Addicted to the Duke (Imperfect Lords #1)(40)
Before Alex could respond, Ned, one of the sailors who’d come ashore with them, raced around the corner, sliding to a halt in front of Alex. Doubled over, hands on his knees and gasping for breath, he puffed out between gasps. “Your Grace, it’s Lady Hestia…”
Alex’s blood went cold. “What about Lady Hestia? Spit it out, lad.”
“Give him a chance to get his breath back,” Jacob said.
“I spotted her down on the beach; two men were after her. Douglas has gone after them, but he’ll need help.”
Without waiting to hear more, Alex set off at a run for the beach, Jacob and Ned close behind him.
Jacob called over his shoulder to Ned. “How did she get to shore?”
“She was in the rowboat and I saw her jump out and swim for the shore,” Ned panted. “I think Patrick was rowing.”
“Christ.”
Alex heard Jacob’s descriptive reply.
“I don’t like the sounds of that,” Jacob puffed as he pulled alongside Alex. “I have my suspicions about who would be so bold, and if so, I’d get those long legs of yours moving.”
Alex needed no further encouragement and he picked up the pace.
The sun was almost at the horizon as Alex pounded the sand near the jetty. “Which way, Ned?” he yelled back to the boy.
“Over there to the left—look, they’ve almost got her to the tree line. Douglas is almost upon them.”
Alex’s fear galloped out of control as he set off in pursuit. It would be nigh impossible to track her at night through the foliage. He prayed Douglas could at least slow them down if not stop them reaching the safety of the trees. His mind refused to focus on the fact she appeared lifeless in her captors’ hands. He wouldn’t waste his energy on anger, but God help them if they’d hurt her.
Emotions he’d buried deep struck him, sending tremors through his body, already on edge. If she died he’d never see her again; his heart thumped in his chest at the thought. Yet if his plan succeeded and he sent her home with Foxhall, he knew he’d also never see her again. It would be too hard to see her with David, living the life he so desperately wanted to share with her but couldn’t. The tightness in his chest wasn’t from the exhaustive chase.
A shot rang out. Alex’s heart stopped, his tongue stuck to the roof of his mouth as it instantly dried. Hestia! But it was Douglas who dropped to the ground. Alex kept moving, his legs lengthening their stride. He heard Ned’s cry behind him, and the sound of his pistol returning fire.
Alex turned to Ned viciously, yelling, “Don’t shoot, you might hit Hestia.”
“Look, she’s moving.” Jacob caught up with Alex as they ran toward the fallen Douglas.
Alex smiled a grim smile. Hestia was no longer deathly still. She was fighting her captors for all she was worth. “Good girl, Hestia, that will slow them down,” Alex said under his breath. “If they have only one pistol each, they’ll now only have one shot left. Jacob, I’ll try and draw their fire; make sure you get Hestia away.”
“Don’t get yourself killed; Hestia will never forgive me,” Jacob called after Alex’s departing back.
Alex’s plan was simple: he’d get to what he estimated to be the edge of the pistol’s range and take a shot at them. Hopefully they’d fire back and then he’d rush in, and together with Jacob and Ned overpower the two men.
Alex fired and his luck held: the shot was returned. “Now, Jacob, Ned.” Alex’s terse shout cut through the cicada-filled air louder than the echoing gunfire. He threw himself toward Connor and Patrick. They had reached the tree line.
Patrick dropped Hestia’s legs as he fought off Ned’s attack. Connor cursed through his teeth but continued to drag Hestia into the thick undergrowth. Alex jumped over Patrick, who was wrestling on the ground with Ned. Jacob had stopped to check on Douglas as he lay motionless in the sand, but Alex couldn’t worry about him now.
“If you want to live another day, you’ll let go of her.” Alex let steel infuse his voice. Both men stood glaring at each other with undisguised hatred.
With one huge hand wrapped around Hestia’s neck, Connor calmly said, “One step closer, Bedford, and I’ll snap her pretty neck. Lady Hestia and I are going to walk calmly into the trees and you’d best not stop me if you want her to live.”
“How do you think you’ll get away with abducting Lady Hestia? How are you going to escape the island? There is no place you’ll be able to hide, my men will scour the island until you’re caught, and God help you if even one hair on her head is damaged.”
“You’re not as clever as you think.” Connor’s smile was condescending. “There’s someone who’s paying me a lot of money for your fair beauty. I have a way off this island.”
Alex’s blood froze in his veins. “A small sloop that’s been following us, no doubt.”
Connor’s laugh was evil. “I knew you’d spotted the sloop. We wanted you to see it so you would make her stay on the ship.” Connor tugged Hestia’s hair so hard she let out a whimper.
Alex’s fists flexed at his side. It took all his control not to rush the big man. But Connor had two stone on Alex, and Hestia’s neck would be broken before he even landed a punch.
“So if we’ve finished our little chat, Lady Hestia and I have some personal business to attend to. Step back, Bedford, and we’ll be on our way.” Hestia’s eyes widened with fear as Connor drew her further into the trees; she stumbled over a tree root and fell to the ground letting out a sharp cry of pain. Connor’s gaze moved from Alex to Hestia as he tried to pull her upright.