Taurus Read Online Free
men’s clothes.
She ignored him and twisted against his hard body to speak with the man at the desk. “Please, I must inform you of my purpose here, Governor.” She tried to evoke his sympathy.
Completely uninterested, he focused on the general and waited, like a dog standing beside its master. He said nothing.
“You have had your audience with the governor. I am afraid he is unimpressed with your escapades.” The general smirked, and signaled for the man to leave the room.
“You!” Kallie realized her mistake. “Why did you keep silent? Why not tell me who you…”
Taurus raised a hand. The soldier gagged her in mid-sentence. Her eyes grew wide at his insolence. To treat a woman with such blatant disrespect was unseemly, especially a noblewoman. But this was no ordinary man. He was the son of Paulus Paulinus; the most feared and hated man in all of Rome for over a generation.
“I owe you no explanation. You are my prisoner. Your brother, if indeed Caius Gregorian is your brother, will be informed of your capture, when I choose.” He sat on the edge of his desk and held Kallie tight. “I hold a long list of charges against you, Mistress. The price for offending me is high. Higher than a little girl from Rome can afford to pay.” His voice growled dangerously, and his eyes glittered with suppressed rage. His fingers snapped, and an armed escort appeared. “Take our prisoner to her accommodations and secure the area.”
They led her out of the governor’s office. Eight men carrying a variety of weapons deterred any attempt at escape. Kallie recovered quickly from the initial shock, chiding her blindness at not seeing the general was in fact the governor of Panua. Strong and powerful, she had miscalculated his position in the forest, busy rushing to Panua before her brother’s envoy arrived with a missive full of lies and deceit, and now it was too late. She had humiliated the man with a supreme insult. To be captured by a girl, dragged to his stronghold, and treated as nothing more than a common prisoner was unacceptable for a man in his position.
Taken through a maze of hallways, she considered what he meant by “afford to pay.” She assumed he meant death, after a suitable amount of torture and degradation no doubt ten times worse than what she had conjured for him. As her jailer opened the door to the so-called accommodation, she saw his planned revenge. Barred windows and a thick wooden door, with iron hinges and bolts, sealed her fate. She shook her head at the wet straw on the floor in place of a bed. A hard wooden board lay underneath, for good measure. He’s a madman!
A woman who had discreetly accompanied the escort shot Kallie an apologetic look as she handed her a cloak after the ropes were untied. As soon as the gag came off, Kallie fired a question.
“Has the emperor contacted the governor?”
The woman stared at Kallie in wide-eyed surprise.
“Has the governor sent my token to the camp to free his friend?” The woman shook her head and shrugged to indicate she knew nothing. Kallie nodded, looking around the room.
The woman squirmed in discomfort. “I apologize. Please do not think we are barbaric because of the governor’s bad manners and unsuitable accommodation.”
Kallie extended her hand in friendship. “Thank you for the kindness. What is your name?”
“I am Lady Virga Paulinus. I will try to improve your treatment if the governor will listen to my plea.”
The door closed, and Kallie was left alone. Virga Paulinus! She must be his wife. The governor must believe he held an important guest. Otherwise, he would not allow his wife to greet her. “Would he?” she muttered. “Would the monster allow his wife to consort with a kidnapping, money-stealing, disguise-wearing criminal?” Kallie shook her head in dismay and lay on the straw. She had slept in worse conditions and, wrapped up tightly in the cloak, tucked her head down and closed her eyes. Today did not go
She ignored him and twisted against his hard body to speak with the man at the desk. “Please, I must inform you of my purpose here, Governor.” She tried to evoke his sympathy.
Completely uninterested, he focused on the general and waited, like a dog standing beside its master. He said nothing.
“You have had your audience with the governor. I am afraid he is unimpressed with your escapades.” The general smirked, and signaled for the man to leave the room.
“You!” Kallie realized her mistake. “Why did you keep silent? Why not tell me who you…”
Taurus raised a hand. The soldier gagged her in mid-sentence. Her eyes grew wide at his insolence. To treat a woman with such blatant disrespect was unseemly, especially a noblewoman. But this was no ordinary man. He was the son of Paulus Paulinus; the most feared and hated man in all of Rome for over a generation.
“I owe you no explanation. You are my prisoner. Your brother, if indeed Caius Gregorian is your brother, will be informed of your capture, when I choose.” He sat on the edge of his desk and held Kallie tight. “I hold a long list of charges against you, Mistress. The price for offending me is high. Higher than a little girl from Rome can afford to pay.” His voice growled dangerously, and his eyes glittered with suppressed rage. His fingers snapped, and an armed escort appeared. “Take our prisoner to her accommodations and secure the area.”
They led her out of the governor’s office. Eight men carrying a variety of weapons deterred any attempt at escape. Kallie recovered quickly from the initial shock, chiding her blindness at not seeing the general was in fact the governor of Panua. Strong and powerful, she had miscalculated his position in the forest, busy rushing to Panua before her brother’s envoy arrived with a missive full of lies and deceit, and now it was too late. She had humiliated the man with a supreme insult. To be captured by a girl, dragged to his stronghold, and treated as nothing more than a common prisoner was unacceptable for a man in his position.
Taken through a maze of hallways, she considered what he meant by “afford to pay.” She assumed he meant death, after a suitable amount of torture and degradation no doubt ten times worse than what she had conjured for him. As her jailer opened the door to the so-called accommodation, she saw his planned revenge. Barred windows and a thick wooden door, with iron hinges and bolts, sealed her fate. She shook her head at the wet straw on the floor in place of a bed. A hard wooden board lay underneath, for good measure. He’s a madman!
A woman who had discreetly accompanied the escort shot Kallie an apologetic look as she handed her a cloak after the ropes were untied. As soon as the gag came off, Kallie fired a question.
“Has the emperor contacted the governor?”
The woman stared at Kallie in wide-eyed surprise.
“Has the governor sent my token to the camp to free his friend?” The woman shook her head and shrugged to indicate she knew nothing. Kallie nodded, looking around the room.
The woman squirmed in discomfort. “I apologize. Please do not think we are barbaric because of the governor’s bad manners and unsuitable accommodation.”
Kallie extended her hand in friendship. “Thank you for the kindness. What is your name?”
“I am Lady Virga Paulinus. I will try to improve your treatment if the governor will listen to my plea.”
The door closed, and Kallie was left alone. Virga Paulinus! She must be his wife. The governor must believe he held an important guest. Otherwise, he would not allow his wife to greet her. “Would he?” she muttered. “Would the monster allow his wife to consort with a kidnapping, money-stealing, disguise-wearing criminal?” Kallie shook her head in dismay and lay on the straw. She had slept in worse conditions and, wrapped up tightly in the cloak, tucked her head down and closed her eyes. Today did not go
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