Page 86 of Devil in Her Details

He stared at the door that shut on them.

Definitely up to something.

Best get this done with haste.

He turned to his brother. “Let’s go.”

Maxen nodded, and set off to the left, Dagger the right, sweeping the street in either direction from the shop, then moving across the street and coming back, coming to a stop again in front of Lilly’s shop across the street. It would be impossible to find a spy like this. Usually, they’d lure him out. And not like this in the open, but hopefully their methodical sweep would make anyone wary and think twice before acting.

“Find anything?” Dagger asked.

Maxen’s slight shake of the head confirmed what Dagger already suspected.

“This might be more troublesome than you suspect.”

“I know.” The newspaper page mysteriously appearing on their doorstep proved that much. He had no experience with how these nobles fought these types of battles. He also had no power in that world. No resources. He couldn’t protect her there.

“You need your brothers at your back.”

“I never said I didn’t want you at my back.”

Maxen was quiet for a moment. “You’ve been handling this alone.”

“I handle all my affairs alone. Just like you handle yours.”

“Agreed, but you brought her into our world. That makes her our concern too.”

Dagger didn’t respond. He wasn’t sure if his brother’s words were a comfort or a deuced complication. With them, it was generally both. However, he was grateful for their presence today.

“So, what about your woman?” Maxen asked. “What does she want to do?”

His spine snapped to attention before his brain had caught up with his body at his brother’s question.

His woman.

Two words. Entirely unremarkable in isolation. Bloody intoxicating said together. Together they did something tremulous to his chest. “She’s not my woman,” Dagger denied. Heard his own poor execution. Noted that it sounded considerably less convincing spoken aloud than it had in his head.

“She’s your responsibility, she’s your woman,” Maxen remarked, unperturbed.

“So that’s the way of thinking that got your leg shackled, frère.”

Dagger groaned.

Reaper appeared at their side, a coin flicking between his fingers.

Was the whole brood—no, pack—loitering nearby?

“I shackled myself willingly,” Maxen said flatly.

“Willingly?” Reaper made a sound of disbelief. “Eagerly, some might say.”

“No one is saying that,” Maxen said.

“I’m saying that.” The coin disappeared between Reaper’s fingers and reappeared. “I count as someone.”

Dagger looked between his brothers. “Are you done?”

“Not remotely,” Reaper said cheerfully.