Total pages in book: 96
Estimated words: 91416 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 457(@200wpm)___ 366(@250wpm)___ 305(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 91416 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 457(@200wpm)___ 366(@250wpm)___ 305(@300wpm)
“Look at me, Dru,” he ordered. “NOW!”
She turned a defiant glare on him.
“This stops now,” he said as if he decreed it. “We may find ourselves in positions that might seem uncomfortable, but we are husband and wife. We did nothing wrong. You fell asleep in the tub and didn’t wake when I lifted you out or while I dried you or tucked you into bed. I did nothing more than care for you in a time of need. Something I would expect of myself as a husband, and I would expect of my wife to do for me. And do not remind me again that we are not truly husband and wife. We agreed to remain husband and wife for this mission and that is the end of that.”
He turned to grab his garments, his arousal growing, seeing her standing there, a wild fury in her eyes and strands of her red/blonde hair falling just as wildly around her head and face. He couldn’t help but wonder if she would couple with such wild fury as well. And, bloody hell, if an image of her naked on top of him, riding him hard and furiously, didn’t pop into his head and aroused him even more.
“Thank you.”
Her surprising remark had him turning his head and he was even more surprised to see tears in her eyes. He stepped toward her, but she held up her hand stopping him.
“I haven’t been cared for in—” She shook her head. “What seems like forever.”
“Who looked after you?” he asked, curious to know more about her.
“My mum, then she got sick, and I looked after her until she passed.”
“I am sorry for your loss. Is that how you wound up on the road, no permanent home?”
“Aye. There was only me and my mum, so I had no one to help me.”
He watched her roughly wipe away a tear that had trickled down her cheek like she was angry that she allowed it to fall.
“You’re not alone anymore,” he said, again sounding as if he decreed it.
“For now,” Dru said.
“Nay. Never again. I will find a place for you before we part, so you are safe.”
“Not likely,” she said annoyed. “I don’t need your charity. I’ll take care of myself.”
Knox wasn’t surprised that she rushed out of the room, but whether she liked it or not, he would see her kept safe no matter what it took.
Dru stared at the chaos in the Great Hall.
“It’s all your fault,” Lady Agatha yelled at her husband.
“The lad needs to learn not to lie to me,” Chieftain Liam argued.
“So, you have him walk with you and your wolfhound and berate him for lying as you walk through the village for all to hear?” Lady Agatha shook her finger at her husband. “That is heartless, Liam. There are better ways to teach our son. Now he’s gone and ran away. He’s only eleven years. He cannot survive on his own.”
“What happened?”
Dru jumped, not hearing her husband come up behind her.
“Ethan has run away,” Lady Agatha said.
“What can I do to help?” Knox asked.
“Go help his brothers find him since Liam is too much of an arse to go himself,” Lady Agatha’s dad said.
“I’m chieftain here, Robert,” Liam said, his eyes wide with an angry glare.
“You would never know it and if I knew what an arse you were, I would have never let you wed my daughter.”
“Be truthful, Robert, you had no choice. Agatha loves me and I love her,” Liam said.
“Then show it and go find your son,” Robert said and stormed out of the keep.
“I wouldn’t wait, Liam,” Knox said. “Phelan and his crew are in the area as well as other mercenaries and you know how they like to scoop up young blood to join them.”
Lady Agatha gasped. “Good Lord, Laim. Don’t let them get Ethan.”
“Any idea where Ethan might go?” Knox asked.
“Ethan’s two brothers are searching in areas that might be familiar to him,” Liam said.
“There is an area where Ethan and I have walked,” Lady Agatha said.
“You treat him too much like a child,” Liam argued.
Lady Agatha retaliated with a sharp tongue. “And you barely bother to spend any time with him.”
Knox brought a quick stop to their bickering. “Arguing isn’t helping Ethan. Tell me where you have gone with your son, Lady Agatha, and Liam, and I will go search there.”
Once she explained, Knox turned to Dru. “Stay here. Do not go anywhere.” His hand went up when she went to argue. “Not a word. Stay here where you are safe.”
“Knox is right,” Lady Agatha said. “Let the men handle it. We’ll have a nice hot brew while we wait for news.”
“I wish my daughter was more like you,” Robert said, looking from Agatha who was scurrying out the room to see that a hot brew was brought to them to Dru whose eyes were on the door eager to leave. “But she was raised to be a good wife while you were raised to survive.”