ran back to Lucy who was waiting for him by the château doors. Ellen looked over at Amy. “Are you really feeling okay? It was a dreadful experience for you too. I don’t want you to think we aren’t making a fuss of you.”

  Amy shook her head and took a sip of the wine. It was deliciously cool and soothed her frayed nerves.

  “Honestly, I am fine. I think I had too much to do to take much notice of the situation really. I was far more worried about Geraldine and the baby though I confess that when I heard all that noise as they bashed down the wall, I was more than a little relieved. I don’t want to think about the possible consequences if Paul hadn’t walked into the wall. It must be the only time that I can say I’m glad he’s blind. No one else would have been any the wiser if he hadn’t.” She gave a long shudder and drank another mouthful of the wine.

  Ellen sat quietly for a moment and then she followed Amy’s gaze. It was back on Paul who still wasn’t making any move to find her.

  “Why did you leave him?” She asked quietly. “I thought you were in love with him.”

  Amy’s head shot back to Ellen.

  “What do you mean? I didn’t leave him. I was going to go back to England to sort out my job reference and the judge’s report but I was hoping to get that done quickly and be back here by the weekend. Pity, I missed my flight this evening and now I won’t be able to sort it out until next week because that blasted judge only accepts appointments on Wednesday afternoons and Thursday mornings. I’ll have to reschedule my flights… though by the way Paul is acting now I’m beginning to wonder if I should bother. He hasn’t even looked at me since you found us,” her voice hitched and she fought back useless tears.

  Ellen slumped in her chair.

  “I think you two need to have a talk. He thought you were leaving him. We all did. Your phone message wasn’t very clear.”

  Amy snorted into her wine.

  “I don’t see how much clearer I could have made it. I told him I was catching today’s flight and I’d be back by Friday night. I also said that I knew that he wouldn’t want me to go so I was sneaking off so he couldn’t try to keep me with him or attempt to come too. If that judge decides to lock Paul up he still can whatever my report says. I thought it best if he stays here and keeps out of the judge’s way.”

  Ellen let out a low laugh.

  “I knew there was a misunderstanding. Your message was too long for his voice mailing service. We only heard the bit where you said that you were leaving and you thought it best if he didn’t know. Then the message cut off just after you said that you thought it was best to leave while he wasn’t around. I thought he was going to have a breakdown of some sort. You’ll have to sort it out with him. He thinks that you don’t want him.”

  Amy let out a small cry of horror.

  “How could he ever think that? I was only going back for a few days. Apart from the judge and my job I need to sort out about letting out my flat and booking storage services until I know where I am going to live here. I know I don’t have much contact with my mother but I still have to go and see her too. I had to go home for myself as much as Paul and I still need to go but I was never going to leave him. I love him,” her voice rose in panic.

  Ellen gave a deep sigh.

  “That’s one of the failings of messaging services. There’s never enough time to say what you want before it all cuts out on you. He’s never going to be convinced that you were coming back unless we can get the whole of your message onto his voice mail.”

  Amy pushed up out of her chair to go to him immediately but there was a sudden squeal of tyres on the driveway as the marines arrived back at the château . They piled out of the car and ran straight into the château .

  Patrick, Paul and Joe met them on the steps and Amy and Ellen listened as Mick started making their report.

  “The French national police took him. They told us some of what happened and gave us his initial statement. The guy was petrified. He’d helped Geraldine down into the basement because it was just about the only clean area in the place. He didn’t know that Samadi had anything planned. He’d only met him at the train station as he arrived in France and Samadi told him that he knew where they could get work. He didn’t know what the hell was going on and was panicked when Amy collapsed from the drugged tea but it was only when Geraldine keeled over too that he realized that something was seriously amiss. As soon as he grasped what his mate was going to do he took off in Geraldine’s car. Amy had given him the keys and asked him to go and call David or an ambulance from town but when they both passed out he was freaked and ran. He reckoned it would take him about seven or eight hours to get out of France and he thought the women would be fine until he was well out of the way. He was going to call us with the info as soon as he was out of France.” Mick sucked in a breath and then carried on. “I guess I believe the man. The police say he was heading straight up the motorway and he didn’t look like he was going to stop anywhere until he had crossed the border into Belgium.”

  Paul frowned deeply.

  “So where’s Samadi then. I want that bastard caught,” he growled. Amy’s heart gave a lurch of relief. He may not be showing it to her but he obviously cared about her. Paul carried on. “Geraldine could have been in all sorts of trouble. She or the baby could have died! If they had come to any harm it would have been murder. Amy shouldn’t have even been over here. I didn’t need her to babysit me in the first place. If she hadn’t come then that bastard wouldn’t have taken Geraldine too.”

