Scandalous Scoundrels

by Aileen Fish

A bark of laughter escaped his mouth. “Because I made a deal with her.”

  Gemma stood up and approached him. “What did you do?”

  He’d bargained with one of the devil’s servants. It was the only thing he could think to do when she’d cornered him with her insane request. There was no way parliament was going to grant him a divorce. No matter how much he paid them to get out of it. There was only way to end a marriage—one of them had to die.

  They were stuck together whether she liked it or not.

  “I agreed to her terms if she agreed to mine.”

  “What did you ask for?”

  Noah looked down at her and replied, “I asked for a child.”

  “Oh, Noah.”

  Sadness filled her eyes. He didn’t like the way she was staring at him. Gemma meant well, but she didn’t know what it was like to live inside his skin. To know love and then have it ripped from him—nothing hurt more than that. Even though both his parents died while he was a child, this was so much more painful. His heart was ripped to shreds with no hope of being repaired.

  “Don’t look at me like that.”

  “I’m sorry.”

  He frowned. “What for? You didn’t do it. You’ve always been a good friend to me. Without you and Liam I’d be alone.”

  At least he wouldn’t inflict himself upon Pearla. She may think she loved him, but in time, she’d probably get over that. She escaped a bad fate by escaping marriage to him. He was a bad bet.

  “You’re a good friend too. Don’t sell yourself short.” She stepped up to him and wrapped her arms around his waist, hugging him. Her head lay upon his chest. “Rubina doesn’t know what she’s missing by not staying with you forever. It’s her loss, not yours.”

  “Then why does it feel like I’ve lost a piece of myself?” He wrapped his arms around her, returning the hug. “Everything I thought was up is down and vice versa.”

  She took a step back. A lone tear fell down her cheek. He reached up and wiped it away. “It won’t always be that way. One day you’ll wake up and realize you’re going to be just fine. The ache that takes over your heart won’t be quite as painful and breathing will come a little easier. It only feels so devastating because it’s all fresh and new.”

  “How do you know?”

  “I was you once. When I first told Liam I loved him he practically ran in the other direction. It wasn’t a grand love story like you and Rubina—but it was very real to me. It took a while for me to move on with my life. It helps to have something else to focus on.”

  He shook his head. “Liam was an ass.”

  She smiled. “He was then, yes. And he certainly can be still, but I love him regardless.”

  Noah nodded. “He’s lucky.”

  “Rubina is too.” She placed a hand on his arm. “She will realize it eventually. I’m sure she has reasons for what she’s doing.”

  “She does. She claims to love another and wants to be free to be with them.”

  She shook her head. “She’s lying.”

  “I don’t think she is.”

  Gemma smiled. “I’m willing to bet she still loves you very much. You should ask her about her time apart from you. There’s something she’s not telling you.”

  Noah didn’t think there was. He didn’t really want to listen to tales of her new love. It would hurt too much. No, it was much better not knowing all the gory details. He was afraid of what they were and what they would tell him about his wife. All of his illusions had already been shattered. Why make it even more difficult that it already was? Maybe after he calmed down he’d demand answers. For the moment, he was all right without them.

  “I’d rather not know.”

  “That’s your choice to make, but Noah…” He looked down at her. “She does still love you. You can count on it.”

  “How could you possibly know that?”

  She smiled. “Because you didn’t see how she looked at you when you weren’t looking.”

  He shook his head. “That means nothing. So what if she still desires me? That does not equate love by any means.”

  It didn’t. Rubina may still own his heart, but she took hers back. She wanted to give it completely to another man. Noah couldn’t stomach the idea.

  “It’s not the same thing.”

  “No. Lust burns out a lot faster. Love is supposed to be forever.”

  “I wouldn’t know.” She shook her head. “I do know what a woman in love looks like, and your wife never stopped loving you.”

  She held up her hand when he started to speak, stopping him.

