Page 28 of Cruel Hearts

“You three are so pathetic, it’s dangerous,” I said.

“You were driving everyone crazy.” Orlando spread his arms wide in a helpless gesture. “We needed to do something drastic to take you down a peg or two.”

“And you succeeded.” I pulled myself to my feet, walked around the back of the dining chair and pushed it into the table. “Now, kindly fuck off back to Elizabeth.”

The three wank-stains stared up at me, unmoving. Kendrick through eyes hard enough to break my bones, Orlando with a grim expression that bordered on regret, and Maxwell, through eyes so swollen, I could barely see the gray. In the back of my mind, I wondered when the poor bastard’s wounds would subside enough to allow him to reapply his fake tattoos, piercings, and contact lenses.

I curled my lip. “Why are you still hanging around?”

“We’re not leaving until you listen to us,” said Kendrick.

I clenched my teeth. What was wrong with these boys? It was as if they had no sense of direction without a woman to tell them what to do.

Gideon wrapped a hand around my forearm. “Let’s hear their proposal.” He turned to Orlando, the least disgusting of the trio. “You three know Elizabeth the most. What’s the best way to hurt her?”

They exchanged glances. Kendrick spoke first. “Her father.”

“What about him?” I sat next to Gideon.

“Elizabeth is desperate for his approval, but she finds him cold, distant, and unavailable.”

“Really?” My nose wrinkled with confusion. The archbishop seemed alright to me. Maybe the old man was trying to come to terms with his daughter being a shit. “Do you want to get her disowned?”

“She once said something about a scandal within her family.”

I leaned forward. “What kind?”

“The previous Lord Liddell had at least one bastard child. If one of them were to come forward—”

“You wouldn’t,” said Gideon.

I glanced from Kendrick to Gideon, my brows knitted. “You can’t punish the archbishop for something his father did.”

“The Liddell family rules of succession favor the male line, regardless of legitimacy. As the archbishop was the eldest legitimate son, his position is secure.”

My gaze dropped to the table. I needed to concentrate on this scheme. “But there’s a younger brother. The Deputy Chief Constable.”

“Adopted and not eligible to inherit,” said Kendrick.

I clapped a hand over my mouth. “You’re going to find one of the previous lord’s illegitimate sons and dethrone Elizabeth.”

“Yes, and we know exactly where to look.” Kendrick straightened. “Will you join us?”

A foul taste coated my tongue. I hated Elizabeth and would happily see her humiliated for what she had done to me, but stealing her birthright based on sexist rules of succession was a step too far.

I shook my head. “Do something else.”

“What do you suggest?” Kendrick said with a sneer.

“Something to teach her not to mess with others,” I said. “Don’t bloody steal her title.”

“My father says he’s writing me out of his will,” Maxwell snarled. “Elizabeth deserves the same.”

All thoughts of infiltrating their gang flew into the fireplace. This scheme was so low-down and dirty, it made what Elizabeth did to me seem tame. I shook my head. “Get out.”

Maxwell’s swollen eyes widened. “What?”

“I thought Sammy had beaten some sense into you. But it’s just the same old crap, except this time, you’re turning against your former mistress.”