Taming the Wicked Wulfe (The Rogue Agents) by Tammy Jo Burns Read Free Book Online Page A

show a united front.   He heard the older woman gasp and turned to look at her.   For the first time, he could see that her eyes looked very similar to his wife’s, having sparkles of both blue and green in them.
    “They look so much like the girls,” the older woman said in awe, her voice growing wobbly.
    “That’s enough, Mrs. Johnson.   It is clear we are not welcome.”   He grabbed the woman’s arm and jerked her close.  
    Thorn noticed the wince that the woman could not hide, and hated Hezekiah Johnson even more at that moment.   What had Rebekah’s mother endured at his hands?   What had his wife suffered?   And Sarah?   His body would be cold in the grave before this man got his hands on Theodore’s children.
    “Do not think this is the end, young man.   I have connections, and will have those children in my care before you know what happened.”
    “I will enjoy the fight, Reverend, but I think you will be surprised at the outcome.”
    “Come, Mrs. Johnson,” the Reverend jerked his wife’s arm, forcing her to follow him.  
    Edith Johnson looked at her daughter and mouthed two words to her, Fight him .   Surprised, all Rebekah could do was nod.   Her mother gave her a quick smile before allowing herself to be escorted out of Wulfecrest Manor.   Thorn pulled away from Rebekah, walked to the door and shut it.   He left his hand on the solid wood before turning to look at his wife and wards.  
    “Zachary, Ivy, give your Aunt Rebekah a hug and go up to the nursery.   You two have been through a lot today and should take a nap.”
    “But…” Ivy started to argue.
    “Do not argue with your uncle, young lady,” Rebekah said.   “I’ll go up with you.   It wouldn’t hurt for me to take a nap either.”
    “I had hoped that we could discuss what just occurred.”
    “Not now,” Rebekah waved him away.
    “When?”
    She answered by shrugging her shoulders and ascending the stairs, taking a hand of each child as she went.  
    “You are going to have to talk to me sometime.”  
    She kept walking up the stairs with the children in tow.
    “Stubborn woman,” he muttered, mussing his hair in frustration.   He walked to the study, grabbed the bottle of whisky, a tumbler, and sat at his brother’s desk.   Knowing that they would soon be returning to London, he began meticulously going through all the records his brother had kept since taking over the Dukedom roughly six years ago.   Six years ago .   Hadn’t Reverend Johnson said something about Rebekah and six years ago?   Ah yes, she had stopped being his daughter then, evidently not by her choice.   He steepled his fingers and thought on the matter for several minutes.   He would not find any answers without talking to Rebekah.   He turned back to the journals spread before him and lost himself in the business of running an estate.

Chapter 4

    In the early hours of morning, Rebekah woke to a pounding head, stiff muscles, and scratchy eyes.   Once she had made certain the twins had gone to sleep, she had made her way to her bedroom, locking the door behind her.   Halfway through shedding her mourning clothes, she had collapsed to her knees as sobs wracked through her body.   She had promised herself she would never cry over her parents again, and she wouldn’t have if her mother had not smiled at her.   With that one secret look, the walls of hate Rebekah had erected around her heart had collapsed.   Her mother was not the one to be hated in this situation.   She had merely been a pawn played by her father as Sarah and herself had.   Sometime during the night, she had fallen asleep, not even making it to her bed.
    Rebekah pushed herself into a sitting position.   She stretched, trying to ease the aches that had set in after a night of sleeping on the hard floor.   She caught a glimpse of herself in the mirror and gasped at the sight that greeted her.   The dress she wore to the funeral lay about her in a heap,