Page 22 of Lost and Stolen Gods
My gaze flicked up to find topaz eyes smoldering down at me, irritation beating off his body in waves as if my mere existence was a personal affront to him.
I should have just backed off, but one look at my party and their slumped shoulders, shuffling feet, and dark, smudged eyes was enough to fuel my indignation.
We were not cattle to be driven until we dropped. “Fine, then we need to stop and rest.”
“We arenotstopping,” Savior dude said, tone low and gravelly with authority. “Or have you forgotten your recent brush with death?”
“Which you saved me from, and I’m grateful, I am. But unless you can tell me, for certain, that being onthe move will prevent a second attack, I don’t see why we can’t take a short break.”
His jaw flexed.
“Araz?” Umbra arched a brow his way.
“No,” he said. “It will not prevent an attack, but if we keep moving, we lower the odds.”
Play nice, Leela. Do not lose your temper. Keep your tone reasonable. “If we don’t stop to rest, then we won’t be moving at all.”
“Then we keep moving until you cannot continue.” He lengthened his stride so that I’d have to jog to keep up.
My resolve went out the proverbial window. “No.”
Araz ignored me, which further incensed me.
“If you want to continue, then you can either do it without us, or you can carry us.”
He came to a halt, his back to me. The material of his black armor outfit clung to him so that the play of muscle along his shoulders as he tensed was clearly visible.
I held my breath.
Had I pushed too far?
He bowed his head in defeat.
Hah. A win.
I turned back to my human companions, a smile of triumph on my face, but their attention was on something over my head. The spot between my shoulder blades tingled, and I spun round in time to be swept off my feet and thrown over Araz’s shoulder.
My squeak of shock was muffled by rough material when my face hit his spine. What the ever-loving fuck? “Put me down!”
He responded by pinning my thighs to his chest. “I’m simply giving you what you want,” he drawled. “Everybody, pick a human to carry. We arenotstopping.”
Shit.
“I think allthe blood has rushed to my head,” Remi groaned from her spot over a guard’s shoulder. “My face must be as red as my hair. I don’t have the complexion for this."
"I think I'm gonna be sick," Priti said from somewhere farther down the line.
“I swear, if you touch my ass one more time…” Dharma warned her ride.
Someone chuckled low and sexy. “Apologies. Such temptation is difficult to resist. Consider it a compliment.”
“Where I come from, it’s called assault, you wanker,” Dharma retorted.
“Wanker? I don’t think I’ve heard that one before. Pray tell, what does it mean?”
“Shut up,” Dharma snapped.
Araz’s chest rumbled against me. Wait. Was he laughing?
