Page 32 of Brigand

“The hell you were.” He slammed the book closed. “I don’tknow why I bother to try to keep you informed.”

Ewan sucked his teeth. “Neither do I. You always do wellwith or without my consent.”

“Well, we’ve covered enough.” He fixed Ewan with an intentstare. Intent enough to make Ewan fidget.

“What?”

“You had me wait quite a while for you.”

“Sorry.” He wasn’t. Not in the least.

“I had a chance to chat with the lads.”

“And?” This wasn’t small talk, not quite. He wished Colinwould get to the point. He wanted to finish up this meeting and find Violet.Maybe steal a kiss.

“This girl? This prisoner you’re holding here?”

“Yes.” His voice became suddenly clipped.

“The boys are saying, well…word is you’re fucking her.”

Ewan glared at Colin. The man was his best friend, hisconfidant. He didn’t care for the glint in his eye. Or his tone. “Who I’mfucking is my own business.”

“She’s a lady. Of Quality.”

She hadn’t been much of a lady this morning, warbling in hisear. Clenching his cock with that tight, warm cunt… He scuttled the thought.She was a lady. She deserved to be treated like one.

He would. Tonight…

“They feel, if you’re fucking her, they should be able to aswell.”

His gut seized. The hell! He glared through the open doorinto the great room. Who was it? Was it Rory? Tavish? Craig? He’d string themup by the apples. Unable to sit still, he pushed back his chair and paced.“This is hardly a democracy,” he snapped. And Ewan St. Andrews McCloud did notfucking share.

Colin sighed. “I’m just saying, if you want them to keeptheir distance, you’d better stake a public claim. Let them know she’soff-limits. You know these men. They would follow you into hell. But they’renot exactly gentlemen. If they see her as free game, they’ll take her.”

Rage sizzled, prickled his skin. “If any one of them touchesher, I’ll skin him alive.”

“Tell them that.” Colin sat back and laced his fingers overhis belly and studied Ewan with a steady gaze. “I thought she—what’s her name?”

“Violet.” Violet. And she was his.

“I thought this girl was just a means to an end.”

“She is,” Ewan snapped. He didn’t mean to snap. Hell, hedidn’t mean the words. But he was furious. She had been a means to an end atfirst—nothing more. But that had changed. Last night everything had changed.And he—

A small, strangled sound at the door captured his attention.He spun around and froze. Violet, with a tray in her hands, stood there rootedin place, staring at him. Her eyes were wide, beautiful, flooded with anemotion he couldn’t bear to define.

“Y-your breakfast,” she whispered. She made her way into theoffice, walking stiffly, slowly, as though she had to will her muscles to move.

Oh, fuck. She’d heard. She’d heard everything. It would behell talking his way out of this. She set the tray on the table and, withoutmeeting his simmering stare, fled.

Shit.

Ewan glared at Colin; he chuckled.

“Go on,” he said. “You’d better go after her.”

Raking his hair—though it hardly helped—Ewan did.