The desire to have her by his side for the rest of his days abruptly struck him as sharply as an arrow to the chest. He wouldn’t have been surprised to see the cherubic Cupid floating overhead right then with a smug expression on the bastard’s face. It was just what he deserved after years of discontent. He had never felt the sort of burning emotion toward Elina that pulsed through his chest when Fleur was near. Sadly, Elina hadn’t been the love of his life as he’d imagined. Her allure was because she was aligned to the man he had deemed his enemy. It had taken him all these years to discover the truth but only because what he felt for Fleur couldn’t be anything but all-consuming passionate love.
“What about your agreement with Harriette? Why did you hide that from me?”
Drake’s jaw clenched. “How did you find out about that?”
She gave a harsh snort. “My God, I am starting to wonder if I know you at all. I can’t believe you would continue to be in league with that woman after what she did to me!”
“It was to keep you safe!” Drake had a moment’s panic when he thought Fleur was starting to pull away from him. He moved forward and held on to her upper arms with an urgency he had never allowed before. He had pushed aside any weakness when he’d been a child, telling himself that he would never let that frightened side of him ever resurface. But it did then. “I despise her for that blasted auction but I can’t say I regret the outcome. I would give up everything I have to do it all again.”
The flat look in her gaze tore through his chest. “I’m not sure I would.” She pulled away from him and walked a few paces away.
Drake’s arms stayed suspended in midair until he slowly let them drop to his sides. Her words stung but he couldn’t say he faulted her for her honesty. No doubt she would have rather found another way to resolve her brother’s debt. If it wasn’t for Drake, she would have never found herself in this predicament to begin with. He’d never hated himself more than he did in that moment because he realized that, as his heart had finally started to feel something other than bitterness, hers was turning in the opposite direction. He had hoped they might be able to move forward, put this nastiness behind them once her brother was found, but he decided he would release her from his protection. The only way he could hope to earn her love was to set her free.
Putting any further intimacy behind them, he moved behind his desk and sat down. He withdrew a map of London and decided that the best thing to do was to pinpoint any of the places that Flavian might have gone. Or been taken. If Reynolds had decided to do away with Drake, he could have done the same for Fleur’s brother. The key to it all was whoever wished Drake harm. It seemed that they were also protecting Flavian.
“I discovered something today after I managed to free myself?—”
Her mouth fell open slightly. “You were kidnapped?”
“Seized,” he corrected. “But since it’s nothing I haven’t faced before; I was able to escape. The odd thing is that we must have been followed, because when Devon and I went to one of my other lodging houses to change, there was a cloaked figure across the street when we left. He threw a firebomb at us that set the house ablaze. I believe that my attempted murderer is a grenadier.”
“Dear God,” she breathed, her face turning white. “You could have been killed.”
“Indeed.” He made sure his tone was even, without emotion. “It wouldn’t be the first time someone has attempted to end my life.” He cleared his throat and switched topics. “Something tells me that the incident today, as well as your brother’s disappearance might be connected. Do you know of anyone else that Flavian might trust other than you?”
She exhaled heavily. “I’m not sure. I can’t think of anyone?—”
He frowned when she abruptly broke off the rest of her statement. “What is it?”
She shook her head. “I’m sure it’s nothing.”
“When you believe that, it is usually quite the opposite.”
She put a hand to her forehead, as if the possibility rushing through her mind couldn’t have any merit. “If he could have managed to get there, he might have called upon Daniel, the stablemaster at the Coach & Horses in Greenwich.”
Drake admitted that he hadn’t considered the possibility that Flavian might have returned to the original scene of the incident that had started this domino effect of events.
“I’m afraid that’s not all.” As he returned his focus to Fleur, she had an expression of dread on her face that didn’t bode well. “He is so good with horses because he was a former grenadier in the war.”
His neck started to prickle with unease. “Do you recall his last name?”
She nodded, appearing perplexed. “Reynolds.”
CHAPTER21
“Bloody hell.”
Fleur’s blood ran cold because that curse was filled with so much meaning. “What is it?”
“Avalon’s right hand is named Reynolds. He’s the one that tied me up in that blasted warehouse.” He shoved a hand through his hair. “It appears this intrigue goes deeper than I’d originally thought.”
She found it difficult to follow his line of reasoning. “I don’t understand.”
“You soon will. Wait here.” He left the room and she started pacing, stopping only when he returned a few moments later. “I sent Devon on an errand. If there is anyone who might be able to get us any quick answers about Avalon’s next in command, it will be him. Until he returns, it would be a good idea to see if Harriette has returned.”
Without a second’s hesitation, Fleur joined Drake as they headed down the street. They made their way up the steps to the former courtesan’s house on Chelsea and she waited anxiously for the butler to answer their summons. His bored gaze flicked over them as he said, “The mistress is out.”
When he would have shut the door in their face, Drake set his foot in the jamb and pushed his way inside. “That’s fine. We are here for information and she doesn’t need to be present for us to find it.”
