Do Or Die [Nuworld 4] (22 page)

ran his fingers through her hair to straighten it.

“Andru, my leadership techniques may not be the same as yours or Papa’s…or

even Mama’s. I’m not good at demanding things from people, but that doesn’t mean I

don’t know how to lead. I’m just not going to force people to do things the way you

do.”

* * * * *

Gilroy stood out by the garage talking to several of the guards on duty. He’d

contacted the leaders of his armies and arranged for a brief meeting to fill them in on

what was going on. Now, as he stood and made small talk, he felt grossly distracted by

what his claim might be doing at that moment. He’d agreed to a high price to have Ana

by his side and he’d paid that price. He’d been a man with no rank and not a lot of

money. He’d worked hard to prove his worth as commander and he knew he was

doing a damn good job. But Ana was still not completely his. Andru was overstepping

his bounds and there was nothing he could do about it. He couldn’t prove he was

sleeping with Ana but he suspected that was the case. The thought made his blood boil.

As several of his leaders landed around him he noticed Ana hurry out the back door

toward her glider. He left his men to slowly congregate and hurried over to her.

“What did Andru say to you?” he asked once he’d reached her side.

Ana looked up into those beautiful blue eyes and saw worry eating away at him.

How could she ease those worries away? Could she expect him to live with the constant

worry that the Lord of Gothman might borrow his claim whenever he pleased?

Somehow she needed to make him believe there was nothing to worry about. She

looked around the yard and then smiled as she reached for his hand.

“Come with me,” she said and then led him around toward the backside of the

large garage.

“What did he say?” he demanded again. He hadn’t pushed her like this before, but

he needed to establish some type of ownership.

“He told me I should have let Lara bleed to death. That was the plan, I guess,

although I wasn’t privy to that information.” She pouted and rested her hand

protectively on her belly before looking up at Gilroy. “I know neither one of you think

I’m capable of leading the Runners because I don’t act like my mama, but would you

have wanted me if I did? Andru wants me to report everything I do to him and then tell

me what to do. He’ll end up leading the Runners and I’ll just be his pawn. I couldn’t

walk away from her and simply let her bleed to death.”

“But you can kill in cold blood.”

“Combat is different. She was birthing a dead baby.”

“So Andru talked to you and you told him you wouldn’t cooperate and that was

it?” The intensity of his gaze made her shiver. She knew exactly what he was asking.

She stared out at the rocky hills behind Gilroy without answering for a second too

long. Gilroy pounded the wall of the garage above her head and she stifled a scream

with her hands as she instinctively ducked away from him.

“You’re sleeping with him, aren’t you?”

“No.” She shook her head and stared, horrified, as she saw the jealousy rage

through him. “I promise, I’m not.”

“Ana, no man could take you once and be satisfied.”

She smiled in spite of herself. “You flatter me, my lord.” She walked up to him

slowly and cautiously placed her hands on his chest.

He grabbed her arms and then pulled her into a tight embrace. “I can’t stand

sharing you,” he whispered into her hair.

“You’re not sharing me, I promise.” She pulled away far enough to look up at him.

“You’re mine, damn it. You and the baby are mine and I don’t want you to ever

forget that.” He spoke through his teeth and then pounced on her lips with his mouth,

demanding she submit. She responded willingly as she wrapped her arms around his

waist and dragged her fingernails up his back. She needed to warn Andru to be careful.

Neither one of them could afford to lose Gilroy’s loyalty.

Chapter Thirteen

Ana stood in the open field and stared at a compressed patch of ground where the

trailer had been. She looked around the quiet clan site and squinted as the morning sun

blinded her. She walked around the indention and made note of where several gliders

had driven recently.

But how could this happen? Her mama ordered Lara not to leave the Blood Circle

Clan site. Lara couldn’t simply drive her trailer out of here without at least one of the

guards noticing. Yet somehow Lara was gone. Other than the markings on the ground

and flattened grass, there was no sign that Lara had ever been there. She pulled out her

comm and spoke her mama’s name into the thin wire that extended to her mouth.

“Don’t you have an appointment with Dr. Digo this morning?” Tara immediately

scolded as she heard her daughter’s voice.

“I’m on my way there right now. But, Mama, Lara is gone.”

“What?” Tara shouted in her ear.

“I’m at the clan site and her trailer is gone. It looks like several gliders drove off

alongside it,” Ana spoke quickly. “I can’t believe it, Mama. She birthed a dead baby

yesterday. I mean, I saw all the blood. I can’t believe she was able to up and leave after

that.”

