The Gunslinger's Gift (9 page)

“Hey,
it’s okay.” She assured him with a frown. “Really, it’s all good. I promise.
It’s the past. You’re in my present and future, so that’s what matters. I now
understand that you said and did those things because of the medallion in your
head. I didn’t know that I scared you, though.” That was news to her. “I never
wanted to scare you. I’m sorry that I did.”

“Yeah,
well.” He shrugged. Shoving his hands through his hair, he stared at her. “You
still scare me, Soph. What I feel for you scares me. I’m completely terrified
I’m going to screw this up somehow and lose you. I never knew I could feel this
way for someone, need you so much that I’m actually terrified to let you go,
for even a moment. It’ll get better, in time, I’m sure. Right now, though.
Fuck.” He laughed softly, shaking his head. “I’m a mess, honey. There you have
it. You’re bonded to a big ass mess.”

Sophia
wrapped her arms around him. She laid her head on his chest and closed her
eyes. When she pulled back, her hands on his hips, she smiled up at him. “I
love you, James. That’s all that matters, that, and that you love me, that is,”
she teased. “You aren’t a mess. You’re just trying to catch up with me. I’ve
lived for eighteen years knowing you in my heart. And I only say eighteen,
because I can’t remember the first three years I was alive. I’m happy with you.
You are who I need, and that’s important to me. You understand that, right?”

“Yeah,
yeah I do,” he said, softly. He was holding her tight, one of his hands rubbing
slowly at the small of her back. “Get dressed, honey. Let’s get through this
medical stuff first then we can get back to work on me catching up with you.”

“Sounds
good to me.” She pulled away from him and winked before going to his closet.
She pulled out one of his shirts and slipped it on then one of her long skirts.
Once she was dressed, she walked back to him. He was looking sexy as all get
out in a pair of jeans and plaid shirt. “Gracious.” Everything he did made her
whole body ache with need. “We should go now. Then, we’ll get back to being
naked.”

“Yes,
ma’am,” he said, with a smile. Taking her hand in his, he pulled her close to
his side as they left their rooms. He guided her through the various corridors,
up a couple levels on the elevator, and into the medical portion of the
compound. Easy to identify, both by the distinctive scent of disinfectant and
by the large sign that said “Medical.”

Sophia
wrinkled her nose and looked up at him. “Have I mentioned that I really don’t
like hospitals and places like this?” God only knew she had spent enough time
in them as a child. “It’s all good, though, right? You won’t leave me. Right?” She
tightened her hand in his, because she had to know that she would be with him,
always.

James
wrapped his arm around her shoulders and squeezed. “I’m not going anywhere,
Sophia. But think of it this way—I’d rather be treated in a place like this
than by the local dentist back in my day. And that was if you were lucky.
Sometimes, it was by just some guy that had zero knowledge, but the biggest
knife around. I like the fact these folks need to damn well train to stick
their hands anywhere in my body.”

“Goodness,
good point. How you lived through all that you did just amazes me. You know
that, right? Just the fact that you were able to survive in a time before
running water and hygiene.” She shuddered. “How you didn’t wind up with some
sort of sexually transmitted disease is just beyond me.”

“Excuse
me.” He glared. “I had some standards, woman. Though, I wouldn’t go reading the
history books. Apparently, some asshole decided it would be funny to write in
me having some sort of disease or other. All of which are false, damn it. Hell,
ask these here folks, they like to poke me often enough and still can’t find
nothing wrong with me. Despite their best efforts.”

Sophia
laughed. “Well, that’s a very good thing to know.” She squeezed his hand and
turned to the woman that approached them. “Looks like this is where I get to
put on the paper dress, huh?” She offered her hand to the doctor with an open
smile. “Hi, I’m Sophia.”

“Doctor
Browning,” the woman introduced, shaking Sophia’s hand. “Janet is just fine
too,” she added, with a friendly expression. “Why don’t you come on back and
get changed? We’ll leave
him
out here
for the time being. No sense having him hovering around.”

“She
means me,” James muttered under his breath.

“He’d
be able to come with me if I wanted, right?” Sophia didn’t move from James’s
side. “Because I have to tell you, I’d much rather have him with me. I really
don’t like doctor’s offices, medical facilities, and so on. No offense or
anything. I’d be more comfortable to have James with me, if you wouldn’t mind?”

“It’s
highly irregular, especially with a female patient. But it’s your call. If you
want him with you, who am I to refuse?” Janet turned and led her down the hall
to a door. Pushing it open, the doctor stepped back out of the way. “The gown’s
on the bed. I’m sure you know how it works. I’ll be back in three minutes, and
we can get started. We’ll do the blood draw, blood pressure, and such first, so
you can sit on the bed for that.”

