"Jack, we're outnumbered in this town. I assume he has more men than just those two."
"He does," Hannah confirmed.
"He won't come after us, not yet anyway," Jack said with confidence. She didn't know where the dogs had gone but nothing attempted to stop them as they walked to the front gates. Jack pulled one of the gates open. He pressed his hand into the small of her back as he ushered her through quickly. "From what I could tell there were only four men in that house, where are the others?"
"Other than Kane they're all like us and live within the town," she told him. "There are rumors that there are more in surrounding towns."
"It will take him some time to gather them if there are," Jack said.
"Not much," she gushed out.
Jack's hand pressed more firmly against her back as he looked down at her. "He won't come after us right away; he'll come up with a better plan than simply attacking us. We may be outnumbered by him but he knows that William and I cannot simply disappear without bringing Braith's attention to this town. He'll try and find something on us, something that will give him a reason to execute us first."
"And if he doesn't?" Hannah prompted.
"He'll come for us," Jack said it as casually as if he'd just stated the sky was blue. Inside, her stomach felt like a seething mass of worms squirming around her belly. The thought of anything bad happening to him made her skin crawl and her hand tightened around his. "Are there any vampires in this town that would be more on your side and able to travel with William?"
"I'm not going anywhere," William proclaimed instantly.
"You know the last time, and in what town, we ran into some of Braith's troops. I need you to locate them and bring some of them here."
"We can send someone else..."
"They're not going to listen to a stranger; they'll listen to you though."
William's jaw clenched as he glowered at Jack. "Ass," he muttered.
Hannah glanced between the two of them, she knew they were friends but it was still shocking to hear someone call a prince an ass, and a human no less. Jack only grinned at him as he clasped hold of his shoulder. "So I've been told." William still didn't look at all happy but he didn't protest any further. "So do you know of anyone?" he asked again.
"Marvin, he doesn't have fangs but he's strong and fast and he hates Calvin," Lucas finally answered. "I'm sure I could get him to go."
"You can take the horses to find the troops," Jack said.
Hannah chanced a glance up at the man at her side. Her brow furrowed as she tried to figure him out. Why was he trying to help them? Why was he putting his own life at risk when he didn't even know them? She'd never met anyone like him and as he stopped to speak with Lucas and William she found herself entranced and baffled by him in equal measure.
"Go and see if this Marvin can go tonight," he said to Lucas.
"You expect us to leave tonight?" William demanded.
"The sooner the better."
William folded his arms over his chest and shook his head. "Leaving you here alone is not a good idea."
"If you get moving tonight you could be back by tomorrow night or the next day. Go Lucas."
Lucas nodded and scurried into the night. "Why are you doing this?" Hannah couldn't stop herself from asking. "You don't know any of us, there's no reason why you should be putting both of your lives at risk like this."
There was something wild and dangerous about this man, she realized as he looked at her again and a flash of red ran around the outer edges of his eyes. "My father and brother Caleb were like Calvin, no one deserves to live under men like that."
A shiver ran through her at the same time her heart went out to him. He'd spoken briefly about what he had gone through with his father, but she was beginning to realize that what he'd shared had only been the tip of the iceberg. She couldn't imagine all that he had gone through, whatever it was had been bad enough to drive him away from a life of opulence and luxury and into a life in a forest, and finally here.
Without thinking, she rested her other hand on his arm. It had been such a natural, instinctive reaction that felt incredibly right as her fingers closed around his flesh. He stared at her for a minute before wrapping his hand over hers and interlocking their fingers. "Besides, no one likes a bully."
She released a small laugh, but she was mostly focused upon the warmth blazing up her arm and creeping through her body from the feel of him rather than paying much attention to his words. He was so much tanner than she was, golden and powerful. His fingers were marked with scars acquired from his time spent fighting but most of them would eventually disappear.
She loved his hands. Ugh, she did a mental groan at that thought and shook her head. A broken heart was the last thing she needed right now and acting like a besotted teen was going to get her exactly that when it came to him. Coming back to her senses, she squeezed his hand and gently pulled hers away.
"I'm sure I'm needed inside," she said crisply. "Plus, I should let Uncle Abe and Ellen know about what just happened."
Jack nodded and followed her up the stairs with William close on his heels. Hannah opened the door and stepped into the crowded tavern. Laughter and the clink of glasses settling on the table greeted her but she didn't think the laughter would continue for much longer. Jack didn't believe Calvin would come after them tonight, but she wasn't so certain.
"Well I'll be," Jack said and nodded toward a table in the far back. The largest man Hannah had ever seen was at a table drinking a beer as he watched Ellen play her flute. "Look who's here William."