If only she knew Theo’s true feelings for her. He had certainly never mentioned love. Neither had she, however.
“You are certain you are in love with Devil Winter?” her sister asked, searching her gaze.
“I have never been more certain of anything else. I cannot be Lord Denton’s wife, Addy. Not when my heart belongs to another. It would not be fair to either one of us, and I cannot live the rest of my life longing for the one who could have made me whole. I do not care about the circumstances of his birth. Nor do I care for society or doors that may close to me. He is all I need and everything I want.”
“I know the feeling, because it is the way I feel about my own husband.” Addy covered Evie’s hand with hers. “Love is stronger than fear. If you are in love with Devil, then you should tell him. See where he stands, and then decide what you shall do from there.”
Relief and gratitude rushed over her, along with love for her twin. “Thank you, sister.”
Her decision had been made. She was going to tell Theo she was in love with him.
All she had to do was find him first.
Chapter Ten
The East Endwas always changing. Families came to power and then sank to the depths of poverty. Babes were born. Men and women died. Buildings were torn asunder or destroyed by flame, only to be replaced with new brick and mortar. New gaming hells opened with regularity. Enemies were always out to prosper. And most men did not possess a goddamn mite’s worth of honor.
One thing that would never change: Devil Winter would do everything he could to protect his family. And that was why he was being ushered to the lair of one Jasper Sutton alone, with nary a weapon to defend himself. Sutton and his family had long been the nemesis of the Winter clan.
But at the moment, Devil needed the bastard’s help.
They had a common enemy who, if what he had learned the night before was to be believed, was also behind the recent fires at The Devil’s Spawn and the shots that had been fired at Evie. His need to protect her was stronger than his pride.
He would swallow every last drop he possessed—and poison too—if it meant keeping her safe.
Sutton was on his feet behind a desk fine enough to rival Dom’s, carved lion heads adorning each of the four legs. He was a formidable man, with a height to rival Devil’s and a similarly brutish size. But he also had a bloody reputation and a penchant for poaching Winter customers and staff. He had become a master at copying everything the Winters did. Prizefights, gaming, wenches at the green baize, hiring a French chef, discovering the source of all their smuggled Scots whisky…the list went on.
Their rivalry had quickly become bitter.
But now, another potential enemy, more dangerous and depraved, and far more willing to hurt anyone he could—even an innocent lady—was attempting to move in on their shared territory. The thought of the son of a whore made Devil’s blood boil, the need to exact vengeance all-consuming.
“We meet again, Winter,” Sutton drawled.
He was referring to their last, unexpectedly civil meeting at The Devil’s Spawn when Sutton had conceded his waterworks to Devereaux Winter in exchange for one of Winter’s prized warehouses near the docks. The bargain had won Dom the goodwill of his wife and had granted the Winters control over the quality and price of their water.
Devil offered a mocking bow, playing the part of civilized gentleman. “Thank you for agreeing to see me. Could’ve managed without a dozen of your lackeys searching me for guns and shivs.”
Sutton inclined his head. “An eye for an eye, a twat for a twat.”
Christ, but this man nettled him. “Tooth for a tooth, Sutton.”
Sutton clasped his hands behind his back and strolled forward. “Nay. ’Tis a twat for a twat in this instance. Your brother came to me for a set of petticoats and now you. Besides. You’re both twats.”
Devil stiffened. What could Jasper Sutton know of Evie? His hands clenched into fists at his sides. “Watch your tongue, Sutton, else I may be tempted to rip it out and feed it to one of your bloody mongrels.”
Jasper Sutton’s hounds were menacing and notoriously vicious. Word had it they had torn many a trespasser or a thief’s limbs from his body.
“My dogs only have a taste for the blood of my enemies,” Sutton said. “You’d make a feast for them.”
“I did not come here to wage war with you, Sutton,” he gritted.
“Fuck.” Sutton whistled. “Always carrying the keg, Devil Winter. Never could take a goddamn joke. If I wanted my dogs to eat you, you’d already be dead.”
Hardly comforting, as reassurances went.
Devil ground his molars and chose to ignore his foe’s taunts. “You have had fires in your hell recently. Fancy nibs getting fleeced in the street when they leave, aye? The charleys have been paid off, and one of your shipments of whisky was stolen.”
Sutton’s eyes narrowed. “The work of Winters, surely.”
