Her Wicked Proposal novel Chapter 26

Samir held his breath. Was this man serious? "You are suggesting I kidnap a viscount on English soil? That would be impossible."

The Englishman chuckled softly. "That is exactly what I'm suggesting, and it is my experience that few things are impossible, only difficult. If you want to succeed and escape the law, you need only to ask."

"He's still the same arrogant bastard he was. I believe I can handle him on my own."

The Englishman shook his head. He might have been smiling. "Much has changed since you've been gone. Did you even know that Sheridan has gone blind?"

The man shared this bit of news with such delight that Samir had no remaining doubt that this man wanted Sheridan dead as well.

"Blind? I had not heard. That should make matters easier, however, not more difficult."

"Then you do not know the company he keeps. As long as Sheridan is in London, your quest for revenge will indeed be impossible. You also don't realize how little time you have. Next week he marries a wealthy heiress, the daughter of a recently deceased baron."

"And what has this to do with me?" Samir demanded.

"His bride has fine English-bred stallions that Sheridan intends to breed with the mares he stole from you."

Samir clenched his fists. His mares were meant for breeding only to other Arabians.

"And what is it you propose to do?" Samir asked through gritted teeth.

"Sheridan marries in five days. I have a man employed at the Sheridan house, and I have learned that Sheridan intends to honeymoon in Brighton. This is where he is keeping your horses. Conveniently, this would also keep him far from those who would protect him."

"What do you want from me in this plan of yours?"

"You have control of a ship?" They both knew that he meant Samir's slave ship.

"Yes. I have the services of a ship. The captain has orders from me to dock when and where I tell him."

"Excellent. Here is my plan."

Samir leaned forward to listen to the Englishman, a satisfied smile on his lips. Viscount Sheridan and his lovely bride would soon be begging for death, long before Samir would grant them such a mercy.

"Watch Samir and watch Sheridan. Both are hotheaded fools. We need to make sure one does not incite the other to act before the time is right. The kidnapping needs to occur during their honeymoon at Brighton, not before. Sheridan has too many friends protecting him here."

Daniel nodded, no doubt remembering Hugo's last two plans unraveling due to this fact.

"I'll arrange the naval interference. The HMS Ranger should be docking there around the time we need Samir's vessel to be sunk."

Lifting his wolf-headed cane again, Hugo rapped the roof twice to stop the coach. It rocked to a halt on Curzon Street...where Sheridan lived. Daniel put his hat back on and slipped out of the vehicle like a wraith in the night.

If only you knew how closely you are being watched. How closely all you rogues are being watched. Inside every house he had a man watching, waiting, feeding him information. When the time was right the men would act, snuffing out any rogues who were left, one by one.

But that was the end game. Now he would enjoy the middle game, his one vice in life in an otherwise unshakeable career of service to his country.

I will avenge you, Peter. They will pay for the night they let you die. They will pay. Then you can rest. And maybe I can as well.

It was a vow carved into his heart, and he would see it through at any cost.