Closing his eyes again, he tried to listen for sounds. The snapping of wood told him there was a fire somewhere nearby, but the small amount of heat against his face let him know it wasn’t a large one. There was an opened window because the chirps of birds drifted into the hut. And by the stiff, smelly substance poking against his cheek, he knew he was lying in hay.
So was this a barn or stable instead of a hut? Yet why would someone have a low-burning fire in a stable?
Once more, he tried to open his eyes. The pain slicing through his skull tried to keep him from this goal, but he fought against the stinging discomfort.
The squeak of a door made Vincent still his efforts. He focused on the sounds. Footsteps came near him. A boot knocked against his shoulder. He bit his tongue against the pain.
“You can open your eyes. I know you’re alive.”
Alive?By that remark, Vincent assumed that the man wanted him dead.
He opened his eyes and tried to adjust his vision. Beside the small fire, a man sat, leaning up against a rock. Apparently, there wasn’t furniture in this little shack.
The longer Vincent concentrated on the man, the more his face came into focus.Edgar Stone!How had that mousy man captured him?
The back of his head throbbed harder. Now he remembered. The fool had crept up behind him and smacked his head with a large, hard object. That would be the only way to take Vincent down.
Stone chuckled. “By your expression, I see you are surprised that I was the one who brought you here.”
Fighting against the pain, Vincent adjusted himself on the floor made of hay in order to glare at the other man. “I’m very surprised. But I’m more surprised at myself. Your stench was detected quickly enough. I should have known a weasel like you would attack a man without his knowledge.”
Stone’s brow creased as he threw Vincent a scowl. “What is that supposed to mean?”
“That means, you fool, that you are not man enough to fight me face to face.”
Chuckling, Stone leaned back against the rock. “I’m a lover, not a fighter.”
Vincent rolled his eyes. “Why is that hard for me to believe?”
“Listen, you little slip of a man.” Stone pointed his finger at Vincent. “I would have been able to convince Ellie to marry me if you hadn’t been in the picture. I am quite charming, you know.”
“Is that before or after you have bruised a woman’s face?”
Stone lifted a haughty chin. “I only strike women when they deserve it, but normally, I’m a charming man. Ellie would have eventually fallen in love with me.”
“Ellie cannot stand the sight of you,” Vincent snapped, even though the rush of words made his head pound harder. “She has better taste in men.”
“Like you?” Stone threw back his head and cackled. “Well, let me assure you that I will change her mind quickly. Shewillmarry me.”
“What makes you think that?” Vincent struggled again, but managed to sit up fully. “The only way she will marry you is if I’m dead. Is that what you have planned?”
“Once more, you have guessed correctly.” Stone nodded.
“And once more,” Vincent replied cynically, “you are going to take the spineless way out and kill a man that cannot fight back.” Shaking his head, he tsked. “That doesn’t say very much about your character. Wouldn’t you like to be able to actually fight a man…and win, without using these childish tactics?” He turned slightly, raising his tied hands.
“You are playing with my mind, aren’t you?”
“No. I’m just encouraging you to fight like a real man. Or do you just feel empowered when you beat women who cannot defend themselves?” He tilted his head as he narrowed his eyes on the other man. “Now that I know your true character, I’m willing to bet that you were the weasel who set my stable on fire the other night.”
Stone scratched behind his ear. “You would like to think that, wouldn’t you?”
“It all makes sense,” Vincent continued. “You have made it clear that I’m the reason you don’t have Ellie, so you are slowly trying to take out the competition. And a weak man like yourself would have no qualms about setting fire to another man’s property.”
Edgar rose to his feet. Fire blazed behind his eyes as he glared at Vincent.
“I amnota weak man.” His nostrils flared. “I choose to use my intelligence instead of my fists.”
Finally, Vincent was getting the man almost where he wanted him. “But you are weak. I am still tied up. If you want me dead, do it the right way. Untie me and we’ll fight to the death likerealmen. Or are you afraid that I might break one of your bones and it might actually hurt?”