  Amy blanched at his vehemence. Did he really think that it was her fault? Tears leaked from her eyes and she dashed them away with her hand. She looked down as she felt Ellen clasp her forearm but shook her hand away. She couldn’t bear the sympathy. Amy placed her glass of wine back on the table and turned away from the hall.

  “I’ll come back when it’s quieter. He’ll never listen to reason at the moment. I’m just going to take a short walk around the château . It’s a beautiful night and it will calm me down before I have to face the stubborn fool,” she whispered more to herself than anyone else.

  There was more crunching on the gravel behind her as another car with a grinning David and two more occupants arrived. Amy quickly moved away from the doors. She didn’t recognize these new people and she just wasn’t up to meeting anyone else. So long as Geraldine and her baby were safe, ev
erything else could wait. She walked quickly around to the corner tower and gave a brief glance back to the front of the château as she suddenly heard car doors slamming and the whoops of joy as the friends all reunited.

  Paul stood back from the crowd. He wanted to be part of the celebration to welcome Gemma and James but his heart just wasn’t in it. Right at that moment it felt as though he didn’t have a heart at all. His body felt hollow and he rubbed the skin on his chest through his shirt as his stomach rolled into knots. He hadn’t heard Amy’s voice in the last hour and he was missing it. Badly.

  He knew that Ellen had taken a glass of wine out to the courtyard for her but she wasn’t there now. The gentle perfume that had delighted his nose for weeks was long gone and he was missing it more than he wanted to admit but he couldn’t give in now. If he let her back into his heart he knew it would only be torn from him when she left again. That she was here now wasn’t the issue. She had been about to leave him. Just because she had been sealed in a room and missed her flight didn’t change that insurmountable fact.

  He turned back into the entrance hall and nearly fell as he stumbled over a carelessly dropped bag. He straightened up shuddered as someone grabbed hold of his arm to steady him.

  Mick frowned at Paul’s furious scowl.

  “Sorry man, I only wanted to help,” he took as step back from the clearly angry man in front of him.

  Paul took a deep breath and held his temper. If everyone had just chucked their bags around the hall he was going to be in trouble without either his cane or some help.

  “It’s okay. I’m just used to the place being clear. Most people make sure they don’t leave anything lying about but what with all the commotion of the evening I think they’ve forgotten,” he grumbled as he moved his foot slowly across the floor.

  Mick turned as a woman’s voice spoke behind him.

  “Nah, I think they did it deliberately so you couldn’t get away from me. Do you really think I’ve forgotten about that rent you owe me?” Gemma caught hold of Paul and hugged him around his waist.

  Paul’s cheeks flushed bright red as he gave his friend a squeeze back.

  “Hey, Gemma! I will pay you back. I just need to start my new job.” He tried to sound pleased to see her but he failed miserably.

  She slapped him playfully on his arm.

  “Idiot, I don’t want the money back. I would have asked for it ages ago if I had needed it. Why are you hiding back here anyway? James wants to see you too you know.” She began pulling him back towards the front doors but Paul stood firm and wouldn’t move. “What’s the matter with you?” She gave him another small tug just as Joe walked into the hall.

  “He thinks his girlfriend left him, but she didn’t and she’s still around here somewhere. He won’t listen to her and he doesn’t want to chance seeing her just in case he’s proved wrong and has to eat humble pie.” Joe slapped a huge kiss on Gemma’s cheek.

  Gemma grinned wildly.

  “Girlfriend? Woo, tell me more. What lucky woman caught you at last and was then foolish enough to let you go again,” she crooned up at Paul.

  Paul frowned so deeply Joe began to laugh as he explained further.

  “Ha! He had some message from Amy saying she was going back to England but it cut off before she finished speaking. The fool thinks she’s left him and he’s too stubborn to go and talk to Amy to find out what the rest of the message said,” Joe explained.

  Gemma touched Paul’s arm again.

  “Is this the Amy that was missing with Geraldine, the one who called me about that assault charge? She sounded really lovely and she was genuinely concerned about you.”

  Paul ground his teeth as he tried to keep his cool.

  “Look, she was leaving. She had a flight booked and everything. Just because she missed the damned flight doesn’t mean she wouldn’t have gone if she could. Listen to the blasted message if you don’t believe me.” He thrust his phone towards Gemma who took it and scrolled through to his messages.

  Gemma turned on the speakerphone and the hall fell silent as everyone listened. Paul held out his hand for the phone as Amy’s voice cut off but the air moved around him as someone else grabbed it first.

  “Why don’t you change the length of message time, then you can hear all of it.” James started tapping keys on the phone. “No one ever bothers changing the default settings but you can if you want. All phone messages are set at 20 seconds but that doesn’t stop the message, only what you hear. Listen now.” He thrust the phone back into Paul’s shaking hand.

