Hold Your Breath 01 - Stone Devil Duke by K.J. Jackson Read Free Book Online Page A

it.
    Well, no more.
    No more uncontrolled reactions to the situation. The initial shock of his presence, who he was, and what that could mean to her plans, sunk in. He could ruin everything. And would be amused in doing so. Why else would he have sought her out, if not to decimate her plans?
    Frustration with the situation that had just escalated out of her control, combined with the duke’s smirk, catapulted her into whirlwind of indignation.
    His smile. So smug. So completely in control.
    Lips pulled hard, Aggie did the only thing she could, the only thing she could think that would shock the duke enough to wipe that arrogant smile off his face.
    She flicked his ear.
    Bold forefinger launching out from her thumb with mighty force, she went up on her toes and flicked his ear.
    Stunned, his jaw dropped. But no words escaped out of his open mouth.
    Taking adva ntage of his incapacitated state, Aggie stepped alongside him, their arms touching. She didn’t look up at him, her eyes trained on the corner of the building. “Your grace, if you would be so kind as to follow me to the side of the balcony, there are some things that need discussion.”
    Not waiting for him, she stalked off, turning the corner and moving along the extension of the main balcony. Finding a nook closed off by lattice-work, where they would be out of eye—and ear—shot of the ball attendees, Aggie stopped, crossing her arms over her chest, fan swinging.
    She t urned to make sure the duke was following her. He was.
    Aggie’s heart sped into fast thuds when she realized that every step he took, every movement of his body, was lethal. She glanced around at the spot she had stopped in. Maybe out of sight and sound of the party wasn’t the smartest move. But she couldn’t back away now. She straightened as tall as she could as he stopped in front of her.
    T he heavy scents of the rose garden wafted up into the cove, and the two stood, both in stance for battle, glaring at each other, daring the other to make the first move.
    Aggie deemed it would be her.
    “Your grace, I realize what a shock this must be for you, seeing me here,” she started, now in firm control of her emotions, and full of determination that he not ruin her upcoming plans.
    “R est assured, you need not worry about the threat of me spreading word throughout society about your cowardice,” Aggie said. “Doing so would serve neither of us any purpose, even though, for myself, it would bring me great satisfaction to have your particular faults examined and heckled—but I have never much cared for the way society treats its weaker people.”
    She blustered a look that reeked of pity, ignoring the fact that his eyes had turned into dangerous thunderclouds, their deepest blacks promising destruction.
    She sadly shook her head. “They can be so harsh—wolves weeding out the weak—and it is, frankly, distasteful to me. I will not play a part in such abhorrent behavior. So I promise you, no one will know of your cowardice.”
    Aggie’s gut flipped. He looked very near to choking her.
    It took every bit of Aggie’s steel to raise her gloved hand and place it gently on his forearm. A pitying motion. He knew it, and his muscles flexed under her touch.
    She knew she had gone much, much too far in calling him a coward. Especially when it was so opposite the truth. But it was the only way she could think of to rid herself of him and she couldn’t stop now. She had to finish this. She needed to remove the threat he posed. She couldn’t let him ruin her plans. Her life, her family’s lives, depended on it.
    “So , your grace, if it would be amicable to you, I would like to keep our little…shall we say…adventure, between the two of us?” Her look turned to concern. “Your grace, are you listening to me? You seem a bit pale. Are you feeling well?”
    He took a menacing step toward her, closing the space between the two of them. “Yes, Lady Augustine, I am listening to you. And I am