Hannah wouldn't have been more shocked to see elves break through the windows and start singing Ave Maria as she was to see Calvin walking out the door. Her gaze slid back to Jack as he stalked across the room and slammed the door closed behind him. Thoughts tumbled through her mind so fast that she couldn't grasp hold of just one as he slid the bolt into place. She may have just signed all of their death certificates and yet she couldn't tear her gaze away from the smooth skin playing over his well-muscled back. Her fingers twitched as she was gripped with the overwhelming urge to run them over that skin, she had to know what it would feel like as it flexed and flowed beneath her hands.
Thankfully Lucas was faster to recover and nowhere near as idiotic as she was. "What the hell just happened?" he demanded.
Hannah couldn't tear her eyes away from Jack as he turned away from the door. His gaze fell briefly on her before sliding to her uncle. His brow furrowed as he frowned disapprovingly. "Get up," he ordered briskly. Hannah couldn't quite figure out what her uncle was doing as he remained where he was. Jack stepped away from the door and hurried toward him. Taking hold of his arm, he helped Uncle Abe rise to his feet when he seemed unable to do so on his own. "I'm not worth this."
Hannah exchanged another look with Lucas but her cousin appeared just as mystified as she felt. "But you are," Uncle Abe insisted.
Jack didn't look at all pleased with Uncle Abe's answer as he released his arm and quickly stepped away. His face was inscrutable as he turned and walked toward her. Her head tilted back, her mouth parted when he stopped before her and took hold of her arm. Tingles slid up and down her skin, heat pooled all the way to the tips of her toes as his fingers prodded at her tender flesh. She couldn't stop her fingers from clenching as she stared up at his striking face.
"Are you ok?" he demanded.
"I'm fine," she managed to get out.
She started and almost let out a small squeak as his fingers slid down the bare skin of her arm before he released her. Her hand fluttered up to rub over the area that he had just touched. There had been a lot of men in and out of here over the years but none of them had affected her in this strange, bats flying around in her belly, kind of way.
"Who are you?" Lucas asked as Jack grabbed a toppled chair and set it right.
"Lucas!" Uncle Abe hissed.
Jack didn't even bother to look at her cousin as he turned to William. "It looks like we'll be staying here for more time than we had planned."
William nodded as he pulled out a chair and plopped onto it. Turner's low moan drew her attention back to the man. "Turner!" she blurted, ashamed to realize she'd forgotten about him. She hurried over and knelt at his side to examine him.
His battered eyes blinked opened and focused on her. "Don't tell Lola about this."
"I don't think you're going to be able to hide this one old man," Lucas said. "Come on, we'll get you into a room upstairs and get you cleaned up. My dad can let Lola know where you are and that you'll be home later."
Turner groaned even louder. "Just kill me before she does."
Hannah stifled a laugh as Lucas carefully lifted Turner onto his feet. "I'm going to take him up but I'd like to know exactly what just happened here when I come back down," Lucas said.
Hannah was curious about the exact same thing, but she wrapped Turner's other arm around her shoulders and helped Lucas carry him upstairs.
CHAPTER 5
Jack leaned back in his chair to watch Hannah as she left the room. Even though it was too large on her, he admired the way the material of the dress moved around her lithe figure. There was something about her, something he couldn't quite pinpoint. It was there, right in the back of his mind...
"I think you pissed that guy off," William interrupted his thoughts.
"Hmm," Jack reluctantly tore his attention away from Hannah.
William glanced toward where Hannah had disappeared. "But it seems you may have found someone else to focus on."
"I'm going to be pissing him off again before we leave here." Jack's fingers tapped on the water stained tabletop as he completely avoided William's comment.
"You're just so good at it."
Jack scowled at him. "That's the pot calling the kettle black."
William shrugged nonchalantly as he stretched his legs before him. "I never said I wasn't good at it either."
"Can I get you anything Your Highness?"
Jack glanced up at the frail vampire hovering at his side. A knot formed in his chest as he shook his head. "Don't call me that and please don't bow to me again."
Abe rang his hands together nervously as he continued to linger at his side. "You are the Prince Jericho though, right?"
He didn't know how to answer that question. Being a prince was something he had been born into, but it was a role that had never suited him. He'd also been the last son born, the most useless son, and it was something his father had never let him forget as his fists and feet had repeatedly rained down upon him as a child. There had been too many beatings to remember, hatred and cruelty had continuously festered within the walls of the multiple places his father had called home over the years. He was nine hundred and thirty two years old but the memories of his childhood were still something he preferred not to recall.
"The king is my brother," he confirmed.
He hadn't realized that Hannah and Lucas had come back downstairs until he heard the squeak of their feet coming to an abrupt halt at the bottom of the staircase. Hannah's rosebud mouth parted as her hand flew to her lips. He was unfamiliar with the feeling that twisted through his gut at the look she gave him. People always reacted differently to him when they realized who he was; he didn't want her to though. He wanted her to see him as the simple man he was, and not the prince. He didn't want her to think twice before throwing a pot of water on him again.