BULL: MC ROMANCE (Forsaken Riders MC Romance Book 6) (158 page)

When she awoke in the morning, she was alone. She could hear the men preparing to leave outside and quickly dressed and went out to see what was happening. William had packed his shield and swords and was ready to mount his horse, but seeing her, he rushed to her side.

“I wanted to leave before you woke.”

“I’m glad I caught you.”

Their conversation was stilted in front of the other men and they had to resist the urge to kiss each other.

“I should have a token to give you to keep you safe.”

William smiled. “I’ll picture your face before we go into battle tomorrow.”

Rebecca had a thought. “Wait, I can do better than that!” Running into the tent, she brought out her bag and handed him the phone. “Here, take this and you can have my image with you.”

She had saved their selfie as a screensaver, and she showed him how to turn the iPhone on and off.

William tucked it into his tunic. It was time to go and the others were shouting at him to mount his horse. There was no time for long goodbyes and after touching her arm lightly, he was away.

She watched the men ride into the distance, her heart already heavy for their losses.

The day was long and she had little to do. William had warned her to keep out of sight and keep away from the other men staying behind in the camp. Many were young boys, just learning their craft and the others old men past the age of battle who were responsible for the camp.

Taking out her notebook, she began to sketch pictures with notes of what she saw. It would be fascinating reading when she got back to 2015, if she ever returned. At first she remained within the confines of the tent, but as the day dragged on, she became bored. Tucking her hair underneath her cap, she started to wander further afield. It seemed quiet and surely no one would notice her. With her slight frame and tunic and leggings, she could easily pass for one of the young squires. Eventually she came to a very large and wealthy-looking tent that bore the royal coat of arms; it must be the tent of King James. Picking up her pencil, she had just started drawing the scene when a hefty arm caught hold of her.

Two burly highlanders stood behind her, their swords drawn, and before she could speak her hands were fastened behind her and she was thrown into a tent. No one knew who she was and it was assumed that she must be an English spy.

A long time passed before one of the older men came into the tent to speak to her.

“What’s yer name sonny, and who do ye work for?”

She stuttered out William’s name and said that she was his squire. The man rubbed his whiskers. He wasn’t sure. The boy’s accent wasn’t Scots, and there was something unusual about him. He would keep him under watch until William returned.

She was brought some simple food and water during the day, but apart from that, she had no company. At night she was given a blanket but could not sleep. How different the previous night had been. She lay awake thinking of William.

A few miles away, William Stewart lay on the ground looking up at the stars. It was a beautiful night and he wondered if it might be his last. He was sure Rebecca knew something about the battle but was afraid to tell him. He feared the worse. He removed the strange device from his tunic and pressed the button she had shown him. The square box switched into life and he saw a picture of a white apple on a black background. This thing amazed him and he wondered what it was like in 2015. Would he still be remembered? The apple disappeared and was replaced by their image, his face and hers. She was laughing and he was looking confused. She looked beautiful. Kissing the image, he pressed the button to close the machine and to “save the battery” as she had put it.

He prayed to God to keep them both safe.

The next morning, the clouds had set in and what started as a light drizzle turned into torrential rain by mid afternoon. Rebecca listened carefully for any news, but all was quiet. She hadn’t slept well the previous night and was awoken by the sound of loud voices and seemed to recognise one of them. The tent opened and in walked Angus, one of William’s men who had threatened her with a sword a few days earlier. She was grateful for her disguise for he did not seem to recognize her and soon walked out again. She wondered what he was doing here and why he wasn’t at the battle. The reason soon became clear. The battle had already started late afternoon and by now the Scots were being massacred by the English. It seemed that the coward had run away from the danger. A few hours later, a messenger arrived to state that all was lost and to clear the camp. Horses were readied and Rebecca wondered if she would be forgotten when Angus walked into the tent and pulled her outside.

The older man was waiting outside. “He says he’s William Stewart’s squire.”

Angus peered closely at Rebecca, uncertain. Pulling at her cap, he released her blonde hair, which cascaded down her back.

“William Stewart’s whore, more like.” And bringing his face up close to hers, he leered down at her, his cruel mouth mocking her.

“Well, William’s dead so she’s no use to him now. I’m sure I can make good use of her, though.” With that, he dragged her back into the tent.

Rebecca didn’t know what was happening to her. Her whole body had gone into shock. If William was dead, then she was lost, too. The old woman had been wrong after all. Perhaps it was her fault; she had upset the balance of time.

She had a sense of déjà vu but seemed lost in a dream. Angus was suddenly in front of her and from the smell on his breath, he had been drinking a great quantity of ale. His hand was squeezing her arm, but she could not struggle. She had given up the fight. His eyes were like slits and there was cruelty in their steely grey as he looked her up and down.

Licking his lips, he sneered at her and brought his face directly in front of hers.

His breath was stale and sour, and Rebecca turned her face away from him.

“Little whore, I’ll show ye.” He pulled her to the floor as his free hand started to work its way underneath her tunic.

His other hand was around her neck and almost choking her. She thought she might black out when suddenly he released her, his whole weight lifting away from her.

“Angus.”

The voice was his. William had returned and had pulled Angus away from her, punching him to the floor.

Once again his strong arms were around her and she wept softly into his chest.

“But I thought you were dead?”

