Page 52 of Greed: The Savage
“Can’t do that, my lord. Dynevor said he wants you immediately and no draggin’ your heels.”
God, Thornwick was dripping blood, and one glance at Addien should have told the bastard exactly what danger she’d faced that day. But no—he’d been too busy puffing himself up, lording it over Thornwick, blinded by his own petty triumph. That kind of fool didn’t deserve to breathe the same air as her—let alone have her affections.
Thornwick closed the door and slid the specially designed lock in place, to the other man’s shouts.
Roy pounded on the panel.
“Go to your rooms, Addien,” he said. Already anticipating the guard’s next moves, Thornwick reached to the other side of the conveyance and slid the other lock into place. “I’ll speak to Dynevor.”
Addien put up a fight. “Dynevor wants the both of us—”
“I’ll handle it, Addien.”
“I’m fi…”
Thornwick got on a knee, and brought the rest of Addien’s words trailing to an incomplete finish.
He gathered one of the mud-marred slippers beside Addien. “I’ll only tell him what I need to, Addien,” he promised. “And you don’t need to be around for the recounting.”
“Open the bloody door, Thornwick…ain’t yer place to…”
Thornwick ignored Roy’s embarrassingly indignant shouts. All his attention belonged to Addien. “I’m going to help you with your slippers, if you’ll allow it, Addien,” his voice resolute; there to convey she was in charge.
Addien’s always flashing eyes glittered with something he’d never before seen from her—tears.
They hit him square in the solar plexus. His breath strangled, fury surging black and hot through his veins.I’ll kill Dunworthy.
Addien swiped angrily at the moisture on her cheeks and gave a juddering nod.
“Leave Dynevor to me,” he promised her again.
What hewouldn’tdo was let another soul see Addien like this. He’d be damned if she was paraded before anyone—man, monarch, or their Lord and Savior—wearing her tattered dressings and the marks of Dunworthy’s attack.
Thornwick would guard her dignity with the same unflinching devotion he had the King’s secrets.
Addien grunted. “He didn’t really hurt me, ye know.”
The gruff in her voice at even having said those words aloud brought him the ghost of a grin.
No, he didn’t know.
“Did he breathe your air, Addien?” he asked softly.
Addien looked at him with wide eyes.
“Then that was an offense worthy of death.”
When he climbed out, Roy’s ire remained squarely on Thornwick.
Roy should have been there to offer Addien’s hand. The bloody bastard wasn’t. It was Thornwick who helped her down. Addien stayed close to Thornwick’s side, like she sought to bury her shadow in his.
He sneered. Good. She was better off seeing for herself what a pile of rubbish the fellow truly was.
Once he’d personally escorted Addien to her rooms, he did a quick change into unbloodied garments. A short while later, he was in front of Dynevor to answer for his crimes of this day. Dynevor didn’t offer a seat.
“Dunworthy lives,” Dynevor said by way of introduction.
“That’s unfortunate.” Thornwick bloody meant it. He’d intended to kill him and he would have zero qualms about it.
