Hotter on the Edge (23 page)

"Men!"

So had she. In the end, everyone had to pick a side. In the end, she'd always choose to fight. But one thing had changed. She no longer had to fight alone. She smiled and walked outside.

Hudson was there waiting for her, a pair of binoculars in his hands. "They have the look of Rebels," he said, handing the binoculars to her.

She took them out of his hands and peered through. The sun was behind them as a group of men traversed the sandy landscape. There were rough looking men, all traveling on foot. Some were dressed in robes, but most wore the camouflaged uniforms of soldiers. Her gaze swept the faces of each man until she found the bald, reddened face of Grey Owl. Only then did she allow herself to hope. She let her gaze stray lower.

There, striding beside Grey Owl was a dirty-faced, towheaded little boy.

Lake lowered the binoculars and stared at the dark forms on the horizon. "It's Vonn," she whispered. And for a moment she didn't know if she should run toward her little brother or cry. In the end, she did both.

It was hours later, after Lake carried Vonn home, fed him, bathed him, then fed him again, and finally had him asleep in her bed that she went to sit with the men around the table.

"Thank you for bringing him home, Grey Owl," Lake said.

"A boy should be with his family," Grey Owl said, then looked to Hudson. "I just hope your husband considers him family."

Hudson nodded. "I will take care of whomever belongs to Lake. The boy will always have a place here."

"I thought as much. A man doesn't fight to get his wife back with that much passion unless he's in love." The older man smiled and rubbed his throat.

Lake stole a look at Hudson. He blushed, and she felt her own cheeks grow warm. They had never talked about love. It wasn't as if she hadn't thought about it, but speaking those words to Hudson made more of a coward out of her then a group of men in hooded dress.

"I assume you have the formula." Grey Owl said, bringing Lake's attention back to the matter at hand.

"Of course." She got up and fetched the loose-leafed paper. "I wrote out the organic compound and also as much of the manufacturing process that I know. The ingredients I am confident about, but the amounts might need some tweaking."

Grey Owl took the paper and looked it over. Then he passed it to the soldier on his left who placed it in his vest pocket. "The work you've done is brilliant, and we all appreciate the sacrifices you've made. But I'm afraid we need to ask for one more. Most of the Rebellion is made up of common men, but we need men and women who've been formally educated. Your father worked for the Elders as a scientist. He taught you everything he knew. We need people like you if this Rebellion will ever succeed. Come to Dark Planet. Get the lab going. We will keep you safe and then bring you back here. A year or two at most. That's all we are asking."

Lake looked at Hudson then back at Grey Owl. "My place is here with my husband."

Hudson stood. "Men, if you would excuse us. I need a moment with my wife." He held out his hand toward her. "Lake?"

She followed as they walked out the front door. The night was clear showing off its thousands of jewels against a background of deep blue as the moon hung large bathing the desert in a ghostly white. There was a slight bite in the air, and Lake wondered how long they had until the desert heat gave way to cooler weather.

"You should go with them," Hudson said.

Lake sucked air in through her teeth as if she'd just been slapped. Before when they’d taken night walks they had strolled hand in hand. Now there was a wide distance between them.

"Really? Why?" Her throat felt thick, but swallowing hard didn't seem to help.

Hudson walked with his head down. His hands stuffed into his back pockets. "I've known for a long time that the Elders were corrupt. It came as no surprise to me that a rebellion sprang up. I just never wanted any part of it. But after Rameses came that night. After I saw you… I realized their reign of terror has to stop."

Lake nodded. She didn't trust herself to speak. She was afraid her voice would break if she tried.

They stopped under a large mesquite tree that had become Lake's new favorite place. Over the past few weeks, Hudson and she would walk there almost every evening. They would discuss their day. Sometimes he would talk about his plans for the farm. Mostly she would just listen, still too cautious to believe she had a future to plan for. Then, more often than not, he'd lean her against the tree and they would kiss. Sweet kisses that tickled her neck and made her laugh. He'd told her he loved her laugh.

"Millions of lives are at stake. Not just the Rebels', but everyone's," Hudson said.

She didn't want to do this here. She didn't want him tainting some of the happiest memories of her life and sending her away
here
. But Hudson had leaned his back against the large trunk, not at all seeming to want to move.

"I've given you the best protection that I could. My name. Even on Dark Planet that should mean something. I meant what I said. Vonn will always have a place with me. He can stay or you can take him with you. Whatever you think is best."

Lake hugged herself tight, glad she was facing away from him. Why she felt like crying she had no idea. Well, she did have an idea, but she wasn't going to think about that now.

"Isn't this what you wanted, Lake? To fight for the Cause?"

She nodded. "No, I mean yes. Yes, it's what I wanted. But what about your land? Your men?"

Hudson laughed, but there was no joy. "Just let the Elders come and try to take my land. I guess I'm not as much of a rule follower as I thought."

"So you'll fight for the Rebellion?"

"I'll fight the best way I know how, by providing food for the soldiers and a safe refuge. The Rebellion needs more than armed men to win this war."

"I've pledged every breath, every beat of my heart to building a New Republic."

"I know. Go change the world. If anyone can win this war you can."

"It's just that, I thought…if you wanted..." She turned toward him, but found she was having trouble looking him in the eye. She kicked at the dirt around an upraised root. "You said that you liked my laugh."

He smiled, though his eyes remained sad. "I do. I wish you'd do it more often."

She nodded. "I, ahh, I..."

Hudson scrubbed his palms over his face. "God, Lake, you're killing me. Just tell me what you want already."

