been invited. Hell, was he friends with my brothers? No. No, it couldn’t be.
Yet, Gabe stood before me, a fallen angel in black evening clothes that contrasted sharply with his golden looks. For a brief moment, I forgot where I was. Forgot what he had done. Elation swept through me, pure and sweet. I wanted to throw my arms around his neck. Wanted to take his hand and lead him from this place so we might be alone. I wanted to…
No. He had left me. He had left me to be attacked that year ago. I wanted nothing to do with him. Nothing.
So why was he here now? And why wasn’t I walking away?
The look of hard determination he wore worried and frightened me, dragging me from the clouds where I floated, and back onto the land of cold, harsh reality. I didn’t miss the many visitors and their interest. It felt as if everyone here was watching, listening.
“Gabe,” I whispered, my voice quivering.
“Ginny. How is our daughter?”
A murmured gasp rang through the crowds. The glass fell from my hand, shattering against the floor.
****
Gabriel
“How is our daughter?”
I’d said the words loud enough for those around us to hear. Of course I’d done it on purpose, and I wouldn’t regret my actions. With those simple words, Ginny was mine. At least in the eyes of society.
“I will kill you,” Lord Whitfield growled, as he paced his study, like a caged panther.
I’d taken a page from McKinnon’s book and invited myself to their ball. The only difference was that McKinnon hadn’t had to face four irate brothers. Brothers who liked to box, or so Constable Jones had said. Seeing them now, I didn’t doubt it.
Whitfield paused in front of me, arms crossed, scowl upon his handsome face. “Do you deny being Izzy’s father?”
I barely heard his words, the curses from the other men in the room. I could think about nothing other than Ginny. She’d stood in that ball, looking so vulnerable, so furious, so damn beautiful that it had been hard for me to notice anyone else. She wore a gown of deep red, much like the dress I’d purchased for her. Instead of looking like a man’s mistress, she looked like a lady. I wondered briefly why she’d chosen to wear that color when it could only remind her of that ball two years ago.
Marriage to her would probably be a disaster. We would constantly fight; there would be no end to our bickering. We would hate each other most days. But to not marry her…that was an unbearable thought. To see her married to another would be the death of me.
“I do not deny it,” I stated. “In fact, I think I said it quite clearly in the ballroom, don’t you?”
Lord Whitfield’s eyes blazed. “I will kill you.”
“It was hardly forced,” I snapped out. “Ask her, if you don’t believe me.”
Whitfield lunged toward me. The younger brother, Oliver, stepped between us, shoving Whitfield back. “Rafe, William, some help would be appreciated.”
“Why?” Rafe scowled as he stomped toward us, his scowl just as vicious. “When I wish to be next in line.”
“Hell,” Oliver muttered. “Am I the only rational one here? Will?”
Will shrugged off his jacket. “As soon as they’re done, I’d like my turn.”
They were brutes. I didn’t care. If they wanted to beat the shite out of me, I would take it, as long as I could talk to Ginny after. As long as I could explain. The emotion I had seen in her eyes as she’d turned to face me, had nearly done me in. Shock. Fear. But it was the brief flash of elation that answered my unspoken question.
She might never admit it, but she wanted me here. She wanted me in her life. She’d missed me, and that had been all I’d needed to know. It felt as if every question in the universe had been answered in that one glance.
“Apologize, you fool,” Oliver growled, glaring at me.
When I didn’t respond to Oliver, I knew what would happen. Still, the first punch caught me by surprise. It was Rafe, and his charming, devil-may-care attitude, who hid a wicked strength. While Oliver was busy holding James back, his brother had moved in. His fist connected with my chin. My head snapped back, the coppery taste of blood coating my mouth. I stumbled, the room spinning. Hell, the constable had been right. The man could hit.
“You took advantage of someone in your employee!” William growled, slamming his