Alesandra got a good look at his face. He was a dark-haired man with heavy eyebrows and oily skin. The sinister expression on his face made her shiver with fear. From the look of him, she knew he wouldn't suffer any remorse about hurting anyone.
The man behind her waved a knife in front of her face and told her that if she called out a warning he would kill her.
She wasn't worried about that possibility, for she knew he was bluffing. The general needed a live bride, not a dead one. She thought about telling the horrid man she wasn't afraid about her own safety, then changed her mind. It would be more cunning not to argue. If they believed she was going to cooperate, they might let their guard down just a little.
Alesandra was allowed to open the door a few inches. Jade stood in the hallway, smiling at her.
'Goodness, Alesandra, you're not even dressed. Would you like me to help you?'
Alesandra shook her head. 'I don't need any help, Catherine, but I thank you for offering. Why don't you go back downstairs and wait with your husband? I'm sure your Henry would like you to stand by his side while he greets the guests.'
Jade's expression didn't change. She kept right on smiling until the door closed again. She heard the sound of the bolt sliding into place as she turned and ran down the hallway.
Colin had just walked into the foyer when Jade reached the landing above. Marian Rose came running in from the salon and threw herself at her older brother. He lifted her up, kissed her on the cheek, and then bent down to take Caine's daughter, Olivia, into his other arm. The four-year-old gave her uncle a wet kiss.
Jade came rushing down the stairs. Caine caught her at the bottom. 'Slow down, sweetheart. You're going to break…'
The fear he saw in her eyes stopped him cold. 'What's wrong?' he demanded.
'Alesandra called me Catherine.'
Colin heard his sister-in-law's worried remark. He put the little girls down and walked forward. He noticed then that the French doors leading to the garden were wide open and scowled in reaction. Didn't his parents understand the need for caution?
'She was just confused,' Caine suggested to his wife. 'It's her wedding day and she's bound to be a little nervous.'
Jade shook her head. She turned to explain to Colin. 'Alesandra told me to go downstairs and stand with my husband, Henry. Someone's in that room with her. I'm sure of it. She was trying to warn me.'
Colin was already moving toward the steps. 'Have Raymond and Stefan stand guard below Alesandra's window outside,' he ordered. 'Caine, you take the back steps. They'll probably try to take her out that way.'
He'd reached the landing before he'd finished his instructions, passed his mother and father as they started down the staircase, and continued on down the corridor.
He was deadly calm about what he was going to do. Rage burned inside him, but he wouldn't let that emotion overwhelm his judgment. Only after Alesandra was safe would he unleash his fury.
He reached her bedroom, quietly tested the door to make certain it was locked, then slammed his shoulder against the wood with all his might. The door splintered off its hinges, the bolt snapped, and what was left of the door flew into the bedroom.
Alesandra tried to shout a warning to Colin but she was silenced by her captor's hand over her mouth again.
The second man charged Colin with his knife in his hand. Colin moved so swiftly, his enemy didn't understand until it was too late that his knife had been snatched away. Colin didn't let go of his hand, however. He twisted it behind his back, then upward, until the shoulder bone had popped out of its socket. The man howled with pain. Colin didn't show him any mercy. He threw him headfirst into the wall next to the doorway.
Fury gave him the strength of four men. He was almost blind with his anger now, for Alesandra looked so damned frightened and the bastard had his hands all over her. The robe she wore had opened enough for him to realize she wasn't wearing anything underneath.
'Get your hands off my bride.'
Colin roared that command and started forward. Alesandra's captor knew he was trapped. He waited until Colin was almost upon him, then threw Alesandra forward and tried to run out of the room.
In one quick motion Colin tossed Alesandra onto the bed and out of harm's way, then turned and grabbed her captor by his neck.
He thought about breaking the son-of-a-bitch's neck then and there, but Alesandra was watching him and, damn it all, he didn't want her any more frightened than she already was.
'There's a quicker way out than taking the steps,' he announced.
Because his voice had sounded so calm and reasonable, Alesandra wasn't at all prepared for his next action. Colin literally picked up the man by the seat of his britches and threw him headfirst out the window.
It wasn't open. Glass sprayed the walls and floor, and a few of the wooden panes that weren't imbedded in the man's shoulders fell to the ledge.
Colin didn't even look winded. He muttered, 'Hell,' when he noticed the dust on his trousers, let out a sigh, and then turned back to her.
Alesandra didn't know what to think. Colin had been quite terrifying just a minute before, and now he was acting like nothing out of the ordinary had taken place.
Didn't he realize that he might have killed that man? Or did he realize and simply not care?
Alesandra was determined to find out for herself. She jumped off the bed and went running toward the window. Colin intercepted her before she could step on the broken glass with her bare feet. He dragged her back toward the bed, then roughly pulled her into his arms.
'Dear God, Colin, do you think you killed him?'
The raw fear in her voice made him regret the fact that she had witnessed the fight. She was too young and innocent to understand that some men were really better off in hell. The way she trembled in his arms told him she was afraid of him.
'No, I didn't kill him,' he told her, his voice a gruff whisper. 'I'm sure Raymond caught him.'
Colin was proud of himself. He'd told the outrageous lie without laughing.
She couldn't believe he would think she would believe such nonsense. She could feel him shaking, knew he was still reacting to the upsetting fight, and decided to placate him.
'If you say so,' she agreed. She let out a pent-up sigh and relaxed against him. 'You forgot to open the window, didn't you?'
'Yes,' he lied. 'I forgot.'
She peeked up to look over his shoulder. 'You're certain Raymond caught him?'
He didn't hear the amusement in her voice. 'Absolutely certain.'
He tightened his hold on her and leaned down to kiss the top of her head.
'Did they hurt you?' he asked, his voice harsh with worry over that possibility.
She found comfort in his concern. 'No,' she whispered against his chest.
She caught a movement out of the corner of her eye and looked around Colin again. 'The other one's crawling away.'
'Caine's waiting for him,' he answered. He leaned down to kiss her again. She turned her face up at the same time. The temptation was too great to resist. His mouth covered hers in a gentle caress, but it wasn't enough for him. He deepened the kiss, pleased he didn't have to force her mouth open for him. His tongue swept inside to mate with hers and a low, primitive growl sounded in the back of his throat.
The kiss consumed her. Because she was so inexperienced, she couldn't control her response to his magical touch. She couldn't get enough of the taste of him either, and, dear God, his scent-so clean, so wonderfully masculine-was extremely arousing.
Her uninhibited response was almost shattering to his own control. Colin knew it was time to stop. He tried to pull back, but Alesandra wouldn't cooperate with his noble plan. She wound her arms around his neck and tugged on his hair to get him to deepen the kiss again.
He let her have her way. She sighed into his mouth seconds before her tongue timidly rubbed against his. Colin felt his discipline slipping away. His mouth slanted over hers again and again with hard demand.
'Is everything… for the love of… save that for after the ceremony, Colin.'
