All For One [Nuworld 3] (32 page)

eyeglasses that rested next to a basket of yarn. Reena looked at them again through the

glasses, and then confused, returned her gaze to Darius.

“What is this?” she asked quietly.

“You’re going to have company for a couple of days, you are.” Darius moved into

the living room and slipped his black leather gloves off his hands.

Without instruction, Beel slid his cape off and then wrapped the material into a ball.

He looked around the cabin with interest and then turned to study the old woman.

Reena in turn studied him. Her look went from curiosity to uncertainty. She looked

at Torgo who wouldn’t meet her eyes and then finally turned to stare at her son-in-law.

“Darius.” She whispered his name but then didn’t continue. She turned again and

looked at the boy. “I thought you were Andru, but you’re not.” Again, she looked from

one brother to the next. “Oh Crator, no, oh please.”

Reena turned to look for a chair, appeared to be ready to collapse, and both

brothers quickly moved to her side to help her sit down.

“Reena, this is Beel and he is going to stay with you for a while, he is,” Darius

began.

“No,” she whispered.

Darius ignored her. “He’ll stay in the cabin and you’ll teach him Gothman ways,

you will.”

“No,” she repeated.

Again he ignored her. “There’ll be guards posted on the road. If you need anything

you’ll tell them, but neither of you will leave here until I tell you, yes.”

“No.” This time she spoke a little louder.

“Tomorrow I’ll send him clothes and you’ll cut his hair, you will. I want you to

teach him to read and write and whatever you can in the short time you have him. As

soon as I can, I’ll find another home for him, I will.”

Reena didn’t say anything this time. She turned and gave the boy a hard look. He

seemed uncomfortable under her scrutiny.

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“What does he know?” she asked, as she continued to study his features.

“Nothing.” Darius sounded calm.

“That’s not true.” Beel misunderstood the question. “I can already read and write.

My mistress kept me to entertain her.”

Darius looked at the boy and frowned. Torgo gave him a surprised look. Reena

studied the innocent look in the boy’s eyes.

“How did you entertain her?” Reena asked.

Beel looked from one adult to the other. Confusion suddenly crossed his face as if

he just realized he had said something wrong. He finally drew himself up to show off

his almost six feet in height and answered the question. “I entertained her in her bed.”

Three adult’s jaws hit the floor, then two adults slowly turned and looked at Darius.

He simply stared at the boy. He couldn’t believe what he’d just heard. His bastard

son was a whore. The situation had just gone from bad to worse. He rubbed his hand

over his mouth and blew out air loudly. “You won’t share that information with anyone

else, you won’t. Do you understand?”

The boy nodded. “Yes, Master, um, I mean, my Lord.”

“You’re not leaving that…that boy here.” Reena’s hands were shaking in her lap.

Darius looked at her and for a moment Reena’s old brain thought she saw his father

Jovis. There was a hard, determined, almost crazed look in his face. The Bryon men had

raked her life over the coals through the winters. But this was the end of it.

“I know who this child is, I do. I won’t have him under my roof, no. I don’t know

where you got him, or why he’s even alive but I want him out of my house now. I’m

Tara’s mama, for Crator’s sake. She won’t stand for his presence in Gothman and she

certainly won’t like it when she finds out he’s in my house, no.”

Darius heard her words and his face softened although only for a second. He

looked at Torgo but couldn’t help seeing the bewildered and almost hurt look on Beel’s

face.

“Torgo, take the boy back to the spare bedroom and let him get some sleep, I say.”

Reena tried to stand up but Darius squatted down in front of her and placed one

large hand over her two feeble ones. He looked up at his brother. “I want you to stay

here also, I do. I’ll post guards outside. Let me talk to Reena alone for a minute.”

Torgo would have argued but Darius’ voice grew so gentle that he had no

immediate retraction. His brother seldom showed this side of his personality and he

had no attack prepared. He obeyed and guided the boy out of the room.

“Reena, listen to me, I say.”

“No, you listen to me. You’ve made some nasty mistakes in your lifetime and

you’ve gotten away with them, you have. The smartest thing you could do right now is

go back there and kill that child and put an end to it, yes.”

