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And what if the man doing the killing arrived in the meantime? What would he do with her?
She started to scramble out again, determined to make her escape, when a deep voice stopped her cold. “Lily Evans, is that you?”
She didn’t recognize the man’s baritone, but he knew her full name. Had her brothers sent someone to rescue her after all?
But did she dare trust anyone with her life?
Ox had stumbled from her view, and so, drawing in a deep breath of courage, she scrambled out of the carriage once again.
East, as his friends called him, Asher to anyone truly close to him, few were, watched the giant of a man fall and knew that now was his opportunity to take Lily and run like the hounds of hell chased him.
After he killed him, that is.
He had no idea where these men had been taking Lily, but he’d wager other men awaited their arrival.
A ring of thieves who’d organized the kidnapping of the sister of a duke, even illegitimate, had a large network of men. They wouldn’t make such a bold move otherwise. How many there were he couldn’t say, but he didn’t intend to find out.
He’d been tracking this group since London, following them north toward the Scottish border.
He’d seen men change out several times, replaced by fresh men and horses, so he knew they were on a planned route with fixed stops. When the next stop would take place, he didn’t know for certain, but he knew it would be soon. They hadn’t had a break since the day before yesterday.
Which meant fresh reinforcements were on the way.
But this had been his first chance to attack.
The bend in the road had afforded him cover in the remote location. Coupled with his marksmanship, he’d been able to best them.
Now he only needed to kill the last kidnapper and he’d ride like hell to the Scottish border.
Friends of his awaited them there, and he’d need all the help he could get if he were to safely return Lily to her home.
He drew the sword from his belt, crossing to where the last perpetrator attempted to stand. Drawing up the blade, he started running toward the other man, when a flash from the carriage door stopped him dead.
Lily.
She saw him too and froze, her eyes growing wide with recognition.
They’d only met on a few occasions, hardly acquainted, but he’d recognize her anywhere.
Strawberry-blond hair streamed over one shoulder, and large violet eyes framed with thick lashes stared back at him.
Her lips parted in surprise and her cheeks drained of their naturally honey-pink color. “You.”
“Earl of Easton at your service.” He made a short bow and then gave the other man a quick glance. The man lumbered toward his horse, making a great deal of progress. Ash would lose his chance if he didn’t finish the job. “You might want to cover your eyes.”
He only managed to duck behind the carriage door, the knife sailing past him. Ash had to admit, for a big man, he was dead-on accurate. He peeked around the door just in time to see the injured man climb up on his saddle and kick his horse forward. Ash fired, but the other man veered to the right into the ditch and then disappeared into the woods.
“Damn,” he growled. He should have killed him before stopping to speak with Lily.
She poked her head out too. “What’s wrong?”
“He’s gone.”
“Forgive me, but isn’t that a good thing?”
He looked over at her, still amazed at just how like his friend Arabella she looked. There were differences, of course. Lily’s features were more delicate, her figure more slender and less full, her eyes…haunted. “It would be better if he were dead and not able to give the others any information.”
“What others? Ox was the only one who ever opened the door, let me out.”
