She had one more day to make up her mind before she was obligated to start her new job. Could she stay in Stagholt and risk running into Sven again? How often did a normal person run into royalty?
It was actually the redheaded bitch that she was concerned about.Oh. Her.
The words echoed in Bryn’s mind. She would still love an explanation of how that came about. She let out a long sigh. Maybe some things were better off not known.
She glanced toward the bathroom. A long, hot shower would make her feel better, or at least get her started in the right direction. Maybe a movie afterwards, so long as it wasn’t a sappy romance.
Bryn stripped down and turned the water on. Maybe she would go talk to Hannah at that store and find out how common it was to run into the royal family. Hannah was about the only one who had been nice to her, so she might talk.
A snort escaped. Now that she knew about Lars’ suspicion that she was a spy or whatever, it could explain why the townsfolk had treated her like an intruder. They knew she had mingled with the king even if she hadn’t yet. Maybe he was well loved and revered.
She suddenly wished she had spent as much time researching the people as she had the landscapes. She may have been better prepared for the royal family.
Steam curled around her as the shower pounded against her shoulders. She let the water run over her long hair and loosen the knots between her shoulders. The little bottle of hotel shampoo smells vaguely like pumpkin spice, of course, and she lathered her hair with the cinnamon-y smell while she wondered how long the scent would last once washed out. She rinsed and lathered on the conditioner while she reached for her poof and body wash.
The hot water was doing the trick and washed away the realities of the last few hours. She lost herself in the heated scents and refused to think about expectations, obligations, or the mess she inadvertently caused because she did the right thing.
She shrieked when the bathroom door crashed open.
Two men in dark suits invaded the small space and before she could even fully scream, one yanked the dark colored shower curtain free and wrapped it around her like a blanket.
“What the hell are you doing?!” she thrashed and landed an elbow in someone’s ribs. “Let me go!”
The conditioner made her slippery and she got one arm free. One man grabbed her legs while the other supported her torso.
“Scream again and we’ll gag you again.”
Again? Were these the same fools that had grabbed her at the castle?
She figured if they were, no screams were going to get her help and she did not want another gag. She managed to snatch a towel from the rack as they dragged her out, and she clung to it like it was a life line.
Cold air hit her damp skin like sharp knives. They took her out the servant’s entrance and withIn seconds, she was shoved into the back of a black SUV. Rivulets of water and conditioner dripped down her forehead and across her shoulders.
“Would it have killed you to let me finish my shower?”
Neither man spoke.
“Or at least let me get dressed?”
Silence.
“Care to tell me where we’re going?”
They didn’t need to answer. She knew from her previous ride that they were on the way back to the castle.
By the time they parked, Bryn had way surpassed anger and was well within fury. And then she saw him.
Sven.
He stood in the doorway of the garage. His dark eyes widened slightly as the men helped her from the vehicle. She wrapped the towel around her shower curtain-draped body.
The sight of him further infuriated her. He looked calm and collected while she was a poster child for a drowned rat.
“You sonofabitch.” She clutched the towel tighter and tried to kick the shower curtain out of the way so she could walk. Water trickled down her legs and pooled on the polished floor. “You had mekidnappedout of my hotel?”
Sven’s voice was maddeningly calm. “You weren’t safe there.” His glance moved to the men. “Although you could have allowed her to dress.”
His composure only added fuel to the fire. “Protective custody? That’s what this is?” Her voice cracked with disbelief. “Do you hear yourself? I came here to get away from people controlling my life, but you,” she jabbed a finger at him, “you think you can run it for me?”
