Lord Fine’s eyebrows flew up. “I beg your pardon?”
“Oh, sorry,LordFormer Flame.” Lord Fine’s nostrils flared with anger, but Rory ignored it as he took a step forward. “You got some nerve showing your face in my shop after putting your lips on Ace.”
Lord Fine’s expression darkened. “How dare you—”
“How dare you kiss him!” And yeah, Rory needed to run, and yeah, starting a fight with an ex-soldier Arthur’s size was a bad idea, but Rory had some things to say to this asshole. “He’s not yours to kiss. Not anymore.”
Lord Fine snorted. “You imagine he’s yours?”
“IimagineI’m his, long as he wants me.” Rory pointed up at him. “So keep your hands off him.”
Lord Fine stared down his nose at Rory for a moment, then shook his head disbelievingly. “This is ridiculous.”
“You bet letting someone like Ace go’s ridiculous.”
“No,youare ridiculous,” Lord Fine said impatiently, eying Rory like he was a nasty stain. “A delusional child. You’re not remotely suitable for him.”
Rory narrowed his eyes. “At least I know what he’s worth.”
“I’m sure you do,” Lord Fine said derisively, “right down to the last penny.”
Fresh anger spiked in Rory. “You think I care about his cash?”
“You must. You can’t like living here.” Lord Fine clapped his hands together. “Look, I know it might be difficult for someone like you to comprehend, but itispossible to be civilized about this. If it’s money you’re after, I’ll give you some, yes? Enough for a new start in a new city?”
Rory’s outrage hit a new high.“You want to pay me to leave Ace?”
“It’s quite generous of me to offer you anything for this sham.” Lord Fine pushed past Rory, into the office, leaving Rory to scramble after him. “Have you a telephone in here? I’ll have a telegram sent and be done with it.”
If Rory’d had his ring on, he would’ve blown this dick right out the shop window. And he’d be grateful he wasn’t wearing it. Eventually. “I’m not leaving Ace,” he said darkly. “Not for all the cash in your stupid bank account.”
Lord Fine scoffed, turning to face Rory in the small office. “Christ, you don’t actually havefeelingsfor him, do you?” He scoffed again, more meanly, straightening so he loomed over Rory by several inches. “And I thought you couldn’t possibly be more pathetic.”
Rory’s throat tightened, but he lifted his chin. “I never said I was good enough for him,” he said, through clenched teeth, “but Ace didn’t tellmeto fuck off the last time I kissed him.”
Lord Fine’s lips went very thin. “I came all the way to this dump of a city to bring him back. Now you’re trying to steal him from the life he can have with me.” He took a menacing step forward, crowding Rory’s space. “Who do you think you are, that you can come along and spellbind him?”
Rory held his ground, refusing to be backed against the wall. “I’m the fella who’s gonna try to make him happy. Can you buy him that?”
Lord Fine’s lip curled in a sneer. “You are so out of your depth with me.” He leaned down, so their faces were close. “And you’re a fraud; you’re no more Irish than I am. Are you a con man? Or just a liar as well as a mooch?” He lowered his voice to a threatening whisper. “What would happen, I wonder, if I told the police about you?”
Rory stomach rolled in fear, but he glared up at Lord Fine. “Listen,stronzo—”
Lord Fine suddenly straightened. “Did you hear that?”
Something in Lord Fine’s face had Rory snapping his mouth shut. They were silent for a moment, and then Rory heard it too.
A scraping sound against the window of the antiques shop.
Like claws on glass.
Rory’s heart leapt into his throat. “Get down,” he hissed, launching himself at Lord Fine’s stomach hard enough to send them both to the floor of the office.
Fury darkened Lord Fine’s face. “Excuse me—”
Rory slapped a hand over Lord Fine’s mouth. “Shut up,” he ordered under his breath. “They’re here.”
The drag of claws came again, and worse, then jingling of the shop’s bell as the chain it hung on rattled.
