“We will visit your brother,” Bud said. “Then I think they both need a nice cup of tea and cake. Will you help me prepare the tray, Miss Fred?”
The little girl nodded and left with the housekeeper, and Gray kept his eyes on Ellen. His anger was an inferno as he studied every inch of her abused face.
“Tell Gray what they said, love,” Bram urged Ellen. “Tell him everything, and I will check on Leo too.”
That Bram was leaving them alone and Ellen in his custody to watch over humbled Gray.
“Ellen,” her name was torn from him when her uncle had left.
“I’m all right.”
“Liar.” He rose and bent over her, pressing his lips to her hair, the only place he hoped she was not hurting.
“It’s all right, Gray.” Her hand patted his shoulder.
“No. It’s far from that,” he said, falling back into his seat. “Tell me who did this to you?” Gently, Gray picked up her hand, noting the bruises on the knuckles. His rage grew even more. He kissed the abused skin softly and then cradled her fingers in his.
Her eyes were tired and wounded. His Amazon was hurting.
“Leo, Teddy, and I were going to Appleblossoms to get some apricotines for afternoon tea, and suddenly I saw them in my head. Men running at us. I felt the panic and told Teddy to run.”
“Not you?”
“I couldn’t leave Leo.”
“Ellen, there were too many of them. You both should have run.” His words came out harsh. “Even the indomitable Notorious Nightingales must retreat now and again.”
“We couldn’t. They crept up on us and had me from behind before I knew it. It was the same for Leo.”
“Okay. It’s all right now,” Gray soothed. “Tell me the rest.”
“When I fell, one of them bent over me and said, ‘Stop investigating what doesn’t concern you, or next time we’ll come for someone you love, and we’ll kill them. You and that detective mind your business or pay the price.’”
Gray frowned. “Surely the only investigating you’ve done with me was in the bookshop. Then you had that confrontation with that man who was part of the Baddon Boys at the flower markets.”
She dropped her eyes.
“Tell me,” he demanded.
“Leo, Alex, and I had to search for Mr. Greedy’s cousin, Cedric, last night.”
“You went out after dark again?” The rage he’d just pushed down inside him surged to life once more.
“It was not late,” she dismissed his words. “We asked some questions about the Baddon Boys, but—”
“You did what?” It came out as a roar.
“Subtle questions,” she added.
“This is not a game, madam. That gang deals with corrupt people. Noblemen, and politicians. Christ, Ellen, you could have been killed. They have made people disappear, never to be found again!”
“Yes, it was not a terribly sound notion in hindsight, but at the time it was a matter of simply conversing as we asked after Cedric. We had no idea that word would get back to these Baddon Boys.”
She tried to move, and the breath hissed from her throat as clearly, she was in pain.
“God’s blood,” Gray muttered. “I don’t want you hurt. I-I need you to promise me you will take no more risks, Ellen.” He felt irrational at the thought of her out at night, where anyone could hurt her.
“I can’t promise to stop protecting those who need it. Those I care for.”
