Chapter Twenty-Two

D anny rushed into the Duchess of Camine's drawing room, certain she'd find Percy on the floor bleeding from multiple wounds.

The man had no decency. They'd been married less than a week and he was already running off. Now she got a message from her dear friend saying to come quickly as a matter of the utmost urgency. She should've known Percy wouldn't keep his word. He'd no doubt run headfirst into danger the second after he'd promised they'd face his enemies together.

Danny pressed a fist to her churning stomach. He'd better be all right because she was going to bash his stupid head in for making her worry.

But when she observed the room and its full occupants, it was to find her husband pale but whole, surrounded by not only the Duke and Duchess of Camine, but Charlotte's relatives, the Duke and Duchess of Lux, as well.

Directing her attention to the man who had the gall to not be prostrate on the floor, she said, "You're not dying."

Percy blinked. "I'm . . . sorry?"

Charlotte winced beside Percy on the settee. "My letter may have been a bit dramatic."

Yet Danny had never known her friend to exaggerate. "Life and death," her note had implied. From the grave expressions all around, she didn't think her wording was far off. "Tell me what's happened."

She saw Percy take a deep breath, but the Duchess of Lux cut in. "Fellow Hall is now the target of a sadistic killer with explosives at his disposal. Care to help us eviscerate him?"

Danny's stomach twisted. Someone was going to attack Grandfellow? Not someone. Percy's ex-partner. Judging by her husband's gaunt face and colorless complexion, things were worse than before.

Forget evisceration, for making Percy worry, she'd take the man's head in penance.

Regarding the Duchess of Lux—turned towards the fire so her long, red hair looked alive in the reflection of the flames—Charlotte's sister-in-law, Danny knew immediately by her straightforward words and bloodthirsty nature they'd get along famously.

"How can I help, Duchess?"

"First, call me ‘Camille.'" A slender brow rose taking her measure. "Word has it you're a good shot?"

Danny's brows lifted. "How did you know that?"

An enigmatic smile curled the woman's full lips. "It was in your brother's file. Any truth to the rumors?"

Danny had no idea what ‘file' her brother had, but now wasn't a time for modesty. "Better than good."

Percy shook his head. "Whatever you're thinking, Camille, the answer is no."

Camille shifted to fully face the room, revealing a tiny infant nestled in her arms. "We're hunting a madman. Any successful ambush utilizes snipers and lookouts. You're supposed to be some great spy. Shouldn't you know that?"

Percy looked heavenward and cursed. "I hate that Renard lets you read."

The Duke of Lux chuckled. "Like I have a choice."

Danny didn't hesitate. "The western side of Grandfellow has a chapel. I'll have the best vantage in the bell tower, where I can survey most of the property without detection."

Charlotte and Camille shared a grin.

Percy groaned. "Where did you learn—"

" The Art of War , French translation." Danny explained.

A look of pure admiration crossed her husband's face before he let out a huff. "None of you women should be allowed to read."

"Get over it," the Duchess of Camine said. "What's our first step?"

"Round up his associates," Hamish said. "A man alone is a man undefended."

Percy shook his head. "We don't know how many people are working for him. Mercenaries, workmen—half the rookeries could be in his pocket. There'd be no way of knowing."

"Then plaster his face everywhere," said the Duchess of Lux. "Bond Street, Russell Street, nail it on the front of every fucking church door. Offer a king's ransom as a reward. Come Sunday morning, he won't be able to take a piss without someone recognizing him. He may have half the rookeries, but no man is rich enough to employ all of it."

Fully on board, Hamish piped in, "Charlotte could make the sketch." He laid a protective hand on his wife's belly. "She's as good as any professional artist. Better."

The duchess lit up at the praise, always ready to dive into action. "Camille could help fill in the gaps with anything I've forgotten. We'd have his likeness down exact."

Danny smirked, though the only humor present was from the young baby as the girl amused herself grasping at the front of the Duchess of Lux's gown.

"I don't doubt your skills, but throw his face on every lamppost from here to Scotland, and he'll simply find a new one," Percy said.

Charlotte frowned. "I hate when the enemy is clever."

The Duchess of Lux agreed. "Much better when a man is awful and stupid."

Danny raised the glass Charlotte put in her hand. "Hear, hear."

Percy huffed. "Why do I feel as if I've failed a test in some way?"

"Because you're awful?" Charlotte offered.

"As complimentary as ever, Your Grace." Percy looked at Danny. "Should you not defend me?"

Danny glanced at Charlotte and back and feigned innocence. "One doesn't like to question the insight of a duchess. She has known you longer."

