It was only then Devil realized he had been holding his breath.
He inhaled, the rush of air making his lungs burn. It was the most he had felt since leaving Evie for good earlier that morning.
Chapter Eleven
In the end,Evie wrote Lord Denton a letter, crying off.
It was not the manner in which she had intended to deliver the news of her change of heart. However, Addy was adamant that it remained unsafe for Evie to traipse about London. Seeking Denton out was impossible and scandalous, and as he believed her rusticating in the countryside in aid to her mother and grandmother, her sudden reappearance would spark confusion and, with it, the resulting wagging of tongues.
Addy had proven the voice of reason, urging Evie to accept Blade Winter’s protection and traveling with him to The Devil’s Spawn. In veils, of course. No one must recognize her once she arrived, were she to be observed by any of the lords who patronized Addy’s husband’s establishment.
And so it was that she found herself being transported to a gaming hell in the East End in the midst of the day, accompanied by a man named after a weapon.
Blade Winter was quiet, seated opposite her, idly toying with a dagger that appeared terrifically sharp. And yet, he ran his thumb over its edge as if it could do him no harm.
“Is Blade your true Christian name?” she asked at last, curious, and also seeking some distraction.
Her heart and mind were at war. And she was terrified Theo would reject her. That he would once more push her away as thoroughly as he had on nearly every occasion they had been alone. Every occasion save last night, of course. The reminder made her belly clench and heat slide between her thighs. Her cheeks also went hot.
She shifted on her seat, attempting to get comfortable.
Blade stroked the pad of his thumb over the fearsome point of his dagger, eying her. “Why do you ask?”
“Devil’s true name is Theodore. It stands to reason that your name is not Blade,” she said.
Blade stilled, then cried out. Scarlet dripped form his thumb, running down his wicked-looking dagger. He must have pressed too hard upon the point. Mayhap distracted by her question. He held the wounded flesh to his lips and sucked. But it was too late. Blood had already dripped down his wrist, staining his shirtsleeves, and fallen upon his breeches, marring the otherwise faultless fabric.
“Oh dear.” Evie pulled a handkerchief from her reticule and offered it to him. “Here you are, sir. This ought to stem the flow.”
“I’ll mark it with my blood, my lady,” he pointed out.
Did he truly fear she would mind?Good heavens, the man had cut himself because of her, and all she wanted was to stop the bleeding.
“I do not care if the handkerchief is ruined,” she assured him. “Tend to yourself, please.”
He wrapped it tightly about his thumb and then pinned her with a searching gaze. Like Theo, Blade’s stare was bright, striking, and blue. He, too, was a handsome man. But he was golden haired to Theo’s dark, masculine beauty. She could see they shared a father rather than a mother—their frames, all broad shoulders and sinuous muscle, were the same.
“Devil’s name is Theodore?” he asked at length.
Did he not know?
Could it be possible Theo had shared a secret with her that he had never allowed another to know? Not even his own brother?
Evie tried to quell the hope rising within her—foolish and futile at this juncture—and failed, nonetheless.
“Of course it is,” she said calmly, impressing herself with her lack of emotion. “Surely he must have told you, Mr. Blade?”
He grinned, as if she had just said something amusing. “No mister. Blade will do. And no, Lady Evangeline, my brother Devil has never told me his Christian name is Theodore. I can understand why.”
She frowned at him. “Why?”
“Theodore is a soft name. Would hardly strike fear into the hearts of enemies.” Blade Winter chuckled.
“He is not as ferocious as he seems. Theo suits him far more than Devil does.”
He gave her a strange look, one she could not decipher. “You seem quite familiar with Devil.”
Her cheeks went hot as she recalled just how familiar she was. But she would not look away. If she was to be a part of Theo’s world, she would have to familiarize herself with it. There was no room for shame or propriety and rules.
