The Illegitimate Claim (6 page)

that immediately surrounded Andru and provided a natural shield so Beel could slip

up and whisper his message to the first commander.

“So that’s why she’s not here,” Gilroy grumbled but then quickly looked away as

the crowd surrounded him as well and congratulated him for protecting Gothman.

* * * * *

Ana’s stomach churned as she paced back and forth in her bedroom. She’d told the

servants to leave her alone and keep the children in the nursery. They looked first

confused, then concerned, and she was forced to say more than once that she didn’t

need medical attention—at least not yet. Oh, Gilroy, please hurry up.

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Her heart lodged in her throat as the front door opened and slammed with a loud

thud. She heard footsteps bound to the stairs and climb them quickly.

“My lady.” Gilroy threw the door open and filled the doorway.

Ana almost forgot the importance of her message when she caught sight of the

masculine body in front of her. Gilroy was a large man, and dangerously sexy as his

sky-blue eyes devoured her slowly. His straight, inky black hair hung to his shoulders

and his unshaven face added to the dark imposing look he gave her. His shirt strained

against the incredible muscles in his chest that begged for her touch. He moved to her

quickly, shutting the door behind him, and literally lifted her into the air, swinging her

around, before lowering her to the ground and then claiming her mouth with a sensual

kiss.

Ana collapsed into him willingly as his powerful arms wrapped around her and he

kissed her passionately. She sighed with longing as he finally released her, and gazed

into her gray eyes.

“So what is this secret you have, my lady?” His eyes danced, letting her know that

he really didn’t feel like listening to anything she had to say at the moment. He had

other things on his mind—and she did too.

She took a deep breath and put him at arm’s length although she wasn’t able to take

her hands off him.

“Gilroy, it is a proposition from Dorn Gowsky of the Neurian council,” she began,

and then told him what Beel told her that morning. She’d barely got the story out when

her comm went off.

“Ana, Andru’s on his way there. I guess you rate higher than anything our brothel

has to offer. You have maybe a minute.” She’d barely pulled her comm from her ear

when they both heard the front door open.

“Ana, where are you?” she heard her brother yell, and her insides leaped in

excitement at the sound of his voice. Simultaneously, her stomach contorted in

anticipation of the confrontation that would occur.

“Gilroy, you must help me keep him from doing anything in haste,” Ana whispered

quickly. “I wanted him to hear this from you, but the second he sees me…”

Andru opened the bedroom door without knocking and Ana leaped into Gilroy’s

arms and buried her face in his chest. At the same time, the front door opened again

and once more footsteps were heard on the stairs, then Beel appeared.

“My sister, I’m told you missed the ceremony because you don’t feel well. I came as

soon as I could.” Andru smiled affectionately, ignoring the fact that she was in Gilroy’s

arms.

Beel entered the room and shut the door behind him and locked it.

Andru turned to frown at his half-brother. He looked back to Gilroy and Ana and

surprise narrowed to one of suspicion when Ana diverted her eyes from him quickly

and didn’t say a word.

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The Illegitimate Claim

“What is this?” Andru looked openly confused. His spirits were high and there

wasn’t one cell of anger in him. “Ana, are you okay?”

Ana hoped her smile looked sincere. She didn’t look at Andru, but instead she

looked up and focused her eyes up at Gilroy. “I’m fine now, my lord. I’m so glad to see

you both… I guess the excitement of it all just got to me.”

She wrapped her arms around Gilroy’s waist and buried her head into his shoulder

then turned to look at Beel. Gilroy’s heart pounded against her shoulder and she

wondered what he thought about what she’d just told him.

“Andru, there’s something we need to tell you,” Beel said.

Even though she wouldn’t look at him she could still sense her brother’s body

tighten. His high spirits seemed to fade and a tension suddenly filled the air. He took a

step toward her. “You’re in here hiding from me, aren’t you?”

Gilroy pulled Ana around so roughly she stumbled over her own feet. He placed

his large brawny body in between her and Andru and spread his legs as he faced the

lord. “Listen to what Beel has to say, my lord.”

“Ana.” Andru growled, ignoring Gilroy.

“Please, Andru, you don’t want to get this all at once…and muddled. It’s

important.” Ana spoke quietly, almost timidly.

This wasn’t the way she wanted their homecoming to be. Unfortunately, as she

spoke she glanced over Gilroy’s shoulder and looked at her brother. For a fraction of a

second, her gray eyes met his…and his instantly widened.

