Page 55 of Ruthless with a Rogue
Derek stepped up to Lady Elliot.He trailed his fingers over the wrinkled ivory fabric of Miss Forester’s dress, the hem dirt-stained.Lady Elliot was murmuring softly, things Derek couldn’t hear.Or maybe his hearing wasn’t working properly.The only thing that filled his senses was an overwhelming buzzing.He fisted his hands.
Explosive.
Erratic.
Fury.
A small flicker drew his attention to Miss Forester’s face.Her eyelids fluttered lightly, and Lady Elliot squeezed her niece’s hand.Miss Forester’s eyes snapped open, and she shot up, arms swinging wildly, like that small squeeze had triggered a fight reflex.Lady Elliot jumped back to avoid being hit, but Derek rushed forward.
He dodged flying fists and grabbed Miss Forester’s face, forced her wild, frantic gaze to land on his.“You’re safe, Livy.It’s Derek.And your aunt.You’re safe.”
She still clawed at him, fists landing weakly.Nothing like the first time she’d planted him a facer.Her blue eyes were oddly pale, looking at him but not seeing him.He shook her lightly.
“You’resafe, clever girl,” he choked out.
Her attempted attack on him softened, hands that had struck and clawed, gripped onto him for a different reason now.
“Derek?”she slurred.
He nodded, an odd sting building behind his nose.“Yes, clever girl.It’s me,” he said in a hoarse whisper.“He’s gone.You’re safe now.He’s never going to hurt you again.No onewill ever hurt you again.Understand?”
Fresh tears leaked from her welling blue eyes.A sob escaped her, and he was on the bed in the next breath, pulling her into his arms.All the scorching fury that had built inside him vanished, replaced with a bone-deep hollowness.He pulled her into his lap, clenched her to him as her body shook.He pressed his nose to the crown of her head and inhaled a shaky breath, the faint scent of vanilla—of Livy.
He squeezed his eyes shut, tightening his arms around her as if he could meld her into himself.He longed to hold her so tightly that he could absorb all the terror haunting her, leaving her free from this memory.From this nightmare.
But then the nightmare continued.Livy went rigid in his arms.Alarmingly still.An uneasy groan fled her.And then her body convulsed, and he turned her just in time for her to empty the contents of her stomach all over the coverlet.Her chest jerked, and she shook violently.He did his best to maneuver her so she could cast up her accounts without risk of soiling herself.He wasn’t entirely successful.His veins froze over.Because her ivory skirts were now stained a deep crimson.
“She’s throwing up blood,” he barked, his voice as tight as his throat.Eyes wide, his gaze whipped to Lady Elliot.“Where’s the fucking physician!”
Lady Elliot’s hand landed on his upper arm, soft and reassuring, belying the worry glinting in her blue eyes.“She was drinking claret tonight, my lord.”
His shoulders sagged—but the relief was short-lived.They snapped straight as Livy heaved in his arms again.Bloody fucking hell.What had Pennington done to her?A vision of Pennington handing Miss Forester a glass of wine in the drawing room came roaring back.That bastard!He’d drugged her.Derek was going to murder that man.And he was going to take.His.Fucking.Time.
When her body finally calmed, he lifted her to rest in his arms, her back pressed to his chest.Lady Elliot hurried forward with a wet cloth.At some point she’d gotten a pitcher of water and a pile of towels from the bathing chamber.She carefully cleaned up her niece and encouraged her to have some water.
“Just a small amount, Olivia love.Not too much, just a little at a time.”
At that moment, the door swung open.Ryker strode in, followed by…the last type of person Derek would ever allow see to Miss Forester.Derek’s arms instantly tightened around the slight woman in his arms, pulling her into him.The man’s brown hair was tied back in a queue.He had the body of a pugilist—Derek would have wagered he was Bruiser’s next opponent, not a physician.More than his physique, though, was the mass of tattoos covering nearly every inch of the man’s exposed skin that put Derek on edge.They covered his lower arms where his sleeves were rolled up to his elbow, and his neck above his cravat, even over one cheek.But the man was carrying the telling black valise.
Lady Elliot did a hell of a job hiding any discomposure if she was feeling similarly to Derek.“We need new bed linens, Mr.Drake.And if you have any way of securing garments…”
Ryker’s gaze scanned over the bed, and he grimaced.“Poor dove.I’ll have servants attend to that immediately.This is Doctor Jones, my physician.”Ryker’s unnerving gaze met Derek’s.“I’d argue he is the most talented physician in London.Do not let his appearance fool you.”
Derek dipped his chin and relaxed slightly.There were few people Derek trusted in this world, but Ryker was one of them.Their work inThe Harboragehad solidified that.It wasn’t an organization one could be involved in without trust.If Ryker said thisman—Derek eyed him warily—was trustworthy and competent, Derek believed him.
Ryker disappeared out the door, and the physician halted next to Lady Elliot, placing his valise on the bed by Livy’s feet.
“Let’s peel back the soiled linens as best we can,” Doctor Jones said brusquely.“Mr.Drake briefed me on what occurred.”He held Lady Elliot’s gaze.“If you have any other information that would be helpful, please let me know.I’ll explain everything I’m going to do before I do it, so everyone is completely aware of what is happening.Feel free to stop and ask me questions at any point.The first thing I need to do is examine her for physical injuries.”
Derek helped lift Livy while they rolled back the coverlet.He went to settle her down on the bed, but she latched onto him, hands desperately fisting his hair.
He looked at her then, her face a hairsbreadth away from his, eyes haunted.Something inside him broke, a chasm carving its way through his chest.“I have to let you go, clever girl.This nice physician is going to look you over,” he said gently, running his hands soothingly up and down her back.
She said nothing, her gaze locked on his, her delicate nostrils flaring.
“Livy…” He grabbed her wrists and gently disengaged them from his neck.“I’ll be right here, right beside your aunt.”
Her fists wrapped around his forearms, nails digging into his skin.She opened her mouth, but no words came out, just an incoherent, strangled sound.He ran his thumb softly against the underside of her wrist, helpless to soothe her.
