CHAPTER 20
K aelyn paced outside the small cottage, one of the many that graced the lake house property. Her boots wore a path in the short grass, and when she reached the end of the tiny house, she turned around and retraced her steps.
A nervous energy kept her pace fast, clipped, despite the gnawing tension growing in her gut. With a quick flip of her head, she pitched her braid over her shoulder, the golden silk reminding her of the blindfold and of Saar’s gentle touch.
She glanced at the window. The shade was drawn, and the early morning sun’s bright glare reflected off the glass. Saar. Nausea rose in her throat.
Theron and Jacinth had placed Saar in the small cottage, chaining him to the concrete foundation.
She’d wanted to check on him, ensure that he was all right, but she’d held back. What would they do if they knew the truth? That she’d allowed him to kiss her, had wanted it with a desperation she didn’t fully understand.
Her nerves thrummed so hard and fast she thought she’d explode. Instead, she continued on her path, driving one foot in front of the other. The wait would kill her.
A sparrow chirped in a nearby tree, the tiny peep answered by another. What she’d give for such a simple life. Her bear itched to run, let loose some of this energy, but she wouldn’t stray too far from Saar.
The slight creak of a door stopped her in her tracks. She jerked toward the noise.
Theron emerged onto the small porch.
Her heart caught in her throat. “Is he—”
Theron raised his hand and shook his head. “He hasn’t awoken yet, if that’s what you’re about to ask.”
The tension in her muscles released, like a bucket of water doused on a fire. “H…how bad are his injuries?” She held her breath.
With dark and assessing eyes, he studied her. “He’ll live long enough to give us some answers. Don’t worry, Jacinth is in there with him. He won’t get away.”
Unable to maintain his gaze any longer, she peered into the forest. She ran her hand over her face and feigned a tiredness she didn’t feel. “Are you on your way to inform Mauree?”
He stepped off the porch’s lone stair and approached. When he was within range, he drew her into his embrace. His warm licorice scent worked its way inside, calming her with its familiarity. Family was so important, and the need for revenge boiling in her veins made her clutch him tighter.
She held on for a moment longer then drew away.
Grasping her chin between his thumb and index finger, he gave her a gentle shake. “We should talk first. Walk with me.”
Before she could stop him, he started across the lawn, heading for the main house, one tip of its dark roof visible over the tree tops. She ran to catch up with him.
They walked in silence for a moment. Theron cleared his throat. “Now that we’re alone, tell me, what happened between you two.”
A niggle of fear slipped inside. Irritation rippled right after, chasing the unwanted emotion away. “What do you mean?”
He stopped, his attention focusing on her. “I know you well. You held back. You could’ve, no, should’ve killed him, yet you didn’t.”
“I told you—”
“Don’t feed me the ‘we could get information from him’ line. That wouldn’t have stopped the Kaelyn I know from killing an enemy. So, tell me, what happened after he captured you?”
Blazing anger erupted inside. “Strange as it may seem, he was surprisingly nice to me, and then he let me go.”
“Smart. I’d have done the same.” He continued toward the house.
She gripped his arm, stopping him. “What does that mean?”
“Kaelyn, you’re smarter than this. Don’t let him fool you. He tracked you searching for the lake house. Had the Gossum not found him when they did, he might’ve succeeded.”
Her heart pounded. No. The memory of his touch, his kiss, his soft words all came crashing down on her. Had she really been that naive?
A sheen of sweat broke out on her skin.
He’d taken her for a fool.
She curled her hand into a fist, and the muscles in her arms shook from her rage. “When the time comes, I will be the one to interrogate him.”
Mauree leaned on the deck railing and picked at the wood with her fingernail. The warmth of the morning sun crested over the horizon. She rubbed her hands over the terrycloth, enjoying the soft texture against her skin.
Out of the corner of her eye, she spotted Theron trudging through the lawn and heading toward the main house, Kaelyn at his side. Good. He’d found his niece and Mauree had her bargaining chip once again.
