Mason had no clue his brother was anything but a normal man.
“
What?”
her fiancé exploded. “Danger? Of what sort?”
“Felicia is the target of a madman. He will take her from you and by the time he’s done, she’ll beg for death. Any moment, he and his … terrorists will descend.”
Felicia prayed to smell the awful stench that turned her stomach. Only the roses and jasmine of her wedding flowers wafted to her nose. Still, Hurstgrove’s perception didn’t make it reality. She prayed he was wrong.
“Madman? Terrorists?” Mason scowled. “How would
you
know this? Do you have any proof?”
Hurstgrove paused. “I met with one of his underlings, who told me—”
“You, meeting a terrorist’s underling?” Mason shot him a skeptical glare.
Felicia thought it unlikely as well. Except her ability told her his words were fact.
Hurstgrove hesitated. “I know him through my friends. Listen to—”
“Do you?” Mason cocked his head. “The skull-capped thug or the big bloke with the sword?”
“Neither. Did you hear me? This madman
will
torture and kill her.”
Again, Hurstgrove told the truth as he knew it.
Dear God …
Why her? Felicia tried to grapple for any reason why she would have come to a madman’s attention. Retribution for some criminal Mason had helped put behind bars?
“So this person offered you information? And you believed him? Without proof?” Mason scoffed.
“Damn it! He has no reason to lie.”
“Just as you have no reason to ruin my wedding with this ridiculous assertion?” Mason’s voice rang thick with sarcasm. “How could this criminal possibly know Felicia?”
“I … don’t know.”
The scent of Hurstgrove’s lie smacked Felicia in the face. He knew exactly how this villain had come to be aware of her. So why was he keeping the answer to himself?
“She is a bloody nursery school teacher. I’ve known you to go to ridiculous lengths in the past to bed a woman who made your cock twitch, but this is low, even for you,” Mason growled, then shook his head. “A terrorist looking for Felicia. Don’t take me for stupid.”
Hurstgrove hesitated, looking agitated and bleak. “I’m not making this up!”
“Rubbish! You cooked up this fucking charade to ruin our wedding.”
“I’m trying to protect her,” His Grace insisted. “Damn it, we don’t have time to—”
“If she’s in danger, why didn’t you come forward before now?” Mason raised a dark brow, back in barrister mode.
“I just learned of it an hour ago. Mason—”
“Why did you want the guest list if you knew she was in danger?”
Hurstgrove paced the elegant floor, moonlight bathing his strong profile. Felicia’s heart stuttered at the sight. The most insane urge to get close to him, curl up against him, press her mouth to his, overcame her. She shoved the school-girlish reaction aside. He wasn’t human. Her life could be in peril. What the hell was she doing lusting after the man?
“It’s complicated,” the duke finally answered.
Mason raised a dark brow. “I’ll manage.”
Hurstgrove raked a hand through his mussed hair. “We’ve no time for this now unless you want her to die.”
“She’ll be in a whole other sort of danger with you. I’m not budging until you give me proof.”
His Grace clenched his jaw, telling her he fought long and hard for patience. “I knew what they sought, not who. I’d hoped it wasn’t Felicia …”
But it was, as least in Hurstgrove’s mind. Fresh panic set in. Who was this madman? What could he possibly want with her?
Mason scoffed. “How thick do you think I am? What does she have that a terrorist could possibly want?”
Hurstgrove hesitated. “I’ll explain when she’s out of danger. Now, I must take her into hiding—”
“You
won’t take her anywhere.”
“Felicia will
die
if she doesn’t leave with me now!”
She watched their rapid exchange, her heart pounding. Everything Hurstgrove said was true, so
“
What?”
her fiancé exploded. “Danger? Of what sort?”
“Felicia is the target of a madman. He will take her from you and by the time he’s done, she’ll beg for death. Any moment, he and his … terrorists will descend.”
Felicia prayed to smell the awful stench that turned her stomach. Only the roses and jasmine of her wedding flowers wafted to her nose. Still, Hurstgrove’s perception didn’t make it reality. She prayed he was wrong.
“Madman? Terrorists?” Mason scowled. “How would
you
know this? Do you have any proof?”
Hurstgrove paused. “I met with one of his underlings, who told me—”
“You, meeting a terrorist’s underling?” Mason shot him a skeptical glare.
Felicia thought it unlikely as well. Except her ability told her his words were fact.
Hurstgrove hesitated. “I know him through my friends. Listen to—”
“Do you?” Mason cocked his head. “The skull-capped thug or the big bloke with the sword?”
“Neither. Did you hear me? This madman
will
torture and kill her.”
Again, Hurstgrove told the truth as he knew it.
Dear God …
Why her? Felicia tried to grapple for any reason why she would have come to a madman’s attention. Retribution for some criminal Mason had helped put behind bars?
“So this person offered you information? And you believed him? Without proof?” Mason scoffed.
“Damn it! He has no reason to lie.”
“Just as you have no reason to ruin my wedding with this ridiculous assertion?” Mason’s voice rang thick with sarcasm. “How could this criminal possibly know Felicia?”
“I … don’t know.”
The scent of Hurstgrove’s lie smacked Felicia in the face. He knew exactly how this villain had come to be aware of her. So why was he keeping the answer to himself?
“She is a bloody nursery school teacher. I’ve known you to go to ridiculous lengths in the past to bed a woman who made your cock twitch, but this is low, even for you,” Mason growled, then shook his head. “A terrorist looking for Felicia. Don’t take me for stupid.”
Hurstgrove hesitated, looking agitated and bleak. “I’m not making this up!”
“Rubbish! You cooked up this fucking charade to ruin our wedding.”
“I’m trying to protect her,” His Grace insisted. “Damn it, we don’t have time to—”
“If she’s in danger, why didn’t you come forward before now?” Mason raised a dark brow, back in barrister mode.
“I just learned of it an hour ago. Mason—”
“Why did you want the guest list if you knew she was in danger?”
Hurstgrove paced the elegant floor, moonlight bathing his strong profile. Felicia’s heart stuttered at the sight. The most insane urge to get close to him, curl up against him, press her mouth to his, overcame her. She shoved the school-girlish reaction aside. He wasn’t human. Her life could be in peril. What the hell was she doing lusting after the man?
“It’s complicated,” the duke finally answered.
Mason raised a dark brow. “I’ll manage.”
Hurstgrove raked a hand through his mussed hair. “We’ve no time for this now unless you want her to die.”
“She’ll be in a whole other sort of danger with you. I’m not budging until you give me proof.”
His Grace clenched his jaw, telling her he fought long and hard for patience. “I knew what they sought, not who. I’d hoped it wasn’t Felicia …”
But it was, as least in Hurstgrove’s mind. Fresh panic set in. Who was this madman? What could he possibly want with her?
Mason scoffed. “How thick do you think I am? What does she have that a terrorist could possibly want?”
Hurstgrove hesitated. “I’ll explain when she’s out of danger. Now, I must take her into hiding—”
“You
won’t take her anywhere.”
“Felicia will
die
if she doesn’t leave with me now!”
She watched their rapid exchange, her heart pounding. Everything Hurstgrove said was true, so
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