Page 37 of Einar (The Brigands of Ruk #2)

Chapter Thirty-Seven

ROWAN

I can feel Heather and Bambi’s eyes on me as I watch Einar leave the room.

“ So , you and the biggest of the big guys, huh?”

Bambi’s words are cautious.

“ That’s what everyone is telling me, yes.”

Heather scrutinizes my face before she chimes in, somewhat sarcastically.

“ You’re not happy about that, are you Mrs . McAllen ?”

Ice fills my veins at her question, and I stumble away from her in alarm, bringing my arms up around myself in a protective manner. To say that my reaction to her question is extreme is an understatement and both women watch me back away from them before looking at each other. Heather takes a step toward me, her hands out in a placating manner.

“ Rowan , I’m sorry! I didn’t mean to offend you! It’s just that I recognized you from watching some of your husband’s political rallies on TV . I can’t imagine after being with a rich, well-to-do man like Senator Robert Dean McAllen , that you’d be happy with one of these orcs, because that’s damn sure what they look like.”

Fighting my revulsion at her words, I shrink into myself as memories bombard me. I know she didn’t mean her words as an attack. I’m sure she believes what she saw on TV , and that I’m a high-maintenance politician’s wife, and thus, too good to associate with someone like Einar . Heather’s recognition of me caught me completely off guard and I wasn’t prepared for it. The sound of the door opening is far away, but Ruby’s fury filled voice is not.

“ What the fuck did you do to my sister? She was calm and smiling when I saw her earlier, so which one of you bitches do I need to educate on manners?”

Shaking my head, I banish the memories behind a wall in my mind, locking them away so I can have a chance at happiness.

NO MORE ! I refuse to be a victim any longer.

“ Ruby , what are you doing here? I thought you and Slavic were spending some quality time together.”

“ Oh , don’t you worry, sis. We humped like bunnies and then I took me a good ole nap. Slavic is off doing captain stuff since the hyperdrive thingie said we were here; wherever here is. Slavic and the guys got us all crates full of clothes a couple days ago, and he suggested that we trade each other for the stuff we don’t want. Einar popped by to give us the skinny on Murgul and told me where you were.”

That’s when I notice a little floating sled out in the hall with the crate from my room and what must be her crate as well.

“ I figured we could do a ‘swap and shop’ here on the ship, but if these two are being bitches to you, we can just go back to one of our rooms and share between the two of us!”

Her indignant words end in a shout. Shit , she is really mad.

“ Ruby , it’s just a misunderstanding. Heather knows who I am … no, that isn’t right. Who I used to be, and who I was married to. All she did was ask me a question. It’s not her fault I freaked out.”

Relief fills Heather’s face as she glances back and for the between Ruby and I .

“ I really don’t know what I said that was so offensive, but I truly am sorry. The swap and shop idea sounds great. There are a few things I don’t want or need in there.”

Ruby relaxes and loses a lot of her overt hostility at Heather’s heartfelt apology and tentative olive branch regarding the clothes idea. Bambi hasn’t said much but her perceptive gaze, apparently, doesn’t miss much and her quietly spoken words catch me off guard.

“ He abused you, didn’t he? That’s why you freaked out about being called ‘ Mrs . McAllen .’”

Ruby scoffs. “ That is the freaking understatement of the century.”

Bambi and Heather are horrified, but before they can say anything else, I interject.

“ Yes , that bastard abused me for years. I’m extremely glad he’s deader than a damn doornail, and don’t ever want to talk about him ever again. He is the past and I’m going to look forward from now on. Has Einar been kind to you since you got here?”

Both of them have verbal whiplash from the abrupt topic change. Ruby comes over to me, pulling me into her arms for a hug. Keeping my eyes on them, I continue to push.

“ I need to know. Is the person he shows me all an act? If I have sex with him and seal this so-called bond, is he going to turn into a monster? Because I’ve been there and done that and did NOT want the damn t-shirt!”

Sympathy fills their faces while Ruby huffs in exasperation. Bambi answers me, her voice filled with understanding.

“ All of them have been kind to us, Rowan . Einar most of all. He tended our wounds before the translators were installed. We were terrified and even though we couldn’t understand what he was saying, he made it where we did understand his actions. Isn’t the old adage ‘actions speak louder than words?’ Because his certainly did. Einar didn’t have to be kind or patient. He’s so much bigger than us he could have forced us into compliance, but he didn’t. Yeah , the translator hurt like a bitch, but he made it as easy on us as possible.”

By the time she finishes, she’s almost in tears, and I can tell that whatever Einar did for them, Bambi deeply appreciates it. Heather interjects at this point.

“ Rowan , I don’t know what happened to you, but I can say with utmost certainty that Einar is not going to hurt you. Ever . He’s just not built that way. I don’t think any of them are. Not even that crazy one, Murgul . Yeah , he abducted Gwen , but he didn’t hurt when he picked her up and carried her out the door. He seems more than a little intense, but Einar said she’s safe.”

“ Speaking of Gwen , shouldn’t we wait for her to do the clothes exchange? I don’t want her to feel left out.”

Ruby smirks at me.

“ Oh , don’t you worry about that. My big bad is gonna go tell his snarly little brother to bring her right the hell back for girl time this afternoon, and to make it even better, the Jolly Green Giant is going to bring us all lunch so we don’t have to leave the room!”

“ Did you just call Einar the ‘ Jolly Green Giant ?’ Like the guy off the vegetable commercials?”

Heather sounds incredulous and Bambi is laughing so hard tears are rolling down her face at my sister’s antics. Shaking my head at her, I start giggling at the mental picture of Einar in that leafy outfit the cartoon guy wore, and before long all four of us are laughing so hard we can’t breathe.

That’s what Gwen and Murgul walk into.

“ What did I miss? ”

Murgul’s eyes go wide at the sight of us, and he beats a hasty retreat, but not before he leans down to nuzzle Gwen’s cheek with his own, his eyes closing in an expression that can only be described as bliss. Gwen hesitantly caresses his jaw in return before he turns and leaves the room.

“ Oh , missy ma’am, you are going to be telling us all about that!”

Her face turns as red as my hair at Ruby’s sassy quip.