tormented her enough. Trust me, being unable to talk is sheer torture for her. I know she's dying to tell you what she thinks of you."
"Dying is. I'm afraid, the operative word," Etienne said, trying to sound regretful and failing utterly. "Go over there and untie her, but don't let your body get between her and the gun, please."
"You're letting her go?"
"Don't be stupid, Adrian," Etienne said wearily. "Move slowly. I would prefer not to have to shoot you, but I'm willing to take the chance."
Charlotte looked up at him as he towered over her. His back was to Etienne, and the expression on his face was startling, filled with regret and guilt and longing. "Am I allowed to talk to her?"
"Feel free," Etienne said grandly. "I'm afraid she won't answer. My tolerance for romantic declarations is minimal.”
He knelt in front of her, his hands on her ankles, and began to untie the ropes that bound her there.
"I'm sorry I got you in this mess, sweet Charlotte," he murmured. "If I had any idea there was insanity in the family I never would have come near you."
Etienne made an angry sound, then managed a laugh. "Unlikely. You are too much like me, Adrian.
You take what you want and be damned to the consequences."
Her feet were loose, and he reached for her bound wrists. "I'm nothing like you. I'm not some pathetic old man whose empty life needs to be filled with other people's titles and money." He dropped his voice to only a breath of sound, and if she hadn't been staring up at him she wouldn't have heard it. "When I turn, drop to the floor and stay there."
At least, that's what she thought he'd said. His coat hung open, and she could see a tiny pistol tucked inside, and she let out a muffled sound of protest. That small gun would be useless against the firearm Etienne carried, and Adrian would die in front of her, and she couldn't bear it. She loved him—it was too late to deny it any longer. She'd been an idiot not to take whatever he offered—it was more than most people got in this life.
"What's she fussing about?" Etienne demanded sharply. "You wouldn't be planning anything, would you? Move to one side so I can see her clearly."
Adrian did as he was told, keeping his back to Etienne, one hand working on the knots at Charlotte's wrists, the other reaching for the tiny pistol.
She lifted her gaze, turning to look at Etienne, and froze in horror. He'd lifted the gun and was pointing it straight at Adrian's back.
It was shadowed, gloomy, and there was no way she could see him depress the trigger, but she moved anyway, surging to her feet, driving her shoulder into Adrian's belly to knock him out of the way just as the small area exploded in sound, and they both went down, hard. She felt an odd burning in her arm, a strange pressure as she landed on top of Adrian. He shoved her off him, and when he rose he had that tiny, useless gun that was almost swallowed up by his long-fingered hand.
She thought she heard another shot, but her ears were still ringing from the first, and he'd used his other hand to shove her down onto the floor, keeping her there. She felt his body jerk slightly, and she knew he was shot, knew Etienne had killed him, and she screamed behind the gag, despair washing over her. She would kill him, she would...
She tried to scramble to her feet, but she was feeling oddly weak, and strong hands shoved her down again. Adrian's hands. The small building was filled with smoke from the pistol fire, and she could hear nothing but a loud ringing in her ears. She lay on her back, stunned, staring up to see Adrian rise, limber and graceful as always, and she wanted to scream at him to get down.
She could smell blood. Adrian's? Or Etienne's? Worse than blood, an indescribable stink on the air, one of violent death. But Adrian was still moving. Adrian still moved.
She managed to get her bound wrists under her and push herself up to a sitting position. Etienne de Giverney lay splayed out on the floor, a tiny, thoroughly effective bullet wound in the middle of his forehead, his discarded gun at his foot Adrian picked up the gun and stood over his cousin's body, kicking him with his booted foot just