For the first time, Bryan looked concerned. Celia saw real fear in the man’s eyes. Fear and a bit of calculating intelligence. It made her shake with trepidation. Bryan was like a cornered animal. He would chew off his own arm to escape the trap.

No matter his restraints, he was still dangerous.

“Now,” Gabriel said with a cold grin as he tucked the pistol into the waistband of his trousers. “Now, you and I are ready to begin. Celia, my love? Look away.”

CHAPTER 42

Gabriel’s fist connected with Bryan’s jaw with a satisfying crack.

He stepped back, shaking out his hand with a slight grimace. It’s been a while since he’d punched someone.

Bryan laughed, spitting out blood. “You can’t just kill me in your hayloft, yer Lordship. What will the other servants think? You’ll not find another groom what to work with ya, I promise you that.”

“No one will dare interfere. They are all too afraid of the marquess and what he might do.” Gabriel chuckled darkly. “Indeed, the second they saw me entering the stables, every last one of them fled. Perhaps they saw the bloodlust on my face. In my eyes. Perhaps they feared my wrath was intended for one of them.”

Gabriel landed a punch in Bryan’s midsection and the man groaned.

“Killing me won’t erase it, yer Lordship. Won’t change how much I liked her squirming when me cock was inside her,” Bryan grunted through the pain, then let out an evil laugh. “She thought we was gonna get married or something. That’s how I tricked her. But I told her that she better not tell anyone. Told her I wouldn’t swing just because she gave it to me like a whore. And I won’t swing now. You know that, yer Lordship. You’ll let me go. Save yourself the shame of everyone knowing what I done. Just like she tried to do for you.”

All of the anger, all of the darkness he’d tamped down, his possessiveness for Celia and the need to keep her safe pooled in Gabriel’s center. He’d never felt this way before. Never experienced such desire to end a man’s life. To destroy him. To rip him apart.

Bryan Flannigan was an abomination. A feral, disgusting animal who should be removed from society.

As if from a distance, Gabriel became aware of Celia’s sobs of terror. Briefly, he wondered who she was more frightened of. Flannigan? Or himself?

He shook off the doubts, allowing the murderous calm to settle over him once more. This must be done. For Celia. For myself. For us both.

“I’ve no intention of letting you go, you bastard,” Gabriel growled. “I’m going to rip you apart, limb from limb. Listen to your screams with the greatest of pleasure and watch you die, writhing in pain and begging my wife’s forgiveness.”

“Aye. She’ll be begging all right,” Bryan sneered through the blood pooling in his mouth. It was as though he intentionally taunted Gabriel. “Begging me to fuck her again.”