Page 117 of The Lady Needs a Rogue
“You made me do this,” he said, each quietly spoken word raw with malice. “It didn’t have to end this way.”
She took a step away from him. And then another and another. Until there was nowhere else to go. Backed against the far wall, she searched for a means to escape. She had only one weapon left. God help her.
She fished the embellished handkerchief from her skirt pocket. Towering over her, he smiled as he curled each end of the tie around his hands.
“They’ll find you at the bottom of the stairs,” he said with an eerie calm. “A broken neck suffered during a tragic fall.”
Macie screamed. Pure instinctive fear wrenched the cry from her lungs.
As he smiled in triumph, she seized the moment.
Macie whipped the cloth across his face. The studded fabric cut into his jaw and nose and mouth.
“Bugger it,” he muttered as he tried to tear the cloth from her hands.
Macie held tight to the cloth, even as she bolted away.
She careened through the door. And straight into the man she loved.
*
Finn stared downat Macie. He’d found her in time.Thank God.
The raw fear in her eyes was like a blow to the gut. “Finn,” she murmured. “Oh, God, Finn.”
He caught her hands in his. “Aylesworth?” She nodded, and he choked out the words that pained him to speak. “Did he hurt ye?”
“No. Not yet,” she said.
Aylesworth stalked out of the room. His face bore the bloody marks of Macie’s efforts to protect herself.Brave lass.By God, he was proud of her.
And filled with rage at the man who’d forced her to fight.
He couldn’t let it get to him. He could not let it make him reckless. Or foolish.
“Ah, the touching reunion.” Aylesworth brandished a stiletto in his right hand. “Pity it will be short-lived.”
“Macie, I want you to leave,” Finn said.
“Yes, do run along,” Aylesworth said with a smirk. “Wherever you go, I’ll be there soon enough... after I settle things with yourbodyguard.”
“Go, Macie.” Finn uttered the words as a command. “Now.”
Reluctantly, she went to the stairs. He saw her begin to descend the steps.
Aylesworth lunged. Finn jumped back, avoiding the blade. Another strike of the knife came, and then another. Finn dodged each thrust. The rage in Aylesworth’s eyes betrayed the truth. The man was frantic. Desperate. More careless with each wild attempt at drawing first blood.
Through it all, Finn worked out his strategy. Calculated where he’d land his blows.
Aylesworth lashed out. Finn edged to the side, not quite far enough. The tip of the blade sliced into his arm. The pain scarcely registered in his preoccupied brain, but he heard Macie cry out. The terrified sound tore at his heart. She should not have to see such sights.
He would end this. And quickly.
“I was going to break yer nose again. For old time’s sake,” Finn taunted. “Looks like the lady already took care of that.”
“Bugger off.”
“She gave ye a beating, didn’t she?” Finn jeered.
