To Have A Heart (A New Adventure Begins - Star Elite 7)

Mallory nodded.

“Was he the one who kidnapped you?” Sir Hugo stepped into the room.

“He is called Edward. I don’t know if it is his first name or his last, but he is the one who took cruel delight in calling me names and withholding food. He isn’t averse to punching the kidnap victims. In fact, he is the kind of heinous cretin who takes enjoyment in tormenting women, verbally and physically,” Mallory whispered. “He needs to be locked away.”

Edward took that moment to look at her. His face was twisted into a cruel mask of hatred which only faltered a little when he saw that Callum was holding the poker.

“Do you know something, Edward? You are nothing but a coward, and a bully of the worst kind. You are not strong. You are a thief and a liar. You haven’t stolen the lives of men. You have stolen the lives of women who are weaker than you and have gotten your friends to help you. The damage you cause to people’s lives is wholly unjust, put together by a manipulative bunch of lying thieves who think they can do what they like to people whenever they are behind closed doors. I feel sorry for the worthless soul you are. You deserve to spend the rest of your days in prison, with no choices of your own, no life of your own, while being told what to eat, say, think and do. If that kind of life is good enough for your victims, it is good enough for you. You deserve to rot in Hell.”

Callum listened and was extremely proud of the calm, matter-of-fact way that Mallory had spoken to one of her captors. It assured him that she could recover from the rampant abuse Edward and his kind had subjected her to. She wasn’t beyond being able to fully heal and pick up the threads of her life and weave a beautiful, brilliant new future free of other people’s cruelty and malice. He just hoped that Mallory would allow him to be a part of it. He wanted a future with her. In just a few days, he had seen a strength of spirit in her that he had never witnessed in anyone else, especially someone who had endured what she had been put through. Moreover, what she had gone through hadn’t made her bitter, or cynical. Instead, it had renewed her determination not to allow Edward and his kind to wreck her future. No matter what i

t took, Callum suspected that Mallory would do everything possible to bring Edward to justice and if that meant helping the Star Elite then that is what she would do – like she was right now. In just a few short phrases she had made Edward stop. He was staring at her with nothing more than cold contempt but hadn’t tried to argue or object to what she had said. Callum doubted her words had even scratched Edward’s cruel surface, but at least he had listened. Callum didn’t doubt that Edward now saw someone he couldn’t bully anymore. He still stared spitefully at her but didn’t stand up to challenge her. Instead, he raked her with an insulting look and glared at her.

Mallory tipped her chin up and stared coldly back. She refused to be cowed by him. She wasn’t afraid of him anymore.

“I am not going to keep fighting you for my right to life. I don’t care what you think you are, you have no right to steal my life. I am going to use my knowledge about you and your gang to make you face justice. It doesn’t matter what lies you tell to try to justify what you have done. You will face justice for your crimes. You will be locked away for daring to think you are above the law. Justice has to be served at all times, and it must be served to you,” Mallory continued. “There is not one rule for one person and one rule for another in this country. There is one law in this country, and everybody must abide by it, including you. A criminal is a criminal and will be inclined to continue their criminal ways if they can evade justice for their crimes. You, Edward, are nothing more than a bullying coward who is prepared to do whatever you have to do to avoid going to gaol for your crimes, even if you have to kill your victim to silence her.”

“But that is the point, Mallory. Anybody who abuses someone’s life, or steals any aspect of it, has no respect for it. They will kill the victim to silence them. That is what criminals like them do because to them their victim’s life is worthless. They see a victim, not a human being. They see someone they can control, bully, and abuse, not someone who should be allowed to go about their business. They think they are exempt from facing justice because they are a superior kind of criminal who can tell lies about people.”

“He will lie about what he has done. His kind always does. They pretend they are tough and strong, but they will do everything possible to avoid having to face justice because they are nothing more than snivelling cowards. They will lie, blame their victim, and generally do everything possible to pretend they are someone else. In fact, they are criminals, pure and simple; the underbelly of society who think they don’t have to live within the law. The second they involve themselves in controlling someone else’s life, they steal it. They steal choices, lives, hopes, dreams, and futures without a qualm. Nobody, no man or woman has the right to do that.”

Edward turned to stare spitefully at Mallory, who now stood shoulder to shoulder with Callum. The silence that faced Edward was condemning. He knew he would not get any sympathy from anyone in the room, and neither would his colleague, who was awkwardly stumbling to his feet, clutching his injured head.

“The Star Elite and the War Office are never going to allow you to walk free,” Sir Hugo said to Edward.

“We aren’t going to allow you to walk out of here, Edward,” Callum added. “You are off to gaol.”

Edward shook his head. “I am here to recover the missing young woman, that’s all. I haven’t done anything wrong. Melrose wants her back. She stole money from him.”

“You liar,” Mallory hissed. “I was always kept below stairs.”

Sir Hugo lifted a hand to urge her to be quiet.

Callum stepped closer to Edward.

“Now we know that is a lie,” Callum murmured. “I also now know that you haven’t heard that Melrose is dead.”

Edward stared at him.

“He died this afternoon, an – accidental – drowning, I suppose you would call it,” Callum mused. “You are not going to get any money for your work.”

Edward looked at Mallory.

“It’s true. He fell from a bridge and drowned,” Mallory added.

Suddenly, Edward let out a bellow of rage. He lunged forward and slammed a thick shoulder against Callum’s waist but, rather than try to slam him onto the floor, continued to push forward, propelling Callum backward and toward the window.

“Callum!” Mallory cried.

Sir Hugo hobbled after them but was no match for Edward’s fury. Callum couldn’t regain his balance enough to shove against Edward’s weight. He was propelled backward until he was almost at the window. Thankfully, Edward stopped, but only so he could use his fists.

While Callum wrestled with Edward, Will found himself caught up in another skirmish with his opponent. Taken down by a punch to the side of the head, Will quickly scrambled upright again, and landed a few punches of his own. While the men brawled, Sir Hugo motioned for Mallory to move away.

Mallory refused to leave Callum, though. She looked around the floor for the poker, but it was beneath Will’s opponent.

“We have to do something,” she cried.

But there was nothing in the bed chamber except a bed. Suddenly, Mallory remembered the sacks that had been used to cover her in the back of the cart. Snatching up a blanket, she gathered it up and held it against her chest.