Page 55 of Beloved Beast

“I know you’re upset, but I promise you this is your older half brother. Now help us, for God’s sake,” Gillian bellowed. It’s a wonder the servants hadn’t come running. “We need to address the wound. It’s bleeding profusely, as you can see. Like I said, we both work for the government. I need to leave the country tonight. From Brighton. As we were departing, a German agent confronted us. It’s how Luke became injured.”

“Luke? As in Lucas?” There was a long pause.

Damn it to hell, I wish I could move or speak.

“Agent? You are spies? And if he is my half brother, why hasn’t he aged?” Marcus asked pointedly.

“I’ve told you too much already, and it’s not my story to tell. Will you help us?” Gillian demanded.

“I must be daft, but all right. Stop pointing the pistol at me. I had a couple of years at Cambridge University under my belt before I joined the war effort. The School of Clinical Medicine. Let me call for my butler…”

“Do not let him in the room,” Gillian cried.

“Steady on. I promise I won’t. I’ll merely ask him to bring a few items. He will not ask any questions.”

Next thing Luke knew, they were removing his coat and jacket and tearing the front of his shirt.

“Damned lot of blood,” Marcus murmured.

Am I in shock? I must be. Luke’s head continued to spin. His insides lurched from nausea.

“Here, use this gauze. Put pressure on the wound while I find something to clean it.”

Good God, this young pup was going to make matters worse.

A crack of thunder rumbled outside. “Thunder? This time of year?” Gillian stated.

“It adds to the drama,” Luke murmured.

“Oh, you’re awake.” Gillian kissed his forehead. “Marcus is going to help us.”

Luke opened his eyes and met Marcus’s inquiring gaze. “Jesus, what happened to your eyes?” Marcus questioned.

“They’re always like this.” Another roll of thunder boomed. “The tip of the knife broke off inside me. I know this sounds absurd, but I can feel it working its way out.” Apparently, his body was mending itself, hence the reason he was no longer in shock.

Marcus peeled back the gauze. “It is. I can see it. The bleeding has lessened as well. Uncanny.” Marcus picked up a letter opener and moved it toward the open wound.

“What in devil’s hell are you doing?” Luke croaked.

Marcus gave him a crooked grin. “I sterilized it, with damned fine brandy I might add.”

“Oh well, then. Carry on,” Luke replied with a crooked grin of his own.

His half brother. God, how strange is fate? But there was no time for family reunions; they had to get Gillian to Brighton right away. She kissed his forehead again while blinking back tears. He gazed up at her, proud of the way she handled herself from the moment the German agent made his presence known. A surge of love tore through him. “That’s my girl.”

Chapter 23

Gillian hugged Luke as his emotionally spoken words caused her heat to skip several beats. But the look on his face, admiration, respect, but most of all—love, touched her more. Leaving him would be the most difficult thing she would ever do. She clasped Luke’s hand then kissed it.

“More going on between you than work colleagues, I take it?” Marcus asked as he slipped the opener into the wound. Luke nodded and gritted his teeth as Marcus deftly plucked the knife tip from his side and placed it on the piece of gauze she held out to him.

Something passed between the two brothers. An acceptance? Mutual regard? It was hard to tell. Well, after she departed, Luke could make the choice to allow Marcus into his life, if both men desired it.

“It needs to be cleaned thoroughly with proper sutures done. Let me fetch what is needed,” Marcus offered. “Part of your shirt is soaked through. I can get you a clean one…”

“We can do it when we return,” Luke replied. “I will be returning with you after we see Gillian off safely in Brighton.”

Marcus frowned. “Well, I have to at least close the cut with a few stitches in order for it to hold temporarily until I can do a proper job of it.”