Page 474 of Wicked Highland Heroes

“I do not have to hide it from you. Now give it back.” She extended her hand.

He ignored her and peered into the pouch. “What else have you got in here?”

“Nothing that would interest you,” she said. But her most prized possessions were inside the bag. A handkerchief Annabel had sewn for her when she was ten, and the two letters Nicholas had written her while he was away. Not to mention, two rings, which she needed.

Lord Wylst pulled the handkerchief from inside. He glanced at it, then tossed it aside. Josephine scrambled to pick it up from the stone floor, then jumped to her feet.

“Give me that.” She tried to grab the pouch, but he turned as he pulled the letters out. “They are just letters,” she said. “They mean nothing to you.”

“You have no idea what has meaning to me.”

He withdrew one letter from the envelope and heat crept up Josephine’s cheeks as he silently read it. When he looked up, she didn’t like the feral gleam in his eyes.

“So Grayson has pined for you all these years.”

“We were young when he wrote those.”

“That only means he will be all the more determined to protect you.”

That he would, Jo silently agreed.

Lord Wylst handed her the letters and dumped the rest of the pouch’s contents onto his hand. One ruby ring sat alongside a sapphire and diamond ring on his palm. He looked at her. “Well, well, you have been holding back.” He put the rings and brooch inside the pouch. “These, I will keep.”

Her heart beat faster. “You are making a mistake.”

“Am I now?”

“Nicholas gave me that brooch upon his return. If it goes missing, he will question where it is.”

“I feel certain your charms are sufficient to deal with those nagging questions.”

“I only just gave you my pearl necklace.” Josephine forced back sudden tears. “You cannot possibly need any more of my jewelry.”

Lord Wylst’s attention remained on the brooch. “I have already sent my man to pawn the pearls. I do, in fact, need more funds immediately.”

Her pearls already pawned? Rage shot through her. Josephine lunged for the pouch. He seized her shoulders and slammed her against the wall. The air was knocked from her and she wheezed in a breath.

“You will learn to respect me,” he hissed.

“I will never—” she drew a sharp breath “—respect you.”

He brought his face to within a hair’s breadth of hers. “Then I shall teach you.”

Fear streaked through her. Satisfaction shone in his eyes and she realized he recognized—and relished—her terror.

She lifted her chin. “Lay a hand on me, and Nicholas will notice the bruises.”

“I am not such a fool as to touch you. Those you love, however...”

Mother.

Josephine locked gazes with him. “Touch anyone in my family and I will kill you.”

He leaned close and whispered in her ear. “If anything happens to me, my solicitor will mail a special letter to the editor at the Times.” He drew back. “Can you guess what the letter says?”

Fear ripped through her, but she forced back the tremble inside her. “What reason have I to pay you a single pence when I know the truth will one day be known all over Great Britain?” The question, she realized, was stupid. She had no intention of giving him the chance to make good on his threat. What if he publicized the truth despite the fact she was gone?

“I suppose you had better hope I don’t die for a very long time.” He shrugged. “Perhaps, if you are a good girl, I will have my solicitor destroy the letter.”

“You are a devil,” she whispered.

He leaned in close and whispered. “I am your devil.”

Josephine knew exactly where devils belonged.

She shoved him.