What the Earl Desires (42 page)

“Father is expecting me.”

He wanted to gnash his teeth together. This father of hers was really pissing him off.

“What does he have to do with this?”

Her expression fell. “Do not ask questions you know the answer to.”

“Najja,” he said staring into her eyes. “I can give you anything you need, you do not have to let him run your life.”

He could see the war waging in her eyes. For a second, he had a glimmer of hope, then it faded. Her gaze shuttered. “I have to go.”

His fingers tightened on her upper arms. “Najja.”

“I am sorry, Colin. Father is picking a man to give me a child. I have to go.”

Red rage settled over him. Immobilizing him.
The hell he is.
“No!”

She blinked. “No?”

“Hell, no.” He shook his head, trying to clear his mind. “Hell. No.” Colin released her and stepped back. When she moved he pinned her with a glare. “Do not move.” He scrambled to pull on his breeches and once they hung on his hips, he focused on her again. She’d listened and had not budged.

“Mine, Najja. Mine!” His words flowed on a low growl and he stepped flush to her. “You are mine. I took your virginity and I will kill any man,
any
, who touches you.”

Her eyes grew wide and he would swear tears shimmered in their depths. She whispered a few words in the language he didn’t understand, but desperately wished he did. The agony was on her face and it tore him up inside.

“You once asked me what I would want if I was allowed to have anything for myself,” Najja said solemnly. She reached out and stroked her fingers along his face. They paused on his lips before she skimmed them back and forth on the bottom one. “Had I a choice, Colin Faulkner, it would be you. It has
always
been you, since the day we met.”

You do have one.
He closed his eyes only to reopen them when her touch vanished. Correction, she’d disappeared, completely. There had been no sound just one moment there, the next, gone.

Deep in his chest pain radiated up and out. It hit so hard it staggered him. Yes, he’d survived without her. That wasn’t the question. The question was, did he plan on letting the only woman he’d truly ever loved get away? And have another man’s baby? Just because her twisted father decreed it?

Hell no.

Shoving into the rest of his clothes, he strode to Pug’s room and burst in. The boy came awake immediately.

“What?”

“Get dressed,” he ordered strapping on his sword and some guns.

“What ’appened?”

“Nothing yet. We are going to get Najja back.”

The gap-toothed grin told him all he needed to know. Pug agreed. Determination pumped through him and he left to get the things he needed ready. One of the servants pointed him in the right direction only to promptly tell him he shouldn’t go.

Nothing would keep him from her. Nothing.

As soon as he had what he needed, he and Pug rode off uncertain of what they faced. But he was confident he would get what he wanted. One way or another.

Chapter Twenty-One

Najja listened to Father talk to some of his strongest warriors but in all truth her mind was on Colin. He’d come all this way for her. She shifted on the fur as the memory of last night resurfaced. She’d finally spent an entire night in his arms and it had been nothing short of heaven.

His touches. The tender caresses. Kisses and more. How it felt to be held by him. He made her feel so protected, not something she expected to ever experience with another.

Colin.

His name alone made her feel a wealth of things no other’s touch could compare to. And Pug. The little urchin had found his way into her heart.

“Daughter.” The tone rang sharp with disapproval.

She had no idea what or where the conversation had gone. “I am sorry, Father. I lost track for a moment.”

Crack!

Her head rocked back with the force of his blow. Fingers flexed and reached for her sais before she controlled the urge. Instead she lowered her head and ignored the line of blood trickling from the corner of her mouth.

“Those four will fight and you
will
submit to the winner.”

Najja lifted her gaze enough to see the men. Her stomach recoiled at the thought. Turning her head, she took in those who watched. People who were strangers to her despite being from the same village. They shouldn’t be, yet they were. Not one friendly face toward her. Exactly how Father had wanted it. One of those women could be her mother. She had no clue. And now he wanted to take her baby and raise it how she had been raised. Without knowing kindness, love, or her mother.

“Why?” The question slipped out.

“Why what?” Father demanded, glaring at her with a fierce frown.

“Why force me to have a child?”

“You are the best. The best and the strongest have children.”

She couldn’t do it. Couldn’t agree to bring a child in to face what she had. “No.”

His eyes widened only to narrow. “No?”

“No. I will not give you a child to raise as you did me.”

Thunder darkened his expression. “You dare refuse my command? I own your life!”

She lifted her chin and stared him back, directly in the eye. “Mine yes. Not that of my child. You would have to have me guarded every single hour for the second someone’s guard slipped, I would be gone.”

His foot connected with her chest and sent her rolling back to lie on the hard packed ground. Getting up, she stood tall and refused to show weakness.

Some other warriors began to move in and she instinctively withdrew her sais.

“You dare draw weapons against me?”

“Not you, Father. But I will fight everyone you send to breed me. I will not give up my child.”

There was a flurry of activity and the crowd parted. Two men led Colin and Pug forward.

“They were heading in this direction,” one man said, shoving Colin.

Her heart jumped to her throat. Colin and Pug didn’t look injured but it had ceased to matter. Those holding the spears on them would die. Her need to protect those she considered hers flowed powerfully.

Pug had a fearful yet dogged expression on his face. Colin seemed rather calm until he lowered his gaze from hers to where the blood had ran from her mouth. Then those eyes, the color of the sea, darkened with dangerous and deadly intent.

“Who the fuck hit you?” he demanded, struggling to get to her.

