Empath's Angel - M J Marlow (easy readers .TXT) 📗

in trouble,and he would pay out the national debt to help the child. Heand team would set up house. His wife, Mikala, would love this impromptu vacation. She had been after him for years to go someplace special. “Someplace special,” Mikala frowned an hour later when she joined himand his team at the penthouse, “as in just youand me, Adam. Not as in part of a take down team.” “I thought this would be something you’d want to be part of, moj serce,” Adam replied. “Seeing as its our niece we are intending to rescue.” “Dominik’s girl?” Mikala asked. Adam noddedand her demeanor shifted drastically. “You couldn’t have stopped me. So who has herand how are we going to get her away from them?” “The man in the penthouse below this one,” Adam answered her questions in the order she’d asked them, “and as quicklyand painlessly as possible.” He nodded over at one of his men. “Jacob has already planted the bugs. We’re going to monitor the situationand pick our moment.” “Make it soon, my dear,” Mikala told her husband, “or I shall march down thereand demand that she be given to me!” * Emilia was standing in the living room looking out across the city as the night descended. It was a beautiful view, but it didn’t please her. She was trapped in a life that was not of her own choosing. Samuel had promised to help her father with his legal problems if she did as he asked without argument. She was still numb from losing Stephen’s child,and had no energy to fight. Samuel had told her that she would be married to his other son once she had recovered from the miscarriage. She heard Zachary come up behind herand controlled the shudder as his hands rested on her shoulders. For over eight weeks now, they had enjoyed the shows, the museums,and other sights of the city. Samuel watched her move away from his son,and saw Zachary’s frown. She had been an obedientand pleasing daughter; he had no complaints. But she had been distant with Zachary, refusing to show him any warmth. “This has been a pleasant interlude,” Samuel finally said as Zachary turned her so he could look down into her glorious eyes, “but it is time for us to go home.” He saw her frown as she looked over at him. “We will come back, child; if that is what you want.” “Do you actually care what I want?” Emilia asked him, her voice filled with pain she could not control. “I want you to be happy,” Samuel told her earnestly. “You became my daughter when you married Stephen, child.” He cupped her chin in his hand. “What can I do to help you finally accept your place in my family?” “I have accepted that you are going to run my life,” Emilia replied tightly. “I am here, aren’t I?” “That is not what he meant, pet,” Zachary broke in, “and you know it.” His eyes went cold as he had a sudden, unwelcome thought. “If Stephen were here, would you be happy?” His fingers bit into her,and she winced in pain. “That’s it, isn’t it? You still mourn my brother!” “I loved your brother,” Emilia reminded him, her eyes glistening with tears. “I can’t just turn that off to suit you.” “I’m sorry, child,” Samuel said as he pulled her away from Zachary. He hugged herand glared at his son over her head. “We know you’re doing your best.” He looked down into her eyesand knew he had her beat. “You’re my daughter now, Emilia. I am going to see to it that you have everything you need to be happy.” Emilia was lost. This monster was convinced he was doing the right thing for her by keeping her at his side. What gave him the right, her mind screamed as she sank down on the couchand struggled to control her temper. She watched him pour her a glass of juiceand took it with a vacant smile. There had to be some way she could get away from him. If she couldn’t have Stephen, then she wanted to be back in Glenville. “We have a gallery opening to attend tonight,” Samuel said as he pulled her to her feet. “Martha will help you get dressed.” Emilia went to the master suite to find a bath already drawnand waiting for her. She slipped into the warm water with a sigh of pleasure, letting the warmth draw the last of the pain from her body. Something had changed in the dynamic of her relationship with Samuel,and she wasn’t certain it was for the best. Good or bad, it was what he firmly believed had to be. She was the daughter he had wanted with Karen, her mother. Once she was dressed, she moved out into the living roomand accepted the glass of juice he held out to her. She looked at Zachary,and something in his expression made her very uneasy. “You need to start accepting the fact, Emilia,” Samuel said as he put his arm around her, “that Zachary is going to be your husband. He has been very patient with you,” he addedand saw the shock on her face. “His cousin is going to the opening with us. Isn’t that nice?” “Nice,” Emilia choked out. She looked at the tall blonde woman seated on the couch who was eyeing her appraisingly. “You’re Stephen’s cousin?” “Uncle Samuel’s sister was my mother,” Juliet Devereaux nodded. She rose to her feetand moved towards her. Emilia was reminded of a jungle cat stalking its prey. “My name is Juliet Devereaux Simmons.” “Your husband couldn’t join you?” Emilia asked as she found herself drawn away from Samuel’s side by the woman. “My husband is the artist,” Juliet told her, smiling warmly. The girl was quite innocent, Juliet noted. She reminded Juliet of a Madonna in a Renaissance