Double Dealing by Jayne Castle

Author:Jayne Castle [Castle, Jayne]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Fiction, General
ISBN: 9780440121213
Publisher: Dell
Published: 1984-01-01T05:00:00+00:00

Chapter Seven

The reason for Eric’s silence throughout the siege became evident as soon as Samantha raced into the parlor. He lay bound and gagged on the floor, his alarmed eyes asking frantic questions as she knelt by his side and began untying him. The lights came back on just as she got the gag off.

“Christ, Sam! Are you all right? What happened out there? I’ve been lying in here feeling like a stupid, helpless fool for getting you into all this! Where’s Gabe?”

“Right here.” Gabriel’s laconic answer brought Samantha’s head around sharply. He was leaning against the doorjamb, massaging the bruised and battered side of his face. “And I couldn’t agree with you more, Thorndyke. You are a stupid fool for getting yourself and Samantha into this mess.”

“It’s not his fault!” Samantha protested automatically, undoing the last of Eric’s bonds. Instantly she regretted the defensive words. Gabriel’s hazel gaze swung to her, pinning her coldly.

“If by that you mean not all of this is his fault, that you’re as much to blame as your brother, I might be inclined to agree with you.”

“Gabriel, you don’t understand!” she cried, getting to her feet as Eric shakily stood up beside her.

“I understand enough to know that both of you are playing out of your league.” His eyes ran down the length of her body. “Go put some clothes on, woman. I don’t feel like hashing this out while you’re running around half-naked! Come on, Eric. I think we both need a shot of some of Samantha’s brandy. I could probably use the rest of the bottle, now that I think of it.”

“Gabriel, let me help you clean up first,” Samantha said quickly, her heart wrenching at the sight of the blood on his mouth and the swollen redness under his eye.

“I said go get dressed!” he barked.

Her eyes narrowed as she realized just how thin his temper was at this point. But she prudently said nothing, moving to slip past him and head for the stairs.

“What the hell… ?” He grabbed her arm as she moved past, yanking her to a quick, urgent halt. “Your cheek!”

Her hand came up to her abused face as she remembered Tony’s blow, and her first impulse was to answer Gabriel with some snide remark. A fitting reply for his foul temper.

But he looked so incredibly stricken as his eyes moved over her swollen cheek she relented, tortoiseshell eyes softening. “Don’t be silly, Gabriel. It probably looks a lot worse than it feels. That second man, the one you decked on the balcony, hit me.

“Besides.” Samantha lifted her chin with a trace of arrogance as she faced her now-frowning angel. “Weren’t you threatening to damage another portion of my anatomy earlier, Gabriel?” she managed lightly. The relief which crossed his face was mixed with a decided degree of sardonic warning.

But all he said was, “Go get dressed, Samantha. The three of us have a lot to talk about.” She was halfway down the hall when he called out softly behind her.

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