Read If He's Dangerous Online

Authors: Hannah Howell

If He's Dangerous (12 page)

Argus started to show Max out, but the man waved him off. Walking to the door of the room where Olympia was bathing, Argus leaned against the wall and waited. After the struggle to help Olympia take her bath, Lorelei might welcome some assistance in getting his sister back to bed.
Lorelei decided that Lady Olympia had a very impressive vocabulary. She washed the woman's back as gently as she could but did not need all the muttered curses to tell her that the bath was causing some pain. Looking at the mass of bruises blooming brilliantly on the woman's back, Lorelei was not surprised.
“You fought him hard,” she murmured, almost able to read the story of the struggle in the bruises and scrapes that peppered the rest of Olympia's body.
“As hard as I could,” said Olympia, accepting Lorelei's help in leaning back against the side of the tub so that Lorelei could wash her hair. “I knew that if he took me away from that place, it would be hard for me to get back. Not only would I be a prisoner, if they did not kill me first, but I would then become a weapon that could be used against Argus.”
“As a threat, perhaps a trade.”
“Exactly. And do not forget, I am now all too aware of how they treat the ones caught in their grasp.”
Lorelei shuddered and concentrated on washing Olympia's hair. It was not spoken aloud, but they both knew that it would not only have been their fists those men used to hurt Olympia. What they had done to Argus was appalling enough. Lorelei did not even want to try to imagine what they would have done to Olympia.
By the time she helped Olympia out of the bath, after gently rubbing and brushing the woman's hair until it was more dry than wet while she soaked in the healing warmth of the water, the woman was as pale as the fine linen cloth Lorelei used to help her dry off. She then grabbed the soft nightdress and thick robe the maids had set out. Getting her dressed obviously took the last of Olympia's impressive strength and Lorelei feared she would collapse completely before they reached the bedchamber only feet away.
“Argus,” she called and ignored the way Olympia half opened one eye to stare at her over the familiarity of using Argus's Christian name. It was not a look of insult, however, but one of calculation, and that made Lorelei a little nervous.
It did not surprise Lorelei when Argus immediately appeared. She had suspected that he would lurk close by. His concern for his sister was heart-renchingly real and ran deep. He ignored Olympia's muttered complaints and picked her up, carrying her back to her bed. Within moments of being tucked in and forced to drink the herb-strengthened cider Lorelei hastily mixed for her, Olympia was asleep.
“She will be in pain for a few days, but at least she was not taken away,” Lorelei said as she studied the dark look on Argus's face.
“These are my enemies and my fight,” he said in a voice that was little more than a growl, filled with such anger that Lorelei suspected he could kill those men with his bare hands if they were in reach. “She should not have been injured by this, should not have become involved.”
 
Lorelei lightly stroked his arm, the tightness of his muscles telling her that he was eager to bring the men to justice, to make them pay for what they were doing to his family. “She had to be involved. She is your sister. You would not let her fight alone. You would not sit at home if she disappeared without word for a fortnight.”
“Nor would you, if it was one of your siblings. Right?”
“Precisely right. I love them. How could I not do all that was in my meager power to help them?”
“Exactly what Olympia would say, although she would probably not mention the love so easily as she likes all to think her a hard, fierce woman.”
He took a deep breath and let it out slowly, trying to force the worst of his fury out of his heart and mind, and then he looked at Lorelei. Her gaze held both understanding and sympathy. He needed both at the moment or he would run out of the gatehouse in some vain attempt to hunt the men down, not stopping until he was dead by their hand or from exhaustion. His anger would make him reckless and that would be dangerous. His work for the government had taught him that being slow, precise, and cautious was often the best way to defeat an enemy, and survive the encounter.
“And it is really not just my battle anymore,” he said as he gave into temptation and pulled her into his arms, letting her softness ease his spirit. “I was but the first they went after.”
She hugged him, rather enjoying the warm but not passionate embrace. “And you are all certain that they will go after others if this is not stopped now.”
“Very certain. In their eyes, mine was but the gift they thought they could best use of and so they wanted me first. I may not have given them what they wanted, but I doubt it has made them believe that they cannot take such gifts from us so they will try again. My biggest fear is that they may decide to try their vicious games with the weaker ones of our clan, the women and children.”
“You will stop them.”
“Such confidence in me.”
He smiled at her and kissed her but made it a soft and gentle one. Argus knew he would like nothing better than to lose himself in her kisses, in her body, for a while. It was not only all the other reasons why he should not touch her that kept him in control but the fact that this was a poor place and time to give into his needs. Not that he had been all that careful about time and place before, he thought wryly.
“Max said you can show me how to mix that herbal potion you were so fond of giving me,” he said as he stepped back.
Recognizing the end to the moment of comforting and sympathy, Lorelei nodded. She led him down to the kitchens and carefully instructed him on how to mix the herbs into the cider. As soon as she was sure he knew what he was doing, she took her leave. He was consumed by concern for his sister and she had already done all she could to help him with that. Now he needed time to wrestle his fury and grief under control, and that was something he had to do by himself.
 
