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“Shut up!” Julius slapped her face again, his eyes bright with the thrill of it. “No one will help you. They are here to make sure of it.”
Of course. Julius would not have come alone. The sickening reality of her situation washed over Tallie. Well, thank the lord she had not married the brute. He was even worse than she had ever thought. If only she had heeded Zander’s instructions and stayed at Slattery Hall, waiting for him. Of all the bad decisions she had made in her life, and there were many, that had to be the absolute worst.
With a grunt, he opened his pants and she could see the bulge of his manhood as he pressed toward her.
No, no, no. What she had wanted to give to Zander, what he had refused to take, would now be stolen from her by a sweaty, callous brute who treated her like she meant nothing to him. Because she didn’t.
Well, she would not give up without a fight. She truly was alone in the world and now she had to fend for herself. Summoning all her strength and anger, she butted her head into his at the same moment she shoved her knee into his exposed groin.
Julius shouted and jumped back, allowing her an instant to stand and run. Run like she had never run before in her life.
Unfortunately, the route to freedom went directly past the two men Julius had brought with him. The one who had seemed inclined to help her did not make much of an effort to apprehend her, but the other made up for it with his own rough treatment. First he tackled her and dragged her to the ground, then held her hands above her head as Julius, eyes flashing with rage, approached and knelt between her thighs.
“You might as well learn this lesson now, whore. You will do as I say. Understand?” He lowered his face until it was inches from hers. “You ought to enjoy this. It is not as though any other man will have you now. All of polite society knows you to be a jilt, and soon word will be out that you are a penniless jilt. You have nowhere to go. No money to support yourself. Even your precious Zander has abandoned you.”
“No! Zander is here.” She spit in his face. “Get off me.”
“Oh, she’s a spirited one, isn’t she?” Julius said to his two goons. “Let’s see what else we have here.” He grabbed the neckline of her gown and ripped it open, exposing her breasts to the cold air, her nipples immediately hardening.
Julius let out a low whistle and covered them with his hands, kneading the flesh between his fingers while bile rose in Tallie’s throat. She closed her eyes and prayed it would be over soon.
* * *
Where had the hoursgone? Once Owen had shared the good news with Zander, the two had become completely engrossed in discussing plans and hopes. Owen had shown Zander to the cabin he had reserved for him. All was in readiness.
The captain’s advice regarding Tallie has also been spot on. He could barely wait to tell her about his plans for the two of them to set sail for South America. Why had he not thought of it sooner? A fresh start for both of them. He had hoped for a proper marriage for Tallie but after yesterday’s debacle in Hyde Park, her prospects for a husband vanished.
And after spending the night with her, he knew he could never let her go. He had been fighting against it for months, but no more. He loved her and they would be together for the rest of their days. That was all there was to it.
He could scarcely believe the wonderful turn life had taken in the last twenty-four hours and he looked to the future with excitement. He nearly broke out in a run in order to get back to Slattery Hall and share the good news with Tallie.
But mostly, he wanted to tell her how much he loved her. Would always love her.
Movement to his right caught his attention. A man straddled a woman. No doubt a sailor getting in a last-minute screw before long nights spent at sea.
Something about the scene caused him to take a closer look.
This was not a quick shag. Three men surrounded a woman, one of them holding her hands above her head.
Damnation.
He ducked behind some crates and worked his way toward the situation, moving with caution and urgency.
He did not relish the idea of taking on three men whose scruples were so low they would accost a defenseless woman. But, clearly they needed to learn some manners and respect for women and he was just the man to do it. He clenched his fists at his sides, ready to strike.
One of the men stepped to the side and in the moonlight Zander got a glimpse of the woman.
Tallie!
No, it could not be.
But he knew otherwise.
His plans for a strategic attack vanished and he rushed forward to save her. What was she doing in this area? He had told her to stay home and wait for him. And who were these brutes?
The questions blurred in his mind, but mostly he focused on Tallie and making sure she was safe. And smashing the head of anyone who dared harm her.
He grabbed the man straddling her by the scruff of his collar and yanked him back, slamming him into a wall of crates. As Zander pulled back his fist to pummel the man, he took a look at his face.
