It wasn’t until she was mere steps from the entrance of the Clifford School that she realized she’dmade a mistake.
A dreadful, dreadful mistake.
She saw his shadow first, ghostly and terrifying and growing more enormous against the white brick wall with every step he took toward her.
Sophia stared at him, dumb with shock.
No, it was impossible he could have known she was coming here, except somehow, hehadknown. She hadn’t lost him near Golden Square. He’d gotten by her without her noticing, and he’d been here all along, waiting for her.
For long, frozen moments, neither of them said a word. She backed away from him, knowing even as she did so it was hopeless. He was too close, too big, and he was standing between her and her only escape. Even so, she turned to run, but she hadn’t gone a step before that big, scarred hand closed around her elbow, stilling her. The sudden tug upset her balance, and she would have fallen if he hadn’t snaked an arm around her waist and hauled her back against a chest so unyielding, she might have been slammedagainst a wall.
“Youarewicked, aren’t you?” His voice, so low and soft she might have thought she’d imagined it if his lips hadn’t brushed her ear. “You told me as much. I should have listened to you.”
So close, so close…
The words were a howl in her throat, but she had no breath for a howl, and they left her lips as a whisper.
“Indeed. But not close enough.” His arm tightened around her waist—not so tight it squeezed the breath from her, but tight enough to be menacing. “I should have realized sooner you were one of Lady Clifford’s…creatures.”
Creatures? Dear God, that didn’t sound promising. Sophia said nothing, but a drop of sweat trickled from her temple into the corner of her eye.
“You told the truth about one thing though, didn’t you? You aren’t after Lord Everly. You’re afterPeter Sharpe.”
Sophia squeezed her eyes closed.
Heknew. Lady Clifford, Peter Sharpe, Jeremy Ives…
Whoever this man was, heknew. Somehow, he’d put all the pieces together—
“Now, why would Lady Clifford have such a keen interest in Mr. Sharpe she’d direct one of her disciples to follow him? I can’t help but wonder, you see, if it has something to do with Jeremy Ives—”
“Take your hands offthe lady.Now.”
Sophia’s eyes snapped open at the sound of the deep, familiar voice, and relief flooded through her, so intense she sagged against her captor. “Daniel.”
Her pursuer’s body had gone rigid, but when he spoke his voice was calm. “Brixton. I should have known you werelurking about.”
“Aye. You should have. Let go of thelady, my lord.”
The arm at her waist dropped, and the chest at her back disappeared with such suddenness Sophia stumbled.
“Come here, Miss Sophia.” Daniel Brixton held out a hand to her, but he never took his eyes off the man still looming behind her.
She took a hesitant step toward Daniel, but her legs were so wobbly she stumbled again, and he was obliged to catch her. “Daniel,thank God. I—”
“It’s all right, lass.” Daniel righted her with a nudge of his massive arm.
“I wouldn’t have hurther, Brixton.”
Daniel’s lips stretched in a grim smile. “Of coursenot, my lord.”
Sophia turned to find her gray-eyed pursuer standing a few paces behind her, his hands tucked casually into his coat pockets, no longer the stuff of nightmares, but just a man now, albeit a big one.
Not, however, as big as Daniel Brixton, Lady Clifford’s most trusted servant.
No one was asbig as Daniel.
“Go on inside now, Miss Sophia.” Daniel gave her a gentle push toward the entrance.
