Part 35 (1/2)

The guy lifted a hand to his neck, his eyes slid to Apollo and then he fell down on his knees right before he crashed to his front.

Okay, well.

I was thinking he, too, was a goner.

Holy cow.

I stared at the bodies and blood littering our little sitting room and I did this for a millisecond before Apollo roared, ”When I tell you to run, you b.l.o.o.d.y do what I say!”

I looked to him to see his eyes were burning and not in a good way. Not that there was anyone left to talk to that wasn't dead or unconscious but still, those burning eyes were locked on me.

”I-” I started.

He began to move my way and cut me off.

”Did it occur to you that if you'd run, you could have called for a.s.sistance?”

He stopped in front of me so close my head was tipped all the way back to keep hold of his gaze.

And seriously, our date-which included its shaky start, sure, but it also included great champagne, delicious food and Apollo and I eventually chatting and laughing, another fab horse ride back with Apollo, a brilliant kiss and the promise of an o.r.g.a.s.m (or more than one since he'd said we'd be doing it repeatedly)-but it ended in death and destruction and him shouting at me and being sarcastic-I don't think anyone would blame me that his words p.i.s.sed me off.

”Did it occur to you that, seeing as I didn't run, I was your a.s.sistance?” I shot back.

His mouth clamped shut and a muscle ticked up his jaw and into his cheek.

I took that as ”no.” I also decided to take it as ”thank you for helping me defeat the bad guys” when he jerked away from me and stormed into the bedroom.

I decided the bedroom was a much better place to be than amongst the grisly mess in the sitting room, so I followed him.

When I did, I saw he was tugging on a velvet cord with a thick ta.s.sel at the end and he didn't do it once. I counted eleven times before he scowled at me and stormed back into the sitting room.

I really didn't want to go back there, but after what happened, I also really didn't want to be far away from Apollo and his sword. So I followed him back to see him bent over one of the guys, the unconscious one, his fist in the guy's hair holding his head up.

”Unconscious,” he clipped. ”Useless,” he ground out as he threw the guy's head back and it thumped against the floor.

I put a hand to my belly, the gruesome tableau hitting me full on as Apollo stormed to one of the two dead bodies. He bent and started to go through the man's pockets.

”What are you doing?” I asked, deciding on focusing on him so I didn't focus on anything that might make me hurl.

His gaze cut to me and he didn't answer my question.

No.

Instead he declared, ”Four men in this room. Four weapons. And you.”

”Apollo-”

”You could have been hurt.”

Okay, I had to admit, it was sweet he was worried about me.

So I decided against throwing more att.i.tude and whispered, ”I wasn't.”

”You could have been killed,” he bit out, his handsome face still suffused with rage.

I swallowed because after sitting room swordfights, it hit ridiculously late that that was what was causing his reaction.

”I wasn't, baby,” I said gently.

He pierced me with a glower then went back to searching the man's pockets, muttering grouchily to himself, ”She seduces me with this word. She also thinks she can use it to get away with madness.”

It was then I decided quiet was in order so I gave him that.

He stopped searching the one dead body and was moving to the other when a knock came at the door.

He went there, unlocked it, yanked it open and I got one look at the maid outside, who got one look into the room and her face paled in a way I feared she'd pa.s.s out.

Luckily, Apollo started issuing orders so her eyes, and attention, shot to him.

”Send someone for the constable immediately. And send a man to the room with ropes. One of them is still alive and I want him bound. And find these men's horses. If they have possessions, I want them in this room without delay.”

She visibly gulped, nodded and ran away.

I didn't blame her.

Apollo slammed the door and moved to the other body. I kept my silence as he searched his pockets then ran his hands along the inside of his cloak.

I watched his body suddenly still and then he straightened to his feet, his head bent, his fingers engaged with unfolding a piece of paper.

”What is it?” I asked.

”b.l.o.o.d.y code,” he bit out, sounding frustrated.

”Can I see it?” I queried and his gaze sliced to me.

”You can battle foes and decipher code?” he asked wryly.

I decided to let that slide and made a mental note that Apollo got grumpy after a swordfight.

”Can I just see it, honey?” I requested softly.

He gave me an annoyed look but he finally stormed to me, his cape wafting out behind him and we'll just say, grumpy Apollo after a swordfight was still hot.

When he got to me, he didn't hand me the note. He moved to my side and held it up so we could both look.

I stared down at the paper. It said: C, E at K Tr, Br, L, Le, C, Da, Z, Fe, Fah, Te U, I at TL, V Be, Gr, St Yep. Code.

c.r.a.p.