Excerpt of His Queen of Hearts by Roxann Delaney

Devon Brannigan tugged at the black leather patch covering
his left eye and tried to find a more comfortable position
on the hard church pew. He couldn't believe his good luck.
In only a matter of time, he would finally have his hands
on his no-good, greedy former neighbor. Once J.R.'s
wedding vows were spoken, and the newlyweds departed for
the reception, not only Dev but his two brothers back home
would taste the sweetness of revenge.

Ignoring the choking scent of flowers that filled the
sanctuary of the Baton Rouge church, he settled in for
what he hoped would be a short wait. But he could wait as
long as he had to. If nothing else, he was a patient and
thorough man. He'd been trailing J.R. for months, always
missing him by minutes. This time it wouldn't happen. This
time J.R. would be stopped from conning any more innocent
people and would pay for his crimes.

The organ music rose to a crescendo and then slowly came
to a close. Dev folded his arms on his chest, more than
willing to enjoy J.R.'s last moments as a free man. The
thought made him chuckle to himself. Marriage wouldn't be
the only bonds holding James Robert Staton when everything
had played out. Dev wanted every penny owed him, but, even
more, he wanted the man behind bars. Once the couple was
on their way to their honeymoon hideaway, it would take
one call to the authorities, and the Feds would take care
of J.R. He chuckled again and earned a warning stare from
the plump, middle-aged woman beside him. Turning to her,
he smiled, knowing what her reaction would be to the look
in his one eye and the patch over the other. With a huff
of air, she faced forward, her shoulders bunched in
indignation, exactly as he expected.

As the droning of the minister's voice continued, Dev
focused his attention on the ceremony. Staring at the back
of the groom only made him more eager to get this rolling,
and since there was nothing he could do about that, he let
his gaze slide over the bride. Not that he could see that
much of her. If he'd known anything about fashion, he
might have admired her wedding dress. But to him it was
nothing more than a shroud of white covering what might or
might not be a delightful body. It didn't matter. He had
better things to do than chase after women.

But he couldn't ignore the perfection of her profile when
she turned to smile at her groom. J.R. might be considered
a handsome man, but he didn't deserve the beauty he'd soon
be wed to. Did she deserve the shock she'd be in for as
soon as the I do's were said?

Before Dev could imagine how distraught the bride might
become when he played his hand and how she might just
throw in a wild card he hadn't considered, she faced the
guests. Enchanted by the vision of the auburn-haired
beauty, Dev barely heard her clear her throat, intent on
the nervous smile playing at her full lips.

"Thank you all for coming to share this special day," she
said, her husky voice wobbling slightly. "I want to thank
my mama for this beautiful wedding. And my bridesmaids for
all their loving support."

Dev wasn't sure if her gesture was customary, but by the
wary look in J.R.'s eyes, he knew something unplanned was
happening. Uncrossing his arms, he sat up straighter,
still hoping to remain unnoticed, yet wishing he had a
better view.

The bride's gaze darted from one side of the church to the
other. J.R. reached out to take her hand, but she pulled
back, bestowing him with a trembling smile, and looked
directly at one of the women in the wedding party. "I'd
especially like to thank my maid of honor, Priscilla. She
probably isn't aware of it, but she did me a great service
two nights ago by sleeping with James."

A collective gasp rose among the guests, followed by
silence and then a quiet murmur that grew louder. A
spattering of giggles could be heard near the front of the
church where J.R. stood like a marble statue, never
batting an eye. The maid of honor turned to glance at the
guests, her face pale. As bright spots of color appeared
on her cheeks, her mouth opened, but nothing came
out. "It's all right, Prissy," the bride told her. "It
really is." She smiled, her eyes glittering, and looked
down at a woman on the end of the front row. "I'm sorry,
Mama, but I can't do this. I just can't."

Gathering her voluminous skirt, she nearly flew up the
aisle. For a moment there was no sound, and then an
anguished cry from the woman she'd spoken to filled the
crowded room. "You have to, Carolyn!"

The rustle of lace swept past Dev. Acting on instinct,
Devon slammed his Stetson on his head and jumped to his
feet, hurrying to catch her by one lace-covered elbow as
she pushed open the massive wooden door. Sunlight blinded
him for a moment, but he held tight to her to keep her
from stumbling.

"God help me," he heard her whisper.

He tugged his hat farther down as a shield from the
sunshine and prying eyes. "Well, I'm sure not God, sugar,
but I'll be more than happy to do whatever I can," he
replied, guiding her down the steps.

She didn't fight him as he hustled her toward his Jeep,
parked less than half a block away. The click of her heels
on the sidewalk echoed with each step, until they heard
the church doors burst open and the sound of agitated
voices behind them. Reaching his vehicle, Dev yanked open
the passenger door for her and waited until she bunched
her dress enough to slide in. Then he circled the front of
the Jeep and climbed in behind the wheel.

