Page 145 of A Sanctuary from Shadow
Rye smacked the bar. “As you say.” Winking, he glided off to fetch what Pete needed for the game while Maggie collected the appropriate pay in. Most of the purse, I saw with a furtive grimace.
An impish gleam in her eyes, Maggie gestured at me. “Was just talking with the lady here, Pete. She was saying as she’d be fond of some pleasant company tonight.”
My face flashed hot, though Pete already knew the sort of company I sought that night. And it wasn’t his. How would he skirt Maggie’s suggestive intro? I was more than bemused when he didn’t even try.
Chock full of swagger, Pete angled toward me. “That so?”
I sipped my ale. “Something like that.”
“Allow me to assist you, darlin’.” He offered me his large hand. “I’m Pete.”
Considering him, beard to boots, I clasped his hand, so warm and callused. “Nice to meet you, Pete.”
His thick brow arched, his debonaire expression sparkling. “And your name would be?”
“Rose,” I repurposed my original alias, guffawing inside.
Pete’s spreading smile was 100 percent genuine. “Such a fitting name for you—Rose.”
My breath caught as he lifted my hand and his soft, full lips touched my inner wrist.
Goddess, they are justperfect! Mm!
He peered back at me, clocking how I’d flushed at the rasp of his whiskers on my skin.
Hands fluttering, Maggie squealed, “I’ll leave you to get acquainted,” and scurried off to fill more orders.
After several beats, my senses returned, and I tried withdrawing from Pete, but he held fast. “What are you doing?” I asked. “I need to be single, remember?”
Pete reached over with his other hand to pet the gooseflesh on my forearm. “Fear not, Shorty,” he murmured, kissing my wrist again.
Gah!I wanted to erupt, shivering.Stop doing that!
“I failed to mention one pertinent thing about how to best attract Howlite.”
“What’s that?”
He gazed past my head, his pupils lengthening into a strangely feline shape—just as they did when we were training. “If he thinks I want something, he’ll inevitably try to take it for himself.”
“And that something would be—?”
Not a second later, Pete stiffened. I sensed a looming presence beside me and glanced up with what I hoped was a come-hither smirk.
Howlite wasn’t a bad looking dude. About Briar’s height, he was dark-haired, smooth-skinned, and had a pair of shrewd blue eyes. For a Danann, his ears were exceptionally pointy, his nose snubbed like it disdained all smells. He did indeed have a thin golden snake coiled through one eyebrow, and he seemed to enjoy wearing his official royal slaver uniform, a set of sleeveless, leafy coveralls, even on his off hours. To brag, I assumed.
I knew he sported his work clothes. An embroidered crown of golden twigs trimmed with violet-blue larkspur blooms embellished his breast patch. I’d seen that insignia before. On my father’s business letterhead.
My throat constricted at seeing something so familiar and comforting on someone standing for something so heinous. My gut insisted Daddy hadneversanctioned slavery. I prayed to Danu with everything I was that I could trust my gut.
“McKenna,” the slaver greeted my captor in a thick Scottish-like burr. “Is it wise of you to squander your paltry bounties by coming here this night?”
I fought the urge to mouthMcKenna, realizing I’d never asked Pete his last name. Instead, I tittered like the haughty Danann Howlite assumed I was, considering his first tactic to plunder me from the harbinger was to belittle his prosperity.
Ugh, I already hate him. This is going to be a loooong night.
Pete’s eyes telegraphed,I told you so, before he said, “I’m a glutton for punishment, Howlite, what can I say?” His magnetic intensity recaptured my gaze. “Care to give me a spanking later, darlin’?”
My heart leapt in my scanty bodice at being so bluntly propositioned—by Pete. “Only if you’re sufficiently naughty.”
