Gideon [The Marujan Brothers Series] Book Two (8 page)

Chapter Ten

C
rouched in position behind the
trunk of a thick tree, Gideon slowly scanned the surrounding area.
He could see the early colors of dusk stretching their way across
the thinly clouded sky. Malakai Baamel had made it clear on
multiple occasions that they were to be completely alert in the
tiny strip of woodland at the northern border. Although the mystery
within the man's tone had caused Gideon a bit of skepticism, he had
also chosen to ignore him and focus instead on contacting Faolan.
His brother's response had been reassuring...however it did seem
Faolan would not be joining him anytime soon. Of course, Gideon had
left out the detail of him traveling with the Kankul soldier...or
else he was sure his brother would have reached him
immediately. 
Glancing to his left, he shot a withering look at Malakai before
following the man's gaze to the current interest of both their
thoughts: the tiny strip of woodland. 
"Have you gotten anything yet?" Gideon asked in a low
voice. 
"No. I can't seem to make contact with Deorci's energy at all. It
would seem he's quite some distance away." Malakai then blew out a
whistle. "He's done a good job at covering his ass... For
now.”

"So what now? Sunrise is a
good couple hours away. I do remember you mentioning—"
"Yeah, yeah. I remember," he gave, tone thoroughly mocking. "Right
now, we move forward--and only forward--through the woods. Speed
would be a good suggestion as well."
Gideon raised a skeptical brow. "Why forward?" 
Malakai cracked a devilish grin. "It's procedure."
Moving into a small walk, Gideon pierced the man with his glare,
confident he had not missed the fury in his eyes. "Don't be trying
anything stupid, Kankul."
Swiftly gathering back his wits, Gideon scanned the entrance to the
woodland one more time before breaking into the dense cave of
trees. It was quiet. Too quiet, as a matter of a fact. He could
feel Malakai's energy bearing down on his back like a burden. Fear
was not an emotion that was bred in the hearts of Marujan nobility.
Whoever acquired it, did so on their own. What he felt at the
moment was not fear at all but the urge to defend himself against
some unknown being. An unknown being that seemed rather
close. 
"What exactly are in these woods?" His gaze moved around calmly,
trying to locate the beginning of any possible attack.
"Maybe a couple wild cats but they aren't prevalent this time of
year. What you should be worried about are a traps set by the
Vahlsing rebels."
"
Who
?" Gideon
spun around to face him, his eyes blazing with anger. He'd thought
the man would have disclosed such information before he'd entered
the damn woods. But he quickly reminded himself that Malakai Baamel
was no friend. 
"The Vahlsing rebels," he answered in a dull and almost bored tone.
"You might want to look out for them as well." 
To say he was angry was the lowest of understatements in Gideon's
regard. He was mad, blood already boiling and heated fumes of fury
emanating from his body. For a brief moment, he pictured himself
snapping Malakai's neck like a toothpick and then thoroughly
enjoying his plan of feeding him to the previously mentioned
wildcats!! But he was not that cool. In fact, he felt nobly
hot-headed, his
mana
peaking as he slammed himself into his enemy, knocking
Malakai straight into the trunk of a nearby tree.

The ground vibrated for a
few seconds, birds on their nighttime perches scattering across the
slowly brightening sky. But the anger burning within him didn't do
much else but haze his vision for a while, distracting him from the
jaw-breaking punch Malakai delivered only a couple seconds later.
Damn, if it weren't for his ability to heal himself almost
instantly, that blow would have done some serious damage. But
serious damage was what he had intended on doing.....until an arrow
came out of nowhere, piercing through his arm and successfully
sending him off balance.

