Embroidered Fantasies

Chapter Twelve

The next morning, Roxanne was no further ahead in making her decision than she’d been the night before. She’d awakened alone, which surprised her. Both men had held her wrapped in their embrace all night. The strange thing was that she hadn’t felt smothered by it, but rather protected and cherished.

The sun streaming through the window told her that the morning was well underway. It was strange not to be watching a clock all the time or worried about a schedule. The days here followed a natural rhythm that was quite soothing.

A low knock sounded on the door. Roxanne tugged the covers tight beneath her arms before answering. She didn’t think either Sednar or Radnor would knock. “Come in.”

An older woman bustled in, carrying a tray in her hands. Darrina. This was the woman who’d tended her when she first arrived.

“Morning, my lady.” The older woman gave her a slight curtsy before placing the tray on the table.

“Good morning, Darrina. Is it very late?” Roxanne noticed the robe placed at the end of the bed and silently thanked whichever brother put it there. Grabbing it, she slipped it on before sliding out of bed. When she had the robe belted tight, she headed to the table.

“The morning is almost gone.” Darrina hesitated as if she were about to say something. She firmed her lips and held her tongue.

Roxanne was curious as she glanced at the tray of food the woman had brought.

Her stomach growled, reminding her she hadn’t eaten much yesterday. “Was there something you wanted to say to me?” Roxanne was getting tired of the innuendoes and dark glances.

Darrina squared her shoulders and spoke in a low whisper. “You should leave here, my lady. The Craddock brothers are a cruel lot. Four of them, all older, are dead, rot their souls.”

Roxanne was taken aback by the venom in her tone. “Sednar and Radnor have been cruel to you?”

The older woman began to reply, then stopped. “Their brother, Leon, was a demon.

He took what he wanted, not caring who he hurt. They raided and murdered. Planned to give their sister to the Luther brothers.” Darrina shivered and wrung her hands together. “They’re the vilest creatures ever born. Hamid, Bren and Lednar were no different than Leon.”

Roxanne was worried about the older woman, she was so pale. She pulled out a chair. “Sit, please.”

Darrina appeared startled. She glanced at the partially open door before perching on the edge of the chair, ready to bolt at a moment’s notice.

“What happened to their sister?” She couldn’t imagine Sednar or Radnor being cruel to their sister. But, then again, she couldn’t have imagined Michael beating her either. Not at first.

“She ran away.”

“By herself?” That seemed dangerous in this wild world.

Darrina’s lips firmed. “Radnor helped her.”

Roxanne nodded encouragingly and the older woman continued. “She’s married now to one of the younger Bakra brothers. They’re good to her. Not like it was here.

Leon worked her like a slave, he did.”

Her earlier hunger fled. “What about Sednar and Radnor?” She needed to know.

The older woman shrugged. “They mostly ignored her.”

“I see.” But she didn’t. Not really. Why hadn’t they helped their sister?

“It wasn’t safe to gainsay Leon about anything,” Darrina continued. “He’d beat anyone, even his own brothers.”

Roxanne swallowed hard. The brothers had grown up in an atmosphere of violence.

That kind of situation bred even further violence more often than not. “What about now? What about since the older brothers died?”

Darrina frowned. “They built the land and the keep back up. It was in poor shape before, I can tell you. Things are more prosperous now.” Roxanne felt her ire rising as she continued her questions. “Then why do all of you seem to fear them so much?”

“Because they’re Craddocks. The evil is in them somewhere just waiting to come out.”

She crossed her arms over her chest, getting angrier by the second. “So, they haven’t done anything in the past six years but build up the keep and tend to the lands.”

Darrina hesitated briefly before nodding. “Aye.”

“Then what you’re saying makes no sense. Truly evil people could not contain themselves for that long. You’d have seen evidence of cruelty by now.” The older lady pushed back from the table. “I’m just warning you is all. It’s your choice. I only know what I’ve seen. I’ve lived here my entire life. It’s not safe for any woman in this family. They say that their father killed their mother. Of course, no one can prove anything.” On that note, Darrina left the room, obviously still agitated, closing the door softly behind her.

Roxanne sank down into the chair Darrina had abandoned, her mind sorting through everything she’d learned. She had to ask them about it. She bit her lower lip.