“I was saved by this.” Reaching into his tunic he pulled out her phone. The glass had been smashed but surprisingly it still worked.

“I took a direct hit from an English archer, but luckily I kept your picture next to my heart and the arrow pierced your machine and not me. Ye saved my life.”

Things were as they should be, as they were always meant to be.

Rebecca returned home to Selkirk with William. She married him a month later and he had a special portrait of her commissioned for the occasion. He wanted her to look like the first time he had seen her, standing in the bed chamber with her hair plaited. She wore a blue velvet dress and a pearl necklace that he bought her as a wedding gift. As a surprise in return, she asked the painter to make two small additions to her picture. In her hand, she would hold an apple to symbolize the phone that had saved him. Remembering the original locket, she had already guessed what the twin-tailed symbol of the siren signified: It was the Starbucks logo from her coffee cup that they had kept it as a reminder of her past.

They lived happily ever after despite the fact that she could never return to her own time. They had four children, two girls and two boys. Her past was now her future. She worried about her Mom missing her and thought of a cunning plan. She recorded a message for her parents on the iPhone, using the last remaining battery power. She hoped they would understand.

James Anderson was furious. He had been digging at the site and found a surprisingly modern object buried quite deeply. It seemed as though a thermos flask had been buried on the site of the old house and inside it were two objects: a mobile phone with the front smashed in and a small locket. He recognized the phone; the students seemed to be glued to them these days. This one was housed in a pink sparkly case and it belonged to Rebecca, that strange American girl that he couldn’t get out of his head. Students weren’t allowed to come onto the site without permission, let alone dig.

It might be a practical joke, but just wait until he saw her; he would definitely give her a piece of his mind.

THE END

What the Outlaw Claims

Samantha Leal

Copyright ©2016 by Samantha Leal. All rights reserved.

No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic of mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.

Table of Contents

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Eve ran her fingertips lightly through her white blonde hair as she looked into the mirror and smiled. She was all dressed up, ready to hit the town, and even though tiredness bit at the back of her mind, subconsciously wanting to pull her towards her bed instead of to the front door of her apartment, she knew there was no way she was going to miss out on the party of the year.

She stood and checked her reflection. Her supple, curvy figure looked exquisite in the tight, sequined black dress she had chosen two weeks before on a day out shopping with Cassandra, her best friend. The girls had spent hours trawling around the stores in the midst of holiday shoppers, determined to find something just right to help them see in the New Year and party with some of the most exciting people in the city.

“You look awesome,” she told herself as she ran her hands down her waist and out over her round behind. “You’re a goddam Goddess.”

One of Eve’s New Year’s resolutions was to tell herself every day how unique and powerful she was. She had spent most of her life quietly fading into the background, but she had decided that this was going to be her time to shine. She was twenty-five and in a good place with her life. She had her own apartment, she had a job in design that she enjoyed, and even if it didn’t pay the most amazing money in the world, at least she could get up every day and go there without hating the daily grind. She had a good set of friends, which although they were few, were loyal and fun to be with, and as the holidays had passed she realized the only thing truly missing from her life was a man, and she wasn’t about to let that ruin her self-esteem. No, she was going to take the figurative bull by the horns and give the New Year all she had. She was going to sparkle as she knew she could without feeling self-doubt, and the dress had been the first step. As she looked at the sequins shine and glisten under the light of her vanity mirror she knew that once she hit the club she would not only stand out in the crowd but also look the best she ever had, and now she couldn’t wait to get out there and shake her thing and bring in 2016 with a bang.

She pouted and smoothed on some shocking pink lipstick before smiling at herself again and plumping up her already impressive cleavage.

“Tonight is your night,” she coached herself. “This is the beginning of a new you.”

She winked and picked up her purse before she slipped her feet into her sky high stilettos and headed down the hallway and out of the front door. She pulled on her warm faux fur coat and wrapped it tightly around herself before she locked the door behind her and made her way towards the elevator.

As she waited for it to make its slow journey down to the ground floor, Eve checked her cell and sent a quick text to Cassandra telling her that she was on her way. The girls had arranged to meet outside of the venue, a big warehouse in a not very desirable part of town that had been overtaken for the night by a top fashion label that Cassandra worked for. They were turning the derelict space into a nightclub like no other. Cassandra had promised champagne on tap, ice sculptures, models, celebrities and rock stars and Eve had listened wide eyed as a world she could only dream of instantly came within her grasp.

“Wow,” she had said. “This sounds amazing.”

“And it will be,” Cassandra had grinned. “It’s the perfect way for us to see in 2016 and get our new year started with a bang.”

“Are you sure I can get in?” Eve had been skeptical. She had heard about parties like this and she knew that exclusive guest lists usually meant girls like her would be left out in the cold.

“You’re my plus one, silly,” Cassandra had laughed. “I work for the label, we’re getting in, trust me.” 

As she stepped out into the cold winter night and luckily managed to hail a taxi, she just hoped that her friend was going to come good on her promise. She had been looking forward to this party for the best part of December, and now it was finally upon her, her nerves were mounting.

Well, there’s no going back now
, she thought as she slid into the warm backseat of the cab and sank down into the musty upholstery.

She looked down at her text to Cassandra and saw that she had replied…

C: Awesome, see you on the corner! X

The cab pulled forward into the night and Eve smiled. She was on her way to the party of the year, and she was going to have the night of her life.