Home in Your Arms (7 page)

Her heart jumped erratically for a moment but she pushed the
thought away. It couldn’t have been him. There was no way.

Ian stood and kissed her. She could feel his arousal pressed
hard against her leg. Even though she had just sucked off a stranger, she
wanted more. She reached out for Ian’s pants, wanting his cock in her mouth.

He stopped her, though. “We don’t have time. The lights will
come back on in a few moments. Make yourself presentable. We leave as soon as
possible.”

His words were clipped and to the point. He wanted to get
out of there. She didn’t say anything as she put her breasts back into the
corset. The material brushed against her sensitive nipples and she gasped in
pleasure. A thought crossed her mind.
How the hell did Andrew get to the
brothel so fast?

The lights flickered once in the room and then came back on.
Lexi looked down, glad to see that she was presentable. As she glanced around
the room, she could see others were still enjoying their not-so-private
moments. Okay, it was probably a good thing that Ian had stopped things when he
had. Some of the onlookers were getting a lot of enjoyment out of watching and
it made her uncomfortable. Andrew was nowhere to been seen, which surprised
her. Where had he gone? She was relieved he wasn’t there though, and maybe a
little disappointed…

A man standing near the doorway caught her eye. He wore a
red and black uniform, much like the ringmaster at a circus would wear. His
tall, muscular form looked odd in his outfit though, much like a child who had
outgrown his favorite get-up but refused to change. With his long, curly hair,
he looked wild. He bowed at the waist to her and smiled showing off his very
white teeth.

She found herself smiling back and asked Ian, “Who is he?”

Ian followed her gaze and replied, “That’s Hank, the lion
tamer. He is no one of concern.” He laid a few gold coins on the bar and said, “We
need to get out of here. We’ve already lost so much time.”

His words rubbed her the wrong way and she replied, “Sorry.”
She dragged the word out so he knew she wasn’t sorry.

The man, Hank, smiled again and stepped outside the saloon
as if he knew she was upset. Ian walked through the doors and she followed him.
Twilight quickly took over the sky, rushing the sun away. It was eerie how the
darkness seemed more intense in the woods than at the compound.

She wasn’t surprised to see Hank leaning against the
building. He almost blended into the shadows but his glowing yellow eyes gave
him away.

“Good evening, officer,” he said to Ian.

Ian called over his shoulder, “We don’t have time for you,
lion tamer. Go bother someone else.”

Hank caught up with them and said, “Word around the watering
hole is that you two are trying to get to Sapphire City without the Witches
knowing.”

That made Ian stop and Lexi could tell by the stillness in
his eyes that he was angry. Word seemed to travel fast in the realm.

“And who do you hear this from?”

Hank lifted a shoulder in a shrug. “Around. Word also says
that Sully has been captured and that Horace is dead by your hand.”

His tone held blame for Ian. She wanted to defend him but
she knew it would be useless. This man could not be won over easily. She wasn’t
sure how she knew this but she did. Then his words registered with her and she
held back a gasp.

“Sully’s been captured?” Lexi asked in horror.

She prayed that her question gave nothing away but she had
to know. He had been so kind to her. If it were true, that would mean he was
the second to be lost because of her. Guilt made it hard to breathe. She wasn’t
worth people losing their lives over.

Hank nodded to her and said, “Yes, ma’am. That’s what I
heard today.” He turned to Ian. “Did you kill Horace?”

A muscle ticked in Ian’s jaw as he said, “Horace died long
before my bullet killed him and you know it.”

“Ah, so it is true, but others don’t see it that way. Some
say you committed murder. There are some who want an example made of the king
and his Royal Guard,” Hank said slowly. “You know, just as an example was made
of the Circus and their ringmaster.”

Lexi looked back and forth between the men. Underlying tones
suggested more that wasn’t being said. She knew one thing though—she didn’t
want Ian to be hurt.

“Hank, you know I had no choice but to take Brian in. He was
involved in the murder of the queen.”

Hank’s eyes flashed and he replied, “You don’t know that for
sure. He would have never—” He stopped talking and smiled slowly. “I’m not here
to relive the past. And I am most certainly not here to listen to you soil
Brian’s name by speaking it. I am here to help you two, though. You can’t
travel the path to the south.”

“And why not?” Ian asked, steel in his voice.

