Page 15 of The Fighter who Needed Me
Brooks
On the docks, Nov 1812
Brooks had placed Persephone on a crate and had Nathaniel watch her while he ran back onto the ship to get their belongings.
But when he had come back down the gangplank, Nathaniel was looking around, frantic.
“Nathaniel! Where is Persephone?” He had asked and Nathaniel shook his head, “I do not know. One of the men needed my attention and I turned my back for a moment. Just one moment Brooks, and when I looked, she was gone. Just gone.”
Brooks let out an agonized roar. “I promised her Nathaniel. I promised her I would keep her safe from them. And at the first moment, I failed her.”
“Persephone!” he yelled and tried valiantly to find his wife in the crush of bodies that surrounded them.
But she was nowhere to be seen. Dropping to his knees right there on the wooden docks, Brooks brought his hands to his head, and fought not to let his emotions show.
His wife was gone. Taken by the family that did not love her. That treated her like she was ill. That never let her be the person he knew she was.
Pulling on his hair, he felt a hand touch his shoulder. “I am sorry Brooks. Truly I am.”
Brooks nodded his head, he needed to figure this out. He would get her back if it was the last thing he did.
Getting to his feet slowly, he picked up his bags and hers and walked over to where Burk was standing next to a carriage.
Everyone else had gone to their carriages and then home. He knew Burk was struggling as much as he was without his woman.
Climbing in the carriage, the two brothers sat silently until they reached their home.
They had closed the salon down while they were gone, but had Mary come every once in a while to check on things and to have Billy stay while they left.
He was a good kid, with a good head on his shoulders, and Brooks knew he would be a good fighter someday.
Burk unlocked the door and everything was as they had left it, and when they went up to their individual rooms, Brooks sat on his large bed and hated it.
It was cold and lonely and now that he had a taste of his woman, he wished that she was here with him.
He would do everything he could to get her back.
If it was the last thing he did.
* * *
Weeks had gone by and he had only had stolen glances and touches of his woman.
And those were few and far between. He longed to hold her in his arms.
Longed to have her in his bed. The last time they had been intimate was at The Duchess’ house, and it was a quick thing.
She had gotten there, at Penelope’s behest and Brooks had taken her from the room, needing her alone with him.
She urged him on, and as soon as Brooks found a room that suited their needs, he wheeled her in and shut the door.
Locking them inside. He lifted his wife from the damn chair she was in and kissed her.
She kissed him back just as fiercely and when her tongue ran along the seam of his mouth, he groaned and let her take what she wanted from him.
Their tongues played and he sucked on hers, needing her closer.
“Brooks, oh god. I have missed you.” She whimpered and he kissed down her neck, “I have missed you too, wife.”
