Dawn let all her frustration loose, letting her friend know what a stubborn fool Cree was and how he refused to listen to her, or take the time to become familiar with her gestures, that all he truly was interested in was satisfying himself between her legs. Her last complaint broke her tirade and she shook her head, she wasn’t being fair to Lila. These weren’t things she should be saying to Lila, at least here and now, in front of Cree.
Pushing her frustration aside she began to explain what happened and Lila with a look of relief interpreted.
“A warrior followed behind her and she assumed that he had been assigned to protect her. He waited for her to finish collecting heather and told her it was time to go. That was when he slapped the basket out of her hand and dragged her into the woods.”
“Did he say anything else to you?” Cree asked and her body responded by turning rigid. “Tell me,” he urged his tone less angry. He watched her gestures as Lila spoke.
“When he forced her to the woods, she looked around hoping someone would see them and he told her—” Lila stopped her eyes filled with sadness and shook her head.
“Lila,” he said curtly, anxious to know what had stopped Lila and filled her with such sorrow.
“He told her that she was the devil’s whore and no one would help her.”
Rage roared like a fiery blast through Cree. He kept his lips firmly locked so that it would not erupt and clenched his fists eager to turn his wrath on the man. He tempered his anger before he said, “He was wrong.”
Dawn thought she saw pain in his dark eyes, but it was so brief that she couldn’t be sure.
“How did you escape?”
“She threw a handful of dirt in his face and took off running and ran right into me,” Sloan answered to Cree’s surprise. Sloan pointed to Dawn. “She told me about it while the men went after the culprit.”
That seemed to agitate Cree and his scowl grew darker. “Had you assigned someone to Dawn?”
“No,” Sloan admitted reluctantly. “There was a problem at the mill and the last time I say her she was in the Great Hall and I had advised her to remain in the keep or close to it.”
“And you saw fit to ignore him?” Cree asked turning his scowl on Dawn. Before she could start gesturing he held up his hand. “I’ve heard enough from the both of you. Sloan, go and prepare the prisoner for questioning and also the men should have returned by now with the man we found, so prepare him for questioning as well. Assign Neil to guard Dawn, have him wait outside her cottage. And be ready to discuss your poor handling of the matter later.”
Sloan gave a quick bob and was out the door closing it quietly behind him.
Cree ‘s eyes fell on Lila. “Now you will tell me what Dawn said when we first entered your cottage.”
Chapter Twenty-eight
Lila paled and so did Dawn. The thought that Lila would repeat any of what she had said turned her legs weak. The thought of what Cree might do to Lilia if she didn’t made her stomach churn. She had allowed her frustration to get the better of her and now look at what her lack of restraint had done. She was stuck with the mighty warrior and had been since he had entered the village a week or so ago. Had it only been such a short time? It felt as if she had known Cree much longer, even more so since they had become intimate. Her cheeks flushed at the thought.
“I never ask twice,” Cree warned when the silence lingered.
Lila answered, though hesitantly. “Dawn ,” —she sent an apologetic glance to her friend— “feels you are a stubborn fool for not listening to her and for not taking the time to become familiar with her gestures.”
“What else? And don’t lie and tell me that there is no more. You have worried at your lower lip until it is quite red,” Cree said his eyes fixed on Lila.
Lila sighed rolling her eyes heavenward.
Dawn was angry with herself for placing her friend in such an awkward situation and she sought to correct it. She began gesturing.
“Dawn says she will repeat her words for you so that you know they come from her.”
“Why? Would you lie for her?” Cree asked.
“No, my lord,” Lila answered shaking her head and repeating again. “No, my lord.”
Dawn walked over to Cree, poked him in the chest, pointed to her ear and slapped her chest then threw her hands up.
“She says—”
“She’s made herself very clear,” Cree said. “She says that if I had listened to her none of this would have been necessary.”
Dawn nodded.
“I’m listening now,” he said stepping closer, his scowl gone and his dark eyes devouring her.