Chapter 101

 

I heard movement, but when I tried to look between them I couldn’t see a damn thing. I was all for a little camaraderie among family, but somehow I think this was a few steps beyond considering the circumstances.

Chase sighed. “Michael and Victor have about three seconds before he breaks free. Who’s the fastest runner?”

Rafael grinned and lunged toward me. “Me!” I found myself swung up over his shoulder as he ran out the door Quinton held open. I heard the door slam, but was too busy holding on tight so I wouldn’t bounce off and hit the floor.

The door banged three more times before I heard thundering foot steps behind us. How was this going to look to anyone we flew past? One brother of the royal family carrying me and the rest racing after us? I wasn’t a football for crying out loud.

There was a loud crashing noise that sounded like wood splintering and then some grunting before the echo of boots on the hall started again. I lifted my head, trying not to let my teeth clatter and saw Chase and Quinton trying to slow down Troy, a very determined look that said no one was keeping him from catching me. Arius was lying on the floor looking winded and possibly injured, Michael was beside him and not looking much better. Victor was bent over leaning on his knees either hurt of trying to catch his breath.

I put my head down. “Either run fast, Raf, or put me down and duck.” I squeaked out between the jarring movements of his fast strides.

There were more grunts from behind us, and what sounded like flesh hitting flesh. “You’re on your own, Raf,” Quinton called out.

The sound of feet behind us was now only of one pair. I squealed as Raf bolted around a corner and then almost tossed me to the ground, spinning me around so I was facing the sound of the stomping boots. Sounding winded, he steadied me so I wouldn’t tip right over before his hands dropped from me and he backed away.

Troy came around the corner and came to a stop when he saw me standing there. He sent Raf a look of death and then moved toward me intention clear on his face.

I held my hands up. “I wasn’t part of it.”

“I know.” Wrapping one big arm around my waist, he picked me up off the floor and held me tight against his body.

I held on to his neck, preferring this to hanging over a shoulder. His chest was rising and falling as he tried to breathe after the exertion and turned to head back the way we’d all just come from.

Around the corner stood Mitz shaking her head. “I thought the days of telling you no running in the halls was over.”

Troy scowled. “They started it.”

Giving Mitz an exasperated glare, I tried to twist free so I could stand on my own, Troy wasn’t having any of it. “How long do I have to put up with this?”

She sent the man holding me an annoyed look. “I’m not sure, until the bond is complete or…”

Troy growled something I couldn’t understand and started walking back down the hall. Quinton was pulling Arius to his feet as we passed. He gave me a sympathetic look.

“Troy,” I said softly, trying to sound patient. “I can walk.”

He looked at me and then back to the next brother he stepped around. “And I can carry you.”

“Troy,” Victor caught up to us, “we really need to get back to…”

“Later.” Troy said in a tone that made Victor bow his head and stop walking with us.

I glared at the man carrying me like a rag doll. “I’d like to walk, please.” I said it in a way that sounded like I was asking, but I really wasn’t.

He gave me a quick glance, but said nothing and we weren’t slowing down so chances of him doing what I wanted seemed slim.

Chase came up beside us. He walked along in stride with his twin for several steps without saying a word. I tried to catch his eye to ask that he do something, but he looked straight ahead mimicking his brother.

“What do you want?” Troy asked in his lethal tone.

Shrugging, Chase finally looked at his brother. “I just wanted to be with you in your last moments.”

Troy glanced at him out of the corner of his eye. “My what?”

“The way I see it,” he looked me up and down in his brother’s hold, “you have maybe another minute before Daxx is really pissed about being toted about like a puppet or,” he grinned, “she’ll keep it together until you stop and put her down and then she’s going to slice you up like a loaf of bread.”

Troy grunted in response, but did finally look down at me. I lifted both eyebrows at him, letting him know that his sibling wasn’t far off. He stopped and looked at his brother, still holding me off the floor. “I can’t help it. I feel like I’m losing my mind.”

“Oh, I’d say you lost it.” Chase looked at his arm wrapped around me.

Sighing, Troy loosened his grip on my waist and let me slide down his body. My first thought was to step clear of him, but his hand splayed against my back ended that idea.

“Troy,” I tried for understanding, but have no idea if I made it. “This is crazy. I can’t live like this.” I wasn’t exaggerating. Here I was literally tied to a man that I’d had sex with once, spectacular as it was, and now I could barely take two steps away without him losing it.

The solution was the blood rite, but did I really want to permanently, and I mean forever and ever, be with him. I watched several emotions go through his eyes as he looked at me. Just the fact that he was waging an internal battle and trying to be reasonable counted for a lot more than he knew. I could feel the pull between us too, I just didn’t go all predator with it.

His hold on my back loosened a little further, like he was trying to let go but his hand wasn’t listening. Dropping it completely, he clenched it at his side. With a soft look in his hazel stare, he sighed again. “Go.”

It almost didn’t register when he said it, barely a whisper. I looked at Chase who nodded and turned and started down the hall. A few feet later, I paused and looked over my shoulder. “I’ll see you at dinner.”

Inclining his head, he looked back at me and then turned with a jerky movement and went back down the hall. Chase sent me a look that said he’d keep an eye on him and then followed behind him.

Heaving out a huge sigh of relief, I found my bearings and headed to my room, double time.