by K L Clare
There were hoots and howls of laughter.
“Long live the White Rose,” one table chanted.
“There have been attempts on her life, and there will be more. Protect her.” His last two words resonated above all sound.
Once more guests hailed, “Hear, hear!”
An adrenaline flush tingled through me. I was stunned. Will commanded the room, captivating everyone in the hall with his unassailable charm. These people wanted him to stand among them as their earl. I’d heard stories about how the British still celebrated nobility but had never realized to what degree.
Will made a show of placing a protective kiss on my forehead and winked. “Let’s eat,” he said, repositioning my chair.
Chairs scuffed wood, plates and silverware clanged, and the hall hummed with conversations again. Savory and sweet scents combined and created one delicious aroma. My empty stomach rumbled.
Someone called out Will’s name.
“Go on,” he called back, searching the room as he stuffed another piece of roast beef into his mouth and chewed.
A white-haired, hunched man raised a shaky hand to identify himself. “My wife and I wish to thank you, sir. Your family saved ours. Our cash and stolen items were returned.” It was Mr. Miller.
His son stood. “You have our support, sir.”
“God save the White Rose,” the older Mr. Miller added.
Will graciously bowed his head at the two men.
I squeezed Will’s thigh as I smiled at the Millers through the heat of another blush, receiving in return a devoted bend at the waist from each. Will captured my hand and raised it to his lips. The extravagant bracelet sparkled. As stunning as it was, it was no match for the scintillating light in his eyes at that moment.
“Now that’s a fucking piece of jewelry,” Thomas said. He flashed a complicit grin.
Mary narrowed her eyes and shook her head. “Must you boys always curse?” She patted my arm, and I caught the twinkle in her eye. “It’s quite perfect, dear. My son has flawless taste.”
All three of her sons leaned forward and eyed their mother as though she’d lost her mind. Swearing was part of who they were, a mannerism imparted by their father. I rarely used the word, but it never offended me when it came from their mouths. She dismissed their incredulity with a delicate flick of her wrist.
Will stood, threw back his whisky in one swallow, and pounded his glass onto the table. “Something on your mind, Mr. Green?” His voice rumbled through the hall. He’d sussed out dissent among the ranks, though the rest of us had missed it.
My heart accelerated. Its hammering dropped into my stomach, which lurched in nervous rebellion, recognizing that something dreadful was about to go down.
Thomas knew his brother well and understood the reason for his sudden outburst. He jumped to his feet and positioned himself behind me, receiving a curt nod of approval from Will.
“I won’t ask again.” Will removed his jacket and dropped his arms. His fists were balled. “Is there something on your fucking mind, Green?”
“Your reputation is indeed earned, I see,” Charles Green barked from a crowded table. “It’s quite clear you’re the seductive, barbarous hellion they say you are.” He took a deep pull from his whisky glass, rising to his feet.
“Maybe. Yet here you stand in my house. You drink my Scotch and seek whatever advantage you can gain. Go ahead—insult me. But know you straddle an important line of demarcation. Fall on the wrong side of that line by threatening what’s mine, and you’ll find out how barbarous this hellion can be.”
Chairs screeched across wood planks as Green’s three brothers got to their feet. The Six spread themselves around the perimeter of the hall. It grew quiet, and the air became still, laced with menace, contempt, and fear.
I held my breath, anxiety consuming me.
“Look at you. Uncompromising and sanctimonious. You’ll never maintain peace with the Crown. My family will no longer support your pact. One woman—” Charles Green pointed at me, slurring his words. “For the sake of many, let them have the last one. Find another for your pleasure.”
Will soon had the man’s throat in his hands. “You’re threatening her?” he asked in the collected manner I recognized as the unnatural calm before his lost control. Green’s face turned red as Will applied more pressure to his throat. “Since you’re so familiar with my reputation, you must know I won’t hesitate to retaliate when threatened.” Will’s nostrils flared, and the muscles in his face and jaw grew tighter.
I stared at Will. Intense blue eyes were overcome with rage—the storm was about to hit. He lifted Green from the floor, and the breathless man’s feet kicked at air. The sight, those flailing limbs, forced my brain from its lockdown, and I shouted at Thomas. “Do something. . . . Stop him!”
When Thomas and Ben sprang into action, crashing through tables and people to reach Will, so did Charles Green’s three brothers.
Other men shouted, women screamed. People raced for the door.
I cried out for Will, but he couldn’t hear me.
Thomas and Ben struggled, unable to convince him to release the dangling man whose face was blue from the lack of oxygen. Finally, Thomas wrapped his arms around Will’s throat from behind and dragged him backward.
My cries for Will only drew undesirable notice. Green’s brothers crept through the chaos and surrounded me. The youngest held a long barrel revolver at his side. His words rattled close to my ear. “You can’t be worth all this.”
If he pointed that gun at me, if he touched me, he was a dead man. Fear climbed up the back of my throat. I swallowed it. No one would die if I could talk him down. “Walk away now,” I urged. “You know this won’t end well for your family. Walk away while there’s still time.”
