moment of anger that Remy would be talking to his friend, but he saw the other woman with them. Rick had no idea why he’d thought for just a moment that Remy was going behind his back and gaining information, but it was gone almost as soon as it formed. He moved slowly to them just as the woman dropped to her knee and looked as if she were awaiting her head to be removed. When he was standing between Janell and Remy, he asked what was going on.
“This woman here has been sent to fetch Richard James, the second lord of the Highland castles of Ireland. I don’t suppose you might know who that is, do you?” He looked at Janell and started to ask her why she’d tell them that when Remy laughed as he continued. “Janell had nothing to do with this. This woman here has told us. She is the sister to Lucia.”
Without thought as to how he might harm her, Rick jerked up the young woman and held her above the ground by her throat. She neither struggled nor tried to pull his hand away, but stared at him as if begging him to kill her. Remy cleared his throat, but didn’t tell him to let her down.
“She is under the rule of Lucia, and has already volunteered to become a resident of our dungeons. I’m sure that the building can put one in should we desire it, but I’ve no idea why she’d be thinking of such a thing.” Remy moved to stand in front of him, the girl between them. “Should you wish to snap her neck, I think it would do you no good. But if it would, then we’d be no closer to finding answers about Lucia than we were before. Mayhap if you put her down for a moment or two, she could give us some.”
“Lucia killed my mate. And my brother’s mate before his grief made him end his own life. I should like to show her what it feels like to lose someone very dear to her heart.” Remy told him that Lucia would not care about this one. He also doubted very much that many would care about the death of the one he held. “What do you mean, not care? This is her sister, her blood. Family is all that you can have in your life. Of course she would care if I killed her.”
“Let her down, Rick, and let her tell you in her own words. I’m sure that they’re different than the things going on in your own head right now.” Rick glanced at Nate, who had been working with him, when he spoke again. “She might be able to clear up some of the things that I was telling you about yesterday. Besides, I can smell fresh blood. She’s hurt enough without you trying to take her head off with your bare hands.”
He dropped her. And if he expected her to get up and try to harm him, he was disappointed. All she did was curl into a tight ball and lay there. It was then that he saw the blood on her back. Turning her to her belly, he nearly fell back when he saw the damage done to her.
“She does not order me to be whipped. There is a law that states that she can do me no harm without cause. But she has a man that roams her home that has been told that if he sees me, he is to take me to the wall and beat me. Not her direct words. She cannot harm me. But she had told this man that everyone he sees should be whipped. He has noticed that he gets a bigger bonus when I am hurt. So now I am all that he finds.” Rick asked her how long this had been going on. “Forever, I think. If you would be so kind as to take me to the cell now, I will give you no trouble.”
Rick bent to pick her up, but her screams had him nearly dropping her again. When she was calm, her body limp in his arms, he knew that she had fainted and looked at Remy for guidance. He had no idea what to do now.
“She said that she can’t ride in the car. I think she’s been confined before, and the thought of it has her avoiding it at all costs. If you hand her to me, I shall—”
Rick felt his inner beast roar up. “Don’t touch her.” Janell stepped between him and faced Remy before turning to him. As he held the woman to him, he could see that Janell
Learning to Kill: Stories