Page 53 of When the Duke Met His Match

He hated how genuine the panic in her voice was, but there was nothing else he could do. It was their best and only option that didn’t involve being captured.

They shoved past a group of unsuspecting people, not caring any longer. “I need to get them as far away from you as possible. You’re the one they want the most.”

He stole glances at their pursuers every chance he got, and with each passing moment, they seemed to draw closer. But despite their progress, their pursuit was impeded by the throngs of people in the crowded marketplace. Nevertheless, the delay proved to be a blessing in disguise, allowing them sufficient time to contemplate their next move.

He was grateful for the space left between them.

Odette grabbed his sleeve and pleaded, “Please, I can’t do this without you.”

Before she could slow them any further, Theophilus reached for her and pulled her into a rough kiss. It was uncalculated and raw, but he didn’t care. He poured as much feeling into it as possible before pulling back. His breathing was labored.

“You have done it before; you can do it again. I have faith in you. Now go!”

Left with no choice, he tore away from her, dodging the civilians around him. He moved in the opposite direction, putting as much space between himself and Odette as possible. Catching a glance of her in the corner of his eye while she hurried into the crowd, he released a breath.

I know you can do it, he thought to himself, returning his gaze to the soldiers.

The two of them scanned the group of people, eyes landing on him after a moment. Recognition filled their gazes, and Theophilus ran.

He pushed the thought of her fearful expression away from his mind and tried to focus. He needed to do his part for Odette to do hers. Her safety matters far more than his own did.

Shouting came from behind him, but he never stopped. Recalling his training in the past, he tapped into it and moved as fast as he physically could. So long as she was free, there was a chance for his redemption.

The commotion he had caused drew the attention of those who were heading home or purchasing their evening supplies, and several gasps resounded in the air. The soldiers were hot on his trail, and he knew that time was quickly running out.

Good, he thought to himself. Better me than Odette.

With the wind whistling in his ears, Theophilus hurried down the street, not given the time to care about whom he hit or who managed to get out of the way.

There was a time when he had been the one doing the chasing, back when he wasn’t a disgraced officer. He had been rather good at it, able to catch even the fastest of criminals. He could only hope there would be an opportunity to do so again, as long as he managed to get away to stop the king’s assassination.

It was too bad those soldiers chasing him would never believe a word from his mouth if he tried to warn them.

Dear god, please keep Odette safe. Let her reach the Red Sparrow unharmed, he prayed silently, closing his eyes long enough to think the words up.

Shoving through a group of people, Theophilus didn’t care to apologize. Instead, he caught sight of two more soldiers, one on his left and one on his right. It seemed the commotion caught their attention too, and he was quickly outnumbered.

He pushed on, determined to keep their attention trained solely on him. But the moment he reached the end of the road with nowhere left to turn, he had no choice but to look back at them. He couldn’t find a loophole and flee, not with the distance between them cut so short.

He was cornered. There was nothing left to do but face them head-on.

Theophilus never thought he’d wind up in a situation such as that one—a fugitive with a bounty on his head, all for a woman he hadn’t known several months prior. He never thought he’d find himself on the other side of the law, not when he had spent all that time training and working his way up the ranks.

When the time came, he would be esteemed and put in a position to claim the dukedom.

But he gave that up for Odette and would do it again in a heartbeat.

The officers caught up to him, standing at a distance as if he were some sort of feral animal. They seemed almost timid, which gave him an advantage. They didn’t look primed from war and true conflict. But he was.

Civilians crowded behind them or scattered, hurrying home before they could find themselves in trouble. The robust chatter quieted down to a whisper, and he could only hear his heart in his ears.

Rolling up his sleeve, he sized each one of them up, sure to study their faces. While they both looked determined to capture him, none of them had that gleam in their eyes like they had nothing to lose.

Theophilus stood to lose everything, but he wasn’t going down without a fight.

The evening breeze swept up around him. He had one chance, and that was all he needed.

It was perhaps one of the most foolish things he had ever done, but if he were to win, then he’d have the chance to make it seem like just another day’s work.