Gift of Gold

And where is Jonas?”
    “Tresslar is an employee of mine. And as for your friend interesting Quarrel, I’m afraid he’s no longer factor in this interesting charade we’re all playing. But I think it’s safe enough to dispense with him because I have you. And you, Verity, will tell me all I need to know. But we’ll conduct that conversation much later. I don’t have time for it now. I’ve got to get back downstairs before too many people notice we’re both missing.”
    “You’re crazy! What have you done to Jonas?”
    “Don’t waste any time worrying about your ex-lover. He’s out of the picture for good.”
    “Damn you, what did you do to him?” Verity’s voice rose in spite of the gun and she started to struggle fiercely.
    Kincaid responded by tightening his arm until Verity could no longer breathe. Panic raced through her as she grew dizzy. She twisted violently in his grasp, trying to hit him with her fists. The heavy velvet skirts she was wearing made it almost impossible to kick out at Kincaid’s legs.
    “Stop it, you little bitch!” Kincaid lost patience and slammed the barrel of the gun against the side of her head.
    The blow wasn’t hard enough to knock Verity unconscious but it dazed her. She collapsed weakly, nearly taking Kincaid down the stairs with her. He staggered beneath her unbalanced weight but recovered within a couple of steps.
    “Be careful, Miss Ames, or I may decide it’s more trouble than it’s worth to keep you alive for a while.”
    Verity couldn’t speak. The impact of the gun against her head had had a disorienting effect. The staircase wavered sickeningly as she tried to clear her fuzzy brain. By the time the world settled down again, Kincaid had yanked her to the top of the stairs. She took deep breaths, trying to gather enough strength to scream as he jerked her down the hall.
    The back stairs had been built against the side of the house and did not bisect the corridor as the main staircase did. Kincaid and Verity emerged next to Jonas’s room.
    Kincaid didn’t hesitate. “I think we’ll stash you in your own room for now. Tresslar went through the house earlier and figured out which ones you and Quarrel were using. You’ll be safe here until Tresslar can get up here to retrieve you.” He came to a halt in front of the door, twisted the knob, and thrust Verity into the darkened room.
    Verity reeled from the force of Kincaid’s push. She stumbled, tried to regain her balance, and struck the bed. Desperately she reached out to grab a post. Once again she opened her mouth to scream. This time Kincaid backhanded her with such force that she sprawled across the bed. Her velvet skirts were flung high above her knees. When she rolled frantically to one side, they went higher, riding up above her thighs.
    Kincaid dropped the gun on the nightstand and used both hands to subdue Verity. She still hadn’t completely recovered from the blow against the side of her head and her resulting weakness made her an easy victim.
    Furious with herself and enraged with Kincaid, Verity lashed out again and again as Kincaid anchored her heaving body with his own and slapped a pillow over her face.
    Verity gasped as the stifling softness came down over her nose and mouth and then it became impossible to get a complete breath. She was going to die here in this terrible bed. Kincaid was going to suffocate her. Jonas might already be dead.
    She could feel Kincaid’s heavy body all along the length of her own. Dimly she realized he had an erection. The knowledge that he was getting sexually turned on by her death struggles inflamed her further. In desperation she dug her nails into his arms, determined to leave whatever scars she could.
    “Dammit,” he hissed as she scraped futilely at him. “Stop fighting me or I’ll have to kill you now.”
    The bedroom door slammed open and the light came on as someone struck the wall switch.
    “You’re the one who’s going to die now, Kincaid,” Jonas said far too softly.
    “Quarrel!” Kincaid sounded confused for an instant, as if he didn’t understand what was happening. Then he reacted, rolling off of Verity.
    Verity shoved the pillow aside, gasping for air. She found herself clinging to the edge of the bed. Another half-inch and she would fall onto the floor.
    Jonas hurled himself into the room. But Kincaid already had the gun he had left on the nightstand. He wasn’t aiming it at Jonas but at Verity. Jonas halted at the foot of