Page 67 of The Devil's Pawn

Slamming the door, I stomp down the hallway, blood fizzing in my veins. Of all the things she’s said and done, threatening to revert to her maiden name is a step too far. I can’t have such a public show of disrespect. Iwon’thave it.

I beeline for my office, but as I pass the library, Nicholas calls out to me.

“Who’s set your arse on fire?”

Skidding to a halt, I reverse course and go inside. Nicholas and Tobias are sitting on the couch, their expressions intrigued by the smoke that’s surely pouring out of my ears. But it’s when they notice my missing eyebrow that both of theirs shoot up their foreheads.

“Oh, my God,” Nicholas says. “What the hell happened to you?”

“I need a drink.” Grabbing the brandy decanter, I half fill a glass tumbler and knock back half in one go. I’ve had an entire day of being stared at, and I’m so fucking over it.

“Let me guess.” Nicholas flashes a side-eye in Tobias’s direction and rubs his chin like a caricatured villain in a bad B-movie. “The lovely Imogen. I wondered why she looked so impish when I left her with you last night after you passed out.”

This is news, and it sends my bad mood sky rocketing. “You let her see me in that state?”

“No. She was already standing over you holding a cushion. I think she was about to smother you.” He snickers. “I suggested she help me put you to bed instead, and she agreed.”

“So, this is your fault?”

“No.” He shakes his head for added emphasis. “It’syourfault. She was rambling on about you firing Edgerton. You should have told her the real reason he’s gone, then she mightnot have done that.” He loosely gestures to my face. “Which is fucking epic, by the way.” He and Tobias share a look, both of them struggling not to break into beaming smiles at my misfortune.

“You know why I didn’t tell her.” I pace to the window and back again, my anger still running far too hot. “Do you want to know her latest stunt, other than this, I mean?” I flick my fingers at my missing eyebrow and plow on without waiting for an answer. “She told me she’s changing her name back to Salinger.”

Nicholas’s eyes widen. Tobias isn’t so contained. He bursts out laughing.

I glower at them both. “This is not funny. I swear, she is pushing every button I have, including some I wasn’t even aware of.”

“I fucking love Imogen,” Tobias declares.

I slam my drink on an occasional table. My brothers and I fought a lot when we were kids, but I haven’t throttled any of them in years. “What did you say?”

His eyes flick to my fisted hands, but instead of backing off like he should, he doubles down. “I said I love your wife.” His shit-eating grin almost splits his face in two. “And if you weren’t such an idiot, you’d open your eyes and see what you’ve got.”

I make a move. Nicholas leaps to his feet and grips my arms, holding them behind my back. “Whoa, easy. No getting blood on the Axminster. Dad’ll murder you both. It’s older than he is.”

Tobias gets to his feet in that lazy way of his. He and I have similar temperaments. We’re both cool under pressure, but right now, I’m acting more like Nicholas or Christian than my youngest brother. What’s happening to me? I hatethis feeling of being out of control, of not being able to think logically.

“Brother, any time you want to go at it, I’m here for you. We can go down to the gym right now and box it out if that’s what you need. Say the word.”

His reasonableness pops me like a balloon, and I sag. Nicholas lets me go, freeing me to flop into the nearest chair.

I rub my forehead. “Why does she get to me so much?”

My brothers share a look. Nicholas replies first. “You already know the answer. She’s pushing you, challenging you, and you’re not used to anyone standing up to you unless it’s one of us, or Dad, or maybe Uncle George. And”—he raises his hands in the air—“hear me out. I think you like this girl more than you’re willing to admit.”

“Which isn’t surprising, considering she’s fucking epic,” Tobias adds for good measure, earning a scowl for his troubles.

“You wouldn’t think she was epic if she waxed your fucking eyebrow. Do you have any idea how much that shit hurts when you rip it off?”

“At least it wasn’t your ball sac.” His comeback is so fast, I almost get whiplash.

“Know what I think would make you both feel better?” Nicholas asks.

I can guess where this is going, but I motion for him to spit it out anyway.

“She needs a good fucking, and so do you.”

It’s on the tip of my tongue to tell them that I plan to, but I still have eight days before I can safely bed her. If my brothers knew I had no intention of fulfilling my duty to provide children to continue the family name,they’d have no choice but to tell my father, and I cannot have that. While my brothers are loyal to me, they’re loyal to Dad most of all.

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