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CHAPTER THREE

Ellery

My heart raced so fast it thundered in my ears as the Sheriff of Nottingshire stalked toward our front door. Oh shit. Oh no. Oh shit.

I had known this was coming. There was no way the king would let the robbery of his money caravan go without punishment. They would tear this realm apart to find those who’d dared to rob that selfish, moronic baboon.

They were here because the king had been robbed… by me, Scarlet, Tucker’s followers, and Ryker. I’d expected them to come and had been waiting for it all day, but I’d obsessed over the fact that I’d, yet again, slept with Ryker only to have him walk away from me.

I’d vowed it would never happen again. That I wouldn’t give in to my body’s desire for him anymore, and I’d done the exact opposite.

My weakness with him was why I’d been a mopey, miserable mess all morning. My renewed heartbreak had consumed my thoughts, and because of that, I’d fucked up… big time.

As I stood there, watching them approach, I recalled I’d left proof of the robbery in a trash can in my bedroom. Kicking myself in the ass, I tried not to give in to the panic clawing up my throat and threatening to choke me with its boney hand of doom.

“Shit,” I breathed.

“Ellery…?”

My mother’s gaze swung to me. Whatever she saw on my face caused the color to drain from hers.

“What is it?” she breathed.

“Stall them,” I said.

“How?”

I didn’t answer before turning and sprinting up the stairs to the second floor of our manor. My volatile rush turned me into an uncoordinated mess as I bounced off the walls before stumbling into my bedroom door.

My hands shook as I fumbled to turn the knob. Get. It. Together. If you don’t, you’re going to die, and so is your mother.

While those last four words petrified me, they also caused a sharp shift. This wasn’t just about me. It was also about my mother and everyone I loved.

Taking a deep breath, I steadied my hand before grasping the knob again and successfully turning it. I thrust my door open and was a lot more graceful as I sprinted to the trash can.

I yanked the filthy, ruined pants from the can of mostly papers and dead plant leaves. Holding the pants against my chest, I glanced helplessly around as I sought a better place to hide them, but there was nowhere.

I eyed the window as I debated jumping out it and running through the cornfields to bury them somewhere. But what if they find them on our property?

The possibility sent a shiver down my spine as a loud knock hammered on the door downstairs. Think Ellery! THINK!

Jump out the window and run. They don’t have to know why you’re not here. Mother will think of something to tell them.

I stepped toward the window, but my foot froze before it hit the ground as, through the panes of glass, I spotted a dozen men spread out across our farmland and into the fields. Some headed toward Scarlet’s house while the rest searched the fields.

I’d never be able to climb out the window without one of them seeing me. A ringing sounded in my ears as my fear turned to Scarlet, but she wasn’t an idiot like me.

I was sure she’d already gotten rid of any evidence she might have of the robbery, and if she hadn’t, there was nothing I could do to help her. We were both alone in this, but we’d get through it… if I could get rid of these pants.