Anything For Rachel – Episode 7
✏{ S•v •painter}
#Episode_7
I couldn’t actually sleep. Not with everything that is going on. Instead, I turned away from Logan, closing my eyes as I rested my head against the window. Even in my unwelcomed fantasies about being back at Castrum de Petra, I never imagined it to be like this, with a threat to the one person I love more than anything else in the whole world. I would give my life a thousand times over if it would save my little girl. She was going to have to be the one to get me through this. I’m doing it all for her.
Hours went by and I could tell that Logan was getting restless, or nervous, from the way he bounced his foot obsessively. When the light came on, telling us that to buckle up and prepare for landing, I felt like we had hardly been in the sky at all, and we both sighed deeply.
I looked into his eyes after we’d landed. “I love you, Logan.” I whispered, my voice cracking.
He put his hand on the back of my head and pulled me to him, kissing me gently. “I love you too, babe, no matter what.” He said staring into my eyes. “Let’s get this over with.” He smiled, lifting up from his seat.
I didn’t have the heart to tell him there was no way we were going to be able to just ‘get this over with’. I see this as being something that may not go our way. I can only hope and pray that if something does happen to Logan and me that Pedro will take care of my little girl, like I’m sure he would.
I had to shake myself, trying to force thoughts like that from my head. I know that as long as Calvin in there, that he will do everything in his power to protect me. That doesn’t mean that he will protect Logan though, and now that I think of it, I don’t know why I’m so sure that a man who got rid of me would do that much to protect me, much less the man I’m with now.
Like Pedro promised, at the bottom on the escalator in the terminal there was a man with a sign that read ‘Miss Rachel’ in an elegant script, with ‘and brother’ written in on the side.
Logan narrowed his at it and then me. “Brother?” He asked and I sighed.
“Welcome, your highness.” The man bowed his head to me and Logan looked at him like he was insane, obviously trying not to laugh. “It’s a pleasure to see you again.”
I looked a little harder and I realized I did recognize him. He was the guard who had walked me to my room and ended up falling asleep. “It’s good to see you too.” I smiled warmly. “I’m glad to see that Calvin, uh…”
“Didn’t kill me for what happened?” He smiled courtly.
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“Uh, yeah.” I blushed, this was all just embarrassing.
He tucked the sign under his arm and reached out to take both of our bags, carrying them easily in one hand. “No, actually he raised my position and personally apologized for his outburst.” He said.
“Of course he did.” I nodded.
“Shall we?” He asked, motioning us forward and Logan and I fell in step beside him.
“Why does your sign say brother?” Logan asked. “I’m-.” He started to say but I nudged him hard in the ribs.
The guard smiled at me, still handsome as I remembered with those green eyes. “It’s ok, your highness.”
“Please, call me Rachel.” I interjected and he smiled.
“Rachel,” He corrected. “I know he isn’t your brother, but that is the directions I’ve been given.” He told us as he led us out to a black sedan waiting. I shivered a little as I saw it, it was just like the one I’d been ushered away in. “Master Pedro was in touch with your handler, Octavia, and she instructed me to tell you both that the official story for the two of you right now is that you are siblings, not…romantic.”
“Why?” Logan asked roughly and I narrowed my eyes at him.
“Octavia can explain everything, I’m just the messenger.” He shrugged, then got the door for us, waiting for us to slide in before he closed it behind us and moved to the front seat.
I fidgeted with my seat belt and tried not to focus on the fact that this may very well be the exact car I left in. “So we have to pretend to be related?” I asked.
“I would ask Octavia.” He said.
Logan looked pissed beside me. “Whose idea was this?” He demanded. “Calvin?”
The car began to move, easing out into traffic and you could see the discontent on the guard’s face. “His highness has been away for a few days.” He said curtly.
“So Calvin doesn’t know about me?” I asked.
“No, of course he knows you’re coming, he just wasn’t aware of…”
“Her fiancé.” Logan snapped.
“Yes, that.” He frowned. “I’m not sure how long or why you both have to lie, but that’s what I was told. The only people who know the truth are Octavia, Pedro obviously, Patrick, your guard Cromley, myself, and the king will be informed upon his arrival.”
“Where has he been?” I asked curiously.
“Trying to find out who is behind the information leak I suppose.”
“When is he coming back?”
“Right now.” He nodded in the rear view mirror. “He’ll be there before we arrive.”
I nodded, but I felt sick. Soon I’ll be thrown back into the darkness, the danger, and back to…him.
“Rachel?” Logan said gently beside me. “Are you ok?”