Another Green slithered closer, his stinking breath drifting into my face. “You’re right, it won’t. Not unless you make it so. Seems you have his number. He couldn’t stop himself from falling all over you.” His deep-set eyes moved up and down my body. “Can’t say I blame him.”
All three closed in tightly.
“Please. Let me go to him before he looks your way. If he—”
My name blasted from Will. It was too late. He was already moving across the hall, throwing things out of his way. Plates and glasses shattered. Chairs sailed through the air. His eyes were locked on Seth Green, the man stupid enough to come near me with a gun.
I don’t know why, but I stepped in front of Seth, shielding him for a moment from certain death. What I did was senseless.
He wrapped an arm around my waist, pressed the long barrel between my shoulder blades, and shouted, “Back off! I’ll end this. . . . I’ll kill her.”
Time stopped, I think. I couldn’t hear anything.
As Will cleared the distance between us, I locked into his flaming eyes. I was immobilized but sickly comforted by the rage and violence burning there. That rage and violence represented my life, and as long as it burned in Will, I would live.
“Six,” Thomas shouted. It was the single word that commanded the Six to me.
“Come to me,” Will shouted at the same time. His feet left the ground as he dove toward me.
Ben was on his heels, making a dive of his own.
Will’s heavy body took mine to the floor, though he’d twisted to keep from crushing me. Still, the air slammed violently from my lungs.
Ben’s arms wrapped around Seth, his considerable weight taking them both down, causing the wooden boards beneath us to kick back as they hit the floor next to Will and me. They wrestled for the gun.
The gunshot exploded in my ears, and my body jerked.
39
Crystals from a chandelier tinkled as they split into shards and rained down over us. The strength of Will’s arms increased, enveloping me tighter, increasing the depth of the security he provided.
From beneath Will’s arm, I saw Ben and Seth Green. Ben gripped the man’s chin with one hand and the top of his head with th
e other. Seth was still thrashing, fumbling for the gun. Ben wrenched the man’s head at an angle and snapped his neck, the sound of it horrifying, sickening.
I freaked out—I nestled my face deep into Will’s neck, clutching frantically at his shirt and skin, and sobbed. I choked on the metallic taste filling my mouth.
“I’ve got you, Elle. I won’t let go. Never let you go, baby,” Will said, purring the words to soothe me. He maintained our position on the floor until Thomas and the Six surrounded us with weapons drawn. Then he held me tightly in his arms as he brought us to our feet.
“Where is my mother?” Thomas shouted at someone.
“Robert,” I said into Will’s chest. He’d rushed Mary from the hall when hell broke loose.
As promised, Will didn’t let go. He held me against his body as he made decisions and directed his team. “John, upstairs. Pull mother and the girls into one room. Keep your weapon ready—stay put and protect them.” He sent one of the Six with John.
I buried my face at the base of his throat and cried more.
He kissed the top of my head. “You’re safe now. I promise.”
“I can take her upstairs to your mum,” someone offered.
One of the Six blocked the man’s way. “Step away, sir.” Once they were commanded to me, no one other than Will, Thomas, or John was permitted to touch me or come between their bodies and mine.
“She stays with me,” Will said, and then barked at someone else. “Get that fucking thing out of here. Outside. Police can pick it up.”
“That fucking thing” was the dead body of Seth Green. There was no way anyone would ever walk into Eastridge making threats—with or without a gun—and live to tell the story.
Will and I stood unmoving for several more minutes. I soaked his white shirt with my dirty tears and the blood from my broken lip, and he commanded his men as he protected me in his arms. “Get the rest of these people out of here. Secure all entrances and lock it down. Lock those three up, but don’t touch them. Everyone to the war room afterward.”
I had to get it together so that I didn’t impede Will’s ability to do what he needed to do. This was what my life had become, and there was no alternative. I needed to toughen up and deal with it. “I’m sorry,” I whispered, though I still clung to him with my wet face buried.
But I could do better than that, was stronger than that. I lifted my eyes to his.
He cradled my face in his steady hands. “Never apologize to me, Elle. You’re not to blame. No one could be more innocent in this fucking mess than you. What happened here tonight is my fault. I did this.”
Will always blamed himself, although none of it was his fault. He never chose the life. His fate had been no different than mine, a predetermined circumstance into which we’d been born. Our ancestors bound us to the same legacy but bequeathed him the greater burden. I only had to live. He had to wage war to keep me alive. I thanked God every day for Will. I knew what would have become of us had we not fallen in love. Death would have claimed us, just as it had claimed Isobel and Ethan.
“No, Will.” I pressed my red-stained lips to his. “Our families, their legacies are to blame,” I said coldly.
He nodded, his expression reflecting my determination. “You’re right.” He secured his arm around my waist and led me to his war room.
It was on.
* * *
Will scrutinized every corner of the estate’s security, eyeing each of the monitors on the wall while we waited for the others to complete their tasks and make their way to the war room. Strategic thoughts flashed in his eyes. His determination was a force unto itself.
