Afterthought by M J Marlow (red white royal blue .txt) 📖

couldn’t hear them. “I can’t hear,” he sobbed as he looked at them. “It’s all static. Where am I? What happened?” “Safe,” Silvano wrote on a notepad and showed it to him. “Did you see what happened to Princess Evangeline?” “She tried to keep me safe,” Pierre wrote. “She hit him over the head with a branch and he slammed her head against the truck.” He looked horrified at his weakness. “He hit me so hard I couldn’t help her.” Stefano pressed the call button and a young man in a white uniform stepped in. Pierre saw him talking. He knew there were words coming out of the man’s mouth, but he couldn’t hear anything over the static. He bit his lip as another wave of pain shot through his head and his vision went black for a second. “It hurts so bad now it’s making my eyesight go away.” Silvano looked at the boy in shock. “The princess saved my life. We have to stop that monster.” He felt warmth flowing into his arm and saw the man in white injecting something into the IV line. Pierre smiled as the pain drifted off and he closed his eyes. Silvano watched the boy sleep, worried about the deafness. With all the damage Landry had done to the boy, he was surprised he wasn’t suffering more; but he did not want the boy handicapped because he had tried to save Evangeline’s life. Stefano laid his hand on his brother’s shoulder and looked up as the door opened and smiled as he saw his old friend, Morton ‘Tank’ Guthrie come into the room. Tank was the hospital administrator. “How is he doing, Shark?” he asked as he picked up the file. “I see Stuart gave him a painkiller. Was he complaining?” “He said it was so bad his vision was being affected,” Silvano replied. He stroked Pierre’s cheek and frowned. “That bastard meant to kill someone. If my niece hadn’t intervened it would have been this boy.” He looked at Tank. “Any word on the results of the blood tests?” “This boy is definitely your son,” Tank smiled at the child. “Stuart says that he is having trouble hearing because of ‘static’?” “That’s how he described it,” Silvano nodded. “He’s more worried about Evangeline than himself, though. He is a good boy.” He held Pierre’s hand. “My son,” he smiled softly. “They told us he was dead, Tank.” “Well they lied, Silvano,” Tank replied. That was a matter for another day, however. They had to find Evangeline now. He wished the family well and left to return to his office and his duties as Administrator. There was a knock on the door and he looked up to see his new assistant standing there. “You asked me to bring the cost breakdown on the benefit, Doctor?” the slim redhead smiled as she laid a folder on his desk. Her soft gray eyes were soft and smiling and he had to remember to breathe. “Thank you, Amelia,” Tank nodded. She remained where she was and he looked up, trying not to note the way her blue dress accented her ample curves. “Was there anything else?” “You asked me to remind you when it was time for your meds?” Tank nodded. Amelia put a glass of water down on his desk. “Now.” She left the office and shut the door. When she was certain she would not be overheard, she took out her cell phone and dialed. “He’ll be ready for pickup tonight at seven.” She listened to the other person and frowned. “Yes, I’m certain he’ll get you close to the prince. He’s a close personal friend of her father’s.” Evangeline opened her eyes and looked out at the main room of the private car from where she had been shackled inside a closet by her own mother. She was trapped inside a space only as wide as she was in both directions. Two-way glass that she knew was a mirror on the other side behind the bar was set directly in front of her face. She could hear and see everything but no one could see or hear her, unless they knew where the intercom switch was. Her mother and Edward had been showing her what Edward would expect her to know when he made her his mistress and she could not turn her head away. She was held perfectly still by the harness she’d been shackled into. They were taking her back to England. Aileen had already contacted her family and they were giving her Sterling Manor, the family home in London, as her residence. “You’ll like it there, baby,” Aileen smiled in at her imprisoned daughter. “And as long as you behave yourself, your movement won’t be too seriously curtailed.” Edward came up behind her and clamped his hands on her breasts. Aileen’s eyes sparkled with pleasure. “You will start your lessons in pleasing Edward then.” “I don’t think she is as happy about that as we might hope, my love,” Edward smiled in at Evangeline nastily. “It doesn’t matter, does it, my dear?” Aileen laughed. “As her loving parents, she will do what we tell her to do.” She held up her hand and showed Evangeline the ring, smiling warmly. “Mrs. Aileen Lombard,” she sighed happily. “Sylvie is now your grandmother, baby.” She heard the whistle. “We have arrived at Calais.” “It’s time to give our daughter her medication then,” Edward told his wife. “We can’t have her throwing a temper tantrum.” Aileen nodded and opened the closet door. She shoved a baby bottle into Evangeline’s mouth and the girl choked as the milk flowed down her throat. She was not allowed to refuse and by the time the bottle was empty her throat felt cold and heavy. Aileen freed her from the shackles and helped her to the couch. Edward sat down next to