Page 46 of Stolen By the Heartless Duke

Jane’s pulse quickened.

“And Evan?” the duke asked.

“He stopped coming.”

The duke exhaled slowly through his nose. “He was being watched.”

Jane’s voice softened. “And heknewit.”

The duke looked at her. Something unspoken passed between them. Then suddenly there were footsteps behind them.

Jane turned just in time. Three men stepped into the alley. They weren’t gamblers or staff. The dealer made a hasty retreat into the shadows.

The duke moved instantly. “Behind me,” he said sharply.

Jane obeyed without hesitation. The men closed in.

One of them spoke. “You should stop digging where you don’t belong.”

The duke tilted his head slightly. “Or what?”

The man threw a punch out of nowhere. Then everything exploded. The duke moved with the speed and agility of a wild cat. One man went down immediately. Another reached for Jane, but the duke caught him mid-motion and threw him back.

Jane stumbled, but recovered quickly, kicking out hard when another grabbed her wrist. It worked, but barely. The duke was there a second later, taking the man down with a brutal strike.

The third tried to retreat. The duke did not allow it. Silence returned as quickly as it had broken. All three men lay unconscious.

Jane’s breathing was uneven.

The duke turned to her immediately. “Are you hurt?”

She shook her head quickly. “No.”

He scanned her anyway, as if verifying. Then he grabbed her arm and led her out of the alley.

Inside the carriage, Jane finally exhaled fully. Her hands were shaking slightly now that the adrenaline had worn off.

The duke noticed. “You are uninjured,” he said.

“I know,” she replied quickly. “I’m not fragile. Are you hurt?”

“No.” Then the duke said, “I should not have brought you into that.”

Jane looked up sharply. “I agreed to come.”

“That does not make it safe.”

She leaned forward slightly. “I know what I am doing.”

His gaze flicked to her. “You nearly became leverage,” he said.

“I was fine.”

“You were almost grabbed,” the duke said.

“But I wasn’t,” she snapped back.

Then she exhaled sharply, frustration breaking through something else.