Beyond the Highland Myst(59)

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"Ummmph!" Adrienne gasped as Hawk flung one powerful arm across her face and thrust her against a tree.

Adrienne struggled against his back, but he was an immovable mountain. Was this how he intended to win her back? After weeks of careful restraint, was he taking her into the forest to rape her?

"Oooof!" His breath hissed out softly, and she pushed harder at his back. "What are you doing, Hawk?" she demanded, but still he said nothing.

Hawk shuddered, battling the pain as his eyes scanned the trees. He felt his strength ebbing, but he couldn't give in to the weakness yet. Not until he found and stopped whoever was trying to kill his wife. But the bushes were still. The assailant, for whatever reason, had fled. Hawk felt relief rush through him as blood gushed from his wound.

When he swayed and crumpled at Adrienne's feet, she screamed and screamed.

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In the shadows, Esmerelda pressed a fist to her mouth. She could feel Hawk's eyes searching the very spot in which she cowered, but the shadows were too dense for even his eyes to penetrate.

He turned, and in profile she could see the arrow, still vibrating from the force of flight, just above his heart. She closed her eyes and swallowed tightly. She'd killed him! The arrow was wickedly notched and would be impossible to remove without ripping open his chest. She had deliberately designed it to do even more damage in the removing than in the entering. Even if it didn't kill the victim going in, it would certainly kill him coming out.

Esmerelda melted to the forest floor and crawled through the underbrush until she was certain she was safe. Then she surged to her feet and ran blindly, her crossbow forgotten on the damp forest floor. Branches slapped her face. A scream gathered and clotted in her throat. Esmerelda swallowed a bitter sob as she leapt a fallen log.

A hand shot out lightning-quick, halting her abruptly. Adam pulled her to him with a biting grip on her neck.

"Where have you been, lovely whore?" His eyes were preternaturally bright.

She panted into his face.

Adam glowered and shook her cruelly. "I said, where have you been?"

When she still didn't answer, Adam slid his hand up her neck to her throat and squeezed. "Your life means nothing to me, Gypsy." His eyes were as icy as his voice.

Haltingly, Esmerelda told him everything, begging Adam to save the man she loved, to use his unnatural powers and restore his life.

So she knew his identity. He wasn't surprised. The Rom were well versed in the ancient ways. "If you know who I am, Gypsy whore, you know I don't give a damn about your wishes—or anyone else's, for that matter. And I certainly don't care about your pretty Hawk. In fact, the Hawk is the son of a bitch I came here to destroy."

Esmerelda paled.

"Come," he commanded. And she knew he didn't mean it the way he used to. Not anymore.




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CHAPTER 20




"what do you mean he doesn't want to see me? I want to see him, so let me in," Adrienne argued. "Unless, of course, he's given you orders that he specifically doesn't want me to come in the room," she added coolly. Hawk would never do that.

Grimm didn't budge.

"He wouldn't! You can't be serious. H-he…" She trailed off uncertainly. The Hawk wouldn't refuse. Well, he hadn't yet, but…

Obdurate Grimm, his eyes grave, blocked the door.

Adrienne peered at him intently. "Are you telling me that I have been forbidden to enter my husband's room?"

"I have my orders, milady."

"I'm his wife!"

"Well, maybe if you'd bloody acted like his wife before now he wouldn't be in there!" Grimm's eyes flashed angrily in his chiseled face.

"Oh!" Adrienne stepped back, startled by his fury.

"I did my friend a grievous wrong. I made a horrible wish that I would take back now with all my heart, if I only could. But I can't."

"You're the one who wished it!" Adrienne exclaimed.

Grimm continued, unwavering. "And had I known how terrible was the wish I made, how far-reaching and painful the consequences would be, I would have taken my own life first. I am no captain of the guard." He spat his disgust upon the cobbled stone. "I am no honorable friend. I am the lowest droppings from the foulest beast. I wished you upon my best friend, may the gods forgive me! And now he lies wounded by an arrow meant for you!"

Adrienne's eyes widened in her pale face. "I'm not so bad," she whispered.

"You, milady, are the iron maiden without a heart. You have brought him nothing but pain since you came here. In all my years with the Hawk, I have never seen such suffering in his eyes and I won't tolerate it even one more day. He would climb into the very heavens and pluck down the stars, one by one, to bestow upon your shining brow, and I tell him you are not worth it. You scoff at his romantic feelings, you shun his freely offered love, you scorn the man himself. Doona tell me you're not so bad, Adrienne de Simone. You are the worst thing that's ever happened to that man."