“Sounds
good.” Sophia smiled. She was happy now, knowing that James would be able to
remain with her. “Thank you, Janet,” Sophia addressed the woman as she walked
out of the room, closing the door respectfully behind her.

“Okay,
time for me to get on this beautiful fashionable gown. And no matter what they
do, please don’t shoot them?” Sophia had a feeling that if James felt she was
being hurt, he would shoot first and question never.

“I’m
not armed,” he assured, with a grin. “Didn’t you notice the metal detectors on
our way in? It’s to ensure that the patients don’t go shooting the doctors for
the assholes they are. Doesn’t mean I couldn’t do some damage. I’m definitely
not helpless without a weapon, though I do prefer having one on me. Get
changed, Soph. She’ll be back in two minutes.”

“Oh, I
didn’t notice them.” She had been too focused on James, keeping her head up,
and forcing herself to walk in. “I know you could do damage.” She was stripping
while talking to him. “You’re a very, very dangerous man, James. I knew that
the moment I met you. Heck, even before I met you.” She shrugged. “And I’m good
with that, because I know you would never hurt me. Even when you wanted to when
we first met,” she teased him, winking as she did so. “Although, if you would
have turned me over your knee then, you would have realized that you just
couldn’t live without me.”

“Don’t
think I didn’t consider that. I did, a couple of times, but then you’d get this
look on your face that had me wondering what was going on in your head. I
figured it was better not to risk it and stay hands off. Fool that I was.” He
moved around behind her and did up the ties. Then, he lifted her up to sit on
the bed, staying close between her legs, his hands resting lightly on her hips.
“How are you doing, honey?”

“As
long as you stay with me, I’m good.” She put her hands on his shoulders and
allowed her thumbs to massage the tense muscles there. “I don’t want to be
alone. I’m fine with you just sitting off in the corner, but I don’t want to
have you leaving me. If they don’t want you in here, then that’s on them, and
we’ll leave. Are you going to be okay sticking around here and keeping your
hands to yourself?”
And from around the
neck of the doctor.

“I’ll
be fine. This is what needs to be done, and I can handle it. As long as you’re
good with it, I’m good with it. I won’t be happy about it, but I’ll survive. I
even promise not to strangle the doctor when she sticks you.” He chuckled.

His
timing was impeccable, too, because the doctor did the knock-and-enter just in
time to hear that last part. Her huff of disgust was clearly heard by them
both. James just grinned at Sophia and winked. Leaning in, he kissed her before
moving out of the way to a chair in the corner. Stretching his legs out, he
crossed his ankles, tucked his hands behind his head, and assumed a perfectly
relaxed pose.

Chapter
Five

Six weeks later

Sophia
was walking along the base of the mountain with one of the guards that seemed
to be filling the place now. Not only were there Guardians, but there were also
now military men fleshing out the rankings. Sophia knew that it was because of
Riley, another Vestal Virgin.

She
looked to the guard who was watching over her and grinned. “Did James tell you
to not stray more than two feet from me?” The poor man seemed uncomfortable in
his full military combat gear and heavy-looking weapon. “Because I don’t think
he meant that you had to literally walk in my shadow.” She didn’t mind the
company, but heavens, to have someone right on her heels was a little
frustrating.

Sophia
missed James. He’d been locked up with Mercury, Gaius, Jason, and some of the
other Guardians, including a very large Viking that had all but adopted her and
Vivian as his kin, something that bugged James to no end and made Sophia smile.

She
needed to connect with nature, and while the Mountain was a very secure and
remarkable place, there was no grass she could tread on, no trees she could
touch, nothing to reconnect her to the surroundings. Therefore, she had
demanded that she be allowed out of the Mountain for a nice stroll, or she was
going to hurt someone. It didn’t help that she had been ill for the last week,
either.

“My
orders were to be no more than five feet from you at all times and to keep out
of your way,” the Marine said. “As you seem determined to wander in no
particular pattern, the safest place to avoid being trampled is in your shadow.
Ma’am.”

“I’m
sorry.” Sophia reached out and touched a leaf that was wilting on a flower and
closed her eyes, feeling the energy of the plant she touched. When she opened
her eyes again, she let out a breath, happy that the plant was no longer
drooping. “I’m rather random. I always have been. It’s one of those things
that’s just inherently me,” she admitted honestly.

“What’s
your name? I’m Sophia, but you likely know that already. What did you do to
pull this punishment?” She saw the confusion on his face and laughed. “The
punishment of following the random me around.”

