Page 120 of The Scot Beds His Wife

“Gavin…” Eleanor’s voice broke on a tremble. “Gavin, don’t.”

“Quiet, Mother,” he said without inflection.

Sam had to reach him. To bring him back. But in order to do that, she needed to get the family—her family—out of harm’s way. She hadn’t been able to look at them. Couldn’t bring herself to face the confusion in Calybrid’s rheumy eyes. The terror that seized poor Eleanor. Eammon’s hurt and disbelief.

She faced it now. Though she did her utmost to disregard her shame. There would be time for that. Right now, her mind took in every detail it possibly could in that same, dispassionate way in which Gavin regarded her.

They made a macabre triangle. Gavin in the doorway, straight ahead of her, his gun trained at Boyd.At her. A dirk in his right hand poised to fly at Bradley, who stood to Gavin’s extreme right against the wall. Bradley’s pistol never wavered from the unarmed foursome in the middle of the room.

There had to be a way to fix this without someone getting hurt.

It was Bennett who gave her the idea. Rather, it was something he’d said to her before their first train heist.Don’t you be afraid. We’re the wolves, darlin’, we’ll handle the wolves. You be the sheep and herd the rest of the sheep together. Unless they’re hungry, wolves don’t pay sheep no mind.

Sheep. Huddled together. Eammon, Eleanor, Alice, and Calybrid. Were they not there, she’d be able to knockBoyd’s arm aside, providing Gavin a clear shot. But one wild bullet could hit any of them, and even if it didn’t, Bradley would pull his trigger.

At this distance, even Bradley wouldn’t likely miss should he pull the trigger.

“Here’s what’s going to happen,” Boyd said, his drawl intensifying with the taste of impending victory.

“Ye doona dictate to me in my keep.” The colder Gavin’s voice became the more fear Samantha had to fight to keep her head.

“He does if you want your folks to live,” Bradley hissed.

“Try something and I swear both of ye will die before I do.”

Good, the wolves were snarling. Samantha stared hard at Calybrid, catching his eye. Todayshewould be a wolf, and he a wolf in sheep’s clothing. She glanced down at the tall, delicate side table that had accompanied her chaise before she’d moved it into the sun. Upon the table rested an empty glass cobalt vase, a newspaper, spectacles, some of Alice’s correspondence, and a letter opener.

Calybrid saw it, too, and inched in that direction without drawing Bradley’s full attention, as the villain awaited his brother’s signal and kept a wary eye on Gavin.

Excellent.

Next, she turned her focus back to Gavin, hoping he could fight his rage long enough to look at her.

“All right, that’s fair,” Boyd said, much friendlier now. “Look, I’m just here to get what’s my due. My revenge and, apparently, my kin.”

Samantha did her best not to flinch when he gestured his gun toward her belly again. She tried not to let the momentary slip of bleak grief on Gavin’s hard features break her resolve.

He’d just lost what he thought was his child.

Finally he looked up at her, and she was glad she didn’t have to meet the accusation in his eyes for long. It could have killed her right then and there. Meaningfully, she slid her gaze to Calybrid.

He didn’t follow.

Dammit.

“I don’t wish you or your people any harm, you know.” Boyd was now gesturing with his pistol arm instead of aiming it at Gavin. The winch that had taken hold on Samantha’s lungs loosened one degree. “It’s obvious you didn’t know you were harborin’ a murderer. You look like you have a real nice family here, one who’s been taken in by a fork-tongued she-devil, same as us.”

At the mention of family, Gavin did spare a look in his mother’s direction, and Samantha’s heart released a little more when she saw that he noted Calybrid had already palmed the letter opener.

Calybrid tilted his head toward Bradley, and dipped his chin at Gavin in silent communiqué. Calybrid would act first, throwing the letter opener at Bradley. That would create enough distraction for Gavin to deal with Boyd.

“Tell you what,” Boyd continued. “You all let us walk out with this here woman what done you wrong, and no one gets hurt. I swear it. You’ll see hide nor hair from us again. I’m not a monster, you know.”

Samantha’s heart stalled as everyone stilled and looked to Gavin for his decision. Would he do it? If he gave her over, they wouldn’t have to risk a coordinated maneuver. Gavin’s mother, his family, would be safe.

“Can I trust you?” Though it appeared Gavin asked the question of Boyd, his eyes flicked to hers.

“Hand to God.” Boyd actually lifted his pistol toward the ceiling in a show of good faith.