And it won’t be quick.” He smiled and Lena shivered. There was a wealth of viciousness in that smile. “Don’t think there’s anywhere you can hide. I can get to you, no matter how many guards you think you have. Do you understand?”
Cavendish’s fingers tore at Will’s hand. His face was rapidly turning purple, but somehow he managed to nod.
Will let him go and Cavendish staggered back, slumping against the fireplace.
“If there’s even a whisper about tonight—about Lena—I’ll come for you,” Will promised. “Now get the hell outta here before I change me mind.”
Cavendish scrambled for the door.
The ease with which Will did it… Lena felt a brief stab of jealousy. Oh, to be a man, to be strong, to be feared…
A strangled cough came from the daybed and she turned, her skirts swirling around her ankles as she ran to Adele.
“What happened?” Lena knelt, turning her friend’s face to the side to look at the damage. He’d cut her deep, using one of the elegant little blades the Echelon preferred. Some of the crueler blue bloods filed their teeth into points, but the majority used blades.
At least he’d had the presence of mind to lick the wound afterward. Whatever was in a blue blood’s saliva, it promoted swift healing.
“Here,” she murmured, tearing a strip off her petticoat. Rolling it into a pad, she tore another strip and bandaged the pad to the wound.
“Came looking for you,” Adele whispered.
“I was only going to the powder room.”
“Colchester…arrived.”
Lena’s hands stilled. Then she continued cleaning away the blood. “You still shouldn’t have come alone.”
“Saw Colchester talking to Cavendish.” Adele swallowed. “He left the room and I thought—”
“They set you up.” Damn Colchester. He’d deliberately sent one of his cronies out to ambush Adele. Her actions the other night must have drawn his ire.
“Who’s Colchester?”
Lena froze. She’d forgotten all about Will. Her skirts rustled as she turned to look at him, her mind racing. She’d seen the look on his face when he’d choked Cavendish. If she told him about the duke, then there was a chance he’d go after him.
“The Duke of Lannister,” she replied carefully. “He has some grievance against Leo.”
Adele shifted and Lena squeezed her hand in warning. Don’t say a word .
Will stared at her, his face expressionless.
Beside her, Adele cleared her throat. “Who…is this?”
“He’s Blade’s man,” she replied, turning her attention back to her wounded friend. The bandage slowed the bleeding. There was no saving the dress, however. They’d have to get her out of here without anyone seeing.
“Cavendish said he was…” Adele trailed off.
Lena had never seen her look frightened before. World-weary and cynical, yes, but not truly frightened. She looked up and then paused, realizing how it would seem to Adele. Will hovered in the shadows, but everything about him was intimidating to someone who didn’t know him. And even then…
Adele would have heard stories—blue blood stories—about verwulfen and their violent, unrestrained passions. To the Echelon, Will was dangerous and nothing more than a monster.
“Verwulfen? Yes,” she replied, helping her to sit up. She smiled at Adele and leaned closer to whisper, “Don’t be frightened by the scowl. He thinks it’s impressive. But he’s a soft-heart beneath the grim exterior.” Lena couldn’t help smiling. “Some boys were drowning a bag of kittens once and he rescued them. For months they followed him around the warren. I’m afraid it’s quite ruined his carefully cultivated reputation in my eyes. All I can see is Mother Hen and his little charges.” Her smile faded. “The only monsters here are Colchester and his little friends.”
Will’s eyes were sleepy looking. A dangerous sign. It meant he was thinking and she didn’t want that. Meeting his gaze, she tipped her chin up. “We have to get her out of
Cavendish’s fingers tore at Will’s hand. His face was rapidly turning purple, but somehow he managed to nod.
Will let him go and Cavendish staggered back, slumping against the fireplace.
“If there’s even a whisper about tonight—about Lena—I’ll come for you,” Will promised. “Now get the hell outta here before I change me mind.”
Cavendish scrambled for the door.
The ease with which Will did it… Lena felt a brief stab of jealousy. Oh, to be a man, to be strong, to be feared…
A strangled cough came from the daybed and she turned, her skirts swirling around her ankles as she ran to Adele.
“What happened?” Lena knelt, turning her friend’s face to the side to look at the damage. He’d cut her deep, using one of the elegant little blades the Echelon preferred. Some of the crueler blue bloods filed their teeth into points, but the majority used blades.
At least he’d had the presence of mind to lick the wound afterward. Whatever was in a blue blood’s saliva, it promoted swift healing.
“Here,” she murmured, tearing a strip off her petticoat. Rolling it into a pad, she tore another strip and bandaged the pad to the wound.
“Came looking for you,” Adele whispered.
“I was only going to the powder room.”
“Colchester…arrived.”
Lena’s hands stilled. Then she continued cleaning away the blood. “You still shouldn’t have come alone.”
“Saw Colchester talking to Cavendish.” Adele swallowed. “He left the room and I thought—”
“They set you up.” Damn Colchester. He’d deliberately sent one of his cronies out to ambush Adele. Her actions the other night must have drawn his ire.
“Who’s Colchester?”
Lena froze. She’d forgotten all about Will. Her skirts rustled as she turned to look at him, her mind racing. She’d seen the look on his face when he’d choked Cavendish. If she told him about the duke, then there was a chance he’d go after him.
“The Duke of Lannister,” she replied carefully. “He has some grievance against Leo.”
Adele shifted and Lena squeezed her hand in warning. Don’t say a word .
Will stared at her, his face expressionless.
Beside her, Adele cleared her throat. “Who…is this?”
“He’s Blade’s man,” she replied, turning her attention back to her wounded friend. The bandage slowed the bleeding. There was no saving the dress, however. They’d have to get her out of here without anyone seeing.
“Cavendish said he was…” Adele trailed off.
Lena had never seen her look frightened before. World-weary and cynical, yes, but not truly frightened. She looked up and then paused, realizing how it would seem to Adele. Will hovered in the shadows, but everything about him was intimidating to someone who didn’t know him. And even then…
Adele would have heard stories—blue blood stories—about verwulfen and their violent, unrestrained passions. To the Echelon, Will was dangerous and nothing more than a monster.
“Verwulfen? Yes,” she replied, helping her to sit up. She smiled at Adele and leaned closer to whisper, “Don’t be frightened by the scowl. He thinks it’s impressive. But he’s a soft-heart beneath the grim exterior.” Lena couldn’t help smiling. “Some boys were drowning a bag of kittens once and he rescued them. For months they followed him around the warren. I’m afraid it’s quite ruined his carefully cultivated reputation in my eyes. All I can see is Mother Hen and his little charges.” Her smile faded. “The only monsters here are Colchester and his little friends.”
Will’s eyes were sleepy looking. A dangerous sign. It meant he was thinking and she didn’t want that. Meeting his gaze, she tipped her chin up. “We have to get her out of
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