Page 90 of The Duchess He Couldn’t Resist

Donny was very much determined to take her away and also very much aware that he was in a part of the city he didn’t command, so he pulled her hair, keeping her in place while he tied her hands behind her back.

Marigold was ready to scream for help. This time around, she was not some discarded lady of the ton. She was a duchess. People would not ignore this and would help. But she didn’t get the chance. A hand was slapped over her mouth, and she felt fingers digging into her flesh like iron. She could not escape.

“Keep moving, little rabbit,” Donny snarled, yanking her forward.

At the end of this alley, there was a small carriage waiting. Marigold realized with dread that this was not a chance encounter. This was an ambush. They had been watching and lurking and waiting for her to leave the safety of Verdant House. The safety of him.

She got thrown inside the carriage. Donny and his men closed the door behind them, hit the wall, and the carriage sped away.

“You should let me go,” Marigold demanded.

She was no longer the trembling little girl who owed money. No matter what happened between her and Brandon, she was still the Duchess of Voss.

“I don’t think so, little rabbit.” Donny licked his lips shamelessly. “After all, I went into so much trouble to catch you.”

Marigold’s suspicions were confirmed. The gang still had their eyes on her. But it was not about the debt anymore. Could it be that Donny acted on his own, his sickening obsession with her finally taking hold of his sanity? If that was the case, perhaps there was a chance for her to escape. The men with Donny would fear Johnny more than the second in command. Marigold could manipulate that lowlife of a man.

So, she decided the best thing she could do was keep her mouth shut until she knew what she was up against. For the rest of the ride, she ignored Donny and looked out the window. Donny was either foolish or sure of himself because he didn’t hide where they were going. Soon they left Mayfair behind. They passed through alleys and side streets away from the main thoroughfares. They knew exactly where they were going. She had been there before, taking this exact same route. The docks.

“Where are you taking me?” she dared to ask.

“Don’t worry, Your Grace,” Donny said mockingly. “You will be exactly where you are needed.”

Marigold frowned upon this enigmatic answer. She didn’t dare show despair or give Donny the satisfaction of seeing her in fear. The only way to maintain her composure was to think of him. Brandon. Did he know she was gone? Did he notice? Did he care? Was he looking for her?

She cursed her decision silently. If only she hadn’t succumbed to her pride. If she had stayed calm in this loveless marriage like every other lady of the ton, she would be safe in her house right now, digging around in her garden, tossing a ball for Duck.

But no. She had to be stupid, so stupid, and choose to leave. As if she had anywhere else to go. And now, she was back where it all started. The first time, Brandon was there to save her. She was not so sure that she would be as lucky the second time around.

After a while, they reached a warehouse. She had been here before a while back, but to the best of her knowledge, this warehouse was no longer used as Johnny’s lair. From this point on, Marigold knew that she had to rely on herself and the lingering hope that Brandon would come for her. He was still working on his wall with this warehouse, but there were so many other places that Donny could have hidden her. Would he get to her in time?

“Get out!” Donny ordered and shoved her down the steps of the carriage.

The door of the warehouse opened, and she was thrown inside, her hands still bound behind her back. She stumbled forward and fell on the dirty floor.

She looked around, and her blood ran cold. The warehouse was full of men. All these years, she had gathered that Johnny’s gang had many members, perhaps more than she had seen, but she had never witnessed their real numbers like she did right now.

Men who looked dangerous and determined moved around with purpose. There were wooden boxes open all over the place, and from inside them, she watched as men grabbed weapons, pistols, rifles, and muskets, and each man filled his pockets with bullets.

She knew it in her soul that something was happening. Something big and devastating. Did it involve Brandon? She couldn’t help but associate that. She knew that her husband was going after this gang. She had helped him go after them.

“What is going on?” Marigold said, looking up at Donny.

“You will soon find out.”

Then he grabbed her by the hair and yanked her to her feet. Marigold was looking around, absorbing every piece of information that she could. If she could escape and survive, she could run to Brandon and report everything. Maybe he didn’t think so, but she could still be of use to him.

“I have a special place for you, little rabbit,” Donny whispered in her ear.

He dragged her through the whole main room toward the door at the back. As she stumbled, every man turned to her. Some were looking at her with cold eyes, some licked their lips, some looked downright hungry at her. Marigold tried to memorize their faces, count their numbers, how many guns, what type of guns—any useful information for him—but there were too many.

They reached the back room, and she was dragged through the door. The room was smaller, darker, filled with crates and barrels, and it had one window high up the ceiling that opened and shut with a special contraption. Even if she managed to escape, she wouldn’t be able to throw herself through the window.

“Let’s make sure you don’t get any funny ideas.”

Donny pushed her onto a chair. Another man grabbed her already bound hands and tied them to the chair while Donny kept her in place. They then bound her legs to the chair, reaching under her skirt no matter how she struggled.

“There,” Donny smiled at his handiwork. “After all, we wouldn’t want you to miss the best part of this day.”