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Chapter Five

Outside, instead of following the general flight down Hayin palace, then set her on her feet

Before she could say a word, he began pawing her again "Were you injured?" he barked While she could only sputter, he pulled up her skirts again to check her legs, then rose to fist his hands around her ar his pal for breaks, sprains Aly, she felt herself to be unharh?" Sonized hiht" Soon, yes,soon , she would catch her breath and stop gazing up at hiined their first ti? She’d envisioned herself coldly sighing and spurning hiiveness for abandoning her without a word

How different reality was provingOf course , Jane would be quite foxed and capable of littleOh, yes, and fresh fro

As he lightly tweaked her crookedbreath "Ah, lass, what in the hell were you thinking, coh his looks were altered, his voice was the saue that used totime to collect herself, she drew back and brushed off her torn skirts "This would have been perfectly safe if the proper bribes had been paid"

"Is that so?"

"Quite" She nodded earnestly "I’ement" She could tell he couldn’t decide if she was serious or not Jane did have a tendency to joke at inappropriate ti her et you in a cab - "

More whistles sounded, and a harsh horn truh took her hand and strode forward, quickly putting distance between theh, you nored her

When she tried to dig in her heels, he easily pulled her along "Hugh! My cousins and my friend are still back there"

"They’re fine But if you go back in your condition, you’ll get arrested"

"In my condition?"

"Drunk"

"Well, since you’ve addressed it, I will tell you that, inback to save my friends feels imperative and quite achievable"

"Will no’ happen"

The alley finally ended, and they reached a cabstand So Hugh was sending her hoo a block, and then she’d get out and return

As ever, a score of drivers geared up to jockey and wrangle for the fare But Hugh held up one finger with a look that subdued even this lively bunch, then pointed to the nicest-looking cab The chosen cabbie eased his vehicle over, all obliging

Hugh tossed Jane inside, then turned to direct the driver to his h was acco her, Jane opened the opposite door and heedlessly climbed out

"Da her to his side with his arain and could do little more than drunkenly blink behind her mask

"Your friends are safe," he repeated as he tossed her back in, keeping a fist in her skirts as he joined her He slammed one door, then reached over her to sla, he finally relaxed a fraction

He’d never forget catching sight of her inside, then seeing her disappear in that swar as he lived

"How do you know they’re safe?" she deo in, no’ five minutes before me And trust me, Quin will no’ let his sisters stay to look for you"

Jane’s eyes narrowed "What was he doing there?"

"He suspected his sisters would attend"

She quirked an eyebrow, glancing out thein the direction of the warehouse "Really?" When she said the word slowly like that with her proper English accent, it always sounded like "raaaally"

Oh, yes, she was very suspicious She hadn’t cliood reason

She suddenly gasped, facing him "B-but ere separated from Maddy!"

"Is she the blonde in the blue dress?"

"You noticed her?" Jane stilled "I didn’t think blondes were your type"

He frowned at her tone "Apparently, they’re my brother’s Ethan is intent on the lass and went in totalk to her" Even after Hugh had followed hiirl, Ethan was undeterred "Your friend Maddy - "

"Madeleine Madeleine Van Rowen"

Van Rowen The na after that one What in the hell would Ethan do when he discovered whose daughter she was?

"Your friend will be fine"At least from the crowd and the police "Ethan will no’ let her be hurt"By anyone else"But when you see her again, you ht want to warn her about Ethan He’s no’ the most honorable of h would like to say Ethan had changed after he’d received the injury to his face Or when his fianc&u But Ethan had always been a rough, roguish sort, showing afew attach h, you ht want to warn your brother about that one Little Maddy’s not as sweet and helpless as she looks I’d worryexpression, but she ignored it and said, "So, both Quin and your brother were there I wonder, ereyou doing in a place like that?" When Hugh sied, her lips thinned "No need to answer, I can ih, that you’re not scandalized thatI was there"

Did she want him to be? Of course, he hated it, hated that she was in a place so rife with danger "Nothing you do could shock me, Jane"

"No corown, are you no’?"

"Hugh, you don’t have to interrupt your night’s revelry just to take"And there’s another establishive you directions Much ao for that," he answered quietly

"Then why on earth were you there?"

He studied thebeside her as he lanced back at her Her sudden s to hi her eyes from his, she untied her mask Somehow sheher body for hihtened his every muscle, and he leaned closer to her, even as instinct screamed for him to ease away

She dropped the rownined how lovely she’d been He’d thought she would have lost the first blush of youth, the fire in her personality diain now, he knew these qualities wouldnever fade

An old question arose for the thousandth ti ht now, he believed so, yet he was still greedy for the sight of her, studying her face at leisure, savoring

Her eyes were that changeable, intoxicating green Her cheekbones were high, her nose sliht, her loosened hair appeared dark, nearly black, as it curled all around her face and shoulders, but it was actually a deep auburn Her lips were plump, and on the one occasion he’d dared stroke his thu they’d been -

"Do I pass rin that made his heart punch the insides of his chest

"As ever" He fought not to touch a curl that teased her cheek, taunting him

"You, however, are quite dirty," she said with a disapproving glance at his clothes "And your face is cut up" Were her words slurring worse? "Hugh, whatever have you gotten into?"

"I’ve ridden for days on end" He hadn’t taken time to heal and sure as hell hadn’t stopped for ablutions when he’d believed she was in danger But how badly he wished he looked successful, as wealthy as he’d finally become Any man would want to appear rich and powerful to the wo covered in road griht now, he’d accept clean

"And what brings you to London?" she asked

You Finally, I’ve perh had never lied to her before Yet the last tier and still concerned with honor No longer

He opened his mouth to speak, but the facile lie he’d prepared refused to escape his lips So, he told her the truth "Your father sent forover at hi at her, he searched for his voice, finally grating, "You canna i with jealousy at the thought of Hugh sa the pleasures of the Hive - and at the possibility of his interest in Maddy Jane had no objection to Maddy snagging her cousin Quin, the only eneration, solely for his ether with Maddy had made Jane want to claw her eyes out

Then cah’s quiet aduard

"How do you feel, S¨¬ne?" he asked

S¨¬newas the Gaelic form of Jane - he pronounced itShee-ah-na and had never seemed to realize that he always said it as if it were an endearment Her eyes nearly fluttered closed with pleasure at the naue would be the death of her

"Lass, are you shivering?"

"Too h she knew that wasn’t why she shook Even if the crush hadn’t scared her witless, even if seeing him once more hadn’t stunned her, she’d still be reduced to shivers by the way he said her naht to see about these" Before thinking better of it, she lightly touched the backs of her fingers to the three marks on his face, but he flinched as if burned

"Did I hurt you?" She laid her hand on his ared away "I’m sorry"

"No bother"

Then why had he shifted as far away from her as possible on the bench and turned aithout a word? As he stared out the , eyes subtly darting over the street as though searching for so, she took the opportunity to study him