“Bram?”
His head shot up, and those eyes were what he would expect the molten fires of hell to look like.
“Are they—”
“Both will survive. They took a beating but will recover.”
“Thank God.” Relief had his knees buckling. Gray braced a hand on the wall to steady himself.
“I’m going to kill someone, Gray.”
“As you should want to, Bram. But I’d rather you waited and took me with you.”
Their eyes locked, and the older man exhaled slowly.
“These children are ours, Ivy and mine. When they hurt, we hurt.”
He’d never seen the patriarch of this family looking as he did in that moment. Utter devastation was written on his face.
“Do you know how long it took Ivy and me to reach them when we had news of my brother’s death?”
Gray shook his head.
“Two weeks, and in that time, some of society had made it clear that my nieces and nephews were tainted and no longer fit company. Creditors had called. We found the doors locked, no staff in the town house except for Bud and two nannies. Leo had faced everyone with Alex at his side. They’d visited lawyers and done what they could. Pale faced, wide eyed. They were terrified of what would happen next when Ivy and I arrived.”
Gray saw the memories in the man’s eyes and could only imagine the hell he’d found his nieces and nephews going through.
“We took them away. All of them. Just loaded them into carriages and left London. They came because we would not allow them to do otherwise. They were distant, fighting the anger and shame. Especially the older three. It took us six months to reach them. Six months to break through what my brother had turned them into. I won’t allow them to suffer anymore, Gray.”
“We won’t let it happen again,” Gray vowed. Understanding passed between them. This man knew he cared for Ellen.
“Can I see her?”
“The doctor left her and is now attending to Leo. She doesn’t look good, Gray.”
“I don’t care. I need to see her, Bram.”
“I know you do. Come.”
He followed Ellen’s uncle down the hall and then into a room. Bud and Fred were in there. His eyes went to the bed.
She lay in a white nightdress with her eyes closed against a mound of pillows. Her blond curls were loose and tangled. There was bruising under her right eye, and her cheek was red and swollen. Rage consumed him as he took an inventory of all her injuries.
The others moved back as he made his way closer, and Bram went to the opposite side of the bed where Chester sat with his chin on the mattress.
Almost as if she felt him, her eyes opened, the blue depths filled with pain.
“She’s bruised all over,” Fred said, coming to stand at his side. Her little face was pinched with worry.
“It will be all right, Fred.” He ran a hand down her back. “Ellen is safe.”
“Make it all right, Gray,” she whispered. “Make those people that hurt Leo and Ellen pay.”
“Fred,” Ellen whispered as if speaking hurt her. “I’m not going anywhere.”
“Come here, sweetheart,” Bram said. The little girl ran around the bed and into his arms.
Gray looked at Ellen again. He couldn’t find the words to say what was inside him. He wanted to touch her. Kiss her hurts and run a hand over her hair. Needed to hold her but wasn’t sure he could let her go if he did.
