“Where are you going?”she asked, her breath catching.She wanted him to stay with her.
“I’ll be right back.”
She resisted the urge to hold onto his retreating fingers and not let them go.She’d been strong without him, but now that he was here…she didn’t wish to part from him again.If she was honest, she wished to curl up in Wyatt’s arms.Feel his lips against hers and know that she and her mother were safe.
And she wanted this saga with Eugene to be over.
None of this had been part of her plan.
This was supposed to be a business arrangement.She shouldn’t need him like this.
But she’d been trying to be strong for so long and…her hand caught his, her eyes surely pleading.
He stopped, stepped closer as he cupped her jaw in the warmth of his palm.“We’re leaving.I just need to make certain that Eugene does not attempt to follow.”
She leaned into his hand, her eyes closing.“I was so frightened.I?—”
“Shhh,” he whispered.“Ralph will stay right here.Where is he?”
“Eugene?Likely in his study.”
He gave a quick nod.“The butler will show me the way.”
The servant croaked out a protest.
“Be careful.”
He quirked a brow.“It’s Eugene who should take care.He’s about to know what it feels like to be bullied.”
Her eyes widened as her lips parted.Now that was something she’d like to see.
* * *
The butler did not lookpleased with his assignment, Wyatt reflected as he followed the man down the hall.
If he was to guess, Eugene had hired his own servants when he’d taken possession of the house.
Which meant that while the butler was likely loyal to Eugene, he also lacked a spine.Evidenced by the fact that Wyatt had only needed to brush his fingers along the hilt of his pistol before the man began to scurry down the hall, half running toward the earl’s study.
Wyatt followed with long strides, easily keeping up with the man.
He’d watched Priscilla’s face and he knew without a shadow of a doubt that she’d needed him to be her hero in this moment.
For both their sakes, he had every intention of being exactly that.
The man stopped, pointing at a closed door before he continued to hasten away, down the set of servant’s stairs at the back of the house.Wyatt drew in a deep breath before he stepped up to the door.
Pushing it open, he noted that Eugene sat behind the massive desk, a glass of sherry already clutched between his beefy fingers.
At the interruption, Eugene looked up, his eyes growing wide before they narrowed again.“You!”
“Me.”Wyatt growled back stepping into the room and closing the distance between them in short strides.
Eugene stared for a moment before he began to fumble with the desk drawer.
Did he think to draw out a weapon?
Wyatt was on him before he even had it opened two inches, yanking him up from his chair and pulling him bodily across the desk, allowing him to land in a heap on the other side.
