Christ, she had the grace of a princess—and the brain of a barrister.
“The best way to protect you is to keep you away from harm,” he said.
“What tower do you plan to lock me into, Gabriel? What place do you know of that the Spectre cannot reach? How will you guard me every moment of every day?”
Her words struck a deep chord of truth. Released a resonating fear.
“If you truly want to protect me, then let me go with Pandora and Emma tomorrow to Lady Davenport’s. I promise we’ll be careful… and you can monitor the proceedings if you wish,” she said quickly.
Her logic battled his denial. Was she right? Was allowing her to participate in the investigation the best way to protect her?
His spy’s mind analyzed her plan, broke it down to various angles. If he kept watch during her visit to the Davenports—had all entrances to the townhouse monitored—it was unlikely that anything could happen to her or the other two ladies. It was a luncheon, after all. The presence of the other guests would add a layer of safety.
But he would require more. He looked into Thea’s earnest eyes and came to a decision. He would do everything in his power to keep her safe. Even if it meant trusting in her strength.
“You will have one hour,” he said. “If you’re not out by then, I will go in and drag you out myself.”
“Oh, Gabriel, thank—”
“I will be circling outside in the carriage. I’ll post men at the front and back of the house. If anything so much as feels amiss, I want you to leave immediately.”
“Of course—”
“Finally, you’re not going in unarmed,” he said.
She flung her arms around him. “You won’t regret this, I promise. I’ll carry anything you like. A pistol, knife, explosives—”
“You don’t need an arsenal.” His lips twitched at her crestfallen expression. “Beginners are more likely to hurt themselves with their weapons than their opponents.”
Her brow furrowed. “Then how do you plan to arm me?”
Although it went against his fundamental desire to keep her safe under lock and key, the best protection, he’d concluded, was to teach her how to defend herself. Unbuttoning his jacket, he placed it over the back of the couch.
“I’m going to show you how to fight, princess,” he said.
Chapter Twenty-Five
Exhilaration thrummed through Thea as Gabriel led her behind the couches to an empty space in the library. He’d agreed to her plan. He was learning to trust her instead of just pushing her away, and he’d shared more of his painful past. Even as her chest clenched at all the guilt he’d buried, the ordeal that he’d suffered, she also felt a surge of hope. Short of having his love, his trust was the next best thing. Who knew where it would lead?
We’re making progress.Happiness bubbled inside her as he positioned her at the center of the round Axminster carpet, a vibrant green field abloom with a floral motif.
Facing her, he said, “What would you do if you were attacked?”
“Scream for help,” she answered promptly.
“What if there was no one to hear you?”
“I’d struggle… and pummel him if necessary.”
In a flash, he moved. She gasped as she found herself caged, her back against his hard chest, his arm hooked around her neck. Instinctively, she tried to get loose, her hands grasping at the muscular limb that held her captive. It was like trying to lift a fallen column of the Acropolis. Trapped by his superior strength, she could do nothing. She wriggled as haplessly as a pinned butterfly.
“First lesson: don’t fight an attacker on his terms.” Gabriel’s words warmed the sensitive curve of her ear, and in spite of the situation, sensual awareness shivered over her. “He’s going to be stronger than you physically; trying to match him in brute strength will only waste your energy.”
It was true. Her strengthwasdraining from her. She stopped squirming.
“Good. Now can you move my arm?”
She realized that she was still futilely grabbing onto the sinewy limb around her neck. “No.”
