Hold Your Breath 02 - Unmasking the Marquess

by K. J. Jackson

  Killian flinched at her words, and she could see rage pulsating along his jaw.

  “So I need to end this, Killian. For me. For you. I need to see him. One time. If you do not allow me to go today, I will go tomorrow, or the next day, or the day after. You cannot keep me captive from him.”

  Reanna held hard against his glare, unflinching until Killian sank down, leaning back in his chair.

  “Fine. I will have the carriage brought about. But I am coming with, and you will not be alone with him. I refuse that, so do not even ask.”

  She gave a crisp nod. “Thank you.”

  ~~~

  Walking through the building by the docks that held the main shipping offices, Killian paused outside the door of a large room.

  Reanna looked up at him, her voice a whisper. “Is this it? This was where you did business here? So he is in there?”

  Killian nodded.

  Reanna’s lips drew back in a hard line. “Good.”

  She took a step in front of him and walked through the entrance. Leaving Killian at the door, she rushed forward. In one short motion, she advanced at her father, drawing the dagger from her prettiest peach reticule. She had the blade long against her father’s neck before her father, or Killian, could react.

  Body contorted, leaning as far back from the knife as the wooden chair he sat in would allow, her father glared up at her, his hands gripping the desk. But he made no motion to try to rip the blade from her hand. The pressure she exerted, and the thin line of blood appearing above his cravat made sure of that.

  “You are treading upon harsh retribution, daughter. Remove the blade from my neck this instant.” His precarious position did nothing to curb his arrogance.

  “I would have hoped your first words were an apology, father.” Her words hissed out. “I would have, had I not experienced myself what you are capable of.”

  His eyes veered over her shoulder. “Southfork, remove your wife.”

  “I would prefer her not to be in your vicinity at all, Halstead, especially with a knife in hand,” Killian said, voice measured. “But do not dare to think I would interfere with her wishes.”

  Reanna heard the door click closed behind her. Good husband.

  She slapped down a set of folded documents, half out of her reticule, on the desk, capturing her father’s attention.

  “What are those?” Halstead asked.

  “Everything you took from Killian, you will return. You will sign everything back over to him.”

  Her father scoffed. “I will do no such thing. Now, remove this blade from my body, daughter, or I will do it for you, and you will pay dearly for your insolence.”

  Reanna twisted the blade on his neck. “What do you think is going to happen to you if you take this knife from my hand and threaten me, father? Let me answer. Killian will kill you before you blink.”

  “He would not.”

  “Take a look over my shoulder, father.”

  Halstead’s eyes flickered over her shoulder.

  “Is Killian there, frightened, wondering what to do?” Reanna’s eyes didn’t leave her father’s face. “No. Your threat was enough. He is standing there, murder in his eyes, waiting for me to move so he can step in and gut you, is he not? ”

  His eyes flew to Reanna’s face. She could see his facade slip, cracking.

  “I am the only thing right now between you, and death.” Her hand slapped the papers on the desk. “So this is your option out, father. This is how you stay alive. You will sign these papers. And then we will have you escorted to the docks, and you will leave this land forever. Or I will save Killian the trouble and kill you with my very own hand.”

  “You would not dare.”

  “No?” She pressed on the dagger. “Tell me father, who inherits everything when you die? Have you thought to attend to that, or have you been counting your coins?”

  His mouth clamped shut, face turning red.

  “Yes, I thought so. I will get it all back upon your death. And if I get it back, Killian gets it back.” She gave a slow nod. “That seems very fair. So enlighten me, father, why would I not hasten your death? Why do you think I am not as heartless as you? I am your blood.”

  “Daughter—”

  “Sign the papers, father.” Her voice was cold in its dead calm.

  Murder set in his own eyes, Halstead glowered at Reanna, still attempting intimidation.

  A long minute passed, and Halstead broke, his hand reaching for a quill. Reanna lessened her hold on his neck so he could lean forward and set ink to paper.

  Setting the quill down on the desk, he leaned back, Reanna’s blade still tight to his neck.

  She held her free hand out. “Your seal.”

  He reached into his jacket pulling it from an inside pocket. Reanna grabbed it, ripping the chain apart as she yanked it from him.

  “You will regret this, daughter. You will regret this.”

  “Doubtful.” She leaned in, her eyes level with his. “Father. I am now done with you. Thank you for my food and clothes and shelter. Please consider keeping your life as repayment for services rendered.”

  She straightened, her eyes and blade not leaving him. “Killian, can you please open the door?”