I pursed my lips and nodded. The closer we got the more things around me started to look familiar. The rolling hills of Ireland have haunted my nightmares for most of my life. In the eternal darkness all around us on the gravel road, far in the distance the sky had an orange hue to it from the lights of what I’m sure is the little city above the castle.
The road became bumpy, far too familiar, and it began to wind down into the valley between two larger hills. “Here we are.” The guard said quietly as we wound down into the front of the city.
I looked out of my window and saw the multitudes of heavily armored guards waiting at the end of the road, the fountain spewing water up into the sky in the background. It was timeless, like nothing had changed a bit in five years. The stone city, the buildings all curving in a circle around the fountain, and
the trail off to the side that I knew would lead to my little honeymoon cabin, it was all the same, and it was all real.
“Rachel,” Logan whispered. “You’re shaking.”
I looked away from the city and the guards, and I looked into his eyes. I could see that he was nervous too, the fear was on his face. I tried to calm myself, but my body felt like it was frozen solid, the shaking tremors just kept coming and I was having trouble breathing. “I…I…” I couldn’t speak either, as much as I tried. My heart was hurting from the way it flew around my chest erratically, and I brought my hand up to my neck.
“She’s having a panic attack.” Logan said urgently over me to the guard.
His words and motions were all just a blur in the background. It was like I was in a fog that was suffocating me, but keeping me hyper alert at the same time.
“What do you do?” The guard asked.
“She needs air.” Logan said back to him.
The car sped up and soon we were right in the middle of the mass of guards.
“Go on.” The guard told Logan. “It’s safe, they’re here to protect her.”
Logan pushed open the door, then slid out, pulling me behind him.
The crisp air wrapped around me, making chill bumps raise up across my skin, and the earthy smell in the air only made me feel worse. The embarrassment that I was doing this right now, only made me feel even worse. I tried to hide my face away, ducking it into Logan’s side as he pulled me alongside him.
“Your highness?” I heard a familiar voice and I peeked up to see Cromley standing beside me, looking down on me with concern.
“Are you alright?”
“She’s having a panic attack.” Logan told him.
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My legs were led beneath me, and Logan shifted to pick me up, cradling me against his chest. I wrapped my arms around his neck, trying not to look around me anymore, and thankful that the urgent crowd was noisy enough to drown out the sounds of the fountain.
“Octavia!” Cromely called out, and I turned my head to see the guards split, making a path for a woman to come towards Logan and me, but when they opened up the space, I could see straight over to the fountain, and I let out a little gasp.
Everything stopped for a split second. The noise died down, the people stopped moving, my heart slowed, and air crept into my lungs as my eyes focused on his face. The panic was gone, the fear was gone, and everything slipped away except his eyes on mine.
Too soon, the guards closed up the group again, continuously keeping us moving forward, towards the smaller building that would take us below.
“Logan, put her down.” The woman, Octavia, said drawing my attention back to her.
I felt his grip tighten on me. “She needs me.” He replied.
I put my hand on his chest. “It’s ok.” I whispered hoarsely. “I’m ok.”
“Are you sure?” He whispered. I nodded and he gently put me back on my own feet. “Take it slow, make sure it’s passed.” He said, putting his hand on my back and leading me forward carefully.
I tried to look back before we went inside, but when I did catch a glimpse of the fountain, Calvin was already gone.
➖➖ ➖➖ ➖➖ ➖➖
Calvin P.o.v ✔
Fifty hours since Pedro’s confirmation that she is returning.
Fifty hours for me to get my head on straight.
Fifty hours for me to ready myself for seeing her again, but even a hundred and fifty hours couldn’t do that.
“Rachel.” I whispered to myself in the backseat of the SUV, not giving a damn if my driver thinks I’m a lunatic. She’s coming back, and that is all that I can focus my mind on.
My phone rang in my hand, and I quickly answered, awaiting news of her movements.
“Octavia?” I said quickly.
“Your majesty.” She crooned back. “Everyone is moving on the timetable we set out.”
“Very good.” I nodded. “I want to be alerted personally when Pedro checks into the first check point.” I told her. “I don’t care what I’m doing, or what time it is, I need to hear from him myself so that I know what their progress is.”
“I understand.” Octavia agreed.
Within another two hours or so, Pedro and Rose should be arriving at the first checkpoint on their way to the safe house. I know I have probably driven both Pedro and Octavia mad with demands of how
specifically I want this all handled, but that is my flesh and blood that he is transporting, and I need to know her every movement. I have to keep her safe, no matter the cost, I will do whatever it takes.
“And Rachel?” I asked.
Octavia paused. I don’t like that. I hate when people do that, it means they are thinking of what to say, which means they are either figuring how to give bad news, or they’re lying. “Her plane landed on time, but I have to inform you of a small hiccup.”
