Damn, he really liked hearing her say his name.
“So what do you say? Follow my orders and I’ll help you find your brother for an agreed-upon fee.”
He held out his hand. “I accept.”
She hesitated. “I’d rather hear you say you will follow my orders.”
She was going to be a challenge for sure, but, hell, he lived for challenges. Besides, she had amended “obey” to “follow,” so he could live with that.
“I’ll follow your orders.”
She accepted his handshake. “Then we have a deal.”
“As to the fee?”
“We’ll talk on that later. I have things to see to.”
“Anything I can help with?” he offered. He wasn’t out to impress Storm, but he did want to show her that he would pull his weight.
“Something tells me you’re a good hunter.”
His grin turned to a low laugh. “Something tells me you’re perceptive.”
“Be wise and remember that.”
“I’ve never been called a fool.”
“There’s always a first time.” Storm smiled and signaled Tanin, who hurried to her side. “Take Burke here with you to hunt for tonight’s meal. He’s going to be staying with the group for a while.”
Storm walked off, stopped abruptly, and spun around. “Burke, Tanin’s my right-hand man; obey him as you would me.”
“Whatever you say, Storm,” Burke said.
She laughed, shook her head, and walked off.
“We’re limited in weapon choice,” Tanin said.
Burke was forced to take his eyes off Storm’s retreating back, actually her curvaceous hips. Her snug dark trousers let all eyes know that she was definitely female. And being male, he appreciated the beauty of her sensual sway.
“I’m versatile when it comes to weapons. What have you got?”
Storm watched the prisoners eat the roasted venison with gusto. They had made it across the river and into the thick of the woods hours ago. They would not be followed. The king’s men feared her forest. They believed she had bewitched it to serve her purposes, and with good reason. Not one of the king’s men who had entered had ever left or been found.
She smiled at the thought. A few of the soldiers had begged to join her group, while others took flight to freedom. And stupidity had claimed the lives of the rest.
Tanin approached with a piece of meat for her.
She took it with a warning. “Not another word of how proficient Burke is with a bow and arrow.”
“I tell you, Storm, I have never seen anyone with such remarkable skill. He focused on his target, drew back on his bow, and—” He shook his head. “He fired on a fast-moving target and hit it dead on.”
“So you have told me, what? Ten, twenty times now?”
“He will be an asset to the group.”
“A temporary one,” she informed him.
“Who looks forward to his time with all of you.”
