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

jets began to land. The Governor of the State, the Mayors of local towns, policeand fire commissionersand captains, were arriving with their family members. All were coming to meet herand Stephen; the newest members of the Sobieski family. She could feel their excitementand curiosity all the way from the airfield,and she smiled. Stephen came up behind herand wrapped his arms around her, resting his chin on her head. She closed her eyesand sighed happilyand then she stiffened. A mind, angrily determinedand bent on destruction, blazed out from among the happier thoughtsand Emilia began to shake in fear. “Emi?” Stephen asked as he felt her reaction. He turned herand looked down into her eyes. “Angel, what’s wrong?” “Our enemy is coming to us, moj serce,” she said softly, looking back over her shoulder. “He intends to cause great harm to our family, our friends,and those who have come here.” She got a very determined look on her face. “We can’t let him do this, Stephen.” “And just how do you propose we stop him, Angel?” her husband asked her, even as worry blazed to the forefront of his mind. “We confront him immediately,” Piotr said from behind them. They turnedand saw Piotrand his sons, his nephews, his grandsons, their cousinsand in-laws, all standing behind him. “Emilia, child,” he said as he looked at her. “Come show us who our enemy is.” Emilia noddedand went to Piotr’s side. Stephen followed her, joining the throng of defenders. Piotr led them to the main gateand they formed a receiving line. For the first twenty minutes, the people who had come to visit were greetedand escorted inside. It wasn’t until nearly the end when a tall, silver-haired man came through the gate. Emilia nodded to her grandfatherand stepped forward. “Hamilton Snow,” she said simply. “You are not welcome here. You are an enemy of the Sobieskiand you came to do us harm.” She looked at Adam. “His men are hiding out in the woods. They are set to attack at a pre-arranged signal,” she continued as she read the man’s mind. “An explosion that Mr. Snow’s companion will set while he remains in our view to prove himself an innocent.” She looked past the manand froze. “Hello, Bridget,” she said to the brunette standing behind Hamilton. She ripped the woman’s hatand wig offand removed her sunglasses. “You made amistake coming here.” She turned to her grandfather. “She was placed under an extermination order if she ever left Raven Hold.” “How does she know?” Bridget hissed as she moved closer to Hamilton. “You assured me that there would be no hitches in your plan.” Hamilton shoved her awayand, in the confusion, he grabbed Emilia. He held his arm across her throatand raised his gun to her temple. The Sobieski men froze, waiting for an order or a sign from the Krol. Piotr stepped forward, his dark green eyes coldand hard. Hamilton pressed the gun in harderand Emilia winced in pain. “My companionand I are leaving with the girl,” Hamilton hissed as he began to back up. He did not see Stephenand Adam moving in behind him. Adam grabbed Bridgetand clamped his hand over her mouth. Then everything went wrong. Emilia passed outand as she collapsed, Stephen moved inand grabbed the gun, wrenching the man’s arm up behind his back. Hamilton squeezed the triggerand the bullet went wild, striking the brick wall. It ricochetedand everyone dove out of its way. Hamilton yanked Emilia back up just as the bullet returnedand it hit him in the back. “What is it about this girl?” he wailed as he collapsed, pinning Emilia to the ground. “Emi!” Stephen pulled Hamilton off of herand checked her over, paling as he saw that the bullet had gone through Hamiltonand struck her near the appendix. “Angel,” he shook his head as he picked her upand ran inside, “why can’t you stay out of the line of fire just once?” He took her to the infirmaryand laid her down on the table near the X-ray machine. Maryam came in as he was setting the controlsand took over. He noddedand went down to hold Emilia’s hand. She was in a great deal of pain now that the shock had worn off. He felt her squeeze his hand and watched as the machine circled around her slowly taking multiple shots. When it was done, he gave her a painkillerand left her in Barbara’s hands as he joined Maryam in the control room. The bullet was lodged in her appendix. Thankfully, it had not damaged any major arteries. He found it surprising that every time she was wounded the bullet took the least damaging route. He looked at her appendixand saw that it was inflamed. “She would have had to have her appendix out soon anyway,” Stephen told the rest of the family when he went to make the report. He sank down on a chairand shook his head. “This wife of mine is really something quite remarkable.” The medvac unit arrivedand Stephenand as many Sobieski as could fit aboard went with Emilia. The pilot did not argue when he realized who was on his copter. He flew as fast as wind speed would allowand landed on the roof of the nearest hospital. They piled into the waiting room, as Stephen insisted on being allowed to accompany his