AllFreeNovel
Share Us
He opened his mouth to explain. Not that he knew that much. But Mirabelle was still shaking in his arms. “Boxby wasn’t even with me. I was answering the door.”
Ace’s brows drew together. “For who?”
“I don’t know,” Mirabelle cried. “He wouldn’t say his name, but he said he had a message for you and that I was to deliver it.”
The foyer grew very quiet. Emily had slipped in but other than that, six men stood in the small space—Tris, Rush, Ace, Fulton, Somersworth, and Upton—but a pin could have dropped and they all would have heard it.
“A message?” Ace asked. “What message?”
“I don’t know,” Mirabelle shook her head. “He tried to grab me and—”
“What?” Fulton roared.
“And then I knocked the stand over and Ken came running and—”
“Why wasn’t Ken with you in the sitting room?” Fulton turned toward Ken, looking murderous.
“I was speaking with Upton and Somersworth before their meeting with Ace.”
Somersworth and Upton both nodded in confirmation. “That’s true. We’d only just left him in the hall.”
“And you were at the door?” Ace asked. “Why?”
Ken knew very well why. But to Mirabelle’s credit, she didn’t say. “Lord Boxby and I had finished and I went down to the kitchen with Emily. I was only coming back up when the man knocked.”
Ken held her still and he had no intention of letting her go. “Why would an unknown man knock and then try to grab you?”
But even as he asked the question, something cold swept through him. This didn’t have anything to do with the club…did it?
“I’m sure I overreacted,” Mirabelle was saying. “Perhaps he wasn’t trying to grab me. I must have misunderstood.”
Ace shifted as he looked at Ken. “What do you think?”
Rush growled. “Why are you asking him?”
Ace held up a hand for his brother to stop but Ken already knew what he’d say. “Perhaps your family, at least your sisters and your wife, would be more comfortable at my home for the time being.”
Ace gave a nod but Fulton’s brow furrowed. “Why would that be?”
“Because.” Ace looked at his brother. “Boxby has an army of footmen and a butler who answers the door and a locked gate at the end of his drive. And we’re not taking any chances.”
Fulton’s jaw hardened. “We can keep our own sisters safe.”
But Ken’s arms only held Mirabelle, his fingers spreading out on her back. “You are more than welcome to come too, Fulton.”
Ace shook his head. “The rest of the brothers will stay here. I’ll take Emily, Mira, and Anna there. If that man is the one attempting to buy our club, there is no money in the world that would make me sell to him. Not now. Not ever.”
Ken gave a quick nod of agreement. His hurt feelings aside, he’d never allow anything to happen to Mirabelle.
CHAPTERFIFTEEN
Mirabelle sat next to Ken,Anna on her other side, the three of them on the forward-facing seat. Ace and Emily were across from them, their hands linked. Mirabelle had a moment of jealousy, watching the way Ace comforted his new wife. After what had just happened, she felt scared and alone.
She glanced at Ken, wishing that she could reach for his hand, hold it in hers. Like an anchor in a storm. Her breath caught, thinking of Emily’s words about where she wished to be and what she truly wanted to accomplish. Perhaps marriage was the first step in her plan, not the last. Especially considering her feelings. She’d gone and fallen in love…
Why hadn’t she seen that sooner? Had she ruined the potential for that future with her fumbled answer to his suggestion that they might make a good match?
A weight settled in her stomach as she looked over at him again. Could she draw comfort from the fact that he was here to protect her? Or was he taking them all in for the sake of Emily and Ace?
