“Short and succinct,” Nathan growled. “You are not going alone.”
“I will take no risks with her.”
“And we will take no risks with you or her,” Michael added. “Besides, if you’d wanted to go alone, you wouldn’t have told us your location.”
His brother had a good point. He was not thinking straight.
“We will ride there now,” Gabe said, pulling his watch from his pocket. “The journey will take several hours. Then you will stay hidden, and I will meet Ombrage.”
“He will not have left a trail, Gabe, or be found until he wishes it,” Michael said. “You are not riding in there alone.”
“I know that, but you will stay hidden. If he sees you, he could harm Dimity.”
“I wonder why he has chosen Broad Clunsden?” Nathan asked.
“That man leaves nothing to chance. He’s ruthless, calculating, and has my woman. He will have chosen the destination for a reason.”
“Is that Daniel approaching?” Michael said, pointing down the road.
It was, and soon he stopped before them.
“Devilles,” he greeted them “And before you ask, your sister is safe. She is surrounded by my family but could not settle until she knew all was well with you all. So she dispatched me from the house to check.”
“The danger is just as great to you now; you are one of us, Daniel,” Gabe said. “You should not be riding about alone.”
“And while those words warm my heart, I was raised to survive. Now what are you lot about?”
“We are to leave London. Return to Abby and tell her all is well. We will come to her as soon as we are able,” Gabe said.
“Where is it you are bound?” Daniel asked.
“There is too much to tell, and it is extremely complicated,” Zach said.
“Most things to do with you lot are. How about you explain it while we ride?”
“No,” Gabe said. “If anything happens to me, I want you safe with Abby.”
“Nothing will happen to you,” Nathan ground out.
“Why will something happen to you?” Daniel asked calmly. “Hello, Walter.”
The dog sniffed Daniel’s boot by way of greeting.
“We believe Dimity has been kidnapped by Diard,” Gabe said, telling a half truth.
“What? Why?” Daniel demanded.
“There is a great deal you do not know, and I’m not sure you need to.”
“And yet here I sit, at your service and not returning to my wife without the information I seek.”
Gabe saw the determination in Daniel’s eyes.
“Tell him. He is one of us now, and this entire secrecy business of Alexius is becoming something of a misnomer,” Zach said.
“It is not a misnomer,” Nathan snapped.
“Someone speak,” Daniel said. “Any one of you will do.”
