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“Helpbefore him “What a fine show of brotherly concern…I could almost believe you”

“Put down the daan said curtly

“God, I despise you” Andrew's hand shook as he trained the gun at Logan's midriff “I never realized before how much like my father you are Superior bastards with your filthy secrets,everyone around you—”

“I never treated you that way”

Andrew shook his head in torment “Jimmy…how could we not have known? All those years…”

“Andreait,” Logan said, the blood draining from his face as his half brother cocked the pistol “Andrew—”

There was a startling crack as the nearby flat collapsed, the hinged pieces snapping doard as if pushed by an unseen hand Without any anchoring braces, the reinforced tiun went off with an ear-splitting explosion, a ard bullet instantly burying itself in the side of the proscenium

Madeline stood in the space where the flat had been, staring at the results of her efforts

Logan gazed at her, frozen for a few seconds, registering that she was all right He bent to shove the collapsed flat aside and crouched on the floor to grab his dazed half brother by the collar Andrew reeked of wine, gin, and countless other distillations His dazed eyes opened to stare into Logan's downturned face As Logan had expected, the flat hadn't been heavy enough to hurt hian

Logan clipped hi peacefully onto the stage boards, Andrew began to snore

Madeline hurried over to theht?”

Logan stood slowly He resorted to the tactic of counting to ten, but it did nothing to stee He was afraid to touch her, afraid he ht throttle her

“What the hell was going through your ht to the safety of our child?”

“No, I…” Her bewildered gaze met his “All I could think about was you”

“I can damn well look afterher shoulders and shaking her “By God,to relive the pastlunatic”

“I could hardly stand by and watch hiry No one was hurt, and everything's all right now” Her gaze traveled to Andrew's slu form “For the most part”

“Everything is not all right,” Logan said savagely, letting go of her His heart still thundered in his chest Half of hi her until her teeth rattled, while the other half wanted to crush her against hiht that she could have been hurt, even killed, filled hiht to shut away the tide of e his fists in the effort

Madeline stared at him in obvious bewilderment “I don't understand”

“Then let ly “Your only value toAll I've asked of you is to take care of him—and you're too damned impulsive and reckless to do even that”

Madeline's face drained of blood She looked blank except for a stricken expression in her eyes “I…” She was strangely out of breath “I'”

They were interrupted by the co heard the gunshot as they worked in other parts of the theater

“Mr Scott—”

“What happened?”

“Who is that, and why—”

“Some bastard tried to shoot Mr Scott!”

Logan crouched by Andrew once more “It was an accident No harm was done Gather up Lord Drake and have hie And be careful with him He's ill”

“stinking bloody soused is what he is,” some-one muttered as they obeyed his directives

Logan threw a hard glance at Madeline “He'll stay in our guest quarters Do you have any objections?”

She shook her head briefly, her face suddenly infused with scarlet “Why bother to ask? You'veto you”

She sounded and looked different than he had ever seen her Without thinking, he placed a hand on her back to guide her froe, and she jerked away from him It was the first time she had ever rejected his touch

“I don't need your help,” Madeline said stiffly “All I need froive” She walked away before he could reply, her spine rigid with an anger that disconcerted hi hi, when she was the one who had put herself in danger!

There was silence between them on the way home Once there, Andrew slept soundly as the servants assisted Logan in assuring that he was clean and co a hasty supper with Madeline, Logan prepared to return to the Capital for the scheduled perfor

“Will you be all right?” he asked her tersely “I can send for one of your faone—”

“I'll be fine,” she replied, nothis eyes “The servants will be here if I require anything, and I don't expect Lord Drake will awaken before tomorrow”

“If he does, don't go near him”

“Very well When will you notify Lord Rochester that his son is still alive?”

“I'll let Andrew ly “Go to bed early You've had a shock today You need to rest”

“You needn't be concerned,” Madeline said coolly, determined to match his brusqueness with her own “The baby is fine”