cretin was ordering her in her own home, and yet she pleaded, âBut I will pay you!â
âDo you have coin on the property?â
âNo, but I have jewelry. Priceless jewelry.â
He gave her a patronizing expression. âAnd where could we sell that around here?â
âThen my fortune. If you free Aleix, he can get it for you. Iâll give it freely.â
âCanna imagine your âfortuneâ would be the kind of money we usually command.â
âThatâs because your imagination is limited!â When the man called Niall and two others chuckled, she again commanded herself to bite her tongue. âTake anything you like in this house, anything! Iâm sure you could find your pay here.â
âAnything, then?â he asked with a strange expression. Niallshook his hung head, then rose to leave. The four followed him out.
Still she nodded eagerly. âJust name your price, Mr. MacCarrick. I will gladly pay it.â
âThen itâs settled.â He looked her over shamelessly. âI want you.â
âP-Pardon?â
âYou heard me. I can sense desperation and youâre there. You were willing to kiss me last night to sway me to your cause, and Iâll bet youâre willing to do more than that. Why noâ do it with me?â
Her eyes went wide. Hate you!
âI will free him, but before I do, Iâll get to enjoy you,â he said, his tone smug. âThose are my terms.â
She bit out each word when she said, âThere is material wealth here that could satisfy even you.â
âYou mean âsomeone such as me.â Forget it, then.â He unfolded a dated newspaper, shook it out to read, then kicked his boots up on the table. âIâll noâ work for you for anything less than you,â he said behind the paper.
Her brows drew together in bewilderment. Those were Aleixâs boots, stolen. And they were carelessly propped on her table. Hers and Aleixâs table. She and her brother, who was more like a father to her, had breakfast there each morning and talked about the ranch. Aleix was gone. No one would help her and she didnât understand why.
The other men returned and sat. She dimly noted that they appeared angry.
The realization struck her that for the first time in her life she truly needed help and had asked for it, and no one would give it to her. For the first time in her life sheâd been . . . vilely propositioned.
As he continued reading, ignoring her, MacCarrickcrossed his ankles, and a bottle by his feet drew her attention. She recognized that particular wine because it had been bottled the year of Aleixâs marriage to his beloved Mariette and had been stored with great care. They had saved it to toast the birth of their first baby. The wine never, never should have been drunk.
Yet it sat on the table, opened and nearly full, forgotten among the refuse theyâd scattered.
She began to move, and frowned because she had little idea of what she was doing. She watched her feet advancing her toward MacCarrick, and perceived her hand closing hard around the bottleneck just before she raised it high and poured the wine on his head. The growling noise in his throat was getting louder and louder, and still, when the bottle was empty, she dropped it, hitting his thick skull. She thought he bellowed, thought someone might be restraining him. She said in Catalan to no one in particular that the wine had had meaning for her and that they could all go to hell.
The grandfather clock struck eight. She plucked up her skirt and waltzed from the room. She grabbed her gloves at the table by the door, then strolled to meet Vitale in the stable.
It was time to go riding.
â¢Â  â¢Â  â¢
MacTiernay and Niall wouldnât release him until they saw through the window that she was riding away. Court had been so shocked, heâd hardly comprehended what she was