Free Main Attraction by Anna J. Evans

from Robert and the coat he held out toward her. He had said more than enough to incriminate himself, where in the hell was the Queen’s guard?
    “She’ll never know.”
    “Don’t you think she’ll suspect something?”
    “Cynthia is a beautiful girl, an innocent flower and more than fit to bear my sons. She doesn’t have a suspicious bone in her body. I adore that about her. I adore everything about her, but she bores me in the bedroom. She doesn’t like to play the games we like to play, Emily. You know what it’s like to ache for something more.”
    “I don’t know anything about my stepdaughter’s sex life, and you don’t know anything about what I ache for.”
    “Perhaps not now, but I will,” he said with a small smile that sent an unpleasant shiver down Edna’s spine.
    He was completely insane, and nothing she could say would convince him that she didn’t crave the privilege of being his mistress. It was time to run—she’d wonder why her captain had failed her later, after she was safe. Edna turned and did a decidedly ungraceful half-gainer over the couch, landing in a crouched position that she hoped would afford her cover if Robert decided to fire the gun.
    “Emily, come back here this instant.”
    Ignoring Robert’s directive, she bolted toward the door of the west dressing room. She needed to get out of the line of fire. Then she could lock the door behind her and make a run for the rear staircase. If she took a few seconds to toss off her shoes, she could probably beat Robert to the ground floor. From there, it would only be a few—
    “Oh my god!” She screamed and hit the floor as she heard gunfire behind her, covering her head with her hands in a futile attempt at self-preservation.
    “Freeze, Queen’s Guard, you’re under arrest.”
    Before Edna could lift her eyes to see who was speaking, Robert landed on top of her with enough force to take her breath away. For a small man, he was still damned heavy, and gray spots bloomed in front of her eyes as she rolled over and grabbed for the gun he was now aiming at her face.
    “I’ve got her subdued, good work, men,” the king shouted, holding his pistol way too close to her throat for her to be comfortable.
    “No, I’ve got you subdued, sir.” If she’d thought Frank’s voice intimidating when she’d first met him, she’d been sadly mistaken. Now the man’s every word radiated pure, unadulterated menace as he gripped the king by the neck and pants and pulled him into the air.
    Edna opened her mouth to ask him what took so long, but was shocked into silence when Frank let loose a tremendously scary scream and hurled the king against the wall. Robert bodyslammed into the plaster with a sickening thud and then bounced equally roughly to the floor where he lay absolutely still.
    “Oh my god,” she breathed, every muscle in her body starting to tremble.
    “Are you all right?” Frank asked, turning to her with wild eyes. For a second Edna shrank from the intensity of his gaze before she realized that it was concern, not anger, that burned so brightly there.
    “I’m fine, but I was beginning to worry.”
    “We had dissension in the ranks, someone who thought we should heed the orders of a madman. He’s been taken into custody, but it distracted our focus. I’m more sorry than I can say.”
    “It’s okay. I’m okay, I just—”
    “You could have been killed. There’s no excuse for that. I never should have allowed you to be in that kind of danger in the first place.” The look in his eyes was still fierce, wild, but now Edna could see something else there as well. He cared for her, had been afraid for her not only because he had promised to protect her, but because he wanted her around for his own personal reasons.
    “It’s all right, Frank. I still trust you. I know you did your best,” she said, taking the hand he offered and rising to her feet. As soon as they touched, that same wild, fevered need started to pulse