Page 65 of Rough Around the Hedges

“I’m sorry, I think my legs have given out from the stress. I’m going to need a doctor,” I replied. “See? I’m wiggling my toes, but nothing is happening.”

“Don’t think I won’t come in there and haul you over my shoulder,” Oliver warned.

“I would love to see you try.”

He stepped into the cell and, before I knew it, hauled me into a sitting position and up into his arms.

Where he did exactly as he’d threatened.

“Oi!” I shouted as my wavy mess of hair flipped over my head and completely blocked my view. “Put me down!”

“You asked for this, princess,” was all he said in return.

“Shaun!”

“I’ll bring her things to your car,” that bastard said to Oliver.

“That’s it!” I said, thumping my fists against Oliver’s firm lower back. “You’re on my shit list, Shaun Patrick! Expect my revenge!”

Shaun laughed. “Yeah, yeah. I’ll let Isa know we’ve released you.”

“My revenge will be swift and painful. Fear me.” I let my arms hang loose and huffed.

“Yes, Rose,” Oliver drawled. “Very scary.”

15

ROSE

A Fine Predicament

“Are you going to get out of the car nicely, or do I have to haul you about like a sack of potatoes again?”

I glared at Oliver from my spot on the passenger seat. This was the first thing he’d said to me since he’d shoved me in here and told me to put on my seatbelt, and I wasverydispleased by this turn of events.

“Why are we at your McMansion?” I asked.

“It’s a four-hundred-year-old manor house, not a McMansion,” he replied. “And we’re here so I can keep an eye on you and make sure you don’t cause any more chaos than you already have.”

“Cause chaos? I’m going to need to hide in shame after how many people saw you carting me about over your shoulder.”

“While that works for me, I wouldn’t trust you as far as I can throw you.”

“Given that you can apparently pick me up and manhandle me with great ease, I’d imagine you can throw me pretty far.”

He paused, tilting his head to the side. “Would you like to find out?”

“Why don’t I throw you into the path of a lorry instead?” I grumbled.

Oliver smirked and held out his hand. “Come on. It’s not just to keep an eye on you. In fact, my mother called and demanded I be nice to you, so this is me being nice.”

“Lugging me around like a ragdoll and threatening to throw me is you being nice?”

“It depends if you’re into that sort of thing, I expect.” He leant in close to me, capturing my gaze with his. “And I already know thatyoudon’t mind being tossed around a little bit, princess.”

If he called me that one more time today, I was going to shove a tree stake up his backside.

I glared at him. “In my biography, this will go down as the moment I showed incredible self-restraint.”

---