Chayton by Danielle Bourdon Read Free Book Online Page A

bit on his own. He didn't know what kind of fortune Kate had, or to what family she belonged, but he imagined Anton sought to replace one heiress with another. Anna's death before Anton could marry her and get his hands on her birthright could mean that Anton was moving on, ready to start the process again with someone new.
    Someone younger, closer to his age. He glanced at Kate's left hand, searching for evidence she was already married to someone else. There wasn't a ring, and no pale line indicating she'd recently taken one off. Which wasn't solid proof of anything. Recalling his conversation with his brethren, he wondered then if Kate was pregnant with Anton's love child. Perhaps Anton wanted to marry her for more than her 'fortune'. There was no graceful way to ask, so he remained silent about a pregnancy.
    “Were you lovers before this?” Chayton finally asked, picking that as his starting point.
    “What? God no. We've never gotten along. He's been interested for a long time, trying to get me into his bed. I've always refused.”
    That seemed to answer the pregnancy question, Chayton thought. “All right. Where did you know him from? I'm trying to see the bigger picture. He must be someone you know or met, or perhaps an acquaintance of your family.”
    Kate licked her lips and rubbed her hands together, as if she could wring the tension from her body with the act. Chayton recognized her hesitation. Whatever she had to say was difficult for her to admit.
    “Yes, he's an acquaintance of the family. He blew through most of his money, spent it on racing bets and casino gambling and purchasing extravagant homes in far corners of the world. Now he's in deep debt and his return on investments has fallen. He needs a fresh income stream, and he means to get it from me.”
    Now that explained a lot more. Chayton grunted. “I see. That gives him motivation in spades.”
    “Yes. He's beyond motivated. The faster he can officially marry me, the faster he has access to funds. So I went on the run, hoping he would forget me and move on. Not only did he not forget me, he's got people helping him. I had a room here, too. It's on this floor, around the corner. Last night I came back to my suite and someone had—or was—ransacking it. I didn't even pause. I ran into the hallway, saw the open service closet door and rushed inside. I hid there for an hour or more, discarding my clothes for one of the maid's uniforms. I'd planned to use it as cover to get downstairs and escape the hotel, but as I was heading to the elevators, the bell dinged and the light came on. I thought it might be one of Anton's men. Or more of them. So I diverted to the first door I came to and used Penelope's all access key card. That's how I came to be in your suite.” Kate drew in a deep breath after the lengthy explanation, holding his eyes the whole time.
    Chayton let Kate talk as long as she needed to. He didn't interrupt, didn't express too much emotion during the telling. He took note of her fidgeting, wringing hands, the shudder in her shoulders, the nervous tension around her mouth and knew without a doubt that this was the truth. Finally, they were at the crux of her problem. His reaction to her confessions would set the tone for what happened from here on out, so he considered his reply with all due caution.
    “First, let me tell you that as long as you're with me, as long as you're here, I'll do everything in my power to keep them away. You're safe here. You're safe around my acquaintances. We're all cut from the same general cloth, and they won't like what's happening to you any more than I do. Will you trust me? Will you let me help you?”
    Kate searched his eyes. Her chin trembled before she lifted it. “Yes. That's why I'm here. I admit—I didn't plan on telling you all that, but I realize that knowledge is power, and I really don't want to fall into his hands. I just need to hire a lawyer and get a restraining order or