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

at her, as he set the keys in the tray by the front doorand opened her purse. He saw the letterand knew he should remove it, but found he couldn’t. Giving it to his father was not going to keep Emilia safe;and that had suddenly become far more important to him than obeying his father. “Emilia, I need to tell you something.” “You sound so serious,” Emilia frowned as she turned from the window she was gazing out of. She saw the expression on his faceand knew that whatever he was about to say it was very serious. “What’s wrong?” Stephen held his hand out to herand she came to him without a moment’s fear. He looked down into her trusting eyesand couldn’t say a word. How could he risk losing her now? He had been waiting his entire life for someone like her,and she was here with him. If he told her the truth, she would never want to be with him again. She would throw him out of her lifeand never look back. So, instead of doing what he knew was the right thing, he pulled her into his armsand kissed her. He had never felt this happy.And it was all thanks to the pretty child, whose eyes were practically dancing with joy as she looked up at him. He couldn’t betray her father. What’s more; he couldn’t let his father have her. Samuel would destroy her. After that, all thought of telling her anything went right out of his mind. “Emilia, you are so beautiful!” “Me?” Emilia laughed, shaking her head. “I’m just a kid. You’re used to more mature…” Stephen pulled her into his armsand her protests were ended by his kiss. “Oh!” She felt something being pressed into her hand and looked down at the set of keys. “Stephen?” “I have to go before I do something we’ll both regret,” Stephen said as he stepped away, with a great deal of effort. “I’ll be back in a few hours.” “But…” “No, Emilia,” Stephen shook his head firmly. “I care about you too much to risk losing it all by forcing you into something you’re not ready for.” He cupped her chin in his hand. “Don’t let anyone you don’t know inside.” Emilia watched him go, stunned. He cared about her? She felt a surge of warmth flow through her at this realization. She heard the front door closeand then the car moving off,and she felt a strange abandonment. Emilia ran to the front doorand opened it, to see him moving away. A moment later, a familiar car moved up the driveand she felt disappointed. That was odd, she thought as Mama Crossand her family got out of the carand came inside. These were her friends, she should be happy to see them. But all she wanted was Stephen. “You have it bad, little one,” Mama Cross said as she saw Emilia’s face. She hugged herand guided Emilia to the car. “I have a feeling loving that man is going to bring you nothing but pain.” She saw the confusion in Emilia’s eyesand changed the subject. “Are you ready to go, angel?” Emilia noddedand got into the car with them. They drove to the Glenville Memorial Parkand showed her where her father was buried. She sank down on her knees, her hand caressing the marble of the headstone. She didn’t stop the tears flowing down her cheeks as the memories of the past six years flowed through her mind. She could feel Mama Cross’ hands on her shouldersand she laid her right hand on one of the woman’s, grateful for the support. “Why did they do this to him, Mama?” she cried softly. “It doesn’t make any sense!” “A lot of things happen in our lives,” Mama Cross replied as she remained at the girl’s side, “that apparently make no sense.” She was not surprised when Emilia burst into tearsand threw her arms around her. “We’ll find out who did this to your father, Emi child.” While Emilia said her goodbyes to a father she thought was dead, Stephen drove back to the garageand found two of his father’s men waiting there. Frankand Jonathan Seldon were among the worst of the lot. They really delighted in hurting people, Stephen recalled. It was a good thing that he had decided to move Emilia out of the garage. His father was getting very impatient if he was sending men after himand the girl. He ignored themand went to get himself a drink. The men followed him insideand he watched as they fixed themselves each a drink. They did not speak to each other for a few minutes, but Stephen was not fooled. They were here for a very specific purpose; one he was certain he would not approve of. “Your father is beginning to think that you are dragging your feet intentionally, Doc,” Frank Seldon said finally. “He is growing impatient to hear if you’ve learned anything from the girl.” “We haven’t found anything,” Stephen lied. “It should only be a few more days…” “He wants you both back by Friday,” Jonathan broke in. “If you can not see your way clear to delivering her on your own,” he continued nastily, “then my brotherand I will help you.” “We’ll leave after the appointment with the attorney tomorrow,” Stephen responded. There was no way he was going to let these bastards anywhere near Emilia. “Is that all?” “No, Doc,” Frank shook his head. “Now that we’ve delivered our message we will remain nearby to see that you do as you are told.” He finished his drinkand rose to his feet. “If you’re thinking of pulling something…” “Don’t be ridiculous, brother,” Jonathan broke in, as he fixed his cold eyes on Stephen. “Doc would never betray his own father. He knows all too well what would happen to him if he tried.” Stephen saw them to the doorand leaned against it, shaken. What