Big Ben (See No Evil Trilogy #1) - Nana Malone Page 0,36

family fortune that really made him. What few people know is that he has another wife.”

I sat up straighter. “What?”

East grinned and nodded. He pulled up another photo of a woman who could have been Spanish or Italian. Long, dark hair, olive skin, beautiful dark eyes, and looks that hinted at a smile on the way.

“Well, he has decent taste, at least.”

Bridge chuckled. “What, is your plan to seduce his wife?”

“I mean, is she really his wife? Because that’s bigamy.”

East tapped again. “Yes, it is. Another note. Elia, his Spanish wife, has a ten-year-old son. Hilton’s ten-year-old son. His wife in the UK was unable to conceive. They adopted three children. But Elia’s son is Hilton’s only biological heir.”

“Okay, that’s good. I can use that.”

“Now, here is the really interesting part. Elia, beautiful though she is, is twenty-six years old.”

I frowned as I did the math. “What?”

Drew shook his head. “Ugh, God. Perverted little shit.”

“That he is. He met Elia on the beach in Spain when she was sixteen years old and knocked her up. Her family insisted on a quickie marriage, and he neglected to tell them that he was already married.”

I nodded. “Okay. Adam Hilton is our first. We have to make it work.”

Bridge nodded. “While you are working on that, I’m working on setting up a meeting to have Van Linsted come to London Lords. A show of good faith that if I’m willing to meet with him openly, then I’m not afraid of you, or whatever.”

I grinned. “Now, we both know that’s bullshit.”

Bridge just chuckled. “Please, I could take you.”

“You know I’ve still got half an inch on you.”

He started to push to his feet, and East silenced us both. “Oi. Behave. You’re not breaking anything else in my flat today.”

Bridge just gave me a smirk and a lifted chin, and I grinned at him. “And so it begins.”

Bridge, East, and Drew nodded along with me then muttered in unison, “And so it begins.”

10

Ben

I pulled up my collar as I shuffled from foot to foot, the wind chapping my ass. If I was being honest, I had no idea why I was freezing my balls off on a spring night in front of the Traitors’ Gate souvenir shop, but there I was, waiting on a woman I wasn’t sure I could trust.

I’d considered not coming. I had enough going on with the Elite, and I could have made an excuse. I could have gone back on our bargain. As if. But that wasn’t me. Mostly, I was curious because she’d made such a point of having me agree to do this with her.

Why did she want a perfect stranger accompanying her? From what I’d seen, she had at least one really good friend. Where was the woman with the wild black hair?

There were a few other people milling about, and I could only assume that they were there for the same reason we were. They too liked creepy things.

Olivia didn’t seem like the sort who would enjoy this, but what the fuck did I know about her? Other than the fact that she was a shrewd negotiator.

I looked up to find her approaching.? ‘Sorry, sorry, sorry, I’m late. It’s kind of a disaster. Trains were late, and apparently there is no signage to the Jack the Ripper tour.”

Her hair was down, and curls were blowing in her face. She’d opted for black leggings with leather embellishments and a black top that was not quite a turtleneck but close. She also wore a black leather jacket. Basically, she looked like she’d asked for cat burglar chic at the store. “I see you didn’t dress for the occasion.”

I shrugged. “Well, what does one wear on a Jack the Ripper excursion?”

One by one, the other people who’d been milling about, not approaching me, were happy to come talk to us when Olivia was there, which I found fascinating. Eventually, a gentleman with a close-cropped beard, hawkish features and a wool hat, strolled up. “Ladies and gentlemen, I assume you are all here for the Jack the Ripper tour?”

One of the other women nodded. “Yeah, that’s us.” As she spoke, you could see the condensation of her breath in the brisk night air. The tube station and souvenir shop provided artificial light, but most of the street was only lit by pubs.

“Well, glad to see you all.” He did a quick headcount. “I’m Jack.” He chuckled. “Yes, I know. It’s a little on the nose for me to do my