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10
True to his word, Tracker reported back with unwelcome information.
“The Earl hasn’t been home in days,” the lanky man said from where he leaned against a windowsill. The windows in King’s office were thrown open to let in some air, and it gave the dark, ornate room some much needed light.
“Where is he?” he asked.
Tracker shook his head. “His son has been dealing with all the business at the estate. From what I can gather, their relationship has been tense ever since the girl disappeared.”
“Tense, hmm?” King leaned back in his chair behind the large desk as Dane paced the length of the room.
Without Lillian at his side, without her in his sights, his thoughts couldn’t seem to settle and his muscles twitched with the need to fight. To kill.
A muscle ticked in his jaw as he turned to face his employers.
There was no doubt about it. The earl would be dead and left for the vultures just as soon as he could be found. “What are you thinking?” he asked King.
King’s eyes were narrowed and focused on the empty fireplace on the far side of the room. Dane knew that look well. He was plotting. Planning.
Normally Dane could only pity whoever King was plotting against, but as this time it was the man who’d hurt his Lillian, he’d never been more grateful to have such a cruel devil for a friend.
King turned his sharp gaze to Dane. “Do you think he might know that she was searching for you?”
Dane shook his head. “No idea what he knows.”
Tracker crossed his arms, his expression thoughtful. “Not many know that Dane here is the man best known as Beast. But the earl might be one of those few.”
Dane gave a grunt of acknowledgement that didn’t hide his amusement.
King and Tracker knew who’d raised him. Of course they did. He should have known, but he’d never given it much thought. No one had ever asked him about his background or his parentage, and he’d never volunteered.
But of course King would have had Tracker dig into his past as he rose through the ranks. King didn’t trust anyone. It made sense that he’d investigated Dane and his former life before letting him into his inner circle.
Even so, it had him regarding these two men in a new light. How long had they known he was the bastard son of an earl? Why hadn’t they mentioned it?
But even as he wondered, he knew the answer. They hadn’t mentioned it because it meant nothing to them. In this world, only actions mattered. Actions and loyalty were far more valuable than wealth and infinitely more important than rank. He’d known that, but today he was reminded of it. Today he remembered why he fit in so well here, at this place where strength and brutality were assets, and being a bastard was a badge of honor.
“It’s possible he’s run and hid,” King said. He seemed amused by the thought. No doubt he was already plotting how best to flush him out of whatever hole he was hiding in.
But Dane found himself shaking his head as he tried to imagine the proud, cruel man who’d raised him hiding from anything, least of all him. “I doubt it. Even if he knows who I am—who I became—his pride would never allow it.”
“Stubborn even until death, eh?” Tracker said with a hint of a grin. “So that’s where you get it.”
Dane’s brows came down. “I got nothing from that man. He wasn’t even my real father.”
Tracker lifted his hands, palms out. “Easy, Beast. I was in jest, that’s all.”
King didn’t seem to be paying attention. “Then why would he take off without the usual fuss?” He turned to Tracker. “You said the servants were surprised by his absence, correct? So he didn’t follow his normal routine.”
“That’s what they said.” Tracker shrugged, clearly just as puzzled as King. “They also mentioned that there’d been tension in the household of late.”
Dane scoffed. Saying there was tension in the Earl of Fallenmore’s household was like saying the cells of Newgate were uncomfortable. An understatement in the extreme.
“Seems the earl and his son have been at odds.”
Tracker and King looked to Dane as if he might be able to fill them in on what the earl and Malcolm were fighting about. He shook his head.
“Is his heir as bad as his father?” King asked. What he meant was, did they need to put him out of his misery as well?
