Winter's Woman (The Wicked Winters #9) - Scarlett Scott Page 0,49

Evie as he fell into the void.

Chapter Twelve

A tray of tea had been delivered, but Evie had not been able to stomach a sip. She was a massive knot of worry mingled with fear. The Winters had yet to return, and the scamp who was doing his utmost to entertain her was not distraction enough to serve as a balm for her frayed nerves.

She paced the salon for what must have been the hundredth time—a habit she was engaging in with alarming frequency of late—and turned back to discover her reticule gone. Her gaze traveled to the urchin, whose face was still quite streaked with dirt, and who was in the midst of regaling her with a tale of a litter of kittens he had recently rescued from the streets.

“Ashes, she’s the sweetest one of them all, milady. Gray with green eyes.”

“Davy?” She moved toward him, brows raised.

“Aye, milady?” He gave her a gap-toothed grin she suspected had gotten him out of any number of scrapes. “Want a kitten, do you? His nabs don’t want me to keep them all. Says we’ll be overrun if I do. Says I needs to find homes. I can go and fetch Ashes for you, if you like.”

He was attempting to distract her, but she was not fooled in the least.

She reached him and held out her hand. “Where is my reticule?”

He blinked. “Rettycule?”

“Shall I empty all your pockets? Or perhaps when Mr. Winter returns he can hold you upside down and see if my belongings fall out.”

Naughty lad, thinking he could thieve her reticule without her realizing it. She was distressed, but she still had eyes, and her reticule had been on the settee where she had left it one moment and gone the next.

The boy’s smile faded. “Don’t tell his nabs. I ain’t supposed to be filching here.”

“Return my reticule, and he shall be none the wiser,” she allowed grimly.

The little rogue plucked it from his coat and returned it to her with a grumble.

“Thank you.” She looked inside to make certain he had not removed anything.

But in the next moment, she forgot all about her reticule. A great commotion had risen in the hall beyond the salon.

“Where is she?”

She recognized that roar.

Evie’s hand flew to her heart and she raced toward the door. It flew open to reveal a bloodied, pale Theo. There was scarlet on his face, staining his white shirtsleeves. So much blood. And this time, there was also a wound evident beneath the tattered remnants of his garment.

Dear God, he had been shot.

“Theo!” she cried out, rushing to him. “What has happened? I was so worried.”

“What the hell are you doing here, Lady Evangeline?” he demanded, his voice cold and harsh, bearing the lash of a whip.

His countenance was ashen, but his blue eyes held the chill of ice. He appeared furious with her. And he had called her Lady Evangeline.

Not Evie.

Not even milady.

But Lady Evangeline.

“I…” She faltered, taken aback by his appearance and his reaction. “I came here to see you.”

Dom and Blade Winter appeared behind him, Dom settling a hand on Theo’s uninjured shoulder. “Come, Devil. You’ve lost enough blood as it is. You need to see the doctor.”

“Fuck the doctor,” he growled, his gaze never straying from Evie’s. “I want her gone.”

The tender lover of the night before had vanished. In his place was a feral, angry creature. What had she done to warrant such a reaction from him? Where had he gone? And what had happened to him?

“Theo,” she said, reaching for him. “What is happening? How badly are you hurt?”

His lip curled. “I’ll survive. Go back to Mayfair where you belong.”

“Not until you speak with me.” She shook her head. “I am not going anywhere with you wounded and bleeding. Your brother is right. You need to see a doctor at once.”

He swayed but caught himself and did not fall.

He was badly wounded.

“You need to leave,” he told her, his voice as cutting as a dagger.

“I will not leave when you need me.” How did he think she could go when he was grievously injured, bleeding and unsteady on his feet? Her heart could not withstand any more worry and fear this day. She could not stray from his side. No matter how biting and angry the words he directed at her.

“I don’t need you.” He swayed again. “I never did. Get the hell out of here. You have nothing to fear any longer. The man responsible for the danger surrounding you is