Fallen Hero (A New Adventure Begins - Star Elite 3)

Silently, the figure made its way around the house and checked each door and window to try to gain access to the property. The men followed and watched from the shadows until the figure, having checked the property for easy access, returned to the conservatory door and began to scratch at the lock.

Oliver motioned to Aaron to ask what he wanted to do.

“Get him,” Aaron ordered.

The intruder didn’t even have the chance to emit anything more than a gasp of surprise before the door he was trying to force open suddenly opened on its own. He looked up in time to catch sight of a stranger surging toward him. His backstep slammed him into the tall, unrelenting presence of a towering man who had been standing behind him and stopped him from running anywhere.

Before the intruder could even turn around he had men on either side of him. As one, the men lifted the intruder clean off his feet. He vanished into the house in one smooth, silent motion that was over so swiftly it might never have happened at all. Any noise that was made by the closing of the door behind them was immediately snatched by the raging of the wind and carried off to join the haunting wail of the continuing storm. Nobody who looked would have known the intruder had even been there. Nobody who cared would have had the slightest clue where he had gone, or what happened to him when he was inside the house.

The Star Elite did.

Once inside, the intruder found himself wrapped in his own hood, so he couldn’t see anything to make an escape. His hands were restrained behind him by tight bindings, which threatened to cut off the circulation to his hands if he struggled too much. He knew he couldn’t escape, not least because every time he moved the wooden chair beneath him creaked loudly into the heavy silence that fell all about him.

“Hello?” he called only to squeak with shock when someone began to fumble with his ankles. The intruder began to shake with the strength of the fear that pummelled him. “What are you doing? Let go of me.”

He tried to straighten his legs only to find them secured tightly to a chair as well.

“Let go of me at once,” he tried to command only for his voice to come out no louder than a pitiful wail.

Silently, the men from the Star Elite left the room and closed their captive in isolation to think through his situation.

Aaron took a moment before leaving the room to empty the man’s pockets. He dropped everything onto the kitchen table for them all to study moments later.

“Well, there is one thing for damned sure, that ain’t Elspeth in there,” Jasper huffed.

“Yes, but what I want to know is where in the Hell is she?” Aaron listened to the silence. For once, it was something he found no solace in. In fact, it heightened his fear for Elspeth’s safety to such a degree that he knew the seemingly innocent situation he had come to deal with for an old family friend had, within hours of arrival, turned sinister.

CHAPTER TWO

“Any ideas?” Callum whispered.

Aaron shook his head. “This doesn’t look like an ordinary burglar’s paraphernalia. A pair of gloves but not on his hands. A handkerchief, neatly pressed and folded. A few coins but not enough to purchase a ticket out of town, and what looks like half a chewed apple core.”

“Great, I am sure he is going to go far on that,” Callum snorted in disgust.

“His cloak is expensive,” Oliver mused aloud.

“So, we have a toff who likes to break into houses?” Niall asked. “Something is wrong.”

“I wonder-” Jasper paused but then looked cautiously at Oliver.

Nobody said anything but they all knew they were thinking the same thing. Aaron looked up at them when a distinctly wary silence settled over everyone.

“What?” he demanded.

“How long has it been since you spoke to Elspeth or Thomas for that matter?” Callum murmured.

“About six or seven weeks,” Aaron replied.

“Did Elspeth have any suitors, or someone who might have offered for her while you have been away?” Oliver whispered reluctantly.

Aaron’s stomach dropped to his toes. He pointed a finger at the kitchen door that led deeper into the house where their new captive sat. He wanted to protest that Elspeth wasn’t married, but he had his doubts. Elspeth was beautiful. It was only to be expected that she should have her fair share of suitors, and that at some point one of them would catch her attention and engage her affections.

“You don’t think that is her husband, do you?” he ground out.

All Aaron’s dreams for the future teetered worryingly on the edge of complete destruction. The thought of Elspeth being married to someone made Aaron want to find her, scoop her up and run all the way home with her. He wanted to rage against the thunderous sky, and shout at the Heavens for cheating him.

“He might be,” Jasper suggested carefully.