“Can you blame him?” Drake shot back. The two bickered like whelps. He should be grateful forthatreprieve.
“Idoblame him,” Reaper snapped.
“Bloody hell,” Maxen muttered. “Were you two always like this? Go punch that dog Saint is collaring in the dungeon if you want to vent, Drake. We’ll send for you when your woman returns.”
“No.” He refused. If it were up to him, he would already be gone in search of her, but he knew he would not make it as far as the door. His brothers would bind him to a chair without a second thought. “Something feels off. We still don’t know who let our prisoner out of the dungeon and caused this whole damn mess.”
“Youcaused this whole damn mess,” Maxen pointed out. “We’ll figure out the rest later.”
“Your love is touching,” Drake muttered, his annoyance mounting with vengeance. “But, my part in this aside, that damn bloody Sirius was behind this from the very start.”
Sharp eyes snapped to him.
“What?” Maxen asked softly.
Ah, shite. He hadn’t imparted this little truth to his brothers yet. Wanted to wait until they all were together. There was nothing for it now. “Sirius,” Drake said, jaw hardening. “He is behind the Bulldog approaching me for a fight back when I took a trip to London to reclaim my mother’s deed.”
Reaper cursed.
“You should also know, Violet is that dog’s sister, though her presence in Brighton is entirely coincidental.”
“Are you sure?” Maxen asked with a scowl.
“I’m sure.” He’d wager his life on her.
Maxen gave a curt nod, though his brother’s face remained tight.
“I saw him, too,” Drake admitted. “He approached me before the fight.”
Reaper scowled. “He wasthere?” He slapped a hand on the bar counter. “Why the hell didn’t you say so sooner?”
“Forgive me if my mind was a bit addled,” Drake gritted out.
Maxen sighed. “What did Sirius want?”
“To taunt me.” Christ, the memory made him livid all over again. “That’s his aim. To prolong our torment.”
“Perhaps Deveraux can provide some insight when he returns?” Calliope suggested, her concerned gaze darting between them.
“Not a bad idea,petite souris,” Reaper drawled darkly. “But if this began in London, it was well before we even knew he existed. Which means our dear uncle saw him as nothing more than a pawn and didn’t trust him with the larger schemes. I knew he was bloody useless.”
“If I recall,” Drake said to his brother, “you were the voice of the family when we caught him. Always eager to reunite with family. I still don’t see Crane visiting his dear brothers.”
“Crane just needs some love,” Reaper said. “He’ll come around. As for Deveraux, that shite, that was before I knew the arrogant bastard.”
“Language,” Maxen snapped.
“As if you don’t curse in front of your wife,” Reaper countered sourly.
“That’s me. I’m allowed.”
“We need to reinforce our vigilance,” Drake brought the topic back to their uncle. This was the most pressing danger. “We have women to protect. He knows that.”
Maxen clenched his jaw.
“We might need outside help,” Drake made clear.
His brother’s face darkened.
