Seduced

by Jess Michaels

  “It’s all Irish there, Jack. If you’re looking for Madman, they’re going to protect their own.”

  “Bloody hell,” Jack said, rising to his feet. “What are you doing here, War? Go to Idleridge with your family, I’ve already told you I don’t need your help or your interference.”

  War arched a brow at Jack’s bluster, but didn’t budge. Of course he didn’t. And his brother was like a goddamned tree, so it wasn’t as if Jack could physically shove him out the door.

  “You’re wrong. You do need my help. To be more specific, my family needs our help.”

  The air whooshed out of Jack’s lungs and he staggered around the desk. “Has something happened to Claire? The children?”

  War shook his head, and Jack almost sagged against the desk in relief. If his situation had caused harm to his brother’s wife…he didn’t think he could live with himself.

  “If they are safe, be grateful and—” Jack began.

  “It’s not my wife you need to worry about,” his brother interrupted. “It’s Letty.”

  Jack stopped talking, stopped moving, stopped breathing as a rush of terror swept through his body. He felt cold, tingly, and his heart began to throb wildly.

  “Letitia?” he asked.

  War nodded. “I have someone here who can explain better than I. Mr. Condit, will you come in?”

  Jack wrinkled his brow. Condit? That was the name of Letitia’s husband’s lover. Her friend, against all odds except for the fact that she was kind and accepting. War stepped aside and the tall, rather handsome man Jack had seen going into Letitia’s house what seemed like a lifetime ago stepped into his office. The man was pale, nervous as he looked around Jack’s lair with a shudder.

  “I know you,” Jack said, leaning forward. “I know a lot about you.”

  Condit shot a glance at Jack and said, “I imagine you do. Letty told me you two had grown…close.”

  “Wait, you didn’t say that when you showed up at my home an hour ago,” War said. He turned his attention to Jack. “Are you sleeping with Letty?”

  Jack met his brother’s stare. “She’s a lady, War. I’m not going to—”

  War turned away with a curse. “You’re sleeping with her. Well, that would explain all her questions about you and the talk of taking lovers. Claire told me her suspicions, but I didn’t believe it. Damn it, Jack, what were you thinking?”

  “I was thinking that I wanted her and that she wanted me.” He shot another glance at Condit, who was not looking at either man. “She needed something and I was happy to provide.”

  “I’m not certain this conversation does anything to help Letty,” Condit interrupted. “Please, might I have a moment alone with Mr. Jack Blackwood, Mr. Blackwood?”

  War sighed. “Fine, but I’m not leaving. And I’m helping you.”

  His brother turned on his heel before Jack could argue and left the room, slamming the door behind himself. Once he was gone, Condit took a step toward Jack.

  “Obviously Letty told you about my situation with her husband, Lord Seagate.”

  Jack folded his arms. “The situation where the two of you hurt her so badly, made her feel so unwanted? Yes, she mentioned it.”

  Condit blanched. “I know that we did Letty wrong. And yet she has never been anything but the kindest and best of friends to me. I adore her, truly, and with all my heart. And that is why I don’t want to waste time dancing about the subject. Tell your brother the truth if it will ease your mind to do so, to punish me. I’m ready to have my life blown up if it comes to that. If it will allow you to focus on Letty.”

  Jack let his gaze flit over him, sizing him up. The man in front of him was such a gentleman, he hadn’t expected him to be so bold. He had to respect that. “I told Letitia that I would not reveal her secret or yours. I’ll hold to that, for it has nothing to do with our current situation.”

  Relief slashed across Condit’s face briefly, but then he nodded. “Let me explain what happened tonight. Letty called me to her home very late. Once there, she admitted she had taken you as a lover. Not only that, but that she cared for you quite deeply.”

  Jack flinched. “A fact I do not deserve.”

  “We shall see if that is true, for Letty has a way of determining the truth behind the façade.” Condit shrugged. “If she loves you, that would indicate there is something in you worth loving.”

