Drake winced as the pewter cutlery clattered against a wall, barely missing an older gentleman with a prodigious nose. The man shouted in surprise and looked around in vain for the culprit. Drake glared at Killian before returning his gaze to Liam. ‘I never claimed to be perfect. But I was accustomed to my life until I met Millie. The stubborn, gorgeous woman convinced me life could be more than just a quiet study in control.’
‘She has to be stubborn to put up with an old dragon like yourself and not run screaming for the hills. In that way, you two are perfectly matched.’ Killian raised a brow at his friend while he raised his hand to fend off any more flying spoons. ‘Though in beauty and wit, she far surpasses you.’
‘She certainly does.’ Drake toyed with the handle of his mug. He spared his friend a glacial stare before returning his focus to Liam. ‘I’m serious, Liam. People are talking. And not just idle whispers from silly girls at a ball. The prime minister and Commissioner Worthington have taken note. There are rumours you might be seeking entrance into a certain secret fraternity.’
Liam sipped his coffee. He wasn’t about to divulge any information his friends didn’t already know. While he trusted Killian and Drake with his life, he also knew their dedication to justice delivered in the traditional method. They believed the House of Lords would fairly try these men and deliverpunishment. Liam – much like the Queen and Philippa – held no such faith in his peers. Time and again, man had proven his susceptibility to power and corruption.
If Killian and Drake knew Liam’s plans, they would work against him. Not to protect the Devil’s Sons, but to protect their understanding of justice. He couldn’t allow that to happen. Because his vendetta against the Devil’s Sons was personal. To atone for his brother’s sins, to protect women like Penny. To reclaim a part of his soul sacrificed so many years ago. He had once fought for his father’s approval, and then his country’s. Now, he fought for his own honour.
When it became obvious Liam wasn’t going to volunteer any information, Drake slammed his mug on the table, coffee spilling onto the wood and staining it dark brown. ‘Damn it, Liam. They’ve both come to us asking exactly what your ties might be to a society of which your brother claimed membership. The Devil’s Sons.’
Liam cocked his head and quirked his brow with exaggerated curiosity. ‘With a name like that, you’d think I would remember joining, but you know how one’s memory can play tricks as we age.’
Killian leaned forward, the scrape of his chair almost lost in the cacophony of male conversations swirling around them. ‘This isn’t a joke, Liam. These men are dangerous. Their actions are diabolical, and they will stop at nothing to ensure their power remains unchallenged.’
‘We know you, Liam. You would never join these men if you knew the truth. Their activities are a vile affront to human decency.’ Drake’s icy-blue eyes narrowed.
‘Were you told of your brother’s involvement? His part in procuring innocent girls to sell in Europe’s flesh markets, all to fill the coffers of these bastards?’ Killian and Drake hadperfected their skills at rapid-fire questions. But Liam was familiar with such tactics.
Still, acrid anger burned up Liam’s throat, filling his mouth with the taste of iron and ash. He hated that his friends suspected him of such horrifying actions even as he needed them to believe him guilty of exactly what they feared. ‘I was informed. Yes.’
Drake raised an eyebrow. ‘So, what game are you playing at, Liam?’
Killian leaned forward, his jaw twitching as he clenched his teeth. A lesser man would confess all manner of sins under such a sharp glare. ‘Should we believe these rumours? That you have fallen so far?’
Liam leaned back, pretending nonchalance. He was being given a powerful opportunity here. If Killian and Drake stood with him, the Devil’s Sons would never allow him entrance into their society. His friend’s actions of late made it clear they were seeking out the leaders of this horrific fraternity. Both the Queen and Philippa believed the influence of the Devil’s Sons had infiltrated the government. The Devil’s spies could possibly include members of the metropolitan police or even the prime minister and commissioner. Men Drake and Killian trusted implicitly.
Liam’s connection or distance from Killian and Drake could make the difference between the Devil’s Sons trusting him or denying him entrance. If Liam could set himself apart from his honourable friends, convince them he was truly seeking membership into the Devil’s Sons, that information would find its way back to the Crow, the Wolf, and the Snake, proving his moral flexibility to these fucking monsters. And once they accepted him into their ranks, he could complete the last step of his plan and burn these bastards to the ground.
‘You are both intelligent men. The prime minister’s chosen few. I imagine you can form your own conclusions.’ It was an evasive answer.
He saw the disappointment in Killian’s gaze and the suspicion in Drake’s.
‘I have formed a conclusion. You’re up to something.’ Drake tapped his fingers on the table.
Liam stretched his face into a false smile. ‘You’ve figured me out, Drake. I am up to something quite nefarious. I’m having a masque.’
Drake’s face twisted as though he’d bitten into an unripe berry.
Killian just shook his head.
Liam’s smile was real as he enjoyed his friend’s obvious discomfort. Killian never minded a social event, but Drake loathed them. Liam continued. ‘A welcome back to society fete, if you will. I hope you’ll both attend. I would love to meet your wives. Women able to tame such beasts? I can’t imagine.’ Liam stood, hating the distance he’d created between himself and the two men who were closer to him than his own brother ever was. But this aloofness was a necessary evil. If he survived this mission, they would understand. If he didn’t, their pain at his loss would be lessened by their suspicions.
‘I don’t know what game you’re playing, Liam, but be careful.’ Drake fingered the gruesome scar that ran from his left brow down to the right side of his jaw.
‘No battles are won alone, Liam. When you’re ready, we’re here.’ Killian added, nodding at his friend.
Liam’s heart ached as he turned and walked away. Because in this fight, it was imperative he remain completely alone.
Upon leaving the prison, Penny stopped at a hawker stand selling apples. Sparing a half penny, she took three apples and found a reasonably clean stoop where she could sit. She shouldn’t have indulged in such extravagance, but she had skipped her morning meal and was famished. Also, she wasn’t ready to return to Liam’s house. Not yet. Not until she had settled her nerves after her unexpected battle with the guard.
She watched the happenings of the street and breathed deep the soot-filled air. A brisk wind blew, and Penny squinted at the sky. The rain wasn’t far off now. If she didn’t hurry, she would get caught in the downpour. But still, she tarried. The calls of the hawkers created a soothing background noise. A cheeky dog was slinking along the street, sneaking between stands to steal what treats he could before being chased away. Three young children, their sex obscured by loose-fitting clothes, shaggy hair, and a copious amount of grime covering their features, played a game in the stoop opposite Penny. A circle had been drawn in the dirt and they were taking turns flicking rocks. When one landed in the circle, a cheer went up amongst them. Such a simple moment of pleasure that reminded Penny of her youth. Children were always ready to find joy even in the worst circumstances. It was a skill she had lost as she aged.
Her hand shook as she lifted the apple to her mouth and took a satisfying bite, the crunch cheering her as a burst of sweet, tart juice dribbled down her chin. She wiped at it with the back of her hand, contentedly munching.
She must face some hard truths. Penny had spent the past week avoiding Liam. Because every time they were close to oneanother, she wanted to attack the man. But not the way she attacked the guard.
Taking another bite, she admitted – if only to herself – she wanted to ravish Liam. Explore his hard, muscular body and let him explore hers. Which was troubling enough, but even more worrisome was her desire to know him. To understand the inner workings of his mind. And the insistent voice questioning his guilt. Even now, it harassed her.
