Page 2 of Trapped By Vengeance

Husband?I don’t recall hearing Valda’s banns being read, let alone a betrothal announcement . . . Unless this is a more clandestine wedding. That would explain the lack of servants, if she ran away in the arms of a suitor her father disapproved of.

I glance around for the man who has become the sole obstacle in my mission.

Suddenly, a warm body presses against mine, and hands are wrapping around my waist.

Startled, I stare down to find Lady Valda leaning into me, her face resting against my chest as she drowsily looks up at me. “Take me to our rooms, husband of mine.”

She must be drunker than I previously estimated if she can confuse my ragged, dirty blonde hair for whatever pristine man she must have wed. I almost correct her out of habit before I remember my mission. Drawing her away alone falls exactly into my purposes.

Valda’s fingers tighten at my waist, and her voice is barely a whisper. “Please.”

I glance around at the tavern filled with hungry-looking men. This isn’t confusion; this is strategy. And a good one at that. I’ll have to remember she is still cunning, even while inebriated.

“Of course, little wife.” Reaching down, I grip Lady Valda’s skirt and pull her into my arms.

She gasps in surprise, and I press chaste kisses to her soft hair for the show. From this proximity, I can see that her hair ribbonis the only thing about her apparel that is a little ragged, like it has seen much wear. “You know I cannot bear to have you far from our rooms for long.”

Smirking at me in a way I was not prepared for, Valda slides her hands behind my neck. “Then take me there straight away.”

The other men watch with dangerous glints in their eyes as I carry Valda out, but they don’t move to intervene— possibly because I am clearly not strained by the weight of her. Lean yet curvaceous as she is, she is also tall for a mortal woman.

I do not notice any weight, though. I have a deeper source of strength than what is clear to the mortal eye. One that is forbidden by the Creator, but was foisted on me before I knew my right hand from my left, let alone good from evil.

Despite my tainted blood, the Creator showed me mercy by leading me to Pa. And now I must be an arm of the Creator’s justice to avenge my family.

Without breaking a sweat, I carry Valda up the rickety wood stairs. My sheathed saber bounces against my leg with each step.

Once we are out of earshot, Valda takes one hand from my neck to gesture to the door farthest down. “That one is my room.”

Excellent information to obtain. Now to determine whether there truly is a bridegroom nearby . . .

I carry Valda to the door she pointed out, just three doors from my own, and set her down. The noblewoman doesn’t release me completely, one hand lingering possessively on my shoulder while the other unlocks her door.

“I have to thank you, dear gallant . . .” Valda’s voice sounds dangerously sweet, like the kind of snack I would regret should I steal a bite from it. Her door creaks open a crack, but she doesn’t push it open. Instead, she turns to me, and the heat in her expression has burned away the glassy appearance from earlier.

The collar of my tunic suddenly feels too tight, and my palms are too hot. I carefully clasp them behind my back. “My code of chivalry would have it no other way.”

“Still, I must insist on bestowing a token of my gratitude . . .” Her hand on my shoulder slides back to my neck. Then it climbs to my face, caressing the jaw that hasn’t seen a razor these past three days on the road.

My instincts desert me for a sudden case of the nerves the likes of which I haven’t felt since I was a pup. I open my mouth to apologize for my unkempt appearance.

Before I can speak, though, she drops her hand to my frock coat collar, grabs it, and drags my lips onto hers.

Chapter Two

Konrad

Ihave always prided myself on my instincts and being able to detect my bounty’s next move. That is why I’m one of the most sought-after mercenaries in Middle Imparia and my clients pay premium coin for my services.

But my latest bountykissingme? Did not see that coming.

Well, that answers whether she has a brand-new bridegroom.

Valda’s hand slides from my face to behind my neck, tangling with my chin-length hair. Her other arm wraps around my waist. And her lips . . .

I’ve never come across such skill, and I follow her lead into the kiss. Follow her lead into the room. Fall into the trance of her scent— a perfumer’s combination of lavender, violet, and bleeding heart. But there is something else— something I can’t quite pinpoint . . .

She kisses my bottom lip in a way that makes me want to devour her. I want to completely lose myself in the essence of her. Flowers, sweets, and ale.