Seducing the Ruthless Rogue

by Tammy Jo Burns

  “You are so…”

  “Don’t say a word, brother. I don’t want it to get around that babies cause me to go all soft. How is Mikala?”

  “Resting, thank you. She has been so ill, I worry about her.”

  “I am sure she will be fine. I had a visitor before you arrived.”

  “Oh?”

  “Miss Graham.”

  “How did she get your address?”

  “Evidently she paid a visit to the new director today and he left her alone in his office for a while.” Gabe threw back his head and laughed. “I am glad you find this humorous. Do you realize that he has been in the office a week and already he allowed security to be compromised.”

  “By a woman.”

  “Do you hear yourself? Do you remember who you are married to? Do you remember anything about your past prior to Mikala? She could have seen so much more than she should have.”

  Gabe seemed to gather himself back together. “What exactly is she looking for?”

  “The same as always, what have we done with her father? Is he safe?”

  “And you told her?”

  “Nothing. The same as always.”

  “Good.”

  “Not good. It was one thing when she showed up every Monday at my office demanding answers. Now she knows where I live. I refuse to be caught in a compromising situation with her and be forced into a relationship I do not want. And what little I know of her, the woman might just be crazy enough to do something.”

  “It was the best thing that happened to me,” Gabe interjected.

  “I might feel the same way if she were like Mikala. This woman is irritating, aggravating, and demanding. She believes herself to be so…”

  “What?”

  “She acts as if she is so much more intelligent than everyone else.”

  “Perhaps she is.”

  “I want you to talk to Presley. He did this intentionally, and I’m not happy about it.”

  “I will have a word with him.”

  Happy gurgling came from the center of the floor where Lady Diana was happily playing with the toys her uncle kept just for her. Both men dropped to their haunches and showered attention on the little girl.

  “I finally found out why Percevel wanted to meet with you that day.”

  “Oh, why?”

  “He had received some anonymous threatening letters, and he wanted you to see what you could find out. I think it is safe to say that the situation has been dealt with.”

  “Not in time, though.”

  “No,” Gabe agreed.

  “Gabe, I am slowly going crazy here,” Mack said. “I need to get back to work. There are men and women whose lives are at stake because I am the only one that knows where they are. I have to take care of this before time runs out for those people.”

  “It looks to me as if you brought work back with you,” Gabe nodded in the directions of the maps that were still hung on the walls.

  “Perhaps.”

  “Father would have been proud of you, Mack.”

  “Mack, Mack, Mack, Mack, Mack,” Di repeated over and over.

  The men turned their heads when they heard a sniff at the door. Gabe shot to his feet and crossed the room. “What’s wrong sweetheart? Are you all right? The babe?”

  “Stop worrying, we’re both fine. It’s the two of you. I remember not so very long ago when you hated one another and now look at you. Oh, it is just the babe making me weepy,” she sniffed and allowed Gabe to pull her into his arms.

  Mack found himself watching the couple enviously before turning his attention back to his niece. A tall, buxom blonde with sapphire eyes entered his mind. He shook his head trying to clear it. Why was he thinking of Miss Graham? She was more pain in his side than she was anything. Turning his attention back to his niece, he pushed thoughts of war and beautiful blondes out of his mind.

  ***

  “Did you see Director McKenzie, Missy Cassie?” Chang asked when Cassie stepped through the front door.

  “Indeed I did, Chang.”

  “He no turn you away?”

  “Not this time.”

  “You get answers?”

  “Not like I had hoped, but I am getting closer.”

  “I knew you could, Missy Cassie. Your papa always say you special girl. Determined.”

  “That I am, Chang. I am determined to have Papa back with us, and Director McKenzie will not stand in my way. Did I tell you he is no longer the director?”

  “No. What happen?”

  “I have not fully gotten that information out of him, but I will. He is a man with many secrets, Chang.”

  “That man dangerous, Missy Cassie. You be doubly careful.”

  “Oh, I will, Chang.”

  “To be sure, today we practice first, then you write.”

  “But I have a deadline for the newspaper.”

  “Deadline can wait. Practice first, write later.”

  “Yes, Chang.” Cassie practically skipped down the hallway so that she could change into her sparring outfit. Once she was ready, she met Chang in the garden, where they began sparring.

  “You no concentrate!” Chang charged after he flipped her the third time. “No good. You must focus. Forget about writing. Forget about director. Focus.”

  “Yes, Chang.” They sparred until Chang was satisfied with her performance, which took longer than usual. Cassie kept on the loose tunic, pants, and slippers that she wore for sparring and made her way to the desk she used for writing. She used the large oak desk that would normally be designated for the man of the house. She loved the sturdiness of it and the oversized chair that sat behind it. Cassie easily tucked her legs up into the leather seat, took out her notes from today’s gathering and began working on her column.

  Two hours and three rewrites later, she was satisfied with her work. She carefully sanded and blotted the article before folding it and placing it in an addressed envelope. She dropped wax on the flap and used the plain stamp to seal it. Cassie stood, her legs somewhat numb after having been tucked underneath her for so long. She stretched, working the kinks out of her stiff muscles. Cassie walked to the front hall and took her cloak, despite the warmth of the day. She wrapped it about her to hide her clothes underneath.