could he do now? He had hoped his father would give them more time. But it was apparent that this was not to be. He knew he had to get Emilia out of town quickly,and in a way that would keep her safe from his father. There was a Judge in the building with the attorney, he thought as his mind spun with possibilities. If he could get her there, perhaps the man would perform a marriage for them. It was the only way he could see that Emilia would be safe. It was ironic that a method he had used to get women into his bed for years was now the only way he could help this pretty child maintain her freedom. He would need help, he told himself as he ran for the phone bookand dialed. Judge Novak hung up the phone ten minutes later, frowning. He had heard of Stephen Winslow from his nephew, Adam Sobieski. The man was notorious for planning fake marriages to get women into his bed. So why was he now asking him, a legitimate judge, to perform a marriage for him with the judge’s own great-niece? He was certain Stephen Winslow was unaware of his relation to the girl. But something in Stephen’s voice had told him that this marriage was a necessary act. He called his brother-in-law, Emilia’s paternal grandfather,and was told to go ahead with the union. If Stephen proved false, he would be dealt with accordingly. Emilia’s welfare was the foremost concern. * Emilia woke up the next morning in Stephen’s homeand smiled. This was another day to spend with Stephen. She had never felt so much a part of another person before,and knew it was right. She got upand fixed herself some breakfast. As she finished there was a knock on the doorand he was there. She went into his arms happilyand there were no words for several moments. Then he took her to the couchand sat her down, his expression very serious. He stroked her hair, a look of intense regret on his face,and then determination. “I need to tell you what I couldn’t yesterday, Emilia,” he said as he looked into her eyes. “You are in a lot of danger.” “I don’t understand,” Emilia frowned. “What are you talking about, Stephen?” “My father sent me here,” Stephen told her as simply as he could, “to find the information your father was hiding from him.” He looked into her stunned expression as he held up the letter she had found in the safe deposit box. “It’s all here,” he continued; “the microdots, the shipping schedules. Everything the authorities need to bring my father down.” “You were a part of what happened to my father, Stephen?” Emilia cried, her heart nearly breaking when he nodded. “Why?” “Because my father has been using your father to create some very nasty drugs for him, Emilia,” Stephen told her bluntly. “He had your father murdered so no one would know the truth.” “This is crazy!” Emilia cried out in disbelief. “He’s going to do the same to me, isn’t he?” She saw the look on Stephen’s faceand knew fear. “I didn’t know anything about this!” She lowered her head into her hands, trying to stop shaking. “What are you going to do now?” “There is only one thing I can do,” Stephen told her fiercely. “I am going to betray himand let you turn this information over to Lieutenant Simon.” He saw that he had her attentionand he moved in. “Then you are going to marry me.” “But I don’t know you,” Emilia protested. She saw the hurt on his face. “I thought you were my friend, Stephen, but you were only pretending…” She shook her head as he reached out to her. “Please don’t touch me.” “Please believe me, Emilia,” Stephen told her. He cupped her cheek in his hand and let her see his feelings. “I would do anything to keep him from hurting you,” he added,and was surprised to find that he really meant it. “Once he’s convinced you are out of his reach, we’ll annul the marriageand go our separate ways.” “You would do that?” Emilia looked up at him, stunned. Despite what he had admitted to her, she suddenly didn’t want him out of her life. How could he have become so important to her in such a short time? “Are you certain this is the right thing to do?” “It’s the only thing we can do,” Stephen insisted. “My father’s men are in town, Emilia. They are not going to let us out of their sight until they see we’re leaving. So,” he continued as he pulled her to her feet, “I called Judge Novak at the courthouse. He is going to be at the attorney’s office at 3:00 p.m. to perform our wedding ceremony. Mama Crossand Lieutenant Simonand his wife will be there as our witnesses.” He saw the hesitation in her eyesand kissed her. She sighedand melted into himand he took advantage of her momentary weakness. “Say yes, angel.” “Yes,” Emilia nodded; lost to the warmth his kiss had sent cascading through her. She threw her arms around his neckand cried out in joy. “Oh, yes!” She got dressedand they spent the rest of the morning going over what they had to do once they were through with the attorney. They would go to the jet, as expected. Lieutenant Simon would have taken out the Seldon brothers,and prevented them from getting to the jet.And then they would make it appear that they had gone to New York. They would send his father a copy of their marriage license. He would be angry, but there would be nothing he could do about it. Emilia was astounded at the detail Stephen went into as he made the plans for their escape. His father was a man she did not want anything to do with, if it required such precision to get away from him. “Ready?” Emilia noddedand they left the house. Stephen