“I’m sorry I left,” she said to the room at large.
Evan moved toward her now and pressed a kiss first to her forehead and then her daughter’s. “But you came back. With her.” He gripped Claire’s upper arms. “But Claire, you mustn’t leave us ever again.”
She caught her breath. It seemed it was time to face this at last. “Surely you can’t want me to stay,” she said. “I will be a pariah in Society. The shame could be almost unbearable. But if I left, you could—”
Edward held up a hand to stop her. “Staying will be difficult, yes. We all know how tongues will wag, but we will endure it together, Claire. It’s time to stop hiding from each other, stop trying to protect each other from the truth or the consequences. It’s time we start working together.”
Josie stepped back up to Claire and put her arm through Evan’s, becoming part of their united front. Claire smiled despite the painful subject. Her best friend looked so happy in her brother’s arms. It was unexpected but beautiful.
And perhaps that was the path forward. Unexpected but beautiful.
“Besides,” Josie said. “You love War.”
Claire nodded, for there was no denying what she had declared more than once after he was shot. “I do.”
“Leave him and you’ll be sorry,” Josie said. “Trust me, I know that.” Evan squeezed his wife gently, a world of unspoken communication passing between them.
Claire rested her head against Francesca’s and sighed. “But how could he love me after this?”
“What he did today, he did because he loves you,” Edward insisted. “You owe him more. We all do.”
The door behind them opened, and Claire rushed forward as Juliet and Mrs. Gray exited the room. Juliet was wiping her hands and she looked exhausted. Claire’s mother looked little better.
“Well?” Claire whispered, hardly able to breathe. Audrey stepped up and slipped Francesca from her arms as Josie and Evan stepped to either side of her. She realized in a horrible moment that they were there to shore her up if Juliet had bad news.
“He was badly hurt. But I think if he makes it through the next twenty-four hours, he’ll survive.”
“If he makes it?” Claire repeated, the words empty and painful as they croaked from her throat.
Juliet nodded, her expression grim. “Go to him, Claire. He must have said your name a dozen times. He needs you.”
She turned to look at her family again, her baby. And then she rushed into the room. Gabriel was standing at War’s side, leaning over him. He straightened up as she entered.
“I was just telling War that he was not allowed to leave us,” Gabriel said, opening his arms to fold her into a hug.
“No, he is not,” she agreed as she stared down at War.
The man she had always known and loved was such a powerful, virile one, but now, bandaged, bruised, unconscious, he looked…smaller somehow. Fragile, even. She caught her breath.
“I told him,” Gabriel continued, “that if you loved him and wanted him, I would chase him to heaven or hell to bring him back to you. Just as I chased you these last two years.”
“With you on his heels, he had best just not run,” she said, eyes filling with tears.
Gabriel kissed her cheek. “I’ll come back later to check on you.”
She nodded, hardly seeing him as he left her, closing the door behind himself. She let out a sigh and shrugged out of the robe she had been given. Slipping onto the bed beside War, she gently wrapped an arm around him and stared into his handsome face.
“You heard what my brother said to you, War,” she whispered. “You aren’t leaving me. Not tonight. Not ever. Or else you’ll be in trouble with me. Such trouble.”
Claire opened her eyes slowly and let out a low grunt. Her neck hurt from being twisted and her arm was asleep. She looked down to find War still sleeping. He had more color, it seemed. Or perhaps that was wishful thinking.
She had been lying at his side for twelve long hours, only leaving to change into clean clothes and allow Juliet to stitch her wound. Sometimes she thought War would wake, but he hadn’t. And her heart sank with every passing hour she wasn’t able to look into his dark eyes.
The door to the chamber opened and she rolled to look at the intruder, expecting to find someone from her family. Instead, it was Jack who stepped inside. He was dirty, like he hadn’t been home yet in the half a day since she saw him last.
“Jack,” she breathed, and sat up.
He closed the door and leaned against it, staring at his brother. “He looks…”
“Better, actually,” Claire said as she got to her feet and beckoned Jack closer. He moved forward slowly until he reached her side. “I’m glad you lived,” Claire said softly.
Jack sighed. “Yes. As am I. And Aston?”
She tensed. “I’m sorry he died. But I’m glad he cannot hurt me or my daughter or War ever again.”
“Others will come,” Jack said. “Not for you, but for me. Now that my main rival is dead, it will open the field for upstarts.”
Claire nodded. “Yes. It’s the way of your world, I fear. What will you do?”
“Fight,” Jack said softly as he reached out to gently run his fingertips over his brother’s immobile hand. “I have no other life. No other choice.”
“You could make a life,” War muttered before he slowly opened his eyes. “Like I did.”
Claire caught her breath, biting back her cry of relief and covering her mouth with her palm as she moved on him. “War!” She sank down next to him, cupping his cheek, trying desperately not to burst into tears. “You’re here.”
He smiled slowly. It seemed to take effort, but it was the same smile he’d always possessed. Rarely seen but oh-so-beautiful. “I had to come back for you.”