“Silence!” Father yelled in English. He stepped down and walked toward Colin, each stride powerful and commanding. “Who are you?”

Colin didn’t flinch. In fact he ignored him and peered back at her. “Are you okay, Najja?”

“How do you know my daughter?”

Still no response from Colin. His fiery gaze remained on her. “Najja?” he asked again.

She gave him a slight nod. His expression softened before hardening again. Then he looked to Father.

“I have come to take her home.” He tipped his head to Pug. “
We
have come to take her home.”

“She is home. Did you perhaps wish to buy her services?”

“I will gladly pay a dowry for her if you wish one.”

Her heart thudded. Father’s black eyes flickered between them. “Dowry? You wish to marry her?”

Colin turned his head and met her stare. “Yes.”

Najja didn’t know what to do or say.

“No. She is to give me her child to raise, as I did her.”

“I will kill any man who touches her,” Colin growled, his eyes green fire.

“I could kill you now. And your boy then do what I wish.”

Najja’s fury rumbled low in her chest and she stepped forward. “No harm comes to the boy.”

“No concern for this man?” Father questioned.

“He is a warrior and the boy will be one himself one day.” She gestured for Pug to come to her. The one holding him, released him and he ran directly to her. Skinny arms wrapped around her waist. The simple act filled her with a feeling of completion.

Father contemplated this. “Very well, English. You want to live and leave you fight and win.”

“When I win, the boy and Najja come with.”

“The boy,” Father agreed.

Colin looked at her and she wanted to hold him. Scream for him to run. Her heart didn’t know which to stay with. Loyalty to Father or love for Colin and Pug.

The clan spread out into a large circle with Colin and the four warriors in the middle. Najja felt sick.
What have I done?
Colin moved to her side and bent down to whisper something in Pug’s ear.

When he faced her, he unbuttoned his shirt and shrugged out of it. Despite the seriousness of the situation, she couldn’t help but stare at his powerful chest.

“Hold this for me, luv,” he whispered.

“Colin?” There were so many things she wanted to say to him.

His eyes were full of love and understanding as they held hers for several charged moments. “I know,” he said finally. One strong hand cupped the side of her face and his thumb stroked her lower lip. He blinked once, his thick lashes moving slowly to hide and expose his eyes. “I know.”

“Come English. Come meet your death.”

When he faced them, she watched Father’s eyes move to Colin’s chest where the necklace lay.

“He wears your first trophy?” Father said, his voice a bit rattled.

“He saved me, Father, and he earned it.”

“Perhaps, but now he will die.” Father waved to the men.

Colin!
Every instinct she had told her to fight at his side.

She turned Pug into her. “Do not watch this.”

He held tight but obeyed. She on the other hand, couldn’t look away. All four men had weapons and Colin didn’t. If he was concerned by that fact it never showed. He feinted and dodged before striking out with a flurry of moves that left her amazed, Colin armed, and the first warrior dead.

Colin fought dirty, striking quick and often, drawing blood. Still it wasn’t a fair fight and these men fought daily whereas Colin ran an estate. She glanced to Father and spied Colin’s sword in his lap.

“Give him his sword,” she demanded.

“Worried, Daughter?”

Words she’d never admit. “He is already fighting your best warriors and has killed one. Are you?”

With a narrowed gaze that promised retribution, he snarled at her but tossed the sword in. Rolling to avoid a blow, Colin saw it and made his way to it. He held it in one hand and the knife in the other. She would’ve sworn there was arrogance in his expression.

The other warriors were good, very good. Colin was just better. She watched him move with a lethal grace and she could imagine him on his ship battling for England. Even as a pirate. The sun glinted off his earring making him even more dashing.

Cut and bleeding he stood still with his sword point at the final man’s throat. “I beat them all. Let us leave and I will leave you one warrior alive.” His chest rose and fell with each breath, his golden skin gleamed with sweat but his hand and voice never wavered.

“Take your boy and go,” Father growled. “If you ever return you will be killed.” A gesture brought the horses close.

“Najja comes with me, also.”

A chuckle that didn’t reassure her. “You have to kill my best for that.”

The blade at the man’s throat pierced the skin, blood welled around it and the man’s eyes grew wide. “Thought these were your best.”

Najja put Pug on a horse and smoothed a hand down his cheek. “Goodbye, Pug.”

His eyes were sad. “But we came to bring you ’ome.”

She touched her heart. “A greater gift I could never receive.”

“Get on the horse, Najja,” Colin ordered. Father rose and made his way to Colin. She headed an intercept, Pug’s horse beside her. “I told you to get on the horse, Najja.”

She ignored him and focused on the angry expression Father had. “I will not fight him, Father.”

“You will fight whomever I say!”

“Not him.”

“You defy me
again
?” He roared his question.

“Let them leave.”

“I will not leave without you, Najja.” Colin’s voice was hard and absolute.

“Think of Pug.” She tried to reason with him.

“We want you home. You belong with us.” Pug’s agreement came seconds after Colin’s statement.

Father hollered out a command that had her dragging Pug back off the horse and placing him between her and Colin.

“Leave, Colin. Please, I do not want your blood on my hands.”

“What if you are carrying my baby? I am not letting you raise him across the world from me.”

Last night flashed through her mind and she wondered. The other times they slept together she’d taken an herb to combat pregnancy. Her fingers tightened on her weapons and she ran her tongue along her lips.
Him?
What if she did carry his child? A boy? A girl?