Sins of a Ruthless Rogue

This was her only chance with Clayton and her only chance with the mill.

Olivia supposed she should feel betrayed by Kate’s lies, but she didn’t. They were far too similar to her own. In fact, she admired the

woman’s courage. She could have remained silent and no one would ever have known. “Clayton won’t take this news lightly. He’ll

never tell you your husband’s location.” She knew all too well how ruthless Clayton could be.

“I still have to tell him.” Kate rubbed her brow.

Olivia would have given anything for an ounce of the princess’s courage. To not be trapped by the lives of the other people at the

mill.

But when it came down to it, she was as much of a coward as her father had been. And she’d continue torturing herself with what-ifs

for the rest of her life.

It was what she did best, after all.

A hand latched on to Olivia’s shoulder.

It was bony, almost skeletal despite heavy gloves. “Thank you, Princess, for making sure we didn’t miss our meeting this morning.

Now where’s the baron?”

“Have you figured out how the devil they got the flag up there?” Clayton asked.

Ian peered down from the tree he’d climbed at the back of the church. “It actually wouldn’t be that hard. They’d just have to scale the

wall. Jump to that windowsill. Then grab the ledge.”

Not hard was a relative term for Ian. The distance between the window and the ledge had to be a solid ten feet. But if Ian said it was

doable, then it was.

“Any idea who the sign would have been meant for?”

Ian glanced around from his perch. He was nearly as high as the flag. “None. You can see half the city from here. Which means half

the city could see the flag if they happened to be watching for it.”

“Baron!” Heavy steps crashed through the snow.

Clayton whirled around to find Blin barreling toward him. His hair and beard streamed behind him in a wild tangle.

“He took them.” Blin grabbed Clayton’s arm and began to pull Clayton toward the church.

“Who?”

“Golov. He took the princess and Miss Swift. When the princess left her house this morning, Golov followed her. Then I followed

them so I could warn her. Golov’s not a nice man.”

Clayton nearly stumbled. His hands suddenly felt clammy inside his gloves. Golov had Olivia. The man who’d ordered Madeline’s

torture. Who’d personally planned it out. Who’d watched her writhe and beg. Madeline said he’d smiled.

Panic was like a chain on Clayton’s thoughts, tangling them and weighing them down. But in less time than it took to exhale, he’d

freed himself link by link as he’d been taught to do.

Or tried. He couldn’t seem to escape it as he had in the past. How could he when Olivia’s life was the one at stake?

He needed to focus. He needed more details for this to make sense.

“Kate came here?”

Blin nodded, his fingers gripping and tugging his beard. “But then Golov and his policemen took the princess and Miss Swift from

the church.”

Why would Kate have come here? A slow suspicion grew in his chest. Kate had known Vasin quite well. She’d been married to his

nephew.

Clayton shouted over his shoulder, “Ian, can you see Kate’s house from the flag?”

Ian was already halfway down the tree, but he stopped and glanced around. “Yes. Quite clearly, in fact.”

Clayton increased his speed until they reached the main door of the church. The candle seller was gone, no doubt frightened away

by the police.

Clayton ran inside and swore. Olivia was gone just as Blin had said.

“You have a bad habit of losing your women.” Ian’s voice echoed in the empty church.

Ian always jested no matter the situation. Normally, it helped defuse tension.

But Clayton had no tolerance for it now. “She won’t be lost for long.”

Ian didn’t take the hint. “If you weren’t so busy pissing your trousers with panic, you’d remember we do have a sleigh just outside.”

“I’m coming, too,” Blin said. “And I’m not walking this time. I’m too tired to go fast.”

They needed all the muscle they could muster to deal with Golov. “It will be dangerous.”

Blin’s whole body moved with his nod. “I want Miss Swift safe. And the princess. Cook will be mad at me if something happens to

her.”

Ian opened the door and motioned for them to leave. “You heard the man, Clay. No one risks a cook’s ire.”

But Clayton stopped him before the big man climbed into the sleigh. “Do you have any experience fighting?”

A touch of disbelief crossed Blin’s face. “I have five brothers at home.”

“You realize this whole rescue could end with our deaths.”

Blin’s massive shoulders lifted, then fell in a shrug. “Yes.”

Clayton stepped aside so Blin could squeeze into the sleigh. Clayton claimed the small space left and gave Ian the address.

Ian’s eyes narrowed at the location. “Do you think Golov would have taken her there?”

“She’s there. This is a taunt.” Clayton’s jaw tightened. “I even know which room the bastard has her in.”





chapter Twenty-four

Olivia glared at the minister of police across from her in the coach and tried to avoid the frantic looks Kate had been casting her.

“You promised the emperor we’d be safe in St. Petersburg,” Olivia said, hands clenched in her lap. Perhaps Kate was right and she

shouldn’t be yelling at the man who could order their deaths.

But Olivia found she was done with being abducted. And threatened. And separated from Clayton.

Golov still held the knife he’d taken from her at the church. He rolled the hilt in his hand. Back and forth. Back and forth. Until Olivia

had to force herself to look away. “I haven’t harmed you, have I? I merely ensured you remembered our appointment. Which I feared

you would have forgotten otherwise.”

“Why kidnap us?” Olivia asked.

“I couldn’t risk the baron deciding to avoid me further. There are questions I require answered. Kate was kind enough to lead me to

you.”

Kate’s hand locked on Olivia’s. “You followed me?”

“Of course. I trusted you’d have a way to contact Olivia and I was right.”

Kate sank back against the seat, her brows together. “You weren’t seeking me out?”

“Why would I seek you out? You’re nothing but an annoyance.”

Kate exhaled slowly, her expression heavy with relief.

Relief?

Ah, she must have feared Golov had followed her because he knew of her part in the conspiracy. But Golov had no idea Kate had

been working for the revolutionaries. He thought the church nothing more than a meeting place. He hadn’t broken the code.

Some of the color returned to Kate’s cheeks. “I object to being taken off the street at the point of a rifle. I’m a princess. You have no

right—”

“You do think that, don’t you? Sergey is dead.”

Kate stared down her nose at him. “I know.”