Heart of the Viking: A Medieval Historical Romance (Band of Bastards Book 2) by Lois Templin

Author:Lois Templin [Templin, Lois]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Dragonblade Publishing, Inc.
Published: 2024-10-17T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter Sixteen

Red wanted to kiss her nose when it crinkled as she called The Executioner “Toad” and smirked up at him. But then her face changed, taking on a serious cast, and he was mesmerized again. The woman couldn’t hide anything. Everything she thought and felt showed on her face, in the brightness of her eyes, the curve of her lips, the set of her head. He’d always thought it a flaw to reveal so much, but in her, he found it endearing.

Especially since he noticed she was not as expressive with other people as she was when looking at him. That was a part of her she shared with him, and he liked that.

“I don’t recognize either of them,” she said, her tone thoughtful. “I didn’t get a good look at Toad, but I don’t think either of them are him.”

He’d been distracted by Galiena, but he had been watching the men covertly. Neither of them was Toad. These men were meatier than the loathsome man, and not as tall. But they were obviously looking for someone and seemed to think they had found the person, or people, that fit the description. Perhaps they had been hired and sent to look for them.

He didn’t think he’d ever met these men or seen them before, but it wouldn’t take much for someone to find Red based on a description. Or Galiena. He knew how conspicuous he was with his height and red hair. And Galiena was not a woman to forget with her raven-black hair and distinctive gray eyes—though he doubted Toad had gotten close enough to her to know about them.

Red liked to think her eyes were for him only, the way they glistened when she was feeling feisty or darkened when she was angry. But he liked them best when they were silver, like the still waters of a fjord with the moon shining down into the depths—which is how they looked in this moment. He believed her when she said she was not afraid because they were calm and steady.

“Aye, I think The Ex—” He stopped, correcting himself. Toad was an idiotic name, but he had to admit it felt better to call him something associated with being small and warty. “I think Toad sent them, the way they keep stealing glances over here at you and me.”

Ox, Dane, Bard, and Wolf still appeared to be casually drinking and talking but he knew they were on alert, waiting for a signal from him before they acted. Red contemplated the options, trying to keep a level head and not let his instincts take over. He wanted to march across the room, take both men by their throats, and smash their heads together. But that wouldn’t get them to the man they wanted, the man they had to find before he found them.

“Ox, Dane,” Red said as the two strangers pushed away from the wall to set their tankards on the bar before they headed toward the door, “Come with me.

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