Read Online Kingdom Come by Kathryn Le Veque - Free Book Online Page A

head so she was looking away from him completely. He heard her sigh faintly.
    “I don’t like it when you order me around,” she said quietly. “I know you’re used to ordering people around, but I’m not one of them. You don’t have to be so mean about it. Everything about this is new and weird and scary, so you’re just going to have to be patient with me. I’m doing the best I can under the circumstances.”
    He grunted softly, perhaps in resignation, and moved closer to her. He knew he was about to fold completely. Bending over, he put his lips on her cheek and suckled gently.
    “I know you are,” he whispered. “But so am I. As I listened to your advice in your time, you must listen to me in mine. Everything I do, I do to keep you safe. There are dangers awaiting us right now that you can’t possibly comprehend. Do you understand that?”
    She nodded, closing her eyes when he kissed her ear. “Yes.”
    “The next time I tell you to do something, will you do it without question or hesitation?”
    “Maybe.”
    The way she said it was fairly dramatic and he knew that she was folding, too. He grinned, kissing her ear again, then her neck. He could feel her shiver beneath him.
    “I love you, Lib.”
    That was about all she could take; Rory threw her arms around his neck and hugged him tightly.
    “I’m sorry,” she murmured against his ear. “I’m not trying to be a pain. I’m just so freaked out by all of this.”
    “I know.”
    “And those guys that broke into the room; God, Kieran, I’ve never even been around a fight much less something like that. You killed those guys.”
    “I had to.”
    “I know that,” she pulled away and looked into his strong, handsome face. “But I’ve never seen anything like that in my life. Blood and… and that guy’s head was… ugh….”
    She made a face and trailed off.  Kieran kissed her cheek, remaining silent on the subject; he knew she was a very strong woman. He had seen it. But he knew she would need all of that strength and more to endure that they were going to be facing. Now that the shock had worn off about returning to his time, he was beginning to feel some trepidation about what was to come.
    The stable boy brought out Kieran’s charger; the animal was big and beefy, a bright red color with a thick white blaze and cream-colored tuffs around its hooves. It was the biggest horse Rory had ever seen.  Kieran went to the animal and greeted it as one would an old friend. But when Rory tried to pet it, the horse snapped at her.
    Kieran was loading his satchel and saddle bags onto the back of the beast, grinning when the animal tried to bite her. Rory jumped back and threw her arms up as if someone had just pointed a gun at her and demanded money.
    “This is Liberator,” he introduced her to the animal. “He is a crossbred of a destrier stallion and a Spanish Jennet mare. I bred him myself, in fact, and have raised him since foalhood. He is strong, intelligent and has a nasty temper. You must be very careful around him.”
    She put her arms down and made sure to stay a safe distance from the horse. “No kidding,” she said ironically, watching the charger as it sniffed at Kieran’s familiar scent.  “He’s huge.”
    Kieran finished securing the bags and made sure the saddle was tight before mounting. The smooth, effortless motion was not lost on Rory; she could see in that gesture that the man had mounted many a horse. Once again, she was awed by the sight of Kieran in his natural state. As she observed both knight and charger with some amazement, Kieran held out his right hand to her.
    “Come along,” he urged her. “We must go.”
    She went to him and he pulled her up effortlessly, seating her on the back of the horse.  Rory threw her leg over the animal so she was positioned astride and wrapped her arms tightly around Kieran’s waist.  It took him a moment to realize she wasn’t sitting primly side-saddle against him and he