Page 81 of Dark Seduction

Malcolm tensed.

“Dinna deny it. Ye loved tastin’ her near death.”

He wanted to deny it but no words came forth.

“Ye’ll fight it now,” Royce warned, his eyes blazing silver. “Ye took vows t’ protect the Innocent, not to destroy them.”

Malcolm turned away. He had forsaken his vows, he had violated the Code. He had taken forbidden pleasure and enjoyed every damn moment of doing so.

Royce seized his shoulder and whipped him around. “If ye stray t’ evil, I will kill ye.”

Malcolm stared and Black Royce stared back. His uncle meant his every word. “If I turn to evil, I’ll be expectin’ ye to destroy me.” He meant it, too.

“Ye’ll fight it an’ ye’ll fight Moray,” Royce snapped. He released Malcolm and stalked past him, looking as if he was ready to start throwing objects around the hall.

“I nay be evil,” Malcolm said slowly, but he was uncertain. “I be sick with shame.”

“Good. Ye should be ashamed.” Royce walked away and began pouring wine into a crystal wineglass. His hand was shaking. Malcolm had never seen Royce tremble, not once in the entire lifetime he had known him.

“Ye canna ken,” Malcolm said. “I was a beast, nay a man.”

Royce slowly turned. “Why do ye think I wished to see ye locked up like a crazed animal?”

Malcolm stared. He was never going to forget what had just happened. “I almost murdered the woman I am sworn t’ protect, Ruari.”

“The woman ye are sworn to protect or the woman ye have come to love?” Royce was unsmiling and grim, and the question was an accusation.

Malcolm flinched. Royce was wrong. “I love no one,” he finally said. He refused to recall the feelings he’d had in the heat of rapture.

“Ye love the American woman. It’s written all over yer face an’ I can hear it in yer heart.”

“Damn it,” Malcolm roared. Royce knew better than to invade his mind. “I be fond o’ her, ’tis all. Fond, Royce, fond, like I am fond o’ ye.”

“Ye dinna think about fuckin’ me night an’ day.” Royce walked away.

Malcolm felt like breaking something. “Yer nay pretty enough.”

Royce faced him. “Malcolm, come t’ yer senses. Ye have put her in mortal danger now. Ye controlled the takin’ this time. What will happen next time?”

“There will be no next time,” he cried, breaking into a sweat. He trusted himself even less now, but it was his duty to protect Claire. He would die doing so, willingly.

“I am hopin’ so. But yer young, and yer blood is too damn hot. And Moray willna cease. Ye heard him, just as I did. He will take her, use her and send her back with child. Or, he’ll trap ye again an’ again, luring’ ye t’ evil, using the woman ye love to do so until ye do take her life.”

Malcolm closed his eyes, trembling. He already knew this.

Royce softened. He went to him and clasped his shoulder. “I dinna think Claire should be near ye. Even if ye married her to one o’ yer men in a pretense, he’d read her like a book—and ye, as well. No matter what ye think to do, Moray has marked her as a weapon against ye. The lass needs to go.”

He knew this, too, instinctively, when he did not want to know it. “Nay. There must be some way to keep her safe.”

“There is no way to keep her safe with ye!” Royce cried.

“I’ll find a way,” Malcolm gritted.

“There be no way,” Royce said fiercely. “An’ now I see I am right. Ye be a fool in love. Yer love will only kill her. An’ her love will kill ye!”

It was almost as if he couldn’t breathe. He had come to depend on Claire. He had come to expect her to be at his side, in his home and, after the other night, in his bed. He had come to look forward to their conversations and he anticipated her smiles, which pleased him so well that he tried to be the cause of them. Her arrogance could be annoying, but she was far too clever for a woman. He could dismiss her insults, because he knew she was in love with him. She didn’t mean it when she called him a macho jerk. The only thing that really annoyed him was her disobedience, because he knew he was the smarter, stronger one. But he’d withstand every single flaunted command if he could undo what was happening now.

He needed her. It was astounding. He was aching at the thought of sending her far away. He would probably miss her when she was gone. “I will think on it,” he said tersely. “Dinna push me now.”