like the Frenchies.” Tamar strolled toward Tess. “Is she good?”
“Good enough.” Galen glanced at Tess and then stiffened as his gaze fell on her neck. “You son of a bitch, you’ve cut her.” He strode acrossthe tent and fell to his knees beside Tess and asked her, “Are you all right?”
Tamar frowned. “What’s wrong? It’s only a little nick.”
Galen didn’t look at him. “You’ve outstayed your welcome, Tamar.” He touched the tiny cut on her throat with a gentle finger. “Don’t be frightened.”
“I’m not frightened.” She glared at Tamar. “Why should I be afraid of a man who slithers like a snake in the dark to attack a sleeping woman.”
Tamar flushed, and his lips took on an ugly twist. “Shall I show you, whore?” He gazed at her defiant face for a moment before he said flatly, “She needs teaching. I believe you must give this one to me, Galen.”
“When have I ever given you anything belonging to me?”
Tamar looked at him in surprise. “She is only a woman. We have shared women before.”
“I’ve not had her long. She still entertains me.”
“I’ll make a bargain with you. Give me two nights with her and you’re free to travel across my territory with no interference.”
“It’s not your territory.”
“It is if I say it is.”
“Not if I say it isn’t. Words mean nothing.”
“But blood means all,” Tamar said softly. “And you know how I love the taste of blood.”
“Yes, I know.”
“But no more than you,” Tamar said. “You go berserk when the battle fever hits you.”
“Then you should be cautioned about rousing that fever,” Galen said wearily.
Tamar gazed at him, a multitude of emotions flicking across his face. “Are you challenging me, my friend?”
“I’m warning you, Tamar.”
Tamar’s glance went to his dagger lying on the carpet.
The muscles of Galen’s thigh pressed against hers and now Tess felt them tense, as if preparing to spring.
Then Tamar’s teeth bared in a grin. “Not tonight, Galen. I have a raid planned against the El Kabbar in two days’ time.” He bowed mockingly. “So keep your woman. I’ll find plenty to amuse me in the El Kabbar camp.” He glanced around the tent. “Now, give me a goblet of wine, and I’ll leave you.”
Galen looked pointedly at the cut on Tess’s throat, and his lips tightened. “No wine under my roof, Tamar.”
Tamar frowned, then shrugged. “Oh, very well. Then just give me my dagger.”
“You’ll find it sticking in the big palm by the pool after we leave tomorrow. I’ll not risk you slitting one of my sentry’s throats simply to ease your frustrations.”
“How well you know me.” Tamar chuckled.Then his smile faded. “But you don’t know yourself, my old friend. Come back to my encampment with me, and I promise you will learn.”
“Good-bye, Tamar.”
“Until next time.” Tamar tilted his head at Tess. “She is too skinny, but I like them small. It makes a man feel powerful as a bull to gore the little ones.” He bowed to her. “At our next meeting I’ll be delighted to teach your lady to have a more docile tongue.” He strode out of the tent.
Tess let out the breath she didn’t know she had been holding. “That was … interesting.”
“Interesting? I’ve noticed you have a passionate fondness for that word.” The surprise in Galen’s expression was wiped away by respect. “But yes, you might call Tamar interesting.”
“What else would you call him?”
“Murderer, rapist, bandit. There’s no more vicious sheikh in Sedikhan than Tamar.”
“He spoke as if he knew you well.”
“We grew up together in Zalandan. For a time his father’s tribe and the El Zalan were joined by a treaty. When Tamar came to power, the treaty was broken, and he returned to the north.” He stood up, walked over to the tent pole and blew out the lantern. “You can go back to sleep now. He won’t return.”
“Why did he come? I could make no sense of
“Good enough.” Galen glanced at Tess and then stiffened as his gaze fell on her neck. “You son of a bitch, you’ve cut her.” He strode acrossthe tent and fell to his knees beside Tess and asked her, “Are you all right?”
Tamar frowned. “What’s wrong? It’s only a little nick.”
Galen didn’t look at him. “You’ve outstayed your welcome, Tamar.” He touched the tiny cut on her throat with a gentle finger. “Don’t be frightened.”
“I’m not frightened.” She glared at Tamar. “Why should I be afraid of a man who slithers like a snake in the dark to attack a sleeping woman.”
Tamar flushed, and his lips took on an ugly twist. “Shall I show you, whore?” He gazed at her defiant face for a moment before he said flatly, “She needs teaching. I believe you must give this one to me, Galen.”
“When have I ever given you anything belonging to me?”
Tamar looked at him in surprise. “She is only a woman. We have shared women before.”
“I’ve not had her long. She still entertains me.”
“I’ll make a bargain with you. Give me two nights with her and you’re free to travel across my territory with no interference.”
“It’s not your territory.”
“It is if I say it is.”
“Not if I say it isn’t. Words mean nothing.”
“But blood means all,” Tamar said softly. “And you know how I love the taste of blood.”
“Yes, I know.”
“But no more than you,” Tamar said. “You go berserk when the battle fever hits you.”
“Then you should be cautioned about rousing that fever,” Galen said wearily.
Tamar gazed at him, a multitude of emotions flicking across his face. “Are you challenging me, my friend?”
“I’m warning you, Tamar.”
Tamar’s glance went to his dagger lying on the carpet.
The muscles of Galen’s thigh pressed against hers and now Tess felt them tense, as if preparing to spring.
Then Tamar’s teeth bared in a grin. “Not tonight, Galen. I have a raid planned against the El Kabbar in two days’ time.” He bowed mockingly. “So keep your woman. I’ll find plenty to amuse me in the El Kabbar camp.” He glanced around the tent. “Now, give me a goblet of wine, and I’ll leave you.”
Galen looked pointedly at the cut on Tess’s throat, and his lips tightened. “No wine under my roof, Tamar.”
Tamar frowned, then shrugged. “Oh, very well. Then just give me my dagger.”
“You’ll find it sticking in the big palm by the pool after we leave tomorrow. I’ll not risk you slitting one of my sentry’s throats simply to ease your frustrations.”
“How well you know me.” Tamar chuckled.Then his smile faded. “But you don’t know yourself, my old friend. Come back to my encampment with me, and I promise you will learn.”
“Good-bye, Tamar.”
“Until next time.” Tamar tilted his head at Tess. “She is too skinny, but I like them small. It makes a man feel powerful as a bull to gore the little ones.” He bowed to her. “At our next meeting I’ll be delighted to teach your lady to have a more docile tongue.” He strode out of the tent.
Tess let out the breath she didn’t know she had been holding. “That was … interesting.”
“Interesting? I’ve noticed you have a passionate fondness for that word.” The surprise in Galen’s expression was wiped away by respect. “But yes, you might call Tamar interesting.”
“What else would you call him?”
“Murderer, rapist, bandit. There’s no more vicious sheikh in Sedikhan than Tamar.”
“He spoke as if he knew you well.”
“We grew up together in Zalandan. For a time his father’s tribe and the El Zalan were joined by a treaty. When Tamar came to power, the treaty was broken, and he returned to the north.” He stood up, walked over to the tent pole and blew out the lantern. “You can go back to sleep now. He won’t return.”
“Why did he come? I could make no sense of
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