“I didn’t know you were going to bring company,” Amos noted, his brow lifting above the eyepatch.
“It’s not as if I had much choice in the matter,” Dominic muttered.
“It’s lovely to see you again too,” Lexie said brightly.
Another figure emerged from behind Amos, and Lexie recognized him as the scarred man from the Crown & Sceptre. He didn’t bother with any sort of recognition toward her, but he narrowed his gaze on Dominic. “Avalon.”
“Graden.”
“The other men are assembled and ready for the call when you give the signal.”
Dominic nodded and turned to Lexie. “Shall we?”
She fluttered her lashes at him. “I thought you’d never ask.”
He rolled his eyes and led the way into the establishment. “Is this your first time in a gaming hell?”
She gave him a tolerant look. “I might not look the part of a lady right now, but I can assure you that I was raised as one, so the answer would be yes”
“Then this is likely to be quite a thrilling experience for you,” he muttered.
“Really?” She scrunched up her nose. “I might enjoy it a bit more were we not looking for a possible murderer and charlatan.”
“Indeed.” He took a quick glance around the assemblage through the heavy cheroot smoke. The scent of spirits was also stronger than usual, giving credence to the fact that they should remain there as little as possible. And considering the open, leering glares that were directed at Lexie, his hand ached to remove a few of them.
He kept a hand possessively about her waist as he headed for a faro table. He generally had good luck overhearing conversations when he joined a current game, so he took a seat and draped Lexie across his lap so that everyone there would know that the lady was taken.
Thankfully, she didn’t seem to mind and as he tossed down a few coins to enter the pot, he acted as though he was nuzzling her neck when in reality he murmured, “See if anything unusual stands out to you, or better yet, if you spot our quarry.”
She gave a breathy sigh as he gently nipped the side of her neck with his teeth. “Anything for you, my love.”
His chest clenched at the endearment, although he told himself she was playing her part and it didn’t mean more than that. But he hoped that someday it would.
As the minutes ticked by, Dominic started to feel the tension of their quest pressing down on him. He was eager to draw Lindley out of hiding and he had actually thought that maybe Lexie’s presence there might help to do just that. But that was on the off chance that he actually decided to pass through the front doors. He could already be halfway to Scotland for all Dominic knew.
“Youbastard.”
At the sound of a familiar snarl, Dominic’s lips curved.Then again…
He didn’t even look up to acknowledge the speaker to his left, just kept his focus on the cards in his grasp. “Good evening, Lord Lindley.”
“You have some bloody nerve coming here with Miss Givenwaldand—” He paused, as if astonished at what he was seeing. “Making her dress up as your whore!”
A sudden hush descended around the immediate area, and Dominic decided that he could withstand a slight against him but where Lexie was involved, he wasn’t about to stand by and allow such disrespect. She jumped to her feet, as if prepared to defend her own honor when Dominic tossed down his cards and slowly rose to his full height. He had never failed to intimidate his enemies before, and he didn’t appear to fail now, for Lindley acted as though he would move back a step, before he decided against it and stood his ground.
“Tell me, mylord—” he added with intended emphasis. “Where were you this afternoon when an attempt was made on my life?”
The face before him snarled with an almost animalistic rage. He wasn’t trying to hide his outward emotions, a mixture of pure contempt and malice. Dominic no longer had any doubt that this man—whoever he really was—was capable of murder. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“Don’t you?” Dominic challenged. He waved a hand toward the closest exit of the club. “If you are so adamant that you are not responsible for any wrongdoing, then why don’t we discuss this outside?”
“Why?” His eyes narrowed in obvious distrust. “Just so you can find a way to dispose of me and have a clear path to Miss Givenwald?”
Dominic had to snort. “That’s the most ludicrous?—”
“Admit it. You’re scared of our connection. That is why you tried to send her away from London.”
The look in his eyes was almost crazed at this point, and he feared that Lindley would do something incredibly foolish. Dominic’s hand slowly moved toward the side of his jacket that concealed his pistol. Unfortunately, Lindley must have garnered his intentions, because he reached out and grabbed Lexie’s wristand pulled her to him, setting a pistol of his own against the bottom of her chin.
