Seducing the Ruthless Rogue (4 page)

“I would not marry you if you were the last man on earth.
 
I don’t care what the reason or who was doing the forcing.”

“I am so glad our feelings for one another are mutual.”
 
A knock sounded on the door.
 
“Now, do you want to leave by the front door or the back?”
 
He chuckled, amused as her eyes widened.
 
“Ah, not as brave as you would have everyone believe, are ye?”

“I believe I will leave out the back, but don’t you dare think this is over, Director McKenzie.”

“I wouldn’t dream of it,” he said and moved to the front door.
 
He flung it open just as he heard the snick of the back door.
 
“Good…”

“Get out of my way,” his beautiful sister-in-law ordered, as she pushed him out of the way and raced down the hall to the water closet.

“Take the baby,” Gabe said, holding his daughter out to the other man before following his wife.

“Mack, Mack, Mack, Mack,” the baby repeated happily clapping her hands on her uncle’s cheeks.
 

Just as he made to close the door, he saw Miss Graham race across the small front patch of lawn to a waiting hack.
 
He gave a little wave in her direction before she glared at him and slammed the door of the conveyance.
 
Mack shut the front door and took the baby to the parlor.
 
“Oh, Lady Di, what is wrong with your sweet Mama?”

“Her Papa,” a husky feminine voice replied.
 
“Sorry about barging right past you earlier.”

“That’s all right.
 
This is a special trip for you, isn’t it, coming to a bachelor’s house?” he asked between making silly faces at his niece, Diana.
 
She’d discovered walking since the last time he’d seen her, and now she toddled about the room on shaky legs.

“It is,” Gabe entered the conversation, putting an arm around his wife and pulling her close.
 
“I told her that I could tell you myself, but she would not hear of it.”

“What?”

“You’re going to be an uncle again,” Mikala announced, attempting to muster up some enthusiasm.
 
“Excuse me,” she said and rushed out of the room.

“Gabe, let her lay down on my bed for a while.
 
There are some things I want to discuss with you anyway.”

“Di?”

“I have her well in hand, go take care of your wife.”

“Thank you,” Gabe said sheepishly and left the room once more.

“Your poor Mama,” he said, picking up Di and swinging her about until she squealed with glee.
 
He rubbed his nose back and forth with his niece’s causing her to giggle.
 
“You were much kinder to her.”
 
He grabbed a basket stashed in the corner of the room and carried it to the study.
 
He put his niece and basket on the floor.
 
She quickly began delving through the toys.
 

“You are so…”

“Don’t say a word, brother.
 
I don’t want it to get around that babies cause me to go all soft.
 
How is Mikala?”

“Resting, thank you.
 
She has been so ill, I worry about her.”

“I am sure she will be fine.
 
I had a visitor before you arrived.”

“Oh?”

“Miss Graham.”

“How did she get your address?”

“Evidently she paid a visit to the new director today and he left her alone in his office for a while.”
 
Gabe threw back his head and laughed.
 
“I am glad you find this humorous.
 
Do you realize that he has been in the office a week and already he allowed security to be compromised.”

“By a woman.”

“Do you hear yourself?
 
Do you remember who you are married to?
 
Do you remember anything about your past prior to Mikala?
 
She could have seen so much more than she should have.”

Gabe seemed to gather himself back together.
 
“What exactly is she looking for?”

“The same as always, what have we done with her father?
 
Is he safe?”

“And you told her?”

“Nothing.
 
The same as always.”

“Good.”

“Not good.
 
It was one thing when she showed up every Monday at my office demanding answers.
 
Now she knows where I live.
 
I refuse to be caught in a compromising situation with her and be forced into a relationship I do not want.
 
And what little I know of her, the woman might just be crazy enough to do something.”

“It was the best thing that happened to me,” Gabe interjected.

“I might feel the same way if she were like Mikala.
 
This woman is irritating, aggravating, and demanding.
 
She believes herself to be so…”

“What?”

“She acts as if she is so much more intelligent than everyone else.”

“Perhaps she is.”

“I want you to talk to Presley.
 
He did this intentionally, and I’m not happy about it.”
 

“I will have a word with him.”

Happy gurgling came from the center of the floor where Lady Diana was happily playing with the toys her uncle kept just for her.
 
Both men dropped to their haunches and showered attention on the little girl.
 

“I finally found out why Percevel wanted to meet with you that day.”

“Oh, why?”

“He had received some anonymous threatening letters, and he wanted you to see what you could find out.
 
I think it is safe to say that the situation has been dealt with.”

“Not in time, though.”

“No,” Gabe agreed.

“Gabe, I am slowly going crazy here,” Mack said.
 
“I need to get back to work.
 
There are men and women whose lives are at stake because I am the only one that knows where they are.
 
I have to take care of this before time runs out for those people.”

“It looks to me as if you brought work back with you,” Gabe nodded in the directions of the maps that were still hung on the walls.

“Perhaps.”

“Father would have been proud of you, Mack.”

“Mack, Mack, Mack, Mack, Mack,” Di repeated over and over.

