Page 58 of Return to Wildsyde

They’d redecorated some since he was last here. The rich furnishings were sophisticated, with lots of heavy brocade and velvet in dark wine and bottle green, and many big leather armchairs, it was comfortable and yet elegant.

“Ashton must take most of the credit for that,” Leo admitted. “It’s amazing how a fellow with such a devastating right hook and such appalling taste in waistcoats can achieve such results, but there you are. One of life’s little mysteries.”

Lyall snorted and threw himself down in a chair, putting his feet up on a small inlaid table.

Larkin laughed, tsking at him. “He’ll have your head if he sees you doing that,” he remarked.

Lyall yawned and rubbed a weary hand over his eyes. “Aye, I might let him, too.”

“Oh?” Leo walked over and sat down opposite him. “What’s amiss?”

Lyall shook his head. “Never mind me, what’s all this I’m hearing about someone out to get you?”

“Us, Lyall, as you are also a founder member. Someone is out to get us. Thorn got worked over by three masked men back in May. We’ve had goods stolen, someone tried to set fire to the place, and now our own properties are being targeted. Hart’s got security at his place now as he’s had to replace a ton of glass since someone threw stones at his greenhouses.”

Lyall frowned at Leo. “Who have ye pissed off now?”

Leo threw his hands in the air. “Well, I like that! Don’t bring me into this. I’m entirely blameless… for once.”

“As blameless as the rest of us,” Larkin remarked with a snort. “The truth is, we don’t have a clue what we’ve done. We think it might be one of our competitors trying to put us out of business, but we’ve no real idea. This is all we have to go on.”

He reached into a drawer in the desk he sat behind and got out a letter, handing it to Leo, who passed it to Lyall. He read it out loud.

“To the Sons of Hades, I thought ye ought to know, this is just the beginning. I will destroy yer club, and I will destroy ye.” Lyall looked up, his eyebrows raised. “It’s short and to the point, aye?”

Leo laughed at that. “Indeed. For all we know, we’re dealing with a madman.”

“What makes ye think it’s a man?” Lyall asked with interest. “A woman can be just as keen to take her revenge, and anyone can pay a few thugs to do their dirty work.”

“I confess, I hadn’t considered that,” Leo said with chagrin. “Oh, bloody marvellous. Now we have even more suspects.”

“No, we don’t. The writing is very clearly masculine,” Larkin said, getting up and taking the letter back. He showed it to Leo, who nodded.

“Thank God, you’re right, it is.”

“She may have disguised her writing, or got someone else to do it,” Lyall said with a shrug, not above playing devil’s advocate.

“Lyall, thanks for your help, old man, but things are complicated enough,” Leo said tersely.

Lyall chuckled. “Suit yourself.”

“Why are you here?” Leo asked, narrowing his eyes.

“I had business,” Lyall replied coolly.

“Lyall, we were all very sorry to hear what happened,” Larkin said, his expression one of sympathy.

Lyall’s jaw tightened. He’d hoped they’d not mention Lilith but trust Larkin to be the one to broach the subject. “Were ye? I was nae sorry,” he said defensively. “It’s taken me a while to admit to that, but it’s the truth. She was a manipulative baggage and whilst I would never have wished this on her, I can nae be sorry I’m free of her. I’ve a second chance, and I dinnae mean to waste it.”

There was a short, rather shocked silence, and then Larkin’s mouth quirked in a smile.

“Who is she?”

Leo laughed as he saw Lyall groan and roll his eyes. “You’ve hit the nail on the head, Larks, old man. Come on, Lyall. Out with it. You know he’ll winkle it out of you in the end, you may as well confess.”

“I dinnae want to,” Lyall admitted. “Ye will roast me something terrible, for it sounds mad.”

“Even better,” Leo said, grinning now. “We could do with a good laugh.”