  “Chang, I’ll be back shortly.”

  “Be careful, Missy Cassie.”

  “I will.” She left the house and walked to the corner, waving down a familiar looking young boy.

  “Good evening, Alfred.”

  “H’lo, miss. Another delivery?”

  “Yes, please.” Cassie passed the envelope and some money to the young boy.

  “I’ll ‘ave it there in a jif, Miss Cassie.”

  “Thank you, Alfred. Tell your mother hello.”

  “Will do.” The boy tipped his hat and took off like a shot.

  Cassie watched him run down two blocks before he turned a corner and disappeared from sight. She waved a friendly greeting to some of the people she knew as she turned towards home. The sun began to wane in the sky, causing long shadows to fall. Halfway to the house, Cassie passed two buildings with a space between them. Just as she was going past that space, a hand manacled itself about her wrist and pulled her into the shadows. Her hand was twisted behind her back, forcing her stomach against the brick building.

  “We’ll have none of that fancy stuff you have been practicing in your garden with that China man of yours,” said the unfamiliar voice.

  “What do you want?”

  “No, Mademoiselle Graham, you see, I am going to talk, and you are going to listen. Understand?”

  “Yes.”

  “Good. Now, I think you will find it quite interesting to know that I know where your father is.”

  “How?” she asked trying to turn around. She felt herself slammed back into the wall. Her cheek scraped against the brick.

  The man made a clicking sound with his tongue. “Remember, you listen only. And no peeking. Oui?”

  “Yes,�
�� she growled, trying not to squirm away from the feel of stale, heated breath against her ear.

  “Now, where was I? Oh, yes, your dear father. I might be willing to let you know where he is if you can gather me information from a certain director.”

  “He won’t even tell me where my father is. How am I to get the information you require?”

  “Ingenuity, my dear mademoiselle. You see, Director McKenzie has information that we could find very useful for our part of the war. In fact it could be over in a matter of weeks once we have what we are looking for.”

  “And how does my father fit into this?”

  “You get me the information, and we release your father.”

  “But Papa…”

  “Used to be in the hands of your most excellent government, but we have relieved them of their burden.” Cassie struggled and attempted to turn around, but the man held her firmly in place. “Now, now, mademoiselle, just listen and no one will get hurt. Oui? Good,” he said as she settled down. “We believe Director McKenzie is in possession of highly confidential maps. These maps are future battle plans. We want them.”

  Cassie remembered seeing maps in the study when she had entered it. “It seems you have not heard, monsieur, that Director McKenzie is no longer in the war business.”

  “What?”

  “He has been removed from his position.”

  “Ah, well, that is too bad for your dear Papa.”

  “Wait!” Cassie said as the man started to leave. “I will do what I can, please, just give me a chance.” A pregnant pause greeted her. “Please,” she begged.

  “I will give you a week to find the information I seek.”

  “A week? How am I supposed to do that?”

  “Again, ingenuity, mademoiselle.”

  “And when I find what you seek?” He rattled off an address where the information should be sent.

  “How do I know this particular map from any other?”

  “Now that is an interesting question. One to which you will have to determine the answer.”

  “I want proof that you truly have my father,” Cassie demanded.

  “Ah, I thought you might.”

  Cassie stiffened as a muffler was wrapped loosely around her neck, before being tightened enough to cause her heart to race in panic.

  “Are you satisfied now with the proof, mademoiselle?”

  Cassie nodded jerkily as the scent of her father’s pipe assailed her.

  “Excellent. I am going to leave you now. Count to one hundred, very slowly before you come out of this nook. Oui?”

  “Yes.”

  “Begin.”

  “One, two, three—”

  “Slower.”

  “Four…five…six,” Cassie continued counting, her heart pounding in her ears. She made it to fifty before she stepped out of the dark chasm. Looking around, she found the streets to be almost empty. She made her way back to the house and let herself in before locking the door. Cassie leaned against the door letting emotion finally overtake her. She began to tremble.

  “That you, Missy Cassie? Supper almost ready.”

  “Yes, Chang,” her voice warbled.

  “Missy Cassie, what wrong?” Chang asked when he entered the hall and saw Cassie.

  “Oh, Chang,” Cassie threw herself into the arms of the wiry old man.

  “There, there, you tell Chang what wrong.” Cassie told the man, who was more like a dear uncle than a servant, everything that had happened. “Where is this man? I find him and take care of him for you.”

  “No, Chang. They will do something to Papa. I must play their game, unfortunately.”

  “What will you do?”

  “I will search McKenzie’s house tonight. He had a lot of papers scattered across his desk. Some of them were maps. If I don’t find what I am looking for there, then I will search his old office.”

  “I go with you.”

  “No, Chang. I can take care of myself.”

  “You did a good job of it today, Missy Cassie.”

  “I was not expecting him, Chang. Next time I will be ready, I can promise you that.”

