It wasn’t until I made it home that night that my panic set in. Delilah was nowhere to be found. None of the house staff had seen her since we left for the city the day before. I called Lord Thomas, thinking maybe she was with his wife, but they hadn’t seen or heard from her either. My first fear was that she left me, but I know Delilah. She would never run away, which left only one possibility: she was taken.
I called Gentry, who talked me down, reassured me that no wife has ever been taken. He said if I was truly worried about her, I should look at the security footage from the hotel.
I knew it was Maverick as soon as I saw the video. His height, his gait, all undeniably my childhood best friend turned traitor. I didn’t realize it was him at the party when he was talking to Delilah, but the way he humiliated me when I was… indisposed later in the evening made it obvious. No brother would treat another brother with such disrespect.
I made the situation known to Gentry and the other high lords. They all know Maverick Stetson as the leader of the Rebels and nothing more. Women—maids and other staff of little consequence—have been disappearing intermittently for a while now. We’ve always suspected it was the Rebels, but could never get any definitive proof. But now that they’ve stolen a wife—mywife—it’s become personal. They of course questioned why he would take Delilah, and I was forced to divulge our complicated personal history. Hence, the twenty-four hours to solve this problem on my own.
I speed around a corner, my hands gripping the steering wheel so hard my knuckles whiten.
I failed.
The situation is no longer in my control, and I have no idea what my brothers have in mind. Regardless, my image is forever tainted. I won’t be Gabriel Sinclair, the brother who brokered trade deals and changed the history of our country. I’ll be Gabriel Sinclair, the brother whose wife was stolen by the Resistance—the husband who failed to protect what’s his.
It’s unacceptable.
I call Gentry on my way into the city, who assures me he’ll gather the other high lords for a meeting. By the time I’m walking into the conference room of the high-rise, my palms are sweating. I feel like a teenager being called into the principal’s office again.
The highest ranking lords in the region are all already seated around the large, circular table. The atmosphere is tense as I take my seat next to Gentry, who clears his throat and stands to address the group.
“Brothers, thank you for coming on such short notice. As you all know, Brother Gabriel’s wife has been captured by the Resistance. She’s being held in an unknown location, though we suspect they’re on one of the islands off the mainland.”
“Did you attempt to negotiate her release?” Lord Dean asks.
I grit my teeth. “Their demands were absurd.”
“What did Stetson want?” another Lord asks.
“It’s irrelevant,” I snap.
“We deserve to know the details of your conversation with the Rebel leader. Especially considering your history with the traitor.”
I stare Dean down. “I told you, it doesn’t matter.”
“We’re here to help, brothers.” Gentry holds up his hands. “Clearly, talking to Stetson is a waste of time.”
The only sound in the stuffy room is the incessant tapping of my foot, a nervous fucking habit I’ve never managed to kick.
“What if we put out a video appealing to the public?” Lord Malcolm suggests. “We could say she’s been kidnapped by a terrorist organization and make a plea for her safe return.”
“That will make us appear weak,” Dean sneers. “We’ll be seen as a joke.”
“I disagree,” Gentry says, tapping his chin. “It will humanize us.”
“How so?” I ask, agreeing with Dean for once.
“Currently, the rest of the world views us as ruthless. They’re scared of us, which is why it’s been so difficult to arrange meetings with other countries.”
A few brothers nod their agreement.
“But,” Gentry continues,“if we put out a video explaining that one of our treasured wives has been brutally taken, it will villainize the Rebels and appeal to our humanity. It will open countless doors for us and crush any further efforts by the Resistance.”
My foot stops tapping.That could work.
Gentry looks at me, a question in his eyes. I give him a quick nod. “All those in agreement?”
Every hand in the room goes up. We never do anything without unanimity.
“It’s decided, then. Malcolm, work with Gabriel on a script. Wade, get in contact with the studio and schedule a time to record the message as soon as possible.”