Checking for traffic, he started the engine. "Hang on,
sugar," he said, twisting the steering wheel to leave the
parking spot with a squeal of rubber. He made a tight U-
turn and stomped the accelerator just as they passed the
growing crowd of people on the church steps. With a quick
glance in that direction, he saw J.R. near the door, his
hands fisted at his sides and a deep frown marring his
good looks.

Gotcha. Dev smiled to himself. Things sure hadn't worked
out as he'd planned, but he'd played the surprise hand
he'd been dealt with his usual talent. Satisfied, he eased
off on the gas and sneaked a look at his passenger.

Head tilted back to lean against the headrest and eyes
closed, she was the perfect picture of a serene bride. But
she couldn't be. She'd just jilted her groom at the altar.
Any woman who'd been through what she must have couldn't
be feeling calm.

"You okay?" he asked.

After a brief moment she nodded.

He glanced down at her hands. Knotted tightly in her lap,
they gave her away. He was an expert at reading body
language in his business and in everyday life, too. His
thirty-four years had taught him well. He would let her
calm down and get her thoughts together, and then he'd
find out what was going on. Were J.R.'s cheating ways the
only reason she'd dumped him, or was there more to it?

She didn't know it, but Dev had a stake in this. And she'd
become his ace in the hole.

When her heart stopped slamming against her ribs and her
body ceased trembling, Carly Albright took a deep breath
and slowly let it out. How had she done it? Of course
there'd been no choice, but how had she stood there and
announced that she couldn't marry James? What would he do?
What would her mama do?

So many questions and no answers. Maybe that was a good
thing. If she could just put the incident out of her mind
and — And what? She didn't even know where she was going,
let alone how to deal with life once she got there.

And what must this man beside her, who'd bless-edly come
to her rescue, think of her?

She opened her eyes and peeked at him from under her
lashes. For one second she couldn't breathe. Mercy
goodness, but he was handsome! Dark, nearly ebony hair
curled beneath the brim of his black cowboy hat. He wasn't
dressed in western clothing, but something about him other
than the hat shouted "cowboy." His jaw was strong,
angular, his nose long and straight. High cheekbones gave
him a European air, while a silvery scar ran across the
bridge of his nose and disappeared on the other side. And
those lips! Firm, yet full. Sensual. Carly had to press
her own lips together to capture her sigh before it
escaped.

He had a dangerous look about him, but she didn't feel
threatened. In fact, she felt more secure than she had for
weeks, ever since she'd started having doubts about
marrying James.

Well, what's done is done, she thought, opening her eyes
wide and lifting her hands to slip out the hairpins that
held her headpiece. She'd find a way to make the best of
it. She only hoped it didn't become a disaster, like her
wedding.

"Do you mind if I toss this in the back?" she asked,
pulling the multitiered veil off her head.

He didn't turn to look at her. "Be my guest."

Pivoting in the seat to stuff the netting in the back, she
checked behind them to make sure no one was following.
When she was satisfied that the highway behind them was
clear of any familiar vehicles, she settled back into the
seat again.

There was no sense worrying about it. It was done and over
with. The only thing that worried her was her mama. But
somehow, Carly knew Lily Mae Charpen-tier Albright would
make out just fine. Maybe even better, if she went on with
the plans they'd made about selling the mansion. Just as
she would, herself. If only she had a plan.

"So. Where are we headed?" she asked over the muted
strains of country music playing on the radio.

For a moment she thought he hadn't heard her. "Where can I
drop you?" he finally asked. When she didn't answer, he
glanced at her. "At home? A friend's? Relative's?"

Going home was out of the question. At least for now. The
chance was too big that James would look for her there.
She couldn't face him. And seeing family and friends would
be more than humiliating. She felt bad about leaving her
mama to deal with the backlash, but Mama could handle it
with her usual Southern grace. Carly just wasn't up to it.

She looked down at her hands, tightly fisted in her
lap. "I don't know," she answered honestly. "You were
there. You saw what happened."

He was silent again, until a smile lifted the corner of
his mouth. "Maybe you need some time. Would you like to go
somewhere they can't find you?"

She really hadn't given it any thought, concentrating only
on the wedding and how to stop it. "Well, yes, I guess I
do."

"Thought so. I saw you checking to make sure we're not
being followed. You can rest easy. We aren't."

Carly worried her bottom lip, imagining the mess she'd
left back at the church. If she could trust Prissy, she'd
call her, but since her best friend had taken it upon
herself to avail herself of the groom's sexual charms, she
wasn't the wisest choice for a confidante at this point in
time.