Page 41 of Devil in Her Details

And he refused to lose his damn mind.

Chapter Nine

Lilly stared at Dagger’s brother, rather speechless at the turn of events. She hadn’t expected that wretched devil to simply leave her here. If the plan was to question those men without her present, could he not have escorted her home first?

She’d been too in a daze before, but from the moment she pointed out that she witnessed him fight—though fight didn’t justify the lethalness of him—she couldn’t get those flashes of memory out of her mind. How right she had been about him being a panther. If there was any uncertainty that she’d been right in her assessment, that fight had extinguished it. The man was lithe, agile, struck only when the moment benefited him.

She’d never seen a more magnificent and terrifying sight.

And he’d stabbed someone! Blazes. He’d stabbed a man!

Stabbed.

How could her mind have overlooked that staggering detail? Hidden nerves. Hidden memories. Could it become any more bewildering?

Lilly tipped the glass of whisky down her throat just like that infuriating devil had done. She slammed the glass back onto the table, unlike he had done, and rose to her feet, prompting a frown from that devil’s behemoth of a brother. She sent him a challenging gaze, quickly noting their similar features. However, this man, Knight, though close in appearance, chose to do away with a jacket and rolled his sleeves up to his elbows.

Only slightly intimidating.

The liquor must have gone somewhat to her head, for she blurted, “Aren’t you cold?”

“No.”

Heh! She noticed the slight scars running crisscross over his arms. Her gaze lifted back to his. Dark eyes. So much like Dagger. Only, this brother’s depths revealed nothing but detachment.

You have no business questioning them in any case, Lilly.

She was not part of the family.

Honestly, if she hadn’t known the man to be a hard, rough devil who would rather spill blood than set foot in any respectable ballroom, she might have believed he was hinting at her. Hinting at marriage.

More impossible than the night sky turning green.

He did choose a kiss for payment.

And whenever, in the age of rakes and rogues, had a kiss mattered?

She inhaled a deep breath, striving for calm. “Knight. It was a pleasure to meet you. Perhaps one day we shall meet under different circumstances, but I shall be taking my leave.”

The man rose slowly, a deep furrow etching between his brows. “Dagger wants you to stay.”

“I don’t care what Dagger wants.” Did he care what she wanted? No. “I’ve finished my drink, and I’ve snapped out of my daze. Now I wish to return home.”

“Wait for him.”

She crossed her arms. “No.”

“He’ll escort you.” His black eyes pierced hers. “What if there’s trouble at your home?”

A chill gripped her heart. Did Calvington know where she lived? Why not? He knew the location of her shop. But would Calvington cause trouble there? Dagger had indicated those men had been a message to him.

Well, sure, they were a message to her as well.

A grand one.

Calvington, no doubt, was trying to drive her back to London. But she refused to be intimidated. And would he truly harm her? Not with his hopes. She’d been uncompromisingly earnest when she’d vowed she didn’t want that alligator to win. However, it would appear that the chess game they were apparently playing had turned incomprehensibly dangerous.

Not a board entirely to her liking.