Crushing Desire (30 page)

“Sounds like they did ye a right favor,” Gunner said, from where he stood behind him.

The congratulations went on for a moment, and then Howard and Emily began to fill him in on the news from home. Harriett had recently given birth to a healthy son, and both parents couldn’t be happier. Dan Dubois had married a young and wealthy girl and had moved into a town house in London. Michael had died in service, and Martin had run from the service shortly after that. Lily was moving into a new home with her husband and had promised to visit the very instant that she completed the move. Aside from that, and the tale of George and Emily’s wedding, there was nothing of interest in what Howard said.

The revelation and all the news from his former home brought to mind those days from so long ago. Joshua could see Reena as she stood in the corner of the hall during Harriett’s engagement, a woman trapped in the world of a girl. He remembered the flush of passion on her face when he’d kissed her that night on her birthday. Joshua couldn’t help but smile at the memory of her all sweet and innocent with her eyes wide and lips pouting as she sat on the log near the river after her clumsy attempt at a kiss. Then there was the way she’d stared so curiously at his body when he’d undressed that night on the ship, not recognizing her own arousal in her innocence. The way she’d looked when they had married, so happy and beautiful. Her glow as she lay there, spent from childbirth, their small wrinkled son in her arms, suckling life from her breast.

He owed all his wonderful memories to these people. He could only feel gratitude for the trick which had changed his life so much. A lump formed in his throat, and he swallowed hard, forcing his mind back to his small party.

When they moved to enter the carriage, Joshua caught sight of something that twisted his gut. Gregory stood on the deck of the Pampered Princess. He hadn’t even noticed that the ship was in harbor. The triumph in the man’s eye made Joshua wary. He was staring right at Joshua, and when Gregory’s eyes met his, he gave a mocking bow. Joshua’s insides twisted, and he rushed them into the carriage.

Tossing a wad of bills to the driver, he said, “Beat all haste.”

Three quarters of an hour later, they finally pulled up in front of their home. Joshua wanted nothing more than to see Reena, to hold her and make sure that she was all right. They entered the house, and Bradley ran to him, jumping into his arms and laughing gleefully as he was tossed into the air. Joshua held his son close, watching for Reena who would surely follow. Carolyn came forward to greet the visitors, smiling brightly.

“Where are Reena and the others?” Joshua asked, shifting from foot to foot.

Carolyn wiped at the flour that dusted her apron, mumbling an apology for her state. His stomach knotted further. He nearly throttled her and told her to get to the point.

“Everyone should be here soon. Richland is resting. His lungs still plague him some when it is cold. The kids are coming with their families at dusk, and Reena should be back by then as well.”

His heart stopped beating for a moment.

“Where did she go?” He frowned.

Carolyn took Bradley from him, resting him on her hip. “An old friend came to visit, and they went out to chat for a bit.”

“Uncy Mawtin,” Lee said, and Joshua’s heart started again with a slamming thud.

“Who?” he asked, recalling some of Howard’s barely heard words.

“You remember, Martin, your friend from England. They went to visit Michael, but she’ll be back, and she promised to be discreet, there won’t be a scand…”

Joshua didn’t hear any more. He was at a dead run for the stables where his horses were kept, Gunner on his heels.

9
 

Martin had stopped talking long ago and sat staring at her now. Reena was getting quite anxious that Boston had come and gone, and they were rumbling down an empty road. She was even more concerned that they were moving further and further from the port that the men were supposed to be leaving from the next day.

The ride had begun well enough. She’d told him a slightly altered version of what had happened to her since he’d left to join the military. He in turn had regaled her with humorous tails of the brothers’ travels to join the army and their first days in their regimen. Soon she noticed that the funny and competitive things that the twins had always done had dwindled from the stories as it seemed had Martin’s pleasant mood. He’d been brooding and watching her for a long while now.

“Where are you staying? We seem to be rather far from everything,” she said finally, her thumbnail slightly muffling her words.

Martin’s eyes shifted to hers. There was such intensity in his gaze that Reena instinctively shrunk back from him.

“Far from everything you know, are we?” He leaned forward, his eyes growing wider. “I know a little about that. Jungles, deserts, lands where none understand or care what you need. That’s a little far from everything, isn’t it?”

Reena swallowed hard. This was not the boy she knew. This man was still Martin Dubois, though the face was familiar, the soul had changed.

“Where are you taking me, Martin? Where are we going?” She peeked at him from the corner of her eye like one facing a dangerous beast, wanting but unable to look away.

“A question that I, myself, asked many times over the years, yet I never got an answer.” Martin’s quiet sulking nature returned in a flash and that was more frightening than his moment of crazed ranting.

“You know, when Michael wanted to join the military, I told him it was mad,” he said, his tone conversational as it had been in the beginning of their ride. “He said he had to make himself worthy of an angel like you. Too bad he never discovered what a whore you truly are. Perhaps then, he would have tumbled you and had done.”

Reena’s chest ached at the rude and blunt words, which had come from a man she had always considered a friend.

“You got into his mind. You bewitched him. You made him think he was nothing.”

“No,” she said softly.

Martin gazed at her as if she spoke a foreign language.

“I’ll not take the blame for the life he chose. His self-doubt led him where he went, not me. I told him it did not matter to me. I told him he was brave for what he’d done. He was the one that couldn’t accept his actions.”

Martin jumped at her, slamming his hands onto the sides of the carriage beside her head, his nose inches from hers. Reena’s pulse pounded in her throat, but she tried to keep her face impartial. If the man Martin seemed to be now was anything like Gregory Talbert, Reena felt sure that any fear she showed would feed his ire.

“Don’t speak that way about him! Don’t you ever blame him!” Martin screamed inches from her face. “My brother was a saint compared to you.”

