Lacroux loom over her, his free hand going to his trousers, fumbling with the fastenings. “English slut,” he laughed as he spoke, the sound hideous, “you reject me but accept Roussel? I will teach you what a real man feels like when he rides you.”
Fighting nausea, Lara was held immobile by his relentless grip on her hair, expecting at any moment to feel her skirts pushed upward.
82
Emma Wildes
“No,” she cried in despair, determined if nothing else to live and save her child. “God help me.”
“Well, perhaps not God, but I certainly will…good morning, Lacroux. Have you lost your way? I believe this is my property, where you are not welcome, and that is my future wife, who obviously does not welcome you, either. Let her go and stand up. This time you will not slink away like a dog.”
Hazily, Lara registered Anton’s cool speech in stunned disbelief.
Her assailant was also surprised and his fingers tightened in her hair, making her wince and gasp. “Anton.” His name was a prayer on her lips.
“Roussel,” Lacroux snarled, rising and trying to drag her with him. “You left.”
“I am not stupid. There are guards posted all around this estate. I wish now, in retrospect, I had done the same for my Parisian stables, but animals can be replaced. You took long enough to crawl out of the woodwork, Jacques. I was beginning to get bored waiting for you.
Now, let Lara go and let us settle this. After all, this isn’t really about her, is it?”
“She’s a whore. All women are whores.” Lacroux sputtered, but his fingers loosened. Lara hung there, still captive, watching where Anton stood just a few feet away, her gaze fixed on his lean figure, hope replacing the fear in her heart. He looked implacable and every inch the arrogant aristocrat. His jacket was gone, the width of his shoulders impressive under his white shirt.
“Like the little maid?” Anton asked almost conversationally. “I refer to the one you raped, the one who bled as virgins will do, you bastard. I should have killed you then. Now, don’t make me say it again, let Lara go. Fight me man to man. That way you have a chance, though I doubt it actually. I could literally tear your heart out at this moment.”
Sneering, Lacroux shook her. “Why fight? I hold what you desire.”
Incomparable
83
“I am a man who believes in preparation and I knew you would come here. There are men right now aiming their rifles at you, make no mistake. At my signal, you will fall dead.”
“I do not believe you. You are not that clever, Comte.” The reply was scathing and Lara’s knees buckled her heart was pounded so hard.
Looking bored, Anton lifted one dark brow. “All right, if it must be this way. I wanted to make sure I gave you a fair chance, though why I should have such scruples is a mystery…Valentin!”
The roar of the shot and the whiz of the bullet by Lara’s cheek were both loud and the sudden slackness of the man next to her barely registered. Anton moved so quickly, he caught her before she crumpled to the ground, lifting her easily, murmuring in her ear, “I am so sorry, my love. Are you all right?”
“I’m perfectly fine,” she whispered, and then fainted for the first time in her life.
84
Emma Wildes
Epilogue
“You must relax, Monsieur de Comte, for you are wearing a hole in the expensive carpeting for nothing.”
Glancing over at Bernard, sitting so calmly in a chair and sipping his cognac with a knowing look in his eye, Anton swore, a low oath that rang into the room. “Do not tell me,” he said through his teeth, “that when your wife labored to give you…what is it now—”
“Six children,” Bernard supplied helpfully. “And another due in a few months.”
“All right then,” Anton restively reached for his own glass and took a huge drink, feeling the fiery liquor slide down his throat. He rasped, “So when your wife begins her pains, you do not panic, wanting the child but
Fighting nausea, Lara was held immobile by his relentless grip on her hair, expecting at any moment to feel her skirts pushed upward.
82
Emma Wildes
“No,” she cried in despair, determined if nothing else to live and save her child. “God help me.”
“Well, perhaps not God, but I certainly will…good morning, Lacroux. Have you lost your way? I believe this is my property, where you are not welcome, and that is my future wife, who obviously does not welcome you, either. Let her go and stand up. This time you will not slink away like a dog.”
Hazily, Lara registered Anton’s cool speech in stunned disbelief.
Her assailant was also surprised and his fingers tightened in her hair, making her wince and gasp. “Anton.” His name was a prayer on her lips.
“Roussel,” Lacroux snarled, rising and trying to drag her with him. “You left.”
“I am not stupid. There are guards posted all around this estate. I wish now, in retrospect, I had done the same for my Parisian stables, but animals can be replaced. You took long enough to crawl out of the woodwork, Jacques. I was beginning to get bored waiting for you.
Now, let Lara go and let us settle this. After all, this isn’t really about her, is it?”
“She’s a whore. All women are whores.” Lacroux sputtered, but his fingers loosened. Lara hung there, still captive, watching where Anton stood just a few feet away, her gaze fixed on his lean figure, hope replacing the fear in her heart. He looked implacable and every inch the arrogant aristocrat. His jacket was gone, the width of his shoulders impressive under his white shirt.
“Like the little maid?” Anton asked almost conversationally. “I refer to the one you raped, the one who bled as virgins will do, you bastard. I should have killed you then. Now, don’t make me say it again, let Lara go. Fight me man to man. That way you have a chance, though I doubt it actually. I could literally tear your heart out at this moment.”
Sneering, Lacroux shook her. “Why fight? I hold what you desire.”
Incomparable
83
“I am a man who believes in preparation and I knew you would come here. There are men right now aiming their rifles at you, make no mistake. At my signal, you will fall dead.”
“I do not believe you. You are not that clever, Comte.” The reply was scathing and Lara’s knees buckled her heart was pounded so hard.
Looking bored, Anton lifted one dark brow. “All right, if it must be this way. I wanted to make sure I gave you a fair chance, though why I should have such scruples is a mystery…Valentin!”
The roar of the shot and the whiz of the bullet by Lara’s cheek were both loud and the sudden slackness of the man next to her barely registered. Anton moved so quickly, he caught her before she crumpled to the ground, lifting her easily, murmuring in her ear, “I am so sorry, my love. Are you all right?”
“I’m perfectly fine,” she whispered, and then fainted for the first time in her life.
84
Emma Wildes
Epilogue
“You must relax, Monsieur de Comte, for you are wearing a hole in the expensive carpeting for nothing.”
Glancing over at Bernard, sitting so calmly in a chair and sipping his cognac with a knowing look in his eye, Anton swore, a low oath that rang into the room. “Do not tell me,” he said through his teeth, “that when your wife labored to give you…what is it now—”
“Six children,” Bernard supplied helpfully. “And another due in a few months.”
“All right then,” Anton restively reached for his own glass and took a huge drink, feeling the fiery liquor slide down his throat. He rasped, “So when your wife begins her pains, you do not panic, wanting the child but
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