Page 124 of Ruthless with a Rogue
“Oh dear.How terribly clumsy of me.”
Wentworth lashed out, but his movements were jerky, uncoordinated.He overturned the glass, rum soaking the papers and ledgers on his desk.
Wentworth’s chest heaved, ire flashing back at Derek.
“Are you saying you didn’t hire someone to tamper with the Duke of Ironcrest’s curricle?”Derek paused.Frowned.“Why did you go after the Duke?”That hadn’t made any sense to Derek.
Wentworth glowered at Derek but didn’t speak.The man’s forehead glistened with perspiration.
“I immediately thought it was you the night of the auction.You had the most motive.Eliminating the woman who threatened to take your daughter’s position as my wife and stripping us of our funding…”
Wentworth’s labored breathing filled the office.
And then it hit him.He slammed his hands on the desk.“No!”He leaned forward, disgust curling his gut.“You fucking bastard,” he hissed.His fingers balled into fists.“It was you from the beginning, wasn’t it?The Ironcrest fires.And then the night of the curricle accident, when Rafe returned, you’d been there when Rafe had been discussing the damage.That it wasn’t as bad as they’d feared.He could still provide funds for the foundling home.”Derek’s head spun.“So, you tried to have him killed, knowing whoever inherited wouldn’t give a bloody fuck about the foundling home.”Dear fucking God.This man was a lunatic.
Wentworth only stared silently back at Derek.But it was all there in the sick gleam in the man’s eyes.Admission.And it made Derek wonder how much of the man’s fortune might have been made by similar means.
“It’s your turn, Wentworth.”Derek walked toward the side of the desk.He slowly pushed the oil lamp toward the edge.“You really should watch how much you drink.I’d hate for an accident to happen.Say…tipping over an oil-lamp in a drunken stupor.”
The lamp fell from the desk and shattered.
The carpet immediately went up in flames.
Wentworth’s eyes widened, sweat trickling down his forehead.
“Well, I should be off.Don’t want to burn to death.Wouldn’t that just be an awful way to go?”
The man opened his mouth, but no words surfaced.
Derek chuckled and strode to the door.
He turned and looked back over his shoulder.The flames had caught Wentworth’s desk now.The man struggled in his chair, jerking as much as his paralyzed body would allow.It wouldn’t be long until it reached the rum.His wild eyes met Derek’s, pleading.
“Regretting our choices, are we?”Derek’s lips twisted.“You should have thought about that before you tried to kill the people I love.”
With that, he left the man to go up in flames.
Flames licked up the side of the industrial building, bright reds, oranges, and yellows clawing at the midnight sky.A crowd had gathered, the fire brigade’s engine drawn up to the Thames as they tirelessly worked to put out the blaze.
Derek leaned with Ryker against the brick building, watching from the shadows.He’d slipped out the side entrance set aside for the offices and stolen back to join Ryker.The man had kept an eye out while Derek had been with Wentworth, ready to alert Derek if someone of consequence might stumble upon him.
“You had quite the run at the card tables tonight,” Ryker murmured.
Derek caught the man’s gaze, nothing but glinting colorless eyes in the night.They shared a grin.If anyone asked, plenty had seen him atThe Devil’s Eyethis evening.It was unlikely tonight’s events would be traced to Derek, but Ryker believed in being safe rather than sorry.
Ryker flicked away the butt of his cigar and crushed it beneath his boot.“So how does it feel?Easier this time?”
Derek let his head fall back and stared up into the starless sky.Was it?Pennington hadn’t hit Derek until days later.Even though the knave had deserved every bit of it, Derek hadn’t been prepared for how it would gnaw at his mind.But this time it already felt different.There was nothing but…calm acceptance.Fate delivered.Business complete.
“Easier.”
Ryker gave a low hum.“That’s the way of it.Easier and easier with each one.”
Derek’s gaze slid to him, studying the man’s profile.“And then one day it’s what you do for sport?”
“We all have our proclivities, Dunmore.I take a certain satisfaction in seeing reprobates get what’s coming to them.”Ryker pushed off the wall.“Shall we get out of here?”
Yes.Derek had a certain clever girl he was dying to see.
