“No!” The exclamation was followed by Eliza flying through the air and hitting the peer. They both went down.
Christ.“No!” he roared. He ran to her and hauled her upright. “Eliza are you hurt?”
“N-no.”
Mungo watched as the Baron rolled and regained his feet. The pistol was still in his hand. Mungo quickly wrestled Eliza behind him, heart pounding. He would not allow her to be hurt anymore.
“I’m killing you both,” Ellington snarled. But before he could fire, another pistol cracked. The man staggered back as a bullet tore through his shoulder.
Alex lowered his gun. “You talk too much,” he said, eyes filled with rage.
Two more men appeared at the gunshot, running in through the open door. They charged at Mungo and Eliza. His brother moved quickest. Calder grabbed a pitchfork and swung it with all his strength, sending a man sprawling. Leo kicked the second in the stomach, stunning him long enough for Ram to disarm him.
Behind them, Ellington made a desperate dash toward the back exit. Leo shouted a warning, and Bram ran to block his escape. Mungo saw the pistol that Ellington still clutched and ran.
He dived at the man, hitting the baron hard and taking him to the ground, sending the pistol clattering away. Ellington screamed as he landed on his wounded shoulder.
“You have ruined everything!” he roared.
“No,” Mungo growled, pinning him. “This ends tonight. You will never harm someone I love again.”
Ellington sneered. “You think you’ve won and that saving these girls matters? You can’t stop men like me. Men with money. Men who should walk in society. Respectable?—”
Mungo punched him. Hard. The baron’s head snapped sideways, blood blooming from his lip.
“Alex is right. You talk too much,” Mungo said.
“Find somewhere to lock him. We’ll send the magistrate with irrefutable proof that he’s to be jailed,” Bram said,hauling a dazed Ellington upright. He then dragged the man away.
“Is it over?” Eliza’s voice sounded ragged, as if all the strength had suddenly left her body.
“Aye, it is, and I’m angry with you.”
Her eyes were a little dazed now that it was done, and all the fire had gone.
“You nearly got yourself shot,” Mungo said, the words rough because fear still thundered through his blood. “You could have died, Eliza. Do you understand that?”
Her eyes met his without flinching. “And if he had shot you, what then? Was I meant to stand and watch it happen?”
“Yes!” The roar tore from him before he could stop it. She stepped back, away from him, but he stepped closer, lowering his voice. “Yes, Eliza. I’d take a bullet before I let you risk yourself like that again. Do you have any idea what it did to me, seeing you fall with him? I thought—” His voice cracked, something he had never allowed in front of anyone before. “I thought he would shoot you!”
She touched his chest then, with a small, shaky smile on her lips. “I seem to make you roar quite a lot.”
Behind them, Bram called, “We need to move in case more men arrive.”
Mungo forced himself to release her and turned to the others. The unconscious girls were being lifted carefully into the cart, where blankets were tucked around them. Calder had his arm around Fenella, his brother’s face filled with relief.
“Two of the girls woke only briefly, but Polly is alert now,” Ram said quietly. “They’ll be weak for hours yet. Best get them back to London and the physician.”
Mungo nodded, then turned back to Eliza. She was exhausted.
“Let’s go home,” he said taking her arm. “I’d pick you up, but you’d probably hit me.”
“I would,” she said and then yawned.
Charles had somehow managed to get the horses closer, and Mungo led her to his.
“Easy,” he said as the huge chestnut stomped a hoof.
