Samuel (Samuel's Pride Series) (17 page)

“Oh but you do, don’t you?” Lucille
looked at her, then at the room. “Ye’ve a brother. Two, I think. At least that’s
what I was to understand from the older one.”

Kennedy knew that she had a knife on
her. She’d felt the danger of it when she’d walked in the room just now. And
when she stood up and moved toward Stephan, she knew that she and Samuel were
right, she was there to kill him.

“I’ve no idea what you’re talking about.”
Butler came into the room just then and announced dinner. Samuel came toward
her to escort her in, but she reached for Stephan. He smiled at her and shook
his head.

“You’re a vixen, has anyone told you
that before?” Kennedy didn’t answer him right away, explaining to Samuel what
was going on. He told her she was going to pay for this, and she felt his
arousal through their connection.

“Aye, they have, but I only improve over
time.” She sat when he pulled out her chair and was happy to see that she’d pissed
off Lucille more. When the salads were cleared away and dinner was served,
Kennedy decided to spice things up a bit.

“I thought there would be more of you
here tonight. You don’t travel with armed guard?” She handed the bowl of
carrots to Lucille as she asked. The woman nearly dropped the bowl on the
table. Kennedy smiled at her. “At least someone to watch over you as you visit
other people’s homes.”

“We do sometimes, but with the two of
you, we felt it wouldn’t be all right.” Stephan declined the carrots but did
take the potatoes. “I understand you and Samuel are headed to Ireland soon.”

“Aye, in a week. We’re going for our honeymoon.
Samuel’s never seen the manor.” Stephan nodded and cut into his beef and
moaned. Lucille started to stand up, but Kennedy put her hand on her arm. “I wouldn’t
if I were you.”

The woman stared at her, as did the rest
of the people around the table. Lucille tried to pull away, but Kennedy reached
down and took the knife from her. Picking it up by the handle, she tossed it to
the wall and watched as it quivered there for a few seconds.

“You think you know something?” Lucille
laughed. “You know nothing. Donny. Andy. Come in now.”

Everyone stared at the door that Lucille
had been shouting at. The kitchen door moved and she smiled, but when Brigitte
walked through with a pitcher of tea in her hands, Lucille tried to pull free
again.

“They’re tied up.” She looked at her,
then at the door again as Kennedy continued. “I had them tied up and their
weapons taken from them. Also, the knives in your coat have been removed.”

“No. You couldn’t have. They were our
best men.” Kennedy didn’t let go of Lucille but held her while she nodded to
Samuel. He got up from the table and went to the kitchen. When he returned, he
was carrying a chair with a man strapped to it, and yanked the tape off his
mouth.

“She knew we was here. Came right in and
put us out.” The man in the chair looked at Stephan. “She made us do this. Said
if we didn’t, we’d have to pay with our lives and that of our families.”

“He lies.” Kennedy looked at Stephan at Lucille’s
outburst. “I don’t know what he’s talking about. Come on, Stephan, we should
leave.”

“Kennedy?” Stephan watched her. Kennedy
looked at Samuel before she looked at Stephan again. This was going to be an all-out
war, she just knew it.

“They’re in it together. She plans to
kill you and make it look like Samuel and I did it. If we’re found guilty of
these crimes, we’ll have to turn over everything to the council and we’ll have
nothing. Which would be all right, I suppose, since she plans to have us put to
death.” She looked at Samuel as she continued. “Lucille isn’t a true shifter. She’s
a turned lion. Your father hurt her, and the only way to get back at him since
I killed him was to hurt you.”

Stephan snapped his fingers and three
guards were suddenly in the room. As Lucille was being taken away, he sat
calmly in the chair and then ordered the other men to be taken too. After they
were all gone, he asked to have more beef. Butler nearly leapt at the chance to
serve the man.

Chapter 17

Stephan watched the couple as they tried
for things to be normal. He was so relieved that it was over that he found he
had an appetite again, the first he’d had in nearly three months. When dessert
was served and he’d gorged himself on three slices of the best cake he’d ever
eaten, he leaned back in his chair.

“I’m sorry.” Kennedy looked ready to
burst with anger, but it was Samuel that exploded on him.

“You motherfucker, you should be sorry. What
the fuck was that all about? You must have known what she was up to, yet you
bring her here to what, have someone, one of my family, get hurt?” Samuel stood
up, and Kennedy stepped in front of him.

“He didn’t do it for that.” She turned
to him. “Did ye? You were testing us. You were looking to see if we were loyal
to the pride.”

“I was. But there’s more. I would like
you both to be a part of the council. Not on it, per se, but a part of the
group that governs us.” Samuel sat down, and Kennedy said no. “You should think
about it. I can give you whatever you wish in standards of—”

“I have all I want right here.” Samuel
pulled Kennedy to his lap. “And that being said, I think I’d like for you to
leave and never come back.”

“I’ll give you free run of the pride.
All of it. You’ll never pay dues, never answer to us for minor things, and you’ll
lead a group of your choosing.” He hoped that they’d do it for that reason and
held onto his last thing to bribe them with.

“Nay. He said no, and we’d like you to
leave now.” Stephan stood up and laid the last bit in front of them. Samuel
picked it up and then laid it back down.

“You’d do that?” Stephan nodded and sat
back down. “For how long?”

