Total pages in book: 96
Estimated words: 91416 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 457(@200wpm)___ 366(@250wpm)___ 305(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 91416 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 457(@200wpm)___ 366(@250wpm)___ 305(@300wpm)
The man fell to the floor and Dru didn’t waste a minute, jumping over him and out the door.
“You bitch. You’ll pay for this.”
Dru chanced a quick glance back, surprised to see him already on his feet and in the doorway, blood streaming from his nose that was so bent out of shape that you wouldn’t think it was a nose.
“Grab her,” he shouted.
Dru barely had time to react before a rough hand clamped onto her arm, jerking her backward. She twisted, trying to wrench free, but the man was built like an ox, his grip crushing.
“You made a fool of me,” the man snarled as he approached, blood continuing to run from his nose.
“That wasn’t hard to do,” Dru shot back and received a sharp slap to the face, momentarily stunning her.
The man built like an ox released her as the fellow with the bloody nose gripped her arm painfully.
He sneered. “I should—”
Whatever he meant to say was lost as Dru drove her booted foot into his shin with all her strength in an effort to break free. He cursed but didn’t let go.
Dru thrashed harder, her pulse pounding. She had no weapon, only her wits and her mouth, both enough to get her into plenty of trouble.
“You’re just proving me right,” she hissed. “A weak fool of a man being bested by a wee woman.”
Her hand fisted, she swung, catching him in his already broken nose and he howled in pain but surprisingly kept tight hold of her. His rage had him raise his free hand, curled in a fist and aimed at her face.
Before he could swing—
His arm was suddenly yanked back, and a deafening crack rang through the air.
The man’s body jerked violently before he crumpled to his knees.
Knox stood there, his fist still raised, his dark eyes filled with fury.
Dru barely had time to breathe before Knox grabbed the man’s tunic and hauled him upright like a sack of grain.
“You dare put your hands on her, Morley?” Knox’s voice was deadly calm.
It caused a shiver to run down Dru’s spine as did the fact that Knox knew the man. One of Phelan’s crew? Or another band of mercenaries out to try and collect the bounty on Autumn.
The other men there backed away in fear.
The man sputtered, dazed, blood trickling from not only his nose but his split lip, struggled to his feet.
“She ran her mouth, Knox,” he said as if that explained it.
Knox didn’t even hesitate. His rapid-fire punch landed square in the man’s gut, doubling him over with a sickening wheeze.
Dru watched, heart still hammering, but she didn’t move.
Knox let the man crumple to the ground, then crouched beside him, his voice barely above a whisper. “She’s mine. You so much as look at her, Morley, and it will be the last person you ever see.”
The man nodded frantically, clutching his stomach. “I didn’t know she belonged to you, Knox. I’m sorry. Really, I am.”
Knox stood, towering over him. “Get out of my sight.”
The man scrambled away, half-stumbling, and called out, “Let’s go, we’re out of here.”
Dru watched the four men hurry to their horses and ride off as fast as they could.
When they were a distance away, Knox turned to her, his sharp gaze, sweeping over her. “Are you hurt?”
“Nay, I’m good.”
Anger scrunched his face when he spotted the red welt on her cheek and he went to her, running his hand gently over it.
That annoying flutter she’d been feeling lately hit her hard this time and she did her best to ignore it while answering him. “It’s nothing.”
“You’re mine. My wife. My responsibility. No one touches you but me,” he said as if it were law.
She went to disagree, having survived well enough on her own.
“Don’t bother to tell me you manage fine on your own. It’s obvious you don’t.”
“But I do,” she argued. “I wouldn’t be in this situation if it wasn’t for you. And if I had been on my own, I would have known better than to stop here seeing those men. I knew you couldn’t be far behind me so I took the risk to see what I could find out before you arrived. So, this mess is all your fault.”
“My fault?” Knox shook his head. “You can’t be serious. You took off.”
“You told me to walk.”
“Aye, but not leave my side.”
“You should have made that clear.”
Knox muttered under his breath, then reached out, his large hand closing around her arm. “Never leave my side again.”
She grinned. “Not ever?”
Knox released her arm and slipped it around her waist to hoist her up, so they were face to face. “You’re playing with danger, Dru. Those men were mercenaries. Need I remind you that I am as well?”
She cupped his cheeks with her slim hands. “You’re nothing like them. You’re a man of honor. They’re not. You called the man by name. Are they part of Phelan’s crew?”