Do Or Die [Nuworld 4] (48 page)

protect Meah. She was the claim to the heir to Gothman…and she carried his child. This

was crazy!

He chuckled. It was a sinister sound. “It would be just as effective of a disguise if I

knocked you out and threw you over my shoulder. I could walk through that camp

easily enough with your rear end bobbing and distracting curious eyes from my face.”

He didn’t move a muscle. He continued to hold her in midair no more than a foot

from his face while she burned holes into his head with her irate glare. Instead of

fighting, she went limp…completely relaxed in his arms.

“Your point is made, Gilroy. Like I said, I’m no dimwit. I can fight but a good

warrior also knows when they’re outnumbered.” She looked down and instinctively

licked her lips. “I trust you. And I know you’ll protect me.”

Gilroy put her down. Then walking around her, he squatted down and peered

through the undergrowth at the large Gothman campsite that draped out in front of

them.

“They’re going to do what?” Tara literally screamed in outrage at the landlink

monitor while pacing her tent. “How could you say it was okay for Gilroy and Meah to

go into an unknown Gothman camp? We have no idea why they’re there or anything!”

Tara threw her arms up in the air and stopped pacing in front of Andru. He stood

motionless with his hands pinned behind his back and listened to her tirade. When she

stopped he turned and faced the screen that sat on Tara’s wooden desk along the wall

of the large tent.

“My lord,” he said to his papa, watching him on the small screen. “We’ve already

got scouts in the area. I’ll head down there myself and lead the scouts into the camp.

We’ll have this under control in no time.”

“We have no idea who is in charge of this camp.” Tara put her hands on her hips as

she stared at her son. “The fact that they are buried out here and so close to two armies

who are preparing to attack the Blood Circle Clan leads me to think they’re up to no

good. You could too easily be detected and what easier way to attack a nation than to

take out its heir.”

“I’ll be with my men, my lady.” Andru gave her the notorious crooked grin that

Bryon men used when they planned on doing exactly what they wanted to do. She’d

seen that grin on Darius’ face one too many times for Andru’s charm to affect her.

“You’ll stand out like a virgin in that group of heathens with those blond locks of

yours, son.” Tara shook her head.

“Well then, we’ll just get rid of the blond curls,” Ana spoke up and jumped off the

stool she’d parked herself on while listening to her parents and her brother have it out.

She moved over to Andru and smiled up at him. “We’ll turn it black as ink, just like

Gilroy and Meah’s.”

Gilroy walked with an arrogant stride through the Gothman camp. His hand

gripped the back of Meah’s neck as he guided her along. Her long black cape billowed

around her while she desperately tried to keep up with Gilroy’s pace. The grip on her

neck was tight enough that at times her feet barely touched the ground. He appeared to

be a man on a mission, possibly bringing a she-witch who had been caught in some

thievery to be punished. No one bothered him.

Gilroy worked through the campsite presenting an indifferent gaze to everyone he

passed. Meah glanced up at him once or twice, hoping she looked like a woman

accustomed to treatment like this. His expression was venomous and she had no idea

what he was thinking. Once or twice, he looked down, but when he did, he simply

tightened his grip and growled deep from his throat. It sent chills through her body.

Gilroy seemed to transform into a terrifying warrior right before her eyes.

Without notice he dragged her through a large group of men and she felt several

hands grab at her. She stiffened in spite of her continual mental lecture to act like a

whore. Gilroy spun her around and did what he’d threatened to do earlier. He threw

her over his shoulder and stormed through the intimidating group of Gothman

warriors.

Her rear end hit a long wooden table with a thud. Long rows of tents blocked the

view behind them. But the view from every direction vanished when Gilroy smashed

his body against hers. His large body covered hers and he lowered his head so his

mouth was next to her ear. She was completely smothered by Gilroy’s powerful body

and the smell of him overpowered her senses.

When he spoke, it took her a minute to realize he had his comm wrapped around

his ear and, when he wrapped his arm around the back of her neck, he pulled the small

wire down to his mouth before placing his hand on her head.

“I’d say there are at least several hundred Gothman here and more artillery than I’d

anticipated. These men are gearing up for a strong battle.” He paused but she wasn’t

sure who spoke at the other end. “I don’t recognize most of these men but there are

some faces I’ve seen before.” Another pause. “It feels wrong here. These men are

derelicts and their talk is of backstabbing and not victory for a glorious cause. They

aren’t men I would want to fight by my side. My hunch is that the Blood Circle Clan is

not the only place they plan to attack.”

Meah gasped at his words and he crushed her with his body. His arm tightened

around her neck to the point where she could hardly breathe. She opened her mouth to

gasp for air but simply got a mouthful of his hair.

