Page 65 of Caroline the Cruel
Before he got to the first step, the doors flew open, and Caroline was running across the landing. She jumped into his arms, throwing her arms around his neck. For a second his heart leapt, but he wrestled it down. He pulled her arms off him, holding her wrists between them. Her brow creased, and she scanned him, noticing the cut and blackened eye.
“What happened?” she asked, voice full of fake concern. Heract.
Breicher raked a hand through his hair as the knot in his stomach tightened. “Hollis was pissed I missed the wedding ritual I told you about, so he abducted me.” He put his hand on the small of her back and ushered her inside.
They made it a couple of steps, Hollis trailing behind when Caroline demanded they go in an anteroom. “Caroline, let’s go upstairs, okay?” He made sure to keep his voice neutral. He had a fine line to walk now.
“No, both of you in, now,” she demanded. “I deserve to know what happened on my wedding night.”
“Your Majesty, it’s my fault and I know the consequence, though I’m sure Agnes will throw herself out the window within the week if you lock me in there with her.” Hollis leaned casually against the wall, arms crossed over his chest and a triumphant smirk barely concealed. His brother was going to get them killed.
At Hollis’s voice, Caroline’s face pinched like the sound grated on her last reserve of patience.
She spun toward him. “Shut up. Your apartments are the kindest place I’m considering sending you for ruining my wedding night. Me and Angus have been up all-night listening to countless reports from our guards who are exhausted from searching for missing royals for the second night straight.” Caroline was clenching and unclenching her fists and eyeing Hollis’s throat.
“Easy, Caroline,” Breicher said, coming up behind her, rubbing her arms soothingly. Her rigid body softened at his touch.
“I know I shouldn’t be jealous. That it is a family tradition, but the thought of you with another woman, especially after where last night was headed makes me see red. How many women was it, Breicher?” The queen held her breath.
“None.” Breicher turned her so he could see her eyes. If he didn’t know better, she was actually jealous. Probably because she considered him her property. “I didn’t sleep with anyone, I promise,” he said for emphasis.
“Then why didn’t you come back till this afternoon? I’ve been sick worrying for you.”
Breicher smoothed her hair, and impressively, a tear trickled down her cheek.
“I’m sorry I have to do this,” she said, turning to Hollis, but not stepping toward him. Breicher searched the room for anything she might be about to use as a weapon, ready to pounce. Forfeit his own life to save his brothers. He was the one who’d failed in his mission, so he deserved to die.
“Hollis, how many?” she asked.
“One,” Hollis said, and Caroline clutched her stomach and the top of the nearest chair at the same time. “One for me. None for Breicher. Now let go of me,” he demanded, shaking against her power.
He smelled subtly of sex, horse, and the road. Caroline probably smelled it too.
She stared at the ground for a long moment, sucking in quick, panicked breaths. “Did you want to?”
“What?” he asked, shock jolting him. He placed an arm around her shoulder. “No, I didn’t. Come on, you need sleep, okay?”
She reluctantly allowed him to lead her to her room in the top of the spire. He helped her undress, acting as any caring husband might, and tucked her into bed. “I’m not too tired, if you still want to,” she said, unable to suppress a yawn.
What would happen if he called her bluff? She let Felix in between her legs after he’d betrayed her. He’d do well to remember that. “No,” he said, and leaned down to kiss her forehead, then made it halfway to the door. “I’m not really interested in fucking a half-asleep woman. Besides, I smell like a stable.”
When he glanced back, her eyes were closed.
Chapter 11
Somethingwasamiss.Caroline’sgut was rarely wrong about these things. He was one man when he’d left, and another when he’d returned to her in less than a day. She had to find the underlying cause of it, because as embarrassing as it was, she craved the man who’d been abducted more than any revenge she’d ever plotted or kingdom or power she’d coveted, and she wasn’t going to lose him without a fight.
As soon as the door clicked shut, she was on her feet. Caroline ran to her bathroom, splashing enough frigid water on her face to turn her pale cheeks pink. The silver of her eyes had an ominous glint as she assessed herself in the mirror. She wouldn’t want to be on the receiving end of the man she was after. She pulled the little knife-ring from the box of jewelry on her vanity, slipped it on her thumb, then swiftly threw on something she wouldn’t mind getting dirty. Heart thumping angrily, she flew out the door.
Angus met her at the bottom of the stairs and gave her an approving once over. “Where is he?” she asked.
“The king went directly to his chambers. Hollis took a little detour by the cellar. I think we’ll catch him on his way up.”
They hurried along the corridors to the one that led up from the cellars and perched a few yards down from the door. It opened and Hollis stepped out, carrying two sealed bottles of winter’s sin. He froze as he caught sight of her and Angus lingering in the hallway, triumphant ease draining from his features. Dread cinched up his face as Caroline squeezed the dagger and threw, like she’d once done to her husband.
The bottles crashed to the ground and Hollis’s hand shot up to catch the blade before it pierced his chest. “I’d be impressed, but when I did that to your brother, he was much faster,” she said.
“You tried to kill me.” Hollis frowned down at the spilled liquor at his feet.
