By Force by Sara Hubbard

table.
    “Should we help him?” I asked the men before chewing on my lip.
    “Help who?” Roland said, scanning the room.
    “That man over there.” I pointed to the passed-out man.
    “No, he’ll sleep it off. Too much ale. Good thing though, he wouldn’t have felt it, would he?” Otis laughed.
    I frowned at him but was then distracted by the lady returning with our food. Another man joined her, helping to carry the bowls and mugs. We ate quickly, all of us quiet while we chewed. When the bread was depleted to mere crumbs on the center of the table, I offered to get more.
    At the counter, the server leaned over to greet me.
    “Could we get some more bread, please?”
    The woman was quick, handing me a hard loaf less than a minute later.
    I stared at her, wanting to talk, but not sure what I wanted to say.
    “You need something else?”
    I shook my head and started to turn around but stopped and turned my head to face her. “The mountains,” I whispered. “I heard stories that ice monsters plague them. Is there any truth to that?”
    “Why? You plan on going over them?”
    I leaned in and quieted my voice even further. “Any words of advice on how to stay alive on the mountain?”
    “Why are you whispering?” She quirked an eyebrow as if she was trying to understand me. “You don’t want the men you’re with to survive the mountains, do you?”
    I glanced over my shoulder. Nole eyed me, but he continued to speak with Roland so he was, at least partially, distracted. Good thing. I didn’t want to risk him hearing. Deep inside, I didn’t want them to die, but after what they’d done—kidnapping me and hurting those I cared for—I couldn’t allow myself to consider them anymore. It was me or them. Plain and simple.
    “Can you help me?”
    “Don’t carry a weapon or anything that looks like one. If they see you as a threat they’ll tear you to pieces. And don’t run away from them. Back away instead. ’Course this is all stuff I heard secondhand. Never stupid enough to travel the mountains, myself.”
    “Right. Thanks for your help.”
    “Us ladies need to stick together,” she said with a wink.
    I smiled at her and brought the bread back to the table. Nole and Roland stopped talking the second I sat down. From then on, the conversation around the table was forced. So when they all decided to go to their rooms, I couldn’t wait to get moving. Remmie volunteered to share with me. I almost protested. Out of all of them, he would be the one to wear me down, or make me stray from my plan. Something about him drew me to him like a bee to a flower. I wanted him in ways I shouldn’t. I didn’t know how to reconcile those feelings.
    He led me to the room and opened the door, walking in ahead of me. What a gentleman. I wasn’t used to men treating me like anything less than a lady. I sighed and followed him. Inside, I lifted my hands together expecting to be tied, particularly after Henry and my family had tried to rescue me. But he scoffed at my hands and headed for the bed.
    “I hope you don’t expect to share the bed with me?”
    “You’re welcome to use the floor.” He peeled out of his shirt.
    My eyes glued to the lines of muscle on his abdomen and the bulge of his chest. It surprised me to find the painted ink on his arms and neck ended where they reached the hems of his shirt but didn’t continue onto his chest. A strange tingling sensation built in my stomach and traveled lower. I gasped and turned away quickly as he undid the tie to his pants.
    He chuckled behind me and I heard the bed creak as he crawled on top of it.
    “You really expect me to use the floor?”
    “I don’t expect you to do anything.”
    “I’m an engaged woman.” That fact had almost escaped me, even as Henry had tried to rescue me. No matter how much I didn’t want to marry him, I couldn’t climb into a bed with another. Even if it was just to sleep. And worse, the man was half—if not