Page 41 of Payback

I turned to Henry, who scowled. “Do you still think we can use it for blackmail material?”

Henry rubbed his chin. “I think we should hand it to your mother’s lawyers and be rid of the twat.”

“Edward and I worked out another angle,” said Blake.

Edward reached down to the mahogany coffee table by the Chesterfield and picked up an old copy of the Times. “Rudolph has left Peter Underwood in prison without bail and likely without a legal defense. It says here that he was the mastermind behind your abduction, but we know that’s not true. Why not see if he’s willing to reveal who hired him?”

Suppressing a shudder, I wrapped my arms around my middle. “How can we contact him?”

“He’s at Brixton Prison.”

Blake wrapped an arm around my shoulder. “Charlotte has agreed to let us tag along when she visits him tomorrow.”

My brows drew together. “Can we trust her?”

“No.” Blake kissed my temple. “But we can trust her to want to do right by her family.”

Edward put down the paper and stood. His brows creased, and storm clouds filled his eyes. He wrapped his hand around mine. “You don’t need to come with us,” he said in his gentlest voice. “After that business with Carbuncle earlier today, I can’t imagine you wanting to visit his accomplice.”

My gaze traveled from Henry to Blake to Edward. All three of the boys wore the same grave expressions I’d seen when they had visited me the day after Blake had rescued me from that abandoned apartment.

“I can handle seeing Peter Underwood,” I said.

“Are you sure, Emilia?” asked Edward. “You don’t need to—”

“I’ll be fine.” My voice was firmer this time. It wasn’t like I was meeting him in a dingy basement or anything. We’d be in a prison, surrounded by guards. There might even be a glass screen separating us. “Besides, I think he’s had enough time to realize he’s been abandoned by Philippe. He’ll be pissed enough to reveal his other accomplice.”

“Very well,” said Edward. “We will set off tomorrow.”

Tamping down the apprehension writhing in my gut, I gave him a sharp nod. It looked like Henry wasn’t the only person who needed to face his demons.

Chapter 12

The next morning, I awoke wrapped around Henry and with Edward spooned at my back. Blake lay on his side with his head on Henry’s chest, just as I had lain on Blake since we had slept together at the palace.

Sunlight streaming from the window played across their muscled bodies, making them look like they were in some kind of artistic movie shot by Andy Warhol or some other connoisseur of male beauty. Warmth spread across my chest. We were complete… almost.

Threats still hung over our heads. Mr. Carbuncle was still at large, probably madder than before and blaming me for getting shot. Then there was Rudolph, the most diabolical of all. That malevolent old bastard had coerced Mom into not breaking their engagement and then resented her for failing to jump into bed with his syphilitic self.

A sigh slid from my lips. If only I had known this before and not played into his hands by working for the Correspondent. I’d only opened the door to more creative ways for him to exact his revenge on Mom.

I was so glad she would be away in Casablanca when the shit hit the fan.

Edward’s erection brushed against my ass. He murmured into my ear, “You’re awake.”

“And you’re hard.” I reached behind me and wrapped my fingers around his hot, thick length.

I slid my hand back and forth along Edward’s hot erection, enjoying the way it twitched and lengthened at my command. His quiet gasp sent a frisson of excitement down to my core, and I squeezed my legs together.

My grip tightened, which made him hiss, and I swirled the pad of my thumb on his cock-head. A bead of precum glistened on his slit, and my tongue darted out to lick my lips.

Edward’s breaths shallowed, his full lips parted, and his chest rose and fell like bellows. A smile curved my lips. A year ago, if anyone had told me I’d be in bed with a viscount, the son of a British prince, and a sexy rugby player, I would have laughed in their faces. Yet here I was, teasing Edward Mercia to distraction.

Edward rocked his hips with each movement of my fist, his precum lubricating my fingers. As Edward build up a steady rhythm, my eyes fell on Henry. He lay on his back, fast asleep and oblivious. With my free hand, I reached under the covers and grabbed his thick erection.

Blake’s hand closed around mine, and he propped himself up on his elbow. “Let me. He loves to be worked up this way.”

Still pumping one fist around Edward’s length. I withdrew my hand and pulled back the sheets, exposing Henry’s beautiful, hard body. His prominent pecs rose and fell with each breath in sync with the bunching and relaxing of his six-pack.