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“That is one means to an end and I’ve considered it, I have. But I need some time to

think. Torgo and Syra brought him to me unannounced, they did. He’ll stay with you

and I’ll leave Torgo with you as well, yes. You’ve been protected ever since you brought

your own illegitimate child into this world. Now this one will never have the same

opportunities as Tara, but if I can get him out of here and spare his life, I will do it, I

will. Of all people, I think you would understand that.”

“What will Tara say?”

“Tara will not find out, no.”

Reena said nothing but her lower jaw suddenly stuck out. Her nonverbal

communication was quite clear. Darius walked around the counter into the kitchen and

reached into the drawer where he knew she kept a comm. He pocketed it and then

walked toward the door.

“I won’t lie to my daughter, I won’t,” she called out as Darius disappeared into the

darkness of the night.

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Chapter Seventeen

“What is it?” Roth asked after flipping a switch on the dash of the glider.

“Master, the Runner leader just entered the camp and wanted to see you.” The

voice came over a small speaker in the center of the dash.

Ana looked at Roth. He patted her leg reassuringly then left his hand there, stroking

her knee with his thumb. “What did she want?”

“She’s been told her daughter is with you and she is angry. She spoke politely to us

but she realized before she left that she had forgotten to wear the cloth over her head.

She thought many things at once—it took several of us to pull the information.” The

voice sounded apologetic.

“Did she go back to her camp?”

“I’m not sure. She said she would talk to you in the morning.”

“Well find out if she went back to her camp or not,” Roth ordered and then turned

off the microphone.

He brought the glider down through the large trees and landed it. Ana attempted a

weak smile when he turned to face her. He laughed softly and then pulled her to him

and kissed her.

“I guess it was a good idea to go see Beel. Otherwise, you wouldn’t be in my arms

right now.” He stroked her silky red hair and then brushed her cheek with his fingers.

“I know,” he said soothingly. “We don’t have her skills.”

“I’m worried for you,” Ana emphasized, although she knew he must realize that.

“If she catches us—”

“I knew that before I agreed to let you come to me. Your people are powerful

warriors. And your parents will hate me for a while. But somehow, I will win them

over. It’s the only way I can be with you.”

Her eyes widened at his words and he wrapped his other arm around her forcing

her to lean her head back to see his eyes. The surrounding darkness seemed to make his

emerald green eyes glow. Her insides warmed and she knew he must feel her heart

pounding against his chest. He grinned again, although this time a bit more

mischievously, and his eyes dropped to her mouth. She inhaled sharply and slid her

hand up his arm to his shoulder.

“And I do want to be with you,” he whispered, and then lowered his mouth to hers.

His kiss seared her lips and she groaned as he smashed her into him. The thin material

covering her allowed him to explore her body as if she were naked. He brought one

hand down to her bottom and caressed her until she thought she’d explode. His hand

moved lower, stroking her outer thigh and she felt her inner heat turn to molten lava.

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She groaned, wanting to allow his hand easier access to her and at the same time

wanting him to stop.

Roth’s lips moved down her neck and then he raised his hand to slide her dress off

her shoulder. As his fingers touched her exposed skin and then moved to her breast, she

felt the urge to scream. It all felt so wonderful. Suddenly, she wanted him. She wanted

him to make love to her. His kisses and caresses were no longer enough. She wanted

her skin touching his skin—and she wanted it now.

“Master, we’ve confirmed the leader of the Runners has returned to her campsite.”

The voice coming through the speaker made Ana jump. Roth pulled her to him tightly

as he sat up straight. She rested her head against his shoulder, breathing heavily, as he

flipped the switch on his dash.

“Very good. I want her watched, but don’t let them know you’re watching them.

They’ll kill you before you can pull their thoughts. I won’t be back tonight, but I want to

be told as soon as they wake up in the morning.”

“Where are we going?” Ana asked without moving her head from his shoulder.

He kissed the top of her head then pushed her gently from him. She didn’t want

him to see her eyes and so focused on her lap once he had her at arm’s length.

“Keeping secrets from me already?” he whispered teasingly.

She smiled and looked up at him quickly but then looked down again. “No, I don’t

think I could ever do that. It’s just that…” She couldn’t say the words.

“Yes?” He prodded but didn’t force her to look at him.

“Where are we going?”