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Evidently, the signs of nausea were visible, for theat the wheel pivoted and snatched her up, carrying her to the side of the boat and holding her while wracking spasms seized her, her eyes blinded by tears

“Papa” She fought the dizziness, the memories, the unalterable reality “He’s dead,” she choked out as the roaring in her head intensified “That monster—he killed him”

With that, the world tilted askew and everything went black

Where the hell was Aurora?

Slayde sla reread the in the process

Bitterly frustrated, he prowled the length of his study, trying to fit the pieces together It made no sense Every one of the notes made reference to the black diamond Yet, if all the kidnapper wanted was the stone, why hadn’t he contacted Slayde and e, stated his bloody de with Slayde like a child with a toy?

/>Unless it wasn’t just the gem

The prospect crept into Slayde’s mind like an odious insect

Could all those notes be fake? Could whoever had Aurora want so, like vengeance?

There was only one h to exact such cruel revenge, a man whose thirst to uncover the black diah to spawn an action as ugly as this

Lawrence Bencroft

Rage surged through Slayde’s veins The elderly duke was drunk more often than he was sober Still, that wouldn’t preclude him from…

“Lord Pembourne?”

Slayde snapped about, facing the slight, graying man in the doorway “Gilbert—how is she?”

The physician removed his spectacles, wiped them with his handkerchief “Lucky to be alive,” he replied “Had you reached her any later, she ht not have been so fortunate”