Catching a glance at the
smirk on Malakai's face, Gideon yanked the weapon harshly from his
flesh. But when he attempted at deforming that smug look with a
sharp slam of his fist, he only sensed all feeling dissolving from
his arm....and not long after, his entire body. The last thing he
saw before succumbing to unconsciousness was the approach of
several booted legs.....and the hem of a silvery dress. 
* * * 

S
oft
feathery light kisses brushed across his jaw, tickling the side of
his neck and inching lower...much lower. The gentle caress woke him
gently, eyes blinking open slowly. For a brief moment, he saw the
blurry appearance of a slender blonde bent over him. Blinking
fiercely now, Gideon groaned deeply, "Esyth?"
And then his vision cleared crystal, disappointing his hope.
Whoever this woman was, she was not Esyth. Beautiful, she was. But
no one could replace the woman who had made him feel like such a
love sick fool....and called him just that too. 
"Is that her name?" the strange woman asked, a smile spreading
across an alabaster face. "You've been muttering for some woman in
your sleep?"
Ignoring the woman now, Gideon looked around to see that he was
housed in a small cosy bedroom, lowly lit by a burning lamp. "Where
am I?"
Slightly frowning, she eased off the bed, standing akimbo and
glaring down at him. "Well... A thank you would sound more
welcoming. You're lucky Daddy hadn't had you killed for
trespassing."
Staring at her for a long thoughtful moment, Gideon cracked his
signature smile. "Ah. The Vahlsing rebels. Well, do pass on my
sincerest gratitude to your '
Daddy
'," he said in a sarcastic
voice. "As for now, I must excuse myself. I must be on my
way."
She actually looked shocked. "You can't. Your friend requested you
get enough rest to gather your senses. "
"That man is no friend of mine!"
Blast it!
How could he have forgotten about Malakai Baamel?
Gideon was then convinced the man had set him up
in the woods. 
She fanned a dismissing hand at him. "Oh, well either way you can't
leave just yet." Her bright hazel eyes glittered with mischief. "I
personally do not know the man but he does appear to be a good
friend of Daddy's." Now she jumped back on to the bed, an eager
smile plastered on her face. "But neither of that matters! I was
promised a night with you."
"What?" Gideon could feel the vein popping in his forehead.
The chit must be crazy!
Looking her over swiftly, he swallowed down the urge to give
into his impulses. The soft swells of her breasts straining
lusciously against the sheer of a white nightgown that was not
making his decision any easier to make as it only ended mid-thigh,
revealing creamy firm thighs desperate for his touch. Lifting his
gaze to her face, her cheeks blushed hotly, knowing, all too well,
his intentions. But what was she? Seventeen? He was surprised her
father would have promised his own daughter a night with a complete
stranger. A voice in his head told him to reject the girl's
invitation but he had done well with ignoring his conscience over
the years. 
"Well, are you just going to stand there and stare at me all
night...or are you going to
do
something?"
She was a mouthy one, Gideon had quickly gathered. So, he decided
he had better give her what she wanted before she drove him to
utter madness. At least, he'd enjoy teaching her the
lesson. 
Knitting his fingers beneath his head above the soft pillows,
Gideon regarded her amusedly and sighed deeply. "I'm entirely at
your expense, sweetheart."
For a moment, she looked surprised and she just stood there staring
down at him with wide cat eyes. Gideon took the time to study her
deeply for a while. Again...he could not leave out the fact that
she was beautiful; a dainty oval face, small plump lips and
straight waist-long hair to best keep a man's company. Hell, she
was the best definition of a wood minx, and for the time he decided
to remove his thoughts from Esyth—however hard it was and he could
not understand why—and revel in the temptress' advances. He had to
try. 
"Well, don't you at least want to know my name?"
"Not if you don't think it's important..."
A slow smile spread across her lips and within the next second she
jumped on the bed again, gaze flickering over his sheet-covered
body. She then flashed a glance behind her at the door and then
giggled nervously. "We don't have all night, you know," she
murmured, hands yanking giddily at sheets and clothes until Gideon
was stripped of all. The girl then nudged him on his now healed
right arm. "I heard Daddy mentioning that you were
'a man with extraordinary
abilities
'," she chuckled, licking her
lips as she stared down at his already hardening manhood. "I don't
know what he means...but I sure hope it has something to do with
this." And she ran a finger along the length of his
cock. 
Gideon sucked in a breath and pinned her with a fiery glare, the
mana coursing through his veins heightening...and his eyes flooding
red. He then grabbed her before she could let out the expected
scream, slammed a palm over her mouth and held her down against the
bed with his weight. "You're playing with fire, Mia."
A small slender hand reached up and gently withdrew his hand.
Strangely, Gideon abided. Mia smiled. "So you do know my
name?"
"You talk a lot for someone who's eager to be
fucked
."
"And you waste a lot of time for someone who's eager
to...fuck."
He needn't more invitation than that. Reaching a hand between them,
Gideon grasped the waist of very thin panties and ripped them
apart. Never breaking eye contact with the sex-craved vixen, he
then grabbed one leg, eased it over his shoulder and pressed her
even further into the mattress. Mia released a shallow gasp...her
eyes swimming in desire...as he plunged hot and deep inside
her. 
"Damn, you feel good!" Gideon released a deep groan as he withdrew
slowly and then slammed hard inside her again.
Watery half-closed eyes stared up at him as he satisfied his
lusting. And then she smiled and Gideon found himself with the
undying urge to make those welled up tears fall. He didn't know
why—and perhaps it was selfish of him--but he wanted to. Maybe he'd
been wrong about trying to forget about the circumstances
surrounding Esyth, and the pain igniting in his soul at the moment
only sprung to anger. The nearest victim was Mia...and he decided
full-on to find quick release. 
The rate of his thrusts increased, the force accompanied with them
heightening. Mia's soft moans now came out in breathy squeals and
whimpers, but the guilt he knew he should have felt never came.
Gideon sucked in a sharp breath, withdrawing his cock right to the
tip and then thrust deep once again. This time her scream rang out
loud and clear in his ears, salty moisture sliding over her cheeks.
For a moment, he elevated himself up on his palms and stared down
at her. She was a victim...purely innocent of this punishment but
he didn't care. Esyth was somewhere out there...and damn it, he
would find her.

