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He didn’t think, or reason, or deny... he knew what he wanted. For once in his life, losing control was the clear choice.
Because surrendering his control to Mina, to the woman he trusted and loved, was the only future he cared to see.
He knew what he wanted. He wanted her.
Bold, brave, Mina.
He kissed her and his heart cracked wide open.
Chapter31
The kiss was passionate, but far too brief, in Drew’s opinion. It was interrupted by pressing matters such as men bleeding from bullet wounds and Rafe crying out from the pain of his leg.
There had been no time to talk, no more kisses.
They’d helped bring Langley’s injured men back to the hotel, where a physician was attending them.
The physician in Falmouth had given Rafe something for the pain and Rafe had insisted on going back with them to Thornhill House, saying it was only a broken leg.
He’d even sat a horse, gritting his teeth the whole way and complaining, but they’d made it.
Mina had ridden behind Drew and remained uncharacteristically silent almost the entire ride, which Drew attributed to exhaustion. It had been one hell of a day.
Now Rafe was ensconced in a bedroom at Thornhill with the village doctor attending him. The doctor had said he’d keep the leg, but he’d probably walk with a pronounced limp the rest of his life.
Mina had gone upstairs to wash and she hadn’t come back down.
Drew sat by Rafe’s bedside, offering whisky as the doctor set his leg and wrapped it in clean bandages.
“Are you comfortable, Lord Rafe?” asked the doctor.
“A little more whisky and I’ll feel no pain,” he replied.
“I can give you something stronger.”
Rafe gritted his teeth. “I don’t deserve to deaden my pain. I put everyone to so much trouble.” He met Drew’s gaze. “Someone could have died.” His blue eyes clouded over. “I did have a plan, you know,” he said. “I laid a clever trap but it all went wrong.”
“I’m sure you had a plan,” said Drew, though he wasn’t sure of it at all.
He walked the doctor out, accepting a bottle of laudanum in case Rafe changed his mind. Drew longed to go to Mina, but he also needed to talk to Rafe. There were many things left unsaid between the brothers.
“I wasn’t going to vanquish Le Triton by myself,” Rafe explained. “I was going to pretend to help Le Triton set up his front—the gin palace—and then, when the moment was opportune, I’d reveal everything to Sir Malcolm and deliver Le Triton into his hands.”
“You were infiltrating his inner circle. I know all about it. I know that you’re a spy.”
“Lower your voice.”
“I still can’t believe it, though,” said Drew.
“MissPenny told you.”
“Do you truly not remember her?”
“Of course I remember her. I was only pretending not to—I didn’t want to drag her into danger.”
“It was a good thing we followed you.”
“Everything went according to plan until Le Triton turned on me. He possesses a list of Sir Malcolm’s former and present agents. Even the disgraced ones like me. Someone in Sir Malcolm’s ranks is a traitor.”