  Turning away, Jack shook his head. He couldn’t think about that now. Couldn’t face it or the murky future. “What happened next?”

  “She told me that her brother was involved in some battle you are fighting over your territory. She wanted to go see him.”

  Jack pivoted back. “I told her not to do so.”

  “Yes, so she said. And she also mentioned a guard watching and following her. She asked for my help in thwarting that guard by bringing my mount to the back of the house so she could sneak away on him to meet with Griffin.”

  The blood was beginning to drain from Jack’s face and his head spun. “Please tell me you did not entertain that foolish notion.”

  “She was insistent and claimed you were being overly protective.” Condit shook his head. “I could see she was also desperate and that she would get her way in the end with or without my help. So I agreed.”

  Jack lunged toward him, catching his lapels and shaking. “You let her evade my guard?”

  Condit paled at Jack’s attack, but he didn’t struggle. His voice wavered slightly as he choked out, “Yes. She said she’d go to the home of her parents—she was certain her brother would come there after whatever happened last night. She also vowed she would return within a few hours. But eight o’clock came, then nine, and there was no Letty.”

  “Oh God.” Jack released Condit and backed away, as if distancing himself from this man could stop the truth. It didn’t.

  “I went to her father’s home and found my horse in his stable.” Condit dipped his head. “But there was no Letty there, and no Griffin either. Her parents had seen neither of them and didn’t believe they had been there. I immediately went to your brother’s to see if I could convince him to help me contact you.”

  Jack’s vision blurred and he sank onto the edge of his big desk. “What time did she go to see her brother?” he croaked out.

  “Around four this morning,” Condit said softly.

  Jack glanced once more at his clock. It was nearly half past eleven now. More than seven hours since Letty had last been seen. Seven hours for God-knew-what to happen to her.

  “We must find her,” he whispered, then his voice elevated as if out of his control. “We must find Letitia right now.”

  The door to his office opened and Hoffman entered, War fast on his heels. Hoffman must have heard his final cry, for he said, “There will be no need to find Lady Seagate. O’Malley has her and he’s calling you out. He wants to meet you. And he’s made it clear—”

  Hoffman held out a hand. In it was a long, thick strand of chestnut hair. Jack took it with shaking hands and lifted it to his nose. There was no doubt from the vanilla scent that it was Letitia’s.

  “—this is not a request.”

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  Letty sat bound to a rickety chair in a cold, dank and dirty room. In the flickering light of a candle placed halfway across the chamber, she could make out tables, chairs, even a bar. It was obviously some kind of gathering place.

  Or a latrine. She wrinkled her nose at the vile odors around her. The place made Jack’s lair look like a palace, and for a moment she longed to be there with him.

  But she wasn’t. No, she was with Madman O’Malley now.

  She had been alone in this vast room for a very long time. In fact, she hadn’t seen anyone for what she guessed was about two hours. Not since O’Malley had tied her down and slashed a lock of hair from her head with a wicked-looking curved blade.

  At least he hadn’t cut her throat. Yet.

  She squee
zed her eyes shut, but a few tears still slipped through, running down her cheeks as fear gripped her. Fear for herself, of course. She had looked into the eyes of the man they called Madman and she’d seen the truth in that nickname. There was no doubt he would hurt her. Kill her. Just for sport, not to mention because it would hurt Jack.

  She was also terrified for Griffin, who had foolishly put himself in the middle of this chaos. O’Malley had dragged him along when they returned here. Her brother hadn’t fought, but she could see Griffin knew what a mistake he’d made. What remained to be seen was what he would do about it. She was furious with Griffin, but she didn’t want to see him injured or murdered because of his childishness.

  Of course, most of her panic was because of Jack. Madman had made it clear he intended to kill the man she loved. And he would use her to get to him. Just as Jack had feared.

  “Why didn’t I listen?” she murmured as she bent her head to her chest and let a few more tears fall.

  The door across the room opened, slamming against the wall behind it, and she straightened, preparing herself to face whatever would come next. Madman strode through the door, certain, smiling a half-toothless grin that made his scarred face even more petrifying.

