Empath's Angel by M J Marlow (to read list TXT) 📕

any problems with overseeing the care of your niece, my dear?” “From the little you’ve told me about the child,” Vanessa said as she poured them both a drink, “she will need care once her husband dies. I will give her my undivided attention.” She handed him his drinkand settled on the arm of his chair. “I was hoping that you would turn your eyes my way, lover,” she purred as she ran her hand up his arm. “Who knows you better than I do?” “Bringing her here has nothing to do with sex, my dear,” Samuel said. He caught her hand and pressed his lips to her palm. “It was just another means of torturing her father for his betrayal.” He pulled her into his lap. “When she has had my grandchild, I will find another husband for her; someone I can trust to keep her in line.” “Someone like Zachary, perhaps?” Vanessa suggested his younger son. “He seems to have inherited your propensity for cruelty far more than Stephen ever did.” “While she is in your care, Vanessa,” Samuel frowned, ignoring her comment on his sons, “I do not want you playing any of your usual mind games with her.” He laughed at the ‘who me?’ expression on her face. “I want to break the child myself in front of her helpless father.” “You are cruel, Samuel,” Vanessa smiled warmly as she nestled closer. “I think that is one of the reasons I adore you!” “Liar,” Samuel laughed. “Youand I both know the real reason you ‘adore’ me.” He claimed her lips thenand they celebrated their impending triumph. When Vanessa finally left, she made her way back to the sanitarium near Glenville. She went to her residence thereand poured herself a glass of wine. Only when she had calmed down, did she smile to herself. After almost eighteen years, she was finally going to have her child back. Everything she had gone through to keep her husband and their daughter safe was finally going to bear fruit. It made faking her own deathand remaking herself over as her ‘older sister’ worth all the painand loss. * Stephen sat at the breakfast table in the kitchen of their home in Glenville several hours later, enjoying the way the sunshine coming in the windows made Emilia glow. They had landed the jet at the nearest airfieldand driven back into town under the cover of night. Stephen had sent the pilot on to New York with very specific instructions. Henryand his wife were now enjoying a paid vacation at Emilia’s father’s penthouse. Emilia caught his eyes on herand blushed. He wanted to touch her so badly, but he didn’t want to push her. She was his wife, but she was still such an innocent. He would let her come to him on her own, he had decided, or not at all. As much as he wanted to, he did not press her for more. He wouldn’t have been this considerate before. This girl had changed him. “We aren’t out of it yet, Emi,” he told her as he set down his forkand feasted his eyes on her. “Are you still okay with my suggestion?” “About going to each of the properties my father left me before we come back here?” Emilia asked him. She thought it overand knew he was right. “Yes, Stephen. I want to see them.And I’m looking forward to seeing those towns. Maybe we can catch a few Broadway shows when we get to New York?” “If that is what you want,” Stephen smiled at her eagerness. She was still such a child, he realized. It was going to be wonderful watching her become the woman she was meant to be. He was glad now that he had married her. “I have an old college friend who arranges such things. I’m sure he can get us good seats.” He watched as she drifted away into memoryand understood. Glenville was the only home she’d ever known. It would be hard for her to be away; especially now that she had lost her father. He laid his hand on hersand she jumped. “I’m sorry,” he said as he pulled way, “I didn’t mean to frighten you.” “It’s not you, Stephen,” Emilia replied, looking upset that she had hurt him. She looked up at him, tears glistening in her eyes. “Why can’t I forget?” “You’ve been put through hell, Emi,” Stephen said to her. “It is going to take some time for your mind to process everythingand deal with it.” He ran his hand through his hairand sighed. “I should have done more to keep you out of this.” “None of what happened was your fault, Stephen,” Emilia said softly. She laid her hand on hisand met his concern with a shy smile. “We’re married now, aren’t we?” He nodded,and she looked up at him shyly. “Then could you please make love to me?” “If we do this,” Stephen told her, even as he picked her up in his armsand carried her to the bedroom, “we can’t annul the marriage. You know that, don’t you?” Emilia noddedand said nothing more. He set her downand looked into her eyes, searching them for any sign of hesitation; all he saw was her shyness,and her trust. “If I do anything that frightens you, tell me to stop,” he said as he began to unbutton her blouse. Much later, they lay in each other’s arms warmed by the power of what had happened between them. Stephen had never felt so complete,and so transformed. He looked down at his sleeping wifeand knew he would kill before he would let anyone hurt her. She opened her eyesand smiled up at him happily. Life was as it should be, Emilia thought happily as she pulled his lips back to hers. Sheand Stephen were manand wife;and everything was right. Wrapped up in happiness, neither of them realized that their time together was quickly drawing to a close. “It’s done, sir,” Romeo said as he entered Alpha’s office after Bravo