Ransomed Jewels Read Free Page B

the middle of his chest and—
    Before she could fire, his hand slashed through the air. His fist struck painfully against her arm.
    The gun flew from her fingers and skittered across the floor, out of reach. Claire opened her mouth to scream, but before she could utter a sound, his big, beefy hand clamped down across her mouth, stopping any cry for help.
    Panic surged through her and stole her breath. Fear consumed her. She swung her fists, praying she was strong enough to fight him off. But rough, bruising fingers pulled at her, making it impossible to move.
    “Not one sound,” he hissed, his Russian accent thick. “Do you understand?”
    His breath reeked of day-old whiskey, and his body smelled of sweat and unwashed flesh. Her stomach knotted, and she fought harder to push him away. But her efforts were useless.
    With an angry growl, he grabbed her wrists and pinned her arms above her head. His elbow dug into her chest when he lunged over her, and she couldn’t breathe. Couldn’t do anything but struggle to bring little gasps of air into her lungs.
    Every instinct she possessed compelled her to fight him, but she knew she was no match for someone with his brute strength. Instead, her mind searched for another way to save herself. She relaxed her muscles, giving him the impression of surrender.
    Slowly, he pulled his body away from her and lifted his hand from her mouth. “Not a sound, my lady, or I’ll put a bullet through the first person who comes through the door.”
    Claire’s breath caught and she held still. He eased off her and her heart raced with the hope he’d put some space between them, enough to give her some leverage. But before she could realize any freedom, an even greater terror gripped her as his hand tightened around her throat and squeezed.
    “Are you frightened, marchioness?” he whispered, his voice a menacing hiss that sent shivers down her spine. “Or are you really as brave as you want me to believe?”
    Claire kept her hateful gaze riveted on him. The evil look in his eyes was cold, and threatening. He laughed.
    “I think you are,” he said, leaning closer, his mouth opening to a sinister smile. “Very brave. And that is a big mistake. You should be frightened.”
    As if she weighed no more than a rag doll, he pulled her from the bed and lifted her in the air. His hands clamped around the flesh at her upper arms, his fingers pinching painfully into her skin.
    She fought the pain, fought to free herself from his grasp. But her efforts were useless. He was too strong. With a loud grunt, he took a step forward and slammed her against the wall.
    Her head snapped back, hitting the wood with a thud. She closed her eyes as the room spun around her.
    It took several seconds before everything came back into focus. She had to stay alert. Had to keep her wits about her to have any chance to escape. But before she could catch her breath, he anchored his arm across her chest at the base of her throat and pinned her to the wall.
    For a minute everything went black. The pain was excruciating. When her eyes finally focused again, moonlight from the open window illuminated her enemy’s face with horrifying clarity. His black-as-midnight eyes gleamed in the semidarkness, and the scar that ran down the side of his face was as vivid as if it were day.
    She’d never been so frightened in her life. Never felt so helpless. Claire suppressed a shiver, then bit back a scream when the cold blade of his knife pricked the skin at her neck. She froze, not daring to move lest his knife slice her skin even further.
    “You know why I’ve come, don’t you?”
    He dug his elbow deeper into her chest, and Claire gave a soft, muffled cry. She swallowed, but her throat was so dry she couldn’t have answered even had she any intention of doing so. She took a shuddering breath and shook her head.
    She wasn’t prepared for his sudden outburst of anger. His hand swung through the air. His fist connected with her