  Killian opened the door, and she heard two men walk into the room. Taking a swift step away from her father, out of his reach, she looked to door, pointing to the two burly men waiting.

  “Father, these two will be your escort onto a ship that is about to set sail.”

  “But, daughter—”

  “Get the hell out of Killian’s office, father. Out of our lives.”

  He sat at the desk, not moving, scowling at Reanna until she flipped her wrist to the two brutes. They stepped in, each grabbing one of her father’s arms, and jerked him to his feet. Halstead gave an undignified squirm until one of the men yanked upward, taking him off his feet. He landed, slumping in defeat as he stumbled out between the two men.

  “Thank you, good sirs,” Reanna said over her shoulder as they disappeared out the door. She was already busy setting wax and her father’s seal to the papers.

  The door to the office closed once more, and Killian was across the room to her in two strides.

  “Good God, Ree. Why the hell did you think to do that?” He grabbed her, snatching her into his arms and enveloping her body. “And where the blast did you even get a blade—you near keeled me over in fear.”

  She let his solid arms shelter her for long minutes before she pulled her head out from his hold. Fingers pushing on his chest, she leaned back to look up at him, then tossed her father’s seal onto the desk and slid her arms around his waist. “You are mine, Killian. And I protect what is mine.”

  He laughed, his chest shaking her. “I feel very safe. Safe on a whole new level. But do not ever do something like that again to me.” His hand went to the side of her face, cupping it. “Hell, Ree, you are trembling.”

  She ducked her head, finding the crook in the middle of his chest. “It will pass. Just hide me again.”

  Gentle, his hand went to the back of her head, pulling her completely into him once more. He kissed the top of her head. “Are you sure this is what you want? He is your father.”

  “I want peace, Killian.” She didn’t lift her head from its cocoon. “Peace that can only be found with my father on a continent far, far away. I am sending him off alive. That is enough for me.”

  “Do you trust that—him existing somewhere without accountability?”

  She turned her head to the side, tilting her chin upward, but keeping her cheek on his muscle. “I am sure you will take care of that, dear husband. I doubt my father will take two steps in any direction without a report coming back to you.”

  Killian smirked, landing another kiss on her forehead. “Already planning it out in my head, Ree.”

  Her shaking subsided, and without letting her go, he shuffled the two of them toward the desk. Keeping one arm tightly around her, he reached out with a hand
to grab the documents from the desk.

  “Where did you get these?”

  “Miss Melby snuck in your solicitor to help me yesterday when you went to see the children. He delivered the papers this morning to her. I read them. They look like they are in order to me. Are they?”

  Over her head, he scanned the documents. After a moment, he looked down at her, eyes in awe. “They are. How did you…” He cut off his own words, dropping the papers and rewrapping both of his arms around her. “You, my beautiful wife, have amazed me more than one man deserves to be amazed in a lifetime.”

  She looked up at him, light in her blue eyes shining. “It is a good thing you finally took notice of me, then.”

  Killian laughed. Pure. Heartfelt.

  “A good thing, indeed.”

  { Epilogue }

  “Can you wait just one moment?”

  “If I must.” The tip of Reanna’s tongue slid out, grazing across her lips slowly.

  “Debaucher. Do not make me forget this. I would have thought the past two weeks would have tempered your appetite for our bed.” Killian leaned in to bite her lip, then squeezed and dropped her hand, darting into the study.

  Reanna followed him into the room, sighing, and watched him go around the desk and begin to rummage through papers in a drawer.

  He glanced up at her and chuckled. “The pout is effective, but this really will only take a moment, once I find the paper. I want to write down a note I had about Maggie while we were at the baptism. I think she would like a music box for Christmas, as she loves to dance, and if I do not write it down right away, I will forget.” His head went down as he continued the search. “Use the moment to imagine what I am going to do to you upstairs.”

  Reanna laughed and went to settee, sitting. “Have I told you that you are an amazingly thoughtful man? A man who keeps an ongoing list of gifts for little children, I think, is hard to come by.”

  “You can thank me upstairs.” Shuffling papers, Killian pulled several sheets with neat lines on them and set them on the desk.

  “The baby is wonderful.”

  Killian nodded as he pulled a quill. “Yes. And handsome. But we are biased, of course. It would have been a perfect ceremony had Aggie’s brother not toppled Aggie over. It was just a good thing Devin was holding little Andrew at the time.”

  “What was wrong with Lord Clapinshire? I know your shipping interests align, so you see him often. Is he always like that? He looked terrible.”