called. “Your nephewand the girl have joined.” “Very good,” Alpha nodded. “My brotherand his sons have now taken the first steps on the road to their own destruction.” He took a sip of his drink. “Have the girl watched, but do not interfere. What she is about to face is necessary for her development.” “You’re not afraid the Sobieski will interfere?” Romeo asked, trying to understand why this one girl was so important to his superior. “They have been moving members of their family into the town.” “They can only do so much,” Alpha replied. “In the end, the girl herself will come to us willingly.And then her training can begin in earnest.” * Daniel Simon was out picking up some coffee for the office when he saw the moving van outside the old theater. A tall, dark-haired man he recognized stepped out of a jeep in front of the vanand looked up at the building with a smile. Antoni Novak, Daniel remembered, the reporter from Philadelphia who was Dominik’s cousin. He had told Daniel that members of their extended family would be moving into Glenville. Daniel hadn’t realized he was going to be one of them. He went up to the manand handed him a cup of coffee. Antoni nodded his thanksand took a sip, sighing in pleasure. “Thanks, Dan,” Antoni smiled. “I needed that.” He looked up at the theater again. “My wife is going to love this place,” he said as his eyes ran over the façade. “She adores old buildings.” “So you are among the Sobieski contingent?” “My wife, Barbara,and I,” Antoni began to tick off the pairs on his fingers; “my cousin Felicia’s husband Geoffrey Caineand their son, Gabriel; my sister, Doctor Regina Turner; my father, Judge Leonard Novak…” He saw Daniel’s surpriseand nodded. “He has been here the whole time. We weren’t going to just dump Dom hereand leave him without a lifeline.” “You people are very close-knit,” Daniel noted. “I like it.” “We realize that most of the people in this town are keeping an eye on Dom’s daughter,” Antoni said to him. “We just like to stand ready, in case we’re needed.” He turned his eyes to the building next to the theater. “I’ll be taking over the Glenville Courier from Mr. Michaels. He is retiring to Fort Lauderdale.” “You don’t leave anything to chance, do you?” Daniel smiled. The Sobieski family was more organized than most military units he knew. He looked down at the coffee in his hand. “Got any candidates for the police force?” “You may be getting a request for transfer from a few cousins,” Antoni replied, with a smug smile, “but only if they’re needed. I think the volunteer fire company is going to gain a few new members.” He nodded to the tray of coffee cups. “Aren’t there people waiting for those, Dan?” “What?” Daniel looked down at the tray in his handsand realized what he’d been doing. “Oh, yeah.” He turned to see Officer Mitchell coming out of the station. “Mitchell!” he yelled at the younger man. “Get your butt over here.” He handed the tray to the manand sent him back to the station. Then he turned back to see Antoni smiling at him. “Perks of being the superior officer,” Daniel smiled. He looked up at the theater. “So what does your wife have planned for this old wreck?” “It’s not an old wreck,” Barbara Novak laughed as she got out of the vanand joined them. Daniel took in the slim frame, the golden hair tucked under a baseball cap, the cornflower blue eyes that sparkled with amusement,and thought ‘Damn, he’s one lucky man’ before he recovered enough to realize her hand was out. “Hi, I’m Barbara Novak; architectand movie aficionado. I am going to turn this beautiful 19th century building into a Revival Houseand Community Theater.” “Can’t hurt,” Daniel nodded. “People in Glenville are big on community.” He smiled at the pair of them. “You should expect an invitation to dinner once you’re settled. My wife is big on greeting the new arrivals to our town.” “I am going to like her,” Barbara smiled widely. Daniel returned her smileand left them alone. She threw her arms around her husband and giggled. “I love Glenville, Antoni! Why didn’t we come here sooner?” “Because it only exists in fantasy,” Antoni joked as he put his arms around his wife. “There is no way this town is real.” “Of course it’s real, you goof,” Barbara laughedand moved in closer. “You’re just not used to people who actually care about each other.” She sobered a bit as she looked up at her husband. “We should have moved out of the city a long time ago. Oof!” she frowned as she felt their child kicking. She laid Antoni’s hand on her gently swollen abdomenand looked down sternly. “Easy in there, tiger! You still have a few months to cook.” Antoni smiledand tightened his hold on his young wife. He had almost forgotten what it was like to be this happy. His first wife, Urzula, had died in a train crash with their three children ten years earlier. He had thought all chance of his ever finding another woman was gone. But then Barbara Kaminski had waltzed into his lifeand he was hooked. New wife, new child, new town; Antoni thought as he released herand picked her up to carry her over the threshold. If this is a dream, he told himself as he walked into their new home, don’t let me wake up. * As they began the sixth week of their wedded life, Emilia woke upand found Stephen starring out the window, a worried look on his face. She joined him at the window,and he put his arms around her, resting his chin on top or her head. He didn’t say anything to her for several moments; enjoying the feel of her in his arms as long