weapon with him? Of course, when he'd left his town house this morning, he'd only intended to have a cup of coffee and read the papers. No weapon required.
Perhaps if he'd known his brother was in Town ...
There was the hiss of flame, and then three lanterns illuminated the road, revealing at least eight men, including Bleven, moving out from the forest. Jack caught sight of his brother, hands in the air, and then one of Bleven's thugs stepped in front of Jack, blocking his view. The thug grabbed his arms and dragged him away from Lady Madeleine.
Another thug went for her, but Jack growled, "Don't touch her."
He was backhanded for his efforts, but he saw Lady Madeleine rush over to her friend. The two women stood huddled together.
"Your traveling companions have improved," Bleven said, stepping in front of Jack and Nick, who had been brought before the duke. "But your manners haven't. Show some respect, boys."
He snapped his fingers, and Bleven's men pushed Jack and Nick onto their knees. Jack didn't resist. He wanted Bleven to think he was docile and accommodating.
Bleven looked down at him. "That's better. But not good enough."
In a flash of black, his booted foot struck Nick in the jaw. With an ominous pop, Nick fell over.
"Lord Nicholas!" he heard one of the girls call, but Jack saved his strength. When the blow came for him, he was ready.
Bleven was a wealthy and powerful man. He was shrewd and cunning and ruthless. But he wasn't particularly creative. The duke moved to strike him exactly as he had Nick. Anticipating the move, Jack brought his hand up, caught Bleven's foot and pushed.
Arms careening wildly, Bleven went down. As Jack expected, the duke's thugs—mindless bullies eager to please their master—rushed to help him. There was a moment of chaos during which Jack grabbed his brother, pulled him to his feet and yelled, "Run!"
Of one mind, Jack and Nick arrowed for the girls. Jack grabbed Maddie and pushed her into action. Nick did the same for Ashley. Behind him, he heard shouts of "After them, fools!" Jack spared a glance for Dover, who was huddled in a ball on the ground, then pushed Maddie in front of him and steered her toward the trees.
They'd barely cleared the road when the first shot exploded behind them. It was wild and hit a tree far to their left, but Jack pushed Maddie down to protect her from the next shot.
"Goddamn it!" Nick swore, crouching beside Ashley, who had jumped behind a tree. "How the hell did he find us?"
"I don't know," Jack panted. "But we've got to go back."
"Back?" Ashley screamed.
"Not you," Jack told her, but he was looking at Maddie. "You two keep running. Nick and I will go back and distract him while you two escape."
"But we can't leave you," Maddie protested. She was on her knees now, and Jack wished he could push her back on the ground, cover her with his body, and keep her safe for the rest of her life. Instead, he'd have to do the next best thing.
"Don't argue," he ordered as another shot, this one hitting closer, rang out. "Run and hide. We'll find you."
"But—"
He silenced her with a quick kiss—a press of his mouth on hers—then pushed her forward. "Go!"
With steely determination, he turned again to the road and Bleven.
As soon as Jack heard the girls' footfalls receding, he called, "Okay, Bleven, you have us! Stop shooting and we'll surrender."
"No more tricks," Bleven called back. "One wrong move and I kill you where you stand."
"Agreed!" Jack called. He looked at Nick, grim-faced and white. "First chance you get, escape and find them."
"I'm not leaving you with Bleven."
Jack grabbed Nick about the throat and pushed him hard against a tree. "Goddamn it, don't argue with me. This isn't going to be like what happened with—" He stopped, swallowed hard. "First chance you get, you go find the girls. Got it?"
Nick nodded, and Jack released him.
"Let's go." The two put their hands up and marched out.
One of Bleven's men was questioning Dover
Perhaps if he'd known his brother was in Town ...
There was the hiss of flame, and then three lanterns illuminated the road, revealing at least eight men, including Bleven, moving out from the forest. Jack caught sight of his brother, hands in the air, and then one of Bleven's thugs stepped in front of Jack, blocking his view. The thug grabbed his arms and dragged him away from Lady Madeleine.
Another thug went for her, but Jack growled, "Don't touch her."
He was backhanded for his efforts, but he saw Lady Madeleine rush over to her friend. The two women stood huddled together.
"Your traveling companions have improved," Bleven said, stepping in front of Jack and Nick, who had been brought before the duke. "But your manners haven't. Show some respect, boys."
He snapped his fingers, and Bleven's men pushed Jack and Nick onto their knees. Jack didn't resist. He wanted Bleven to think he was docile and accommodating.
Bleven looked down at him. "That's better. But not good enough."
In a flash of black, his booted foot struck Nick in the jaw. With an ominous pop, Nick fell over.
"Lord Nicholas!" he heard one of the girls call, but Jack saved his strength. When the blow came for him, he was ready.
Bleven was a wealthy and powerful man. He was shrewd and cunning and ruthless. But he wasn't particularly creative. The duke moved to strike him exactly as he had Nick. Anticipating the move, Jack brought his hand up, caught Bleven's foot and pushed.
Arms careening wildly, Bleven went down. As Jack expected, the duke's thugs—mindless bullies eager to please their master—rushed to help him. There was a moment of chaos during which Jack grabbed his brother, pulled him to his feet and yelled, "Run!"
Of one mind, Jack and Nick arrowed for the girls. Jack grabbed Maddie and pushed her into action. Nick did the same for Ashley. Behind him, he heard shouts of "After them, fools!" Jack spared a glance for Dover, who was huddled in a ball on the ground, then pushed Maddie in front of him and steered her toward the trees.
They'd barely cleared the road when the first shot exploded behind them. It was wild and hit a tree far to their left, but Jack pushed Maddie down to protect her from the next shot.
"Goddamn it!" Nick swore, crouching beside Ashley, who had jumped behind a tree. "How the hell did he find us?"
"I don't know," Jack panted. "But we've got to go back."
"Back?" Ashley screamed.
"Not you," Jack told her, but he was looking at Maddie. "You two keep running. Nick and I will go back and distract him while you two escape."
"But we can't leave you," Maddie protested. She was on her knees now, and Jack wished he could push her back on the ground, cover her with his body, and keep her safe for the rest of her life. Instead, he'd have to do the next best thing.
"Don't argue," he ordered as another shot, this one hitting closer, rang out. "Run and hide. We'll find you."
"But—"
He silenced her with a quick kiss—a press of his mouth on hers—then pushed her forward. "Go!"
With steely determination, he turned again to the road and Bleven.
As soon as Jack heard the girls' footfalls receding, he called, "Okay, Bleven, you have us! Stop shooting and we'll surrender."
"No more tricks," Bleven called back. "One wrong move and I kill you where you stand."
"Agreed!" Jack called. He looked at Nick, grim-faced and white. "First chance you get, escape and find them."
"I'm not leaving you with Bleven."
Jack grabbed Nick about the throat and pushed him hard against a tree. "Goddamn it, don't argue with me. This isn't going to be like what happened with—" He stopped, swallowed hard. "First chance you get, you go find the girls. Got it?"
Nick nodded, and Jack released him.
"Let's go." The two put their hands up and marched out.
One of Bleven's men was questioning Dover
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