“I think you should share the she-witch, man,” a baritone voice said from behind

Gilroy.

Meah froze. She lowered her head and looked up out of the corner of her eye at the

men surrounding Gilroy. Her captor slowly straightened. In the next instant, two men,

actually taller than he was, grabbed him by the shoulders and pulled him off her. Gilroy

sprang into action and spun his fist around connecting with the side of the head of one

of the men. Blood gushed out of the man’s mouth and nose as he flew backwards from

the impact. The other man got a cruel punch into Gilroy’s lower ribs before Gilroy

turned further and doubled the tall brute over with a low stomach blow. The man

howled and Gilroy spun on the remaining men. Three of them jumped Gilroy and he

went down on his knees.

Meah desperately wanted to jump in and help him fight off the men. She leaped off

the table but an older Gothman, an incredibly large man with a barrel chest, grabbed

her by the arm and almost severed it at that point. She stifled a painful scream and tried

to strike the man with her other arm, but he managed to grab that one as well and

pinned it behind her back. She looked up at his white beard and midnight black hair.

But it was his lustful blue eyes that scared her to death.

“Ugh! You pathetic mongrels.” The large man wrapped Meah under his arm

holding her arms firmly in place. “I can’t believe it took four of you to pin that pup

down.” There was a mixture of Gothman whiskey and a foul stench of onions and garlic

on the man’s breath. Meah felt her stomach turn as his insults were barked so close to

her face.

He turned now and grinned evilly down at her. “Could I guess then, who do we

have here?”

The large man held her two hands behind her back and ripped her mask and

attached cape from her body. Her long braid, now somewhat tousled, fell free and inky

black strands fell around her face. The large man chuckled and released her.

Meah simply reacted on impulse. She jumped into the air and kicked the man as

hard as she could in the upper chest before jumping backwards to the ground. She spun

on the two remaining men who weren’t holding down Gilroy. He screamed and lunged

to free himself from his captors and had two of them on the ground before once again

they restrained him. One of the men hit Gilroy hard upside his cheekbone and skin

ripped before streams of blood oozed down his face.

“You’ll die for this,” Gilroy screamed at the large man.

The other two men grabbed Meah and turned her to face the large brute who held

her a minute before. He smacked her hard upside her face causing everything around

her to spin fiercely.

“Release her, I say. I’ll be thinking she’ll allow a thought to enter that pretty head of

hers before trying a stupid stunt like that again, yes.” The huge man rubbed his chest

before smiling at her vindictively. “Now then, Meah, daughter of Redo, I have a few

questions for you, I do.”

Meah froze and her jaw fell, as she stared at the cold blue eyes.

“That’s right. I daresay I know who you are, I do.” His laugh was chilling. “I’m

rather stunned that you have no idea who I am. Redo was prideful enough to claim you

as his daughter so I’m sure he saw to it you never heard my name, he did.”

The man walked around her as if checking out a side of beef he might purchase. She

followed him with swirling blue-green eyes and turned when he reached her backside.

“You’ve got a warrior’s blood in you. Crator knows you didn’t get that from Redo,

no. The only thing he did was to kill his adorable claim after he had you out of her. I

daresay, you’re quite as beautiful as she was.” The Gothman chuckled…a blood-

curdling sound. “Although I do seem to pass on that black hair.”

The large Gothman grabbed her braid and she tried to pull away. He yanked the

braid so hard she fell to her knees and tears stung at her eyes. Winters of training kept

her silent, though. Not that she could think of a thing to say. The man’s words were

incomprehensible.

“Don’t listen to him. He’s lying to you,” Gilroy spat, and one of the men kicked him

in the stomach. “Fuck you!” he spat through his groan.

“Oh, she’ll listen to me, she will. Bastard or not, that babe she carries is my

offspring and I won’t be ashamed to claim my grandchild, I won’t.” He turned and

laughed at his men. “I always make a point of telling my bastards they have powerful

blood and should be proud, yes. And it won’t be long before that child of yours will

have no family to claim other than mine, eh men?”

All the men laughed and the large man turned his attention to the kneeling Gilroy.

“Son, you’re backing the wrong man, you are.”

“No, my blood is Gothman. Your blood is that of a treacherous traitor. You’ll rot in

hell for this, Arien.”

“Oh, it’s Arien now? What happened to Papa? My oldest legitimate son turns his

back on his own papa?”

Meah froze. She looked at Arien and then at Gilroy. Gilroy wouldn’t meet her gaze.

This was Gilroy’s papa? Hadn’t she heard he boasted more bastards than any other man