“Until you’ve no more descendants.” Kennedy
picked the document up, read it over, and looked at them both. “I’ll even
include any step-children you might have in the mix.”

Stephan wasn’t sure that he had them. He
wanted them, and he’d do most anything to have them work for him, including
giving them something that he knew neither of them would guess he’d already
given them.

“We’ll need to talk this over.” He
nodded at Samuel and stood up. Butler came out of the kitchen with a container,
and when he looked inside, he nearly moaned. “Kennedy thought you’d like a bit
for your lunch tomorrow.”

“Thank you.” He was moving out to his
car when Samuel said his name. When he turned, he watched the man struggle with
whatever he wanted to ask.

“Did you plan this? Did you know that
she was going to try and have you killed?” He shook his head. “Then why did you
do that to Kennedy?”

“I didn’t do anything to her about her
ability, an ability that you have had all along.” Samuel shook his head, and Stephan
laughed. “You never looked beyond what you thought you could do. Kennedy simply
tried and found out what I’ve known all your life.”

“Then what did you do to her?” The limo
driver opened the door for him, but he stood there thinking about whether or
not to answer Samuel’s question. Then he smiled.

“I’ll tell you when you give me your
answer. Yes or no, I’ll give you the answer when you do to me.” He slipped into
the car before Samuel could hurt him. This was deliciously fun.

“Will they do it?” Stephan watched the
woman materialize in the seat across from him and smiled at her question. “Do
you think they’ll do what we want?”

“I do. I’m not sure they’ll be as easy
as you think they will, but they will agree.” She nodded and smiled. “You’re
pleased?”

“I am. I’ve wanted this for them for a
very long time.” Stephan nodded. “And the baby, did you tell them about the
baby?”

“No. But I will when he calls me. They’re
both going to be very surprised when they find out.” He laughed hardily. “I
think he may kill me anyway.”

“I think they’ll be very happy no matter
what.” She shimmered out of the limo only to reappear seconds later. “I think I
should like to meet them soon. Maybe when you tell them about the children.”

“I can arrange that for you, My Lady.” She
nodded and disappeared. Yes, Stephan thought, this was going to be a great deal
of fun.

~~~

“What do you think?” Samuel had read
over the papers that appeared on the table after Stephan left three times and couldn’t
find a thing wrong with them. He looked up at Kennedy when she asked him again.

“We get paid for being there when they
need us. We don’t have to go anywhere other than the council house when there
are meetings and report back to them after it’s over. No one will know about us
but him and another person. I don’t know.” He tossed the papers on the table. “It
all seems too one sided and in our favor.”

“I doona like it.” He knew that, she’d told
him that several times, and he had to agree with her. He dinna like it either. Then
he laughed at what he’d thought. He was beginning to sound like her.

“They’re paying the upkeep on the manor
and this house forever so long as we continue to have children and they have
children. There will be care given to our offspring while we’re called to the
meetings, and a car will be provided for us wherever we go.” He picked the
papers up again to see if he’d missed anything. “Oh, and apparently our abilities
will be passed down to our oldest child, boy or girl, and their oldest will be
given the same.”

She sat down and stood up again. He knew
she was going to ask him what he’d done to her, but he didn’t have an answer
for that either. As soon as they made a decision, they’d find out.

“I think we should do it.” He nodded at
her when she finally spoke. “We have little risk and much to gain.”

“We do. And I don’t know why, but that scares
me a little.” She told him it scared her a great deal. “Well, do we call him?”

“Aye, do it.” He reached for his cell
phone and realized he had no idea how to contact the man. Calling for Butler,
he asked him and said he’d not left a number for him when he’d called either. Samuel
was about to go to his office when Stephan suddenly appeared in the room.

“Christ, don’t do that again.” He bowed
before them, and Samuel asked him to have a seat. “We’ve decided to—”

“There is someone that wishes to meet
you.” Samuel looked at Kennedy, then back at Stephan. “You’ll be working for
her too. In fact, she’s the one that thought of the two of you.”

Samuel nodded when Kennedy did. The man
had only left an hour ago, but he looked like he’d been ready for bed. His
jammies suddenly disappeared and he was in a suit again. He apologized and
nodded.

The woman that shimmered into the room
commanded respect. Not that she’d said a word but she simply looked like it. Samuel
found himself bowing before her.

“Get up, young man. You too, Lady
Kennedy. Look at the two of you all grown up.” She smiled, and Samuel felt it
all the way to his toes. “I’m ever so glad that you’ve decided to help me. I
had hoped that you would.”

“You’re very welcome,” Kennedy said and looked
at Samuel before she continued. “And who do ye be?”

“Oh my, that would help, wouldn’t it?”
the woman said. “I’m ever so sorry. I’m Mother Nature.” Samuel looked at Stephan,
then at the woman again. “But you can call me Clare.”

About the Author

Kathi Barton, author of the bestselling
series Force of Nature, lives in Nashport, Ohio with her husband Paul. In
addition to writing full time Kathi likes to spend time with her eight
grandkids, three children and three children-in-laws. She writes to relax and
have fun.

Her muse, a cross between Jimmy Stewart
and Hugh Jackman brings them to life for her readers in a way that has them
coming back time and again for more. Her favorite genre is paranormal romance
with a great deal of spice. You can visit Kathi on line and drop her an email
if you’d like. She loves hearing from her fans.
[email protected]
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