That evening was the first time I saw the entire team assembled. Thomas and John would always be loyal. It was in their blood. The others were loyal of their own free will, and those were the faces I explored. I studied the hardened expressions of Ben Scott and Joe Taylor. I examined the faces of Andrew, Colin, Daniel, Henry, and Eric—indispensable members of the Six, their faces made hard by lines and creases that came from once carrying the weight of Britain’s safety on their backs. I would pay more attention to these men in the future. They followed Will to protect me; they were dedicated to keeping me alive, and I owed them more respect than I’d given.
Uncle Robert had come in with the last man. “Can I be of some use?”
“Not here. Mother still grieves. Spend your time at Eastridge with her.” Since there was an alleged local informant, Will wouldn’t risk having anything he discussed with his men leaked into the community. I’d gathered from conversations with John that Robert and Richard Hastings had had a rocky relationship, which must have been the reason for Will’s caution.
I wondered if I would be in his way. He worked hard to shield me from the details of the violence. Would my presence in his war room hinder the conversations he needed to have? He had to deal with the three remaining Green brothers and the police, not to mention strategize and plan the next moves against our enemy.
Truth be told, I never cared to be informed. I liked in equal measures knowing that Will handled everything and not knowing how. My preferred ignorance was one of the few things I could give him. God knows the scales of our relationship tipped significantly in his favor when it came to giving and sacrifice. He never asked for anything other than for me to say I loved him. So if staying out of his war-room business relieved him, then I’d provide that relief.
I folded back his sleeves. “Take me upstairs, Will. I want to see the girls and Mary. I’ll wait for you in your room.”
Satisfaction flickered in his eyes, and his shoulders relaxed. “Get started with a detailed rundown. Cover every meter of this estate. Every corner must be secure. No mistakes,” he told his team. “Put one of your drones in the air and have a look, Thomas. I’ll be right back.”
That strong, tattooed arm snaked around my waist again, and we headed upstairs.
“You’ve recovered remarkably tonight,” he said as we reached Lissie’s door.
He was right. I’d fallen apart downstairs but had pulled it together, realizing it was time to accept and overcome what I couldn’t change. My connection to him revealed my strength—revealed me. I smiled and pulled his forehead to mine. “You deserve the credit for that. Go plan your war, Will.”
Our lips connected for a lingering moment. The depth of his tenderness made me high.
Watching him go, I whispered, “William, my conqueror.”
* * *
Will rubbed the back of his neck and cursed under his breath as he walked through the bedroom door. His voice was strained, and he was exhausted. “Didn’t mean to wake you.”
“You didn’t. What is it?”
He sat on the edge of the bed and dropped his head. “This isn’t going to be easy for you—this life with me, the things I need to do.”
I lifted onto my knees behind him and kneaded the muscles in his shoulders and neck. “I know. Our life together will never be simple. I’ve accepted that.”
He reached up and found one of my hands and pulled it to his lips. “You deserve more than some fucking mercenary.”
He didn’t know I’d listened to his earlier conversation with Thomas. “You’re no longer that. You make the rules now.”
“If you want something else—”
“What?” He meant someone, not something else. We both knew the something could never be changed. “Don’t, Will. Don’t do that to me.”
“Just . . . goddammit . . . take some time to think about what I am. What I’ve done. What I’m committed to doing again. You have the right to choose.”
I climbed into his lap facing him. “Yes, and I did choose. I know who you are and that it haunts you. I also know that the lives you’ve taken since we met on that pier were taken out of necessity—to save mine. You are my defender.”
“Yes.” He put his arms around me but still stared at the floor.
“More than that, you are my love.”
Those blue eyes found mine.
> “Don’t destroy us. We’re not Ethan and Isobel. We’ll live, and we’ll find our way through this mess. Take what you want—that’s who you are. Take it, Will. Take my freedom from them and give it back to me.”
“Jesus, Elle,” he whispered. His embrace strengthened as he pulled me snugly against his body. He buried his face in my neck and inhaled. “There are no words. I can only hope you feel my need for you and know how I love you.”
My heartbeat was steady and strong, and I wanted him to hear it before anxiety and fear robbed me of it once again. And they would. I wound my arms around his head and pulled his ear to my chest. “I do. I know.”
We were face-to-face when I woke several hours later. Will’s eyes were open, and he was staring at me. They were clear, beautiful. The dark circles beneath were almost gone, and the muscles in his face were relaxed.
“Why aren’t you in the gym?”
He plucked several rose petals from my hair. “You slept so peacefully.”
“You should wake me when you don’t go downstairs.”
“I’ll never do that.” He placed a hand on the back of my head and pulled me to his lips. “Promise me you’ll have something more than coffee for breakfast.”
“Yes, okay. What will you do today?”
“Need to spend some time in the gym. The sun is shining, and it’s warmer than usual. We’ll go down to the beach and have dinner out.”
A warm, ethereal feeling flowed through me. I smiled and reached for his face.
“I know you miss it, baby.” His eyes charged. “I’ll take what belongs to us. I swear.” He kissed me hard and then climbed out of bed and stretched like the lion king he was. I watched as he strutted into the bathroom. He was, without doubt, aware of my contented stare at his tight, round ass.
Mrs. Bates’s lilt drifted through the corridor and stopped outside the door. I rolled my eyes and sighed, then padded across the soft wool rug and slipped into my robe before she opened the door and called out for me.