Her Reluctant Viscount (Rakes and Rogues) (33 page)

“It is not that simple, Najja.”

“Wrong. It is much simpler than you are making it. Someone is threatening a member of
my
family.”

Colin draped his arm around Najja’s shoulder and tried to calm her down. It did not work. Jo did not want her upset, it was not good for her in this state.

“Najja,” she began only to fall silent when the woman leveled a glare in her direction.

“We are looking for The Alchemist, Najja.”

She barely blinked. “I am not speaking of The Alchemist. I am referring to your Duke of Ramsay, Jack Eversley. He has endangered Jo and those around her. More than once. There have been more of those assassins discovered.”

Jo frowned. Assassins? She had not heard about this. From the look on Trystan’s face, he had known and was not shocked by Najja’s pronouncement of more. She could not continue allowing this to happen.

“I have to leave.” Jo set her cup down.

“No!” The refusal came from all at once.

“I did not know of these spies or assassins. I am putting everyone in more danger than I thought.”

“You are not going anywhere, Jo,” Tryst stated firmly. “I will keep you safe.”

“I refuse to spend my life in hiding. You have other things to do than shadow me and I will not stay at your mistress’ again.”

“What?” Colin demanded. “Outside, Tryst. Now!” The tone dangerous.

Jo flicked her gaze between the two men, one resigned and one furious. Alexander went to his mother as Colin and Tryst left the room. It was silent for a few seconds.

As if sensing she and Najja desired to exchange more private words, Pug gather his brother and moved to a window seat at the front of the room.

The moment they had semi-privacy, Najja sighed as she rested her arms on the swell of her belly. “You have not told me everything.” Najja glared at her.

No, she had not.

“You never told me about assassins,” Jo countered to that even though she knew it was not smart.

“We had no wish to worry you.”

“I am no child, Najja. I do not need to have things hidden from me.”

“I know but I will always seek to protect you. Since you left I have been worried and knowing what you went through.” She glanced to where Alex had taken apart his cucumber sandwich on the table. “I feel as though I let you down. I should have been there. It is my—”

“No, Najja. Your responsibility is to your family now. They come first.”

“You
are
my family as well, Jo. My sister.”

She moved to Najja’s side and took one hand. “You have taught me so much, Najja. I cannot say there were times I did not wish you there in person, yet I felt you with me. If not for your teaching, I would not have survived. I kept myself together. I never would have forgiven myself if something happened to you either. Or Colin and your children.”

Najja stared at her before nodding. “You have grown up beautifully, Jo.”

“Beautiful!” Alex chortled grabbing both their attention.

Jo followed his smile to where Vittoria stood in the doorway beside him and Pug. Although only a few years older than her, Pug looked so much more. He was a good head taller than her and much fuller.

“Vittoria, come meet my friend, Najja.”

As introductions commenced, Jo knew things had to be different now. She had not lied about wishing Najja had been with her. It was the truth. She always felt more confident with her there. But, it was not Najja’s job to keep her safe anymore. Jo knew this, merely had not wanted to accept it until now. She had been childish actually with her expectations.

She observed Najja with Vittoria and marveled at how her friend got the child to open up. Although she was not sure why, Najja was an incredible mother.

Pug paused beside her and she smiled at him. She rose and walked with him a bit to the side.

“Are you sure you are okay, Jo?”

The concern in his voice humbled her. She reached for his hand, squeezing it gently.

“I will be. I have wonderful friends.”

He stared at her, his blue eyes a few shades darker than she recalled them being. She brushed some wayward hair back from his face, and ignored the resulting blush.

A noise at the door had her glancing to see Colin without Trystan. Pug left and Jo sat with Vittoria as she filled the Faulkners in on wanting to find the girl’s parents. Even as they conversed, Jo found her gaze continually straying to the door in search of Trystan. Surely, he would not leave without saying farewell.

What difference does it make? You are not what is in his future,
her brain reminded her.

It was not so easy as snuffing out a candle, her heart knew. She forced a smile and tried her best to pay attention to what Colin was saying. It was not really making sense but at least Najja was not asking her why Tryst took her to his mistress’ or why she had slept with him. She knew Najja knew but did not think Colin did. However, he was smart. She would prefer to keep it that way if he did not know.

Tryst slowly walked back to Kittle Manor. He worked his jaw trying to erase the sting caused by Colin’s fist. Part of him had expected it but apparently not as much as he should have. Colin had been furious and had not held back with his opinion on it. Knocked him to the ground, lectured him, and walked off without helping him up. All things he deserved.

He rubbed his jaw again and drew up short at the sight of Pug standing there. The boy stood ramrod straight, his expression solemn.

“Pug,” he said with a nod.

“A word.”

My, he was serious. Breathing deep, Trystan gave a nod and gestured for the young man to lead the way. Pug walked to another room and waited for him to pass before shutting the sliding doors behind him.

“Something on your mind, kid?”