What if it made them angry?

No, she had to trust them to tell her everything. Before the tapestry came back late tonight or early tomorrow morning, she had to know the truth.

Roxanne had just finished washing and dressing when a sharp rap came on the door and Sednar walked in before she could answer. “Would you like to go for a ride?”

“Yes, I would.” It would do them all good to have the upcoming discussion in private. “Is Radnor coming?”

Sednar inclined his head. “He’s saddling the horses.” He held the door wide as she swept past him.

“You should know that I’ve never ridden before.”

“Never?” She could hear the incredulity in his voice.

He sounded so appalled, she laughed. “It’s not quite that easy where I come from. I take the bus.” She glanced over her shoulder and saw him frowning. “Do you know what a bus is?”

“I do. I’ve heard stories from the other tapestry brides.” His palm was warm on her spine as he guided her down the stairs and out of the keep. “I can’t say I like much of what I hear about your world.”

“It has its good points, just like any place does.” His frown deepened. She wondered what he was thinking but there was no time to ask. Radnor waited in the courtyard seated on a huge horse, the reins of another held in his strong, capable hands.

“Come, Roxanne. It’s a beautiful day and the world awaits.” Radnor held out his hand. She went to him, eyeing the large black beast he was seated upon. The creature seemed well behaved. For now. She’d never realized just how large horses were before, had never had the opportunity to get so close to them before coming here. And this one was bigger than most.

She chewed on her bottom lip. “I’ve never ridden before.” He reached down and lifted her, settling her in front of him. Once again, she was shocked by his casual show of strength. It took no effort at all to lift her off the ground.

His chest was bare, as he wore his usual leather vest wide open, and his muscles rippled. The heat of his skin warmed her as she leaned into him. His brawny arms came around her, enclosing her in his protective embrace.

Sednar swung up onto the other horse and they were off. She gasped when the horse began to move.

“Relax and move with the animal,” Radnor instructed.

She released the breath she was holding and did as he said. It was incredible to feel such muscle and power beneath her. She almost giggled. She could say the same thing about Radnor.

They passed through the courtyard and the outer area. She wasn’t quite certain what it was called but it was surrounded by a low stone wall. People stared at them as they went. Some nodded in greeting. Others frowned.

She breathed a sigh of relief when they reached the open fields beyond. Tension slid away from her as the rocking of the horse soothed her.

Radnor caught her chin in his hand and tipped her face up. He lowered his head slowly. “Good morning, Roxanne.” He kissed her then. A leisurely caress that was an end unto itself. There was no pressure, just sheer enjoyment. When he finally lifted his head, she blinked up at him, her mind nothing but mush.

She gathered her wits and glanced around. “Where are we going?”

“There’s a lake not far from here. It’s a beautiful place.” She’d seen the lake in the distance and had longed to see it up close. “Sounds wonderful.”

“It is.” Sednar continued to expound on the virtues of the land. Roxanne knew it was part of his ploy to try to convince her to stay.

Meanwhile, Radnor was quiet, keeping her safe in his arms as the horses and riders passed the fields and entered the woods, following an obviously well-traveled trail. It was darker here, the sun barely able to penetrate the canopy of trees. The air was tinged with the smell of earth and pine. Birds chirped and flew overhead. Small animals scurried beneath the brush.

She was nervous at first. She was a city girl and had never been exposed to this much nature before. But when neither man showed any sign of concern, she relaxed and began to enjoy it.

It really was another world here. It was amazing how crisp everything looked, how sound carried through the air. She could hear the babble of a brook off to the left.

Looking up, she stared up through the green canopy to the blue sky above. Puffy white clouds dotted the skyline. No smog here.

She wanted to ask them about their family, but this wasn’t the time to do so. There was something almost sacred, spiritual about the woods that made her want to keep silent. A sense of peace, of total calm enveloped her. Had she ever felt this way before?

She didn’t think so.

“Almost there.” Radnor’s voice was low as he guided the horse through an opening in the trees and into an open field. Tall grasses swayed in the breeze. A bevy of wildflowers released their perfume. And beyond was a lake, its dark surface rippling slightly.

“It’s incredible.” She didn’t try to hide the wonder she was feeling.