“This
is not a punishment, ma’am. It’s an honored post. The Guardians explained
everything to us before we were brought in. It’s more than a little wild and
crazy, but it also makes a very strange amount of sense. To be on a VV’s
protection detail means that the Guardian of the VV trusts the one on the
detail, ma’am.” He shrugged at her look. “Most people just call me Hasher, ma’am.”

“Hasher,
it’s very nice to meet you.” Sophia bowed her head. “Please, call me Sophia or
Fia. From what I understand, you and your team are here for a very long while.”
She wanted to make friends, and if this man was supposed to be on her personal
protection detail, then she wanted to have him as one. “And if I know James,
he’ll be here fairly soon.” That had her sporting a silly smile. She was so in
love that it wasn’t even funny. “He can’t stay from me, but that’s okay,
because I can’t seem to stay from him, either.”

“I’m
sure he will be, ma’am,” Hasher said. At her look, he crooked a corner of his
mouth. “Sophia,” he amended. When she nodded and continued on her way, she felt
him fall into step behind her.

For a
time they walked, right up until what had to be a wasp went whizzing past her
head. Only the thud of something heavy hitting the ground behind her had her
turning. Hasher was on the ground, gasping for air, and the retort of the
gunshot finally reached her, echoing off the mountain and bouncing around.
“Run,” he gasped out.

Sophia
just stared. Then, she dropped to her knees and pulled her sweater from her
shoulders. Wadding it up, she pressed it to his chest. “Not happening, Hasher.”
She should run, she knew that she should run, but she couldn’t let him die. It
would break something inside of her.

She
ducked again, reached down and grabbed the handgun that was strapped to the
man’s thigh, and shot it off twice behind her. She wasn’t aiming, just trying
to make sound, so that the people inside of the Mountain knew there was
trouble. “Crap. I don’t have my phone.” Sophia always forgot her freaking
phone. She would put the stupid thing on a string and wrap it around her neck
from here on out.

“Hasher,
keep your eyes open.” She was crying, she realized, as the first, hot tear hit
the back of her bloody hand. “Hasher!” she screamed when he closed his eyes and
didn’t move, almost deadly still.

* * *
*

“James!”
Janet yelled as she ran down the hall. “Crap you are seriously a hard man to
reach, you know that?” She stopped before James and Jason and grinned. “So, how
you doing?” She was trying to school her features as she looked up at the two
big men. When she saw Mercury approaching them as well, she smiled all the
bigger. “How’s Sophia?”

“Fine,”
he said, with a frown. “She’s out having a walk about the base of the mountain
right now. Where I was heading, actually, so if you don’t mind…?”

“Mercury!”
someone bellowed at the top of his lungs.

All
four of them turned to look up the corridor where Alexander came racing their
way. He looked pale, sickly almost, as he skidded to a stop. “Sophia’s been
taken,” he rasped out. “Hasher’s been shot, and she was taken. Best I could
tell from the video feed was that one of the Evil Ones snatched her up, tied
her wrists, put a bag over her head, and hauled ass to the north-east.”

“How
long ago?” Mercury demanded.

“Just
saw the tail end. Helen hit rewind so we could see what was going on, and then
I came right here.”

James
looked much worse than Alexander. He was weaving on his feet, and his was mouth
moving, but no sound was coming out. Jason grabbed his arm then slapped him
hard across the face.

“What
the hell was that for?” James growled.

“To get
your ass in gear. Your woman fucking needs you, so no fainting until after we
get here back. Merc, we need those choppers in the air. Now,” Jason said.

“On it.
Alex, you stay close to him and make sure he doesn’t get himself killed before
we get her back. Jason, you head up to the helicopter pad. I’ll relay
everything straight to. Move!” Mercury ordered before taking off at a dead run
up the hall.

“Wait!”
Janet shouted at the men, running after them. “I need to get to Hasher, but you
need to know something too.” She looked at James then Mercury, and then back to
James. “Sophia is pregnant. Her blood-work just got back, and she’s freaking
pregnant.” She was pissed because they had to send the blood out instead of
Mercury getting her the machines she needed to ensure that she was able to do
blood panels in house. “I just got the results. You have to get her back.” If
the Dark ones were able to get a child of a Guardian and VV… Oh, that would be
very, very bad.

James
just about fell right over at her words. All the men appeared stunned as they
stared at her. “You’re absolutely sure?” Mercury asked.

At her
nod, Jason burst out with a laugh and smacked James on the shoulder. “Good
going, old man,” he said. “How far along is she? When’s this blood test from,
anyway?”

“She’s
six weeks along. I would have known faster, if I had the machines here to do
the blood panels myself.” Janet shot Mercury a heated glare. “I just really
hope that the shot didn’t hurt the baby. I’ll feel better being able to examine
her to be sure. So get her back.” She gave each man a look. “Now, get. Where’s
Hasher?”