Deep blue eyes glared from behind thick lashes. “You do not deserve her!”

Trystan blinked, taken aback by the instant attack. “What are you going on about?” This was not making sense. Pug had always liked him.

“Jo. You are not good enough for her.”

Ahh. Now he understood. Pug was infatuated with Jo. Did not blame the lad. He recalled recognizing this earlier but had put it out of his head with everything that had happened as of late.

“Someone better in mind for her?”

His eyes flashed defensively. “Me.”

“A little young I could say.” He could not help needling the boy.

“Some might say you are too old. I love her. I have always loved her and you…all you do is put her in danger. Hurt her again and you will have to deal with me.”

He delivered the statement cold and sans emotion. By the time he got over the fact he had been dressed down by Pug, the boy had left, the open door proof of his departure.

Then the words sank in. Pug was absolutely right. The right thing, the
honorable
thing would be for him to let her go. Would he? Not a chance. Jo was his. She had been from the moment he had laid eyes upon her. He was the one who stopped them from being together. Not her.

Her attraction had always been there. He had just been so determined to keep her at a distance, in that vein. He respected her parents and Colin who looked upon her as a little sister. Najja was a force all her own and a woman he wanted on his side. Face it, she had put a blade to his privates and that was
before
all this.

There would be no more hiding behind his job. He wanted Jo. That was what was important now. Surely her feelings toward him would have only grown after what they shared.

He breathed a bit easier after he made his decision. One step toward the door and he drew up. Najja stood there. Like a ghost, one moment nothing the next there she stood.

“Najja.”

“I believe it prudent we talk, Lord Wilkes.”

He felt it prudent not to piss off a woman who—although pregnant—could kill him before he got closer to her. So he retreated to a chair, seating himself after she did. Najja did not speak, she stared at him until he wanted to shift beneath her penetrating gaze. But did not.

“How do you plan on fixing this?”

He rubbed his palm on his thighs. “She is going to be safe.”

“We both know that I am taking about you having slept with her.”

“Fix it?”

She gave him a baleful look.

He swallowed. “I will tell her father I have compromised her and we are to wed.”

“I see.” She got up gracefully despite her protruding belly. “I hope for your sake. Lord Wilkes, you are smarter than that. Much smarter.” Najja made her way back to the door.

“What are you talking about? Is that not what you all want? Me to admit my mistake of sleeping with her.”

She whirled on him, eyes deadly. “What I want is for her to be safe and happy, well aware her husband loves her. I want him not to think of sleeping with her as a mistake, nor do I wish him to take her to a mistress’ house.”

Najja strode up to him. In a low and fierce voice she added, “Stay away from her, Trystan. If this is how you feel, stay away.”

Then she was gone. He groaned and rubbed his face. Only one person left to talk to. He needed to talk to her. He returned to the room she had been in. Everyone was there and fell silent at his arrival.

“May I have a word, Jo?”

She lifted her head and stared at him with those blue eyes, which haunted his every waking moment. He nearly frowned, something was different about her. Something was missing.

Jo tucked a wayward curl behind her ear, whispered to Vittoria, and got to her feet. He stared at her as she walked. The fall of her dress over curves he knew on an intimate level drove him to distraction. Her hair hung in a braid and he longed to free it from its prison, wrap it around his hands, and hold her head where he wanted while he kissed her until the gnawing need left him. Whenever it happened.
If
it ever happened.

Hands clasped before her, she halted near him. Gesturing her by him, he followed only to pause and peer over his shoulder. Three of the five in there watched him with warning gazes. Only Vittoria and Alex did not.

He trailed Jo into the same room Pug and Najja had spoken to him in. She sat in a tall wingback, proper like, waiting for him to speak. He took a seat on the loveseat so he could see her.

“Are you okay?”

She did not even hesitate. “I am, thank you.”

He did not buy it. “Talk to me, Jo.”

“I have nothing to say. I am fine. Trying to figure a way to reunite Vittoria with her parents.”

Had he said he was not buying it yet? This woman was not the Jo he had known for the past six years. Not
his
Jo. There existed no sign of the hellcat within the coolly composed person. He disliked this immensely.

“About what happened between us, Jo.” He paused searching for a reaction. None came. “I just—”

“No need to mention it at all. Forget it as I have. If that is all, I need to return to my guests.” She waited and honestly, he was too shocked not to only stare. When he did not speak, she rose and left him there.

Forget it? As she had? Was she insane? He could not forget what transpired between them anymore he could tell the sun when to rise and set. As long as he lived, their time together would remain with him.

He lost track of time in his own thoughts until loud voices from the entryway reached him. Hastening to the door, he peered out to see not only Jo, Colin, Pug, and Najja but also Jack and Cam.

“You need to come with us, Miss Adrys,” Jack said. “It is to keep you safe.”

Najja started forward only to be stopped by Colin. He murmured something to her and she left with Jo and Pug. Trystan went to his friend’s side.