Warmth flooded her body from her chest down to her feet. Her toes itched, and she wiggled them inside her red pumps. Other than the robe, her shoes were her only bit of clothing covering her at the moment.
Her attention returned to Theron, noting his powerful stride and how his broad shoulders flexed with each step. There was only one thing better than sex…well, no, scratch that. At this point, even winning the war might take a back seat to Theron.
She smiled.
Maybe she could glean a bit of intel from the little kidnapped tramp. Now that, and a quick round with Theron, would make her day. She pushed away from the railing and headed into her room to dress for the occasion.
A few minutes later, she descended the stairs still wearing her favorite red shoes. The short mini and tight knit sweater were the perfect complement to the pumps.
“Well done, if I don’t say so myself,” she whispered.
Several Gossum hunkered over the massive dining room table, maps spread out before them. Caught up in their own conversation, none seemed to notice her.
She cleared her throat.
The soldiers closest to her turned to look. One male, tall and reed-thin with a patch over one damaged eye, shifted away from the table. He gave her a quick bow. “Do you need something, my lady?”
Mauree’s chest expanded at his overt display of respect. “Just keep up the good work.”
He deepened his bow, his one eye gleaming from her praise. “As you wish.”
After reaching the bottom of the stairs, she stepped onto the polished wooden floor. Her heels clicked with each step, and she had to force herself not to run, not to give in to her eagerness to see Theron.
She entered the kitchen, and the patio door slid open on its track. A breeze blew between the pans hanging over the center island, a soft clank echoing through the room.
Theron stepped inside, Kaelyn close behind.
Kaelyn caught sight of Mauree. Her lip curled.
Mauree’s skin crawled, her earlier excitement to see Theron chased away by Kaelyn’s attitude. “You’re back. How…fitting.”
Kaelyn’s face reddened, her features a mask of rage.
Theron placed his hand on her shoulder and stepped forward. “We bring news.”
“I see you found,” she forced a smile and glanced at Kaelyn, “your niece.”
Theron pursed his lips, clearly not happy with her response. Well, that was too bad. He’d have a lot more of her attitude to deal with before he was through.
A large bowl filled with oranges, apples, and bananas sat on the expansive kitchen countertop. He wrapped his fingers around a Golden Delicious and offered the fruit to Kaelyn. She shook her head. He shrugged and bit into the crisp rind. Juice sprayed into the air in a fine mist.
“She’s not the only one we found,” he said between chews.
Mauree’s heart stuttered. “What do you mean?”
Theron smiled. “We have a prisoner. Perhaps you know him?”
“What’s his name?”
He glanced at Kaelyn.
Still standing in front of the large glass doors, she crossed her arms. “Saar.”
Mauree inhaled. Her mind whirred, flashing through possibilities. She tapped her long red fingernail against her lip. “Interesting. Why did you bring him here?”
Kaelyn’s mouth thinned, and a zip of adrenaline skipped along Mauree’s nerves. How she loved poking at the female bear.
“He brought me through one of the Keep’s manual entrances, blindfolded, so I don’t know where it is—”
Mauree chuckled. “But he does. Perfect.”
This could be good, very good indeed. She glanced through the glass doors. The morning sun brightened the patio, encasing the outdoor furniture in its golden glow. Sticklike and grotesque, the legs from the table and chairs cast long shadows on the cement as if pointing the way. “Where is he?”
“He’s in one of the cottages, unconscious. We almost killed him before Kaelyn told us what we had.” Theron tossed the apple core into the sink where it bounced against the stainless steel before coming to rest in the garbage disposal’s opening.
Mauree raised an eyebrow. “Nice shot. When he wakes, we’ll interrogate him.”
Kaelyn stepped forward, her chin raised. “I’ll do it. I deserve the payback.”
Mauree tittered. “We shall see. Why don’t you keep tabs on him and let us know when he wakes? In the meantime,” she peered at Theron, her gaze raking down his body, “we have some time, don’t we?”