“He’s
coming in now. Gaius has him. Eric is already tracking the one that took
Sophia,” Alexander told her, quietly. “We’ll get her back, James. Come, we need
to go now. I have comms with me, Mercury. Call as soon as you have anything
from the air.”

“Go,” Mercury
agreed. He put a hand on James’s shoulder. “We’ll get her back. She’ll be
fine,” he said. “One way or another, whoever dared to do this will suffer
immeasurable agony before death comes to them.”

Janet
watched them go and crossed herself. She sent up a silent prayer then turned on
her heels so that she could run to medical. In her mind, she was already going
over everything that she needed to save Hasher’s cute behind. Too bad that the
man already had someone in his life, because if not…
well, that’s neither here nor there
. Janet needed to focus on
saving the Marine’s butt instead of spanking it.

* * *
*

His
head was a serious mess. All he could think of was Sophia. James had to get her
back. She was everything to him. She was also pregnant, something that easily
explained the sickness she had each and every morning. So obvious in hindsight.
And worrisome, as well.

If she
was mistreated at all, she could lose their child. Closing his eyes for a
moment, he sent a prayer up to whatever God, or gods, might be listening.
If a life must be taken, take mine. Sophia
is pure. She is good. She is the best of us both and will survive my passing.
But the world cannot lose a light such as hers.
Opening his eyes, he let out a
shuddering breath. Thankfully, Alexander was driving. James wasn’t in any
condition, and he knew it.
Hell, everyone
knows it.

“We’ll
find her,” Alex said, quietly.

“In
time?” James whispered, with pain seeping into his voice.

“They
could have killed her, right there, right then. They didn’t, though. They shot
her protector and took her. There is obviously a plan in motion. What that plan
is, I cannot say, James. But there is clearly something more going on. They’ve
taken her, likely to a location where they will all gather, and whoever put the
order out will also be there.”

“We
both know who it had to be.”

Since
Henry Percy, a former knight who had fought with King Richard II, had been
caught and was currently at the mercy of Gaius. Well, that only left one
outstanding traitor out in the world working with the Evil Ones.

“I
know. I’m sorry, James,” Alexander said.

James
nodded when he felt the other Guardian send him a look. The gods protect Sophia
from William H. Bonney, or Billy the Kid, as he’d always been best known as. He
could only hope that Sophia would play along with William and not piss him off.
Everyone thought Gaius had the quickest temper among the Guardians. In reality,
even before his death, William had always had a right fearsome one.

He was
quick to anger, quick to draw, and quick to forget anything ever happened.
Including bloodshed. As long as it wasn’t his blood being spilled, the man
truly didn’t give a damn.

Flipping
a revolver in his hand, James rolled his head around on his neck. He needed to
calm down, to relax, and to find that sweet spot deep inside that had always
made him the fastest draw in the West. He had to find it, or he and Sophia were
dead.

William
had always been faster, but his temper could and would throw off his aim. If
James could get the other man mad enough to draw before he was centered, he had
a hope and a prayer. He’d have to watch out for the head shot, though. William
was infamous for drilling his opponent right between the eyes, but if he was
angry, off his game, then it would likely be a torso shot.

That
was something that James could survive. Unfortunately, William knew his own
weakness. Whether he’d cared to work on it at all, James truly didn’t know.
He’d lectured the other man on always taking a breath when he felt his temper
rising. It hadn’t ever seemed to do any good while William had been with the
Guardians.

James
could only pray that it hadn’t changed since his defection to the other side of
the war. Changing hands, he flipped the revolver around faster and faster. It
wasn’t loaded, but he could feel Alexander’s worry pouring off him from the
driver’s seat.
No, don’t think about
that. Focus on finding the sweet spot of control. Push everything out of your
head. There is nothing but the target and knowing where to strike.

He knew
exactly where to hit William to ensure the other man never rose again.
Unfortunately, James knew he’d only have one shot. One shot to save his woman,
his child, and his own life.

No pressure or anything.

Rolling
his shoulders, he blew out a slow breath, focused solely on the feel of the gun
as he moved it around his finger, across his palm, and flipped it from hand to
hand.
I can do this. One shot. One shot.
One shot.

“Copy
that,” Alexander’s voice broke in.

James
was calmer now. His focus was icy sharp. He was in that place he needed to be.
“What is it?” he asked, his voice sounding dead to his own ears. Couldn’t be
helped, not until William was gone.

“Eric’s
got tracks leading to a farmhouse. The vehicle that was carrying Sophia is
there, as well as several others. Jason says that from what little they can
tell with thermal imaging, there are twelve in the building. One really small,
cooler body.”