Page 87 of Devil in Her Details

Dagger shook his head. “I take it you didn’t catch anything either?”

“Unfortunately not.”

Damn it.

The weight of Maxen’s words settled more firmly onto his shoulders. Responsibility was something he understood, something he could carry without flinching. But this was different. This responsibility had a face, and a laugh, and a particular way of looking at him that made him want to kiss her senseless every damn time.

His responsibility.

His woman.

There was something primal about that. Something that felt, despite every reasonable objection he could raise, exactly right.

Chapter Eighteen

Lilly stared at Calliope Fury with what she was sure were sparkling eyes. This woman must be a fount of information. Ever since she’d learned that two of Dagger’s brothers had married into nobility, she’d been secretly dying of curiosity. She wanted to know everything. How they’d met, how they’d fallen in love, and were all Furys so breathtaking in bed? Alas, a bombardment of questions would probably send her new—unbeknownst to Calliope yet—friend running.

And she was so pretty.

She would have been a diamond of the first water back in London. But no matter how Lilly racked her mind, she didn’t recognize the woman before her, and they should be about the same age. She certainly would have remembered her if she’d ever glimpsed her before. Lady Calliope was nothing if not memorable.

Dagger hadn’t been exaggerating when he’d said their circumstances were different, which only made her fascination grow.

“You have no idea how delightful it is to see such a pleasant face,” Lilly said with a grin.

Calliope chuckled. “Likewise, Violet and I are quite starved for other women’s conversation. We are grossly outnumbered.”

Thinking back to the tense scene of yesterday, she could very well imagine they’d want more females on their side. “Well, don’t hold back. Tell me everything.”

“I don’t know how much help I can be,” Calliope said sheepishly.

“Anything will do.”

Calliope laughed. “You’re about to burst from curiosity, aren’t you?”

“Not in the slightest,” Lilly waved a hand. “Just dying.”

“Well, besides Maxen, I can’t say much about the others.” Her gaze flicked across the room to where one of those brothers stood watch at the front door.

Lilly grimaced. “I don’t think he likes me much.”

“Saint?” Calliope asked.

Lilly nodded. “He won’t even look my way.”

“Don’t take it to heart,” Calliope said softly. “I heard all about it from Maxen. Dagger is furious with Saint for what he said to make you leave. Saint probably won’t speak to you again either. At least until Dagger’s fury has cooled.”

They were fighting because of her? “I . . . I knew there was some discontent. I didn’t realize the depth.”

Calliope shook her head. “It’s not about you. I mean, it is about you, but it’s also not. Apparently, once Dagger gives his word, he won’t ever break it.”

“Ah. And they wanted him to distance himself while we had struck a deal.” So much made sense now. The tension between the brothers. Dagger’s frustration. Why he had latched onto her so completely. She doubted he would have done so if his brothers hadn’t reacted so vehemently.

“Is this because of the other troubles with their uncle?”

Calliope nodded. “Sadly, oftentimes our worst enemies are our families.”

Lilly nodded absentmindedly. Family had never been something she’d had to navigate so carefully. She supposed she had been fortunate in that regard. “I can’t say I understand, but I imagine family as foe must be dreadfully hard.”