Anthony was the first to see this mountain of male fury heading straight for his brother and, with a nudge to James’s ribs, asked, “Friend of yours?”
James followed his gaze and swore, “Bloody hell, enemy is more like it.”
“One of your brothers-in-law by any chance?” Anthony guessed as he wisely got out of the way.
James was given no opportunity to answer since Warren had reached him by that time and immediately took a swing at him. James blocked the first punch easily, but Warren ducked his return swing and came up with a solid blow to James’s middle.
With the breath momentarily knocked out of him, he heard Warren sneer, “I learn from my mistakes, Malory.”
One swift jab to daze him, and one hard right landed Warren on the floor at James’s feet for James to reply, “Not well enough, apparently.”
As Warren was shaking his head to clear it, Anthony asked James, “Is this the one that wanted to hang you?”
“One and the same.”
Anthony offered Warren a hand up, but held on when Warren was standing and tried to get his hand back. And there was pure menace in his voice as he asked Warren, “How does it feel, having the tables turned, Yank?”
Warren merely glared at Anthony. “What’s that supposed to mean?”
“Look around you. It’s not your family that surrounds you this time, but his. I’d bloody well keep my fists in my pockets were I you.”
“Go to hell,” Warren said as he snatched his hand back.
Anthony could well have taken exception to that, but instead he laughed and cast James a look that said clearly, Well, I tried. It’s your turn again. But James didn’t want another turn. He just wanted Warren Anderson out of there, out of England, out of his life. If the man weren’t so belligerent, obnoxious, and plainly hostile, he might try explaining things rationally to him. But Warren Anderson was not a rational man. Besides, James simply didn’t like the fellow, understandable since this was the chap who’d wanted to see his neck stretched by a rope.
Coldly, ominously, James warned him, “We can do this the hard way and I can beat you to a bloody pulp—and don’t doubt it, dear boy, I won’t need any help to do so—or you can just leave.”
“I’m not leaving without my sister,” Warren maintained staunchly.
“Now there you’re wrong, Yank. You gave her to me, and I’m keeping her, and I’m especially keeping her away from you and your bloody propensity toward violence.”
“You didn’t want her!”
“Like hell I didn’t!” James growled. “I wanted her enough to let you nearly hang me!”
“You don’t make sense, man,” Warren said, frowning now.
“’Course he does,” Anthony interjected at this point, laughing. “Perfect sense.”
James ignored his brother to assure his brother-in-law, “Even if I didn’t want her, Anderson, you still wouldn’t get her back now.”
“Why the hell not?”
“Because she’s having my baby, and I haven’t forgotten that you’re the man who thinks beating her will solve everything.”
“But didn’t Malory say he was going to—”
“Shutup, Percy!” came from three different directions.
Warren was too shaken up now to notice. “My God, Malory, I wouldn’t hurt her even if she weren’t…Hell, she’s my sister!”
“She’smywife, which gives me all rights in the matter, one of which is my right to deny you access to her. You want to see her, you’ll have to make your peace with me first.”
Warren’s response to that wasn’t surprising, considering James looked anything but peaceable at the moment. “Like hell I will, and your rights be damned. If you think we’ll leave her in the hands of a pirate, think again!”
They were impotent last words, but Warren knew he’d have no luck getting Georgina out of that house right then, since he had come alone, while Malory was surrounded by family and friends. It enraged him beyond measure that he’d have to leave without her, but for the moment he had no choice. He left furious, and the only reason the door didn’t slam behind him as he stormed out was that Dobson had snatched it open before he reached it.
Anthony rocked back on his heels and gave a hoot of laughter. “Don’t know whether to congratulate you about the baby, old man, or because you got rid of its uncle.”
