He resisted the urge to crack his knuckles.“I came to speak with Isabella.”
“Ah.” Ridge glared at the other man, who wore a decidedly smug expression on his face. “Making sure that I’m doing my job properly, is that it?”
“No.”
It took Loganbuta moment to deduce what that meant. “Ah, I see. In that case, did yougain the fair lady’s heart?”
“I wouldn’t know,” he snapped in return. “Her mother broke up our happy reunion.” He turnedhis back, prepared to leave the other agent gaping after him, but he should have known it wouldn’t be so easy to shake Logan off. He could be as tenacious as a dog with a bone when hesankhis teeth into something.
“Why did you let her do that?”
Ridge spun around and grasped the other man by his jacket lapels. He’d never laid a hand on any of his fellow agents before, buthe was at the end of his patience. “Like I had any other choice in the matter,” hesnarled. “Do you imagine Icouldfight someone like a marquess when it comes to his daughter? I don’t have that sort of power at my disposal.”
Logan’s cold blue eyes were hard chips of iceas they faced off with one another. “Then I guess you’re not the man I thought you were, Claymoore.”
Ridge abruptly released him. “I’m not going to make things worse for Isabella and become a wedge between her and her family. I think she’s been through enough already, don’t you?”
Logan snorted. “Spoken like a true arsehole.” This time, he was the one who stepped forward. “If you can’t see by now thattheonlything Isabella truly wants isyou, then perhaps you don’t deserve herafter all.”
As Montgomery stalked off, Ridge shoved a hand through his hair. He glared at the front door of the manor and contemplated his options.He couldeithermarch up those steps and confront Lord and Lady Ashfield, demandingthat they grant himan audience—orhe could do thingshisway.
As he mounted the horse, hedidn’t look back, buturgedthe animal forward.
There was no time to wasteif he wished to recruit further reinforcements.
