Queen of Hearts: Lords of Scandal Read online

  Arabella’s brows lifted. “Did you ask Chance?”

  Daisy waved her question away. “He’s a man. He’ll think about Clubs in terms of his ability to drink whisky and be the second in a duel. That’s not the sort of information I need.”

  “Fair point,” Arabella said, lifting her finger to her chin. “But in all honesty, I’m not sure I have the answers either. He’s dependable at the club. He’s not an excessive drinker. But I know little of his activities outside the Den of Sins.”

  Daisy tapped her toe. “Is there any chance you could try and find out?”

  Arabella wanted to sigh. She was already running a club and trying to catch a thief, possibly a larger group of thieves, all while avoiding a certain earl who was making her heart beat like a schoolgirl’s. She barely had time for herself, let alone checking out potential suitors for said earl’s sister. “I’ll see what I can do.”

  Daisy gave her a glowing grin, followed by a quick hug. “Thank you.”

  “And now,” Arabella said as she pulled away. “I have a few questions for you.”

  “What?”

  Arabella’s mouth twitched. She shouldn’t even ask. She didn’t want a man…any man. “Edge. Did you think him a stand-up sort of fellow?”

  Daisy’s eyes widened. “Despite what Hart and Chance think, I do.” She nibbled at her lips. “I’m not certain he really loved me, but he had every intention of being a good husband. I think he’s a fine man who’s had some real struggles.”

  That’s what Arabella thought too. But that didn’t help her hold herself away from the man. Quite the opposite.

  And she had the feeling that with every passing day, she was being pulled deeper into him, his life, and her emotions.

  Edge stood on the outskirts of the club, his gaze darting to Arabella’s door. She was a vested part of the evening’s setup and the count after the doors closed, but she kept her distance from the hall when it was full.

  Which was wise.

  But he found himself distracted from his duties as he watched for a glimpse of her, his eyes trained on her office far more than the floor of the club.

  But he’d yet to see her.

  The ball had only been the day before.

  And he knew what he had to do in terms of marriage, but he’d never hated it more. What he wished was to kiss Arabella’s lips again, feel her in his arms. He stopped, his gaze growing unfocused as he remembered the sensation of holding her.

  He raked a hand through his hair, forcing himself to concentrate on his duties. He wasn’t here to ogle a woman, no matter how enticing. He turned away from the door, scanning the room again.

  And then he stopped. But this time Bella wasn’t the cause. Sitting at the back table was the same man who’d been at the club two nights before. The one he’d followed.

  He was at a different table, but his demeanor was the same. Stoically participating, his eyes moving from the guards to the dealer, to the counter, and then the offices.

  Protective anger swelled in Edge’s chest when the man glanced toward Arabella’s door. The man’s gaze stopped, watching the door as Edge had done moments before. If the man went anywhere near Arabella…

  A plan began to form as he shifted into the shadows by the wall. Edge knew what he needed to do. He’d follow the man again. And part of him understood that he should watch again this time. Did they meet in the same place? If they did, it would be ridiculously easy to set up a trap.

  But as the man’s gaze landed on Arabella’s door once again, narrowing, Edge’s heart beat faster in his chest.

  It wasn’t a real threat, looking at a door.

  But something in him rose up in Arabella’s defense. If he rallied the men tonight, they could capture Sir Thomas and put an end to this before the situation escalated.

  Before any danger came to the doors of the club.

  Surely, the other men they’d seen would think twice about robbing the Den of Sins if a few of their compatriots landed in prison.

  He shifted, catching Lockton’s eye, the giant Scot stationed in a corner. With a jerk of his head, he started for the back room.

  The man followed. “What is it?”

  “He’s here again and clearly still surveying.”

  Lockton gave a nod. “Checking out the dealers?”

  “The guards. The offices.”

  Lockton grimaced. “Shite.”

  “My thoughts exactly.”

  Lockton ran a hand through his hair. “Do ye think they’d do worse than just steal some winnings from the table? Are they going to launch a full-scale pirate attack with all their men and loot the whole damned place?”

  Edge clenched his hands into fists. “That was my fear too. How many of them are there? The six we saw? More? And what if they attack and only a few of us are on duty? What if Arabella is here alone?”

  Lockton gave him a long look, his brow drawn low. “What do ye want to do?”

  “We’ve got two choices. We can spy for more information or attempt to capture them all tonight and hope that’s the lot of them.”

  “Clubs is here as is East. With four of us…”

  Edge nodded. Part of him wanted to wait, but another part knew it was best to just get this over with. Arabella was safest that way.

  With that in mind, jerked his chin in agreement. “Who will stay here with Arabella?”

  Lockton shook his head. “No one. The woman can take care of herself, and what’s more, she’d put a knife through you if she heard you talking about her like she was weak.”

  Edge had to smile at that. Still. He wasn’t certain he liked it. But if he told her the plan, would she try to go with them again?

  He couldn’t keep her in the dark either. She’d notice when they all left, and besides, he respected her too much to be anything other than honest.

  With that in mind, he started for her office.