  Behind him came her brother, lantern swinging in his hand. Griffin slinked past her, refusing to look at Letty even when she held her gaze steady on him. He lit the fire and other lamps around the room in silence.

  Her heart sank. It seemed Griffin had chosen his side.

  O’Malley approached her as the light in the room grew brighter and leaned in, catching her cheeks his rough hand and squeezing until the pain was sharp. “Wot does he want with you, little one?” he growled, his thick Irish accent almost undecipherable.

  “Wh-who?” she stammered, determined not to give him any more information or ammunition than she already had.

  He laughed as he shoved her face away and dragged a seat closer. He turned it around and sat facing her, draping his massive arms over the wooden chair back. “Captain Jack.”

  She swallowed, weighing her options. It was impossible, for she didn’t know what O’Malley wanted from her, so it was difficult to guess how to best stymie him in his quest.

  In the end, she decided to go with minimizing her relationship with Jack. She shrugged. “I’m using him, of course. And he’s using me. I slum in his bed, he gets money. It’s all meaningless.”

  She saw Griffin turn away in the corner of the room, and she glared at him. This was no time for him to get squeamish when he’d caused all this.

  Her attention was drawn back to O’Malley when he flipped his chair out of the way and moved toward her with a huge, broken grin. “Very interesting. If that’s so, luv, ’haps you’d like to try the same game with a real man.”

  He grabbed for his crotch lewdly and Letty could see he was half hard already. Her stomach turned, and in a horrible moment she realized she could do nothing against the assault of a man twice her size and strength.

  He reached for her as she drew a long breath, trying to center herself, trying to find a place she could take her mind where she would be disconnected from her body. But as he grabbed her, dragging her chair close, she heard her brother’s voice.

  “Stop!”

  O’Malley looked at her with a scowl. “Little brother is interferin’ where he don’t belong.” He spun on Griffin, and as he moved Letty caught her breath. Her brother had his gun out and was pointing it at O’Malley.

  “Let her go now,” Griffin said, but his tone lacked strength or conviction. Letty could see his terror as clearly as she felt her own. But her heart still swelled with love for him. In the end, he would protect her rather than see her harmed.

  O’Malley didn’t look impressed by the weapon pointed at his chest or the man who wielded it. “You shut yer mouth, boyo. You’ve done yer job.”

  “My job never included handing my sister over to you,” Griffin said, his voice shaking.

  “Don’t ya think so?” O’Malley said with a chuckle. “Don’t fool yerself, boy. I was always going to take everything that was Jack’s—including yer sister. And if yer smart, you’ll shut your mouth, let me do what I’m going to do and maybe, just maybe, I won’t kill you after. I might even let you shovel shit for me.”

  Letty sucked in her breath as O’Malley slowly approached her brother. Griffin’s hand shook, and she prayed he would have the strength to pull the trigger. Of course, they wouldn’t make it out of here alive if he killed O’Malley. But at least they would fight. And at least O’Malley wouldn’t be able to hurt Jack.

  But Griffin didn’t fire, and O’Malley reached out to wrench the gun from his grip. He turned it in his hand and slammed Griffin across the cheek with it, sending her brother flying across the room and into the wall, where he crumpled, staring up at his attacker in fear and confusion.

  “Please, don’t!” she screamed as O’Malley turned the gun again and this time leveled it on her helpless brother.

  But before he could fire, there was a rap on the door. O’Malley didn’t move the gun but shouted, “Wot?”

  “Captain Jack is here, Madman,” came a weak voice from behind the door. “And he’s got his brother with him.”

  O’Malley’s eyes lit up as he spun back to Letty. “Two Blackwoods for the price of one. Excellent. We’ll be back, luscious Letty. And I’ll let yer lover and yer brother see what I intend to do with you ’afore I end their lives. It’ll be a party, indeed.”

  He exited the room, but she heard him shout as he left, “Tie up the pup alongside the bitch.”