  Chapter 3

  Mack was returning home from Gabe and Mikala’s after celebrating the news of the addition to their family. What started out as a family gathering turned into an impromptu party after several other couples had been invited, including Mikala’s brother Derek and his wife, Tessa. Gabe and Mikala’s good friends, Justin and Clarissa Southerby also came. Mikala and Derek’s aunt and uncle, as well as her parents had been present as well. Thorn Wulfe and his wife, Rebekah would have been there if they had not just welcomed a new child of their own into their family and were currently rusticating in the country. Thorn was the little brother of Mack’s best friend, Teddy, who was murdered last year saving Mack’s life in an assassination attempt.

  Mack attempted to leave earlier in the evening, feeling claustrophobic amongst all the deliriously happy couples and their children, but all the men, except Gabe, pulled him in demanding to know why he was no longer acting director. Though they respected Presley, most of them had worked closely with Mack in the past and found it difficult to automatically trust another that easily. When he didn’t have a good answer, they turned on Gabe, and that is when he took the opportunity to slip out. Gabe’s coach dropped him off in front of his house.

  He walked up the short walk and noticed a faint light moving back and forth in his den. On the alert, he moved stealthily to the servant’s entrance. The doors of his house were well-oiled, allowing him to slip into the house undetected. He stayed close to the wall as he moved down the hallway, so the boards beneath his feet would not squeak. Mack entered the study and allowed his eyes to adjust to the dim light. A single candle fluttered in the air on the desk, but he saw no one. He heard a muted, “Yes,” from behind the desk.

  “Find something interesting?” Before he could comprehend what happened, a body fully encased in black barreled towards him, knocking him sideways. The person rushed past him, but he grabbed an ankle, causing them to fall to the floor. He tried to pin them down, but the person twisted and used their body in a manner Mack had never witnessed before. The next thing Mack knew, he was flying through the air, his head landing perilously close to the brick of the fireplace.

  “Sir, are you all right?”

  “Stop him, John!”

  Mack slowly got to his feet as the intruder began fighting with John. John jabbed with his right arm, and the intruder lunged to avoid it, using John’s momentum to spin him around. The person pushed him causing John to crash into Mack. They fell in a pile of tangled arms and legs. The intruder raced into the hall. The men heard the door open and close as they tried to untangle themselves and regain their feet.

  “Go! Go!” Mack instructed, as he slowly got to his feet, his side causing him difficulty. He followed at a slower pace. By the time he made it out the door, John was doubled over at the end of the block.

  “Gone, sir,” he heaved. “I had ‘im in my sights and then he just disappeared.”

  “That’s all right, John. Let’s return to the house.”

  “I’ve never seen someone fight quite like that,” John said.

  “It had a feel of the Orient. The person was very light on his feet and used our own weight and momentum against us.”

  “Did he take anything?”

  “I don’t think so, but I won’t know until I have gone through everything.”

  “Should I send for the Runners?”

  “No. I think we will keep this between us for the time being.”

  They made their way back to the house, and John saw that everything was locked up. Mack went to his study and sat at his desk. He used the candle to light a lamp and turned it up so that he could see better. Mack walked across the room and folded back the rug on the floor. He found the loose board and wiggled it free. There were three long pieces of paper rolled into tubes. He untied the first one and unrolled it. Before him lay the coastline of Eur
ope with various markings. The others were similar. These were the maps that had been scattered about the study earlier when Miss Graham had intruded on his solitude. They were still safe. He released a pent up sigh. Several packets of paper lay tied up with rough string as well. He replaced the maps and the board, then spread the rug back in place.

  Mack returned to the desk and the open drawer that had once been locked. The intruder must have picked the lock. He pulled out everything from the drawer and laid it all out on top of the desk in one stack. He then spent the next two hours going through each and every piece of paper. Mack placed the pieces of paper in various stacks but found nothing missing. He put everything back in the drawer and shut it. He would have to see about having the lock repaired.

  Mack stood and scrubbed his face with his hands. Something was going on, and he did not like it. He paced the floor trying to work everything through his mind. Who had been in his house and what were they looking for? His pocket watch chimed twice. He stood in the middle of the room and slowly turned, studying every facet, looking for any and all clues. Nothing. Whoever had been here was extremely adept at what they were doing.

  He blew out the lamps and left the room. Mack made his way down the hall and up the stairs to his room, entered it, and shut the door. He felt like things were out of his control, and he hated that feeling. He despised not knowing what was going on in the War Office, not making the decisions. Mack ripped the cravat from around his neck and slammed it onto the dresser. He undressed before crossing the room and slipping between the covers. He could not sleep for listening for every creak, so he ended up spending the rest of the night with his hands behind his head, staring at the ceiling.

  ***

  Cassie lay in her bed replaying every event of the night in her mind. What had gone wrong? She had not expected him back so soon and that had been her fault. She would have to make another foray into Director McKenzie’s private quarters. Cassie had just managed to master the lock and slip open the drawer when he walked in on her. One thing was certain, the maps were not in plain sight, but she felt certain they were there. A quick glance told her they were not in that drawer. She flipped over onto her stomach, her long, blonde hair trailing off the bed.