NATE
“My father said he’s thinking of offering you a job.” Steven broke the lengthening silence while I drank my coffee.
“He is. That’s what I need to do now—prep for the meeting this afternoon.”
“They won’t have you, you know.”
“I’m sorry?”
He’d sounded so sure.
“You’re a Mortimer.”
“I’m aware of that fact. As is your father, and also your uncle, whom I’m meeting later.”
Steven flushed dark red. Suddenly, I didn’t care about politeness. I hated this prick. I stood up to leave, and the room moved. Strange. I must need some fresh air.
“See you around,” I said, or tried to. It came out sounding as if I’d necked a bottle of vodka. What the hell? I was swaying, reaching out blindly to the back of the chair to steady myself. What was wrong with me?
“Come on, Nate. Finish your coffee.”
Steven was standing in front of me, yet I hadn’t seen him move. He tipped my head back, his fingers digging into the hinge of my jaw to force it open. When I tried to push him away, my arms wouldn’t work. I choked as he poured the last dregs of coffee down my throat, and he let me go.
“What’ve you done?” My thoughts were coming through a fog, yet I knew I had to get away from him. I staggered towards the doorway, but there were two of them, and both were moving. The world was whirling. I was lying down. Rug against my cheek. Couldn’t move.
Tried to speak. Garbled sounds, then the floor moved like the sea and everything faded away.
Chapter Twenty-nine
ALEX
I must have shocked Mr Taylor deeply, because a slight expression of surprise was visible for an instant when he opened the door and saw me. “I thought you were out for the day, sir,” he said.
“So did I, but I changed my mind. Is Nate still here?”
“Mr Mortimer went upstairs after breakfast and, as far as I’m aware, hasn’t left the house.”
“’Kay, thanks.”
Taking the stairs two at a time, I hesitated at the first floor. Drawing room or his bedroom? I decided on the drawing room. No point in climbing another two floors to find he’d been down here all along.
I opened the door and froze. Nate was sprawled on the floor, with Steven kneeling next to him.
“Nate! Oh, God—what’s wrong with him?” I plummeted to my knees on his other side. The knot of terror in my gut loosened a little when I found he was breathing. His eyes were closed, andwhen I shook him, trying to get him to wake up, he didn’t react. I reached for my phone, my gaze glued to his face. “Have you called an ambulance?”
The blow that knocked my phone flying blindsided me.
Steven rose slowly to his feet. “I should have known,” he spat out. “Tweedledee and Tweedle-fucking-dum.”
I still hadn’t grasped what was going on, though my dragon drove me to my feet to face the threat. And then my brain moved out of shock and into gear. “Have you done something to him?”
“Just run along, back to your little nest of provincial dragons.” His gaze flicked scornfully over me. “Keep your mouth shut, and you’ll get the two mill. Open it, and you’ll find the Fortescues can make your life hell on earth.”
“Are you actuallyinsane?”I asked him. “What the hell have you done to Nate? And no, I’m not going anywhere.” I was moving to retrieve my phone when he lunged at me and slammed me into the wall.
If he pinned me, this could have only one ending. I jabbed rigid fingers at his eyes, and he jerked away, off balance enough for my foot behind his ankle to send him staggering backwards.
If not for Nate, I’d be able to get out of here, but I wasn’t leaving him with Steven. I spared Nate the quickest of glances, but he hadn’t moved from where he was slumped on the floor. It looked as if he’d fallen, and no one had helped him. My dragon was fighting to get out and punish the one who’d done this to Nate.
