Page 54 of To Heal a Broken Earl
“Simms!” Morgrave yelled at the other rider, who’d slowed down, reaching out to steady Emma to keep her from falling off the horse. “You simpleton! “We’ll ride ahead, and you shoot at them to slow them down!”
“No,Lord Morgrave,” the man named Simms snapped back. “I’m done with this madness, I’m done with your machinations, and most of all, I’m done with you! This is whereit ends,” he declared, reaching for the reins of Morgrave’s horse. “You have forced me to do your bidding by threatening the life of my family at every turn. But I refuse to be your pawn any longer, my lord.” With a fierce glare, the man spat, “Let the lady go. You’ve burned down her house—what more do you want from her?”
Morgrave’s black eyes gleamed with twisted obsession. “You stupid man. Look at her! She’s my fire princess—my future. My salvation. She’s the woman I’ve dreamed of having my entire life. The only one worthy of me. The princess of fire—the woman I will take with me into eternity. Fire brought her to me. And I will never let her go.” Morgrave jerked Emma by the hair closer to him. She cried in pain as Michael galloped toward them. “And no one will stop me!” the viscount yelled, his voice dripping with malice. In a swift movement, he pulled a pistol from his pocket and fired at Simms, who fell to the ground, clutching his gut.
Michael’s heart raced as he charged forward, desperate to reach Emma.
As the clouds shifted once more, a shaft of moonlight illuminated the area, and he watched as Emma pulled a knife from her pocket and plunged it into the soft flesh beneath Morgrave’s arm.
“Argh! You bitch!” he roared, fury blazing in his eyes as he slapped her across the face, knocking her to the ground. “I should kill you for that.”
Michael saw a haze of red as rage took hold of him. Finally, within a few feet of Morgrave, he leaped from his horse onto the viscount, driving his fist into the man’s face and throwing him back.
But Morgrave was stronger than Michael had thought. He quickly ripped the knife from beneath his arm and plunged it into Michael’s leg. They both tumbled off the horse.
While Michael felt the stabbing pain in his leg, his fury drove him forward as he kicked Morgrave in the gut, sending the older man reeling backward. Pulling the knife out, he tossed it aside and then leaped onto Morgrave and proceeded to smash his fist into the arsonist’s face. “You bastard. You hit Emma. I should killyoufor that.”
“Michael, stop!” Wright shouted from behind.
Michael kept pummeling Morgrave over and over, turning his face into a bloody pulp.
“Enough!” Armstrong said as he and Wright pulled Michael off the now-unconscious man. “He will be brought to justice for all his crimes, but do not ruinyourlife in the process.”
Michael shook them off and stumbled back. Regaining his footing, he spun around and ran to Emma’s side. She was lying on her back.
“God, please be alive,” he choked out. “Please be alive.”
Gently, he placed a finger on the side of her neck and heaved a sigh of relief when he felt the pulse.
“Thank God!” She was alive—but unconscious, and that still worried him.
Carefully, he checked for broken bones and was relieved there were none, but her head was bleeding. He took the monogrammed handkerchief out of his pocket and held it to her head to stem the flow of blood.
Glancing up, he saw that Armstrong and Wright had hauled Morgrave onto his horse and tied his hands and feet to the animal. Meanwhile, they’d assisted the other man, named Simms, back onto his horse.
Bending down, Michael placed a gentle kiss on Emma’s lips.
“I love you, Emma,” he whispered as he cradled her against his chest.
It was over.It was finally over.
~*~
Chapter Twenty-One
Wilton Hall
Amberley, South Downs
Sussex, England
Several hours later
Please wake up, Emma.Please wake up.
Michael kept saying the words in his mind over and over like a mantra as he sat by her bedside.
He’d ridden like the devil back to his house, with Emma in his arms, leaving Armstrong and Wright and the other footmen who’d shown up after they heard the gun go off. They could deal with that bastard Morgrave and his servant Simms. He had no idea if Simms would survive or what would happen to him regarding his involvement in Morgrave’s crimes, but at this point, he didn’t care. All he could think about was Emma.
