Page 3 of Devil in Her Details

“I should get going then before Leo comes searching for me himself. You know how he dislikes us being separated for too long.”

Lilly laughed and escorted her friend to the front of the shop, past shelves of ribbons and bonnets gathering dust. They were peculiar, those two, but she envied their inseparable bond, even though it might be a bit unconventional. The bell above the door chimed as she pulled it open, and the brisk afternoon saltiness rushed in. Brighton, all in all, moved at its usual, unhurried pace. Except for one thing.

A big, black carriage on the far corner of the opposite side of the street.

Lilly’s whole body went cold at the sight.

Allie, who seemed to sense something, asked, “Is anything wrong?”

“No.” Lilly shook her head, producing a small smile as not to alarm her friend. “Now, go. Your long-suffering Leo is waiting for you.”

Allie grinned at the mention of her husband, waving goodbye. “I’ll see you soon.”

“I shall be expecting you.”

Her friend swept toward her carriage, disappearing moments later. Lilly’s smile vanished, gaze narrowing on the carriage in the distance.

Blast the man to perdition.

What was she going to do now?

*

“I have a solution to your problem.”

Dagger Fury didn’t so much as pause in finishing up buffing the steel to a mirror finish, adding the dagger to the growing rank of polished blades and their sheaths already lining the table in a precise row, before unsheathing another. He set its sleeve beside the latest polished blade, maintaining the strict alternation of steel, leather, steel, leather. “I have no problem.”

His brother, Reaper, plopped down into a chair at the table, disturbing the rare peace of the tavern. “That’s not what I heard.”

“You heard wrong.”

“So, you’re not looking for a new belt for your daggers because your usual man up and left?”

Dagger paused. He had voiced this to Knight. One would think seven taciturn brothers would be incapable of gossip. One would be wrong. Chatter traveled faster than gunpowder through the Fury rumor mill. “What of it?”

“I might know someone.”

“Not interested.”

“Why not?” Reaper shot back, and Dagger could feel his brother’s eyes narrowing on him.

He lifted his gaze and met his brother’s one head on. “What are you up to?”

Reaper settled into his chair, stretching out his long legs. “Why would I be up to anything, frère?”

“Besides the fact that you’re always up to some bloody thing,” Dagger sneered, “you’re up to something. Spit it out.”

His brother shrugged. “I have someone who might help you.”

“Not necessary.” And definitely not a good idea. The whole family had entered crisis mode. Maxen and Drake had both married and had wives to look after now. Their uncle, Sirius Faiththorne, had been using foul means to torment them, the last of his schemes nearly resulting in Drake’s death. But most infuriating of all was the betrayal of their new-found brother, Deveraux Peregrine, turned Deveraux Fury, which would have lifted the Fury count to eight.

They had yet to track that little shite down.

While this usually wouldn’t have been cause for too much concern, simply heightened vigilance, with the addition of Calliope and Violet, every moment they didn’t find Deveraux and their uncle tipped them further toward disaster.

Deuced frustrating.

He couldn’t recall the last time they’d been so bloody bested. They’d made a damn near fatal mistake by trusting Deveraux and taking him into their fold without questioning his relationship with their evil uncle more deeply.