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It was then that Sian understood she would not get out of the room alive if she didn’t get out immediately.

The light in the man’s eyes was not only wild but also murderous.

He was one provocation away from snapping.

She ran to the door, but Lord Ashton caught her by the waist before she could reach it.

“No! Let me go!”

She started to struggle. In vain. The hands that closed around her neck were too strong for her to even dare hope to survive the attack.

It is odd to be back at the place I called home for so long and will never be mine again , Christopher reflected as he and Alexander trotted through the gate of Throckmorton Castle. Had it always looked so dreary, or was it the miserable weather that was making it appear thus?

No. It had always been that deary. He remembered thinking he would have to undertake significant repairs now that he was the new Lord Ashton.

Well , he thought with no small amount of bitterness, at least that is not an issue anymore.

Someone else was master of the place, it was his responsibility no longer.

Thomas would have to see to the renovations.

If he’d been inclined to such sentiment, Christopher might have pitied the man for inheriting the castle at the worst possible moment.

As he had come to Throckmorton filled with resentment, he thought it just retribution for what Thomas had done. Let his snake of a brother deal with a crumbling castle since he had destroyed his and Sian’s life. It seemed apt.

A man welcomed them as they dismounted in the bailey—a man who obviously had no idea he was talking to his master’s brother. Had Thomas even mentioned he had a brother? It was doubtful.

“I am Sir Alexander Rathbone,” Alexander took it upon himself to say when he saw Christopher was too angry to speak. “My friend and I have come to see Lord Ashton.”

“He already has a lady visitor with him in the solar.”

“Well, let us hope he’s finished with her, then,” Christopher snarled.

“The matter is rather urgent.” He would not be made to wait while his pathetic brother bedded his latest conquest. In any case, he knew his way to the solar better than anyone else there.

If need be, he could run to it before the squire could stop him.

The man seemed to understand he would not win and led them up the stairs without another word.

As they approached the room, they heard a roar, followed by a whimper. There was no mistaking the reason for it. The lady visitor, whoever she was, was being assaulted.

Christopher didn’t stop to think. An excuse to pounce on his brother and beat him to a pulp was just what he needed. Before either man behind him could react, he’d kicked the door open and burst into the room.

The spectacle that met his eye was not quite the one he had expected to see.

Thomas was indeed pinning a woman to the wall, but his intent was not to rape her, as Christopher had first feared.

It was even worse. He wanted to kill her.

Both his hands were around her slender neck.

It took Christopher less than a heartbeat to recognize Sian.

What the hell was she doing here? It didn’t matter.

What mattered was that he got to her before Thomas succeeded in killing her.

With a roar, he ran to his brother and plucked him off Sian’s limp body as easily as if he weighed nothing. As soon as she was released, she fell into Alexander’s arms, senseless. No! Was he too late?

“See to her,” he instructed his friend in a panicked rasp. “I will deal with him.”

For all his roguish ways and supposed villainy, Christopher had never thought he would ever kill a man in cold blood. Who would have thought that the first one to make him question that certainty would be his half brother, the sibling he’d wished to have all his life?

Someone was having a laugh at his expense; that much was certain. Probably a creature from hell who, tired after an eternity spent tormenting the disembodied souls of sinners, had decided to try his hand at humans of flesh and blood, starting with Christopher Harrison.

First, the demon had made sure to delay until the worst possible moment the life-changing announcement that he was not, after all, who he’d been raised to be, thereby preventing his marriage to the only woman who could make him happy.

Then the foul creature had contrived a way to make Sian believe the worst of him and marry another man.

As if all that was not enough, he had also made him see the only woman who had ever cared for him being assaulted.

And now, he was offering Christopher the terrible, terrible temptation to kill his own brother.

Could he resist it? Should he? Surely, it would be just retribution for attempted murder?

Wild with rage, Christopher closed his hands around Thomas’ neck.

“You shouldn’t have hurt her,” he growled against his ear. If the man liked to strangle people, let him see how pleasant it really was. “You shouldn’t have touched her.”

“I am Lord Ashton, not you,” was the raspy answer.

“I know you are. What does that have to do with anything?” Did the man think his rank gave him the right to kill innocent people? It did not.

“She accused me of calling you a usurper when that’s what you are. You were never meant to be the heir. I was.”

So that was why Sian had come here? To confront Thomas about what he’d done? His brave, foolish little lamb … Christopher shook his head. She should not have placed herself in danger for him.

As to him not being the rightful heir, he didn’t bother pointing out, once again, that he had not willingly usurped the title. Thomas could think what he wanted of him as long as he didn’t hurt the few people who mattered to him.

“Is she breathing?” he asked Alexander. If she wasn’t, Heaven help Thomas. Brother or not, he would die.

“Yes.” That one word allowed Christopher’s blood to flow through his veins once more. “I think she fainted when she saw us and understood she was safe.”

Thank the Lord. Sian was alive. He had arrived in time. Had Alexander not insisted they confront the man over what he had done without delay, she would most probably be dead by now.

“Come. We’ll take her back to Audley and old Joan. She’ll take care of her,” Alexander ruled. “You’ll need to carry her. My shoulder pains me too much.”

That was the first Christopher had heard of his friend being injured. He suspected Alexander only wanted to drag him away from his brother before he could commit the irreparable and was using the best weapon at his disposal, Sian’s well-being.

He let go of Thomas, fury still boiling in his gut.

“If you ever find yourself in the presence of Si— Lady Cantle again, you will immediately excuse yourself and run away as fast as your legs can carry you.” Unable to stop himself, he grabbed his brother again, bringing his face level with his own. “Have I made myself clear?”

A cough was all the answer he got.

Ignoring the man who would be an enemy to him from now on, Christopher strode over to Sian. Dear God, she was so pale … He turned to his friend.

“Are you sure she’s not?—”

“Yes. She’s breathing. She’ll be fine., I think she’s not really senseless, just too bewildered and in pain to do anything. Let’s go.”

To Christopher’s relief, it was no longer raining outside. The last thing he wanted was for Sian to catch a chill.

With Alexander’s help, he settled her in front of him on Warrior.

Having barely the strength to sit, she would not be able to ride by herself.

Once she was secure in his arms, his friend went to retrieve her horse.

The mare would be taken to Audley; they could not leave her behind.

When Christopher saw Sian had brought Angel, a small smile curled his lips at the memory of how he’d teased her the day he’d brought Warrior to Sheridan Manor. It seemed so long ago now.

Well, there would be no more teasing.

She was married to another man, as far from his reach as could be conceived.