A Midwinter Prince by Harper Fox

Author:Harper Fox [Fox, Harper]
Language: nld
Format: epub, pdf
Tags: erotic MM, Romance MM
Published: 0101-01-01T00:00:00+00:00

76

Harper Fox

heard his own breath coming and going in anguished rasps—then, abruptly, the fist

in his lungs unlocked. It was as if his rib cage had relaxed enough for him to get air

into it for the first time in hours, and the heat, instead of boiling his skin off him,

became a distraction from the pain. He sucked in an enormous breath. He"d been

slowly suffocating—not just from the blow but the memory of getting it, as if the old

man"s fist had remained buried in his side. “Good,” the old woman crooned again.

“Good. Let it work.”

The substance seemed to be drying on his skin. Laurie heard it crackling, like

mud in the sun, imagined cracks as deep as Giant"s Causeway appearing in it, down

through his insignificant flesh and into the heart of the earth. He breathed and

breathed, and the pain became bearable. Slowly he returned to himself—became

properly aware of his surroundings, of the fact that he was on his side in a gypsy

caravan and showing his rescuers very little appreciation. Breathed again—so deep

that the gathered mass on his side, only warm now, seemed to break apart and fall

away from him.

“Sasha,” he whispered and kissed the hand still clenched on his. He got his

head up out of the pillow. “Mama Luna, I"m so sorry.”

“Sorry?” The old woman was calmly gathering up broken pieces of what looked

like dried clay from the mattress. She folded these into her apron and briskly

brushed away the dust. “You needed us; you came. No sorry.”

“But I haven"t got any… I can"t pay you for any of this, not now…” He tried to

sit up, Sasha moving to help him, the old woman pushing a pillow behind his back.

He looked around him, taking in the tiny, cramped room, the view beyond it to the

kitchen Sasha had said he shared with… “Oh, God. Am I in Cyril"s half of the bed?”

Sasha broke into startled laughter. “No. You"ll never believe this, but Mrs.

Cyril turned up on Friday night to take him home. She"d tracked him down

somehow. You never saw a happier man.”

“Really?” Laurie thought he was seeing a fairly happy one now. Sasha"s voice

was still unsteady, but some of the terror was leaving his face. He supposed he had

made a dramatic arrival. “That"s good. Really good. I"m sorry I frightened you,

Sash…”

“It"s okay. You"ll be okay now.” Sasha slid an arm behind his back. He gave an

odd, short gasp, and Laurie saw that tears had gathered in his eyes. “Fuck"s sake,

though, Laurie. He did it, didn"t he? I told you to get out.”

Laurie pressed their brows lightly together. Whatever his reply might have

been— well, he’s done his worst now or never again—it was halted in his throat by a

sharp rap on the caravan"s outside wall. Sasha restrained his bone-deep jerk of

fright. But Mama Luna got calmly to her feet and shuffled over to the door, as if she

would meet a whole army of men like Sir William without flinching. Laurie got a

glimpse of Gunari"s huge shape in the night outside, incongruously holding up to

the old woman a little bowl, in both hands, as if whatever it contained was precious.

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