Free Brady's Hellion by Linda Wisdom Page B

danger of losing
his life. Because of the circle she couldn’t fight by his side, but
she was able to provide him with a proper weapon. She felt dampness
on her cheeks and lifted her fingers to touch the tears trickling
from her eyes. It had happened before when she explained everything
to him. Tears were unknown to her and now she had cried twice. If
only Brady knew what a gift he’d given her.
    She remained quiet because she feared words would
distract Brady. She knew Pahso was lethal with a sword. She just
hoped that Brady would survive, but if he didn’t, she did know that
she would do everything in her power to ensure Pahso paid for her
lover’s death.
    Brady felt his strength slipping. A severe beating
tended to do that. So far he’d managed to protect himself from
major damage although that last cut burned like a son of a bitch.
He hated to think what coated that blade.
    As he backed up, looking for any kind of advantage,
he caught a glance of Raven, trapped in her hellish circle. She
looked scared to death and not at all like someone who might see
this kind of combat on a regular basis. But what did it to him were
the tears tracking her cheeks.
    No way he would allow that thing to touch her. He dug
down deep for strength and somehow managed to find it. Cuts and
bruises didn’t seem to hurt as much as he lifted the sword higher
and roared a battle cry as he surged forward. There was no
hesitation as he swung the sword in an arc that connected with
Pahso’s neck, the sound like a knife slicing through a juicy melon.
The creature’s eyes momentarily widened then turned a flat black
color before his head tipped to one side and his body to the other.
Black blood bubbled out of his body in a steaming mass just before
it burst into flames.
    Brady looked at the other creatures. He hefted the
blade, broadening his legs in a battle-ready stance as he waited
for them to rush him and finish the job their boss had started.
Instead they disappeared in a puff of red smoke.
    “Brady!” Freed from her circle, Raven toward him but
before she could reach him, another creature appeared and kept its
arms around her waist. “No!” She hit it with her fist.
    “Get your paws off her!” Brady roared, advancing on
it.
    “Brady, don’t.”
    He spun around, his sword ready. Shar, attired in
another immaculate suit, faced him.
    “He’s one of mine,” the dark lord assured him.
    “Then tell it to let her go,” Brady snarled, refusing
to back down.
    “Don’t hurt him!” Raven yelled, struggling to get
free but having no success.
    Shar faced his stepsister. “You cannot stay here,
Raven.”
    “Yes, I can!”
    He shook his head. If Brady didn’t know better, he’d
even think regret was written on the creature’s face, but what dark
lord knows the meaning of regret? The kind of regret Brady sensed
he was going to feel for a very long time if he couldn’t find a way
out of this for the both of them.
    “I killed your choice of mate for her,” he stated,
hoping he was thinking like they would. “That makes her mine.”
    “In your world, perhaps, but not in ours. Raven comes
from a very strong lineage,” Shar explained. “One that doesn’t
include a human in any form except as a pet. And I am afraid you
would not make an acceptable playtoy.”
    Raven pushed against her captor’s arms. “I mean it,
Shar, do not hurt him!”
    “Silly female, I don’t intend to harm Brady. He kept
watch over you while you were here and he has been suitably
compensated for that task.”
    “Take the fucking money. I don’t want it.” Brady had
a very sick feeling about this. That he just might lose this
particular battle. He’d fought for his life many times, but he’d
never fought for someone who mattered to him as much as Raven did.
And now he would lose her because of a damn political battle. He
cleared the emotion clogging his throat as he prepared to do
something he’d never done before. Beg. “Please, leave her here with
me.