  Paul, I’m going home tonight. I’m taking the five o’clock flight from Brest. I know that you will be upset but I need to do this as soon as possible. I thought it best if I go while you are busy at work. If I hang around to see you, you will try to persuade me to change my mind and I can’t. It’s going to take me some time to get the papers signed by the judge and then I have an appointment with my office tomorrow afternoon. I’m putting my flat on the rental market too so I have an estate agent appointment too. I’m going to sort out some storage for my furniture and things until we know where we are going to live. I’ve booked a ferry crossing for me and my car for Friday so I’ll see you at about seven in the evening. Ask Patrick to cook something good for us and we’ll celebrate me coming home. I love you Paul. See you Friday.

  There was more silence in the hall and then Joe laughed at Paul’s stricken expression.

  “Hmm, I wonder if Amy was expecting such an overwhelming reaction. John, I think you may be in luck, it doesn’t look as though Paul is interested…” He stopped mid-sentence as Paul growled out.

  “No, no one is ever going to get lucky except me. Amy’s mine. I love her.” He drew in a deep breath as his confession echoed around the hall.

  Ellen walked up to him.

  “Yes, well, maybe you had best go and tell her that. You’ve not spoken a word to her since finding her in that cell with Geraldine. She could have been traumatized and you acted like you didn’t care one bit for her. And don’t go without your cane, you stubborn idiot,” she grabbed hold of his arm and forced the extending stick into his hand. “Amy’s walking around the château to get some air and you’re going to need this if you would rather stay on your feet more than your backside.”

  Paul took the proffered cane grudgingly vowing to snap the damned thing in half the minute they could guarantee that he wouldn’t fall arse over anything. He swung the stick out in front of him and everyone moved back as he strode purposefully from the hall.

  Amy sat on a fallen log and stared back at the huge château wondering if she would ever get the chance to live anywhere so beautiful. The pale stone glowed in the moonlight and shadows climbed its walls as the evening became night. It truly was the most beautiful place and she knew exactly why Ellen had people on waiting lists to come and stay there.

  She sighed as she waited, hoping that all the visitors would soon settle down. The night was cooler and the chilling air took the last of her energy. It was becoming late and she was beyond tired. She couldn’t suppress the yawn that made her jaw click as her mouth opened wider that it should go but her teeth snapped shut as she heard a sharp crack behind her.

  She spun around to see what animal lurked in the forest gloom and her eyes opened wide as an animal the size of a bear suddenly reared up and lunged towards her.

  She screamed but the sound suddenly cut off as the bear revealed its true identity. The workman from the château reached out a long arm and fastened his hand around her throat. His fingers squeezed tighter as she struggled against the hard wall of his chest and the smell of rank tobacco assaulted her nose as he breathed deeply over her.

  “Now I have you and this time you will not get away,” his soft voice and perfect if heavily accented English surprised her but she already knew that the man was deadly.

  In desperation she lifted her knee sharply. His hand loosened a fraction and he drew in a sharp breath as her leg met the soft flesh between his th
ighs. More foul breath invaded her senses as she gulped in a lungful of air and she renewed her fight for freedom but then it seemed that he had had enough of her struggles. He took his hand from her neck and brought it down sharply in the hollow between her neck and shoulder.

  It was as if a paralysis had hit her. Her knees gave way as her body collapsed under its own weight and the man caught her beneath her arms before she could hit the ground. He lugged her backwards as she fought to remain conscious but the world was spinning wildly out of control and she began panicking as she wondered if she would see the man she loved ever again.

  Paul stopped dead on the path around the château . Her cut off scream wasn’t the full blown shriek that he was used to but he’d know the sound of her voice anywhere. He was about to yell out to her when he heard some gruff mumbling and the scuffling of leaves in the dirt.

  He had no idea what was going on but Amy was definitely not on her own and the person with her did not sound friendly at all. He crept closer to the fracas and suddenly stood up straight as the sound of the man’s voice became clear.

  Utter fury swept through his whole body as he recognized the heavily accented English in a split second. His first thought was to leap on the man, put his hands around his neck and then squeeze tightly but rational thought took over. This fiend was a killer and although under normal circumstances so was Paul, these were nowhere near normal circumstances.

  Amy was clearly holding her own for the moment and Paul spun round and ran with his cane sweeping wildly back and forth across the path in front of him. He turned the corner to the front of the château and took the huge stone steps two at a time before pounded through the doors as he prayed to God and all his angels that Patrick, Joe and the marines were still there.

  Happy chatter greeted his ears as the doors swung open and he yelled to whoever was there.