Authors: Nichole Matthews
“
What are you doing here?” Piper blurted, her voice scratchy from lack of use, her eyes widened as Fulton strolled casually through the opened door and leaned against the doorframe.
“
For such a clever lady, I’m surprised you haven’t turned up any guesses as of yet?”
Piper clamped her lips tightly her fear popped back in full force. She tried to shrink into the corner but she couldn’t go any further.
He made no attempt to move farther into the room. But his black, cold eyes glittered with malice. She could make them out clearly with the glow of the lamp he held high.
She schooled her features so as not to show the fear that was eating at her soul. “Why would I have assumed you were my captor?” Her eyes nervously darted towards Whitman.
“
My dear,” he said with barely suppressed rage. “Did you think me so desperate for your attentions that I would attach myself to your skirts even when you showed me obvious disdain?”
“
Disdain?” Piper cringed, her knees weakening with fear. She slid down the wall. “I fear I don’t understand, Mr. Fulton.” She desperately searched for something soothing to say. “I’ve shown you nothing but kindness. What have I done to anger you so?” Her pulse leapt to furious panic.
“
Your life of unearned privilege is enough to anger me,” he snarled, his face mottled red with rage. “But I fear you have mistaken your part in this little kidnapping, my lady,” he said bitterly. “You are but a pawn in our little endeavor at breaking Rockwell.”
“
A pawn…, “Alarm spiked in her blood.
“
Be silent,” Mr. Fulton said coldly. There was an odd look in his beady little eyes, one almost of triumph. He crossed the room crouching down in front of her reaching behind her to release her wrists from the binding.
“
I am nothing to Rockwell!” She cried, her eyes pleading and terrified. “You will gain nothing from him by keeping me captive.” She tried to tamp down the fear that swelled inside her, keeping her voice as calm as she could even though she felt like screaming.
Sitting back on his heels for a moment he gave her a quizzical look. “You truly believe that?”
She witnessed the wild gleam in his eyes before she knew what he was about; he lifted a hand and slapped her hard across the face, swearing viciously. “Do you think me a fool? You are his whore!"
She fell back with shock, her hand flying to her cheek, tears springing to her eyes. Scrambling on her knees she pressed herself safely in the corner, imagining Graydon’s strong arms wrapped around her, protecting her from these mad men.
“
You belittle your worth, my lady.” Mr. Fulton deigned to look at her, his eyes vacant and cold.
Jumping up she ran to the door and caught it with her shoulder, a grunt of pain escaping her lips, before he slammed it shut. “Please, I beg of you, at least give me some water!” Her lips were cracked and bleeding and her tongue swollen thickly in her mouth after days with nothing to drink.
Piper scrambled back at the look of fury in Fulton’s eyes. Closing her eyes, she slid to the floor as anguished tears streamed unchecked down her face. Leaning her head on her knees she hugged herself tightly in an attempt to ward off the fearful shivers that shook her body.
Chuckling, Whitman tossed a bucket of dirty water over her. Both men laughed, low and harsh as she cried out.
She heard the door shut and the key click in the lock, once more locked in her tiny, cold cell. Praying for a savior. Any savior. Praying for Graydon.
Deep wracking sobs overtook her shivering, weakened body.
CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE
It is quite interesting how one decision can change your entire life.
Piper’s journal
15 August
“
THE MAN WAS A FOOL.” PEYTON SNORTED.
Graydon stirred impatiently, his muscles bunched beneath his shirt and his jaw was clenched hard as he stared up at the dilapidated façade of the building and cringed. “How big of a fool can he be? It took us too long to find him. We underestimated them both. Me most of all.”
“
Don’t be hasty, Graydon. We don’t know if they are alone or not,” Parker cut in. “We don’t want Piper hurt any more than she might be already.”
