Taming the Wicked Wulfe (The Rogue Agents) (20 page)

“You know very well what I mean.
 
You, Mr. McKenzie, and Lord Southerby looked like the proverbial gossiping women, standing in the corner, sequestering yourself from everyone else.”

“That was nothing.
 
We were just visiting and realized we knew some of the same people.”

“Funny, but I don’t believe that for a moment.”

“Believe what you like, my dear, but that is all it was,” the coach lurched to a stop.
 
“Now shall we get these two to bed?”

“I will discover your secrets,” she parried back, not willing to let the subject drop just yet.

“It would be better for your health if you did not,” he said stiffly, standing on the firm ground and looking into the dark carriage.

“I don’t take kindly to threats,” she said, angered, and if she were honest with herself, just a little frightened.
 
Would he harm her to keep her from discovering things about him?

“Fine, let me put it a way you will better understand.
 
Should you discover my secrets, I shall have to discover yours.
 
Are you willing for that to happen?”

Rebekah came to an awkward pause at his words.
 
Her mind quickly flashed back in time for mere seconds before returning to the present.
 
She felt confident that any of the people who had knowledge of what had happened would not tell.
 
“Good luck in your endeavor,” she said before ascending the stairs.

Thorn watched her and shook his head at her stubbornness before following her.

Chapter 11

The next few days, Rebekah avoided her husband.
 
She felt that her secrets were well and truly buried, but still worried that he might just be powerful enough to uncover them.
 
The third day after Gertie’s dinner party, she found herself chasing after Ivy and ran into Thorn, literally.
 
He quickly grabbed her in order to keep her from falling to the floor.

“Careful,” he said.

“Thank you,” she said, pulling free of his hold once she was steady on her feet.
 
“Ivy, come back here,” she called to the little girl as she disappeared around the corner.

“I want to talk to you for a moment.”

“Not now.”

“Yes, now.”

“Ivy…”

“Is fine and nothing will happen to her.”
 
He directed her to the study and shut the door.

“There’s no need for you to shut the door.”

“I believe there is.
 
It seems as if every conversation we have ends in raised voices, usually yours.
 
Forgive me if I want to keep the staff from hearing.”

“Just what are you saying?” she demanded, her hands fisted on her hips, her voice rising.

Instead of commenting, Thorn merely arched a brow at her.

“I despise you,” she hissed at him.

“At least you didn’t say it for all to hear.”

“What do you want?” she demanded.

“I have contacted an agency that helps families find nannies and governesses.
 
Over the course of the next few days, they will be sending applicants to be interviewed.”

“Are you saying that I am not adequately caring for the twins?
 
You do realize that I have been their caregiver more often than not since they were born.”

“This is why I shut the door,” he tunneled his fingers through his hair in frustration.
 
“Why do you have to take everything I suggest as if I were demoralizing your character?
 
Could it be because that is what you do to me?
 
Have you ever thought that the
Lady Luck
serves a higher purpose than just being a gaming hell?”

Her response was an indelicate snort followed by her crossing her arms, and turning her back to him.
 
She crossed the room and looked outside at the fading light.
 
Refusing to show any weakness, she held herself as straight as possible.

“I will be hiring a nanny with or without your assistance, and you will not be able to fire them without my approval.”

She spun around to face him.
 
Her arms were as straight as pokers by her side and her hands were fisted.
 
Her mouth hung open.
 
“How dare you?” she finally snapped.
 
“I know what those children need more than you do.
 
You come into their lives after being absent more often than present, and think you know what is best for them?
 
How many times have you seen them before Teddy’s death?
 
Not even a half dozen times!
 
Yet you think you know more about their needs than I do?”

“Are you quite finished?”
 
Silence met his question.
 
He studied her a moment.
 
Her eyes looked stormy, turbulent.
 
Anger radiated off of her in waves.
 
“You and I are the aunt and uncle of a very powerful boy.
 
As much as you might not want to consider that at the moment, it would be best if you did and came to terms with that.”
 

“What do you mean?”

“People are going to woo us and invite us into their homes.
 
All to try to convince us of certain things in regard to our nephew, voting in the House of Lords, and other topics related to our government and monarchy.”

“Who would have the owner of a gaming hell in their home?”

“You would be surprised.
 
In our society, people know that
we
are the ones that will assist Zachary in making decisions, and
we
will be the ones guiding him.
 
People are going to want us to attend their functions, if for no other reason but to try to sway us to their side.
 
Until he reaches his majority, I will be voting for him by proxy in Parliament.
 
You do know what proxy means, don’t you?
 
It is where you give someone permission to act in your stead, sometimes without your knowledge,” he said pointedly.
 
He watched as a blush spread attractively over her neck and face.
 
“Take Gertie or Clarissa with you and purchase yourself a new wardrobe.
 
Open an account under my name wherever you choose.”

“Are you ashamed of how I look?”

“I am not dignifying that with an answer, and I am tired of defending myself to you at every turn.
 
If you want the fishmonger’s wife to look better dressed than you, that is your prerogative, but you will be accompanying me to any engagement we are invited to.
 
