Far From Broken Read Free Page B

career and Malcolm left to serve his first tour under Colonel Wyndham. Before long she was renowned far and wide as a beautiful and talented prima ballerina, and Malcolm had eventually come under Jasper’s command.
    Jasper had used the connection to meet the famous Calliandra, surprised and impressed to discover that the hauntingly beautiful and mysterious dancer was a bright woman full of vibrancy who made him feel ten feet tall. He’d pursued her relentlessly until she finally agreed to marry him.
    And the rest was history.
    So when Jasper had finally received word that Callie was recovered enough to return home, he’d only trusted Malcolm to go on ahead to the clinic while he took care of the last bit of business, the last loose end before he would feel safe enough to fetch her. “The doctor said her throat had been badly damaged—”
    “It’s not that she can’t speak, because she screams well enough in the middle of the night.”
    Jasper’s fists clenched at his side, but he nodded. “What else?” There was more. He could tell there was more.
    “She’s become more withdrawn since she learned you were on your way. Hasn’t come out of her room for three days.”
    “All right.” He took a deep breath and looked past the big soldier. “Thank you for watching over her until I could get here.”
    Malcolm paused. “There’s still more.”
    “What is it?”
    “You weren’t the only visitor expected this week.”
    “What do you mean? A new patient for the doctor?”
    His expression turned fierce. “Apparently, General Black is coming. He’s coming here to see Callie.” Malcolm hated the general almost as much as Jasper did himself. “The storm might have delayed his arrival for another couple of days, but he’ll be here before Yuletide.”
    “Then we’ll be gone before Yuletide.” Jasper deliberately pushed aside his anger to deal with later. He wouldn’t be any good to Callie if he walked into her room seething with rage. “Let me know if you hear anything more.”
    He stepped past the captain.
    “Colonel.” Malcolm dropped a hand on his shoulder to stop him. “Did you know this was going to happen?”
    He turned back around, meeting his friend’s hard gaze. “I had been told from the start that there would be a price for saving Callie. The War Office’s involvement practically guaranteed it. Although, at the time I believed that I would be the one to pay it. And you know I would have gladly paid anything.”
    “But they can’t mean to… You’re not going to let him take her , are you?”
    His hand clenched into a tight fist at his side at just the thought of that bastard getting anywhere near what was his. “Not without a fight.”
    “Good. I want in on that fight.”
    Jasper nodded, grateful to have the experienced captain in his corner. “I wouldn’t have it any other way.”
    Before he could enter Callie’s room, Malcolm stopped him again. “Did you find the third?”
    “Dead.”
    “Good.”
    “Now there’s only one more.” The bastard behind it all. The traitor. “And we’ll find him too.”
    “Count on it.”
     
     
    It was warm as he entered Callie’s room. The fire looked like it had been stoked recently. It crackled and popped with energetic vigor.
    His gaze found her in the window seat staring out at the deepening twilight. Her knees were bent and she rested her chin on them. He was glad to see it because it meant she had control of and flexibility in her artificial legs.
    How long had she been sitting there? Long enough to have been watching the snow fall while he did the same back on the train?
    She didn’t look up and seemed lost in thought, but he could tell she knew he was there from the tightening of her shoulders. After stepping across the threshold, he stopped in his tracks and drank in as much of her as he could. With the firelight causing the shadows to flicker and dance, she seemed naught more than a dream. Insubstantial. If he blinked, she might be