Redeeming the Rogue by C. J. Chase

Author:C. J. Chase [Chase, C.J.]
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
ISBN: 978-1-4089-5146-0
Publisher: Harlequin (UK) Limited
Published: 2011-09-14T20:00:00+00:00

Chapter Ten

“Mattie!” Nicky’s scream pierced Mattie’s ears above the reverberations from the explosion.

She whirled to see the little boy racing toward her.

No! Right in the path of the shooter.

“Nicky, stop!”

A second blast thundered through the mist.

“Get down!” Mattie yelled, scarce able to hear her own voice above the pounding in her head.

She dashed toward him, sliding on the wet, uneven grass. If only she could reach him before the shooter reloaded—

Something walloped her, pitching her off her feet. Down, down she fell, until her back smacked against the grass.

“Oomph.” Stunned, she sprawled on the ground. She tried to find the breath that had been knocked clear of her lungs, but a great weight pressed against her chest. Still, her scattered wits focused on one overriding concern.

Must. Get. Nicky.

She tried to rise, only to realize that the something still pinned her down.

A living, breathing someone.

Frantically she shoved at the hard, heavy body atop her but the solid form crushed her against the ground.

“Mattie!” Kit DeChambelle’s voice roared in her ears. He shifted ever so slightly, allowing her to breathe again. “Are you hurt?”

“You!” Sharp pains radiated from her side as she sucked great gulps of air into her lungs. Had she been shot? No, that felt like a mere bruise—a London-size bruise—from her fall. She twisted her head and peered through the gloom, but saw only the bare bark of the tree trunk where Soggy had stood. Had he fled, or …? And worse, where was Nicky? He was only a few feet from her when she toppled—or rather, was attacked. He should be here, near her. Unless …

“Are you hurt?” Mr. DeChambelle repeated. The spectacles had fallen off her rescuer’s face, leaving her an unobstructed view of the blazing blue eyes.

“Only by you. What are you doing here?”

“I saw you leave so I followed you. What are you doing here, Miss Fraser? Must I lock you in a room to keep you from danger?”

“I told you it would be better for all concerned were I to stay at an inn.”

“With what funds?”

What funds, indeed. Suspicions raced through her mind. She no longer had any money other than what he had provided. She was completely dependent on the DeChambelles’ charity.

By deliberate arrangement?

His brother?

Cold dread congealed the blood around his heart as Kit waited, the interminable moments ticking off, to see if her assailant reloaded and returned. The ominous quiet minced his nerves almost as much as the shooting. Did the villain lurk around a tree, waiting for them to arise?

As the agonizing seconds passed, he strove to determine the origin of the shots but his rage-filled mind could not identify the location. How could he capture the assailant when he didn’t know where to look?

“I’ve got to find him.” The mouth two inches from his puffed sweet air against his face.

Him? The shooter? Kit peered through the encroaching darkness as he pushed his weight onto his arms. No bullets grazed his head, so he turned his stare to Mattie’s face. “Find

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