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A wry grin lifted his lips as he thought about learning how to mount without a saddle. Ciara had taught him.
He’d never truly believed this would ever come in useful.
But it had.
The gelding, happy to be moving away from the fire, listened to him and ran his heart out. They thundered into town and he sawed back on the reins, bringing the horse to a stop before Mr. Olden’s shop. He slid off the sweaty animal. Barely slowing at the door, he kicked it open and stormed inside.
The man was in the back, shoving money into a bag, when Phillip pushed into the room.
“Where is she?”
Phillip didn’t even give him a second to answer before he was over the desk and had the man against the wall, his arm along Olden’s throat.
“I will not ask again. Tell me where you took this from her.”
“Maybe she was with another man? Caulfield? Someone else. Who knows. Their kind are whores, sleeping with anyone.” Beyond the hatred and defiance in the man’s gaze, he saw fear that lingered in the back. And Phillip decided the fear needed to be in the front.
His own uncertainty of what could be happening to Fyre right now churned his gut. His heart raced with no signs of slowing. Beads of sweat had gathered on his head and dotted the top of his lip, mixing with the day’s growth.
Phillip knew he would do whatever it took to find her. If it meant allowing this entire island to burn, then so be it. Fyre was his priority.
Chapter Twenty-Six
It didn’t matter how much older than himself Mr. Olden was—the bastard had something that belonged to his woman.
The man’s complexion became mottled. Phillip didn’t care.
“Let him go.”
The voice took a moment to penetrate, and he snarled at the intrusion. Damon tried to force him to release Mr. Olden.
“Back off.”
“You do not get answers if the man is dead.” Damon’s point was valid.
That was enough to get him to listen to Damon and let Mr. Olden slide down the wall he’d been thrust against.
Damon inched in front of Phillip and jerked the man up to his feet. “I will not be able to hold him back long. Tell him what he needs to know.”
“My lord!”
Phillip turned as James burst through the door, eyes wide as he took in the scene before him.
“What?”
“Mr. Parker is looking for you. He is outside.”
“Send him in here, James. I do not have time to go to him.”
“Yes, my lord.”
The moment the boy vanished, Phillip snapped back to Mr. Olden and took another step forward. The man’s blanche would have been appreciated but right now, he didn’t give a fuck if he was scared of him or not. All he wanted was information on where Fyre was.
“You should leave,” he said to Damon. “You do not need to witness this.”
Damon shrugged. “Witness what? I do not see a fucking thing.”
That was when he saw it sink in to Mr. Olden that he had no ally in this room.
“You cannot just kill me.”
“Says who? You are a man who went after someone who belongs to me. I can do whatever I want to you.”
“We have laws here.”
Phillip snorted. “And how did that protect my woman from you stealing a ring that everyone knows is mine and that I gave to her, so do not try to pretend you thought she stole it.”
“She is a darkie. Her kind steal all the time.”
His blood boiled. “Right, except when they are out whoring around?”
“Exactly. We need to maintain the order. Everyone has their proper place.”
“You are very correct. And your place is away from me, preferably in the ground, with your views.”
“Where is my sister, Lord Edais?”
Elonne’s deep voice broke through as the door slammed against the wall behind them.
“That is what I am trying to find out, Mr. Parker. Mr. Olden here had the ring I gave her, but he is keeping quiet as to where he got that from.”
Phillip looked over his shoulder and was more than disturbed by the look of concern on Elonne’s face. “Keep him there,” he ordered to Damon before striding over to meet Fyre’s brother. “What do you know?”
“I saw my wife head away from the house and meet Mr. Olden’s wife. I confronted her about that when they began kissing after discussing selling some young girls to a man off this island.”
Phillip didn’t want to hear this but he had to. He’d not known Mr. Olden’s wife was involved, but then again, he wasn’t sure of all who were in on this. “Continue.”
“Cara yelled at me and rode off, talking about how you and Fyre ruined everything. I thought Fyre was with you but if you do not know where she is and he is here with her ring… I do not know where she is.”