The horses walked across the field, stopping at the water’s edge. Radnor tightened his arms around her. “Craddock land ends just on the other side of the lake.” He pointed off to the left. “Bakra land is that way.”

“What’s off to the right?”

His grip tightened almost imperceptibly. “That’s Luther land. You don’t want to go there.” Radnor’s voice was hard, his words clipped.

Roxanne remembered what Darrina had told her about the Luther brothers and shivered. Radnor slid from his horse. “Easy, Xander,” he crooned as the horse shied slightly. She gasped and clutched the pommel of the saddle but there was no need.

Radnor quickly swept her from the horse and set her safely on the ground.

Sednar came up behind them, a blanket and a satchel in hand. “I thought you might like to sit by the water and have something to eat.” She eyed him suspiciously. “Were you talking to Darrina?”

“Of course.” He didn’t even try to hide the fact that he was checking up on her.

“She said you didn’t eat much when you woke.”

She couldn’t really be mad at Sednar. He was simply concerned about her well-being. She took the blanket from him and shook it out, spreading it near the edge of the water. Sitting cross-legged, she took in the beauty around her.

Both men removed their swords, keeping them at hand as they sat, one on either side of her. It was only then she noticed the weapons. How she missed two four-foot swords was beyond her. It was probably because she’d gotten so used to seeing both men with them constantly. They strapped them on the moment they woke in the morning and laid them by the side of the bed each night. Their weapons were such a part of them, she didn’t think they even noticed them.

“Why are you always armed?”

Sednar plucked a long piece of grass and chewed on the end. “There are wild animals and enemies to worry about.”

“Even in your own home?” She noticed they were never unarmed, not even in their own keep.

“Especially there.” There was a contemptuous edge to Radnor’s words that made her turn toward him.

“Why?” It was now or never. “Tell me about your older brothers.” Neither man seemed surprised by her question. “What have you been told?” Sednar asked.

“Nothing good, I’d wager. We Craddocks are not exactly the most popular family.” The mocking tone in Radnor’s voice made her heart ache.

She pulled her knees to her chest and wrapped her arms around them. “I’ve heard dark warnings and mutterings about your eldest brother especially. And your sister,” she added.

Radnor snorted. “I’m not surprised. Leon Craddock was the vilest creature ever born. If you don’t count our sire.”

Sednar gave a bark of laughter but there wasn’t an ounce of humor in it. She could feel the brothers’ pain. It was a living and palpable thing. “Craddocks take what they want. They steal and fight and cheat to get it. Isn’t that right?” Sednar turned his gaze to Radnor who picked up the tale.

“If you don’t, you’re seen as weak. And the weak are beaten, ridiculed and abused.

Might was right in Leon’s world. Two of my brothers tried to steal a woman from another family. They were killed. That only made Leon worse. He hated the Bakra brothers with a passion.”

Now she was totally confused. “But isn’t your sister married to one of them?” Sednar nodded. “Leon had promised her to the Luther brothers and went to get her back from the Bakras. He failed.” There was obviously a lot more to the story than that, but Sednar had already moved on. “There are four Bakra brothers so they have two brides.”

Roxanne nodded as she sorted through the facts they’d told her. “Okay, I follow that. What happened then?”

Radnor sighed. “It doesn’t matter. Our family has a history of such things. That wasn’t the first time one of our older siblings tried to steal a woman from another family.”

She knew this wasn’t a pleasant or easy thing for them to talk about, but she had to have answers to her questions. “What about your sister?”

“Genita grew up to be a fine woman in spite of the rest of us. Leon treated her no better than a slave. When he threatened to give her to the Luther brothers as a bride, she objected. He beat her.” The lack of emotion in Radnor’s voice was chilling.

“What happened?” Roxanne kept her voice low and soothing.

“We could never help her.” Roxanne could sense Sednar’s pain. “If we showed her any attention or tried to intervene, Leon would only beat her worse. I’d try to deflect his attention with humor.”

“What about you?” she asked Radnor, knowing in her heart he wouldn’t stand there and do nothing while his sister was being beaten. It wasn’t in him.

Radnor rubbed his hand over his face. His eyes were bleak. “If I was lucky, I could deflect Leon’s attention my way.”