wife into surgery. The surgeon did not argue, he was a friend of Sobieski. He removed the bulletand Emilia’s appendixand smiled. It was a textbook surgery with no complications; if he’d ever seen one. He looked over at Stephen,and had never seen a man with a grayer face. That’s what he got for insisting on watching his wife being operated on. “There’s a reason why we have a waiting room, Doctor Winslow,” Doctor Danvers smiled briefly. “You’re going to want to be in recovery with her, too, I suppose?” He turned to his nurse as Stephen nodded. “Doctor Winslow is to be allowed at his wife’s side in recovery, Martine.” Stephen dozed offand was brought awake as something soft touched his cheek. He looked at his wife’s smiling faceand relief flooded through him. He leaned overand kissed her, leaning his cheek against hers. “Do you think you can avoid being shot the next time we take on a target, wife?” he whispered fiercely. “It wasn’t my fault the bullet ricocheted, darling,” Emilia smiled weakly. Her eyelids began to droop. “Can I sleep now?” “I love you, angel,” Stephen smiledand kissed her again. He kept a hold of her hand as she was transferred to a private room. He was not surprised to see the entire Sobieski tribe in the waiting room as they passed. He remained at her side, only eating when someone thrust a sandwich into his hand and drinking when a cup of coffee was placed before him. Several hours later, Emilia woke up again, stretched gingerly,and smiled at him, lovingly. “So,” she smiled impishly, “who’s our next target?” “You are not allowed to think about such things,” Stephen lectured her, “until you are back on your feet.And maybe not for several months afterward.” He took her hand in hisand his fear hit her. “Do you know what I go through every time I see you hurt? I should send you back to Raven Holdand let them lock you in one of the towers.” “Except I know about the secret staircase,” Emilia smiled weakly, trying to get him to relax. He was so terrifiedand she didn’t know how to help him. The door openedand Piotr strode in. “Grandfather,” she smiled warmly, “Stephen needs to talk to you.” She saw Stephen’s expressionand shook her head. “You haven’t left my side since I was shot, Stephen Winslow. You need a break. Adamand Mikala are here,” she nodded towards the door where Piotr’s oldest son was standing. “They’ll make sure I stay right here.” “We’ll strap her down if she tries to run,” Adam noddedand took the seat Stephen vacated. “Go talk to Ojciec, Stephen.” Once Stephenand Piotr were gone, he turned to his niece with a stern look on his face. “You are going to give him gray hairs before he’s thirty, Emilia Elzabet. You need to slow downand let the rest of us have some fun.” “You call being abducted, assaulted, committed, drugged,and shot at, fun?” Emilia asked him bluntly. She closed her eyes a moment. “If I hadn’t known I belonged to this family before,” she smiled impishly as she opened her eyes again, “that statement of yours would have proved it, onceand for all.” “Just try to take it a little easier on your husband, darling,” Mikala said as she took Emilia’s hand in hersand patted it. “Men are such babies when you don’t keep them in the loop.” “Mik,” Adam chided her. “I don’t think Emilia needs any pointers on how to put herself in danger without thinking about the consequences.” He turned to his niece as Mikala reddened. “Just try to remember the family motto, Emilia: I can do it, but I will arrange for backup just in case everything blows up in my face.” “A motto,” Konrad laughed as he came in just then, “that was adopted the first time Adam struck out on his own without thinking.” He came overand kissed Emilia on the cheek, handing her a box. She opened itand saw a nice watch. “If you are going to make an end run, maly jed, we’d like you to have a lifeline,” he told her. “Barnabas just finished adding some very interesting doodads to the workings.” “It’s a tracking device,” Emilia guessed, even as she put it on. She pulled Konrad closeand kissed his cheek. “Thank you, Uncle Konrad.” She frowned. “Just don’t tell Stephen until it’s absolutely necessary?” “Plotting without me again, angel,” Stephen frowned as he heard her last statement. He shook his head. “I must admit, I can see now that you come by your recklessness honestly. The stories your grandfather has been sharing with me…” He smiled as Adam, Mikala,and Konrad, all looked ashamed. “He tells me I am either going to have to keep you barefootand pregnant, or I am going to have to develop an ability for arriving at the nick of time.” He sank down on the bedand picked up Emilia’s hand, his eyes warm as he kissed her palm. “I must admit the first suggestion is very appealing, angel,” he said as the other three trooped out to give them privacy.” “But…” “Knowing you,” he frowned, “you’ll be beating down the bad guys while you’re ready to deliver our children.” He leaned down to kiss her lips. “I love you, Emi.” “And I love you, idiot!” *
Imprint

Text: M J Marlow
Images: Bookrix
Editing: M J Marlow
Publication Date: 01-11-2010

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