A sound touched her ear, a whisper of her name, and she followed it slowly. It led to an office, growing stronger as she made her way there. She pushed the door in, her eyes easily adjusting to the dark, and almost collapsed in relief.
Étienne was alive.
Chapter Eighteen
Leon and Armand arrived at Patrick Ryder’s Savannah plantation a few hours after dawn. After Armand had located Ryder’s address, they’d taken one of his closed carriages and set out. Leon had wanted to take individual horses as they were faster but Armand had pointed out that they would need something that allowed for secrecy if they were to remove Penny.
Before the carriage could turn down the long drive to the medium-sized plantation, the scent accosted him.
Death.
Leon realized it was Ryder, and felt anger roll through his body at being denied the opportunity to torture the man. Instead of dwelling on it, he sniffed again, searching out his mate’s scent. It was there but very faint, as if she’d left recently.
“Who’s dying?” Armand asked curiously, his face bunching at the offending scent.
“Ryder.”
“Étienne’s scent is faded.”
“They must have left recently.” Which meant they couldn’t have gone far. Again, Leon tried his mental connection to his mate, something that had not worked, either because of her drugged state or their distance from each other.
Penny?
When there was no response, he tried again. Penny, where are you?
Leon was about to cut the connection when her thoughts rushed him. Fear, anxiety, hope all flowed his way. She was moving with Étienne. They were staying hidden. Somewhere.
Penny?
Leon! Leon, we’re in Georgia somewhere. Étienne’s hurt. He’s pretty bad. And I can’t get him food or water because I’m—
She didn’t have to finish. She was colored. A snarl curled his lips up. His mate would be turned away from any white establishment because of her skin color, unless she had a note from her master.
Where did you go when you left Ryder’s plantation?
We left through the back and moved through the woods. I wanted to get as far away as possible.
Tell me what’s around you. What can you see?
We’re in a cluster of bushes. I couldn’t find anything else. I can see stores. Marshall’s and Company? Richter’s Blacksmiths?
Leon repeated the names to Armand, whose eyes lit up as he began nodding.
“I know where they are.”
A scream split the air and Leon looked back to the plantation. It was followed by another, and then another. Someone had found Ryder. Within moments, he could hear harsh whispers coming from the room that housed the dying man. Slaves, from the dialect they used. Sorely tempted to enter the house and see to the man’s death himself, Leon resisted. The smell of death was high, which meant Patrick Ryder had minutes, perhaps less, before his heart stopped.
Don’t move, ma louve. We’re coming for you.
Armand had already turned the carriage, and the horses were moving off in the direction from which they’d come.
***
Penny looked down at Étienne, who lay prone on the ground next to her. He was pale and drawn, and still bleeding. Even the clothing she’d stolen for him could not hide the dark stain of blood on his trousers.
“Étienne,” she murmured softly, wiping the sweat from his brow. When they’d left Ryder’s plantation, the sun had been rising. As they’d traveled, the heat had not been great. The sun hadn’t attained its peak. But now, close to midday, the sun’s unbearable rays beat down against them, even hidden as they were among these short bushes.
He did not respond, but she’d expected it. Étienne had stopped responding hours ago. Even as he’d held on to her, and she’d practically dragged him, he’d been silent.
His lips were chapped worse than hers, something she attributed to his blood loss. Dehydration was more severe for him. His heart worked slowly, but the beat was there. If she could just get some water.
Pushing up slowly, she eyed the store across the way. A dark-skinned girl wearing rags stood before it. Next to her was a bucket of water, no doubt for cleaning. As desperate as she was, Penny was tempted to leave her semi-secure hiding place and go over to the girl. She could live with her dehydration until Leon arrived, but Étienne needed water. Even if she were just to douse his head and face, he needed some form of liquid.
Realizing her plan was too risky, she was about to lie back down when the girl suddenly looked directly at her. Penny saw her eyes narrow, then widen. She then froze.
The owner of the store stepped out and Penny dropped down, hoping that she hadn’t been spotted.
Leon. Hurry.
She hoped he was close. Through the leaves, she watched as the white man pointed in her direction. Heart in her throat, she saw the girl walk over to her, bucket in hand.
When the girl stopped, only feet away, she began emptying the water in the bushes next to where Penny and Étienne lay.
“Please. Over here,” Penny said softly.
The girl did not respond, but she carefully began dousing them with water. Penny covered Étienne’s nose and mouth with her hands as the cool water washed over them. It was a great relief from the stifling heat.
“Thank you.”
Once more, the girl did not respond. She turned and headed back to the store.
***
From the moment he entered the town square, Leon knew where she was. Although the heat was making it difficult to pinpoint anything, her scent was in a cluster of bushes on the left side. Armand pulled the carriage beside the bushes and Leon jumped down directly as she pushed Étienne up. His heart sank as he took in his brother’s condition, but he quickly lifted him into the carriage. Penny came up next, and he barely resisted the urge to hold her steady and check her from head to toe as he quickly deposited her in the seat. Within moments, he was inside himself and Armand was directing the horses to move.