Jack backed away. “I’ll leave you two alone,” he said. “And tell your family that he is awake on the way out.”
He moved to go, and War called out, “Jack?”
His brother stopped and slowly faced him. “Yes?”
“Come back and see me again,” War said, locking eyes with his brother.
“Of course,” Jack said. “If you want me, need me, I will always be here.”
He tipped his head to them both and left them alone again. Immediately Claire tucked herself against War’s side, smoothing her hand over his chest gently, careful to avoid his wounds.
“You scared me,” she whispered.
He nodded. “You too.”
“I shouldn’t have left you.”
He shook his head. “You shouldn’t have left me out of the plan,” he corrected her. “Why did you?”
“What was I going to tell you, War? That I intended to go back to Aston if I could convince him to release my daughter and take his spotlight of rage off of you? How would you have responded?”
He smiled half-heartedly. “I would have tied you to my bed before I let you do that.”
She laughed even though her body flared with heat at that image. “You see. I had no choice.”
“Is Francesca all right?” he asked.
She nodded. “Fine. Getting to know my family. She’s beautiful, War.”
“She is,” he agreed as he reached up for her. He touched her face. “So much like you. I told you we would bring her home.”
“At what cost to you?” she asked, touching his bandaged arm. “Juliet put salves on your burns and stitched your cuts, but you’ll be scarred.”
“I’ve heard ladies are intrigued by scars.” He waggled his eyebrows weakly.
“You tease me,” she said, turning her head. “But I am serious, War. I love you. And you almost died before I could tell you. Died for me.”
His eyebrows arched high on his forehead. “I’m sorry, what did you say?”
“I love you,” she said softly. “Didn’t you know?”
“No, I did not,” he admitted.
“I-I was afraid to tell you before be
cause I thought I’d have to leave. Even if I found Francesca and we escaped, I knew I’d never get away from Aston. I also feared I didn’t deserve you after all I’ve done. Maybe I don’t.”
He struggled to sit up and groaned before he collapsed back on the pillows. He drew a few long breaths and instead grabbed for her hand. He lifted it to his heart, a spot far too close to the bandage on his chest.
“Claire, how can you say that? You know where I came from. What I did in my past is far worse than anything you did.”
“There are some who would argue differently.”
“They would be wrong.” He shook his head. “I have loved you from the first moment I saw you, walking down the path toward the stables, laughing with your sister. But I knew you could never be mine. Even when you offered yourself to me before you ran away with Aston, I knew I didn’t deserve you.”
“Things would have been so different if you had taken me that night.”
“You wouldn’t have your daughter,” he said. “And perhaps you would have regretted me, just as you eventually regretted Aston.”
“Not possible,” she whispered, leaning in at last to claim his lips with hers. He opened for her, allowing her to explore him with her tongue until they both sighed. She pulled away reluctantly.
“So I love you,” she said. “And you love me.”
“It seems that way.” He laughed and groaned at once.
“We wasted so much time, War. With those kinds of thoughts about what we deserved. With avoiding the truth, both mine, yours and ours.”
“We did,” he agreed. “So how do we move forward?”
“I think after all we’ve been through, we deserve each other. To love each other. To make a life together,” she whispered, shaking as she awaited his response.
He stared at her, eyes wide. “What are you saying, my lady?”
“Marry me, War.”
He grinned. “Aren’t I supposed to ask that question?”
“Then ask it,” she said. “But hurry, please. In a moment Juliet will come in and buzz around you, and I can’t wait.”
He touched her cheek, smoothing his rough fingers over her slowly, gently, erotically, despite the situation and his injuries.
“Claire, I don’t have much. But I do love you with all that I am. And I will love your daughter like she is my own. Will you marry me?”
“Yes,” she said, not fighting the tears that flooded her eyes this time. She couldn’t if she tried. Her joy was overflowing. “And we will rebuild a life. Together.”
“Indeed,” he agreed as he cupped the back of her head and drew her back to him. “Now kiss me.”
She did so happily, joyfully, passionately, with all her hopes, with all her dreams, and with all the knowledge that although her life might not be the one she had dreamed of as a small girl, it was going to now be the one she had always hoped for.
A life filled with family, filled with love, for the rest of her days.
Epilogue
Six Months Later
Claire lifted her head from War’s shoulder and watched as Francesca toddled precariously across the parlor floor. Her daughter loved to show off for her aunts, uncles and grandparents. Today she was providing entertainment for her cousin Letty too.
Claire sighed as she looked at Letty. She was smiling, a kind expression that lit up her pretty face. And yet there was a shadow of sadness and regret in her eyes that Claire knew all-too-well herself.
Claire had hated telling Letty the truth about the man who had begun to court her, that he was really Jonathon Aston. But her cousin had taken it well after the first shock. She’d even said it wouldn’t have worked out anyway, though she hadn’t elaborated on why.
“You have an expression on your face,” War said without glancing up from his book.
