Grievous (Wanted Men #5) - Nancy Haviland Page 0,49
were drawn. “Do they know Lucian’s visiting?”
Sorin’s deep chuckle had her lip tilting at the corner. It fell in the next second. She wasn’t in a smiley mood.
“Maybe they are keeping the heat in.”
She nodded. “Ever seen a real vampire, Sorin?”
“Not this trip.”
Her lip went up again, this time lingering. “Is that a variety store?” she asked, sitting straighter as they neared a salmon-colored building with a little black truck and a horse out front.
“Yes.”
“Can we—er, never mind. Why the horses?”
“Cheaper than petrol. Would you like to stop?”
“No. It’s okay.” She wanted to check out the junk food—her weakness. Chewy candy bars and salty chips. Mmm. But, petty or not, she didn’t want to use Lucian’s money.
She craned her neck as they crossed a bridge that had a running stream beneath it. “The water doesn’t freeze?” she questioned.
“If it wasn’t constantly running it would.”
They passed a group of men milling around in front of an auto shop. More unfriendly looks came their way. “Should I prepare myself to be spit on? Are people going to shelter their children if we walk too close to them? Maybe curse us and wave their crosses in our faces?”
Another chuckle was pulled from Sorin’s bearded mouth. “You do ask a lot of questions. I thought Lucian was being intolerant.”
Her mouth went flat as they crossed a set of tracks. “Are those for a freight train or passenger?”
“Freight. And the trains do not slow because they do not want to leave town with something they were not carrying when they arrived.”
She ignored the veiled warning. “Will we go somewhere for lunch?”
“Are you hungry?”
“No.”
“Then, no. You will have lunch with Lucian when we return?”
“How are you spending your days in the Fane Fortress? Are you allowed to come and go at will?”
“I generally go when Lucian goes. I am bringing you out today because he gave me his word he would not leave the castle. He needed some time alone.”
She blinked as a thought occurred to her for the first time. Had Lucian made her leave because he had someone else coming for a visit? Could that someone be a woman? The thought was as sickening as it was infuriating. She refused to give a label to that sharp sting spreading through her heart. Refused.
“To do what?” The words were torn from her. “I wouldn’t have intruded if he had to work.”
“Your very presence is an intrusion.”
“Nice,” she muttered, giving up. These men needed some lessons in manners.
“We have come to Bran, not Rasnov. Would you like to tour the famous castle?”
“No, thank you.”
“Walk through the bizarre?”
“If you want.”
He pulled to the curb and shut the car down. She yanked on the handle as he got out. Nothing happened. Didn’t improve her mood.
The door opened, and Sorin’s big hand was waiting. She took it, refrained from squeezing it hard enough to break a bone, and allowed him to help her out. A Starbucks traveler mug was offered.
“Cheer up, Ms. Michaels. We do not want the locals to think you are here under duress.”
A waft of caramel macchiato drifted under her nose, and suddenly she was sitting at a table with Eric and Miranda, complaining about having to work on a day they were taking off to go to Staten Island and bum around.
She gracefully accepted the olive branch and couldn’t say anything for a long moment. Her throat closed up completely when she took her first sip.
What the hell was she doing here? She moved over to look into the window of a small store but didn’t see the toy bubble guns and plastic fishing sets. She was using the reflection in the clean glass to see behind her, wondering if they had payphones in Bran, Romania.
And if they did, what? Meathead was going to allow her to use one? And what would she say to the operator if he did? Would he or she even speak English? Nine-one-one was universal, wasn’t it?
She worried her lip. Even if a police officer walked up and bit her in the ass right then, what would she say to him?
“Oh, no! Kidnapped? Drugged? Being held against your will? What is he doing to you, ma’am? Has Mr. Fane assaulted you? Forced himself on you?”
“Well, no. Not exactly. I kind of happily had the most amazing sex with him because he blows my mind when he so much as looks at me. And get this, officer, even after I’m shown what he thinks of me—look at the thousand dollars he