  “Let me finish. You can do what you want with that information, but I think if you try hard enough, in time, she’ll admit the truth to you.”

  “I don’t know.” He frowned.

  “I do.” She smiled. “Take this little bit of advice. Don’t toss what you had aside. Try to see things from her point of view. Maybe dig a little deeper so you can see things from her side. Don’t throw your marriage away without at least trying.”

  Noah sighed. “I’m not making any promises.”

  “I’m not asking you to,” she said. “Now, I need to get home to my husband. If you need someone to talk to, come see me or Liam. We’ll always be here for you.”

  Gemma headed toward the door to leave.

  “Wait,” he called out to her.

  “Yes?”

  “You never did say where Pearla was going.”

  She smiled. “I don’t know. She didn’t want me to slip and tell you.”

  Great. Women seemed to be in a hurry to run away from him, and they didn’t want him to be able to track them down. Gemma meant well, but he didn’t think she saw things as they were. Rubina would give him a child. That’s all he needed from her. Then she could run away and never come back. Noah would find a way to be content with that.

  Even if he had to become even more closed off than he already was.

  Chapter Six

  Rubina rushed through Piccadilly and headed toward The Albany. Damian had a set of rooms there. It was a bachelor residence he kept so he had his own place when he visited London. He’d acquired them when Rubina married Noah. Her brother hadn’t wanted to intrude on her new marriage, but he still wanted to be able to visit her. She didn’t know why he’d kept them upon her supposed death, but the rooms would be their meeting point now. Luckily, they allowed her entrance. There was a time when a woman hadn’t been allowed to even enter the prestigious bachelor residence.

  Rubina looked over her shoulder. A niggling feeling someone was watching her crawled over her skin. She didn’t know where it came from, but she couldn’t shake the sensation. No one seemed to be around. Still, she’d have to be careful. Just because she couldn’t see anyone didn’t mean they weren’t there.

  Rubina shook it off and lifted her skirts, rushing toward the entrance of The Albany. She headed straight to Damian’s set of rooms and knocked on the door. It flew open after a few seconds. Damian looked up and down the hall and yanked her inside.

  “You’re late.”

  Rubina peeled off her gloves and tossed them on a nearby table. “I know. It couldn’t be helped.” She strolled over to a chaise and sat, letting out the breath she’d not realized she’d been holding. “Do you have news?”

  He nodded. “Nothing specific. Just a rumbling.”

  “Tell me.”

  “In all due time.” Damian walked to a nearby window and peered outside. “What happened with Noah?”

  “He’s being difficult.”

  Damian let the curtain slide closed. He laughed. “What did you expect?”

  Rubina frowned. “I’d hoped he would be so disgusted with me he wouldn’t question my request.”

  Damian frowned. “He loves you, Rue. When you died—when he thought you were gone—he shattered. I can’t imagine how it must have been for him to see you alive in front of him. It must have been quite a shock.”

  Rubina looked away. Her brother had no idea how hard it was to
stick to the plan when she saw Noah in the church. The look on his face… It tore her apart. But in order for Noah to live, she had to break him even more.

  “Indeed.”

  “So why did it take you so long to get back here?”

  Rubina sighed. “Noah absconded with me and took me home.”

  “That had to be difficult.” He shook his head and laughed again. “Though I’m not at all surprised he did. I’d have done the same.”

  “I’m sure you would.” She bit her lip. “He’s not going to go along with the divorce so easily—he wants more than I can give him.”

  She couldn’t help wanting to give in to his demands. To make love with her husband and create a child together… Rubina would give anything to have it all. Fate had other ideas for what she could have though.

  “So what does he require to see the divorce through.”

  She waved a hand. “It matters not. I can’t give it to him. We’ll have to find another way.”

  “There is no other way. We already discussed this in length. Paolo has to believe you’ve severed all ties, or else he will go after Noah.”