  CHAPTER EIGHT

  Arabella had been expecting his knock all night. Between her time with Edge’s sister and her own thoughts, she wouldn’t be surprised if she’d willed him to her office.

  Her emotions, normally so carefully controlled, were coming undone.

  And when he walked through the door, the only surprise was that she didn’t launch herself into his arms.

  She knew all the reasons she shouldn’t.

  Arabella had been rehearsing them for days.

  She’d not repeat them to herself now. Quite honestly, the repetition wasn’t working. But as he seated himself across from her, his easy strength making her fingers clench and unclench, she wished she had said them again because in this moment, she’d completely forgotten.

  “He’s here,” Edge said by way of greeting.

  Her mind struggled to work. “Who?”

  “The man we followed the other night. He’s back at the club tonight.”

  She sucked in her breath, reality making her brain begin working again even as sharp dread burned her lungs. “He’s back.”

  “And he seems to be assessing the entire club.” Edge leaned closer, worry creasing lines into his forehead. “I’m going to take Lockton and the others to capture him and Sir Thomas tonight.”

  She covered her mouth and stared back at him. Relief made her shoulders slump. She’d like to insist on attending but she’d been a liability the last time. And though her pride prickled, her practicality won. She’d not get in their way and she lost control of her emotions whenever Edge was near. And with the thieves out of the way, she could return the previous order to her life. Edge would be gone, she could continue to buy out shares, she’d have her successful and ordered life.

  But rather than make her feel better, her stomach knotted once again. Her life might have been ordered but it had also been empty. “What should I do?”

  “Stay here. Once we’ve left, shut down. Keep a few dealers with you and lock the doors.”

  “When I asked you to do this, I wasn’t actually thinking I’d be putting you in any real danger.” Bu
t as she thought more, and remembered their dealings from the previous night, she realized the threat was very real.

  “I’ll be fine,” he said with a shake of his head and a small smile of reassurance.

  She slid her hands to his and grasped them. “Let Lockton take the lead.”

  He cocked his head to the side even as she slipped her fingers into his. “The man does look like he could withstand several kicks from a horse.”

  They both grinned.

  “I’ll return when it’s done. You’ll know it’s me when I knock three times.”

  She swallowed, squeezing his fingers tighter. “And what if you don’t return?” Why was she so worried? But as she looked at him, she was forced to admit that she really liked this man.

  Arabella more than liked his kisses and she wanted…she wanted to spend more time with him. Explore the emotions she couldn’t quite hold at bay whenever he was near.

  He was slowly stripping away her pride and exposing the purer feelings that she’d not allowed into her life in so long.

  He grimaced as he let go of her hands and stood. For a moment, she thought he might leave but then he came around the desk, taking her hands once again as he pulled her to standing.

  They were so close, their bodies nearly touched, the warmth of his fingers seeping into her soul. She breathed in his scent as she shifted closer. His knuckles grazed along her jaw as he looked down into her eyes. “If something were to happen to me, please take care of Lizzie. I know you can.”

  That request made her throat burn as she nodded. The weight of the request and the trust he’d placed in her turned her insides to jelly as she looked up at him. And then, he dipped his head down, kissing her for no more than a second before he turned and walked away.

  She pressed her fingers to her lips as he softly closed the door behind him. A promise had just passed between them, and she found herself more connected to him than ever before.

  She let her fingers drop.

  She didn’t know exactly how this shift changed her future or his but she’d think on it more tomorrow. Tonight, with any luck, her thief would be caught and then she could figure out her future and her feelings toward Edge.

  Edge skulked silently through the silent streets, following as far back as he could without losing his target.

  Just behind him, Lockton waved Clubs and East forward.

  Edge had to confess that he wasn’t certain, before tonight, that he liked any of these men.

  And while he’d had to actively school himself to not glare at Clubs, the man had been an asset thus far tonight. When he’d laid out the plan, they’d followed without question, doing exactly as he asked. They all rose a notch in his estimation.

  He’d still kill Clubs if the man laid a finger on Lizzie but that was another matter for a different day.

  They were nearing the same location that the man had come to last time which caused Edge to pause as he considered his options.

  It wasn’t too late to change plans.

  Knowing that they came to same spot meant that he could set a trap in the next few days. Lay in wait before their meeting even occurred and pick them off one at a time as they arrived.

  If he attacked now, and failed for some reason, they’d surely change up their location or their plans, likely both, which would mean this might be his only opportunity.

  “What are ye thinkin’?” Lockton asked.

  “It’s the same place,” he whispered back. “Perhaps we set a trap for another night.”

  Lockton grimaced and then disappeared the way they’d come. He’d likely check with Clubs and East to see what they thought.

  Edge watched as the other thieves stepped from the shadows, convening their meeting. This time, he moved closer, slipping into the darkness as he kept his ears open.

  “The woman’s there every night.”

  “You’re thinking she is the weak link.” Sir Thomas rocked back on his heels. “I’m not so sure. She’s hellish good with knives, I’ve seen it,” he said, then crossed his arms.

  “I’ll duck.”

  “It’s your grave. When do you want to execute?”

