Page 95 of Taken By the Beastly Duke

Victoria broke her eye contact with him, her smile dying, replaced with resentment when she faced Seton

" You must be wondering how I got loose. I can be quite creative some times, but I am sure you would know that, seeing as we have been friends for the better part of two decades"

He had bound her. He was sure going to kill him now

" I overheard you telling my husband that I don't want him. I wonder where you got the idea. I love my husband and no one can replace him in my heart"

At the mention of her love for him. Anthony turned to her, a warm feeling totally at odds with the situation at hand rapidly spreading through his veins. It was certainly a privilege to be loved by the extraordinary woman beside him. She was too perfect.

He was forced out of his internal monologue by the sound of Seton sputtering.

" But, you didn't want him at first. You think I don't know that you only agreed to be courted by him to protect your sisters?."

Victoria barely managed to conceal her shock. She wondered how he got access to such information. It was definitely not from her sisters. Charity barely spoke about to outsiders about such matters and neither did Diana.

She guessed she was not supposed to be surprised by a man that had gone the length of investigating her husband in attempt to make her leave him

" That might be so at first, but as I got to know him while he courted me. I fell in love with him"

" No. You do not get to just fall in love with a beast. You are supposed to love me. I loved you first. I sacrificed everything for you. " He said his voice rising causing Victoria to flinch.

Seeming to realize he was scaring her. He breathed deeply, smiling in a chilling manner

" You just have to come with me. We can be happy together. I promise. We can live in our own house. Have our own family. We will be happy. Very happy" he said nodding as if trying to convince himself.

" Theo" Victoria said to him in a gentle voice " You are great friend but I never did love you. I love Anthony. He is my husband. You need to return to your family. Your wife, your son. They are waiting for you."

The scary smile on Theo's face faded and was replaced with an expression of rage, his eyes burning with hatred.

" Well if I cannot have you." He said, the hand that still clutched the dagger flexing " I will make damn sure that no one will. Not even your beast of a husband."

With that statement, he raised the dagger and rushed towards them. Victoria heard someone scream and realized that must be her. She braced herself for impact that never came. When she opened her eyes it was to see that Anthony's big body shielded hers. He must have taken the stab. Rushing around him. She saw that the dagger was embedded on his left shoulder just missing his heart by a few meters.

" Anthony" she screamed. As she watched Theo pulled the dagger free eliciting a grunt from Anthony. He raised it again to probably finish the work.

She threw herself across Anthony's body. He would have kill her before he got to Anthony. After all. It was her fault for trusting such a mentally unstable character like Theo.

The stab she expected never came because she felt someone pull Theo away from behind her

When she turned her back, it was to see that two men dressed completely in black were restraining Theo while he struggled like a wild crazed animal.

She shuddered, realizing that the mild tempered man she knew as a friend was long gone and in his place was this animal clothed in human skin. She could not believe that he had tried to kill her and her husband. She was just happy that it was over. She laid her head back on her husband's chest. The grunt he emitted, reminding her of his injury.

Sitting up, she saw that his eyes were closed, he was sweating, his breathing was a little labored and there was a greyish cast to his complexion and the wound on his left shoulder still bled freely soaking his white shirt and his waist coat.

" Anthony" she called loudly. He opened his eyes to look at her. His gaze dull and slightly unfocused.

" You are so beautiful" he said trying to raise his hand to caress her face but it fell back beside him

" Shh. I need to look at your wound" she said to him. Unbuttoning his waistcoat and then his shirt.

" I would never object to being undressed by a woman but the venue isn't appropriate. We are out..side dar..ling" he said his words slurred as he dozed off.

He couldn't sleep off not when she had not ascertained the extent of his wound.

" Wake up Anthony. You cannot die on me. I love you and you dare not leave. I will never let you"

" So bossy..." He said with a tired smile " I love you too, beautiful Vicky"

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