"To stay here." She rushed the words, afraid she'd loose courage.

"Here?"

"I thought I could set up a lab here. I mean, if you are serious about helping the Rebellion. Maybe…maybe I wouldn't have to go."

His eyes warmed, reminding her of the soft dark things they did together in the quiet of the night. "Is that the only reason you want to stay? I'm not saying it isn't a good reason, but I just wanted… Is it the only reason, Lake?"

She looked in his eyes and shook her head. "No. It's that I can't pledge to the Rebellion what I no longer have."

He moved toward her, cupped her face. "Which is?"

"My heart."

"Then it's mine?"

She nodded. "You know what else? Sometimes, just sometimes, I think God can be good."

His lips hovered next to hers. "No, Lake. Sometimes God can be very, very good." And he kissed her.

Epilogue

Lake laid in the nook of Hudson's arm, relishing in the luxury of sleeping in past dawn. The mid-morning sun spilled brightly through the window. She snuggled deeper into her husband's side, not wanting her coveted time with him to end.

Her stomach growled signaling that she'd soon have to get up. Hudson placed a large hand over her rounded belly. "The baby's hungry."

"She's always hungry." In the beginning it seemed as if Lake couldn't get enough food. Hudson assured her that she could use some extra padding on her bones, but she wasn't so sure that eating them out of house and home was the way to do it.

"
He
needs food to be big and strong." Hudson nuzzled her neck.

"I've been thinking," Lake tried to ignore what he was doing to her.

"Dangerous."

"You said when I got with child we could negotiate new terms."

Hudson looked up. "Lake, you have to know, I'd never sell any of our children. No matter what."

Lake shook her head and rolled her eyes. "Are you trying to get out of negotiating?"

"Never, since I always win our negotiations." Hudson murmured against the special spot on her neck. It had come as a surprise to both of them that being kissed there drove her wild. "My terms are still the same, both A and B parts of rule one are still off the table.

She ran her fingers through his hair, loving the coarse feel of it between her fingers. "I was thinking more along the line of having my name tattooed on your back. Make this marriage more of a joint ownership."

He laughed or was it a snort. It was hard to tell. In one quick movement he was on top of her and had her legs wrapped around his waist, his mouth level with hers. "Not a chance."

Her whole world became focused on what body parts were flush against hers. "Come on, I need at least one part of you to claim as my own. How about a tattoo on your arm?"

"How about the bottom of my foot?"

"How about across your chest?"

"How about my heart?"

"Agreed."

"Agreed." And he kissed her.

Lake and Hudson battle on
in HOTTER ON THE EDGE 2...

Available now!

TO KEEP A WIFE

KC Klein

In the shards of civilization ruined by a global war, Lake has gotten the life she never dared dreamed of—a safe haven, and the love of a good man, her husband, Hudson Black Creek. But Lake’s hard-won happiness doesn’t last long when powerful Elders lay siege on Black Creek Manor in retaliation for a past defiance. As Lake watches everything she loves go up in flames, she sacrifices herself for the chance to keep Hudson and her brother alive. Syon, a diabolic Elder with his own agenda, will push Lake to her breaking point, forcing her to compromise—heart and soul— in order to survive.

Hudson wakes from a head wound to find that his whole world is reduced to ashes. With no memory of why he’s sacrificed everything for a woman whose name is tattooed on his chest, Hudson is determined to make his heart match the emptiness of his mind, and wipe out everything except the hatred for those who are to blame—the Elders and the wife he sought to protect.

As evil and fear spread across a war-torn land, Lake and Hudson are tested like never before, and both will have to forgive betrayals and risk greater heartbreak if they want a chance at saving their lives… and their love.

***

She kneeled before her husband, taking a moment to imprint his scent in her memory, the one underneath the blood and sweat, the one that was uniquely him. Her palm cradled his cheek slicked with blood. They’d already said their good-byes. Already apologized, kissed, and whispered they loved each other. There was nothing left to say. Except…

“No, I’m not going to let it end like this. Not like this. There’s another way.”

Hudson turned his face and kissed her palm. The jam on the door splintered. It said a lot that no one jumped at the loud crack. How many more rams? One? Ten?

His brown eyes were warm. The same color as soft leaves in autumn. The color of the rich soil that had been their life, the color of safety and love. The color she’d hoped her unborn child would have.

“I don’t regret it, you know. I don’t regret the day I bought you from the auction. The day I unknowingly took home a Rebel spy and you tried to kill me.” He laughed at the memory. Funny what seemed amusing now. “I don’t regret any of it.”

She couldn’t cry. All her tears had dried up days ago. But she could regret. Wished she’d been beheaded on that auction block. Never met Hudson and caused him such pain. Never found a new purpose for her life. Maybe one could out-run fate, but not for long.

“I’m the one they want. Take Vonn. Hide under the bed. I’ll make them believe that you both are dead. But if I hide, they will kill you, and I’ll be captured anyways.”

Hudson laughed. He threw his head back and laughed. Red filled his mouth and colored his teeth. The sound chilled her more than the pounding on the door and the crackle of flames from above.

“After all this, you think I’m going to hide under the bed and watch them take you? After all this, you still don’t trust me to care for you until the end? I promised to protect you with my life, and just because the end came quicker than I’d liked doesn’t make my promise any less.”

He stood. Wiped his blade on his pant leg. “When I go, I plan on taking as many of those hooded cowards with me as possible.”

She knew Hudson would put up a fight. Expected nothing less. But now was not the time for bravery. She had to choose her words carefully. She had only one chance to convince him. One chance to keep him and Vonn alive.