Mogul by Joanna Shupe

Author:Joanna Shupe [Shupe, Joanna]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Kensington
Published: 2016-12-04T16:00:00+00:00

Chapter Sixteen

Calvin had to hand it to Davies. Lily’s brother took the news surprisingly well, merely finding a chair and dropping into it, his expression dazed. Calvin, on the other hand, wanted to kill someone. He wanted to maim and strangle. Rip the intruder apart with his bare hands.

But he knew the intruder had been acting under orders. The man obviously worked for Lee. So Calvin took a deep breath and tried to stop the roaring in his head. Though Lily hadn’t fainted, he could tell by her ghostly pallor that she was scared. Seeing Calvin covered in blood undoubtedly didn’t help.

“I don’t understand,” Lily said. “This man wanted to kill me? Why?”

Davies’s gaze narrowed on Calvin with a mixture of both anger and confusion. “Yes, Cabot. Why would this man be here, trying to hurt my sister?”

Calvin wasn’t about to enlighten him. As far as Davies was aware, Lee believed his daughter’s disappearance had nothing to do with anyone in this room.

“I don’t know,” Calvin lied, shaking his throbbing hand and avoiding two pairs of shrewd eyes. “But you can bet I’ll find out.”

Hugo charged into the room, out of breath. He frowned at the man on the ground and then at Calvin. “You hurt?”

“I’ll be fine,” Calvin told him. “The Pinkerton?”

Hugo shook his head, and Calvin muttered a Cantonese curse word while dragging his hands through his hair. Once again he’d underestimated Lee.

“Wait, Pinkerton? What are you talking about?” Davies rose out of the chair and stalked toward Calvin.

Calvin was watching Lily, however, who’d begun to shake, her eyes never leaving the man on the ground. “Damn it,” Calvin said. Two steps brought him to her side and he wrapped his arms around her, blocking her view of the intruder. “Davies, get your sister some brandy.”

“I’m all right,” she said against his shirtfront, her body trembling. “I am not the type of woman to fall apart at a . . . at a . . .”

Calvin kissed the top of her head and held her tighter. “No one said you were, sweetheart. But humor me and drink some brandy, will you?”

“You have blood all over you,” she whispered, her hands clutching at his hips. “I was so worried and I couldn’t see what was happening.”

Christ, this concern was for him? The woman was far more than he ever deserved, and another wave of guilt rolled through him. He did not want to hurt her; he wanted to fold her up in his arms and protect her. Burying his nose in her hair, he breathed in her sweet feminine scent. “I’m fine,” he said quietly. “I promise.”

“Calvin,” Hugo said, his tone urgent.

Calvin glanced over his shoulder and saw the man on the ground beginning to stir. “Tie him up,” he told Hugo. “Use the curtain ties. We’ll drop him off on the way.”

Davies appeared with a crystal glass of brandy. He peeled Lily away from Calvin and led her to a nearby chair. When she was settled with the liquor, Davies caught Calvin’s eye and jerked his head in the direction of the dressing room.

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