I balled my hand into a fist. “What hiccup?”
“She’s coming, and she should be arriving within twenty minutes behind you, but…Sir, she isn’t alone.”
My eyes went dark.
I knew what that meant.
Of course I had expected this could be a possibility, but I had hoped that…
I don’t deserve to hope for anything other than hers and Rose’s safety.
He has watched after Rachel and Rose for me, and I always knew he was very careful of what he told me. I have suspected that there may be another for a while now, just a hint in Pedro’s tone with me, or his carefully evasive answers to my questions. I never expected Rachel to never move on from me. I made my choices. I knew in choosing to give her up, that that meant I was giving her up for a better life, and a better love.
“Thank you for letting me know, Octavia.” I said curtly. “I will see you shortly.”
I placed my phone on the seat beside me carefully, although I wanted to smash it into twelve billion tiny little pieces. My eyes wandered over to the outrageously large bouquet of red roses I had on the seat on my opposite side.
I’d been stupid to see anything in her returning other than a chance to protect her safety and freedom. I should have known better than to let myself hope…
I shut out my thoughts, staring coolly ahead at the crowd of guards awaiting her arrival.
Good, they are following their orders.
I let myself out of the car and walked briskly through the crowd, leaving the flowers, and ignoring all of the bows as I passed.
I met Octavia at the fountain and she knew me well enough not to try to carry conversation with me right now. I’m sure my disappointment is rolling off of me.
1,228 seconds later and I could hear the tires on the gravel.
I stood up, tucking the stray edge of my white button down into my black pants.
“Somethings wrong.” I muttered.
“What?” Octavia asked, her arched eyebrows going even higher.
I closed my eyes. I could hear the frantic beat of her heart in the car. Too loud. Too fast.
“She’s having a panic attack.” I heard a man’s voice I don’t know say.
“She needs me.” I whispered. I wanted to run to her, rip the door off of the car and hold her to me, brushing her hair away from her face until her breathing steadied and the panic left her.
The car pulled in fast, the door swinging open.
I could hear her breaths. They were too fast, and too short. I needed to see her. I needed to be sure she’s alright. I took a step forward, but I stopped as I watched a man slide out of the car.
He was tall, lean, blonde, and by any account attractive. His hand was wrapped around hers.
Hers.
She stepped out of the car, her eyes wide, frantic. She looked terrified. Of course she was. She’s been forced back here again.
“She’s not breathing enough.” I snapped angrily. “Get them to back off of her, she needs space!”
The guards were crowding around her, and it was making it worse.
The man looked down at her, obvious affection in his eyes. His eyes, on hers. His hand, in hers.
He reached down and lifted her up, and she clung to him, holding him like she used to hold me. I wanted to go to them. To stop him and demand he tell me if he knows how lucky he is to be the man she is holding onto. Does he understand the power of the woman he is holding in his arms? Does he know the biggest mistake he could ever make in all of eternity is to mess up and lose her?
I could feel Octavia’s eyes on me, but I couldn’t look away. I couldn’t stop listening to her ragged breaths, or her pounding heart. Octavia rushed away, opening the crowd around her.
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“Rachel.” I whispered to myself, but I sucked in a breath and stopped breathing at all when her big beautiful crystal blue eyes caught mine.
The world stopped. I’m sure of it. For a moment, the world stopped spinning on her axis, the only two people who existed anymore were me and her. Her lips parted as she watched me, the weight of her stare building me up and tearing me down all at once.
The crowd closed back around her, keeping her from seeing me anymore. I listened, her breathing regulating, her heart slowing.
“She needs me.” The man said to Octavia and I bowed my head. Is that true? Does she have someone else that she needs? That means she doesn’t need…
I looked back, watching as she insisted on being put down. He placed her on her feet, and she looked up into his eyes, before he placed his hand on the small of her perfect back, leading her forward. He loved her, it was clear, and she loved him too. I’d recognize that look in her eyes anywhere.
I moved away quickly, hiding within the crowd.
What had I done? I sent her away for some other man to discover. Another man to watch her, care for her, touch her, to love her. All of those things were for me to do, not him. I’d given her up. Hell, I think I did it for the right reasons, but dammit. Is doing the right thing always worth this fucking pain in the end?
How could I have let another man have my wife?
I had to remind myself as I followed behind the crowd, her scent lingering in the air all around me, that she wasn’t mine anymore. She hasn’t been mine since I had her drugged and driven away. My choices, not hers. I’d done this.
I am the monster I always feared.
Story_Continues
ANYTHING FOR RACHEL