The second he rolled off
Mia, the door came busting in and in walked a large muscular fellow
in leather who yelled, "Get your stinking hands off her!" .....and
Malakai Baamel. 
Frankly, Gideon didn't give a damn about the man. If he wanted to
fight, he surely would oblige. What he did care about, however, was
the smirk on Malakai's face and the pain sketched across the girl's
features. 
The man then averted his dark glare to his daughter and shouted,
"Get out of here, Mia!"
Casting Gideon a swift glance, she grabbed up the sheets around her
and immediately scurried from the room. She hadn't look at all
terrified.....just embarrassed. Malakai took the honors of sliding
the bolt on the door and then taking his seat on a stool
nearby. 
Rolling his eyes and cursing lowly, Gideon eased off the bed and
yanked on his jeans. It wasn't until a grin split through the tense
air—and he was zipping up his pants—that he turned around. The man
came towards him chuckling and holding out a hand. "You don't scare
easily, do you boy?" 
Gideon just looked at the man and then regarded Malakai. "You set
me up."
"You wound me, Maruj," Malakai chortled.
"I'll take pleasure in ripping your guts out and feeding them to
you, you fucking asshole."
Malakai chuckled and got to his feet. "As much as that sounds
wonderful...I don't think you will." He stepped forward and dropped
a hand on the other man's shoulder. "This is Abel Macintosh...and
he's got some information you'd be very interested in."
Gideon stared at the man.
Abel
Macintosh
. He knew that name. He knew it
all too well. He'd heard tales of the man since he was a boy, tales
that had on many a nights served as the flame to countless
nightmares. But now that they were standing face to face, Gideon
was somewhat bewildered. Abel Macintosh did not appear as
foreboding as he had thought he would. Yes, he was a huge muscular
man. But his countenance was neither that of a man who had fought
many battles...or singlehandedly slain hundreds of men. Instead,
his features represented a man who had abandoned all that; a man
who had become a slave to family life. 
He certainly did not look like the man who, centuries ago, had once
fought alongside Deorci.