Page 78 of The Highwayman's Bite

Chapter Twenty-five

Rhys hugged his armsas he trudged through the mud to the Berwyn Farm. He could have used his preternatural speed to cover the miles from his cave to Emily’s house, but he simply did not have the spirit to run. He knew he should feel happy and victorious that he’d managed to secure the money to save his family farm as well as cause havoc with the Lord of Blackpool for his cruelty in trying to force Emily and her children from their home.

Yet after spending time with Vivian, reading, talking, and laughing with her, kissing her, making love to her, and ultimately falling hopelessly in love with her, the victory felt hollow.

A cold, ragged hole resided where his heart used to be. If not for his duty to protect his kin, Rhys would have been tempted to take Vivian and flee England. Leaving her at that inn had been the hardest thing he’d ever done in his life.

Almost as difficult as lying to her had been. Rhys knew that Vivian’s uncle would never forget the insult borne against him. The Lord of Blackpool would ensure that Rhys would be hunted by every vampire Blackpool could employ. If Rhys didn’t leave the country before dawn, his life was likely forfeit.

Remembering that fact, he willed his feet to carry him faster, running in a blur until he entered Blackpool’s territory. For a moment, the temptation to turn towards Thornton Manor to see Vivian and make sure she was safe reverberated in his bones. But he knew that was folly. Blackpool would most certainly have his vampires guarding the perimeter. Still, his constant worries refused to abate. Had Vivian been Changed? If so, how was she coping with the situation? Would her uncle be a compassionate mentor?

Or if Lord Thornton had decided against Changing Vivian, what did that mean for her future? Would Vivian be kept a virtual prisoner, isolated from the world so that she couldn’t tell anyone of the existence of vampires?

What about Madame Renarde? While Rhys knew that Aldric wouldn’t kill his own niece, he wasn’t so certain that Vivian’s companion would be spared.

God, he’d been such a fool. Although revealing himself and Lord Thornton as vampires had certainly resulted in Aldric capitulating to the ransom, Rhys should never have endangered Vivian’s and Madame Renarde’s lives with such a dangerous action.

But there was nothing he could do about it. The only thing he could do was fulfill his original mission and take care of his own family.

He paused at the edge of the Berwyn Farm and scented the air. A shuddering sigh of relief escaped him when he didn’t smell any other vampires. He’d knock on Emily’s door, give her the money, and have her awaken the children so he could tell them all goodbye.

His chest tightened as the fact sank in that not only would he never see Emily, Jacob, and Alice again, he’d also never set eyes on any of his mortal descendants again. Not so long as the Lord of Blackpool lived.

At least the farm remained in the Berwyn family. Rhys had made certain of that. He reached in his pocket and felt the reassuring weight of the hundred and ninety-eight pounds in coins. Two pounds had gone to Vivian’s room and meals at the Owl Inn and Rhys would give all but five pounds to Emily, so that not only could she pay off the mortgage, she’d also be able to purchase food and perhaps seed or livestock to begin the arduous process of making the land profitable as it once was.

That would be the only comfort Rhys would have as he lived the rest of his doubtlessly short life running from the Lord of Blackpool and his allies. With a heavy sigh, Rhys started forward to deliver salvation and bid his farewells.

Suddenly, he was seized from behind. Firm hands gripped his upper arms like iron manacles.

“You didn’t think you’d be able to win this game, did you?” a cold voice hissed in his ear.

Rhys’s stomach sank with dread. “Blackpool.”

“The very same, but you will address me as Lord Thornton.” The other vampire jerked his arms further back, and then real manacles were clamped over Rhys’s wrists. “And you are Rhys Berwyn, a rogue vampire. You are under arrest for kidnapping, extortion, and the cardinal crime of revealing our existence to not one, but two mortals. You also compromised my niece. Although that is not technically a crime, I will see that you pay dearly for it. To start, I am foreclosing on that farm tomorrow.”

As Rhys was dragged away, his soul contorted in agony. After all his efforts, sacrificing what little honor he’d had left, and sacrificing the love of his life, he’d failed.

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