Page 83 of After the Spy Seduces

“The diary,” Kit called out, again bringing Paxton’s attention back to him. He reached inside his jacket with his left hand and retrieved the diary from his breast pocket. He held it up. “Release her, and you can have it.”

“Toss it here to the floor.”

“Release her first.”

Paxton laughed. “You think I’m that stupid? She’s the only thing keeping you from killing me right now.”

All amusement vanished from his face, and he jabbed the tip of the knife into her belly. Diana gave a small scream.

“Yes, she is.” Kit calmly raised his pistol, ice water churning in his veins. “So treadverycarefully.”

“Toss the diary to me,” Paxton ordered. “Once I have it, I’ll back down the stairs to the landing, then release her and row away.”

Paxton pulled her back flat against his front, so close that he rested his chin on her shoulder, his cheek against hers. She shuddered with revulsion. His eyes glinted as he stared at Kit through the shadows.

“Toss it over, Carlisle. I’m done playing.”

And Kit was out of options. Clenching his jaw, he threw the diary. It landed on the floor and slid to a stop at their feet. Carefully keeping Diana in front of him, Paxton reached down to snatch it up.

“Thank you.” Then Paxton ordered, “Kill him!”

Two men rushed up the stairs from below, pistols drawn and running straight for him.

Diana screamed, “Christopher, look out!”

But he’d seen them coming. With a flash of light, his pistol fired, and the loud explosion echoed off the stone walls. The ball caught one of the men in the thigh. He collapsed to the floor with a howl of pain.

The other sailor charged forward. Kit threw his spent pistol into the man’s face, and when the attacker threw up his arms to protect himself, Kit dove to the side. He rolled and came up onto the balls of his feet, crouched low with a knife in his right hand and a second pistol in his left. The blade flashed as he slashed it into the sailor’s leg, then dropped it clattering to the floor as he tried to wrench the pistol from the man’s hand.

Paxton grabbed her arm and pulled her toward the stairs. “This way, damn you!”

Fear spilled through her. If he managed to pull her down the stairs, nothing would stop him from rowing away with her. Nothing would stop him from killing her. Or worse.

She dropped to the ground, throwing her full weight to the floor to force him to stop.

Barely pausing in his stride, he grabbed her arm and jerked her back up to her feet, but her skirt caught on the toe of her shoe. It ripped up past her knees. With one hand, he shoved her skirt out of the way and hauled her forward, half-dragging her across the floor.

“I’d rather die than go with you!” she bit out, reaching for her leg.

As she rose upward, she slipped the knife free of its scabbard and sliced it into his arm. The metal blade cut through his coat and shirtsleeve beneath, then sank deep into his flesh.

Bellowing in pain, he released her with a shuddering jerk, and his hand reached for the bloody wound on his arm. “You bitch!”

He kicked her. The toe of his boot landed hard in her stomach, and her breath ripped from her lungs. The knife fell from her hand and clattered to the floor, beyond her grasping fingers.

His face twisted into a maniacal expression in the moonlight as he reached for her again, his teeth clenched and bared. Still desperately gulping back her breath, she didn’t have the strength to stop him this time from jerking her to her feet and pulling her toward the stairs. She stumbled helplessly beside him. Every gasping breath sent an incapacitating pain jarring straight through her, from her ribs to her spine.

“Paxton!” Kit shouted.

As he spun around to face Kit, the major pulled her in front of him, once more placing her between him and Kit’s pistol. His forearm returned to her throat to hold her still, while his other hand dove beneath his coat to pull out a gun. Instead of pointing it at Kit, he placed the tip of the barrel against her temple, and she cried out breathlessly in fear.

The two men stared at each other across the room, frozen in place. The two sailors now lay unmoving on the floor.

“Move, and I’ll kill her,” Paxton warned.

She barely heard the threat beneath the blood pounding in her ears with every heartbeat. But she saw Kit stiffen as his muscles tightened, ready to spring.

“Then I’ll kill you before you reach the stairs.”