Percy threw his hands in the air. "They've banded together now."

Hamish chuckled. "Finally realizing you're no longer head of anything, chap?"

"Not at all." Percy grinned. "I'm pitying Nic for the fool now that the ladies are prepared for battle. The war is all but won."

Charlotte gave a gruff sound of approval. "Not so awful after all."

"Back to the point." Percy cleared his throat. "I have a plan—"

"But we're not going to like it," Hamish finished, walking towards the bar. "I need a drink first before we break any more laws that could land us in the penitentiary."

"It requires some flexibility and a good bit of violence," Percy continued.

"I'm in," Camille said.

The Duke of Lux crossed himself. "Lord have mercy."

"First we need an instigator." Percy faced Danny. "When you said your family likes games, who holds the most wins."

Danny frowned. She'd told him what their ‘games' consisted of. "Denise."

"Can she insult under pressure?"

Danny nodded. "With relish."

"What do insults have to do with anything?" Hamish asked.

Percy rolled his eyes. "I need someone who is infinitely creative at finding ways to needle someone for my plan to work."

"And who's Denise?"

"My younger sister," Danny explained.

"Ah."

The Duchess of Lux glared at Hamish. "What does that mean, dear brother ?"

Hamish and Renard answered simultaneously, "Trouble."

Danny smiled at the duchess. "Denise can be a handful."

"Will she oppose our plan?"

"Conspiring to corner a killer?" Danny snorted. "She'll offer to be the bait."

"Sisters." The Duke of Lux sighed.

"Women," Hamish and Percy said together.

Charlotte smiled sweetly at her husband. "You're welcome."

"There will be danger involved." Percy's gaze stayed steady on Danny. "I can't vouch for anyone's safety."

She heard the fear he didn't voice, and her heart fluttered in her chest. He did this all for her, to keep her safe.

She also heard the censure in his voice and knew he'd prefer to take all this on himself if it meant saving his friends the risk. And he would shield everyone else as much as possible when that was no longer an option.

Hamish voiced the group's collective view. "We all know the chance of success." His gaze went to his wife across the room. "None of us is safe until he's dealt with."

Camille said, "We must play this smart. We all know that slimy crumb-pot can slip through a crack."

"He won't slip through anything," Percy said, his confidence filling Danny with hope and a suspicion he wasn't telling them everything. She wasn't the only one.

Hamish shook his head. "No, Percy. Not this time. Full disclosure or else."

Danny saw her husband's conflict to play out the threat with his usual humor or answer sincerely.

He chose the latter. "I'm going to ask the Merrys for help."

Danny wasn't the only one shocked.

Hamish froze filling his glass, the scotch decanter hovering above his glass. "The Merrys hate you."

Percy snorted. "Everyone needs to stop saying that. I'm quite charming."

A hand fisted on Danny's chest. "You can't go back to St. Giles. That Syd man said he'd kill you."

Everyone turned when both Renard and Camille fell into simultaneous fits of coughing that sounded strangely like laughter.

Danny caught Camille's guilty gaze, and a nagging sense of misplacement filled her mind.

Renard waved their questioning stares away and redirected the attention back to Percy. "What do you expect the Merry Men to do?"

"Run defense, blend in." Percy indicated the walls around them. "Nic will have a record of the servants who come and go through the grand estates. Grandfellow will be no different. A small addition to a staff won't be as suspicious if it is to a neighboring estate."

"Like Bromley Estate," Danny said, nodding. It wasn't out of the question for servants to visit houses of neighboring lords who were in good standing with their masters. And Danny's mother was known to go through entire batches of housemaids when in one of her tirades.

"It could work," she agreed.

"Then I'll go," Hamish said. "Markus will take the request seriously if I am the one to ask."

Percy shook his head. "It must be me. For this all to work, I need to make sure the knives by my side won't be the ones stabbing me in the back. I'll have Syd and Zans work in the background and utilize the other members Nic won't recognize on sight."

Hamish relented, though he didn't look pleased.

It was Camille who caboshed their new plan with the surprising insight, "Nic knows all the Merrys' faces. If you must use them, he'll sniff out the trap before it's sprung."

Percy's gaze narrowed. "How do you know that?"

She returned his gaze without flinching. "Renard and I had a run in with Nic at the Docks. The Merrys were there."

Percy cursed and ripped a hand through his hair. "Damn it, people, tell me these things!" He stood and considered the entire room. "Anything else I should know before I put all our lives at risk with half the details?"