painting. “You must let me call on you, Emilia, now that you’re family. I’ll show you all the best shops…” “Before we go,” Samuel interrupted, as he took a box out of his pocketand handed it to Zachary. “We should get this little business out of the way.” “Father wants you to have his mother’s engagement ring, Emilia,” he said gently as he looked down into her eyes. He could feel the sadness coming off of herand it bothered him. “Aren’t you happy?” “Should I be?” Emilia sighed. “The only positive thing that has happened to me since I met your family was that I was having Stephen’s child.” She tried to move awayand he put his armand hand out to stop her. She looked up at him,and distress was in her eyes. “I don’t want you, Zachary. I don’t want to be anywhere near this family, if Stephen isn’t here with me!” “You are a Winslow now, Emilia,” Zachary broke in, harshly. “Your place is here with us.” His hand moved up to her cheekand he felt her shiver. He was determined to have her now. “I can promise you that I will be a considerate husband.” “I don’t want to marry you!” Emilia cried out in despair. “Why can’t you all just leave me alone?” “Because you belong to us now, Emilia,” Zachary told her bluntly, as he opened the boxand slid the engagement ring on her finger. He was enjoying the anger in her eyes. As he moved in closer, he saw the shock as she realized what he meant to do to her. “We will never let you go.” “Please don’t,” Emilia choked as his body pressed against her, pinning her to the wall. “I don’t want you touching me.” She could feel him raising the skirt of her gownand she tried to pull free. “Stop it!” Zachary wasn’t listening. She was such a beautiful child, his mind sang as he let his handsand his lips roam at will. He could understand now just why his brother had chosen to take her instead of let their father have her. Despite the fact that he had her helpless, she continued to fight him. He lifted her upand slid inside of herand the shock in her eyes was glorious. He was going to enjoy having her in his bed, he knew. His lips claimed hersand she bit him, still trying to make him let her go. It only excited him further. He couldn’t wait for her to be his! “You bastard!” Emilia hissed once he released her. She slapped him across the face, her eyes blazing with rage. “If you ever touch me again, I will kill you!” “You’re certainly going to have an interesting wedding night, my son,” Samuel laughed. He finished his drinkand saw the horror in the girl’s eyes. She had not even realized that heand Juliet were still in the room. “Shall we go?” Zachary took Emilia’s hand and held her to his side as they went down in the elevator to the limousine waiting out front. Emilia sat quietly at his sideand Samuel enjoyed the look of hunger on his son’s face. Samuel smiled. It hadn’t been hard to convince Zachary to keep Emilia in the family. They got out at the galleryand Zachary kept Emilia’s hand in his as he took her through the exhibit. He was every inch the loving fiancé as he chose what she could eat or drink from the buffet table. Zachary was ready to explode by the time he got his chance to get the girl alone. He took her hand and led her out to the alley. “I am not marrying you,” Emilia argued. “I don’t care how many times you rape me; I won’t stay…” Zachary’s lips claimed hersand she stiffened. “Nie dotyka mnie!” Zachary was suddenly flying as two men yanked him off of her. They held him as a third man, also masked, held his hand out to Emilia. She was uncertain what she should do, Zachary saw. But then she realized that they were taking her away from him,and she noddedand took the man’s hand. Zachary slid down the wall after the man holding him back slammed his head into the wall. He knelt down next to the stunned man, his voice coldand hard. “Come after her again,” he said harshly, “and the next place you’ll be is the morgue.” “You’re going to pay for this,” Zachary hissed as he pulled himself up, groaning in pain. “No one moves on us!” “You heard me, Winslow,” the man laughed harshly. “You have had your only warning.” The men joined their companion in the vanand Emilia watched as they removed their masks. All three of the men were handsome,and reminded her of her father. Adam lifted a canteen out of the storage unitand handed it to her. Emilia took a sip, found it to be only water,and continued to drink. Once she was through, she took off the engagement ringand dropped it into the trash bin. “We apologize that we couldn’t get to you sooner, moj brat dzieckcko,” Adam told her as his younger brother, Barnabas, took the wheel. “We are your uncles. I am Adam, the man at the wheel is Barnabas,and the buffoon seated next to you is the youngest of the Sobieski sons, Konrad. Your father is waiting for us.” “He’s in trouble,” Emilia said softly as she acknowledged them. “We’re going to him now,” Adam told her. “He will be glad to see you.” “Did he really do all those awful things I read in the paper?” Emilia asked her uncle. She saw his frown at her knowing anything about the situation. “Professor Winslow showed me.” “He would!” Konrad hissed. “The bastard!” He laid his hand on Emilia’s, his expression grim. “Dominik would never willingly hurt anyone. Unlike Adamand I, heand Barnabas are the gentlest men in creation.” He saw the uncertainty in her eyes. “I wouldn’t lie to you, Emilia. Even if I did,” he smiled as he felt her mind in his,