Do you understand?
 
I myself do not care how you look.”

He found himself on the receiving end of another mutinous glare.
 
He crossed the room and pulled her into his arms, at first just holding her tightly.
 
She remained stiff in his arms.
 
Thorn pulled back, playing with the wisps of hair that clung to her neck.
 
He teased the lobe of her ear.
 
Her sparkling eyes and elevated breathing indicated that she was not as unaffected by him as she tried to pretend.
 
Thorn felt his body reacting to her, his member hardening as he held her in his arms.
 
She challenged him, and he enjoyed it.

Rebekah vowed to herself that she would remain unaffected by his touch and kisses.
 
She counted silently, but found herself starting over at least four times as he pressed kisses along her jawline.
 
Her hands had turned white because they were fisted so tightly at her side.
 
She felt her pulse racing as he began to nibble at her lips.
 
Rebekah closed her eyes tightly so as not to look at his handsome face in its nearness.
 
She felt like she was being treated as one would a delicacy.

“Allow me to show you how it can be,” he breathed against her lips, but she stubbornly refused to grant him access.
 

She felt him step away and heard herself whimper before she could stop herself at the loss of contact with his body.

He started to say something about her not being immune to him after all, but thought better of it.
 
Thorn tried teasing her lips once more, hoping to coax them to open beneath him, but she held firm.
 
He lowered his right hand to her waist while the left cradled her close.
 
Ever so slowly he moved his hand up her side, allowing his thumb to lead, teasing here and there.
 
In a move of stealth, Wulfe captured her breast in his hand.
 
Her eyes flew open, meeting his and her mouth opened on a gasp.
 

Taking the opportunity granted him, he bent her backwards slightly and delved into the moist recesses of her mouth.
 
He could tell the moment she began to think and plot, because she stiffened in his arms once more.
 
In response, he gently squeezed her breast, teasing her.
 
Her body began to overtake her mind, and she relaxed into his touch.
 
Thorn sought her tongue with his, showing her what he wanted, and the pleasure he could show her.
 
In triumph he felt her hands grip him and tug him close.
 
Just as he deepened the kiss and felt her response, they heard an ear-piercing scream followed by silence.

Thorn set her away from him and pushed her behind him.
 
“Stay here,” he ordered before taking a gun from his desk and crossing the room.
 
When he opened the door, he heard the clomping of heavy feet drawing near.
 
He looked up the staircase to see Zachary standing at the second floor landing, staring at the floor below.
 
A look of horror was etched on the little boy’s face.
 
He stood on a chair, looking over the railing.
 
Thorn’s gut churned in dread when he looked down the hall.
 
Lying motionless was his beautiful little niece.

“Keep her back, James,” Thorn directed his valet.
 
Not needing to know who, the valet went and gently restrained Rebekah.
 
When she finally was able to see past the larger man she began screaming and keening.
 
Wulfe approached the little girl who looked at him with terrified eyes.
 
She took in heaving gasps, as if she could not get enough air in her lungs.
 
“Ivy, love, calm down,” he said soothingly, cupping the little girl’s cheek.
 
“Take a deep breath, sweetheart.”
 
The little girl kept gasping and tears began to trickle down her temples and into her hair.
 
“Ivy, I know you’re scared, but you have to listen to me.
 
Take a deep breath,” he found himself doing it to show her how.
 
“Now, release it.”

“She’s alive, m’lady” Rebekah heard the valet whisper in her ear.
 
“You must calm yourself.
 
You aren’t helping yourself or the little one.”
 
Rebekah stopped screaming, but she continued to cry and began fighting against the restraint of the bigger man’s arms.
 

“Let me go!”

“I’m sorry, m’lady, but I can’t do that.”

Thorn ignored his wife struggling against her captor.
 
His focus was on the little girl before him.
 
After several minutes he had her breathing normally.
 
She wanted to sit up, but he made her stay where she lay.
 
“I need you to be very still.” One of the maid’s arrived with a woman Thorn had never seen before.

“My lord, this is the cook from next door.
 
She is my father’s sister, and she has some experience with healing.
 
I went to get her.”

“Thank you.
 
Please, do what you can,” he begged of the older woman.
 
The woman went to her knees and worked from the top of Ivy’s head to the tips of her toes.
 
Thorn carefully watched her all the while trying to tune out his wife’s cries and struggles.
 
He knew she wanted to hold the little girl in her arms and know that all would be well.
 
Hell, he wanted to do the exact same thing.
 
However, they had to make certain that she was not hurt worse.

“She has a bump growing on the back of her head.
 
It isn’t good, but it is better than no bump at all.
 
That would be worrisome.
 
And her arm is broken.”
 
The little girl cried out when the woman gently lifted her forearm.
 
“It must be set.”

“Can you set it?”

“Aye.
 
Won’t be pleasant.”

“Is there anything we can give her for the pain?”

“No.
 
Not until we know more about the head injury.”
 
The maid’s aunt gently laid Ivy’s arm across her waist.