by SpursFanatic
“Aye, what?” Rafe boomed, as he stood above him, arms crossed over his chest.
“Kent. He promised to pay me in gold if I killed you.”
Gritting his teeth, Rafe stared down at the fool. Sonuvabitch. Kent. Rafe had known he was a bad seed from the beginning. His family and Tarin had lived around him for years and not picked up on it. Yet, Rafe knew from the moment he met him.
A sense of relief swept through him that Tarin had not been the target. But, that didn’t mean she was safe.
“Why did he want to kill me?”
Duncan shrugged. “I didn’t ask questions. I just needed the gold.”
“Don’t lie to me!”
“I don’t lie! He told me to kill you, the sooner, the better. As soon as he heard you were dead, I would get my gold.”
Rafe stared at the man, wondering why he was so desperate for money. Didn’t Hunter pay his workers? “What’s your relationship with Kent?”
Duncan’s gaze slid away to stare at the floor. “He ships with Hunter. I work for Hunter.”
Swooping down on him, Rafe shoved the knife into his throat. The man gasped aloud.
“You damned liar. Kent doesn’t ship with Hunter.” The point dipped further into the man’s skin but he didn’t draw blood – yet. “Tell me the truth – all of it. Or, I’ll slit your throat right here, right now. I’m sure no one would miss you.”
Eyes wide, the man glanced at Beau who nodded slowly. “I’ve seen him do it. I’d talk if I were you.”
He swallowed hard. “Aye! Aye!”
Rafe straightened again. “You try my patience. Talk. Now.”
“Kent,” his voice shook, “he uses Worthington shipments to send opium to his customers. He pays me to deliver them on the other end.”
Rafe glanced at Beau with a raised brow. He loved when his gut was right. “Why doesn’t he just ship them himself? Why use Worthington’s shipments as cover?”
Duncan shook his head. “He says it would cut into his profits. He always finds a way to ship without paying - says duty fees and shipping charges are too expensive. He never has paid and he’s been shipping for six years.”
“Does Hunter know of this arrangement?” Beau asked, twirling a shoot between his fingers.
“No.” The man shook his head. “Kent approached him after…” he glanced at Rafe, “Sutherland died, but Hunter wasn’t interested.”
Rafe felt like someone had slapped him. “What do you mean, after my father died?”
“He shipped with your father until the day of his death.”
Chapter 14
Rafe stopped beside his coach when Beau jumped up to take the reins. “What the hell are you doing?”
“You’re in no shape to drive,” he said matter-of-factly.
“Like hell I’m not. Move over.” Rafe moved to climb in where Beau sat.
Beau let out a gust of breath. “Just get your stubborn ass up here, Sutherland.” Beau nodded to the empty seat beside him.
Cursing under his breath, Rafe went around the coach. Damned Frenchman. Just because he was older than Rafe, he thought he could boss him around now and then. Jumping up beside Beau in the seat, Rafe decided to boss him for a change. “I want to go to Worthington’s house.”
Clicking the horses, Beau steered them away from the jail. “I know.”
“How do you know, St. John? Do you think you’re some damned mind reader now?”
Rafe felt wound tight as a top. He had needed just a few more seconds alone with Duncan to take out his frustration. Unfortunately, the police wouldn‘t allow it.
“Rafe, within the last two hours, the woman you love was almost killed by a gun intended for you, and you found out your father was in business with the man that hired him. Not to mention your ladylove has handed you the mitten. You’re entitled to be upset.”
Rafe stiffened his back. He ground his teeth to the point of pain and nearly snapped the wooden bench beneath his hands. “You don’t know what the hell you’re talking about, St. John. First of all, I’m not in love with Tarin, and she hasn’t given me the mitten. We’re getting married if I have to drag her to the church.”
Beau stared straight ahead.
“As for my father, nothing should shock me anymore. I don’t know why I reacted like I did.”
Taking a deep breath, Rafe tried to make himself relax. Shutting his eyes, he willed himself to calm down.