Graydon’s jaw tightened. “I’m going to make them wish they were dead.” He rushed up the steps and kicked in the door. He should have taken the threats more seriously, then perhaps it would not have gone this far. But they would pay. He was going to take out his anger on Whitman and Fulton. If it was the last thing he ever did, they would pay.
“
Good lord.” Parker blew out a breath and followed quickly behind. “Here we go.”
Crashing through the door, Graydon made his way to the sitting room where the two men were holed up.
Everything that happened next was a blur.
Rushing the room, he didn’t stop for explanations. First he threw a punch at Fulton, bloodying his nose and knocking him to the ground before grabbing Whitman by the lapels of his coat and slamming him up against the wall. His muscles bunched powerfully; the veins in his neck bulging visibly with the effort he expended to pummel Whitman within an inch of his life.
“
I’m—going—to—kill—you,” he hissed through gritted teeth. “Where the fuck is she, Whitman?” He slammed Whitman’s head against the wall several times before continuing. “I swear to God if you’ve so much as harmed a hair on her head I will gut you like a fish and toss you into the Thames to be eaten. Tell me where the hell she is!” He punched him in the nose for good measure. A satisfied smile spread over his face at the crunch of breaking bones and the fresh trickle of blood from Whitman’s nose.
Whitman spat a curse. “Why should I say anything that would be of help to you?” He slapped his hand against Graydon’s chest; a cruel smile curved his lips. “
He
threw me away, and you did nothing!”
“
And because of a wrong that I knew nothing of, you chose to hurt an innocent?” He slammed him once more against the wall. “What you’ve done to her makes you more of a fucking bastard than anything
our
father ever did to you.” His tone raw. “You better pray she is not injured in any way.” He had to use every ounce of his strength to keep from ending Whitman’s life. No matter how justified he felt. He couldn’t bring himself to kill him. Especially now that he knew he was his brother.
Rough hands grabbed Graydon by the shoulders pulling him off Whitman’s slumped body. “He’s out. He’s out,” Parker yelled. Graydon fought him for a few seconds before controlling his rage. “Hawk and Peyton are searching the house. Calm down. We’ll find her.”
Graydon, his face still mottled red with rage, his breath coming in jagged spurts; braced his hands on his thighs, inhaling deeply.
“
I—could—have—killed—him—with—my—bare—hands,” his voice muffled by his position and his gasps for air. “I would have killed him.”
Parker touched his back. “We’ll deal with them later.”
“
I can’t breathe without her, Parker.” Sucking in a deep breath, he forced himself to straighten. “I can’t…I have to find her,” he whispered as an intense knot of pain and love squeezed his chest tightly, almost suffocating him. The cesspool that he had called his life was no longer sufficient. The very idea of returning to the way it was before sickened him. He would be damned if he would lose her now.
Not now, not ever.
“
I found her,” Declan’s muffled call came from below. “She’s locked in a room in the cellar.”
Graydon flew out of the room and down the stairs. Reaching the solid wooden door,he called loudly, “Piper, can you hear me?” His voice tinged with panic.
Piper’s heart flew to her throat at the sound of his voice. No matter the anger or the shouting, he had come for her. “Graydon?” she asked fuzzily, sure she was dreaming.
“
Piper, love,” he cried. “Sweetheart, I’m going to get you out. I swear it,” he choked out, his voice rough with emotion. “Move away from the door.” A few seconds later the door shook as he rammed his body against it.
She sat up straight, her heart pounding in her chest when she realized that his voice was real and not a dream.
“
Hurry Ash,” Graydon called in a gruff voice. Grunting as his body slammed into the door once again. “She’s in here.” He waved to Parker from the darkened tunnel. “She’s safe, but I cannot budge the door alone.”
The entire doorframe shook as both their bodies struck it and then there was the groan of splintering wood as they rammed it again.
“
Piper,” Parker yelled through the heavy door. “Are you all right?” The door shuddered under the next blow.
“
Peyton,” both men bellowed. “We need you!”
