“Is your honey made of gold?” Willow had questioned the seller. “That price will not do.”
They had bartered back and forth until she had been pleased with the price, and Walcott had smiled at her.
“I’ll leave the haggling up to you,” he had said after that.
With the coins they had saved, Walcott bought her a honey cake and cider and left her to sit on a small, barrel to enjoy the treats.
“I need to get these things to Millard for him to get packed on the horses before it’s time to leave,” he explained, his arms full. “Don’t move off this barrel. I don’t want to have to go in search of you. I’ll be back right soon.”
“I’ll be waiting,” Willow said, taking great pleasure in eating the honey cake.
She just finished the last of the cider when she spotted Slatter. She was about to call out to him when a woman sauntered over to him. She reached out to stroke his face, and his arm snagged around her waist and rushed her between two sellers’ stalls and out of sight.
Willow didn’t think, instinct had her getting up and hurrying to see what her husband was up to. Did this woman have information about the man he was searching for? Or was her husband’s need for a woman about to be satisfied?
She stopped at the entrance to the narrow passage between two small buildings and peered down. Willow couldn’t tell if Slatter was whispering in the woman’s ear or nibbling at her neck. She had to contain her urge to confront him, since she didn’t know if his behavior was necessary in his search for this mysterious man who had wronged him.
Willow decided to turn away and ask him later about it, when he his head turned toward her.
He stared at her, in shock or annoyance, she didn’t know. Then a wicked smile spread slowly across his face, not his usual teasing smile, but a strange one, and it caused her to shiver.
“Willow?”
She jumped at her name being called out and turned shocked to see two of the Lord of Fire’s warriors, Owen and Thad, the ones who had guarded Slatter when he was held prisoner, standing a few feet away. She was about to hurry toward them, not wanting them to see Slatter when someone shouted her husband’s name.
“Slatter! You good for nothing whoremonger.”
Owen and Thad turned and so did Willow.
Her husband stood on the opposite side from where she stood. She wondered how he had gotten there so fast, but she supposed he was as quick on his feet as he was with his mouth, since he had bragged to her about being able to escape most situations easily.
Slatter didn’t hesitate. He landed a solid punch to the man’s jaw who had called him a whoremonger, dropping him to the ground. He gave a sharp snap of his head to the left, warning Willow to go as Owen and Thad rushed at him.
She gave a brief thought that this could work in her favor. Once home, things could be sorted out, then she recalled Tarass, the Lord of Fire, and how stubborn and unmovable a man he was, and she knew it would never work. Tarass would return Slatter to his dungeon, and there was a good possibility he’d make her a widow.
Her choice was easy.
She ran forward to help her husband and just as she did, an arm snagged her around the waste and yanked her away.
Chapter 6
Willow struggled to break free only to be spun around to face the man who had snagged her. She silently admonished herself for not realizing that Tarass wouldn’t only send two warriors to find Slatter. She was familiar with this warrior as well, Rhodes. He had come to her complaining of a rash when she had tended Slatter. However, she was not familiar with the three other warriors who rushed past them to join in the hunt for Slatter.
“You’ll stay with me until this gets sorted out,” Rhodes commanded.
She had little choice, since his hand moved to keep a good grip on her arm.
Chaos reigned with the warriors rushing through the market and it didn’t take long to realize it was as if they were chasing a ghost. There was no sight of Slatter. He had disappeared.
“Find him!” Rhodes shouted when the warriors stopped and looked around confused, one scratching his head.
They scurried at Rhodes’ command, spreading out throughout the market.
Willow hurried her steps to keep up with Rhodes as he rushed her past the market stalls to the front of the village, away from curious eyes and whispering tongues.
“What are you doing here?” Rhodes asked. “I thought you were visiting Sorrell.”
She turned the question on him. “What brought you here?”
He responded as she expected he would, since most people respond to a question without thinking about it.