Viking's Desire: Sexy-Romance Novel: A Viking Love Story by Catherine Sharp Page B

other men who seemed to be lying in wait for her, grabbed her and brought her back. 
    “Lillian, now that we’ve gotten the most important introductions out of the way, I’ll tell you my name is indeed Ulric, but I’m obviously not a priest, monk, man of the cloth or anything else even slightly akin to honest.  My friends here aren’t either.  Ivar here has been traveling with priests for awhile but instead of spreading the lord’s word, he’s been spreading each of the countries’ wealth straight into his pocket.  They all laughed.  It’s been dreadful playing the good priests all the way here with those virtuous idiots.  The other two shook their heads.  We clear about this now?”
    “N o, I don’t understand.”
    “What about my father ’s ring?”
    “ Yes indeed, here is his ring.  He took his hand out of the robe and her father’s signet ring was on the vile man’s hand.  She wanted to spit on him but decided that wouldn’t be a smart thing to do. 
    “Oh, you’re detestable. This makes no sense.  You come all this way to rescue me and now you’re kidnapping me?”
    “I’m warning you, shut up or I’ll hit you again!”
    They walk ed on and on through the tunnel in silence and the more they walked the more Lillian expected Eriik to show up like he did when she was lost in the forest, but it was not to be.  He probably didn’t even know she was missing.  That thought brought about serious dread.
    Right before they exited the tunnel into the woods, Ulric gave Lillian a severe warning.  “This is how it’s going to work.  We have a demanding trip ahead of us and you’re not going to make it any easier.  So, you better pull your own weight and not give us any trouble or you don’t even want to know what I will do to you.  The only reason you’re not dead right now is because of the lord.”
    “The lord?  My father?”
    “ No, Lord Montford.”
    Lillian froze.  She couldn’t speak or move.  She was frozen in time.  “Wait a minute.  Lord Montfort isn’t trying to save me, he’s kidnapping me?”
    “ You’re a bright girl.  For some reason Lord Montfort wants you alive and well.  He’s the one who financed this little missionary trip in the first place.  You think he gives a damn about bringing God to these heathens?  I’ll tell you I sure as hell don’t.  The god we pray to is money and our god has been very generous or we wouldn’t have come to this desolate land.  Now we can leave religion to the priests and get you back to Lord Montfort so we can collect the remainder of our gold.”
    “ And how do you propose we get back to England?”  Lillian looked defiant.
    “ We will return as we came, thru Denmark, the Frankish Empire, Kent, Essex, Marcia, and finally to England.  It’s a hard journey, but money makes everything possible, so shut up and behave yourself or you’ll be sorry.”
    “Oh really.”
    “Don’t tempt me to slap you again because it would be my pleasure so long as I don’t ruin that pretty face of yours.  That’s really all the lord cares about, and believe me when I tell you a bruise or two will heal by the time we arrive.”
    “Let me warn you, when Eriik finds out what you’ve done, whatever becomes of me, the three of you will be wishing you had never come close to these lands.  You would not believe what these men can do to other men, especially if you’re their enemy.  And trust me, you will become their enemy!”
    The looks on their faces became a little less arrogant.
    Surely Eriik would notice she was missing and come looking for her.  She would only have to wait a matter of minutes and he would ride up on Kriger and sweep her up in his arms outside the tunnel.  Why had she been so stupid?  She wanted nothing more right at this moment than to be in his strong arms.  How much time she had wasted trying to deny her feelings for him.
    Just as they exited the tunnel, Ulric tossed a piece of linen at her and demanded