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

fear since I was twelve years old,” Seb told him, very matter-of-factly. “So, am I right? Are you trying to avenge your father’s death?”

“My father isn’t dead!” Clint howled. “But I am avenging him. I am Edward Flintock’s son.” He bowed to Seb with a flourish, being sure to keep his pistol trained on Livie while he did so. “I’ve been under your nose for a year. And you had no idea. Not very smart, are you now?”

“Clint Kofsson?” Seb thought for a moment. “An anagram for Flintock’s son…that is clever. I didn’t even know he had a son. He never mentioned you in all the years I’ve gone and spoken with him.”

“You speak with him?” Clint sounded confused.

“Clearly you don’t know everything I do.” Seb raised a brow. “And, yes, about once a month, I will speak with him, more to terrify him and remind him I am always watching. He, in turn, mumbles barely coherent apologies, and he pisses his pants on most occasions I go.”

“That is a lie!” Edward yelled, pulling his pistol away from Livie and aiming it at Seb.

Seb merely shrugged. “It’s not. So now that we’ve established the why, what is your plan? My men are already approaching the back of this place at the moment. You won’t get out of here alive, even if you do kill me.”

He saw Livie slide her hand very softly into the pocket of her skirts where she normally kept her pistol. Clever girl. Obviously, Clint didn’t realize she also carried a pistol on her. After all, what duke’s daughter does?

“I’m not worried about your men,” Clint scoffed, his attention focused solely on Sebastian. “I have my own men out there who will ensure they don’t interrupt us.”

Seb felt a hopeless sense of frustration surge through him. Even though they’d all known it was likely to be a trap, hearing it was so, and that his men were going to be targeted, made him furious. Hopefully, they’d be on their guard.

Just then, almost as if their conversation had been heard, two gunshots echoed from outside.

“Excellent timing.” Clint grinned. “Looks like some of your men have been dispatched. Now I shall be able to focus on dealing with the two of you.”

“Why don’t you put the gun down and fight me like a man,” Seb said with a shrug. “Then let’s see how well you deal with me.”

Seb could see Livie slowly inching the pistol out of her pocket. If he could keep Clint distracted enough, she might have a chance of removing it without notice.

“My ego is not like yours, Sebastian Colver. I have no need to prove myself to you.”

“That’s because you’re a coward.”

“I am nothing of the sort!” Clint raged.

“Only a coward kidnaps a woman. Only a coward points a gun at an unarmed man.”

Clint took in a deep breath. “You can bait me all you want, but I’m smart enough to know that physically I’d never be able to best you, but I have certainly bested you mentally. You had no idea I was a traitor.” He started laughing. “And I was right in your midst the whole time.”

“True,” Seb conceded. “I never suspected you. Why would I? You are completely unimportant to me. I barely gave you a moment’s thought or notice.”

The young man swallowed heavily. “Well, you’ll certainly give me thought after tonight, for I intend to do to you exactly what you did to my father. You can spend the rest of your rotten, miserable life thinking of me every day as I imagine my father does of you.”

“Not very original of you, is it?” Seb shook his head in mock sympathy. “I, at least, didn’t steal the idea for such a punishment from someone else.”

“Shut up!” Clint screamed.

Seb took a step toward him.

“Not another step!” Clint cocked the hammer of the gun. “If you think I won’t shoot, you would be deadly wrong.”

“Yes, but if you kill me, you won’t be able to maim me and have your revenge, now will you?” Seb said.

Clint looked confused. “Maybe knowing you’ll be suffering in Hell will be revenge enough.”

“Perhaps, though you’ll be joining me shortly, when my men find you.” Seb shrugged. “You know how they hate a traitor.”

“Yes, but they don’t know I’m a traitor now, do they,” Clint said smoothly.

“Actually, they do.” Seb told him of what Tom had seen when he’d abandoned his post for a snack earlier in the evening.

While Clint was swearing at Tom and the man’s stomach, Seb felt satisfaction as Livie finally got the pistol out of her pocket and placed it gently into her lap, her hand tightening around the grip.

“You’re lying!” Clint yelled. “Tom didn’t see me! No one saw me.”

“Have you ever known me to lie?” Seb asked him, casually placing his hands on his hips, but in reality placing his right hand just slightly beyond his hips and around his back, to where his second pistol was strapped.

Clint began to swear, and with his free hand rubbed his temple. “He’s ruined everything then!”

Suddenly, the doorway to the back of the lodge burst open and Lance appeared, rifle in hand.

“Livie, get down!” Seb yelled, yanking his secondary pistol from behind his back and aiming it at Clint.

Livie dived for the floor and twisted to point her own pistol up at Clint.

Clint’s eyes darted wildly between them all. “This wasn’t meant to happen… This wasn’t my plan.”

“It’s over, Clint,” Seb said. “Put down your weapon now, or we will shoot you.”

The young man’s eyes widened as they swiveled between Lance and Seb, his pistol hovering somewhere in between.

But then, strangely, Clint grinned as he turned his pistol down toward Livie.

Chapter Fifty

Chaos erupted in the room as guns were fired simultaneously.

Livie watched as Seb dove toward her, covering her body with his as a bullet exploded into the wall behind them. For a moment, she lay there, dazed, as her ears echoed, with a strange ringing sensation buzzing inside them, making