The Wolf’s Pursuit (London Fairy Tales #3)(51)
Author: Rachel Van Dyken

Lainhart pointed down and shook his head slowly.

"But…" Hunter examined the numbers and street name again. "This is Wilkins’ house, this is part of the War Office headquarters."

Lainhart nodded slowly and then moaned. With great effort he opened his mouth and said, "L-lucy K-kill." He took another deep breath, his face turning red from exertion. "K-k-iller."

Hunter’s mind reeled back to the original meeting with Lainhart, and then to the packet of information he had been given about all of the men who used to work for Lainhart, including Wilkins.

"Lucy’s killer took Gwen?"

Lainhart gave a curt nod and pointed to the address again.

Hunter’s hands began to shake as he noticed the time. It was a twenty-minute ride, pushing his horse the whole way to Wilkins’ house. What if he couldn’t make it in time before they killed her? What if history would indeed repeat?

He did not even thank his grandfather. He simply ran out of the house and jumped onto his horse. Not caring that he was riding dangerously fast toward the other side of town, but needing to get there before it was too late.

After seventeen minutes of heavy riding, sweat poured from his face. One minute, he had one minute. And then the town clocks began to chime.

"Please, please let me be there in time," he begged.

The house came into view just as the clocks struck seven. A gunshot went off in the house as he ran up the stairs and burst into the room.

Wilkins and Hollins sat calmly near the fireplace. Gwen was tied to a chair, tears streaming down her face. A gag had been stuffed into her mouth, but she did not seem harmed. He could not bring himself to do anything except stare at her. Was it a figment of his imagination or was she truly alive?

She nodded to him. Anger poured through him as his eyes took in her red dress. A mockery. They were making a mockery of her.

He cursed and turned hate-filled eyes to Wilkins and Hollins.

"Bravo!" Wilkins clapped. "Truly better than watching a play. You should have seen your face the moment you barged in here. I thought the gunshot was a great effect, didn’t you, Hollins?"

Hollins laughed. "Agreed. Now tell us, Hunter, what was your plan? Save the day as always? Become a war hero?"

Hunter’s hand flinched by his side. He clenched his fists to keep from charging the men, especially considering they were both armed. "No, I was simply planning on rescuing the fair maiden."

"Not so much a maiden anymore, right, my dear?" Wilkins directed this toward Gwen.

An intense fury burned in Hunter’s head, and he stepped toward the men.

Hollins raised his pistol while Wilkins sighed.

"You cannot outsmart us, Hunter. I know your every move," Wilkins answered. "Though it wasn’t always that way."

"Pardon?" Hunter sidestepped and walked closer to Gwen, to shield her from the villains.

"Yes. After all, how could I have predicted you would be in the street at the exact moment I tried to murder your brother?"

"Ash?" Hunter felt his stomach drop. "Why the devil would you murder him?"

"He betrayed me. You see, I gave him the opportunity to work for me, to help me in my little smuggling campaign. I aimed to make him rich — he was a second son, after all."

"And he said no?" Hunter suddenly felt proud of his brother. Though he was still a viscount, he hadn’t inherited what Hunter had, and their father had only provided for one of them.

"Not only did he say no, but he tried to expose me. It did not help matters that you had already made up your mind to quit. The War Office was at its wit’s end to lose one of the best spies our country has ever seen. Their words, not mine."

"Of course," Hunter ground out, and clasped his hands behind his back, dropping a dagger out of his sleeve and revealing it only to Gwen, holding it in front of her face, so she could free herself from the gag and take it with her teeth.

"But things always work out the way they are supposed to. After all, your timing was perfect. Your lovely wife got in the way. I thought you were Ash and when I directed the carriage toward you, she crossed the street. You see, I hadn’t expected you back from assignment so soon. It really was so perfect. Ash left the country in grief, never exposing me, for he felt the accident was his fault — and you, you continued to work for the War Office, allowing me to use you as a pawn for the perfect crime."

Hunter’s hands shook as he listened to Wilkins talk. How had he not seen how evil this man was? Why hadn’t Ash said anything? So many questions that he knew he might not live to find the answers to. Hunter felt a slight tremble through the knife behind him, a sure sign that Gwen was sawing away at her bindings.

He sighed. "Is there a reason for this speech?"

"Patience, Hunter. I am getting there." Wilkins raised a brow and continued talking. "I needed the money. After all, the War Office doesn’t pay well, and my smuggling business needed a fall-back. Who, other than I, would be intelligent enough to pull it off? Well, of course, it would be you. And who does the War Office have reason not to trust? You. After all, you went off the deep end after your wife’s death. Everyone thought so. And now? Now they will see what you have been up to."

"You mean, other than saving lives?" Hunter sneered.

"Smuggling weapons to the French." Wilkins smiled as Hunter frowned. "You see, you even brought the ciphers into your own house. The house that is painted with the name of traitor."

Anger slammed Hunter in the chest. "You set me up."

"And what a tragic little tale it will be! Two of England’s greatest spies turned lovers, in prison, set to hang."

"No!" Hunter yelled as the cold metallic knife was dropped into his waiting hands. He took a tentative step away from Gwen. "Not her."

"I’m afraid you do not have a choice. The chess pieces have already been played."

"Implicate me. Take me." Hunter shook his head. "But not her, not Gwen. She did nothing to deserve this. Allow me to take her punishment. Allow me to go in her place. I will admit guilt outright."

Wilkins laughed, but Hollins shushed him. "You would admit all wrongdoing against the Crown?"

"From my very lips I will admit guilt. They will not even need testimony nor will they need proof."

"You will hang immediately," Hollins pointed out.

Hunter sighed as he felt the heat of tears pool in his eyes. "My place for hers." It was what should have happened all along. It should have always been he who died nine years ago. Never Lucy. Not Ash. He sighed and ran his fingers through his hair. "The choice is yours, gentlemen. But know, if you send both of us in, I’ll use everything in my power to fight it, and we all know I have powerful friends. I will not stop fighting until my last breath is taken from me. I would do anything to protect the woman I love."