Page 35 of Wanted: Rogues and Bards

Pulling his hood up to cloak his face, Fenric wove through the people, keeping an eye on that big white horse and the ass who rode it. The guy called himself a hero, but Fenric knew the truth of the matter. He cared nothing for the people and would have been happy to trample everyone in front of him if it meant getting to his destination faster. The only thing probably stopping him from doing just that was the risk of harming his horse.

After a few minutes, Lance finally turned off the main road onto a side street. Fenric jumped into a nearby alley and stuck close to the shadows as he watched Lance toss the reins to a young boy and climb out of the saddle in front of a tall building with lurid red, yellow, and green paint. The sign hanging from the front proclaimed the place to be The Secret Moon, but the purpose was no secret. Lance Carrington had ridden straight to the biggest, most expensive brothel in all of Björnkill, and it was very unlikely he was going to be moving from that spot soon.

Perfect.

That was just perfect for Fenric’s plans.

The great thing about tracking someone down in a brothel was that it required little sneaking. Strangers came and went all the time, and no one paid much attention to them. At least, they shouldn’t. Noticing the surroundings and other guests meant the “hosts” weren’t doing a good job.

Fenric waited until it was nearly midnight to return to The Secret Moon. Lance would have had plenty of time to drink and relax with the entertainers and his companions, gamble, listen to music, and play little games with the hosts between all the fucking.

Fenric had slipped away to meet up with the rest of his gang and let them know he was following an important lead he couldn’t pass up. Belstrom had offered to accompany him in case there was trouble, but Fenric had been quick to turn him down. Yeah, most people could blend in at a brothel, but not Bel. The man stood over seven feet tall with shining gold hair like some kind of god. Fenric didn’t need that kind of attention.

No, he was better off doing this alone. He was accustomed to working alone. It seemed to just come with the job. Besides, he wanted nothing to come between him and Lance. No one was going to keep him from asking the so-called hero a few questions.

Before he strolled into The Secret Moon, he made a pit stop at the brothel’s stable to make sure Lance’s horse was still there. He might have even given the stable boy a few coppers to take extra time preparing the hero’s horse if he called for it. Anything to stall Lance if Fenric couldn’t get to him right away.

Inside, the brothel was thick with the scent of cigar smoke, cheap booze, and so much fucking incense. The Secret Moon was a higher-end brothel but wasn’t so exclusive that they chased away potential customers if they weren’t dripping coins. There was a small stage in the center of the main room where a couple of women in gauzy outfits played instruments while another performed a seductive dance.

Around them was an assortment of tables, benches, and even a few couches, currently filled up by both men and women. They laughed, talked, drank, and even put on a few lurid acts in view of everyone.

As Fenric stepped up to the main room off the narrow foyer, he immediately wrapped his arm around a scantily dressed man, pulling him close on his left. He then snagged a giggling red-haired woman to adorn his right. After stealing a kiss from each, he demanded to be taken to a private room and have a bottle of wine sent up.

His new friends were more than happy to take this big spender somewhere they could weasel even more money out of him.

Loud music and even louder laughter followed them up the narrow staircase to the second floor. It didn’t get any quieter. There was less music, but the air was now filled with the bang of wooden headboards, the squeak of bed joints, and a cavalcade of lusty groans as the occupants of the long line of rooms thoroughly enjoyed themselves. If he’d been after any other quarry, Fenric might have been tempted to hang on to the pretty brunet he’d picked up at the door and have some fun, but even the sexy sounds rebounding off all the walls couldn’t distract him. Until now, all of his focus had been on locating his mother’s lost treasures. He’d never imagined her killers would fall into his hands so easily. After all this time, he was finally going to get his revenge. Her soul would be able to rest and he might be able to close his eyes and not see her blood-soaked body.

Close. So fucking close to being free. To tasting sweet revenge.

Near the end of the hall, the redheaded woman bounced ahead of them and threw open a door with a flourish. He allowed his companions to enter first before he stuck his head inside, checking to make sure they were the only ones present.

The small room contained a queen-sized bed with bright red sheets. A love seat covered in a black fabric—likely to help hide all manner of stains—faced the bed. Positioned next to the sofa was a small table holding a couple of wooden cups. His new companions grabbed his hands and pulled him over to the love seat, where he sat heavily in the center. The brunet and redhead cuddled close on either side of him, their skilled hands slipping under his shirt and down his thighs, caressing him while pressing kisses to his throat.

“How can we bring you to ecstasy tonight, lover?” the man purred. “Shall we call up for some more entertainment? We have a new singer in the house tonight, and he knows all the bawdy tunes from across the kingdom.”

“Or shall we get right down to the fun? We can move to the bed. Do you want us one at a time or both at the same time?” The woman let out a squeal. “Or maybe you like to watch? We can let Damien fuck me before you fuck him. How about that?”

“We have many toys and lubricants available for your enjoyment,” Damien offered.

“How much for an hour with both of you?” Fenric demanded in a harsh tone. He appreciated their dedicated work ethic, but this wasn’t why he’d come here.

The two leaned forward to look at each other before the woman stated, “Five silver.”

That felt a little steep, but Fenric didn’t hesitate as he dug into the worn leather pouch at his hip, pulled out five silver coins, and slapped them on the scarred wooden tabletop. At the same time, he made a mental tally of who he owed what. When he’d met up with the others, Hapi had taken one look at him and demanded everyone chip in for Fenric’s mission. And they had, no questions asked. Fenric—emotional coward that he was—had taken the coins and run rather than embarrass himself with shaky, watery words of thanks. He’d pay them all back, both in coin and in his own blood if he had to.

“There,” he growled. “You’ve got the hour off, but you have to stay in this room.”

The redhead lifted one thick brow at him, her expression oozing skepticism. “No sex? No blow jobs? No⁠—”

“Nothing. I’m here to see one of your guests.”

The redhead snatched up the coins with a light giggle. “Sweet! I could use a break. My boobs have been pinched and grabbed so much tonight I’m getting bruises.”

“Really?” Damien pouted. He touched Fenric’s jaw, turning his head to meet his light brown eyes. “You’re hot enough, I’d totally give you a freebie.”

Fenric offered him a tight smile. “Thanks, but I’m looking for Lance Carrington. I saw him come in here several hours ago. His horse is still here.”

The woman snorted. When she spoke, her voice had lost all its super sweetness to shift into something more real. “Oh, he’s still here, but he’s had so much to drink, he’s gotta be pushing rope. Ain’t nobody getting off in that room.”