The Earl of Morrey (The League of Rogues #13) - Lauren Smith Page 0,3

other moment he would have gotten drunk on her kiss. But he kept his focus on the closed door,waiting for the moment it would burst open. When it did, he purposely held Letty a moment too long, making sure the men who’d entered the room saw the girl was quite clearly compromised.

“Good God, it’s Morrey!” one man said. Another man called out for Adam to let the girl go.

Adam stepped half a foot back from Letty, his hand still possessively gripping her waist, implying that they had been about to make love. Then he faced the men and dropped his hold on the poor young woman whose reputation he had just put the proverbial bullet through.

“Morrey, what the bloody hell do you think you’re doingwith my sister?” James demanded. He started toward Adam, vengeance in his eyes that Adam knew would likely end up with his face a bloody mess if this matter was not resolved.

“I . . .” Adam struggled for words as he pushed Letty behind him, keeping her well out of harm’s way, lest her brother take a swing at him. He’d given Lady Edwards a chance to escape, but now he was to face an entirely different peril that he could not escape.

“We heard a pistol go off,” a man said in confusion. Adam recognized him as Jonathan St. Laurent. “We feared something had happened. We thought it came from this room.”

“I can’t say I heard anything—I was rather preoccupied,” Adam said with a rakish grin. He’d become a good actor in the last two years, showing only what he wished and hiding what he needed to.

“That much is clear,” Jonathan snorted, his gaze fixed on Adam’s chest.

Adam reached up to touch his waistcoat and realized the two buttons he’dundone to free his dagger were still out of their slits. It painted the situation with Letty in an even worse light because it looked as though he’d been in the process of removing his waistcoat.

“We should let Pembroke handle this,” another man in the party said. “She is his sister,after all.”

“Yes, leave him to me,” James growled. “Continue your search.”

The other men left the room, leaving James alone with Adam and Letty.

Pembroke closed the door, trapping Adam in the room with him and Letty. “Morrey, what the bloody hell happened?” James demanded, his eyes straying to his sister, who stood nearly silent behind Adam. “I thought you told me to leave because you were up to something dangerous, and then I find you kissing my sister. I expect there to be a damn good explanation for this.”

Adam saw the hurt and fury in James’s eyes. He had every right to assume the worst. Adam would have, had he been in James’s place.

“There is, but I cannot explain here. It may not be safe,” Adam replied.

James rubbed his closed eyes with his thumb and forefinger. “You’re telling me that what happened tonight was connected to . . . ?”

“Yes.” Adam saw that what he was carefully conveying to James was finally sinking in. “And you know what it means for her.” He nodded his head toward Letty.

“I know . . . but I can help her weather the scandal. It doesn’t have to end the way you expect. I won’t force that upon her, not if she doesn’t want it.”

“Unfortunately, I think you must.” Adam kept his tone quiet. “I’m the only one who can protect her. She’s been seen, James. Before the night is through, she’ll have been made as one of mine, and she will not be safe.”

James’s eyes widened and then narrowed as he looked between his sister and Adam. Yes, the man was finally coming to understand what Morrey was saying.

“Then we must make a few decisions, mustn’t we?”

“We must,” Morrey agreed.

“The sooner the better,I suppose?”

“Yes. I’ll go to the Doctors’ Commons tomorrow. We can tell everyone we had a secret understanding and plan to marry within a few days.”

“It will be enough.” James sighed heavily. His reluctance to agree to this plan was obviously still strong.

“Wait—marriage?” Letty suddenly seemed to realize what they were speaking about.

“Yes, you and Morrey. Immediately.” James glanced at Adam, an apologetic look in his eyes.

“James, you can’t—”

“Letty, after what happened tonight, there are reasons that require you to comply with this decision. You know I would never want to force this, but you must trust me. This is the only way forward that keeps you safe.”

“Safe? Safe from him? This man just held a knife to my