Chapter 102
1489words
"They are at the infirmary," Jean said when he parked his car in front of his porch I turned around looking for the said infirmary,
"It's not around here. It's a bit of a walk. Down for a walk, or horseback?"
"Can we ride a horse? I asked somewhat excited, and he took my hand, an amused smile on his face,
"Yes, we can."
And we did, he took us to the stables and picked a majestic black horse,
"his name is Phil." he said, running his hand down its mane, "he likes beautiful women," he said and winked at me, before stretching out his hand to help me up,
"Are you sure those are Phil's thoughts?" I asked when I had mounted the horse, and Jean chuckled,
"and a bit of mine," he said, and joined me behind.
He made a sound and got Phil moving. It was really nice. Me in my dinner dress, on a horse, with jean ever so close to me, the night breeze caressing my face as we rode. And for a moment, I was able to forget where we were going.
"Here we are," he said when we got to a cream building, with the infirmary written boldly at the top.
"Here we are," I repeated, as he got off the force, and took my hand to help me get off.
He placed Phil's ropes over a pillar, and took my hand, squeezing it tenderly as we went,
"We won't be long. You need to get some rest."
"It's Saturday tomorrow. It almost doesn't matter how long I stay up."
"Even then," he said, navigating the hallways, until we got to the prisoner's ward. All we needed to be sure of the right room were the two security guards standing in front of one of the doors.
"Good evening, Sire." both men said in unison when we got to the front of the door.
"evening." jean said,
"Good evening," they said to me, and I nodded,
"Good evening," I said in reply and followed Jean into the room.
And there they lay, two of the men who had tried to hurt me. They seemed almost lifeless, lying in their beds, and it made me think about the last man that Paris had had. If that man had looked anything like this man, then of course he couldn't have been able to get away.
"Is there even a need to keep those men outside? These guys are practically lifeless."
"they are. But the security guards aren't because I think they are going to escape. They are here because I don't want whatever happened with Paris to happen here. Those two are part of my most trustworthy men." Jean said
"Oh." I said and slowly walked to the men, "About what happened with Paris's man. What do you think?" I said, turning to face him,
"Look at these men, Ember. You said it yourself. They are practically lifeless. That bloke couldn't have gotten out of bed, I doubt he was even conscious. Someone took him."
"Yeah, I think so too. But who?"
Jean shrugged, "obviously, someone who wanted to make sure that the truth never comes to the light. Obviously, the one who arranged for them to attack you in the first place. I don't believe anything else." he said firmly, and I nodded slowly,
"It makes a whole lot of sense." I said thinking and sighing, "But who the hell is that?"
"you have no ideas?"
I looked at him thoughtfully, " I do have someone in mind. One of them made a statement regarding a woman. I believed on the spot that it had to be Kate, Paris's mate. She's hated me for like ever. I wouldn't put it past her."
"He has a sister, does he not?"
"Paris? Yeah, he has a sister. But she's been MIA since he tried to imprison her and she escaped. I don't think he's heard from her ever since."
"but that doesn't mean no one else has. Don't tell me she isn't in contact with her mother. Someone has to be funding whatever lifestyle she's living because I doubt she is living under a rock, eating beetles and ants."
I chuckled lightly at that, but he shook his head,
"I'm being serious, Em. She might be in contact with maids even. The Kate woman isn't even out of the question. They might have put their heads together to get it done. Maybe even with his mother, seeing as you've said that they are all against you. I wouldn't put it past them. It's an inside job, one that requires good knowledge of how that place works. So if you ask me, they are all guilty. All of them. No one is exempted."
"Well, I wouldn't put it past them either. But I can't pin any one of them with anything without having grounded evidence." I said and looked at the men, "I wish I could make one of them wake up and speak to me. But my guess is that they would be entirely incoherent. So why even bother?"
"anything is possible," Jean said, but even he didn't seem so convinced by his own words.
~~~~
We took the horses back to the front of his house, and when he offered to take me home, I shook my head declining,
"Ember, as much as I'd love to keep you here, I really have to take you back. It's a bit late now."
"I don't think you understand, Jean. I'm not trying to stay here for extra hours. I'm trying not to leave you at all. I want to stay here with you."
He blinked in confusion, "with me?" he asked, and I nodded,
"Ember, morning is still a couple of hours away, and I'm not very sleepy."
"I might be a little sleepy, so perhaps I could influence you," I said and took his hand, and he smiled, giving in,
"Axel is going to have my head for not returning you back tonight."
"it just so happens, that I'm responsible for my own actions regardless of what Axel thinks."
We didn't exactly make it to the living room before we were groping for each other. I'm not very sure what fueled my sudden desire to hold him and be held by him. But I knew I clung to him for dear life as he kissed me mercilessly.
He grabbed me by the waist and lifted me inches off the ground and I sucked in a raspy breath.
"bedroom," I said and my mouth sought him once again.
Maybe it was going where all the wolves went, or perhaps it was realizing that I could not live my life being hurt by Paris again and again, but at that moment, I had an ache and a longing, and the only one who could satiate all of that was jean. I mean, he was my mate after all.
And there was a possibility that I was being given a second chance with him.
He tugged at the thin strap of my dress when he laid me in his bed, and with the waning light of his bedside lamb, I made out his handsome face, his mouth grim and his eyes intense. There was no denying it. Jean was the lover every woman needed.
I reached for his face and covered his cheek with the palm of my hand, and he slowly brought his face to mine, covering my lips with his lips,
"make love to me," I whispered and felt him freeze, before slowly drawing his face away so that he was looking at me,
"Are you sure, Em?" he asked, and I nodded,
"don't you want to?" I asked softly, and he sighed,
"I'd be crazy if I didn't. but Ember, what kind of a man would I be if I took advantage of how vulnerable you are feeling at the moment?"
"I'm not-" I began and he simply raised a brow,
"It's okay if I share a few steamy moments with you, born out of need or want or desire or whatever you want to tag it as. But it's a whole different story when I make love with you knowing fully well you are in an emotionally vulnerable state. It's like taking advantage and I can't do that."
"So, you're telling me no?" I asked, surprisingly good-humoredly. He smiled too and kissed me ever so softly,
"I'm saying I will take you, and when I do, I won't have your emotional state standing in between me and you. I'll be the merciless predator that I am and I won't have to feel guilty about it," he said and I felt my cheeks go hot.
"scary much," I said quietly and he chuckled lightly, before rolling off me.
"At least, scary knows how to be a gentleman," he said and I chuckled too.
