A Spy Worth Saving-Formatted For eBook by Cheri Champagne

Author:Cheri Champagne [Champagne, Cheri]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 0101-01-01T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter 13

Charlotte’s heart lodged in her throat and her stomach sank to her feet as the window shattered. Reddington and his men undoubtedly heard it.

She reached her hand toward her sons, the broken glass notwithstanding. “Hurry, boys. Through the window!”

Maximus bent to scoop up a small orange kitten and put it in his waistcoat, just as a pistol being cocked sounded behind Charlotte. She whirled around, and her heart plummeted. There she stood, staring down the barrel of a pistol.

Hugh sidestepped, placing himself between her and Reddington in a gallant, protective gesture.

“Finally caught up, have you?” Reddington drawled.

Hugh’s reply was cut off by Maximus’ shrill screech. Charlotte spun around, her breath held in terror at the sight of two men dragging her sons across the small room toward the door.

“No!” she cried.

Instinct took over. Charlotte lifted her bow and aimed, drew, and released, sending an arrow deep into one man’s shoulder. He howled in agony and staggered, but didn’t release Quintin. As quickly as her shot hit its mark, she pulled another arrow from her quiver, strung it on her bow, and drew.

“That is quite enough!” Reddington shouted angrily from behind her. “Drop your weapon.”

Her gaze followed her sons as they disappeared through the small room’s doorway, anguish all but rending her heart in two, before she turned to face her villainous neighbour.

“Your weapon,” he reminded her with a flick of his pistol-wielding wrist.

Grudgingly, Charlotte acquiesced, and placed her bow on the ground at her feet. Would that she could fell the man, retrieve her sons, and be well enough away from Reddington, and Hugh, and all of this dratted nonsense. Her gut twisted painfully, and a lump lodged itself firmly in her throat.

Reddington nodded his satisfaction. “Now, both of you show me your palms.”

She and Hugh raised their hands to shoulder height, their palms facing outward.

While she despised facing the end of a pistol, the despair filling her was due to her failure in rescuing her sons. Where were those men taking them? Would they punish the boys for her intervention? Oh, Lord, she hoped that Hugh was right that Reddington wouldn’t dare to hurt her boys if he knew it would prevent him from getting what he wanted in the end… Which was what, precisely?

“You’ve successfully lured me here, Reddington,” Hugh said, his voice ostensibly calm. “Let Mrs. Bexley and her sons go.”

“Not a chance,” Reddington sneered. “I do not yet have what I desire.”

A warm breeze swept past them, tugging at Charlotte’s skirts and chilling the rainwater that soaked her person and the sweat that had formed between her breasts. Despite her eyes having adjusted to the darkness, she could scarcely see anything around her but the blue glow of Reddington’s face, half-obscured by his hat and the falling rain, and the dulled grey glint of the pistol.

“And what is it that you desire, Reddington?” Hugh growled.

The blackguard’s jaw clenched. “A meeting with your superiors. I need my name cleared and a replacement wife.” His leer turned on Charlotte, and his voice lowered to a growl.

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