 
Argus was sitting at Olympia's bedside watching her sleep when he heard the others return. He stood up, brushed a kiss over her forehead, and went downstairs to meet them. When he reached the bottom of the stairs he suddenly recalled how Lorelei had always kissed his forehead when she thought him asleep. Did that show that she cared for him, that she had done so from the beginning? And why did that possibility thrill him so very much when he was determined to keep her at a distance? He shook away the thoughts, promising himself he would consider it all later, and went to meet with his cousins.
“The bastard got away,” he said as he took one look at his cousins, saw the disappointment on their weary faces. He went to get a drink of the brandy they were all savoring.
“He did,” replied Bened. “Even I lost the trail, which, as you well know, rarely happens. Have to wonder if the bastard has a little gift of his own that he just does not know about. He is certainly cunning. He took the chance of being seen by crossing roads so the horses of others might hide his trail, somehow managed to stop the bleeding so that trail ended quickly, and even used the river to hide his trail. I cannot even say if I have an idea of the area they are in, for he could have easily turned round and come back this way.”
“Not good news except that it offers us some explanation as to why we are having so much difficulty in finding them,” said Argus.
“How is Olympia?” asked Leopold.
Argus gave them a full report on her condition and saw the relief in their faces. “The worst of it is that she is not injured so badly that she will be abed for days. Do not get me wrong, I would not wish a serious injury upon my sister, but one might keep her from getting into any more trouble while we hunt these bastards down.” The muttering of agreement from the men pleased him.
 
 
“Idiot. I ought to let you bleed to death,” snapped Charles as he bandaged Tucker's arm, ignoring the man's soft curses as he inflicted as much pain as he could. He had done the same while digging out the bullet.
“I just happened on them,” Tucker said. “Thought that you getting one of them would ease the way with your boss.”
“You know nothing about my boss. He wants Sir Argus.”
Charles walked over to the battered table that held his brandy. The place where they cowered was little more than a hovel, but he had made sure he had the important things with him as he waited to get Sir Argus back. It had only taken one exchange of letters for him to understand he had few choices. Either he got Sir Argus back or he ran, as far and as fast as he could. Since he did not have the money to make a reasonably comfortable exile, Charles had decided that he would get Sir Argus back.
“You said you were sure she was family?” he asked Tucker.
“Had the look.”
 
“Obviously the others have begun to gather 'round him.”
 
“Then why not grab one of them, one that ain't so damned hard to hold on to or break. Bet we coulda broken that fine woman easy enough.”
“What did she look like?”
“Like him a mite. Big woman. Tall and strong with all that black hair.”
 
“So speaks a man whose thoughts do not rise above his waist. It sounds as if it was his sister so she may have been useful as a way to bring him into our hands.”
 
“Maybe one of the other ones. I be betting that the woman will not be coming near enough to grab now.”
“No, they will keep her close. You saw the other ones?”
“Aye, damn fools trailed me for hours. One big fellow seemed to be able to find my trail no matter what I did.” He described the men who had chased him for hours.
“One of them sounds like Lord Sir Leopold Wherlocke.” Charles spit out a string of curses. “This mire we have fallen into just gets deeper and deeper.”
“'Course we could grab us the little lady what keeps trotting over to where the bastard is hiding.”
“You know where they are hiding? Did you not think I would like to know?”
“Thought you did and that's why we was here.”
“We followed what little trail we could find. All that told us was that someone had come here from Dunn Manor. That was the only place I was certain of, although that old man was no help. But you have actually seen where they are?”
Tucker nodded and scratched his stomach. “Know that place you called a demmed palace? That duke's place?”
“Please, do not tell me he is in the duke's home.”
“Not exactly. He is in a house down the end of that long road leading to the duke's palace. I took me a wrong turn and found meself riding too close to that place, but afore I was in full retreat, saw me a pretty little thing with fine red hair meeting our boy at the door. Thinking they are close.”
“Red hair, did you say? Did she have a very fine arse?”
“Very fine. Ah, you thinking she is the one you saw?”
“The duke and Squire Dunn are related. And close. We followed Sir Argus from there to here. There is only one daughter left at home. Of course, it could have been a maid.”
“Not in them clothes.”
“I must think about this. Do you think we could get close enough so that I might see this gatehouse? See Wherlocke for myself?”
“They have a lot of guards, lot of servants, and workers, but I think I can get you close. Have to be watchful for the men hunting us though.”
“I just need to see that he is there, mayhap see the woman if I am lucky, and then we can return to hiding here while I plan a way to entrap him.”
“It be a risky thing, but think I can get you there long enough for that.”
Charles felt the first stirring of hope since he had found Sir Argus gone. The path that led them here had been one mapped with rumor, suspicion, and very little fact, but the trouble they had had since then confirmed his opinion that Sir Argus was here. It was risky to snatch a duke's daughter, but, even if she and Sir Argus were not close, the man would do anything Charles wanted to get her safely back to her father. There was a chance, a very small chance, that he might yet come out of this mess with his life and a full purse.

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