Cold water dropping over my face roused me. I groaned as the throbbing in my face rushed in. I felt a cool, wet cloth moving over my bruised, likely bloodied flesh. My memory slowly piecing together information, reminding me where I was and what had occurred. This caused me to jerk, eyes flying open and I attempted to sit up.

"Shhh…just relax." The soft voice was accompanied by a hand pressing lightly to my shoulder, the act more a request than a demand and once I found her face. That beautiful face that put me in this situation to begin with, I dropped back with a sigh and allowed her to continue with her work. I was surprised to find a pillow beneath my head though I was still on the floor. "I am sorry I couldn't get you to the bed."

I must have passed out after getting sick. The more I woke up, the more I could taste it in my mouth and grimaced before croaking out hoarsely, "Water?"

She moved from her kneeling position at my side and returned seconds later with a glass of water. She helped me to lean up, placing a knee under my back and handed me the glass. I took several sips before the vile flavor faded, then handed it back to her. "Thank you."

"What are you doing here?" Her voice was no longer soft and sweet. She sounded irritated.

"Saving you." I responded weakly, a soft laugh spilling before I slowly began to sit up fully.

I felt more than saw the roll of her eyes as she moved to put away the bowl of water and cloth she had been using to clean me up, "I don't need you to save me."

"Maybe I need you to save me." I retorted, moving to sit on the edge of the bed, there was a mirror in the room but I didn't bother checking my reflection. My face was messed up before the pretty brute got ahold of it.

"What did you just say?" She looked at me disbelievingly, turning back from the task she had been performing to look at me.

"Don't listen to me. I'm delirious." I lifted a hand, waving it off. She thankfully didn't press, but she did move to sit next to me. Her hand taking hold of my gloved one. My fingers wrapped around hers, giving it a firm squeeze before letting go and fixing my hands in my lap firmly. "So, what's your plan then?"

Her laugh was like a gift from heaven. So strong and pure, proof that the situation had not broken her. I was grateful for that. "While you were unconscious, I thought about leaving you here and letting you marry him."

I chuckled, my head shaking in response, "Nah, he needs someone as pretty as he is." I was proud of myself to hear the laugh that sprang from her. I glanced to my side, taking in her beauty. "I see why he's obsessed." I leaned to one side, lightly bumping her with a shoulder. This lightness was nice, distracting, but we still had a lot of work to do.

"Thank you for coming. Even if it was stupid." I looked back at her and could see the wisdom in her eyes. She knew what it cost me, she knew everything. I simply nodded my response and she continued to speak. "My father is here somewhere. He's not sick."

"I know." I reached over, giving her hand a soft pat, "We will find him." After a few moments of sitting in mutual silence, I got up and began to really take in the room. Surveying the window, the door, every piece of furniture. Formulating a plan.

–

The gentle thud of heavy boots on the carpeted second story floor set everything into motion. I moved into position, listened to the sound of the lock clicking, watched as the knob turned and the door was pushed open. From the sound of the creek, the hinges could use a little attention. My companion's part was played perfectly. She swung the chair in her hands in a large arc, convincingly enough, the man threw up his arms to catch it, as he did, my right arm snaked easily around his meaty throat, locking up a choke hold and applying pressure. There was a momentary delay. I felt him tense up, then relax. Slowly lowering the large man to the floor, out of the way of the door, I nod for her to put the chair down and move toward the still open door.

Seeing no one else in the hall, I step out, speaking softly, "Get his keys." I see the stairs and move toward them slightly once I feel her slipping out behind me, hearing the slight clink of metal indicating she had followed my direction. "Close the door behind you, check the rest of the rooms on this floor and find your father. I'll make sure no one else comes up."

My gaze scanned the hall, mind running through possibilities. Deciding that hand-to-hand will have to be my go to with the lack of options, I move closer to the staircase. As I pass a decorative table, I halt briefly, my eyes falling on a very nicely crafted candlestick. I reach out, taking hold of the leg hefting it in my palm. It would do. When I glanced back, I saw that she had made it halfway down the hall and checked each room so far without luck. They all appeared to be unlocked.

I waited while she finished then returned to me, her head shaking, "He's not on this floor."

"Okay, I have men waiting outside. You get to the door as quickly as you can, I'll find him." I held out my gloved palm for the keys.

Even before I finished speaking, I could see her head already shaking, her grip on the wad of keys visibly tightened, "No. I'm not leaving without him or you."

A low, exasperated sigh sounded as I muttered under a breath, "You are going to be the death of me, Woman."

Despite the situation we were currently stuck in, she laughed. The woman actually laughed. At the same moment, I heard footsteps and hurried instructions being given. My hand clamped quickly over her mouth, the leather of my glove pressing firmly to her lips. I reached out and opened a door with my other hand, fumbling a bit with the candlestick still in my grasp, grabbed her hip and drug her backward into the room. The door creaked softly closed behind us and I moved my hand while shushing softly. To that, I received an irritated look that said 'I'm not stupid'.

We waited there by the door silently as the dual sets of footfalls passed, The men were complaining as they went. It seemed we weren't the only ones unhappy about the amount of 'hostages' their boss had taken. Sounded like they were even questioning his sanity. After it was clear they had passed, I pulled the door open a little and risked a glance out then muttered, "Stay here."

I slipped from the room just as the two men made it to the door, behind which they would locate their missing comrade. I made it down the hall quickly, ignoring the ache in my bruised knee and brought the weight of the candlestick in my grasp down hard on the closest of the two heads just as they pushed the door open. The man dropped hard and loudly before I had a chance to strike the other. My wrist was caught in the grasp of a hard, unyielding grip, the other hand went for my throat, driving me back and into the wall behind me. My head hit sheetrock with a thud but that wasn't what caused the dark spots in my vision threatening to give way to unconsciousness.

I recoiled from his touch, but there was nowhere to go. In a last ditch, desperate move, I brought my free hand up, slamming my fist down into his forearm as hard as I could. At the same time, the man recoiled from a well placed kick. On its own, the man likely could have taken either the shot from me or the kick from her, but together, it was enough to distract him and loosen the grip on my arm. I swung hard, knocking the base of the candlestick into his jaw, then back across. The well placed strikes put him out like the other two, but the noise had certainly alerted the rest of the house.

"I told you to stay put," I hissed lowly under a breath, rubbing my throat briefly.

"Shut up and move," she rolled her eyes and shoved me toward the stairs.

I did not know how many more men Gaston had, but the time for stealth was definitely over. Our feet had barely struck the tile of the main floor before he appeared. I still had the candlestick in my hand, fingers tightened down on it so hard, I could feel the rough edges through my gloves. Somehow I knew this fight would be inevitable. I kept my eyes on the man even as I addressed the woman beside me, "Find him."