  “Clapinshire is usually not that drunk.” Killian shrugged, dipping the quill into ink. “Devin has said he has been getting a little too accustomed to the bottle, these days. Apparently, Aggie is quite desperate to pull him out of his downward spiral.”

  “Sad. So sad.”

  A rap on the door interrupted their conversation.

  “Enter,” Killian said as he finished his note.

  Ludwig opened the door, letter on a silver tray in his hand. “Please excuse the interruption, my lord. This missive just arrived, with a fervent plea to get it into the hands of Lady Southfork immediately.”

  Killian waved him in, and he came to Reanna, holding the tray before her. She took the letter, and Ludwig exited, closing the door.

  Reanna opened the sealed letter, quickly scanning the contents. She looked up at Killian, odd crease in her brow.

  “What is it?”

  “It is my aunt.” She shook her head, her eyes going back to the letter. “She would like us to host a house party for her with a just few, very specific she says, ‘discrete and trustworthy’ people.”

  “Bizarre. Why? I thought your aunt was one to never step foot on English soil again.”

  Reanna shrugged. “She was. I do not know what has changed. There are no details, just the request. And she asked for it to happen in a fortnight. She is travelling here even as we speak.”

  Killian tapped his fingers on the desk. “We will do it, of course. But we will have to delay the trip to Holloton with the children. I imagine we can convince Devin and Aggie to join us at Curplan Hall. Do you think that will suffice?”

  “I hope so.” Reanna lifted the letter from her lap. “It appears she has already invited two guests as well.”

  “She has? Slightly presumptuous.”

  “I know. But that is her. She is a bold, straightforward woman, my aunt Maureen.”

  “Who did she invite?”

  Reanna shook her head. “She did not write their names. Nor did she say how long whatever she is planning will take. I am sorry this is upending our trip to Holloton with the children. They love being at the Charles Street house, now that they are settled, but they were still so looking forward to the countryside.”

  Killian set the papers back into the drawer, coming around the desk. “It is only September, so we have some time before it gets cold—we can still send the children up to Holloton with the nannies, and then join them after your aunt is done with our hospitality.”

  He moved to stand in front of Reanna, taking the letter and setting it on a side table. He grabbed her hands, pulling her to her feet. “Besides, now that the option is in front of me, I do have that copper tub at Curplan that I have been having especially wicked thoughts about enjoying you in.”

  Lascivious smile spreading, Reanna’s hands went to his face, caressing the slight stubble along his jaw. “Speaking of wicked thoughts, my husband, my earlier imaginations had nothing at all to do with what you are going to do to me upstairs.”

  His eyebrow arched. “No?”

  “No.” Her lips went onto his neck, tongue tasting the salt of his skin. She spun them, then pushed Killian down onto the settee. “No, I would much prefer what I am going to do to you, right here, right now.”

  He grabbed her hips, yanking her down with a chuckle. She straddled him, hips circling as she grabbed his hand and moved it to the wooden armrest, guiding his fingers over the smooth curve.

  Her teeth nipped his ear. “Sturdy, remember?”

  “I do.” Killian laughed, hands already working her bodice. “Heaven help me, I do, my love.”

  ~ Author’s Note ~

  Thank you so much for taking this latest trip back in time with me!

  Word of mouth is crucial for any author to succeed. If you liked reading Unmasking the Marquess, please consider leaving a brief review on Amazon—even if it is only a line or two, it is an enormous help. I truly appreciate the reader’s words and thank you so much!

  Amazon US: amazon.com/dp/B00N3LO0R2

  Amazon UK: amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B00N3LO0R2

  Amazon AU: amazon.com.au/gp/product/B00N3LO0R2

  The next book in the Hold Your Breath series will debut in Winter 2015. Aggie’s brother, Jason, has stepped forward to have his story told—and it should be interesting, what with his current despondent state. Be sure to sign up for news of my next releases at www.KJJackson.com (email addresses are precious, so out of respect, you’ll only hear from me when I actually have real news).

  Interested in Paranormal Romance?

  In the meantime, if you want to switch genres and check out my Flame Moon paranormal romance series, Flame Moon #1, the first book in the series, is currently free (ebook) at all stores. Flame Moon is a stand-alone story, so no worries on getting sucked into a cliffhanger. But number two in the series, Triple Infinity, ends with a fun cliff, so be forewarned. Number three in the series, Flux Flame, ties up that portion of the series.

  As always, I love to connect with my readers, you can reach me at:

  Email: mailto:kjk19jackson@gmail.com

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  Thank you for allowing my stories into your life and time—it is an honor!

  ~ K.J. Jackson

  Breath 02 - Unmasking the Marquess