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t the vibrations when he knocked on the door.
The door opened and Evan was ushered in. If words were exchanged, Ally could not hear them.
* * *
“All right, I’ve come alone, as you asked.” And Evan had. At the last minute, he’d decided not to ask servants to accompany him. The fewer people who knew about this dratted situation, the better. He would trade himself for Sophie and then deal with the aftermath. If he died, what would it matter? The woman he loved had betrayed him. What was there to live for anyway? “Where is Lady Alexandra?”
“Mr. Ryland, bring her in,” the lady who had answered the door said. “Evan Xavier is here.”
A man pushed a bound and gagged Sophie before him. He pushed her at the woman and then frisked Evan.
Evan shoved Ryland away and moved quickly toward Sophie. “My God, are you all right?”
She nodded.
“For God’s sake, take that gag off of her!”
“In good time,” the man called Ryland said. “It is not every day that I meet a pornographer.”
Evan clenched his hands into fists, and raw anger surged into him. “How dare you? I am no more a pornographer than you are a prize citizen of London. Release her. Whatever argument you may have with me, she has nothing to do with it.”
“You must really think me a fool, Xavier. She is one of your prized writers of that little gem you call The Ruby.”
“Let her go,” Evan said through clenched teeth.
“Why should we?” Ryland stood his ground. “She’s as guilty as you are.”
“So that’s your modus operandi. You kidnap everyone associated with what you feel is obscene literature. What do you expect that to prove?”
“We took her to draw you out as the publisher,” Ryland said. “We’re going to get rid of both of you tonight.”
“Oh my God, you are insane.” Evan stepped back a bit. He hadn’t come unarmed, as bid. As he had hoped, they hadn’t checked his stockings. A sharp blade sat snugly against his skin. He could get to it quickly if need be.
“Me, insane? You dare say such when you are the person who is flooding our society with such rubbish?”
Evan would punish Alexandra for this. If he ever found her that was. How could she possibly rationalize using his business to distribute that paper?
His heart sped up at the thought of her. God, he hoped she was safe. He’d half expected to find her here. Thankfully, she had stayed away.
He held his anger in check. Right now, he had to do what was best for Sophie. He had to get her out of here.
“The woman you are holding is innocent. She is not Lady Alexandra MacIntyre. She is her sister, Lady Sophie, and I can assure you she has nothing to do with any kind of erotic literature.”
Sophie’s eyes widened and she shook her head, her voice straining against the gag. What was she trying to say?
“You’re lying.”
“Take the blessed gag off of her. Let her tell you in her own voice. She’s clearly no threat to you. She’s trying to say something.”
“She has already told us that she is Lady Alexandra,” Ryland said. “Your little game won’t work, Xavier.”
What was Sophie up to? Evan didn’t have time to figure it out. He lunged toward Ryland, tackling him to the ground. “Run, Sophie. Run!”
But the woman held Sophie fast. “Mr. Ryland, are you all right?”
Evan held Ryland down, covering his mouth.
Once Evan had subdued the other man, he punched his face once, twice, three times, until blood spurted from his nose. Sophie’s muffled sobs formed a haze around him. He punched Ryland again, and then again…until an excruciating pain lanced through his thigh.
