He’d let his jealousy and anger over Talon’s betrayal blind him.
Now he knew that by taking Kate away from his brother, he’d ruined not just Talon’s life, but Kate and the baby’s as well.
All so he could have something he didn’t even want.
Closing his eyes, he let his head fall back against the door, a horrible image searing his eyelids. Memories of the punishments his father had subjected him to made him shudder in despair. How could he ever have considered allowing his nephew to suffer such a fate?
What if the poor boy started displaying signs of weakness? What if all Sutcliffe’s machinations produced an heir who was more like Daniel than Talon?
God help him, he would kill his father before he’d let the son of a bitch touch Talon’s son with his perverted, filthy hands.
Shoving away from the door, he strode toward the staircase with new determination. He couldn’t allow anyone else to suffer for his mistakes. All his life he’d lived in terror of his father. He’d cowered and worried and drowned his self-disgust in liquor and drugs.
Well, no more.
It was time to stand up to Sutcliffe and undue all the wrongs. He was the only one with the power to set Kate and Talon free.
He made his way back downstairs, only to groan aloud when he saw his father standing in the hall waiting for him. Sutcliffe’s dark hair gleamed in the flickering candlelight, and Daniel was eerily reminded of Talon.
Daniel’s earlier resolve withered beneath his father’s icy stare. He wasn’t ready for this confrontation. Not now. He needed more time to think. He didn’t even have a plan.
“Well,” the old man snapped. “Did you talk some sense into her? I won’t allow her to destroy this, not after everything I’ve been through.”
“Everything you’ve been through?” Daniel ran his hand through his hair in agitation. “I’m glad Kate’s standing up to you. God knows it’s time someone did.”
Sutcliffe laughed, dismissing the thought of Kate’s anger as though she were a mosquito buzzing too close to his ear. “She’s a mere woman.
What could she possibly do to hurt me?”
“She’s strong, and she’s got more heart than both of us put together. If you want to keep her quiet, you’ll have to keep her under lock and key. She’ll never let you get away with this.”
“She could always die in childbirth,” Sutcliffe said. “No one would find that peculiar. It happens all the time.”
Daniel stared at his father in dawning realization. Kate was an obstacle, and Sutcliffe always got rid of any obstacle that stood in his way.
If Kate continued to stick up for her unborn child, kept declaring her love for Talon, Sutcliffe would arrange an accident.
Presto, the unwanted daughter-in-law would be gone.
“Keep away from her.” This was even worse than he’d feared. He’d known his father would make Kate miserable, but he’d never dreamed the bastard would snuff her beautiful life out completely. “We’ll go out to the country,” he vowed with a sinking sense of desperation. “I’ll keep her quiet.”
“Is this concern I’m hearing from you, Daniel? For a woman?” Sutcliffe gave a nasty laugh. “Are you finally going to start acting like a man? Now, when I no longer have any use for you?”
Daniel flushed, struggling to maintain a thin veneer of control. “She’s my wife. We’ve become friends. I won’t claim this baby as mine if you do anything to harm her.”
“Perhaps that time you spent with my true son did you some good.” Sutcliffe gave him an appraising glance. “Tell me, you little bastard, have you fallen in love with Talon? Is that what this is about? Because I know you don’t give a damn about that shrew, Kate.”
Daniel felt as though he’d been punched in the gut. He stared at Sutcliffe, filled with disgust and loathing. For the first time in his life, he was glad the Earl of Sutcliffe denied being his father.
“When Talon finds his men, he’ll be back,” he warned. “And God help you then.”
Sutcliffe laughed. “He’ll search his entire life and never find them. How could he? I made sure they hanged before I ever let him out of prison.”
“They’re dead?” Daniel paled when he thought of the look on his brother’s face when he’d spoken of his men. He’d spoken of honor and trust, concepts as foreign as love to the monster who’d brought them both in to the world. Daniel couldn’t imagine what it would do to Talon when he discovered all his sacrifices had been in vain.
“I hate loose ends,” Sutcliffe explained. “There were too many of them to keep track of, so I decided to eliminate the problem.”
Eliminate the problem.Just as he planned to eliminate Kate. Hell, Daniel imagined he’d be eliminated, too, once the baby was born. After all, what use would he be once the world thought he’d begotten an heir?
