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

As one, the men surged toward the house. The front door was kicked in at the same time as the back door was broken into a thousand tiny sticks. All the windows were smashed downstairs. Men shouted orders as they stormed the property, and cornered the unsuspecting inhabitant who hadn’t even noticed the men were nearby.

Horvat stared in stunned disbelief at the wrecked house that had seconds earlier been warm and a temporary home. The destruction the strange intruders wrought was instant and left him lifting his hands meekly when he found himself staring down the wrong end of several guns.

“Move, Horvat, and you die,” Jasper declared coldly.

Sir Hugo sauntered into the house as though paying a visit for afternoon tea. He studied the contents of the kitchen table, broadsheet cuttings of reports of Horvat’s crimes, and shook his head chidingly at the kidnapper. When he was done, he sauntered up to the man who had caused them all so much trouble and looked him squarely in the eye.

“You, Horvat, are under arrest,” he drawled somewhat mockingly.

Horvat, suddenly lifted his boot and tried to withdraw a small knife only for Niall to kick it out of his hand the instant it left the leather.

Horvat was then hauled forward, out of his corner, and slammed brutally face down on the kitchen table. Once there, his arms were twisted up behind him at an uncomfortable angle as his legs were kicked wide apart. Now completely disarmed, Horvat began to curse but it had no impact on the men from the Star Elite who, upon hearing Sir Hugo’s signal, all entered the house to look at their latest foe.

It was imminently reassuring to have the region’s most prolific kidnapper safely confined, and no longer in a position where he could steal innocent people’s lives. All the men took a moment to quietly celebrate their success, but it wasn’t for long because the body of the house’s owner still had to be found, and a variety of legalities seen to. There was also still a lot of work to do to find the victims, but that didn’t stop Aaron and his friends celebrating their success – just a little.

Across the village, there was no cause for celebration.

“Get up.”

Elspeth’s eyes popped wide at the sound of the masculine voice that was most definitely not Aaron’s. She stared in horror at the tall figure standing beside the bed. Her gaze fell to the gun in his hand. Her heart thundered heavily in her ears as she tugged the covers higher.

“How did you get in here?” she demanded.

“Get out of bed,” Frederick ordered. He waved the gun to motion her to leave the bed.

“Turn around,” Elspeth snapped. “I am not getting out of bed with you there. Turn your back or I am staying.”

“You can get up,” Frederick snapped. “Wrap the blanket around you. You are coming with me.”

“I am getting dressed,” Elspeth retorted coldly.

“Get up.”

“Turn around,” Elspeth said again. “I am not doing anything so shoot me if you will, I am no good to you then, am I?”

Frederick cocked the gun. “Get out of the damned bed,” he yelled.

Elspeth eyed the door. “What have you done with everybody?” she asked.

Her stomach lurched with sickening horror when she didn’t hear the reassuring sound of booted feet racing to her rescue.

“Where is Aaron?”

“Your lover?” Frederick smirked. “You are nothing but a harlot.”

“You know nothing,” Elspeth snorted. “Shut up you oaf, and put that damned gun down before you shoot yourself.”

She swiftly turned her back. Most of her clothing had been thrown over the side of the bed by Aaron earlier. Thankfully, they were still there which meant she had to do nothing more than bend down to get them. Quickly, while trying to use the blanket as cover, she tugged on her dress and managed to preserve her modesty. Eventually, she turned to face the thug who had now moved to stand beside the door.

“What is this all about, Frederick? You do know who Aaron and his friends are, don’t you?” she sighed.

Elspeth suspected he didn’t or else he wouldn’t have put his future at risk. Frederick was nothing more than a petty crook who mistakenly believed he could bully people to get what he wanted. Unfortunately, he was also armed.

“Yes, he is someone who has had no qualms about making use of you now your brother is no longer here to protect your virtue, isn’t he?” Frederick declared condemningly.

“He has done no such thing,” Elspeth protested, even though she flushed guiltily.

“Really? So why were you in bed with him? Checking your wounds, was he?”