“It’s perfectly acceptable to admit that you were scared for Tarin’s safety.” Beau’s low voice cut through the tension that gripped Rafe. “You would not be the honorable man you are if you’d reacted otherwise. She is your future, your life. And contrary to what you tell yourself, you are in love with her.”
Rafe shook his head, aggravated to no end. Damned Frenchman. He did think he was a mind reader. “I am not in love with her, dammit!”
With raised brows, Beau replied, “You didn’t see your face when you went after Duncan. You would’ve killed him on the spot if I hadn’t stepped in.”
Rafe blew out a breath. Beau knew him well. Seeing a gun pointed at Tarin had turned him into a madman. All he could think about, all he had wanted to do, was kill Duncan. He had wanted to rip him limb from limb and would have, if Beau hadn‘t stopped him.
Wouldn’t that have been a sight for Tarin to see?
“I’ve killed men before.” Rafe frowned as the words escaped his mouth.
“In the line of duty,” Beau acknowledged with a nod. “But never out of fear of losing someone you care for.” He turned to Rafe. “You were not in control.”
Rafe thought about that for a moment. Was it fear? He had thought he’d dispensed with fear years ago. Yet, when he thought about losing Tarin forever, he did feel a fear. A fear of never seeing her again. A fear of never hearing her laughter or tasting her kiss. A fear of never holding her close. On top of those fears was the fear of letting her down, of not being strong enough, wise enough to save her. Of living to see her with someone else.
Wincing, he looked away. Good God above, he couldn’t stomach the thought.
Did that mean he loved her?
Cursing under his breath, he drew a knowing smirk from Beau. She deserved perfection. He used to be close. Now, he was a damned mangled mess of a man that was as wild as she was cultured.
Hell. Maybe he shouldn’t fight for her. He laid his head in his hands.
“Confused?” Beau asked, as they came to a stop.
Rafe glanced up to see the Worthington home. If nothing else, Henry deserved to know what had happened with Duncan.
“Hell, St. John. I live confused.”
He jumped down from the coach. Beau followed suit, frowning as he nodded at Rafe’s clothing. Blood stained his coat and pants. Rafe shrugged out of his coat and threw it on the coach seat. “I draw the line on dropping the trousers.”
Laughing, Beau walked beside him to the door. “When we’re done here, drinks are on me.”
“Good.” Rafe knocked on the door. “I spent all of my money on taffy.”
#####
“She’s asleep.” Henry met them at the study door and shut it behind them. “I had Hobbs put some laudanum in her tea this afternoon. She finally settled down a few minutes ago.” He motioned for them to sit before the fireplace. “What did you find out?” He sat opposite them, his eyes huge, with lines of worry framing his mouth.
Rafe sat forward. “Outside of Patrick, what we discuss here today stays in this room. Is that clear?”
Henry sat forward, mimicking him. “Well that depends on what you tell me, Rafe. If I feel the need to contact the police or my attorney, I will do so.”
“The police are already involved and if you need an attorney, I will act for you.”
Squinting, Henry added, “Unless I need one against you.”
Rafe lifted a corner of his mouth. Worthington was beginning to grow on him. “No, but you may need one against Randall Kent.”
Henry’s back stiffened. “Kent? Why?”
>
Beau crossed an ankle over his knee. “Kent hired the man you saw today to kill Rafe.”
Henry stared at them, mouth agape. “You lie. Kent would never do such a thing.”
“Just as he wouldn’t use your shipments abroad to deliver opium?” Rafe raised a brow.
Jumping up from the chair, Henry cried, “What?!”
Rafe proceeded to explain all he had learned that day, as well as what he had seen on the Hunter docks.
Henry paced the length of the room, anger radiating off him as though the fireplace roared. “Where is Duncan now?”
“In jail.” Beau leaned forward as well. “He is to remain there until we gain substantial evidence against Kent. Right now, it is Duncan’s word against Kent.”
Nodding, Henry came to sit again. “We must not alert Kent to our knowledge.”
