The Bachelor Bargain (Secrets, Scandals, and Spies) by Michaels, Maddison (short books to read TXT) 📕

“Well, that was your employer on the phone.” She began to walk around the desk to him. “Apparently, the Lads have found out where we are and are even now on their way here. We must let the others know.”

Clint smiled, slowly and surely. “No need to do that, my lady.” He pulled out a pistol from his jacket pocket and pointed it straight at her.

Livie stopped in her tracks. “What are you doing?”

“Providing you with an incentive to come with me silently.” He smiled at her.

“I don’t understand? Why are you doing this?”

“Don’t you recognize me from the warehouse?” There was disappointment in his voice. “Although most of my face was covered in shadow, wasn’t it? But still, I thought we shared a special moment of understanding, you and I.”

A sinking feeling pooled in the pit of her stomach. “You are the leader of the Lads, the one they call Orestes?”

“I am indeed.” He bowed to her. “You have no idea how wonderful it actually is to reveal my true identity to you.”

“I don’t understand. You’ve been pretending to be Sebastian’s clerk for over a year?”

“It wasn’t really pretending, as I had to do the menial work of a clerk. But it was a necessary evil. Otherwise, how else could I get close enough to him to learn the inner workings of his operations?”

“For what purpose? To take over his territory?”

“Nothing so trivial as that,” he assured her. “My plan is far grander and far more noble. I am after vengeance, you see. We are alike, you and I, in that regard. Both seeking vengeance for the death of our loved one. Although in my case he didn’t actually die, but he might as well have.”

“Who are you?” she asked him. She knew Seb had many enemies, but this man’s grudge was obviously extremely personal. “Is Clint even your real name?”

“Oh yes, Clint Kofsson is indeed my name. Well, in a manner of speaking.” There was such eager excitement on his face that it made the madness in his eyes more terrifying. “I wanted to keep my father’s name, I truly did, but I couldn’t, because Sebastian would have recognized it too readily and known exactly what I was about. Which obviously would have ruined all my plans, so instead I had to rearrange it. It’s an anagram, you see!”

“An anagram?” Perhaps if she could keep him talking, she could raise the alarm, or get close enough to him to disarm him with her cane.

“Yes! If you rearrange Clint Kofsson, it spells Flintock’s son.” He laughed. “Brilliant, isn’t it?”

“Flintock? As in Edward Flintock?” The man who raped and killed Sebastian’s mother. Bile rose in her throat when she saw the man nod in affirmation. Edward Flintock’s son was standing before her, with revenge in his heart.

“Yes. My father was the man Sebastian Colver maimed and destroyed.” He sighed, a long, drawn-out sound. “It’s rather bittersweet that all these years of planning my revenge are about to come to an end. Don’t get me wrong.” He paused, almost as if he were trying to reassure her. “It’s a very exciting time for me, but I’m still a tad sad that it’s nearly over. But it is the eleven-year anniversary today of when Sebastian Colver ruined my life, so it’s only fitting to repay him the favor. But do not fret, for I have lots planned for us tonight at the hunting lodge. You shall enjoy it greatly.” He paused and peered at her and then laughed. “Actually, maybe you won’t, but I certainly will.”

“The hunting lodge?”

“Yes, it’s time to meet your destiny. Time for you to be punished for your sins of consorting with the devil. And time to send the devil back to where he came from.”

Chapter Forty-Six

“What the hell do you mean, she’s disappeared?” Seb roared to all of his assembled men in the entrance hall of his residence. It was nearly an hour and a half since he’d spoken to her, and apparently no one had seen her since. Seb felt the most enormous weight on his chest, and his body clenched in equal parts of fury and frustration, and an ample dose of fear.

It was like déjà vu, and he had to resist grabbing someone’s head and pounding it into the wall. “Answer me!” he bellowed to what seemed like the whole house, all of whom had gathered in the entrance hall upon his arrival.

“No one has seen her since she went to take a telephone call,” Livie’s aunt said from the staircase. The woman was dressed in a black velvet dressing gown, and for once her haughtiness was replaced by worry.

“And that didn’t concern any of you?” Seb couldn’t control the anger from leaching out of his voice. All his men appeared shocked to see him lose control, but he didn’t care. Livie was gone, and he feared he was going to be too late. Far too late.

“Everyone assumed she must have gone to bed after taking your call,” the duchess continued. “It’s no secret you upset her greatly before you left this morning, so we all just assumed you’d argued again with her on the phone tonight, and the poor girl needed some rest and took to her bed.”

“We didn’t argue on the phone,” Seb said through gritted teeth. “When did you notice she was gone?”

“I went to check on her about an hour ago.” The woman’s voice was imperious, but her hand was gripping the balustrade tightly, and Seb could see how concerned she actually was for Livie. “When she was nowhere to be found, I raised the alarm, and your men have been looking for her since.”

“She’s been taken, hasn’t she?” Charlotte stepped forward, an expression of distress in her gray eyes.

“Perhaps.” Seb’s voice was rough, the very thought of Livie in danger tightening his throat like a vise. “We need to find her and quickly. Did any