All the Things You Never Knew - By Angealica Hewley Page 0,48
rushed over to stop him but Leon was so furious that he couldn’t stop. He was beating Lansing down like a mad man. And yes, he was mad–totally!
“Stop! Oh stop!” Phillipa wailed, along with her service girl. “Stop before I get the magistrate.”
The cries and screeches of the harlots filled the room as they panic and scattered at the scene. All the men in the brothel rushed out from their rooms to watch the racket and cheered with applauses at the sight.
“Stop, Leon!” Longsword shouted, trying to pull him back.
“Let go,” Leon said, pushing him off. “I have to kill this son of a bitch!”
“Stop!” Phillipa hollered over the noise and rushed out of the place.
Lansing’s face was a bloody mess, and he seems about to fall unconscious.
“Why the hell did you do this to Rose?” Leon spat out, grabbing Lansing by the collar to face him. “You think you can just toss her aside after you’re through with her? That’s not how it works!”
He gave Lansing a final blow, then stood up swaying slightly off his feet and collapse to the ground.
“Heartily!” Longsword rushed over and shook Leon up. “Heartily!”
Leon winced in pain and blinked several times to focus his vision before slowly moving up.
“We have to go, Heartily,” Longsword said, helping him up. “The magistrates are coming. Phillipa’s off to get them. Hurry, let’s leave.”
Leon shrugged off Longsword’s helping hand and manage to his feet.
“I can face it,” he said. “Rose–I need to–”
“Let’s go to her,” Longsword suggested. “Let’s go to Rose.”
“To Rose?” Leon cupped his forehead and shook his head. “We can’t. Not in my fury temper.”
“Well then let’s get our ass out of here.”
Leon turn to look down at the marquess lying in a pool of blood and kicked him in the side before gesturing for Longsword and them to head out.
What had he done? He has no idea. It makes him feel so much better. He thinks he will never need to drink again.
“You are quite a beast back there,” Longsword said to him as they stop to rest at a nearby bench on the walk.
Was he? He did feel out of control.
“You didn’t kill that Lansing did you? There would be hell to pay.”
Leon wasn’t certain if he did or not. “Doesn’t matter to me whether he lives or die,” was all he replied.
“He looks near dead to me,” said Longsword. “I was in a fret at your action. I didn’t know what to do for a moment.”
“I spared him enough,” Leon said, rubbing his aching head again. “He will live to see another day or two. I didn’t give him all I have.”
“That’s good then. I don’t want to see you locked up or even executed for killing–”
“Don’t talk about it anymore,” Leon said, giving out a deep sigh. “I can’t believe he’s doing this to Rose.”
“You know, I’m beginning to think that he doesn’t even want your Rose,” Longsword said to him. “Why do you have to be so upset?”
“He had taken away her chastity all right,” Leon told him. “She had trusted him with her life and vow to be loyal and faithful to him even when I admitted my wrongs and love to her. Just look at him betraying her now. I won’t tolerate that. Rose needs justice.”
“You actually think she did that?” Longsword inquired with an arch of his brow.
“She merrily admit it so to me,” Leon answered. “They consummated everything, didn’t I tell you that the other day?”
Longsword seems unable to recall and just shrug. “If you did, I’ve forgotten.”
Leon took a deep breath and laid his head back on the bench.
“What must I do now?” he asked, closing his eyes to rest.
“Lansing’s sure going to get back on your heels.”
“I know,” Leon nodded. “I won’t back away if he dares.”
“Maybe this is the opportunity for you to go back and clarify everything with Rose.”
“I always fail at that,” Leon said. “I’m not going to.”
“Well, you don’t want her to marry in lies and cheats, do you?”
Leon slowly opened up his eyes and shook his head. “No. I would never.”
“Then take my advice and go to her,” Longsword answered. “Go and tell her the truth.”
Leon thought about it for a moment and decided that it probably won’t hurt so much to do so now after seeing Lansing at Phillipa’s.
“Sure,” Leon said. “But I can’t go like this.”
“No,” Longsword agreed. “You can’t. You have to be sane with a clear head.”