  “I know,” she exclaimed. “If only we could put an end to this…”

  The crafty bastard was in hiding. They couldn’t locate him anywhere. When Arturo had brought her to Damian, he hadn’t known why Paolo couldn’t be found. He was on a secret mission that no one had all the details for. Rubina was partially glad he’d disappeared. It made her rescue possible. The downside was no one knew exactly where he was—which put Noah in danger.

  “My sources all point to London. He has to be here.” Damian frowned. “If he isn’t he will be soon.”

  “That’s what I’m afraid of.” Rubina shook her head. “Why couldn’t he be on the other side of the world and far away from my husband?” She sighed. “I think I was followed here.”

  “Did you see anyone?” He skimmed the curtains with his hands and looked outside again. “We can’t be too careful with your safety. Perhaps I should accompany you when you leave.”

  “It was more of a sensation of being watched.” She didn’t need Damian to go into protector mode. Rubina suffocated enough under Paolo’s control. “Let the evil bastard make his move. It will give me the opportunity to finish this. Noah will come around and grant me a divorce. It’s his only option. For now I will take up residence in the townhouse we’ve rented for my stay in London.”

  “Noah is the key to all of this. I can feel it in my gut.” Damian paced around the room. “I think you need to go back.”

  “What?” Her eyes widened in shock. “If I go back, he’ll never let me out of his sight again. I’m lucky to have gotten away without him following me.”

  “How did you manage that?”

  Rubina hadn’t wanted to leave. If she’d been given a choice, she’d never leave her husband again. Especially with a beautiful woman keeping him company. She gritted her teeth and clenched her hands into tight fists when he left her alone to speak to Gemma in private. The only way she had been able to allow the slight was to remind herself over and over again the other woman was married to Liam Marsden. The one thing she knew for certain was Liam would never stand for his wife to stray—especially with his best friend. He was no cuckold.

  “He had a visitor. I took advantage and slipped out while he was occupied.”

  Damian’s eyebrow rose. “I’m surprised he let you out of his sight. Noah doesn’t seem like the type to allow you to take advantage of a situation.”

  He was correct. Under normal circumstances Noah wouldn’t have been so easily duped. Her husband had his whole world turned upside down in a short time. He wasn’t at his best—which Rubina took advantage of. When he had time to stop and think, he’d know exactly where she could be found. He’d warned her after all. Which meant she’d have to wrap up her meeting with Damian soon and make herself scarce…

  “He isn’t. It’s been a hard day—I expect he’ll be by soon in a full fury.”

  “Really?” He smiled. “I suppose you’re correct. I look forward to the visit. Now go home to your husband.”

  “No. You know I can’t.”

  “I know you want to protect Noah, but I think the time for that has passed.”

  “You don’t know that for certain.”

  Damian folded his arms across his chest and stared down at her. “I do.”

  “How?”

  He crossed the room and pulled out a slip of paper from a drawer. Damian looked back at her and frowned, then walked to her side. “I received this coded message just before you arrived. Take a look at it.”

  Rubina opened the folded note and scanned the contents. “Arturo can verify this?”

  Damian nodded. “We may not have located Paolo, but we have discovered his mission.”

  She shot to her feet and paced the room. Rubina didn’t say a word for several minutes. Her mind whirled at what Arturo had discovered. How could Noah have been so reckless? He’d unwittingly put himself in far graver danger than she’d realized. There was no protecting him with distance now. She’d have to stay. Her heart leapt with joy at the prospect. Leaving him had never been her wish—but how much could she tell him.

  Damian nodded. “Noah invested in some orchards along the coast of Sicily near Palermo. If I were to hazard a guess, it was something to remind him of you and where he met you.”

  “Oh hell…”

  “The Mafioso doesn’t like usurpers. They want control of that property. Paolo is all too glad to deal with it, knowing how important he is to you. He’d gladly end Noah’s life.”

  “I’m too late.” She threw up her hands. “I broke him even further for nothing.”

