Read Online Devil in Her Dreams by Jane Charles - Free Book Online Page A

anyway. At least he would have died right along with us.”
    “
Oh, I hadn’t thought…”
    “
Of course you didn’t think,” Marston yelled. “Now he will probably just tie us up and leave us for dead.”
    “
No, I will shoot you.” The Frenchman put the knife back in his pocket. “After I have Jean Pierre. Let the boars have the three of you. I will be far enough away.”
    A surge of relief passed through her when the knife was gone.
    “
Come on, Lisette, over to the tree.” He motioned with his gun.
    “
I am not Lisette.” She crossed her arms across her chest. “And I will not sit in the mud.”
    He shrugged. “Then stand.” He was closer now.
    “
And ruin my new slippers? I think not.” She stuck her foot out so he could see the dainty slipper dyed to match her gown.
    He bent just slightly to look at her foot, his eyes narrowing in either anger or exasperation. It was all she needed. Grasping her skirts to pull them to free her legs, she bent her knee and kicked high, striking him in the bottom of his chin with the toe of her foot. The Frenchman’s head jerked up, and he staggered back a few steps.
    “
Ouch!” She gave a quick hop. “My boots would have been far more practical.”
    The man straightened, rage filled his eyes, and he launched himself at her. She turned and sprinted away, intending to run back to the house. She opened her mouth to scream when he latched onto her dress, yanking her back. His arm went around her waist. Louisa flung her head backwards, connecting with his nose. His hold went slack, and she drew her arm back and jerked her elbow back and into his stomach.
    She felt a swoosh of air at the back of her neck as he doubled over. Instead of running, she turned and brought her foot up again, kicking as hard as she could, connecting with his groin. The man’s hands went to his privates. His face turned pale as he dropped to his knees and rolled to the ground, moaning. She stared at him for a moment. There was so much blood on his face. The woods began to spin.
    “
Louisa,” Marston barked out.
    She fought the darkness and strained to focus on him.
    “
Get John before he recovers.”
    Yes, what was she thinking? Turning, she ran back toward the house, screaming at the top of her lungs.
    There were two gardeners outside on the terrace, and she yelled up to them. “One of you get help, the other follow me.” The two men split and Louisa turned to go back the way she came. She couldn’t leave that man alone with Marston. What if he recovered and killed Marston? She couldn’t allow it.
    The man was still on the ground, groaning, when she ran back to the clearing. His eyes widened with fear at the sight of her, she fought the nausea that rose to her throat and the dizziness of so much fresh blood. She couldn’t faint now. She wouldn’t. Marston needed her.
    The Frenchman reached for the gun which had fallen a few feet away. She rushed forward and stomped on his hand, keeping her foot there as she reached for the gun and picked it up. She leveled it on the man. “Don’t move or I will shoot you.”
    “
I would listen to her,” Marston said.
    Louisa offered him a cheeky grin. Marston merely shook his head and dropped his chin to his chest.
    The gardener ran into the clearing and stopped.
    “
Please untie Lord Marston.”
    When the rope fell away, Marston stood and flexed his hands to bring feeling back to them. Blood covered his wrists and hands. Louisa looked away and focused on her surroundings, on anything that wasn’t red.
    John arrived a few moments later with a few servants. He had them haul the Frenchman to his feet so they could take him back to the house.
    Devlin came forward and pulled Louisa into his arms. There would be blood on the back of her dress, but she didn’t care. Her heart beat a mad tattoo, her hands began to shake and she became a bit dizzy. Thank goodness that hadn’t happened to her earlier or she would be tied to a tree now, waiting to