Surrender to the Fury Read Free

winnings, robbed her of her virginity, and planted his Satan’s seed in her. What made it all the more unbearable was the damning fact that she had surrendered to the fury.
    He had introduced her to a splendor she had never imagined existed. He had taken something only a husband had a right to take, and made her feel as if it belonged to him. His sizzling passion had made him senseless to her virginity, not that it would have made any difference to the rogue.
    She hated Nick Drummond.
    Hated him for transporting her to paradise, despisedhim for being a Yankee and for planting his babe in her. Detested him for walking out on her the next morning without a word of good-bye. Loved every damn minute she had spent in his arms.
    She had relived those perfect moments so often, they were etched forever in her brain. The thought of looking at a part of him every day for the rest of her life filled her with dread.
    A soft whimper interrupted her reverie, and a force stronger than her own sense of survival compelled Aimee to reach out a finger and touch the child’s cheek. His skin felt like the softest velvet. He gurgled contentedly. One tiny fist closed around her finger, trying to drag it into his mouth. Despite her solemn vow to hate the product of Nick Drummond’s loins, Aimee lifted the baby from his cradle and snuggled him in her arms.
    Savannah watched from the open doorway, holding her breath as Aimee cuddled her child. When Aimee placed him at her breast to suckle, the faithful old nanny offered up a prayer of thanks. For one terrible moment she feared Aimee would reject her child utterly.
    For Aimee, this special bonding with the child she was prepared to hate was for life. In a flash, she realized the tiny, helpless being she had given birth to was innocent of his father’s sins and had a personality all his own.
    “What are you gonna call him, honey?”
    Aimee smiled up at Savannah, gratefully aware that she couldn’t have managed without the loving care the aging woman had lavished on her. “You name him, Savannah.”
    Savannah looked startled, then inordinatelypleased. It took only a moment to make the choice. “Brand. His name is Brand.”
    Aimee couldn’t help but ask, “Why Brand? It’s an unusual name. I don’t think I’ve ever heard of it before.”
    Savannah grinned. “The instant you held him in your arms, he placed a brand of love on your heart.”
    “Brand. Brand LaMotte. I like it; it’s a good name.”

Chapter 1
     
    Tall Oaks Plantation, Atlanta, Georgia 1864
     
    C aptain Nicholas Drummond halted his company of Union cavalrymen at the entrance of a winding dusty road lined with stately oaks that appeared to stretch up to the sky. It was a surprisingly peaceful setting amidst a land ravaged by war, curiously untouched by time and man’s injustice to his fellow man. Yet the bloody, senseless war between the North and South, pitting brother against brother, had been raging for three years.
    Though the issue forcing the war was slavery, Nick knew the reasons went far deeper than that, and for the sake of humanity, he prayed it would end soon. But until then he had a duty to perform. He had joined the Union army because the cause was just and his honor demanded that he fight for justice and equality for all men.
    Nick twisted in the saddle, waiting for Lieutenant Dill to ride up beside him. “Is this the place, Lieutenant?” His voice was gritty with exhaustion, and his gaunt face gave mute testimony to the many battles he had fought and survived through sheer grit and determination.
    “Yes, sir,” Dill acknowledged. “Tall Oaks. It belongs to the Widow Trevor and her young son. Because of its size and proximity to Atlanta, it was purposely left standing to serve as an observation post in the area.”
    “I suspect Widow Trevor won’t take kindly to having her home occupied by Union soldiers,” Nick mused, stroking his stubbly chin. He felt grubby and dirty and couldn’t wait to feel a