“Yes,” Rafe agreed with a nod. “And we must keep Tarin away from him. She’s not going to like it, but we need to keep her safe until we catch him.”
Henry’s hands fisted in his lap. “I’ll kill the bloody bastard should he go near her.”
The madman reared his ugly head again. Rafe gritted his teeth. “Not if I get to him, first.”
Henry stared at Rafe with admiration and camaraderie in his gaze. He gave a curt nod of kinship. “So, what do you have in mind? A setup with one of my shipments?”
Rafe exchanged a glance with Beau. “We were hoping you’d agree to that. But we need to iron out the details and decide whether we should include Hunter. Once we have everything in order, I’ll contact you.”
“Very good.” Henry stood. “I expect to hear from you sooner rather than later.” He placed his hands behind his back. “I suppose you will return tomorrow to rectify things with my daughter?”
Rising as well, Rafe said, “I’d like to speak with her now.”
“No.” Henry walked to the door. “That would not be wise. Give her a night’s rest and return tomorrow.” With a furrowed brow, he turned back to Rafe, his hand on the doorknob. “She was very upset. I have not seen her such since her mother died.”
Damn. That was the last thing he wanted to hear. He had to see her and make her understand what had happened at the park today.
But, Rafe would respect Henry’s wishes. For now. He’d come back tonight after the house was asleep. “You will ensure her door and window are locked before she turns in?”
His eyes widened. “I thought she was in no danger.”
“She isn’t. But I would feel better with extra precautions in place.”
“You would expect Kent to enter unannounced?” Henry quizzed, with raised brows.
“After hiring a man to kill me, I would not put anything past him.”
######
Second thoughts assailed Rafe as he stared at Tarin asleep in bed. The last thing he wanted to do was scare her further. And if she woke to find a man standing at the foot of her bed, she would surely go into hysterics.
Though darkness prevailed, he could make out her form with the faint light from the gas lamps streaming through her window. Walking around to the side of the bed, he watched the quiet rise and fall of her chest. Her copper hair lay in wild chaos against the white pillow, her pale hands palm up on either side of her head.
Despite all good sense, Rafe found himself sitting beside her. It surprised him to smell lavender on the bedclothes rather than roses.
Sitting this close, he could hear the quiet snores she emitted through her small nose. He smiled. Even with something as unladylike as snoring, Tarin performed it with class and grace.
The next thing he knew, his fingers were in her hair. It felt like silk in his hand. He wanted to lean down and inhale its freshness but was afraid he’d wake her.
Isn’t that why you’re here?
He did need to remedy things with her. But did he need to do it tonight? Perhaps Henry was right - maybe he should wait. Wasn’t it enough to see her sleeping peacefully?
Suddenly, she stirred, causing Rafe to snatch his hand back. He sat completely still as he waited for her to settle. Turning on her side, she snuggled into her pillow, facing the window. The angle highlighted tear streaks on her cheeks that had been hidden from him before.
His gut tightened. She must’ve cried recently for the tear stains to be so obvious. If he woke her, how did he calm her yet make her understand that he would do it all over again in order to save her?
He watched her face scrunch up as if she were going to cry, her mouth turning down at the corners and quivering. She still slept.
“Rafe…” Her breathing suddenly labored, she cried his name again.
“Sshhh…” He stroked her cheek with the back of his hand.
Immediately, she stilled. “Don’t go. Please don’t go.” Grabbing his hand, she brought it between her cheek and the pillow. “Take me with you, mother,” she whispered, clutching his wrist to hold it in place. Her snoring resumed.
Caught in the web of her personal nightmares, Tarin was too tired and sedated to escape. If his presence helped her sleep, he would stay there until morning, regardless of what Henry considered proper.
Feeling her breath on his skin, the warmth of her body against his leg, it took every ounce of willpower he had not to climb in bed next to her.
He felt her body tense, her hold on his hand tighten. “Don’t touch me…”
Stiffening, Rafe didn’t move. Tarin had told him that this afternoon in the park. Was she replaying the scene again in her dreams? Perhaps, he should wake her.
