She was beautiful in her defiance. She’d been beautiful last night, too.
“I’ll leave you to cool off then,” he said. “Don’t take any more cold baths. Ring Thomas, if you need to. He can mix boiling water in with the cold so you won’t catch your death.”
“You don’t care about me, Caledon.” She wielded his full name like a weapon, with a cutting edge well-honed by history. “I don’t know what it is you really want from me but d-don’t pretend like you give a shit.”
“You really don’t know what I want from you?”
That stopped her short. She hadn’t expected him to admit to it, he could tell. Her fingers whitened where they dug into her folded arms. A muscle jumped in her bruised throat. She seemed to be considering slamming the door in his face.
“Why did you do it?” she asked. “I thought you were going to kill me.”
Cal ran his hand free through his hair, fingers catching on the scabby wounds she’d left at his nape in the mine. “My father was going to give you to Ben.”
Whatever answer she’d been expecting, it clearly hadn’t been this. He saw alarm and—to his spiteful pleasure—distaste.“What?”
“I warned you about him.” The words came out in a rush. “I said he played for keeps. We’ll talk later. Leave the tapestry door unlocked and I’ll come see you.”
She looked upset. He wasn’t sure if it was because he’d admitting to testing the door, and therefore her trust, or if it was because of the delayal of the truth she so dearly wanted. He would tell her the truth—tonight. When he had her safely ensconced in his embrace, away from town and the prying eyes of his family, he would tell her.
When no other paths remained, she would know the price of his devotion.
“It’s unwise to involve your friend,” he told her. “Your aunt, too. Your sister should have never involved you, either, though it’s too late for you now.”
Nadine bristled. “Don’t you dare hurt them.” She hissed, like a little cat, and his cock stirred a little at the memory of her nails in his flesh. “Don’t youdare. If youtouchthem, I’ll—”
“What?” Desire made his voice heavy. “What will you do to me, my little sparrow? Beat your hands against my chest? Scratch me up? Shout at me in that sweet, trembling voice? If that’s the case, you tempt me to villainy, simply by making me crave the punishment.”
She sagged, dropping her arms to her sides. All the light had gone out of her eyes. “Why are you doing this? Are you going to hurt me?”
“No.” He wanted to pull her into his arms, for the reassurance of feeling her heart beating against his: every pulse a reminder that she was still alive in stark defiance of his father and brother’s wishes. “I won’t.”
“But what—”
“Goodbye, Nadine. I’ll deal with you later.”
He could feel her eyes on him as he left, baleful and terrified. Then, the soft click of the door.
Deeming the caffeine a forgone conclusion, Cal headed to his room to dress. Pulling on his jeans and a waffle-knit henley, he armed himself for both the woods and his siblings’ interference, pushing thoughts of his sparrow from his mind.
It had been a while since they had gone hunting as a group. This was likely Odessa’s attempt at an olive branch. As the middle child, it had often fallen to her to bridge the gap between the three of them. She had no stake in following the dictates of their family’s traditions and, as such, posed no threat to Ben. And Cal supposed he had looked up to her when she was younger.
After his encounter with Nadine, he welcomed the opportunity to blow off some steam. Even if his brother was part of the bargain. Blood ran high before the festival. If he was going to keep a cool head when he came to Nadine’s bedroom tonight, he needed release, first.
His sister was already waiting on the porch, dressed in fitted pants and a blouse and vest. Her favorite gun was strapped to her back, the wood polished to a gleaming shine.
“Saw my note?” she said cheerfully, upon seeing him. “Ben didn’t seem to think you’d come.”
“A strange observation for him to make, given what he walked in on last night,” said Cal.
Odessa laughed delightedly. “And here I thought you were keeping her all to yourself.”
“Why should I wait until the festival to claim what is mine by right?” Cal fingered his own weapon, still slippery from its last oiling, before handing it off to his sister to carry. “Our great-grandfather isn’t the only one who believes in the right of the lord.”
“Did someone call for the lord of the manor?” Ben stepped out onto the porch wearing jeans and a pleased smirk, but there was a heaviness about his brow that hinted at dissolute chaos and his gaze, when he approached, was flinty and hostile.
Odessa rolled her eyes. “Don’t spoil the morning with your ego. Otherwise, there won’t be any room in the woods for the game.”
“Not that you appear to have any trouble when it comes to bringing in outside game,” Ben responded. “Or are we pretending ignorance about your herd of imported deer?”
