Page 55 of A Rogue to Watch Over Me
“I assure you, that brute’s presence was not avisit.”
“Call it what you will. I will not tolerate criminals on these premises.” The landlord puffed his chest, as if doing so might shore up his own courage. “It is my duty to notify you that an investor has an interest in this building.”
Logan folded his arms and leaned against a desk, deceptively at ease. “Yer investor will have to find another place.”
“We’ll see about that.” Mr. Driscoll shot him a scowl. “I’d be a fool to refuse this offer. Cecil Mansfield is a most generous fellow, I might add.”
“Mansfield.” The name echoed in her ears.
“So, you’ve heard of him. The man is looking to expand his galleries.”
Logan regarded him coolly. “The lady is not leaving.”
“For now, MacLain.” The landlord’s Adam’s apple bobbed in his throat. His attention darted back to Amelia. “And to see with my own eyes that you’ve taken to cavorting with the likes of him... it seems you’ve made my decision for me.”
“My lease is paid in full through the end of the year. Surely you have not forgotten that fact.”
The landlord’s expression hardened. “Might I remind you, this is my property, Mrs. Stewart. I will protect what is mine.”
With the ease of a powerful cat, Logan closed the distance between Driscoll and himself, crushing the man’s lapels between his fingers. “If word that ye’ve harassed this woman gets to my ears, ye will answer to me. Understand?”
Mr. Driscoll replied with a nervous nod.
“It’s time for ye to go.” Logan gave him a shake before he dropped his hands. “Before I give ye a reason to regret coming here today.”
A current of elemental awareness raced through Amelia’s core. For a heartbeat, perhaps two, she couldn’t tear her eyes away from Logan. His confident actions and flint-edged tones spoke of raw power.
Most impressive, Mr. MacLain.
Forcing her attention back to the landlord, Amelia watched Mr. Driscoll’s surly march to the door. Stumbling, he kicked a small braided rug out of his way. He muttered a foul word beneath his breath as he stared down at the cause of his misstep. A floorboard had tipped up ever so slightly, not quite even with the other planks.
“I see the ruffians you associate with have damaged my property,” he ground out. “Your brother is not here to negotiate another lease. I will see you gone from my property.”
“Ye’re trying my patience,” Logan warned. “Get out.”
“I’ll be on my way. For now.” Driscoll’s thin mouth curved into a sneer. “Believe me, Mrs. Stewart, you’ve more to worry about than the likes of me.”
*
Following close atthe landlord’s heels as the man made hisretreat, Logan steeled himself against the urge to teach the bloated toad a well-deserved lesson. Driscoll knew the recent hell of grief Amelia had endured. Yet the foul-tempered bloke had treated her with undisguised contempt. Only the reality that she would witness the ugly scene had kept Logan’s instincts in check. If the man dared to turn back to the library, Logan would take the opportunity to provide that instruction, there and then.
Satisfied that Driscoll was indeed on his way, he turned back to Amelia. “Don’t let him intimidate ye. The coward backed down in the face of a man who knows how to use his fists.”
She busied herself placing another stack of books in place upon a shelf. “Paul once considered Mr. Driscoll an ally, if not a friend. But of course, that was in the past. At one point, they were partners in an enterprise.”
“An enterprise, eh?”
“They shared an interest in an art gallery. I was not privy to many of the details, but there was talk of an investor, a silent partner.”
“Hawk?”
A tiny crease between her brows deepened. “I don’t know who invested in the venture. It was all rather hush-hush.”
Logan held back the thoughts that came to mind. An investor could have many reasons to wish his involvement kept a close secret, especially if the funds were tarnished by crime. What kind of dishonest schemes had Paul gotten himself into?
“Ye’ll get no more trouble from the likes of Driscoll,” Logan reassured her. “Or he will answer to me.”
Faint lines of tension feathered around Amelia’s mouth. “I cannot imagine Paul wished you to take on every unscrupulous man in town on my account.”