Then he sat back, calm once more, except for a telltale tick in his jaw that showed his rage. There was no way to know what he had planned. She had to find a way out of this. For her husband. For her son. She just had to.

“He told me time and time again that it wasn’t your fault that you weren’t to blame for his choices, but he couldn’t see what you truly were. When you were done with my brother, he was no longer a man, he was nothing. He had to go into the army, and I wasn’t going to let him go alone.”

The coach turned onto a smaller road that lead into a copse of trees. Regardless of the situation, Reena couldn’t help but be relieved to hear that Michael hadn’t blamed or hated her after all. She looked out the window at the passing countryside, then turned back, wanting to ask where they were going. Not only did she fear he would hurt her if she did, but Reena wasn’t sure she wanted to know any longer.

“He had to prove himself, and slowly, he started taking more dangerous missions.” His finger absently rubbed at the jagged scar that ran the length of his forehead. “And of course, I went with him.” He glanced up, eyes blazing again. “You drove him into danger, you harlot.”

His hand flew out, and before she even realized that he had moved, she was on the floor of the carriage. Her cheek burned, her head swum, and she was sure his hand print remained on her face. She righted herself, rubbing her sore jaw. Reena knew now that she was dealing with a man far more dangerous than Gregory or the two criminals from the bushes could ever have been. His wrath was such that she realized with an ache in her chest, Michael wouldn’t be waiting for her when they reached their destination.

“He would volunteer for missions no man could survive, yet somehow we managed.” His demeanor again seemed that of a visiting friend. “He began to get a reputation and was sent on only the most dangerous missions that others feared to take. One day, after the two of us had returned from a hellish mission that we barely survived, he was called on to capture a Turkish warlord. Naturally, I went with him.”

The carriage rumbled to a stop. Martin stepped down, his eyes never leaving Reena and held out a hand for her to descend. When she was on the ground, he tossed a substantial wad of bills to the driver. Martin told him to return in two days and to keep quiet if he knew what was good for him. She sent pleading looks to the driver, but he seemed more interested in his money and drove off without a glance in her direction.

Reena peeked around the clearing in the trees. A dilapidated hunting shack sat deserted in the middle of the woods. She turned while he was distracted by the rattling carriage and ran toward the surrounding elms. Reena hadn’t moved more than two steps before he had her. He was more demon than man, possessing speed and strength that didn’t seem possible.

“No, no, my dear Reena, you can’t leave yet. We have plans for you.” He grappled her waist, tugging her back into him and marched her toward their original destination.

Reena eyed the deserted cabin and shivered. It seemed a place where inhuman creatures dwelled. She feared what this monster had in store for her—what she would see when she entered its lair. Martin jerked her arm and dragged her up the rickety steps.

Chapter Thirty-one

Reena couldn’t help her cry when Martin led her into the hell that he intended to be the site of her final days. Her mind filled with thoughts of Lee and Joshua to combat her debilitating fear.

In the center of the shack was an old dirty mattress with an oversized sheet draping its length. Chains crossed under the makeshift bed, ends sticking out, as though lying in wait to hold their captive. Like a monster in a child’s dreams. A variety of ropes and whips lay on the floor near the bed. Dear God, what was he going to do with her?

 
“We found the warlord in a burned out building, exactly where we expected him. We snuck up on him, hoping that surprise and the weapons we brought would be enough to take the man out.” Martin kept talking as if they were having tea. Not like a man who had kidnapped a woman and dragged her through the woods.

 
“We must have made some noise, or perhaps the man who gave us the tip sold us out as well. Unscrupulous types there, you know. Soon, we found ourselves surrounded by the men we were supposed to kill.” He faced ahead, as he jerked her farther into the room.

Four empty buckets lined the wall, and a short tub sat next to them. On the other side, an old dusty wooden table held instruments Reena had never seen. Never wanted to see. Jagged metal weapons, fine carving instruments, and items that looked as though they could rip flesh from bone sat upon the rickety surface. Reena’s hand flew to her mouth, stifling a second cry that came unbidden at the terrible sights.

Martin’s hand launched again, and by the time Reena hit the floor, he towered over her.

“It’s rude to interrupt a story,” he said, as if scolding a small child.

He grasped her hand and hauled her to her feet. Her world spun. Reena blinked to clear her mind and was struck by the peculiarity of the moment. It seemed as though she was holding hands with the man who’d just struck her so hard she thought her head would burst from the force.

“But I understand. I am being a terrible host.” He jerked her toward the mattress. “You must be tired after the long carriage ride. Would you like to rest while I finish my story?”

She dug her heels into the floor, but only succeeded in making him drag her.

“Don’t worry, you’re safe.” Martin peered over his shoulder at her. “For now anyhow.”

He yanked on her arm, trying to push her down onto the mattress.

Reena saw her only chance.

“No!” She ground out through clenched teeth, pushing at him and trying to make a run for the door. He grabbed her from behind, throwing her hard in the direction of the bed and chains. Reena flew back, and her foot caught the edge of the mattress, sending her tumbling onto the bedding, and Martin atop her.

Reena scratched and clawed, kicking and biting everything she could reach. He jerked one of her arms up, and locked her wrist into a manacle. She clawed his face with her other hand, lips pursed, as the lines of blood formed. He grabbed her free wrist and forced it through the other manacle. She
wrenched at the chains, trying to kick out at him as he took hold of her legs. Her foot caught him squarely in the nose, and he swore, grappling for the flailing limb. She fought to land another blow, but soon each leg in turn was shackled. When he stood back, Reena could do no more that shoot venom with her glare and enjoy the bloody scratches that littered his face and neck, and the blood that had spurted from his nose.