Rose listened to his words in outrage.
“That does it,” she snapped. Before Barnaby could say a single word, she covered the narrow distance to the horse and slapped it mightily on the backside.
Any satisfaction she would have had was lost when the horse suddenly reared up in protest. She watched in horror as, unprepared for the shifting weight, Barnaby rolled backward and landed on the ground with a heavy thud - straight into a cow pat.
The stench of manure and straw was putrid as it slammed into Barnaby’s nostrils, and made his eyes water. When he looked up, his teared eyes watched his horse vault the fence at the end of the field like a thoroughbred at the races and disappear from sight without once pausing for breath.
“What the Hell did you do that for?” Barnaby growled, outraged at the goo that was now seeping through his shirt.
“You annoy me,” Rose informed him primly. She didn’t feel so gauche and stupid now that he looked as bad as she did.
“What was that?” Barnaby thundered as he pushed to his feet only to slip on the mud and slam into the ground again. “I annoy you?”
“Yes,” Rose replied dourly. Rather than wait for him to lambast her further, she turned around and stormed off, leaving Barnaby to climb to his feet by himself. She refused to acknowledge the slight twinge of guilt that settled over her as she left him behind. As far as she was concerned, given what he had drawn her into, a little indignity himself wouldn’t go amiss.
“Wait one minute,” Barnaby demanded when he finally caught up with her. When she didn’t stop he yanked her by the elbow, forcing her to face him. Planting his fists on his hips, he towered over her until she deigned to look up at him. “Listen up, Princess, I have been with the Star Elite for nigh on eight years. I have been shot at, stabbed, robbed, threatened, challenged, and beaten but I have never, in all of my born days, met anybody as annoying, as stubborn, as argumentative and downright irritating as you.”
“Thank you,” Rose replied calmly, her face betraying no sign of the hurt that slammed into her as she listened to his words.
“I didn’t mean that as a bloody compliment,” Barnaby swore. “I would rather face Chadwick and nine of his men single handed without a gun than spend another minute in the wilds of – of – where the hell are we?” he thundered.
Rose shrugged. “Well, seeing as you seem to know so much about everything you should know where you are shouldn’t you?”
Ignoring his low growl, she continued to walk toward the village up ahead.
“I should leave you here all by yourself to be chased by the wildlife,” Barnaby thundered.
“Alright,” Rose replied unconcernedly.
“I would rather face Chadwick and ten of his men single handed than spend another minute here with you,” he continued as he followed her.
“Nine,” she replied.
“What?” He thundered.
“You said you would rather face Chadwick and nine of his men not ten,” she corrected.
He glared at her. “I should bloody well hand you over to Chadwick and let him have at you.”
“You don’t even know where you are so how could you possibly find Chadwick?” she replied logically.
His temper growing by the second, Barnaby stalked forward, spun around and slammed to a stop in front of her forcing her to stop and look at him. The urge to unnerve her was rife, but there was nothing around them for him to provoke her with. Instead, he leaned forward until they were practically nose-to-nose.
“I am a professional, so I will stick to what I do and will, in spite of you, get you to safety although God knows why. Chadwick is no more of a threat to you than you are to yourself.” He frowned when he realised he was babbling.
He hated the way she seemed to turn him on his head and ravel him up without even trying. His irritation grew further when she merely lifted her brows at him and sidled around him without saying a word before continuing on her journey. He wanted an argument damn it, so they could clear the air and hopefully ease the tension between them.
Before she could go far, Rose found a large, warm palm planted firmly in the centre of her abdomen, stopping her from moving anywhere. She turned her head and looked straight into Barnaby’s furious eyes.
“You will damned well do as you are told now. As soon as we get to Portsmouth, I will hand you over to my colleagues and be glad of it. Until then, you are valuable to the Star Elite, and you will be kept safe by the Star Elite, in spite of your best efforts to destroy yourself.” Barnaby knew it was hypocritical to make reference to her dire state when he looked and smelled just a bad but if he didn’t say something he was apt to do something foolish like kiss her.
“I am not a pawn on a chess board, here to be pushed and shoved about by you,” Rose replied. “I am a person, a woman in my own right.”
“But you live with your parents,” Barnaby reminded her.
“Yes, but that is a circumstance beyond my control,” Rose protested.
“But so is this,” Barnaby argued. “Chadwick isn’t going to do as he is told by you any more than that bull will.”