Page 12 of Bound By Dance and Desire

Andrei smiled, teeth. . .sharp. “Surely, we can rectify that now. You strike me as a man who is conscientious of his duty.”

A subtle hint of danger, like sharks churning beneath the surface of a lake, lurked in his eyes. If sharks swam in lakes. In the middle of winter, under thin ice, waiting for obliging lunch.

Andrei drew me past Larry. “Come, Anah, I'll escort you.”

“Don't matter,” Larry said, shoving his hands in his pockets. “I've got keys.”

The warrior turned slowly, taking me with him. I struggled to breathe through air suddenly charged with heat and instinctively wanted to flee.

Andrei's arm tightened around me, forestalling my involuntary retreat. “Do you now, mortal?”

Larry's thin, smug smile sickened me. One moment Andrei's arm was around my waist.

The next, a fist connected to Larry's face with a sound I hadn't heard before. Well, there was that time Hanalei’s husband fell while patching the roof, and broke his leg. Like the crunch of a giant spider under a boot. I would have cringed, but I was frozen. I didn't want to attract the attention of the predator at my side.

Larry stumbled back, clutching his nose, and howled. “You busted my nose!”

“I was hoping to deter you from threatening my Anah again. Good evening, sir.”

Breathe, I told myself, trembling.Breathe.

We entered the building, Andrei's footsteps silent as we walked down the hall, up a flight of stairs, and down another hall; thin walls, thinner carpet. Poor lighting. But there were no pests—other than Larry—and the plumbing all worked.

“Why are you—why are you here . . .Andrei?” My voice trembled.

He stopped us walking and turned to me, his arm still around my waist. I looked up at him.

“You don't need to fear me. I won't hurt you.” He appeared to want to say more, but sighed, gesturing. “Come, Hasannah. Which door is yours?”

“I don't want you to know where I live.”

The Fae warrior looked at me for a long moment then smiled, the warmth of understanding in his eyes startling.

“It's too late for that, little mortal. And evidently I need to ensure your dwelling is secure. You’ll have to remain here a day or two longer, and I apologize for that.”

He reached out a hand, the backs of his fingers caressing my cheek briefly as I stared up at him in growing dread.

“But—”

“No one can protect you from me. But I promise I won't hurt you, or touch you—much—without your permission. Now show me to your apartment. We must have a discussion.”

I didn't pretend not to understand it was a command I couldn't refuse.

Chapter

Five

“Who's in my hall?” a dry, strident voice asked as we approached my apartment. A lightly wrinkled face surrounded by wispy brown-grey curls poked out of a door, its owner’s honey eyes inquisitive.

“It's me, Mrs. Carter.”

“Girl, don't you have work?”

I made a face. The elderly woman knew everyone's business and was as ready to tell everyone hers.

“I just got off.”

Mrs. Carter opened the door fully, wearing neatly pressed sweats and fluffy house shoes. She had yet to tell me how she'd earned her permanent residency. The real reason, because she'd claimed everything from being a High Lord's former concubine to being a secret assassin for House Casakraine. Whatever it was, I’d heard her speak their language as well as a native. Her gaze went immediately to Andrei, who waited silently at my side.

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