Page 12 of The Legionary Seduction (Roman Heirs #2)

T o Max’s delight, Glabrio was even more irritable and short-tempered than usual for the rest of that day. Volusia’s insubordination—as Glabrio would no doubt see it—had really gotten under his skin. Though the legionaries were the ones who suffered the effects of Glabrio’s displeasure, it gave Max no end of satisfaction to see someone needle him, especially Volusia.

It did rain, as the locals had promised, and they were all grateful to be under shelter amid the downpour. While looking after the horses in the inn’s stables, Max and the four other soldiers discussed the incident between Glabrio and Volusia in hushed tones of wonder.

Max was careful not to reveal the depth of his relationship with Volusia. It was clear that they knew each other, as he was the only soldier she ever directly addressed, but Max passed it off as an effect of the two weeks he’d spent on guard duty in her house. If the other soldiers knew he was the childhood friend of a lady like Volusia, they’d start treating Max as if he were some sort of snobby patrician, and he’d never live it down.

The morning after the argument with Glabrio, Iris evidently was recovered enough to travel, as she and Volusia boarded the carriage without complaint. They passed another night at an inn. As they journeyed toward the huge mountain range that split Gaul from Italy, the terrain became rougher, and the towns sparser.

Because they were sticking to the coastal road rather than venturing inland, they didn’t have to cross the Alps proper, but the landscape still became rocky and densely forested. They would have to spend several nights in a row sleeping rough, as they wouldn’t encounter another town until they crossed into Italy.

After a long day of riding, Max gave Elephant her customary extended brush and rub down. He gazed at the distant peaks outlined against the twilight sky. What would it be like to explore such unforgiving terrain, to conquer one of those mighty peaks, to see the world spread beneath him? He thought of Elephant’s namesake, the animals that Hannibal had crossed the Alps with to attack Rome almost two hundred years ago, and imagined the huge beasts navigating such a harsh landscape.

Raised voices echoed from the camp, pulling him out of his fantasies. Elephant’s ears pricked, and she swished her tail. One of the voices was female. Max hastily finished brushing Elephant, and started back toward the camp. Volusia might be arguing with Glabrio again, and he didn’t want to miss that.

The female voice turned into a scream. Without thinking, Max broke into a run, closing the short distance to the camp. His hand reached for the short sword strapped to his belt. What was happening? Were they under attack? Why—

He skidded to a halt as he took in the scene at the camp. His mind struggled to make sense of it, as if everyone had suddenly started speaking a different language.

Juno’s cunt.

Ulpius had grabbed Volusia, restraining her arms behind her back. Sextus had Iris in a similar grip. Glabrio stood between them. He drew his sword and pointed it straight at Volusia’s throat.

Pullus and Calvus stood off to the side, shock and confusion clear on their faces. Even Ulpius and Sextus looked unsure as they restrained the two women. Only Glabrio seemed to know what was going on.

Max strode forward and planted himself in front of Volusia, shielding her from Glabrio’s menacing blade. “What the fuck is going on?” Max demanded.

Glabrio’s eyes flashed. “Stand down, legionary. And address your superior officer with more respect.”

Max folded his arms across his chest. “Not until I know why you are threatening two women.”

Behind Glabrio, Iris struggled against Sextus, trying to break free. “Hold her, legionary,” Glabrio snapped at Sextus.

Sextus hesitated, then twisted her arm behind her back, immobilizing her. She cried out in pain. Sextus bit his lip and glanced desperately at Glabrio, as if hoping for an order to release Iris.

Volusia let out a growl of rage behind Max. “Take your hands off her! Whatever problem you think you have with me, she’s no part of it.”

Glabrio smirked. “I suppose you should have listened to me and left her behind in Nemausus if you didn’t want her to be harmed.”

Max could hear Volusia gasping, struggling against her captor, but Ulpius held her firm. “You will pay for this indignity many times over,” she shouted. “When we reach Rome—”

“Quiet, woman!” Glabrio barked.

Ulpius spoke from behind Max. “Sir, there must be some mistake. Surely this can’t be right.”

Glabrio fixed the legionary with a scorching glare. “There is no mistake. My orders were clear. Legionary Maximus”—he fixed Max with a cold, steady gaze—“once more, I order you to stand aside.”

The meaning behind Glabrio’s words sank in. Glabrio had been ordered to make sure Volusia never arrived in Rome. He had been ordered to kill her.

And he would do it, if Max didn’t stop him.

Max put his hand on the leather-wrapped hilt of his sword.

Glabrio’s face purpled. “Do not dare to draw arms against your commanding officer, legionary. You have already earned yourself an appearance before the tribunal for insubordination. You know the penalty for mutiny. Is this woman really worth dying for?”

Max wrapped his fingers around the hilt. He turned around to look at Volusia, as if assessing the answer to Glabrio’s question. Volusia stared at him, her hair askew, her eyes wild.

Max raised his eyebrows twice in quick succession. Understanding lit her gaze. That was one of the signals they’d developed as children, meaning “escape at the first opportunity,” though it usually applied to escaping a boring dinner party.

Max turned back to Glabrio. “Yes,” he said.

In one quick motion, he drew his sword and smashed the pommel into the side of Glabrio’s head. The centurion fell backward and lay motionless on the ground.

Volusia broke free of Ulpius and ran for the trees surrounding the camp. “Run, Iris!” she shouted.

Iris elbowed Sextus hard, and he released her without much protest. Pullus and Calvus froze for a moment, then ran at Max with swords drawn. Max parried Calvus’s strike and kneed him in the stomach, forcing him to drop to the ground gasping for breath. Pullus advanced, but there was hesitation in his movements. Max paused, breathing hard. He wasn’t going to attack his comrades without cause, but he would defend himself.

Pullus cast a glance at Glabrio’s prone body. His jaw set, and he lunged at Max with a shout. Max evaded the blow and rammed the pommel of his sword into Pullus’s head. The soldier dropped like a stone.

Max rounded on Sextus and Ulpius, brandishing his sword. Both legionaries dropped their weapons and raised their hands in surrender. On the ground, Glabrio stirred.

Ulpius jerked his head to the left. “They went that way.”

“Thanks.” Max sheathed his sword and ran after Volusia and Iris.

He caught up with the two women easily. Volusia let out a small shriek when he came up behind them.

“It’s me,” Max gasped. “I knocked Glabrio out, but he’ll wake any moment, and he’s not going to let us get away easily. We have to run.” He cast a frantic gaze around the darkened forest, searching for something that could serve as a hiding place.

Volusia grasped his hand in cold, shaking fingers. “Max, you have to go back. Your life is the army, I can’t let you—”

“I attacked my commanding officer, Volusia. Whatever life I had in the army is done.” A pang went through him at the realization, but he couldn’t stop to reflect on what he had just sacrificed. “Now, we have to go.”

He grabbed Volusia and Iris by a hand each and tugged them further into the forest. Iris’s pace flagged, so Max threw her over his shoulder unceremoniously and kept running, Volusia’s hand clutched tight in his.