“Because you’ll be killed. As we speak, a mob is forming
there, led by your old mate, Matthew. You did see him in the saloon, didn’t
you? He wasn’t happy to see you and, well, you know how word spreads in this area.
And people know that the woman who travels with you is valuable—”

Ian grabbed Hank and slammed him against a tree. Lexi ran
over to the two and grabbed onto Ian’s arm.

“Ian. Don’t hurt him. It won’t do any good.”

She knew Hank spoke the truth. She could feel it in her
bones. She also knew they needed a new plan now. Ian let Hank go and stepped
away from him.

“We need a new plan, Ian,” she said. “Come on. We can work
this out.”

He shook his head. “There is no other way. We’ll go back to
the compound and wait for more soldiers to travel with us.”

His shoulders sagged in defeat.

“No. There has to be another way.”

She couldn’t stand to see that look in his eyes.

“There is another way,” Hank said as he leaned against a
tree.

She turned to him. “Which way. Tell us.”

A smile lifted the corners of Hank’s mouth as he said, “Through
the forest and past the Enchanted Fields. Quite simple, really.”

Ian’s head snapped up at the mention of the fields. He wasn’t
sure what game Hank was up to but he wasn’t about to find out.

“There is no way in hell we’re going by the fields. Why don’t
you go tend your lions and leave us alone,” he snapped. “Come on, Lexi. We need
to head back to the compound.”

Hank laughed. “I would mind my own business but my lions
were killed when my ringmaster was sent to prison, as I’m sure you remember. In
addition, you should be a little kinder to me. I mean, I’m saving your ass
right now. I could’ve let you walk into an ambush.”

Ian didn’t doubt his words. Angry mobs weren’t uncommon
around the saloon. Hate and anger seemed to thrive there, killing any form of
kindness. But could he trust Hank? That was the real question.

“Besides, the fields haven’t been active in a while. Going
that route will be much faster than going all the way back to the compound.”

Now
that
was interesting. He looked at Hank from his
head to his feet and could have laughed in joy. Hank wasn’t under the “effects”
of the fields, which was a good sign. Come to think about it, he hadn’t heard
of Hank being arrested recently either.

“How long have they been inactive?”

Hank sighed dramatically. “For too long. Nearly six months
and two days…not that I’m counting, of course.”

“Of course,” Lexi echoed.

Ian’s gaze settled on her. It would be dangerous to take her
near the fields but it might actually be worth the risk.

He turned to Hank. “I’m going to need to see some proof.”

Hank rolled his eyes and took off his red jacket. He rolled
up the sleeves of his white shirt to show his veins. Ian ran his finger over
the vein, making sure there were no marks or makeup hiding the marks. If Hank
had used the liquid from the flowers recently then Ian would be able to tell
but there were no signs.

“See? I’m clean. No needle marks,” Hank said defensively. “I’ve
found other ways to occupy myself.”

Ian held up his hand. “I don’t need or want to hear what
these ‘other ways’ are. It’s best for you to keep them to yourself.”

By oath, he would have to hold Hank accountable to whatever
crimes he confessed to and he knew the other man had a habit for finding
trouble.

“Are we going to go by the fields?” Lexi asked.

Dark shadows were forming under her eyes and he realized
just how tired she must be. They had traveled a great distance since leaving
the compound but they were only halfway to Sapphire City.

“We’ll camp for the night and then head west toward the
fields tomorrow. You need rest.”

She smiled up at him. It then dawned on him that he didn’t
have a tent in his bag. Andrew had mentioned not packing one and he had
forgotten to get it before leaving. A curse slipped past his lips and then he
noticed a tent on Hank’s pack.

“Hank?”

Hank rolled his eyes and took his bag from his shoulder. He
dug around and then threw the tent to Ian.

“You owe me,” he said.

“I’ll repay you one day, I swear on my word.”

Hank nodded. “I bid you farewell then. I wish you a good
night and safe travel in the morning.” He began to walk away, then turned and
added, “I’ll watch the path tonight so fear not.”

Ian knew Hank would keep his word. Though strange, he was a
good man at heart, even in an area as unsafe as this. In different times, Ian
might even call him an ally.

“Thank you, Hank,” Lexi called after him.

He soon disappeared in the shadows of the night until the
only thing that could be seen was the glow from his cigarette. Ian took Lexi by
the hand.