Penny threw herself at him as soon as the carriage door closed. Leon gripped her tightly, nuzzling her cheek and neck, before pressing a kiss to her lips. He suddenly pushed her back.
His nostrils flared and he looked down at her clothing. Men’s clothing.
“Leon, I—”
“These belong to Ryder.” It wasn’t a question.
“I took them,” she said softly, deciding now was not the time to explain the circumstances behind it.
“His scent is all over you.”
At that moment, Étienne moaned. Leon released her though his eyes clearly said the conversation was not over.
“Étienne?” he asked, pulling his brother up and slipping his hand under his head. “When was the last time you ate?”
The question was directed at her.
“Before I left with Étienne.” Her stomach growled.
“Same with him?”
“I think so.”
“Armand,” he called, raising his voice a bit. “We need meat and water now.”
In minutes, the carriage had stopped moving. Moments after, the door opened and Armand presented them with large cuts of smoked beef and ham.
Leon handed them to her first, and although her stomach almost crawled out of her mouth to get it, she shook her head.
“Give it to Étienne. He needs it more.”
“Eat, ma louve. This is for you.” Her confusion cleared up when Armand presented Leon with almost dripping slabs of beef.
She watched as Leon diced up one slab with his claw before placing the meat directly against Étienne’s lips. A little groan escaped as the weaker man tried to turn away but Leon wouldn’t let him. He held his brother’s head in place, keeping the meat there until finally, Étienne opened his mouth.
As Étienne chewed, Penny took her first bite of smoked beef, which tasted better than anything else she’d had in her lifetime. She ate quickly, watching the careful way in which Leon fed his brother. Every so often, he glanced at he
r to make sure she was eating as well.
At those times, she gave him a smile and nod, letting him know she was fine.
***
It took over an hour to arrive at Armand’s plantation and during that time, Étienne had eaten enough of the meat and drank enough milk to satisfy Leon. Though he still looked weak, his color had returned, and the wound in his leg was disappearing as the skin knitted back together. At the moment, Étienne was resting while Armand watched over him.
“Why do you smell of him?” Leon asked from his position against the wall of one of Armand’s guest rooms. He watched as Penny rubbed the wet, soapy cloth over her shoulders. In the sunlight streaming into the room, her skin and hair glistened with water from the bath.
He did not have to clarify the person to whom he referred. The look his mate gave him stated she understood.
“Penny,” he began, trying and failing to mesh his mind with hers once more. From the moment he’d smelled Ryder on her, she’d closed herself off to him. It only made him more suspicious. In a way, he dreaded what she would say. But he had to know. “I won’t blame you.” He paused and drew in a ragged breath, forcing himself to remain calm. “Do you understand me? I will never blame you—”
“I killed him.” Her voice was low and bland. She looked into the sudsy water around her. Her words had halted anything else he’d intended to say.
Penny sank further down into the tub. “I killed him, Leon.” She shuddered. “He deserved it, but I…I killed him.”
Long strides took him to her in seconds. Within the next, he was lifting her from the tub and wrapping her in a towel. Penny had once confided that she’d spooked Adam Thorn’s horse, in turn leading to the man’s death, but she’d never killed someone in a premeditated state.
Leon enfolded her in his arms. “You’re right, ma louve. He deserved it.” Kissing her forehead, he tightened his grip and continued, “But taking a life is never easy. I would have spared you that if I could.”
She nodded jerkily against him. Silence filled the air between them before she spoke once more. “I don’t regret killing him. He killed my parents, and he would have hurt me. Étienne too.”
“Did he touch you?” Even as his voice came out soft, Leon fumed. Was that why she smelled of him? Had Ryder tried to rape her? He knew the bastard hadn’t succeeded because the bath had fully washed Ryder’s stench from her, which meant it had only been in the clothes. If the bath hadn’t, Leon wasn’t sure what he would have done.
“He tried,” she said softly, pulling back a bit to look into his eyes. What she saw made her eyes widen, and Leon drew a deep breath, and willed himself to be calm.
“Leon?”
His lips brushed her forehead again. “I’m not angry with you. Please continue.”
She swallowed and in soft words, conveyed to him what had happened between her and Patrick Ryder. He learned she’d awoken next to the bastard, that he’d touched her, tried to rape her, that she’d tricked him, bitten into his neck but not killed him, because she wanted him to suffer.
When she was finished, he released a deep breath, nodded, and kissed her. “Thank you for telling me.”
“I didn’t want you to think he…touched me.”
“I know he didn’t, and even if he had, I wouldn’t have blamed you.”
Her hands went about his neck and she pushed onto her toes, meshing her lips to his. As her tongue slid into his mouth, Leon gripped her hips through the towel.
“I love you,” she murmured softly.
He’d been hard for her the moment she’d stepped from the tub. Now with her lips, tongue, and words stimulating him, his shaft only grew thicker. She stepped back suddenly and the towel fell to the floor, revealing her high breasts with budded nipples, and the thatch of soft curls he enjoyed running his fingers through.
Her hands went to his trousers, undoing the buttons and freeing him. Leon moaned as she secured him in her fist, spanning her fingers as far as they could go around his girth. With her other hand, she began to undo the buttons of his shirt.
