Crutches, step.
“If anything, you’re actively putting Hungary in danger.”
Eric didn’t say anything, his head still bowed, his hair sticking out from between his fingers.
Crutches, step.
Nikolett angled to the side, planning to go around him since he was in the dead center of the wide hall. When he didn’t raise his head or say anything, she thought maybe he’d seen reason and would let her go.
It was never that easy with him.
Eric moved fast for such a large man, stepping back and then to the side directly into her path. She wobbled as she tried to stop her forward momentum, and instinctively put her bad foot down.
Pain shot up her leg as the cast pressed into her damaged flesh. Eric grabbed her by the shoulders to steady her.
She wanted to lean into him. To let him carry her away.
Pain combined with frustration at her own weakness ripped away her impulse control.
Nikolett hit Eric in the shin with a crutch.
He grunted in pain but didn’t let go of her shoulders. She hit him again, this time raising the crutch and slamming it sideways into his thigh.
“Fuck,” Eric snarled, letting go.
The instant he cursed, people poured into the hall from the staircase. Keanu, the Spartan Guard from Bohemia, was in the lead. As Eric grabbed his thigh and continued to curse—now in Danish—Keanu shouldered the fleet admiral back and raised his gun.
Pointing it at Nikolett’s head.
Less than a second after he aimed the weapon, Iacob, one of Nikolett’s knights, herharcosok, slid up behind the Spartan Guard and put a knife to Keanu’s throat, his other arm wrapped around the man’s waist in an almost-tender hold.
“Don’t threaten my admiral,” Iacob murmured in Keanu’s ear. “Drop the gun.
Keanu’s gun stayed aimed at her head.
Footsteps pounded, heralding the arrival of another party.
“Drop the knife.” Regina had either also been on the stairs or heard the commotion and come running. She stood off to one side, a gun trained on Iacob. She repeated the order in both Hungarian and Romanian.
It stung a little that Regina, who was the Spartan Guard from Nikolett’s territory, was so fiercely loyal to Eric. Especially given that Regina had been a witness to many of Nikolett and Eric’s worst decision-making moments. She’d have thought the other woman would have some sympathy for Nikolett.
But her job was to protect Eric.
Keanu had a gun on Nikolett, Iacob had a knife at Keanu’s throat, and now Regina’s gun was aimed at the back of Iacob’s head.
“Unless you shoot me just right, I’ll have time to slit his throat before I die,” Iacob said without turning around.
“No. Killing.” Eric snarled, pushing away from the wall and rubbing his leg. “I’m fine.”
Keanu pointed out he could shoot Nikolett before Iacob slit his throat. Regina was muttering into an earpiece.
It should have been tense and dangerous. Instead, it felt almost comical.
Then again, Nikolett’s danger tolerance was painfully high after the repeated attacks.
Either way, she was mentally and emotionally done with this entire situation.
Turning with little hopping motions, she ducked under Keanu’s gun and crutched past him and Iacob. Eric opened his mouth like he was going to say or do something. Nikolett lookedover, smiled, said something extremely rude in Hungarian that made Regina sputter, then kept going.
