Blood Red (63 page)

Vivi Anna

you no favors.”

Red shook her head in disbelief. And they called her stubborn. Red gestured to Rapunzel one more time. “I just have one more thing to say.”

Rapunzel bent down to her. “Quick, what is it? I do not want to keep my adoring fans waiting.” She grinned lopsidedly at the jeering crowd.

Red threw a punch. It landed square across Rapunzel’s jaw. It was a good solid punch.

Rapunzel’s eyes rolled back and her knees buckled under her. She fell. Red caught her before she could roll off the table. She heaved her over one shoulder.

Rapunzel was heavy, but Red was strong, and her urge to retreat from this pub was even stronger.

The crowd parted for her. They knew when to admit defeat. And this little red-haired sprite had gotten the best of them.

Wolf was waiting for them at the door. He opened it for Red. “Oh, good, she went easy.”

“Where were you?”

Wolf raised his hands. He held a loaf of bread in one and a whole roasted chicken in the other.

“Stealing us supper.”

They stepped out into the cool night. They went around back to the Inn’s back stairs. The stairs led to the rooms. They climbed to the second story. Wolf unlocked one of the doors. It swung open.

Red went in and tossed Rapunzel onto the bed. She did not wake.

Wolf closed and locked the door.

“What do we do now?”

“We wait. The Bears will come to us.”

124

Blood Red

“Can they be trusted?”

“Of course not.” Wolf sat in the chair and ripped off a piece of sourdough bread. “They are a family of criminals. But they will be useful allies if we can convince them to fight for something other than their own profit.”

Red tore off a chicken leg and paced the room. She gobbled up the meat in two bites, leaving nothing but the thin bone. She tossed it on the table and ripped off a piece of bread. “Too bad we didn’t have any—.”

Wolf reached under his arm and came away with a bottle of red wine. He set it on the table.

Red snatched it up. She looked lovingly at it. “’Tis not whiskey, but it will do.” She uncorked it and took a long pull.

Wolf watched her with awe and amusement.

Red noticed his look. It made her stomach flip. “Do not look at me that way.”

“How should I look at you?”

“With caution.”

Wolf laughed. “If you had not killed me by now, I do not believe you will.”

“I may not have exacted my revenge upon you, but that does not mean I believe all of your lies. I may still rid myself of you.”

Wolf bit into the chicken. He gestured with his drumstick. “There’s the door. Use it if you wish. I am not your keeper.”

She eyed him suspiciously. She took another long pull on the wine. She set the bottle down hard on the table. “I may just do that.”

Red went to the bed and lay down on her back. The 125