her, holding her hands in his as she tried to pull free. “You will get your pretty voice back,” he said as he ran his hand along her neck slowly, “when your Mama and I see you have learned to obey us. If you do anything to make us angry with you, pet,” he continued, “we will take your legs next. Is this clear?” Evangeline did not answer and he forced her to look at him. “Don’t push me, Princess. I will hurt you.” The train slowed down and came to a stop. Men came into to get their trunks and Edward pulled her to her feet. He and Aileen each took a hand and forced her along with them as they followed the luggage to a waiting ship. She could not say a word to the police officer on the docks. There was no way she could warm him that the dark-haired man holding her captive was an escaped felon. Edward had altered his appearance and looked every inch the successful businessman. According to his papers, he was Peter Lombard, a British banker who Aileen and the Sterling family had known through Sylvie. The white blond hair was gone now and the gray eyes were now a rich blue. He had offices in Paris and Aileen had gone to him when she and Evangeline had escaped from Edward Landry. They got into their stateroom and Peter shoved Evangeline to the couch. “Well, daughter,” he smiled nastily. “Now that we are on our way home, we shall go over the rules I, as your new Papa, expect you to follow.” He saw the anger in her eyes and he laughed. “Give me trouble, little one. I am looking forward to whipping you.” “Don’t look to me for support, baby,” Aileen told her. “I expect you to obey your new Papa. He only wants what is best for you.” Evangeline sobbed and threw herself down on the couch. They left her alone and she was grateful for that small respite. They locked her in the cabin and went up to get some air during the voyage across the Channel. She didn’t care. They were not there taunting her and she could put her mind to finding a way to stop them. She fell asleep and, when she woke up, she found that she was still alone. She looked at the clock and realized Aileen and Edward had been gone for several hours. The ship had stopped moving. “Hello, baby,” Sylvie smiled as she came into the cabin. “Welcome home, little one.” Evangeline sobbed and moved away from the woman. Sylvie looked hurt as the child she had raised for this exact purpose fled from her. She shrugged and closed the door. “Your parents are with the Captain overseeing the unloading of your trunks. I am to take you to the car.” She grabbed Evangeline’s wrist and yanked her along. “I know you’re not happy that your Mama married my son, Eva,” she said as she forced Evangeline to accompany her, “but that is no reason to throw a tantrum.” Evangeline let Sylvie get her down to the car and then she yanked her arm loose and ran. She was not going to let them do this to her! She had only gotten around the corner when she ran into a wide chest. She looked up to see a tall, brown-eyed man with thick russet hair and a goatee standing there. Relief flooded through her as she recognized Gideon Lyndon. But he led her back to the car and turned her over to Sylvie. “You have to keep better watch on her than that, Sylvie,” he said as he smiled at the older woman. “We don’t want little Evangeline hurt wandering this nasty town.” He chucked Evangeline under the chin and smiled past her to where Aileen and Edward were coming down the ramp. “Aileen,” he beamed and picked the woman up to spin around with her. He kissed her on the cheek. “It is so good to see you looking healthy and happy.” He turned to Edward. “Peter. I never thought you’d be the one to land her.” “Aileen and I were always meant to be together,” Edward smiled at his friend; a man he had been misleading for over thirty years. He pulled Aileen to his side and kissed her on the lips. Then he looked over at Evangeline and frowned. “I wish Eva was as happy about our marriage as you are, Gideon.” “She’s an intelligent child,” Gideon shrugged. “She just needs time to adjust to this change.” He was smiling as he turned towards Evangeline. “You’ll be staying at Sterling Manor, I hear. Give me a call, we’ll do dinner when I get back.” “Another assignment, Gideon?” Edward asked, instantly interested. “Old friend has lost track of his child,” Gideon told him. “Last time he saw his kid, the boy was boarding a tramp steamer headed to Morocco. I fly out in the morning with my team.” He smiled as he raised Evangeline’s eyes to his. “You’re awfully quiet, Eva.” “She’s taken a vow of silence,” Aileen frowned. “Eva won’t talk to any of us.” She made Evangeline get in the car. “She can be very stubborn when she’s upset about something.” “She gets that from you, cousin,” Gideon replied. He laughed. “They say a parent gets the child they deserve…” He ruffled Aileen’s hair. “You’ve got your hands full, Aileen.” “Lucky me,” Aileen laughed. “It was very thoughtful of you to meet our boat, Gideon.” She linked arms with her cousin. “Have dinner with us tonight?” “I’d like to,” Gideon replied; “but I have packing and prep to handle.” He looked in at Evangeline, who was sitting in the corner making herself as small as possible. The poor child was so angry, he thought. He wished he could assure her things were going to get better. “Be a good kid, Eva. Things will look better soon.” Evangeline heard him say goodbye to her mother and Edward. The couple got in and the