  “Tomorrow.” The thief spit again. “Saturday eve is sure to be their biggest haul. I’ll need all of you.”

  Sir Thomas nodded and so did all the others. “We’ll meet you just outside the club before it closes.”

  Edge’s fists tightened at the idea of the attack but one realization brought him some measure of relief. It sounded as though these men were the only ones in the group of thieves. There was no discussion of bringing others in. If he caught them, Arabella would be safe. But did he attempt to capture them tonight or wait until tomorrow when they tried to rob the club? They’d have more time to plan but delaying taking action now would jeopardize Arabella.

  “What do we do?” Lockton asked, Clubs and East just behind him.

  He shook his head. “Catching them outside the club is better but it puts Arabella at more risk.”

  “Arabella can take care of herself,” East said with a wave of his hand.

  Edge straightened. “They’ve threatened her specifically.”

  East’s jaw clenched as their eyes met. “So we take them now?”

  Lockton stared at the group of thieves. “We still have the element of surprise, but we’re outnumbered.”

  Edge spun back, realizing that the meeting was about to end. He needed to see this job through to make certain Arabella remained unharmed. Even if he had to marry another, he could still give her his protection. Pain lanced through his chest at the idea of being with another woman. “Pick a man and follow him. See where he goes, see where we can catch him if he escapes our noose tomorrow. I’m on Sir Thomas.”

  “The man is wily,” Lockton warned. “Go carefully.”

  Edge gave a nod of acknowledgment as he slipped down the alley, sticking to the shadows, and watching as Sir Thomas strode away from the group and back toward respectable London.

  Edge followed him for several minutes keeping just out of sight until he lost the sound of footsteps entirely.

  He stopped, listening as he cocked his head, first left and then right. Where had Sir Thomas gone? Edge would have heard a hack or a door, had the man arrived home.

  But the next second, someone jumped on his back, the glint of a knife’s blade catching the dim light of the moon.

  Edge raised his forearm, sending the knife bouncing to the ground as he spun, backing up into the side of a brick building, crushing the man on his back with the force of the move.

  He heard the loud grunt as Edge shoved him into the brick once again. The man loosened his hold and Edge used the opportunity to toss him off his back, the man landed with a thud on the ground. Edge dropped down pressing his knee into the man’s chest.

  Sir Thomas.

  He let out a growl of satisfaction. “We meet at last.”

  Sir Thomas pushed out in a wheezing breath. “I’m afraid I don’t have the same knowledge of you that you have of me.”

  “You will,” Edge said, pulling his own knife from his waistband as he pressed it to Sir Thomas’s throat.

  “I don’t doubt it,” Sir Thomas said, his eyes narrowing. “Which club are you from?”

  Edge lifted his brows. “You think I’d tell you that?”

  Sir Thomas gave him a small smile. “It doesn’t matter. Kill me and I’ll be replaced tomorrow. You won’t stop the robberies. You ought to just embrace them as a cost of doing business.”

  Edge opened his mouth, so many questions rising in his thoughts that he didn’t know which to choose.

  And before he could speak, something solid smacked the back of his head, hard, pain bursting through his skull before the world went dark.

  CHAPTER NINE

  Arabella paced about the club, her heart thudding madly in her chest. Lockton, Clubs, and East had all returned but there had been no sign of Edge.

  She’d been pacing for the past hour, her hands clasped together.
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  Lockton and East had left again, taking their night’s earnings with them to Chance’s home. They both wished to tell Chance what had happened and clear out the club of as much money as possible. In clipped tones Lockton had told her of the planned attack the next night and their plan to each follow a man home.

  She knew without asking that Edge had followed Sir Thomas. What had gone wrong that Edge had not returned?

  She stopped, her hands covering her heart.

  What if something had happened to him?

  Her promise to care for Lizzie echoed in her head.

  She wasn’t concerned about the responsibility. The girl would be married in a blink. But the trust that Edge placed in her with the request told her that he shared some of her growing feelings.

  Feelings she’d been trying very hard to ignore.

  She swallowed down a lump as Clubs came to stand by her side. “Worried?”

  She looked over at him, trying to decide how best to answer. They’d never had an actual conversation, though she’d been tasked with learning more about his intentions toward Lizzie. Which would be even more important if Edge didn’t come back. Her stomach gave a sickening lurch. “Yes. You?”

  He gave a curt nod. “I know he doesn’t like me but even I can see he’s a hundred times more competent at rooting out thieves than the rest of us.”

  If only that were all she was worried about. “He is.” She turned more fully toward Clubs. “Do you think something has happened to him?”

  Clubs winced. “Sir Thomas isn’t your average thief…”

  Her gut churned and she tasted acid. Edge was good at catching thieves, but that didn’t mean he knew how to fight like one. What if he was hurt? Her throat went dry. “He’s not.”

  His reply wasn’t much of an answer. She turned more fully toward him and he continued. “If something did happen to him, I’ve been wondering what might happen to his sister.” He grimaced, his square jaw clenching. “Does she have other family?”

  Arabella knew there was an aunt whose health was failing. “Not much.” She didn’t know Clubs well enough to share the conversation between her and Edge.