“How could he survive so much,” I asked, kissing his swollen cheek.

“The love of a woman fills the heart with much strength, Renee,” Cates replied, handing Tammy another needle with white thread.

Martin reached up and grabbed my arm, twisting his head in agony as Tammy placed the needle into his groin, but he did not cry out. “I’m so, so, sorry,” I said, pressing my lips to his ear. I kept telling him how sorry I was and how important he was to me and how much I loved him until she was finished. His breathing was rapid and I wanted nothing more than for him to pass out. I couldn’t understand why he hadn’t. When he was sewn up as good as Tammy could get him, she looked up at me and asked if I was ready to handle the worst that was yet to come. I looked down at Martin who was finally resting without jerking and moaning, and remembered Garvin resetting my feet. Of course, mine hadn’t begun to heal and merely needed to be set into place; his had to be re-broken and then reset.

“Should you give him more of the wine?” I asked, hoping Tammy would say ‘yes’.

“We would be taking a chance that he could start throwing up, and that could tear open all the stitches.”

“Then do it, but do it fast.” I slid his head out of my lap, and turn so I could hold his upper body as well as his head in my arms.

I wanted to hold him tight while Cates took one of his feet, and Jacob took the other. I also didn’t want to see what they were about to do. Martin’s screams were heartbreaking. His body began to spasm as the sound of bones breaking echoed throughout the room. I held him as tightly as I could, crying so hard I couldn’t speak. He gripped my back so hard that I could feel the warm sensation of my own blood running down my side where his nails dug into my flesh. Then his arm fell away and he, gratefully, slid into unconsciousness.  I felt a hand on my lower back but I couldn’t let him go, all that I could do was hold him and cry. Had I not been so jealous and only listened to what he had to say, this would have never happened to him. The guilt was tearing me apart.

“Renee, you have to let Tammy do what she can now that he’s unconscious,” Jacob’s soothing tone and comforting hand made me lift my head. “He will survive, that is the most important thing.”

“They had no plans on letting him live, did they?” I kissed his swollen eyes. “They have to pay for this, Jacob.”

“And they will. I promise you that.” Then he lifted my arm away from Martin’s waist. “Come now, let her do her work.”

I nodded, letting him help me off the bed. There was no hatred, or anger burning when I looked down at his mutilated body. The only thing I felt was sorrow for the pain that he had to endure, and all that I could do was sit and watch him suffer through the healing. Dawn was close. I could feel it and knew that it wouldn’t be long until Martin would finally rest without pain. Garvin asked if there was anything he could do, and I had him go and check on Derek and Sydney before he went to bed. Cates was already headed to check on our prisoners and Jacob was going to be staying in here with Martin and myself. Fala was keeping guard outside on the front porch, and was planning on sleeping on the inside of the foyer by the front door just in case anyone, or thing, tried to come through while we slept.

While Tammy finished cleaning the rest of Martin’s wounds, Tanda went to get clean blankets and sheets. I glanced over and saw the note that was rolled up on the dresser and walk over and picked it up. “Have you read this yet?” I asked, walking back to the foot of the bed. Jacob turned and looked down at my hand and told me that he was waiting until Martin had been cared for, then reached over and took it out of my hand. He read it first, getting a slight smile then handed the note back to me, shaking his head.

I will do anything to get my Alex and Bernard back safe. I have information about your master that you may find very important. I beg of you not to harm the ones you have taken from me. My sister, the High Mistress, will stop at nothing to prevent you from taking her power, even harming the one who created you. If you wish to see him alive, you will bring my boys back to me and I will help you free him.

I beg this of you,

Mistress Inara

“Is she in for a shock,” I snorted, handing the note back to Jacob.

“Yes, but if we move quickly, we can use her to our advantage.”

“How so?”

“Give one of her boys back, with the promise of returning the other safe, as long as she cooperates.”

“Are you out your mind?” Tammy asked, dropping the pitcher of water she was holding. “You can’t allow either one of them to go free,” she added, bending down to pick the pitcher back up, but never once taking her eyes off of him.

“They will all be at the gala. We will agree to bring the one that we do not send back, along with us, then whatever happens, happens,” Jacob smiled, watching Tammy glare her disagreement.

“I’m having a hard time keeping my eyes open, much less think,” Tammy said, setting the pitcher on the bedside table. “I’m going to have to go lie down, before the coming dawn has me down right here on the floor.” Then she walked over and kissed me on the forehead. “Rest well. I’ll see you when I wake.”

“Thank you… for everything.” I pulled her into a hug, and then she walked out of the room, closing the door behind her.

Jacob and I changed the bedding, moving Martin as carefully as we could, rolling him to the side to remove the wet sheet, laying dry towels on the mattress, and then placing a clean sheet on top. Once we had him rolled back over and the other side made up, I pulled my wet clothes off, pulled my gown over my head and crawled in the bed beside him, while Jacob rolled him back to the driest side to keep him off of his back. I held him in my arms, laying his head on my chest. Jacob built a fire and sat down in the high-back chair in front of the fireplace, looked over at me once, then closed his eyes. The last thing I remember was stroking Martin’s hair.

Chapter Twenty

I woke the next night just as I had fallen asleep. My hand was still holding Martin’s head, and his head was still laying on my chest. As I had every time I woke, I looked over to see if Jacob was looking back at me, only this time I stayed still until he woke. After a while, he sat up and brought the coals back to life, giving the room a comfortable glow. Martin moved and groaned with the pain that still attacked his body. “Renee?”

“I’m here, just as I said I would be, holding you when you woke.”

“Where am I?” he asked, trying to raise his head.

“Don’t try to move, you’re home where you belong.”

“How?” he coughed.

“We went and brought you back,” I replied, smoothing his hair back, noticing some of the swelling had gone down.

“They told me you were all dead. I thought I had killed you,” his voice was cracking as he tried to look up at me.

“Why would you think that?” I asked laying his head back and sliding down in the bed so he could see me.

“I was weak…” he paused as tears slid down the side of his face.

“Don’t cry, sweetheart, please don’t cry,” I whispered, kissing his eyelids. “You’re the strongest man I know.”

“I told them,” he swallowed, taking a breath. “I told them you belong to me.”

I scooted further down so I could wrap my arms around him and put myself as close to him as I could without causing him pain. “I do belong to you, Martin. I always have.”

“I have been so dishonest with you. My life is nothing but shame,” he tried to say the last but it came out a sob as he fought to hold the sounds inside.

His shoulders shook as he gripped my arm, pulling me closer to his chest. I tried to talk but my words were held back by my own tears. I heard the door close as Jacob left so we could be alone. We held each other for a long while, until both of our tears had fallen. “I love you more than you will ever know,” he said, moving my hair away from my face. “I have so much to tell you about my past but I have been so ashamed of what my father was, that I just didn’t know how to tell you. The beast who owned this estate was not even the man who I claimed to be my father, Renee. The one who I called my father took this place many years ago and I, alone, took his name years after that.”