  A man scuttled in as O’Malley’s footsteps exited down the hall and grabbed Griffin from his place on the floor. Her brother struggled, but the man hardly registered it as he flung him into another chair and tied him just as tightly as Letty had been bound. For a few moments the siblings stared at each other, and then Griffin began to weep.

  “I’m sorry,” he sobbed. “I’m sorry, Letty.”

  She nodded. “I know, love. But I don’t think sorry is going to save us. We can only hope the man you betrayed will. Jack is our only hope now.”

  And Jack was walking straight into a deadly trap.

  Jack watched as O’Malley’s men stripped War of his weapons. He felt them patting him, none too gently, to do the same to him, but all he could think about was Letty. He would have to play his cards perfectly if he wanted to get her out alive. Especially since it was just him and War here. He’d sent Condit back to Letitia’s cousins to see if any of the Woodleys could help. His own men were gathering, fulfilling plans that could only come to fruition once Letitia was safe.

  O’Malley entered the room with a grin. Jack had never seen the man before, just drawings. They didn’t do him justice. Madman was tall and thickly muscled, with an ugly scar on his face and several teeth missing. He was a brute. A man not to be trifled with.

  “We meet at last,” O’Malley drawled, his thick Irish brogue anything but lilting or pleasant to the ear. “It’s been too long comin’, Jack boy.”

  Jack arched a brow, forcing the nonchalance that normally came so easily. “If you say so. I must admit, O’Malley, I hadn’t really given you a thought.”

  “And that’s where ya failed,” O’Malley said with a scowl. “The devil you never see comin’ is the one who’ll shoot ya dead.”

  “Then do it,” Jack said, opening his arms. “And be done with your games.”

  O’Malley smiled once more. “Ah, you know that’d be too easy, now. We have a long day ahead of us, perhaps even a longer night if I’m havin’ fun.”

  Jack lifted his chin. So he was to be tortured. If it came to that, he was ready. Pain was something one could master, at least to a point. He shot his brother a look and found War was stone-faced. Of course he would be. War had always been the silent muscle in their partnership so many years ago. Jack was the talker, the negotiator. Right now he had no idea what to say.

  A fact that didn�
�t seem to bother O’Malley in the slightest. “I’m surprised you haven’t asked me where the Luscious Letty is.”

  Jack took a small breath, trying to keep himself calm before he responded. The last thing he needed to do now was let O’Malley know how important Letitia was to him.

  “Why would I care?” he asked with a shrug.

  O’Malley gave a husky laugh, made smoky by hard living, and nodded. “You and the girl are of a mind. She also said you meant nothing to her. Even said she paid you to spread her legs.”

  Jack tensed his jaw, but silently praised Letitia for being so willing to dismiss him. “Aye. A fine bargain, wouldn’t you agree?” he asked through clenched teeth.

  “It would be, if I believed it.” O’Malley leaned in, and Jack scented whiskey on his breath. He’d been drinking already. That was a weakness Jack could exploit, perhaps. “But I don’t. I saw her eyes, Jackie. I see yours. She means something to you. Which is why you get to see.” He motioned to the other men in the room. “Bring ’em with me.”

  Jack was grabbed from behind, but he didn’t struggle as he and War were maneuvered down a short hallway toward another room.

  “See what?” he asked as they were shoved and prodded.

  O’Malley turned on him with another of those loathsome grins. “See me have her. And then see me kill her brother. And then your brother. And then her. Because there’s only one way to dethrone a king, Jack. You know it as well as I do.”

  Jack bit back his moan of pain, of fear, as they were led into the room. Across it, Letitia was tied to a chair, her brother tied to another beside her. They were guarded by a huge man who tipped his head to O’Malley as they entered.

  She looked unharmed at present, though it was clear she had been crying. Jack breathed a sigh of relief at that, even though he knew it wouldn’t last if he couldn’t find some way to set her free.

  “Jack,” she whispered, her brown eyes finding his, filled with relief at seeing him mixed with terror and guilt. “I’m sorry.”