“You are not the only one with secrets.” She flipped on her back, releasing his hand.
Frowning, Rafe brought it back to his lap. What the hell? What secrets? Did she know of his deal with Henry? She had not let on prior to the incident with Duncan. What did she mean by that?
Then again, why should it mean anything? It was a dream. Perhaps, he needed to wake her to rescue her from the troubling thoughts.
Giving in to the base instincts that nagged him, Rafe leaned forward and kissed Tarin’s temple. He stretched out beside her on the bed and waited. He had to be ready to cover her mouth should she scream.
Inhaling deeply, she turned towards him but did not wake.
Brushing her hair back from her face, he kissed her forehead, her nose, before brushing a light kiss across her lips. God, she was so sweet. “Tarin…”
“Rafe…” she whispered, stirring again.
He kissed her mouth. She kissed him back. Scooting closer, he kissed her again, lingering a little longer. Her arm wrapped around his neck, pulling him closer. She kissed him again, with more urgency.
And hunger.
Images of rolling her on top of him filled Rafe’s vision, causing a hitch in his breathing and his heart rate. He hardened against her leg. He knew he could get her to acquiescence, if he chose. But, he was not willing to delve into the additional nightmare of his scars. And a nightmare that would be. They had enough to deal with.
Closing a palm over her breast, he elicited moans from them both.
Until she shoved away from him. “Rafe?” She backed up and turned on the bedside lamp.
Breathing hard, he frowned against the light. “It’d damn well better be me.”
Brushing the hair out of her eyes, she pulled the sheet up to cover herself. “What are you doing here?” Her gaze traveled over his form.
Reaching out, he caressed her jaw with his thumb. “You know why I’m here.”
She backed away further, out of reach. “Are you well? What happened with that horrid man? Why did he try to kill me?”
Hell. How did he tell her the man was actually trying to kill him, without upsetting her further?
“I’m fine.” He reached for her fingers, playing with them as he spoke. “The man is in jail and will remain there.” He glanced up at her. “And he wasn’t there to kill you. You just happened to get in the way of his real mission.”
“Which was?” She searched his gaze. Rafe hoped like hell he could pull this
off.
“He had been paid to kill someone else.” Rafe dropped his eyes. “Fortunately, we were able to foil his plans.”
“Who? Why?”
Rafe shrugged. “The police are working on that.”
Silence ensued. Rafe’s gaze snapped to hers when she snatched her fingers from his grasp.
“I want you to leave.”
Feeling like she had punched him in the chest, Rafe swallowed hard. “No. Your father said you were upset. I’m not leaving until I know you’re well.”
She sat up, her gaze avoiding him. “I am fine. I don’t want you here. Please leave.”
The words had more power over him than he cared to admit. His throat clogged. “Why?”
Shaking her head, she played with a thread on the blanket. “I cannot watch you die.” Tears laced her voice. “I cannot watch you put yourself in harm’s way without a thought.”
Moving closer to her on the bed, he sat up and took her red face between his palms. Good God, he hated when she cried. “Without a thought?! I did have a thought. My only thought was saving you. I did what I had to do to stop him. And I would do it again if put in the same situation.” He lowered his voice as he wiped a tear from her cheek. “I would die saving you. You have to know that.”
“And you think I could live without you, knowing you died because of me?” She shook her head. “No. No, Rafe. I cannot do this.” She moved away from him.
Dumbfounded, he could only stare at her. “So, you would prefer I do nothing if you’re in danger?”
“No! But you did not hesitate to walk headlong into that gun. You could have…” She waved an arm. “…tried to convince him to turn it over or, or something.”
Tarin did not know what men like Duncan were capable of. If he had detected a weakness, he would have taken advantage of it and Tarin, or someone else, would have been killed.
“And because of this, you’ve decided you do not want to marry me?”
Renewed tears filled her eyes. “I cannot.”