Roxanne stilled as the implication of his words sank in. “You mean you took the beating for her.”

“Not often enough.” There was disdain in his tone. She knew he remembered every time that he hadn’t been able to prevent his sister from being harmed. Radnor shook his head. “I helped her escape. Gave her some provisions and got her out of the keep.” He turned to Roxanne. “I sent my only sister off by herself with no protection. What kind of a man does that make me?”

“One who had to make a difficult choice.” Unable to hold back any longer, Roxanne reached out and placed her hand on Radnor’s arm. The muscle beneath was like iron.

“You were the youngest brother. If what I’ve learned over the past few days is true, then Leon’s word was law. He would have killed you if he’d discovered what you’d done.”

“It wasn’t enough.” Radnor shook off her hold and walked a few feet away, staring out over the water.

“What happened to Leon?” she asked Sednar.

“Leon was killed during a challenge fight. Hamid was wounded when he tried to interfere. It was just another dishonorable act in a long line of them.”

“You and Radnor chose not to continue in your brothers’ footsteps. The keep is prosperous, the people well cared for.”

“For all the good it does.” Radnor turned on his heel and stalked back to the edge of the blanket. He practically threw himself to the ground and stared out at the water, brooding. “They have long memories. But I really can’t blame them. Not one family living here hasn’t suffered because of a Craddock.”

“But not you,” she informed him. “Or you.” She gestured to Sednar.

“It doesn’t matter.” The resignation in Sednar’s voice hurt her to the depths of her soul. “They may never accept that we’re different from our brothers. In this world, sometimes your family name is all you have. And there are times you’d be better off without it.”

The fact that they hadn’t taken up where their brothers left off was astounding.

Roxanne had done some research and plenty of reading on domestic violence after escaping Michael. It was often passed down through families. Sons learned from their fathers. It took strength of character and conviction to break that cycle. That was what Sednar and Radnor had done.

Or at least, that was their story, the voice in the back of her head warned. She shoved aside her misgivings. Radnor and Sednar were good men. She’d never have allowed them to touch her so intimately if she didn’t trust them on a deep level.

She started to speak but was cut off when Sednar placed his hand over her mouth and pulled her close. “Shh,” he whispered in her ear. Radnor grabbed his sword and rolled to his feet. The blade cut through the air with a whistle as he held it in front of him. Sednar unsheathed his sword, slowly getting to his feet.

“Stand between the horses, Roxanne.” She immediately responded to the command in Radnor’s voice. Something was obviously wrong. She looked around but saw nothing out of the ordinary as she hurried to stand between the two horses. Suddenly, she was very glad they were both massive beasts. Their bulk protected her.

“Is it an animal?” she asked, envisioning bears and dragons and other wild beasts.

She truly had no idea what kind of creature might be lurking in the forest. Her knees were shaking and she wrapped her arms around her waist to comfort herself. Neither man even glanced her way, their gazes locked on the woods beyond. She heard it then, the sound of crashing in the brush.

Three horses burst from between the trees. Two of them bore large brutal-looking men with bushy black beards and long hair. The men wielded long, sharp swords as they approached in a threatening manner.

But it was the man on the third horse that made every ounce of blood drain from her face. Her body trembled. “No,” she whispered. “This can’t be happening.” She blinked but the man didn’t change. She’d recognized those cold blue eyes and that nasty smirk anywhere.

“Roxanne?” Sednar’s voice reached her as though from far away. She wanted to answer him but couldn’t find her voice. Nor could she tear her gaze away from the specter from her nightmares.

The strangers were bearing down on them. Radnor stepped in front of her, blocking her view. She reached out and grabbed the side of Xander’s saddle as her knees almost gave away beneath her. Sweat beaded on her forehead and she swiped it away with the back of her hand.

“Halt!” Radnor’s authoritative voice rang out across the clearing.

“You’re not welcome on Craddock land, Luthers,” Sednar added, his tone hard and cold. “What do you want?”

Roxanne shifted so she could see around Radnor, needing to confirm her worst fears. Sure enough, the man tipped his blond head down and smiled at her. A shiver of fear raced down her spine.

“Hello, Roxanne.” Her ex-husband sat back and calmly faced Sednar and Radnor.

“You have something that belongs to me. I’ve come for my wife.”