Marina advanced toward her. “That is love, Catherine. In this world, there are those without power and those with it. And I will be damned if I let you take it from me again.”
Marina drew out a pocket pistol and pointed it straight at Catherine’s chest. “I am going to enjoy killing you. And then I will kill your husband. And when I am the Duchess, I shall dance on your graves and do a merry little jig.”
Catherine glared at Marina as the clock began to chime.“If you kill me, you will never find Oliver.”
“The boy will come out sooner or later. And when he does, he will be mine.” Marina waggled the gun, and Catherine felt allmoisture disappear from her mouth as beads of sweat trickled down her back and neck.
“By now, he will be miles away from here.” Catherine gritted her teeth, knowing that Oliver would only just be creeping out of his hiding spot.
She drew in a deep breath as she stared into the barrel of the gun Marina was pointing at her.
They are not going to get here in time.
“Brave words, a pity they will be your last.” Marina’s finger clenched around the trigger.
Time slowed, and as Catherine closed her eyes, preparing to die, her last thought was of Alaric.
I wish I had told him how I felt.
There was an enormous bang as the doors flung open, knocking Catherine aside. A savage roar filled the room.
The smell of blood and gunpowder filled the air, mingling with something else. Something familiar.
Amber and c edar—and the firm weight of him pressed between her and the gun.
“Get away from my wife.”
CHAPTER 28
As soon as Alaric had walked into the house, he knew something was wrong. He had barely listened to the guards as they stammered their explanations, brushing them aside as soon as he heard the shouting from the drawing room.
“Brave words, a pity they will be your last.” The words stole the air from his lungs, driving all reason from his mind.
He threw himself at the door, roaring like a wild animal as he did. There was the sound of wood splintering and a gunshot, just as Alaric collided with Marina, knocking her off balance.
Fury filled him as he towered over her. “Get away from my wife.”
He knocked the gun from her hands. He could smell blood, mingling with the scent of gunpowder and lavender. “If you have hurt her, even the devil will weep when he hears what I have done to you.”
Blood roared in his ears. The world around him faded from existence as every instinct in his body told him to rip the woman in front of him limb from limb.
“You are too late,Your Grace.” Marina spat blood on the floor, and Alaric hoisted her up. “You wanted to play the hero, but so did she. It was the last thing she ever did.”
“Liar.” Alaric breathed. “She is not dead.”
Please, let her not be dead.
Alaric could not bring himself to turn from the woman. He thought he heard Catherine murmur something, but he could not be sure.
The guards rushed into the room. “Restrain this woman. Now!” Alaric barked.
He glowered at the men as they tied up the woman. “And once you have done that, get out of my sight and consider your employment terminated. I have no use for cowards.”
“Alaric... They were only doing what I asked.” Catherine’s voice was like the first drop of rain after a long drought. “It was my fault, not theirs. If anyone is to blame, it is me.”
She is alive.
“They should know better. They should never have allowed you to risk your health and your safety like that. I told them that your safety was paramount, and the fools let you come here alone?”
