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He eyed the man on the left, his unspent pistol still aimed at him, and his voice dipped into controlled rage. “Collect your man and go. You’ll not win this.”
The man sneered. “I will when the rest of my riders are here.”
Shit.True or not, Rune wasn’t taking that chance.
Without a second glance, he pulled the trigger, sending a bullet into the man’s shoulder. Unnecessary, maybe. But the ass had just irked him.
The man didn’t fall from his horse, but jerked backward, halfway off his mount, his feet caught in the stirrups with his screams piercing the air. His pistol thudded to the ground.
Rune looked down at the footman. “Pick it up, man.”
The footman scurried in front of Rune’s horse and dug the pistol out of the muck of the road. He handed it up to Rune.
A quick check to see that it was loaded and he handed it back down to the footman, his voice a low rumble. “Keep it trained on the middle one. If they leave, good. If not, shoot the middle one as well. Then get your driver to the nearest town and a surgeon.”
His face paling, the footman nodded.
Obviously hired for his height and good looks, not courage or his actual ability to handle a threat. Typical.
“Lady Raplan.” He barked the words over his shoulder, not taking his eyes off the three men—two still wailing in pain—in front of him.
No answer.
He glanced backward.
Dammit.Where was the woman? He’d ordered her to open the door. To be ready. Where the hell was she? He needed to get her and the box out of here before anyone else showed up. Three he could handle, six or more and the situation might get bumpy.
Rune yanked his horse around and prodded it to the carriage door. A quick glance in through the open window and he didn’t see her.
Had she slipped out without him hearing it? Possible for all the caterwauling in front of the carriage and team of horses.
Swearing under his breath, he jumped from his horse and yanked open the carriage door. Curled into the tiniest ball on the floor was Lady Raplan, her hands covering her head.
“Lady Raplan.” His voice hissed into the coach interior.
She didn’t move.
For a second, his heart stilled. The gun that had discharged—it couldn’t have hit her, could it?
Not even a day out and he’d failed Des—not keeping his friend’s family safe.
Rune reached out and grabbed her shoulder, shaking her. Her body tensed against the motion.
Good. Not dead, then.
But she still wasn’t moving. He grabbed her right hand covering the crown of her hair and wedged it away from her head.
Enough to see her face. Her open eyes. Vacant, open eyes, seeing nothing.
What in the bloody hell?
“Lady Raplan, you have to come with me now.”
Nothing. Not even a blink.
The slightest tremble of the ground vibrated under his feet. Blast. Horses. More than one. He couldn’t chance him and Lady Raplan being here if more of the thugs arrived.
“Lady Raplan—we need to move.”