The men turned their heads when they heard a sniff at the door.
 
Gabe shot to his feet and crossed the room.
 
“What’s wrong sweetheart?
 
Are you all right?
 
The babe?”

“Stop worrying, we’re both fine.
 
It’s the two of you.
 
I remember not so very long ago when you hated one another and now look at you.
 
Oh, it is just the babe making me weepy,” she sniffed and allowed Gabe to pull her into his arms.

Mack found himself watching the couple enviously before turning his attention back to his niece.
 
A tall, buxom blonde with sapphire eyes entered his mind.
 
He shook his head trying to clear it.
 
Why was he thinking of Miss Graham?
 
She was more pain in his side than she was anything.
 
Turning his attention back to his niece, he pushed thoughts of war and beautiful blondes out of his mind.

***

“Did you see Director McKenzie, Missy Cassie?” Chang asked when Cassie stepped through the front door.

“Indeed I did, Chang.”

“He no turn you away?”

“Not this time.”

“You get answers?”

“Not like I had hoped, but I am getting closer.”

“I knew you could, Missy Cassie.
 
Your papa always say you special girl.
 
Determined.”

“That I am, Chang.
 
I am determined to have Papa back with us, and Director McKenzie will not stand in my way.
 
Did I tell you he is no longer the director?”

“No.
 
What happen?”

“I have not fully gotten that information out of him, but I will.
 
He is a man with many secrets, Chang.”

“That man dangerous, Missy Cassie.
 
You be doubly careful.”

“Oh, I will, Chang.”

“To be sure, today we practice first, then you write.”

“But I have a deadline for the newspaper.”

“Deadline can wait.
 
Practice first, write later.”

“Yes, Chang.”
 
Cassie practically skipped down the hallway so that she could change into her sparring outfit.
 
Once she was ready, she met Chang in the garden, where they began sparring.

“You no concentrate!” Chang charged after he flipped her the third time.
 
“No good.
 
You must focus.
 
Forget about writing.
 
Forget about director.
 
Focus.”

“Yes, Chang.”
 
They sparred until Chang was satisfied with her performance, which took longer than usual.
 
Cassie kept on the loose tunic, pants, and slippers that she wore for sparring and made her way to the desk she used for writing.
 
She used the large oak desk that would normally be designated for the man of the house.
 
She loved the sturdiness of it and the oversized chair that sat behind it.
 
Cassie easily tucked her legs up into the leather seat, took out her notes from today’s gathering and began working on her column.

Two hours and three rewrites later, she was satisfied with her work.
 
She carefully sanded and blotted the article before folding it and placing it in an addressed envelope.
 
She dropped wax on the flap and used the plain stamp to seal it.
 
Cassie stood, her legs somewhat numb after having been tucked underneath her for so long.
 
She stretched, working the kinks out of her stiff muscles.
 
Cassie walked to the front hall and took her cloak, despite the warmth of the day.
 
She wrapped it about her to hide her clothes underneath.
 

“Chang, I’ll be back shortly.”

“Be careful, Missy Cassie.”

“I will.”
 
She left the house and walked to the corner, waving down a familiar looking young boy.

“Good evening, Alfred.”

“H’lo, miss.
 
Another delivery?”

“Yes, please.”
 
Cassie passed the envelope and some money to the young boy.
 

“I’ll ‘ave it there in a jif, Miss Cassie.”

“Thank you, Alfred.
 
Tell your mother hello.”

“Will do.”
 
The boy tipped his hat and took off like a shot.
 

Cassie watched him run down two blocks before he turned a corner and disappeared from sight.
 
She waved a friendly greeting to some of the people she knew as she turned towards home.
 
The sun began to wane in the sky, causing long shadows to fall.
 
Halfway to the house, Cassie passed two buildings with a space between them.
 
Just as she was going past that space, a hand manacled itself about her wrist and pulled her into the shadows.
 
Her hand was twisted behind her back, forcing her stomach against the brick building.

“We’ll have none of that fancy stuff you have been practicing in your garden with that China man of yours,” said the unfamiliar voice.

“What do you want?”

“No, Mademoiselle Graham, you see, I am going to talk, and
you
are going to listen.
 
Understand?”

“Yes.”

“Good.
 
Now, I think you will find it quite interesting to know that I know where your father is.”

“How?” she asked trying to turn around.
 
She felt herself slammed back into the wall.
 
Her cheek scraped against the brick.

The man made a clicking sound with his tongue.
 
“Remember, you listen only.
 
And no peeking.
 
Oui
?”

“Yes,” she growled, trying not to squirm away from the feel of stale, heated breath against her ear.
 

“Now, where was I?
 
Oh, yes, your dear father.
 
I might be willing to let you know where he is if you can gather me information from a certain director.”

“He won’t even tell me where my father is.
 
How am I to get the information you require?”
 

“Ingenuity, my dear
mademoiselle
.
 
You see, Director McKenzie has information that we could find very useful for our part of the war.
 
In fact it could be over in a matter of weeks once we have what we are looking for.”