Page 46 of Duty Bound

He jumped to his feet, rifle positioned against his shoulder, then moved stealthily to the corner of the stone wall. Lily, stunned by how fast he’d gotten up, froze as the bell sounded again.

She met his gaze, and what she saw frightened her.

“Wait here,” Blade said for the second time that afternoon, then he disappeared around the corner.

Lily didn’t move a muscle. Didn’t breathe. Didn’t blink.

Who was it? Soldiers didn’t wear bells.

A shepherd? The hair on her back stood up.

Then, Blade was back, a deep frown on his face. “Goat herder.”

Lily breathed out, relieved. How dangerous could a goat herder be?

Footsteps sounded, nearing the pile of stones.

“Get down,” he whispered.

They both slouched behind the wall.

Blade, rifle over his shoulder, peered through a crack while Lily prayed the herder would go away.

He didn’t.

Whistling, the man sat on the wall and lit a roll-up cigarette he pulled from behind his ear. Without a sound, Blade unsheathed his knife.

Lily did a double take. Was that blood?

Holy crap. Was it recent?

Blade’s face was a grim mask of determination. He’d had the same look when he’d shot those two gunmen in the forest.

He was going to kill the guy. And for what? Herding goats? The goat herder had no idea Blade was less than a meter behind him.

Lily stared at the knife in alarm.

She shook her head violently, but Blade ignored her. He was totally focused on the man sitting on the wall. A loud baa accompanied ringing bells. A handful of scrawny goats gathered around the herder, pulling tufts of grass from between cracks in the stones.

Lily could smell the cigarette smoke as she squatted against the wall, gaze riveted on Blade.

He was stock-still, crouching behind the wall, knife glinting in his right hand.

The goat herder leaned back.

Lily knew Blade was going to react. Heart pounding, she grabbed his arm and shook her head violently. She mouthed, “No.”

He glared at her and shook off her hand but did pause. The herder jumped down off the wall then went to tend to his goats. A few minutes later, he walked away, still whistling to himself.

Lily only relaxed when the sound of the bells faded into the distance.

CHAPTER 17

“Don’t ever grab my arm like that again!”

Blade was furious. He paced up and down, adrenalin pounding in his ears. He’d been about to neutralize the threat, and she’d stopped him, potentially putting them both at risk.

Her eyes flashed like flaming opals. “You were going to kill him? A harmless goat herder?”

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