Nothing. No breathing.
With June tied in the chair, it was difficult to get her breathing again. She took in a lungful, put her lips over June’s, and blew. Once, twice. The door rattled; the key must’ve jammed. June breathed, took in two long breaths, then opened her eyes and muttered a black curse at Claire. The door thudded open and rammed into the wall with a crack.
She smiled weakly. “Good. You’re alive.”
Then the light came on, and chaos rained down upon her.
Harry wasn’t on duty, and these men had never had dealings with her. All they knew was she’d gotten loose and that she’d tied up and maybe hurt June. The first of them came at her with a knife.
Sharp time kicked in. Time slowed, though her muscles did their usual and obeyed her commands with a speed that bewildered the guards. She curved stiffened fingers past the knife, whacked the first guard in the Adam’s apple. The second went over her planted ankle as she pulled him off balance using his own momentum. He went headfirst into the timber side of the bed. The third came in with gun drawn. Training took over. The knife and a knitting needle lay on the floor. She snatched them up, lunged, and nailed the needle through the flesh of the man’s hand, between the long bones of the palm into June’s chair. With him shrieking and the gun falling, she turned to the door.
By then there were three more guards surging into the room. She cocked her hand back to throw and sink the blade into the middle guard. Harry. She halted, appalled at what she’d nearly done, cold metal poised in her fingertips. Harry stood there stunned, but his left-hand partner flung his knife, and the other man charged at her like a bull at a cape.
Even she couldn’t do both, so she caught the knife as it plunged spinning at her throat, and was flattened by the charging guard and sent sliding half under the bed, her neck wrenched painfully as it hit the bed leg.
Within seconds there were three guards holding her down. Her head ached from being shunted into the bed, and her hands were clamped behind her back. Dimly, she heard Harry taking charge and calming them down.
Lord. What had she done? Everything is what, she wearily told herself. I’ve done everything wrong.
*
Theo stalked into his outer study, straight past the oak desk and Dankyo, his three guards, and the woman. Claire knelt, tied hand and foot, beside them. He flung his gray frock coat on the leather sofa, let it slide to the floor. The silence stretched as he pretended, with chin in hand, to examine the wall behind the sofa. He rubbed at stubble, knowing his eyes were sunken from lack of sleep. They all waited for him to do something, to command, and for once he was dumbfounded.
This woman he’d trusted, despite Dankyo’s advice, had betrayed him, almost killed several of his people. How long had she been planning this? Right under my nose. Damn. How did I get this so bloody wrong? Yet something inside him still urged this ludicrous decision, still wanted…yes, to somehow pull her from the fire.
What could he do? She’d left him with little option except to send her off to be assessed and sentenced by the paper pushers in the capital.
If I have to do this, God forgive me, at least let me be as sure as I can be. I need facts, not emotions.
“Report, Dankyo.” He didn’t turn around.
“The frankenstruct attempted to escape, sir. She subdued and tied up June. The guards realized something was wrong. When they entered the room, she attacked them. Two guards were injured, and I believe June almost died from asphyxiation.”
“Ah. I see.” The heavy feeling in his stomach spread, mixed with anger at the damage she’d done to his people.
“My advice, sir. Hand her over to the authorities. It’s clear—”
“I’m sorry.” The words were so quiet, Theo almost missed them.
He spun on his heel, staring down at Claire and seeing only the back of her tousled fair hair. Slowly she lifted her head until she met his eyes. The anguish on her face would have matched his own if he hadn’t schooled his reaction. Had some common sense finally sunk in to whatever mess lurked in her head? Even now, he couldn’t help but note the beauty of her form. Only it was clear that her sensuous, toned body wasn’t just for show.
Her mouth quivered, as if there might be more she wished to add.
“What did you say?” he asked gently.
She swallowed. A tangle of sweat-sodden hair fell across her forehead. He restrained himself from reaching down and brushing it away. “I said I’m sorry.” The redness around her eyes deepened. “I didn’t mean to hurt anyone. Just wanted to get away. Please tell June, I didn’t mean to—”
“Sir,” Dankyo interjected. “This is unnecessary.”
“Wait.” Theo held up his palm.
A guard cleared his throat. “Excuse me, sir. I’m Harry Snow. Could I say something?”