Claire smiled at him, reveling for a moment in how healthy he looked. How handsome. After six months of recovery from his injuries, he was just now beginning to be himself again. “I was just thinking of how embarrassed and upset Letty was when I revealed that the man who was courting her was Jonathon Aston, master charlatan.”
War glanced over at her cousin and smiled as the pretty woman caught Francesca just before she fell squarely on her round baby bottom. “Your cousin seems to have recovered.”
“Perhaps.” Claire sighed. “But damage like that can leave permanent scars.”
She traced her fingers over his arm, hidden along with the burn scars beneath War’s jacket.
He tilted her chin to look at him. “Her scars will heal. Yours and mine will heal too. There is too much love here for any other outcome.”
She nodded. That was proving to be true. So true that their wedding was scheduled for just a few weeks.
“Once we are married, I intend to become very boring, you know,” she said. “Fair warning.”
“You, boring?” War said, drawing her down to kiss her. “Oh, my love, that is impossible.”
She smiled against his lips, not really caring if they were shocking the room with their affection. But when she drew away, she frowned. “I’ve invited Jack to the wedding,” she said softly.
He nodded. “I know. I saw the list.”
“And are you all right with that?”
War hesitated, looking off at her family again. There was a wistfulness to his expression, the same one that was often there now when the subject of Jack was broached. His brother had come to call a few times, but Claire wasn’t certain much had been resolved between them. It was something they would have to keep working on, it seemed.
“I know who my family is,” he said slowly. “I know who loves me. Everything else can be settled. Eventually.”
Claire sighed as she looked again at her family, gathered just feet away. Nothing War had said had ever been truer. And for the first time in such a long time, she knew where she belonged. In this family. With this man. For the rest of her life.
Look for the final chapter in The Wicked Woodleys series with Seduced – featuring Letty and Jack’s story! Coming May 2016.
Excerpt of Seduced
The Wicked Woodleys Book 5
Jack Blackwood stared across the ballroom and the sea of milling people. They were all dressed in their finery, spinning around the dance floor with jewels on display and blunt practically falling from their pockets. As a thief, it was a temptation almost not to be born. God it would be so easy to merely take a stroll through the throng and come out with so much additional weight in his own pockets.
As a brother, he had to ignore that desire. After all, this was his younger brother Warrick’s wedding, and the guests were his guests. He had enough of a troubled relationship with War, he didn’t need to make it worse just for sport.
As if conjured, War appeared at his elbow and stood beside him. The two men didn’t look at each other for a moment, didn’t talk, but just gazed out over the crowd together.
“Are you thinking how easy it would be to steal that lady’s jewels?” War finally asked.
Jack lifted both eyebrows in surprise, but kept his tone even as he kept his gaze focused on the riches before him. “First her jewels, then that ring on that man’s hand.”
War turned on him. “A ring is always risky.”
Jack met his brother’s eyes at last. “Risk is what makes it fun, brother.”
War rolled his eyes, but Jack was happy to see the hint of a smile on his face. War knew Jack was a scoundrel, a thief, an infamous criminal. Hell, for many years War had fought those battles at his side.
Until he abandoned Jack. Jack’s smile fell at that thought.
“You aren’t really plotting are you?” War asked, his tone growing more serious as if he sensed the shift in his brother.
Jack shrugged one shoulder. “At your wedding? I wouldn’t do such a thing to you or to Claire and her family. I do have boundaries.”
“Good to hear,” War said, his tone noncommittal. Jack wasn’t certain i
f he was being insulted or not.
He cleared his throat, eager to change the subject. “Well, you are leg shackled now, War. How does it feel?”
The grin returned to War’s face. “Wonderful,” he said simply.
Jack found his brows lifting. “Truly?”
“You sound surprised. You know I have loved Claire a long time. If I hadn’t been injured six months ago I would have married her then.”
Jack searched his brother’s expression. Oh yes, he knew War loved Claire, who was the daughter of a titled family, the Woodley’s. His brother had worked for them breaking horses for years. Claire and War had come to London not long ago seeking Jack’s help to find Claire’s daughter and War had nearly died when they faced off with Claire’s former lover and Jack’s greatest enemy, Jonathon Aston.
But time had healed his brother’s physical wounds, save the scars they’d left behind. And as Jack looked at him, he could see his brother was even happier than he claimed with his words. There was a light to War now, a peace that had never existed before. Not in their abusive childhood, not even when they ran the underground together.
Seeing his brother’s joy was bittersweet for Jack. Sweet to see War so happy. Bitter to know they would never again work side by side, that War would be drawn further away from Jack’s dangerous world and into Claire’s respectable one.
“Are you not happy for me?” War asked, his gaze intense even as his words were soft.
Jack shook his head. “I am very happy for you,” he promised. “For you and for Claire.”
War nodded slowly and Jack watched as his brother’s gaze swept back to the crowd. He knew when War had found Claire by the way his brother’s dark eyes lit up, his face relaxed with pleasure. He practically hummed with the love he felt for her and Jack felt a sudden need to back away from such intensity of connection.
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