Page 6 of The Stolen Bride

“Me? Spy?” I forced a laugh, but the too-shrill notes made a mockery of my casual attitude. “Hardly. I don’t even know who this Deco guy is. Or you!” And Örök? Never heard of it. “I just want to go home to my business, before I lose the loyal customers who trust me to keep my appointments.”

Maybe someone would be concerned when I failed to open and call the police. Oh, please, please, please!

“I am King Viktor Endris, the decider of your fate. I suggest you tell me everything that led to your arrival in my land. Leave out no detail.”

Whoa. All pretense of good humor evaporated. He claimed to be the very person Malachi had sent me to corrupt. But was this Viktor guy also an immortal berserker sharing a body with the spirit of a turul? No. Of course not.

The two men must be working together to, what? Trick me? Produce some kind of blackmarket reality show? But why risk going to jail for a prank or skit?

I must be totally missing the mark. So whatwasthis? What, what?

Proceed with caution. “I’ve already told you everything I wish to tell you.” Yeah. Saving details for later was the smartest play. Curiosity wasn’t a bad thing.

“Your wishes have no bearing on this situation,” he snapped. “Talk. You won’t like what happens if you don’t.”

“Hey,” I barked, tapping his backside to ensure I snagged his full attention. A technique I used when a dog focused too intently on a trashcan, as if imagining an all-you-can-eat-buffet. But, um. Hmm. Viktor was packed tightly beneath his leathers, the muscles delightfully firm.

He missed his next step, but quickly righted. The jostle returned my thoughts to something that mattered. Our conversation.

Onward and upward! “I don’t know you, don’t trust you, and I’m not sure what you have planned for me. Plus, I’m stressed, hurt, starved, and hanging over your shoulder, Neanderthal style. I’m inno moodfor snarly dudes with a Tarzan fetish. Gift me with a little grace and you’ll reap the rewards.”

He puffed up his chest. “I think I liked you better silent.”

“Same, caveman. Same. And please note,youwere the one who rapid fired all the demands.”Why are you antagonizing him? Stop!“But I will take my own advice, gift you with some grace, and tell you a bit more of my story.” I’d dole a detail here and there, keeping him on my hook—for compensation. “First, you gotta put me down.”

A deeper growl rumbled in his chest.

Ugh. Did he verge on another eruption? Though he wasn’t really a berserker, I needed him to remain calm. Out of habit, only habit, I stroked his lower back the way I did for anxious dogs and cats, cooing, “It’s okay, baby, it’s okay.”

Wait. Hold up. Please tell me I did not call this terror of a man “baby.”

He stopped abruptly, going still. My breath caught.

“Hear me well, drágá.” With a huff, he hefted me off his shoulder and onto my feet. He glared down at me. “I am no one’s baby.”

I teetered, knees shockingly weak. The jerk let me fall, never even attempting to catch me. Impact proved jarring, rattling my brain. Probably the reason I couldn’t get over his use of ‘dear’or ‘precious’. I couldn’t recall which it was.

A scowl dominated my features as I sat there, glaring at him. “You’re no one’s baby, but you’re someone’s worst nightmare, guaranteed.”

“Walk,” he commanded, stepping over me and continuing on.

Argh! I popped up, dusted the dirt from my rump, and chased after him. My irritation was too sharp to fit into a mental bottle. “We need lessons in common courtesy, I see.”

“Yes, you do, but I don’t have time to tutor you.”

“That’s not–” Ow! Eek! Ow! Jagged rocks and razored briars lined the path, tormenting my poor, injured feet. Too bad Malachi had kidnapped me right after my shower while I was without socks and shoes. “I changed my mind. You can carry me,” I encouraged, lagging behind.

He kept walking. “You also need lessons in actions and consequences as well.”

“Hey!” I called. “I’mbleeding.”

For some reason, that did the trick. Despite his taunt, Viktor backtracked to clasp my waist and heft me off my feet. This time, he dangled me in the crook of his arm. “You are bothersome, that’s what you are.”

“Why don’t you get kidnapped, and we’ll see if you’reall sunshine and roses.” A branch scraped my arm, but I didn’t dare complain.

“Talk,” he repeated.

Guess I was done doling out the story in small measures. Considering I owed him, I had better share. “So, the guy who broke into my home claimed to be a king of griffins or something.” I didn’t have the mental capacity to weave an elaborate lie I might not remember. Besides, even if Malachi’s claims sprang from a well of truth, which they didn’t, I still needed Viktor’s aid. He wasn’t the one who’d abducted and relocated me. Therefore, he was the lesser of two evils. Perhaps he could even help me understand what was going on. “His name is Malachi Cromwell. He’s a former professional athlete and current movie star.”

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