She released him to push the material from his shoulders. Leon stepped out of his boots and trousers, following after her as she moved backward with a soft smile on her face. He reached for her but she dodged to the other side of the room. Leon followed.
She was teasing him and in his state, he couldn’t say he enjoyed it. He’d gone six days without her, and to make matters worse, another man had touched her. A dead man, but still, his need to wipe away any past males from her was strong. He moved in, brushing against her mind so quickly she didn’t feel it until she found herself caught. He’d seen her next move, and stepped into her path. Leon carried her to the bed, placed her against the edge, and settled between her legs. His fingers probed her, finding her wet and slick, ready for him.
Bracing a hand against the bed, he pushed into her. As her tight channel engulfed his length, he groaned. He took her hard, needing to hear her scream his name, and uncaring of who else did. Penny was his, and like the animal he was, he wanted everyone who came near her to know. When she spasmed under him, her sheath clenching down against his shaft, he gripped her hips and pushed hard into her.
“Leon!” Her scream echoed through the room as his base slipped in.
As his orgasm began, Leon licked at her shoulder before sinking his teeth deep and locking her into place beneath him. Minutes later, when he could actually speak, Leon lifted slightly from her sweat-slicked body and looked into dazed but sated brown eyes.
“I love you, ma louve.”
***
“We’ll have to leave as soon as Étienne can travel.”
As Leon spoke, he looked to Armand, who stood next to him. They both stared down at a sleeping Étienne. Leon had left Penny in a similar state. The after-effects of having a drug in her system for such a long time and his relentless lovemaking had taken their toll on her.
“Penny said Étienne told her Ryder had company. A witch called Cronin.”
“A witch?” Like Leon, Armand was confused. Witches usually did not make it a habit of supporting humans. In fact, most witches, like other immortals, did not keep human company. Humans were considered inferior.
For that alone, Leon had already vowed to kill the witch. Once his mate was safely tucked away in Canada, or France. “Yes. Étienne mentioned that he was a plantation owner as well. Do you know him?”
Armand shook his head.
“I’m not sure why the witch is involved but I can’t risk Penny being here to find out. I need to get her away from this.”
“I understand,” Armand replied. “And the other slaves? The ones in Louisiana?”
“I can come back for them at a later date. My mate is my priority.” At the moment, everything else came second to getting Penny to safety. He’d come very close to losing her, and refused to be put in that position ever again.
His brother only nodded. “As soon as Étienne can travel, we’ll leave. I’ll make the arrangements.” He paused. “I think traveling by sea is the best way at the moment. It’s faster, and safer. Slave-catchers have been spotted along one of my most frequented routes.”
“I don’t care how we got there, once we get there safely.”
***
That night, Julia came to Armand. He hadn’t been sure she would, and had vowed to leave her alone if she didn’t. But she had.
She knocked briefly at his door before stepping into the room. It was dark, with no added moonlight, so she felt her way to his bed. Armand watched her, dreading what he would have to say.
“Armand?” she whispered softly, her weaker eyes trying and failing to locate him. He touched her hand and she gasped, jerking away before coming forward again.
When she was seated on the bed, he lightly touched her face before saying, “We have to leave soon.”
“To go north?”
“Yes.”
“But we’s gon’ wait for Jolie?”
He shook his head before sighing and saying,
“We can’t. Not anymore. We have to leave soon, Julia.”
She was shaking her head. In the dark, he could see the determination on her face.
“Please. She my sister. I can’t leave ’er. Bad thin’s happen if I leave ’er—”
Armand cupped her face. “I’ll come back for her. I promise.”
She shook her head. “No, you leave me too. Leave me, and I fin’ ’er and brin’ ’er.”
“Julia, listen to me,” he said firmly. “Nothing will happen to her and I will come back for her.”
He saw tears fall from her eyes. “She all I got. They sell my ma ’fore she even know her, try to sell ’er too but I ain’t let ’em. She all I got, Armand. Please. I do anythin’ for her.”
“I know,” he murmured, kissing her eyelids softly. “I promise you I’ll come back for her.”
He kissed her lips next.
“You swear?” she asked in a soft voice, her lips trembling under his.
He drew back before pulling her into his arms. “I swear.”
***
It took three days for Étienne to regain most of his strength, but by then, they were running against time. They could not stay any longer. The word around Georgia was that Patrick Ryder had been killed by a female slave, and the plantation owners were up in arms. They were looking for a runaway female, and the description matched Penny’s.
“Everything all right over there?” Armand called out to Étienne, who’d just finished locking the shackles, binding the last of the slaves. Eleven slaves. The original eleven—minus Julia, who was dressed in an expensive taffeta gown, wide-brimmed bonnet, and thin, white gloves—and Penny. In his haste to get to his mate, Leon had forgotten Penny’s papers. As such, Penny would be Julia for the trip, while Julia would be “Julianne Arnaud,” their French cousin. She was pale enough to pass, and they had no choice.
“Yeah!” Étienne called, his twang back now that he was up and moving. He walked to the front of the wagon he was driving and took his place.
Colorblind (Moonlight) Page 23