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Eli swooped in, gave me a hug, and then relieved me of the cake box I was carrying. “And what sweet delights have you brought us to drown our sorrows in?”
“Banana bread cheesecake, Toblerone cheesecake, chocolate caramel slice, and a couple of slices of black forest cake.”
“Damn, this witch must be very bad news indeed.” Ashworth pulled out a chair to seat me, then walked over to gather plates and forks.
“She is. Or will be.”
Eli raised his eyebrows. “Meaning this visit is due more to your prophetic abilities than anything she’s said or done?”
I grimaced. “It’s a mix of both.”
“Well, wait until we all get comfortable, and then you can tell us everything.”
Which, once we all had a strong cup of coffee laced with a dram or two of whiskey, was exactly what I did. About my family, my forced marriage, how Belle had been my savior, and what we’d done since then to conceal who we really were.
Everything.
Neither of them immediately said anything by the time I finished. Then Ashworth—big, gruff, grumbly Ashworth—walked around the table, pulled me to my feet, and wrapped me in the biggest, sweetest bear hug I’d ever had. Tears filled my eyes and tumbled over my lashes. Belle was right. We weren’t alone. With Aiden, Monty, and now Ashworth and Eli, we’d not only a safe harbor and people who would stand with us, but I’d found the family I’d been searching almost my entire life for.
“Dear God, lass, to think the two of you had to go through all that when you were still so young,” Ashworth murmured. “After such a betrayal, it’s no wonder you were so reluctant to trust anyone.”
I nodded, then took a deep, somewhat shuddering breath and pulled back. Eli silently offered me a tissue, and then wrapped me in a hug before I could use it.
“We’re here for you,” he murmured. “No matter what it takes. No matter what we have to do. You know that, don’t you?”
His words heralded in another round of tears. “Sorry,” I hiccupped eventually. “I think all the booze I drank earlier has weakened my emotional control.”
“Lass, you’ve been so wound up—so guarded—these last twelve years, it’s a wonder you’re not a crying mess on the floor. I would be.”
It was an image that had amusement bubbling. “I seriously doubt it.”
Eli grinned, produced another tissue, and lightly patted my cheeks to soak up the remaining tears. “Believe it. He’s a softy at heart—cries in movies all the time.”
I smiled. “So do I. Maybe we’re related somewhere in the distant past.”
“Given the intermingling of Ashworth and Marlowe blood over the decades, it’s quite possible. Sit, lass, and I’ll grab us all another coffee.”
“And I’ll serve up the rest of those cakes,” Eli said. “Because this is definitely a two-cake problem.”
I smiled and reclaimed my chair. Once our coffees were refreshed and the additional cake had been served, Ashworth said, “Right, first things first—we need a means of tracking their movements.”
“They’ll fly rather than drive,” Eli commented. “And they’ll no doubt get their secretaries to make the bookings.”
“Unless they want to keep their visit to Melbourne secret,” I commented. “Few people know about my marriage, remember.”
“It’d be interesting to discover just how they managed to bury the documents,” Eli said. “All marriages by law have to be entered into the witch registry, and that’s an open document that’s regularly checked to ensure there’s no close blood ties. If your marriage was buried, then they either bribed or spelled someone—and the latter would be an extremely dangerous step for someone who values their reputation as much as either Clayton or Lawrence.”
“I have no doubt my father is arrogant enough to believe his actions would never be questioned.”
“While it’s true both he and Clayton hold great power, they are also not without enemies, and some of those are not to be messed with.” Ashworth scooped up the last bit of black forest cake and munched on it contemplatively. “All the same, I have a friend who works in the registry office; might see if he can discreetly follow it up. It’ll be a handy thing to know come the confrontation.”
A shudder ran through me, and I hastily gulped down whiskey-fueled coffee. It didn’t do much to chase the chill away.
Eli reached across the table and briefly squeezed my hand. “The other thing we need is a warning they’re on their way, and that may be harder.”
“Unless, of course, we can discreetly rope in the Black Lantern Society,” Ashworth said.
“Who are?” I asked.
