Nick sighed. “Let’s cope with whatever crisis brought you here first. What happened?”
Alexander had just finished explaining the events of the previous evening when the door to Nick’s room exploded. They both fell back, showered with splinters of wood from the door. Alexander’s ears rang even though he saw, as two massive men shouldered their way into the room, that there had been no explosion, only a pair of heavily booted feet that kicked the door in.
They hauled him to his feet.
“This ain’t the right one,” grunted one of the men.
“I believe you’re looking for me,” Nick said, coming around the bed with a pistol aimed steadily at them.
Alexander stopped struggling against their grip.
The one to Alexander’s left nodded, a slow grin spreading across scarred features. “Aye, you’re the one, all right. Drop that little barker, or your friend gets a knife to the belly.”
“What do you want?” Nick asked, not lowering his weapon.
From just behind the two bruisers, someone pronounced, “You.”
Alexander couldn’t see the speaker, but he could see Nick, his face twisted with rage for a split second before going completely smooth. Voice cool, he said, “I knew I should have gotten rid of you when I had the chance.”
CHAPTER42
A pounding knock at the door awakened Saffron an indeterminate time later. She’d fallen into bed fully clothed, and scrambled out of bed now, squinting at the bright light coming in through her window telling her it was still morning.
She stumbled into the hall, imagining Alexander had returned, and stopped short when she saw Elizabeth, in a similar state of dishabille, emerging from her own bedroom. They stared at each other for a moment before renewed knocking jerked them out of their confusion.
“You get it,” croaked Elizabeth, turning for the kitchen. “I need sustenance.”
Saffron peered through the grate and started when she found Colin Smith’s face not two inches away. She leaped back with a little shout.
“Miss Everleigh!” Colin cried, pounding on the door again. “I must speak to Elizabeth! Please!”
“I don’t believe she wishes to see you, Colin,” Saffron called to him, loud enough that Elizabeth could hear from the kitchen.
She poked her head out with a scowl. “Tell him to shove off.”
“I don’t wish to speak to her for my own sake,” Colin said, muffled through the door. “They telephoned Lord Tremaine’s office to contact her. It’s her brother.”
Elizabeth stomped past Saffron to jerk the door open. “What’s wrong with my brother?”
“He’s been hurt,” Colin said. “Come along, I’ll take you to the hospital. Quickly!”
Elizabeth stared at him for a long moment before turning on her heel and dashing into her bedroom. Saffron stared after her, sadly not at all surprised that Elizabeth would snap into action on Nick’s behalf.
Just behind her, Colin said, “I think you ought to come too, Miss Everleigh.” She turned to him in surprise. His expression was grave. “Nick is … he is in a bad way. Elizabeth will need your support.”
Heart in her throat, Saffron hurried to tidy herself. Not two minutes later, she and Elizabeth were pulling on their coats and following Colin down the stairs and into a waiting cab.
The door slammed shut, and Colin, on the far side of the vehicle next to Elizabeth, sighed.
“Where is Nick?” Elizabeth asked. “What happened to him?”
Saffron peered around her to look at Colin when he didn’t answer. His eyes were closed, his head resting on the uncomfortable back of the seat.
“Colin!” snapped Elizabeth.
“Oh, do shut up,” he groaned. “I was awoken terribly early this morning and five minutes of quiet would be ideal.”
Elizabeth inhaled sharply. “What?”
