“Riots, Nix?”
“Planned for tomorrow, Mr. Deville. Gathering near Vauxhall.”
Nathan stored that piece of information away, as he knew his brothers would be.
“Now back to the lady, Nix.”
“The man, Logan, he’s here with two Russian men. One of them left not long after she went to his rooms.”
“You’re sure she went into his rooms?” Nathan’s fists clenched at the prospect of Beth anywhere near men like Logan and his cohorts.
“She did, and when the big one of the three left, he carried something over his shoulder. Squirrel couldn’t see what, as a blanket was covering it, but said it looked like a person.”
A body.Dear god, not Beth, please.
“Did Squirrel follow the man?” Michael asked, resting a hand on Nathan’s shoulder.
“He did. The big man stopped by a grate and stood his bundle upright.”
“So, it was alive then presumably?” Zach said, shooting Nathan a look.
“Badger said as much,” Nix agreed.
“I thought it was Squirrel who was following?” Gabe said.
“They were both there by then.”
“Goddamn it to hell, Nix. I don’t care what forest animal was there, tell me what happened next!” Nathan roared.
“Well now, no need to take that tone with me,” Nix said, affronted.
“He loves the woman we believe the man was carrying,” Michael said.
Nix shuffled his feet a few steps, then gave Nathan a pitying look.
“Right sorry I am for your suffering, Mr. Deville.”
Nathan managed a nod instead of reaching for the man’s neck.
“She was lowered inside. The man followed, closing the grate behind him. We… ah, we heard a scream, as I’d arrived by then.”
Nathan closed his eyes briefly.
“We raised the grate, thinking we’d go in and help, but when we got down there no one was about.”
“So, you confirmed it was definitely a woman?” Gabe asked.
“That’s the conclusion the three of us came to. Badger stayed and watched the hole. The man returned, the woman didn’t.”
“Show us the grate,” Nathan said in a voice that sounded like his, but he couldn’t be sure because his head didn’t seem to be sitting on his shoulders right.
They followed Nix to the grate. Nathan bent and wrenched it open. Walter whined, so he lowered him through the hole, then followed, and before his brothers could stop him, he’d started running.
Chapter Twenty-Nine
Her eyes watered from the stench, and she was cold, but she was also alive, and Beth was determined to stay that way. She had no idea how many hours she’d been down here but thought it was several. Would Nathan have those papers by now? Beth hoped so; then he’d come looking for her.
But how would he know where to look?