They all exchanged expectant glances until Camille sighed. "If we're going for full transparency, you should know my darling nephew is hiding in the curtains."

A flurry of movement behind the curtains stopped them all in their tracks until they parted and the heir of Camine stepped into the firelight.

"Leopold!" Charlotte shot up from her seat. "What were you doing in the drapes?"

"Listening," the boy said without shame, his accusing gaze going to each person in turn. "No one tells me anything."

"Sweetheart." Charlotte crouched down to press a kiss to her son's head. "We're not leaving you out on purpose. There's a problem we're all trying to fix."

"I can fix things."

"This isn't for little boys to fix."

"I want to help Uncle Percy!"

Charlotte glanced helplessly at her husband, and the Duke of Camine walked over to take his son's other side. "Son—"

"No!" Leo pulled away, his determined gaze landing on Percy. He took out a child's slingshot from his pocket and brandished it like a sword. "I can help."

Danny's heart squeezed at the boy's courage. Love filled the room to bursting, but there was no place in this fight for him and everyone knew it, except one.

"Of course you'll help," Percy said.

Make that two.

Everyone turned to Percy.

He crossed the room and gave Leo's hair a good toss before taking the slingshot from the boy's hand and tapping him on the nose. "Your mother was right, dear boy; you weren't left out of our planning... because you are the plan."

"Percy." Charlotte's warning tone was accompanied by a glare matched by her husband.

Leo looked up at Percy as if his uncle had told him he was the hero in his very own play. "I can do it," the boy said. "Whatever it is, I can."

Percy nodded and faced Charlotte. "He'll never be in any danger, I promise you."

Charlotte worried her bottom lip, clearly conflicted. Hamish placed a hand on her shoulder and looked down at his son, his expression serious.

"Uncle Percy is counting on you, Leopold. The very weight of your title and honor as a gentleman is on the line."

Leopold stuck out his chin, eyes shining with pride. "I won't let you down."

"There now!" Percy clapped his hands together. "With the addition of my godson, our army is formidable."

"Even with Pops and Leo on our side," the Duchess of Lux said, giving her nephew a warm smile, "it's not much of an army."

"That's because we're short a man," Percy said.

On cue, there was a knock on the door, and Mr. Frendstone popped his head inside to announce Percy's visitor had arrived.

Mr. Brinkley froze seeing the esteemed ensemble populating the room and after a moment remembered himself and bowed. "I came as you requested, Your Grace." He inclined his head to Percy and fussed with the hat in his hands. "I didn't mean to interrupt. I'll come back when you're not busy."

"That won't be necessary, Mr. Brinkley." Percy nodded to the room. "I will hand out everyone's assignments by tonight." With that ominous statement, he led his groundskeeper to a spot by the fire and spoke with him in confidence.

Danny made for the door, prepared to walk to her father's estate immediately to request her sister's assistance.

Camille stopped her exit with a light touch to her arm. "Shall I accompany you?"

"There's no need, Duchess."

"‘Camille,' please. I never use titles if I can help it and never with family."

Danny watched her snuggle the cooing baby in her arms, understanding for the first time what they were asking of these people. Charlotte and Hamish had become good friends, but their relations—while with a stake in the outcome of Nic's plots—had just had a child. There was no surety they'd come out of this unscathed, but still, they'd jumped on board Percy's plan without fail.

"Thank you," she said and she meant it.

"Family doesn't thank each other, either," Camille said with the perfect tone of an older sister. "Remember to use your head and trust your instincts. These creatures"—she jabbed her thumb in the men's direction—"will have you believe their superior male experience makes them infallible."

Danny smiled at her new friend's— sister's —concern. "No need for the reminder. I have a brother as well."

"Older?"

"Yes."

Camille nodded. "Enough said."

Danny laughed, and her attention fell on her husband across the room. He looked up from his conversation and their gazes snagged. Danny's chest warmed to the point of pain, a pain she no longer could deny.

She loved him.

The comfortable warmth between them had been spreading and growing for weeks now, until Danny couldn't pinpoint the exact moment gratitude and friendship had shifted into something deeper, something that felt like her life would shatter if anything happened to him.

He was a strong man, skilled. A lone hunter who couldn't see he was a born leader. There were still so many things she wanted to learn about his life and his past, but more than that, she needed to teach him about what their future could be, about the wonderful man he was deep down. There'd be laughter and children, sports and erotic exercises performed wherever their passions took them.

Whoever this Nic Brandt was and whatever his schemes, she'd fight for that future.

For the man she loved, she'd save him.

And herself.