Page 174 of Stolen By the Heartless Duke

He had touched Hector’s family. He had taken Jane. And for the first time in years, Hector felt something far more dangerous than anger. Fear. Not for himself. Never for himself. Fear for her.

The carriage arrived.

Hector climbed inside without hesitation. “Zachary’s townhouse,” he ordered.

The driver snapped the reins. As the carriage surged forward, Hector closed his eyes for only a moment. He saw Jane standing before him in the training alley. He saw her smile. He heard her laugh. He remembered the way she had looked at him when she told him she believed in him. And now she was somewhere with a man who would use every ounce of her courage against her.

Hector opened his eyes. His expression hardened. He had spent his entire life protecting those he loved. He had failed to stop Evan from disappearing. He had failed to see what was happening with Colin. He would not fail Jane.

Not today.

Not ever.

The carriage raced through the streets of London. And Hector was coming for her.

Chapter Twenty-Seven

Jane refused to move. Every instinct told her to run to her mother. To gather her into her arms and flee this nightmare. But she could not. Not yet.

Strachan still held the room. Even without raising his pistol, he controlled every breath they took. So Jane remained where she was, positioned between him and her mother’s unconscious body. A shield. A distraction.

Anything she could be.

Across the room, Zachary had lost all appearance of authority. The man who had once looked down upon everyone around him now stood trembling, his face pale and his hands shaking.

Jane almost did not recognize him. For years, she had seen him as a force she could not overcome. Now she saw the truth. He had always been a coward. A cruel man, perhaps. A selfish man. But a coward nonetheless.

Strachan seemed to notice his fear as well. “You are disappointing me, Lord Zachary.”

Her uncle swallowed. “I did what you asked.”

“Did you?”

“I brought her here.”

“You brought me an opportunity.” Strachan’s eyes shifted toward Jane. “But you never understood the consequences.”

Jane kept her expression carefully blank. “Is that what you do?”

Strachan looked at her. “What?”

“Use people who believe they are clever enough to bargain with you.”

A slow smile appeared. “Careful.”

“I have noticed something.”

“And what is that?”

“You do not actually trustanyone.”

For the first time, his expression changed. Only slightly. But Jane saw it. A flicker of irritation. “You speak as though you know me.”

“No.” She lifted her chin. “But I know menlikeyou.”

His smile returned. “Do you?”

“Men who believe fear is the same as respect.”