Page 56 of You Belong to Me
So he pounded on the door and called out in a tone that wouldn’t carry beyond the immediate area, “Open up.”
It took a moment before a voice came from the other side. “Who is that?”
Vasili made a guess at a common name for the area and supplied it. Apparently it worked, but it did not yield the results they wanted.
“Ain’t you heard?” the guard shouted back. “Pavel, he said I don’t open to no one but him, and you ain’t him. You’ll have to wait until morning to get a look at these beauties, just like everyone else.”
“He thinks you’re one of the villagers,” Alexandra whispered. “Play on that.”
Vasili considered it a waste of time, but made one more effort. “You’re missing the celebration,” he called out. “I’ve come to relieve you.”
There was a chuckle. “Nice try, but I’ve got my own jug of ale and my orders.”
The last words were barely heard as the guard moved farther back into the stable. “Do something,” Alexandra ordered.
“What would you suggest?”
“You got through the last door.”
Vasili snorted. “Forget it. This happens to be new wood, not old, and I’m not damaging my shoulder for your damn horses. We tried;now we’re leaving. And you can be toted out of here if you insist.”
“But—”
“Your horses aren’t going anywhere,and, I might add, they’re a hell of a lot warmer than we are. They’ll be here in the morning, Alex. Now, we can either return to that shack they stuck us in and continue at a disadvantage, or show up tomorrow with an armed escort and get your horses back—one way or another. You choose.”
She took her time deciding, but finally said, “I don’t like leaving my babies with strangers for even one night, but I suppose it wouldn’t hurt to start the bargaining tomorrow with some leverage on our side. Very well, let’s find our people.”
Vasili sighed. Considering that the cold was getting to him again, he’d almost hoped she would have chosen to return to the shack instead.
26
As it turned out, they might have been rescued if they had stayed in the village a little while longer. At least that was what Alexandra wanted to think, because she hated being beholden to Vasili for getting them out of there. But Lazar and three of Vasili’s guards met them on the narrow mountain path not far from the village.
“It took you long enough,” was Vasili’s surly greeting, which had his friend’s brows shooting up.
“Was I supposed to follow a trail buried under a half foot of snow? Even that Russian wolfhound of Alexandra’s couldn’t pick up your scent. What makes you think I could?”
“Then what led you this way?”
“I remembered where Latzko’s village was. I was going to ask for his help, or buy it, as was more likely to be the case. I didn’t expect to find you here.”
“I don’t know why not,” Vasili replied. “He does consider these hills histerritory, after all.”
“But I didn’t think he was crazy enough to provoke Cardinia’s royal house again.”
Vasili was forced to agree. “He’s probably not, but Pavel sure as hell is, and unfortunately, Pavel’s ruling the roost temporarily.”
“Well, that explains it,” Lazar said. “I suppose he was hoping Stefan was in our party?”
“Actually, all he was after was the horses. He had no idea who was transporting them.”
Lazar frowned. “Then how did he get you and Alexandra as well?”
Vasili’s golden gaze lit on Alexandra before he answered sardonically, “Because my sweet little betrothed here thought nothing of attacking six bandits single-handedly, right on their doorstep.”
“I didn’t know we had reached their village,” Alexandra mumbled in her defense.
Vasili said nothing to that, which was saying a lot, since he continued to stare at her. Lazar made an attempt to conceal his grin, but gave up when he saw that the guards were doing the same thing. Alexandra was aware of it, and the heat already climbing her cheeks went up a few more degrees.