  Tears fell from her eyes. She wiped them away. They wouldn’t help the situation. A new plan had to be formed. Noah would not die because of his ties to her and her family.

  “So what am I to do now?”

  Damian pulled her into his arms. He hugged her tight. “Don’t worry, Rue. I won’t let them kill Noah. Paolo will pay for what he’s done to you and our family.”

  Rubina pulled back and steeled herself for their next move. “He will pay. I’ll gladly be the one to end his life. Paolo is an evil man and shouldn’t be allowed to inflict any more pain on another soul.”

  “I can’t let you do that. You already have too much to deal with.” He shook his head. “First and foremost, you need to go home to your husband. Watch everyone around him. Anyone and everyone is suspect. Paolo could take the opportunity to instill someone in Noah’s house to spy on him. We can’t take a chance someone might start feeding him crucial information. You need to be there to prevent any potential danger to your husband.”

  Rubina nodded. “You’re right. Of course, he would try to plant a spy there. Paolo is nothing if not efficient.”

  And smart. Rubina intended to be smarter. She would have to be to defeat him.

  “When I know more, I’ll come by.”

  “What am I to tell Noah?”

  Damian shrugged. “Tell him you went for a walk. Whatever you can to distract him. I’m not so sure it’s a good idea he knows everything yet. He can be—hardheaded.”

  Rubina snorted. Damian didn’t have to tell her how stubborn her husband could be. She knew all too well how he could dig his heels in when a notion came over him. In those times, up was down and vise versa. No one could persuade him when he got an idea about something.

  “At some point we will have to tell him everything.”

  Damian nodded. “I know. Just not yet. Play along with whatever he wants for now. It shouldn’t be much longer, and then you can unburden yourself.”

  The truth shall set her free…

  Hopefully Noah wouldn’t hate her too much when that time came.

  “All right.” She picked up her gloves off the table and slid them back on. “I’ll return to Noah. I won’t say anything for now. But Damian…” She stared him in the eyes. “Find Paolo. End this. I don’t know how long I can keep up this pre
tense without breaking.”

  “I am working as hard and as fast as I can.” He ran his hands through his chestnut hair. His silver eyes filled with worry. “There are only so many places he could be, and I will find him.”

  Rubina nodded. “I hope so.”

  A thunderous boom filled the room. It echoed throughout the entire residence. The earsplitting racket repeated over and over again. They both stopped and turned toward the entrance. A very unhappy person appeared to be knocking on Damian’s door. There really could only be one person who would come by and hit his door with such force.

  Noah had come looking for her.

  He’d promised he would find her, after all. Where else would she have gone but to her brother. Her husband knew her better than he realized. She might be playing a game of illusions with him—making him doubt her—but at her core she hadn’t changed. Rubina always ran to Damian for help. The only exception was Noah. When she met him and fallen in love, that dynamic changed slightly. She’d run to her husband first—unless her problem was about him.

  “I think it’s safe to say your husband is here.”

  Rubina glared at him. “Oh?” Sarcasm filled her voice. “What was your first clue?”

  Another deafening boom filled the room.

  Damian laughed. “I suppose I should let him in before he breaks down the door.”

  Her brother headed toward the door. He took his time. No reason to rush or anything. Noah was just about to do some serious damage to the entrance to his rooms. Why ever wouldn’t he hurry to let him in? Rubina sometimes thought her brother had a death wish.

  He eased the door open and greeted her husband. “Noah, how good to see you? What can I help you with?”

  Noah raised an eyebrow in derision. “Don’t treat me like an idiot. Give me my wife. Now.”

  Damian opened the door all the way allowing Noah to see Rubina.

  Noah’s smile was so full of wickedness it her caused her heart to speed up. She raised her hand across her chest and her mouth fell open in anticipation.

  Oh my…

  “Hello, dear. I told you I’d come for you.”

  Chapter Seven