A moment later Peyton ran to the door with a set of keys dangling from his fingers. He quickly tried each one until the lock clicked. The door bursting open as Graydon lunged into the room, Piper’s brothers and the Duke of Hawksley immediately following.
Graydon narrowed his eyes in disgust. Nausea swamped him as he looked around the tiny unfurnished room before spotting Piper crouched weakly in the far corner. Her hair hung messily around her head in clumps, her eyes full of exhaustion, but she was still the loveliest woman he had ever beheld.
Leaning down, he grabbed her around the waist hauling her into his arms. He rushed from the dark, dank room before gathering her roughly into a crushing embrace, his arms holding her tightly against his chest.
The room erupted.
“
Quiet!” Graydon shouted. “Oh, my love.” He pressed kisses along her forehead, her cheek, her lips. “I thought I was going to die when I found out they took you.” His voice caught. He closed his eyes as he held her tighter, but gently at the same time. Thinking that if he got her close enough the fear of almost losing her would possibly retreat. He lowered her to the ground but held her tight, the vice around his chest, slowly easing.
She stifled a sob because she didn’t want to cry, not now. She was too exhausted to cry, but she couldn’t stop, her lips quivered as tears gathered in her eyes.
“
I’m never going to let you go, my darling. You are going to marry me so that I can watch you night and day,” he said roughly. “And then you will never be out of my sight again. I will never let you out of my sight for the rest of my life.” Graydon carefully rubbed each shoulder, kneading his way over the muscles of her back and down her arms until she sighed. “My heart couldn’t bear it,” he whispered, rubbing his cheek against her hair, stroking her back.
She pressed her face to his chest, eyes squeezed shut weeping quietly against him as as Graydon rocked her back and forth.
“
It sounds as if you are planning to lock me away in a tower, my lord?” her question muffled against his chest.
“
Never.” He emphatically shook his head. “I will tie your wrist with mine or I will chain you to my bed so that you will be with me always, but I would never lock you away. I couldn’t bear to be away from you.”
“
I fear you will quickly grow tired of me, Gray.” Piper risked a peek up at him. The adrenaline from her rescue was quickly fading. She felt as if her knees would not be able to hold her up much longer. “I fear I’m dull as dirt.”
“
Never.” Graydon snorted, brushing a strand of hair back from her face and lightly kissing her bruised cheek. “That is laughable.”
“
Have you already procured a special license, my lord?” Her attempt at humor almost lost due to the weariness from her nights spent in the dark, damp room, she leaned into him for extra support.
“
Surely you jest.” He looked down into her pale face, glad to see she had not lost her humor, before crushing her to him. “My mother would never forgive me if I married without all the pomp due my station.” He captured her lips in a kiss so sweet it turned her legs to jelly. He saved her any further embarrassment by tightening his arms around her and deepening the kiss. She wrapped her arms around his neck and opened her mouth to receive his kiss like a starved woman.
Dragging his lips from hers, his long fingers cupped her cheek. “You will marry me because you want to, not because you are feeling coerced,” his voice quiet, yet firm. “For I cannot let you go.”
“
Je suis
à
toi pour tout
,’ Piper managed to push the words through her dry, cracked lips.
“
I’m taking you home now.” He scooped her up in his arms, carrying her through the dark passageways up the stairs and out into the bright sunshine.
“
Tell me what happened?” she whispered tiredly. Her eyelids fluttered, days in the dark making it difficult to tolerate the bright light.
“
I’ll tell you all about it tomorrow.” He carried her towards his phaeton, placing her gently on the seat next to him. The whole ride home he couldn’t stop thinking about how scared he had been. He couldn’t remember feeling any truer emotions at any other time in his life. That he had almost lost Piper was almost too much to stomach, but learning that he also had a brother was overwhelming, even if he was illegitimate. His father had been a bastard. No wonder Whitman had wanted to see him pay. He couldn’t say that he wouldn’t have felt exactly the same if their situations had been reversed.