Assistant to the Villain (Assistant to the Villain, #1) (94)
Becky was looking at her, too. The other people still conscious around them shuffled nervously, not paying attention to them as much as the guards. Evie found herself panicked—the person who gave the orders was unconscious. Evie’s job was to follow direction and follow it well. What was an assistant to do when her ruthless boss was out cold?
It was obvious, really. Whatever ruthlessness this situation required. Evie would have to become a villain herself, because they were not going to die here. Not today.
Evie flew to her feet, forcing a dramatic scream from her lips. “Please,” she sobbed. “Help me.”
One of the Valiant Guards was by her side in an instant, taking her forearm in his hand. She could see his green eyes through the slit of his helmet; they looked uncomfortable.
“What ails you, miss? You have nothing to fear from us.”
“Oh, I know.” Evie gave a watery smile as she gestured to The Villain, still unconscious in the hands of his father. “But my hu-husband.” She made the word seem forced, like she was seconds away from shattering.
The discomfort in the knight’s eyes increased tenfold.
A man terrified of a woman’s tears? I never would have guessed.
“He’s hurt. I fear for his life; I must take him to a healer immediately.” She wiped a tear from her cheek and then gripped the knight’s armor in her fists. “I beg you—let us go.”
The knight slowly removed Evie’s hand from his armor and then took a slow step away, like her hysterics were contagious. “My knights were instructed to return every civilian here unharmed. We found your husband unconscious already, my lady.”
Evie wanted to throw him a suspicious look, but she restrained herself. It was very clear he thought her quite gullible if she was supposed to believe the knights just found her boss with a small dent in the back of his head—if the guvre had done it, she was certain he’d no longer have a head at all.
“Of course.” She sniffed. “You all are valiant and brave. I should’ve known better. You see, I have my monthly cycle.”
One of the knights choked, and she was pretty sure another dropped his sword on his foot.
Women’s tears scared men, but the functions of the female body clearly sent them into apoplectic fits. She continued, resisting a chuckle. “My husband and I, we’ve been trying for a baby, you see.” The Villain groaned behind her, but Evie ignored it and kept her eyes forward. “It’s why we came to see the core healer. And then my husband heard The Villain had arrived to terrorize the core’s good work.”
Suddenly, every knight near her was on alert, their gazes darting around those captured, obviously trying to discern if The Villain was among them now.
“Oh, that dastardly evildoer isn’t here, kind sirs,” she insisted, blinking up at the soldier. “He took off after the sky serpent’s first attack like the coward he is.”
The knights chuckled nervously, turning to the one she was speaking with for direction.
“Please, sir, I do not have the supplies necessary for my monthly courses…and my dress is white.”
Every man within earshot winced. The guard before her nodded once, decision made. “Very well. I suppose you all may—”
A loud groan permeated the air, freezing everyone and everything around them. Evie turned her head slowly toward the groan, horror dawning like a fiery sun.
The Villain was waking up, and when he saw the knights around them, his reaction would be to ruin everything, and by ruin she definitely meant start murdering their captors. Instead of being let go and left alone, they would be outnumbered, and the guards would capture The Villain.
Or worse, they would murder him.
She had to do something…
Her heart pounded so loudly, the force of it nearly knocked her over as she made her way over to her husband on shaking legs. Dark eyes appeared as his lids blinked open, brows scrunching together in pain and confusion as he began to sit up.
His gaze settled on the group before him for only a moment, long enough for Evie to recognize the murderous rage in his gaze begin to take root, and she flung herself in front of him, gripping his collar in her fists. She watched him blink twice before his eyes widened.
It was the last thing she saw before she settled her lips onto his.
Chapter 46
The Villain
Trystan was dreaming.
Which surprised him, because he thought he’d lost the ability to dream ten short years ago. But here he was, having a dream, and it was a pleasant one.
He only saw Evie’s face for a moment before he felt soft lips press to his. His imagination made her taste like vanilla. Probably because of the ludicrous amount of vanilla drop candies the woman ate throughout the day.
It was comical to him that a trait he’d previously inwardly chuckled at was now something that was arousing him beyond belief. Enough that his eyes drifted shut and thoughts of gruesome, horrible things faded away.
If it’s just a dream anyway…
He sat up quickly, arms whipping around her, fingers pulling lightly through the soft locks of her hair. He tugged gently, nearly groaning when a gasp escaped her lips, and angled her head so he could taste her fully.
He licked at her lips, one of his hands coming down to her waist and squeezing, trying desperately to bring her closer. The small sounds she was making in the back of her throat nearly undid him. He’d never thought himself a man with a particularly good imagination, but the way she was holding on to him, sweet but fierce, and the passion behind her kisses… It ruined him.