“What has Papa done?” he roared and tried to step past Gilroy.

Beel leaped and grabbed Ana and once again she was yanked behind a man’s body.

Gilroy released her and placed his hands on Andru’s chest. Andru froze and looked

down at Gilroy’s hands, and then into Gilroy’s piercing blue eyes. He saw

determination and willingness to take the situation to whatever level it would go.

Andru was still confused, but something had happened. Something they all knew about

and he didn’t. Something that his sister feared would make him incredibly angry. And

it had to do with his papa. What happened while they were gone? He looked down at

his first commander’s hands again.

“Don’t ever prevent me from going to my sister.” Andru spoke calmly and evenly,

but with such intensity that everything in the room grew deathly silent.

Gilroy removed his hands from Andru’s chest.

“Andru,” Gilroy’s soft baritone broke the deadly silence, “Dorn Gowsky has

suggested to your parents that you take his daughter as a claim.”

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Lorie O’Clare

Chapter Four

Andru turned away from the three people who now watched him. He walked

toward the door then turned and faced them.

“Is this what all of you are making such a big deal out of?” he asked incredulously.

“So what? I don’t do anything I don’t want to do.”

“I daresay there’s more to it than that.” Beel released Ana and she flopped down on

the edge of the bed.

He walked over to his half-brother. Andru had twenty-six winters and Beel had

twenty-four, although often acted younger. Nonetheless, the two stood eye to eye. They

carried themselves differently, one face hard and wise while the other expression

always casual and indifferent. But other than that they looked very much alike. Curly

blond hair fell to their shoulders and neither man had shaved in a while. They were

broad-shouldered, muscular men, both having inherited their papa’s physique.

“Well then, tell me.” Andru waved a hand at all of them and turned to walk over to

the window.

“Gowsky spoke to Tara and she told Papa. I walked in on them talking about it this

morning. I guess Gowsky seems to feel that a union between you and his daughter

would offer a truce our two nations haven’t had before.” He wouldn’t mention that it

was Tara stealing him as a baby from his mama and giving him to Lunians that severed

the possibility of a truce forming before this time. None of that was his fault and he

didn’t regret his life. Nor did it matter now. “That point triggered something in Papa.

He didn’t say that, but I saw something in his eyes. When Tara pointed out that you

already had a claim and that Gothman don’t find claims for their children, Papa

mentioned you could take another claim if Meah was pronounced dead.”

Andru spun around and Ana jumped in spite of herself. He looked at her then and

for some reason she forgot to look away. His hand went out to her and she got up

instinctively and walked around Gilroy to her brother. He pulled her to him and simply

held her while looking at his illegitimate brother.

“Tell me the rest.” His tone was even, but Ana could feel how tense his muscles

were. She glanced up at Gilroy who stared back with penetrating blue eyes. She offered

him a small smile.

“I could tell they were getting ready to attack each other when I walked into the

room. Excellent timing on my part. Syra was there too and I think the only thing that

prevented Papa from striking was that he hadn’t decided who to attack first. He grew

furious when Syra pointed out he couldn’t pronounce Meah dead. Only Tara could do

that. If Papa had any ideas in his head about manipulating the situation concerning

your claim, Syra definitely pushed him over the edge. He was ready to create some plan

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The Illegitimate Claim

to force you into a union with this Neurian woman. Papa agreed that I should start a

search to see if Meah could be found.” Beel stopped talking for a minute and ran his

hands through his hair. He studied Andru, and Ana wrapped in his arms.

Andru stared at a wall hanging Ana had displayed of the Bryon home. He didn’t

see the picture, though. His mind was lost absorbing everything that was being said

and creating options for his plan of action. Beel took a deep breath and continued.

“Papa has said nothing to verify what I’m about to tell you. Call it a hunch—a

feeling I got in the air. His mind was churning, as yours is now.” Beel paused when

Andru snapped his head and looked at him quickly. “I believe our papa wants Meah

found so she can be killed. I offered to conduct the search and he agreed. I gave no

indication of my thoughts—I’m no fool. But, my lord, I did overhear him say to Geeves

a short time later that Meah would turn out to be more headstrong than Syra or Tara.

He didn’t want more Runners like that having an impact on Gothman.”

Ana looked up at Andru as he stared at the floor. He then looked over at Gilroy for

a moment. His commander stared back and Ana was sure they were devising

something at that very moment. She simply stared from one to the other until Andru

looked down at her. She knew immediately they would go to any extreme to ensure