AllFreeNovel
Share Us
She should help Arabella. No one knew Lily was here. She could sneak up behind them and free Arabella. But her body refused to move. She was safe behind this rock. Hadn’t Ash told her to stay here? But as the man began dragging Arabella again, Lily spied the flash of steel.
Arabella’s knife arced in the moonlight, raking down the man’s side. He roared in pain and then with a massive fist, he struck Arabella hard. Lily watched her sister’s body go limp and a whimper escaped her own lips.
Arabella couldn’t help herself now.
And as Lily looked about, she realized no one else was coming to save her, either.
No one but Lily seemed to be watching.
On trembling legs, she pushed herself up from behind the rock. She had to be brave. Arabella needed her, and if Lily were being perfectly honest, she needed Arabella too. This was where her strength would come from, her love of her family. The people around her.
Staying low, she moved as quickly as she could through the grass while he dragged Arabella closer to the trees. When she was within twenty paces, she stopped, raising the pistol and dropping into the grass on her knees. She’d risk losing them in the woods if she didn’t do this now.
Her hand shook, so she held the gun with both hands, wrapping her finger around the trigger.
With a deep breath, she fired, a cry erupting from her lips.
For a moment she saw nothing, and then her vision cleared.
The man swayed and fell forward in the grass. Her pulse jolted again as she half rose, racing toward him and Arabella.
Both lay still and Lily dove down, wrapping her arms around Arabella’s chest. Her sister didn’t move, her face slack, her body limp in the grass.
Lily bent close, relief washing though her when she felt Arabella’s warm breath on her cheek. Arabella moaned softly, her head turning to the side. Lily didn’t even bother to check if the man was dead or alive when she began dragging Arabella away.
Her heart raced in her chest.
When they’d made it ten feet, she stopped, falling to the ground with Arabella on top of her.
“What do we have here?” another male voice rang out, his tone thick with a slimy sort of sing-song that made her skin crawl.
She clutched Arabella closer, feeling the woman’s small pistol in the pocket of her skirts.
Fumbling about, she found the butt of the gun just as Arabella moaned again, louder this time, her body shifting in Lily’s arms. “Shhh,” Lily whispered.
“If I’m not mistaken, I just saw two little ladies who looked like twins to me. Does the dark duke have two daughters and not one? Busy daddy.”
Lily could hardly breathe as she raised the gun. She had no idea if it was even loaded.
Arabella opened her eyes, the tension returning to her body. “What’s happening?”
Lily kept her arm around her sister. “That man tried to take you.”
Arabella gasped. “You saved me.”
Lily clutched Arabella closer. “Don’t worry. I’ll keep you safe again.”
Arabella shifted, yanking up her skirts to expose her leg straight up to her thigh, where a much larger blade was lassoed to her leg. “We’ll keep each other safe.” Then she pulled the knife from its cords, holding it tight in her hand. “Our daddy was very busy indeed,” she called out, louder. “You’d be amazed how many of us there are.”
The man chuckled and Lily heard the faint sound of him moving through the grass. “Is that a threat? You are a feisty one.”
She looked this way and then that. Arabella attempted to sit up but swayed back against Lily. “Damn,” she mumbled, holding her head.
“Are you well enough to gut him if I jump at him first?” Lily asked, helping Arabella straighten.
“You know I am,” Arabella answered, giving a quick flick of her wrist to change the position of the knife.
“It’s nice there’s two of you. The Chancellor will surely appreciate having two bargaining chips.”
