Kisses and Scandal (A Survivors Series Anthology ) - Shana Galen Page 0,32

way he looked at her.

“James says yer as sweet as a summer peach. He said I should take a bite.”

“No,” she said, her voice surprisingly forceful. “You won’t touch me.”

“How will ye stop me?” He looked around. “No one is coming to help ye.”

“I’ll scream.”

“No one will hear ye. Scream all ye like.”

He advanced on her, and she scrambled back. The wall was behind her, and it offered no protection. He lunged and she fell sideways, toppling over a stack of crates. She grabbed one and threw it at him, but he easily sidestepped it. She grabbed another, and one of the wooden slats broke off in her hand. She clutched it, wielding it like a knife.

“And what do ye think to do with that, lass? Stab me?”

“Get back. Leave me alone or I will hurt you.” She wanted to hurt him, to wipe the smirk off his face. He was actually enjoying this. It was a game to him, while she shook from fear and rage.

He feigned another lunge, and she swiped at him with the shard of wood before she realized it was just a trick.

“Boo!” he said and pretended to reach for her. This time Phil stood still, clutching the piece of wood so hard she could feel the splinters through her gloves.

He lunged again, and she saw too late that he meant it. He grasped her arm and yanked her forward, shoving her to her knees. She held on to her weapon as he came down on top of her, effectively trapping her arms under the weight of their combined bodies. “Get off me!” she said between gulps of air. She struggled to free her arms while he struggled with her skirts. A few wild kicks made him curse as she connected with some soft, fleshy part of him.

And then he grabbed her shoulders roughly and shoved her to her back. Her head hit the floor, and she blinked up at him as he raised his hand. “Maybe ye like it rough.” He slapped her so hard her ears rang. For a moment, Phil couldn’t move, couldn’t think. Pain bloomed in her head and her face, and it consumed her. And then she felt his hand on her legs, and she shook off the pain and raised her hand.

The broken piece of wood was still in her grasp, and she brought it down hard on his back. He let out a piercing howl then looked at her with a feral rage in his eyes.

WHEN THE COACH DOOR opened, James didn’t move. It was easy to lie still. Moving was the real challenge. Someone prodded his legs, and James didn’t react.

“Good,” the man muttered. It was Sean, not Patrick, and James was thankful. Patrick would have been smarter than Sean. He wouldn’t have left James unbound.

Sean pushed James to his belly and tried to position his arms behind him. Apparently, he intended to bind James now. Then he’d take him out of London and dump him somewhere. James had not fought his way through the pain and blackness to succumb to Patrick’s plan. He couldn’t leave Phil. He waited until Sean had both arms behind his back and then had to lean over him to position the rope. That’s when James reared back and caught Sean in the jaw with the back of his head. Sean groaned, and inside his mind, James screamed.

The pain was blinding. But he didn’t need to see. He rolled over, groped for Sean’s coat, grabbed hold and punched him. The punch went wild, striking Sean’s temple. Sean hit back, hitting James hard enough in the chest to make his lungs burn. James fought his way to his knees and threw his weight at Sean, sending them both crashing to the floor of the coach. The horse snorted, and the coach lurched. It was exactly what James needed as it threw Sean off balance. He fell over and James was above him.

Ignoring the throbbing in his head, he grabbed Sean by the neck and slammed his head down onto the hard-wooden floor under the straw. Sean struggled to free himself, but James slammed his head down again and again until Sean didn’t move.

Then James backed out of the coach, pausing to steady himself with his back to the conveyance. Fighting Patrick would be harder, and James summoned all his strength then lurched into the back room of the shop the men had been using. As soon as he was inside, he heard Phil’s