“That,” he bit out, “wasn’t very nice.”
“Neither is accosting a female when it’s clear she finds you repulsive!” Joanna spat, her chest heaving with indignation…and a tiny, but rapidly growing, sliver of fear.
There were at least four other people milling about the statue garden, but it was clear none of them had any plans to come to her aid.
She should have stayed on the bench.
“You’re feisty, sweet.” A drunken grin stumbled across the duke’s mouth as he reached between them to rub himself suggestively. “I like that.”
“You’re disgusting,” she hissed, pinching her eyes shut and turning her head to the side when he tried to place a sloppy kiss on her lips. “Release me this instant!”
“Or what?” he sneered.
“Or I’ll break your fucking face.” Moving through the darkness like a shadow, Kincaid materialized behind the Duke of Telford and wrapped his forearm around the duke’s throat. “I believe Miss Thorncroft asked you to release her.”
“The hell I will,” the duke retorted. “Do you have any idea who I am? Sod off and find yourself another fine piece. This wench is—ahhh,” he gurgled when Kincaid applied pressure to the duke’s windpipe, effectively silencing him.
“You’re going to apologize to Miss Thorncroft,” the detective said calmly. “Then you are going to get the hell out of her sight, or I’m going to snap your neck like a bloody twig. Do you understand?”
The duke wheezed something unintelligible.
“What was that?” Kincaid asked, loosening his grip a fraction of an inch.
“I—I’m sorry,” he gasped. “T—truly.”
“Is that sufficient, Miss Thorncroft?” Although Kincaid’s tone was pleasant, even polite, his eyes burned black fury as he met her gaze.
Joanna sucked in a startled breath.
Gone was the quiet, mild-mannered private investigator who rescued cats and left mugs of coffee scattered around his office (seven, at last count). In his place stood a man who was every bit as much a warrior as the statues that surrounded him. He was fierce, and frightening, and there wasn’t a doubt in Joanna’s mind that he wouldn’t hesitate to make good on his threat to kill the Duke of Telford in cold blood.
All for the sin of touching her.
“Yes,” she said quickly. “Yes, it’s sufficient. You can let him go.”
Please let him go, she thought, for even though the duke had treated her abominably, she didn’t want his death on her conscience.
To her great relief, Kincaid honored his word and released the duke.
After nearly collapsing to his knees, the nobleman righted himself, but he was either too pompous or too stupid to heed Kincaid’s warning.
“You’re going to pay for this!” he said shrilly. “I’ll see you thrown in Newgate! Then I’m going to take your little whore and—”
Whatever the duke’s nefarious intentions were, he never had the chance to speak them aloud for with a sickeningcrunchof bone striking bone, Kincaid slammed a fist into the middle of the duke’s nose and he sank to the ground like a stone.
“That’s one way to shut him up, I suppose.” Lifting her skirts, Joanna stepped neatly over the Duke of Telford’s body. “Shall we?” she asked Kincaid.
“I told you to remain on the bench,” he growled as they left the statue garden.
“I’m not very good at following directions,” she admitted.
“Obviously.” Drawing her to the side of the path, he lightly grasped her elbows as his dark gaze, more amber than obsidian as his anger slowly receded, raked across her with a blush-inducing intensity. “Are you injured, Miss Thorncroft? Did he hurt you in any way? If you need to see a doctor—”
“I’m fine. Truly,” she insisted when he still appeared dubious. “The only thing injured was my pride, but I’m confident it shall recover in due time.” She bit her lip. “That—that was a duke. Granted, I’m not all that familiar with British titles yet, but I know that’s an important one. Won’t you suffer repercussions for assaulting him?”
The detective’s eyes flashed. “He put his hands on you. He should consider himself lucky I didn’t kill him.”
And now Kincaid hadhishands on her, but she didn’t mind.
