Page 31 of Enchanted by the Lyon (The Lyon’s Den Connected World #93)

C assandra shivered in the cold downpour of rain.

The weather had turned nasty for the past week, making the roads a mucky mess.

The fact that she was standing in the woods near a small clearing waiting to be rescued by Lucius lightened her spirits although she was worried about the upcoming altercation with the men who held her captive.

She didn’t know what to expect from them, but the whole situation didn’t bode well for her or Lucius.

The fact that Barlow held a knife to her throat didn’t help matters.

Where did he think she would run to that they couldn’t easily catch her?

He and Forbes had already had a verbal war between them this morning about how their flintlock pistols would be useless in this kind of weather since the gunpowder would never light during the torrential rain.

She had sat quietly in her chair while Barlow continued cleaning his weapon, saying he would take it with him anyway and hope for the best by keeping it dry and hiding it in his coat.

Forbes had cursed him as he sharpened several knives.

He put one inside his boot, another at his back in his belt, and the third he put in a leather holder near his waist. The fourth was now at her throat.

Apparently Barlow wasn’t as stupid as she’d thought and had decided that even a knife as a weapon could benefit him.

She had spent the morning worrying about Lucius’s safety which was more important than her own.

Luckily, she had remained untouched so if they had any plans to take advantage of her person, they would have done so by now, or so she surmised.

Instead, she was left unharmed with the exception of a few muttered curses thrown in her direction.

Cassandra was being used as only a means to extract a handsome amount of money from Lucius.

How these two fools thought they would get away with this whole scheme was beyond her reasoning. Clearly, they didn’t know Lucius well.

Since Barlow and Forbes had made no effort to hide their discussions and plans, Cassandra had heard everything they planned.

They may have ordered Lucius to come alone, but she knew he would take the necessary precautions to ensure that witnesses would be close by to hear their exchange.

Maybe the reason they didn’t care that she overheard their plans was because she wouldn’t live to see the end of the day.

She gulped in fear, knowing her fate rested in the hands of two men who cared little for anyone but themselves.

After all, it was clear to her now that Barlow had the capacity to kill his own brother and make it look like an accident, just for money’s sake.

Now, here she was. Standing near a tree about to freeze to death since they hadn’t bothered to give her a coat or anything else to protect her from the elements.

The dress they had given her to wear was molded to her body, and she gulped when she noticed Forbes leering at her.

It was the first time since they’d taken her that she truly worried about her safety.

She remembered such a look from her past association with the viscount and another shiver overcame her that had nothing to do with the pouring rain.

She caught his smirk and she quickly masked her face, not wishing to give the scoundrel any further satisfaction that he had affected her.

She raised her chin in indifference, but she couldn’t stop the smile that spread across her face when she heard the unmistakable sound of hoofbeats in the distance. Her rescue was at last imminent.

Barlow tightened his hold upon her arm and nicked her neck with the blade still held at her throat, drawing her attention. “Be quiet or I’ll have no problem slicing your throat just to finally be rid of you,” he sneered, causing Cassandra to try to pull her arm from his grasp.

“You always were a coward and low life scum. No wonder Rupert never wanted anything to do with you,” she prodded him.

“You know nothing about my past with my brother or the hatred I bore him,” Barlow snarled even as his head swiveled in the direction of the horse somewhere in the distance. He lowered the knife as he became lost in thought. “He had everything and I had nothing.”

Cassandra frowned. “You were the older son. Whatever wealth your parents had would have gone to you as the first born. It was Rupert who had to find his way in the world and he made a success of his life.” She watched her brother-in-law carefully while a range of emotions flitted across his face.

It was then that she knew that Rupert’s declaration in the letter and will she had found was true. “You killed him, didn’t you?”

Barlow gave her a shove and she stumbled back against the bark of the tree. His hand went to her throat. “And my parents too,” he shouted.

“But why?” Cassandra managed to ask, as he squeezed her throat.

“Because I was my father’s bastard, that’s why. They were about to leave everything they had to Rupert. I couldn’t let that happen,” he confessed loudly while Forbes let out a curse.

“You fool! Shut your mouth,” Forbes ordered him, coming closer. “You’ll ruin everything and we still need her alive.”

Barlow let go of her neck and turned to his partner. “What does it matter if we kill her now or later?”

“We need Blackthorn’s money, you idiot!” Forbes yelled.

“I’d rather just be done with her once and for all.

I had already killed her parents knowing she was an only child and would inherit.

Cutting the girth on my brother’s saddle was easily done as well.

She was a thorn in my side years ago, and then I tossed her from her house.

I should have killed her then but I figured she’d end up dead eventually living on the streets.

How the bloody hell was I to know she’d actually survive enough to ruin me years later?

” He turned to her again with enough hatred in his eyes that she knew his time of waiting was at an end.

“You even ruined Forbes’ plans to frame Blackthorn for the abuse done to his ex-mistresses.

It would have been a perfect plan if we had been able to carry out our last attempt on that last whore!

” He turned to the viscount. “I say we kill her now.”

Forbes jumped forward pushing her away. “I won’t let you ruin everything until we get the ransom,” he said before knocking Barlow down.

They began to wrestle upon the ground and that was Cassandra’s cue to run.

She took off from the small clearing and into the woods, toward the sound of the horse coming closer.

She hadn’t gone far when she was grabbed from behind and spun around. Thinking it was one of her captors catching up with her, she raised her knee only to pull up short from kicking whoever held her when she saw Lucius’s handsome face. She collapsed in his arms with a sob.

Suddenly, everything happened at once. A pistol shot went off at the same time the woods came alive.

Men she didn’t know raced toward Barlow and Forbes, lying still on the ground.

She saw Saxton and Wickes moving toward her captors too.

The horse and rider finally came into view through the trees.

It was Asher Tyler who had a wide grin upon his face.

“I see you came to the rescue in time,” Asher said to Lucius, his smile growing wider.

Lucius nodded. “Thankfully, yes. I’m not certain how much longer I was going to be able to remain in the woods and not rush to my lady’s side.”

Another man stepped forward. “Seems to me you were innocent all along, my lord,” he declared.

“I’ve heard enough from them to say they’ve confessed to their crimes and a couple of others as well.

And just so you’re aware, Mrs. Yates and Mrs. Darling both came to my office and said that Hollingsworth was blackmailing them to say you were the person who accosted them.

But I’ll need a statement from Mrs. Vaughn regarding what happened directly to her. ”

“And you’ll be able to find us at my country estate, but for now she needs her rest,” Lucius said as he tore off his cloak and settled the garment over her shoulders.

Cassandra snuggled into the warmth of his embrace when he pulled her into his arms but couldn’t resist looking toward the two men who had kidnapped her. They weren’t moving.

Lucius pointed to the group that was surrounding them. “Find out what’s happened, Asher,” he said as his friend rode his horse over to the group.

He came back several moments later and dismounted. “They killed each other. One was shot and the other had a knife protruding in his chest.”

Cassandra shuddered. “At least they won’t bother us anymore and Lucius is no longer under any suspicion.”

Lucius pulled her close. “That is the least of my worries. I’m more concerned with getting you dry and out of these wet clothes.”

A twinkle sparkled in her eyes as she pulled his head down to whisper in his ear. “I look forward to you helping me, my lord.”

He kissed her lips. “Behave, my love.”

She couldn’t help the pout that crested her lips. “Not likely, my lord.”

Asher excused himself with a laugh and went back to the group. The three friends all turned to watch as Lucius helped her onto his horse he had hidden in the forest. As he settled in the saddle behind her, she knew from this day forward that she never wanted to be parted from this man ever again.