Page 24 of The Taming of a Wicked Rogue

“I’m sorry,” she said weakly. “I’m so sorry.” She tried to twist away but he grabbed her elbows.

“Everything, do you hear?” he bellowed. “Everything.”

The haze clouding her vision increased and she pressed a hand to her ribs whilst struggling to draw air. Her skin heated and her legs grew weak. She spotted the ground coming to meet her but did not feel a thing when she hit the ground.

“Stand back!” someone shouted.

“Leo?” she whispered.

“Get back,” Leo ordered again.

An arm scooped under her neck and another under her legs. Pressed against a warm, solid chest, she let herself splay a hand upon it and burrow into the soft fabric of his jacket.

“I’ve got you,” Leo assured her.

She nodded limply and closed her eyes. If she needed more evidence that she could not stay, she had it.

Chapter Ten

Leo stopped in the doorway of the billiard’s room. Not that he had much choice. Both his brothers blocked his way, Adam to the left and Alexander to the right. His oldest brother had that stern look, that practiced stern look that came with being a marquis. Leo reckoned they must have secret lessons before inheriting the title on the precise expression one must use as a titled gentleman.

It didn’t work on him, though. Alexander seldom played the role of the older, austere brother and was far more likely to be found doing his best to ignore the dull duties of his title. Oh, he did what was necessary, keeping the estates running and buying country houses that no one lived in, but he was a far cry from their father who had adopted that expression for most of his life and had little time for anything other than estate business.

He arched a brow. “Is something the matter?”

“You are acting strange,” Adam accused.

“I am not the one standing in a doorway, looking as though one is guarding some secret of the state,” Leo shot back.

“You keep vanishing.” Alexander gestured upstairs. “Within the house.”

“I did not know I was unwelcome here. Perhaps I should have found myself lodgings in town.” He nodded toward Alexander. “Besides, you’ve been distracted by this Miss Evans. What would you know of my comings and goings?”

Alexander chuckled. “Distracted? Hardly.”

Though tempted to argue his case, Leo opted to remain quiet on the matter of this young woman. Adam had caught her younger sister prowling the house when they had been visiting the gardens with their mother and it seemed Alexander had found Miss Evans quite fascinating. Leo wondered if Mrs. Jones was going to report back to their mother about it all.

“I am not acting strange and there is nothing wrong,” he said firmly.

Adam gave him a look. “You always were a terrible liar. What is going on?”

Leo eased out a breath. Rebecca would loathe being discovered, but if he was honest, he did not truly believe he could keep her presence here a secret for long, and whilst he could not claim to share all aspects of his life with his brothers, he did not much enjoy lying to them about her.

“Fine.”

Adam grinned at Alexander. “I told you we could break him easily.”

Alexander shrugged. “I’m slightly disappointed in you, Leo. Now I owe Adam a small fortune.”

“You wagered on me?”

“You are mightily predictable, Brother.” Adam clapped a hand upon his shoulder. “If I was to bet upon your behavior all the time, I would be a rich man.”

“You’re already a rich man,” Alexander pointed out.

“Well, a richer one then.”

“How depressing that my behavior is so easily foreseen,” Leo said dryly. “I shall have to make more effort to do the unexpected.”

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