“Tell you about who?”
“Whoever it is that put that bounce in your step. I don’t think I’ve ever seen you look quite so… effervescent.”
Simon shook his head, warmth filling his cheeks. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“She’ll have you whistling soon.”
He rolled his eyes. “Have you found the damn vicar yet?”
Timms’ laughter faded. “Not yet.” He slid a paper onto Simon’s desk. “We got this, though. Another possible sighting.”
Possible sighting. He sat down with a sigh. A part of him wondered if they would ever actually find the man.
“I know. Not helpful.” He stopped in the doorway and turned. “I’d rather hear about your woman, but since you don’t want to share, I suppose I’ll work through what we have on Warwick one more time.”
“She’s not my woman,” Simon said grumpily.
“Ha!” Timms clapped his hands together. “I knew there was a woman.”
Before Simon could argue, he was gone, leaving him to ruminate over the woman that there definitely was. Since there was nothing new about the vicar, nothing helpful at least, he would use the day to find Madelene a home.
After poring over documents and information all day, he came across a friend of Madelene’s mother who didn’t seem to have any connection to her father. Selma Appleridge. She was a wealthy widow and would hopefully appreciate the companionship that Madelene could offer her. It might be a longshot, but he was optimistic that Mrs. Appleridge would be willing to take Madelene in. It was the best option, even if his heart railed against the idea of sending her away.
Madelene deserved a life that didn’t include someone like him. The truth was, he was a murderer, even if he did feel justified in what he did. He took men’s lives, with no remorse. Even now, he was on his way to take another, and this one, he was quite looking forward to. Unfortunately, the path he’d chosen came with consequences, and he couldn’t risk that with her. If she relied on him, who would take care of her when he inevitably ended up shot or at the end of a noose?
Darkness settled around him as he rode, and still, he could only think of Madelene.
You’d rather someone else hurt me? The thought of some other man sharing that with her tied his stomach in knots. Finally he admitted the truth to himself. He wanted her first time to be with him. If she still wanted that with him, he would see it done, just as soon as he finished tonight.
With a smile on his face, he tied the horse and slunk toward the house. The windows were all dark. Alan Webber. Lord Webber. The name made his smile vanish. His sister’s ‘husband’ had provided Samantha to multiple men in the five years he’d had control of her, offering her body to gain their favor, or auctioning her to the highest bidder. They’d all taken turns abusing her. Webber was the last of them. Simon had already killed all the others.
He closed his eyes, feeling and listening as he slid his picks into the lock on the backdoor. The house was quiet as he slipped inside. They always were. These men harbored no guilt to keep them awake at night. They felt perfectly justified in their actions, which was why they had to die. They would never change their despicable behavior.
He crept up the stairs, but even as he moved furtively down the corridor, his mind continued to flash back to Madelene. He barely heard the creak to his right before burning pain erupted in his shoulder. He grabbed the man’s arm before he could empty the syringe, but some of whatever was in it had already entered his body.
His strength faded quickly as he struggled with the man. His muscles trembled. Throwing his body into the man’s larger form, he slammed him against the wall.
“I knew you’d come for me, just like you did the others, so I was ready for you.” Despite the man’s taunting, his voice shivered with fear.
Their arms shook as Webber pushed against him, the syringe moving ever closer. Simon drew on every ounce of strength he possessed. He had to get back to Madelene. Wrenching the man’s wrist, he shoved the needle into his stomach, plunging the rest of the liquid into him. He grabbed the man’s hair in his fist and yanked his head back.
“This is for my sister, you malevolent son of a bitch.” He pulled out his razor and flipped it open, the sharp blade cutting deep as he slashed it across the man’s throat. Hot blood sprayed over Simon’s hand, and the man gurgled and twitched before going still. He dropped his lifeless body and stumbled for the door.
Madelene.
He threw himself onto the horse and rode hell-for-leather for Raven Row. He had to get there. Ash would see she was taken care of.
Her name drove him onward as his body gradually shut down. His muscles jerked erratically, and his eyes grew unimaginably heavy as he struggled to draw breath. Madelene. He just continued to repeat her name as cold spread through him.
Brennan was outside the gates to Raven House as Simon careened toward them, and started running to him before he even stopped. He slumped sideways and fell out of the saddle, landing hard on the ground.
“Allister!” Brennan shouted as he crouched beside him.
Simon fumbled in his pocket and pressed a key into Brennan’s hand, pushing out the only word he could manage.
“Madelene.”
Chapter