“I heard you helped her.” There was no indication in Tara’s voice as to how she felt

about that.

“Killing her would just be a start at solving this problem. If I got on her good side I

thought I could infiltrate the clan she’s created and figure out exactly what they’re up

to. I planned on taking out the entire scheme all at once.” Ana sighed loudly then

groaned. “Go ahead, tell me I blew it. I’m sure everyone else will.”

“Have you told anyone about this plan of yours?”

“Now why would I do that?” Winters of mouthing off to her mama was a hard

habit to break. “All of you already think I’ll make a lousy leader.”

“I don’t think your plan is ruined.” Tara didn’t seem to hear Ana’s whining. “But if

Lara managed to get out of the clan site then her tracks should be easy to follow. Go to

your appointment. I’m on my way over there.”

Did her mama just say her plan wasn’t ruined? Could her mama possibly think her

strategies were good? She wouldn’t fathom the thought that her mama had just backed

her. Ana bit her lip and walked away from the abandoned site to the doctor’s trailer.

“And I feel really good,” Ana encouraged the doctor once he’d finished her

examination. She couldn’t have Dr. Digo suggest she start to slow down. The poor man

would be bombarded for information on her condition more than likely before she

could get out of the trailer.

“You look good too.” The old man smiled at her as he helped her to a sitting

position on the examination table. “The baby’s heartbeat is strong. A couple more cycles

and the tyke will be demanding all your attention.”

The door opened then and Tara entered, smiling at the two of them instantly.

“Have you ever seen a prettier pregnant lady, Doc?” She walked over and wrapped

her arm around her daughter. “How’s she doing?”

“She’s fine. Everything looks good.”

“Great.” Tara smiled down at her daughter as she released her. “You’re lucky, you

know, when I was carrying you and your brother I got ordered to a jeep. We didn’t

have gliders back then…but she can still fly a glider, can’t she, Doc?”

“Sure, I don’t see why not. It’s the vibration of driving across ground that’s not

good for you at this point. Just stay in the air. You’ll feel the cramps if you start to

overdo it.” The doctor walked over to the sink and washed his hands.

Tara helped her daughter off the table and patted her ever-growing belly. She then

gestured with her head and the two women thanked Dr. Digo and left the trailer. They

walked over to where both of their gliders were parked. Ana noticed a travel pouch

thrown over the back of her mama’s glider and raised a questioning eyebrow. It wasn’t

until they both sat on their gliders that Tara spoke.

“I realized something when you and I spoke earlier.” Her mama’s tone had a

strange inflection to it. She spoke conspiratorially. “You twins have been compared to

each other all your lives. You proved to be the better warrior and your brother showed

potential of leadership like your papa. Since you didn’t show the same aggressive

behavior we all assumed your leadership skills were weak. But they’re not.”

“They’re not?” Ana couldn’t hide her surprise at her mama’s vote of confidence.

“No.” Tara smiled broadly. “You, my dear, think like your mama. You don’t go in

and intimidate and eliminate like a Gothman…you scheme and plot like a Runner.

You’re an outstanding warrior and you’ll make a great leader.”

Ana couldn’t believe her ears. Her mama always criticized everything she did—had

she ever complimented her like this?

“Thanks, Mama. That means a lot to me.” There went the damn emotions again.

“Come on. I doubt we have much time.” Her mama started her glider and her dome

slid up over her.

“Where are we going?” Ana had to ask through her comm since her mama took off

quickly. Ana followed and the two of them were flying over the clan site in no time.

“We’re going to find Lara.” Her mama looked over at her through her dome and

grinned mischievously. “And no—I can see the question written all over your face—no

one knows we’re leaving.”

Ana’s mouth fell open in disbelief but then widened into a broad grin. “I didn’t

know you had it in you, Mama.” She giggled and then spoke more quietly. “We’re

going to get killed.”

“Sweet child, I was killed over and over before you were even walking.” Tara rolled

her eyes and then accelerated as they hit open field north of the clan site. “We don’t

have time to let those men argue over who gets to kill someone first.”

* * * * *

Andru walked into the dining room just as Gilroy and Darius sat down at the table.

Fulga hurried around them serving ham and eggs.

“Ah, there y’are, m’lord.” She grinned and showed off her double chin. “Have a

seat if you will. The food’s hot.”

“I’m running the troops through some extensive drills this morning if the two of

you’d like to watch,” Gilroy said as he stuffed ham into his mouth. “I daresay they’re