“I trust Hank but I’ll feel safer when we’re away from the
Wooden Brothel. We’ll camp for the night at a place nearby. It’s an apple
orchard with the reddest apples you could imagine.”

Lexi smiled. “That sounds wonderful.”

The two walked in silence for a while. The full moon above
created enough light for them to see where they went without needing a lantern.
Crickets hummed all around and fireflies drifted about like tiny stars. Ian put
his arm around Lexi and smiled when she snuggled against him.

“We’re almost there,” he promised.

She nodded sleepily and he stopped. Without saying a word,
he scooped her into his arms.

“Thanks,” she murmured against his chest.

Her head bobbed for a few moments before she dozed off. She
was light in his arms. He used the time to let his mind wander. Hank had been
right about one thing. The Ringmaster’s capture happened by his own hand. There
had been no way around it but Ian still blamed himself.

When ambushed, the queen had cried out Brian’s name as her
traitor and several people were witness to it. His letter had sent her rushing
away from the palace without her guards. When confronted, Brian denied sending
the letter but not even he could deny his own signature.

To punish Brian and to honor the fallen queen, all the
circus animals had been executed. Brian watched from his prison cell, helpless.
Ian closed his eyes as he remembered the cries of the animals as they died. It
still haunted him. Brian’s anguished cries haunted him more. It was truly the
most awful punishment imaginable for him. A few weeks later, he had hung
himself in his prison cell unable to continue living a life behind bars.

Before his death, he had told another prisoner that he was
innocent even though no one believed him. It was hard to believe that he had
maintained the same story even after losing everything. That was the one thing
that bothered Ian the most. How could a man continue to lie when everything he
cared about had been ripped away from his life?

Ian sighed and pushed the thoughts from his memory. He
reached the orchard and set Lexi gently onto the ground. The grass was lush and
thick under the trees so it made a nice bed. The wind carried the scent of
apples and the moonlight made them glow like gems in the trees.

He watched Lexi sleep for a moment and then set up the tent.
It had been a long time since he had slept outside. His work with the Royal
Guard left little time to enjoy life’s small luxuries. He considered camping a
luxury.

As he put the tent pieces together, he tried not to think
about the path they had decided to take. If the king knew that they were
traveling near the Enchanted Fields, he would be furious. But Ian also knew the
Witches grew angrier each moment Lexi lived.

He took in a slow breath. He was going to have to tell her
the truth, and soon. She needed to know the events that had led to the queen’s
death. And as much as it would kill him to tell her everything, she needed to
be prepared. If she was the One, she would also face the same battle as the queen.

Lexi stirred in her sleep and her eyes opened. She sat up
and yawned. He smiled, forcing his face to appear relaxed.

“Sorry I fell asleep,” she apologized. “I feel bad that you
had to carry me.”

“Don’t worry about it. You’re as light as a feather,” he
said with a grin.

Lexi stood and looked around the orchard. She reached up and
touched one of the red apples gently.

“It’s beautiful here.”

He put his hand over hers. “If you caress the apples, they’ll
drop from the tree into your hand.”

She looked up at him and said, “Oh I don’t want to do that.
I’d feel like I was hurting the tree. I can just eat one from the ground.”

He shook his head. “No, the apples on the ground are meant
for the animals and to rot and go back into the soil. It’s the way of the
Sinodaian people.”

She caught her lip between her teeth and then gently
caressed the apple. It dropped into her hand and she smiled. Ian reached up and
did the same to another apple. He watched as Lexi bit into the ruby red apple.
A little juice dripped down her chin and he wiped it off with his finger.

Her cheeks turned pink and she said, “I just don’t know how
you do it?”

“Do what?” he asked, confused.

“You just did something simple and innocent by wiping the
juice from my chin and all I can think about is how I want you to make love to
me. What’s wrong with me?”

Ian could feel a smile growing on his face. “Does that mean
you’re wet for me?”

She nodded. “I’ve been wet for you since seeing you at the
compound. I was scared and alone but I wanted you then.”

“It’s not a bad problem to have,” he said with a laugh.

She snorted. “That’s easy for you to say. You’re not the one
walking around feeling like a Slip ’N Slide.”

He wasn’t sure what a Slip ’N Slide was but he got the
general idea of what she was referring to. And he loved hearing that he turned
her on.