progress, her tormentor appeared on the threshold, a pistol once more pointed directly at her heart. The shard of porcelain fell from her fingers in defeat. She did her best to hide it with her gown, to feign nonchalance so that he would not notice she had been trying to escape her binding.
“Time to come with me, Caroline Sutton,” he drawled. “I’m taking you to your brother, and after that I’ll be taking Gavin Winter to Rothisbone.”
Cold, hard dread filled her stomach.
Gavin was doing his damnedest to remain calm, but it certainly wasn’t easy. He was out of his mind with worry for Caro, and he was scared as hell that Jones had harmed her or worse. If he had, nothing and no one would stop Gavin from beating the bastard to death.
“Calm yourself, Winter,” Jasper Sutton told him. “You’re going to wear a goddamn hole in my carpets and I’ve just had them replaced.”
He stalked the length of Sutton’s office and pinned Caro’s brother with a glare. Sutton had arranged for the meeting with Jeremiah Jones to occur at The Sinner’s Palace. Neutral territory. In true Winter fashion, Gavin’s siblings had not been content to keep their beaks out of the situation.
They’d initially demanded Jones come to The Devil’s Spawn until Sutton had correctly pointed out such a meeting place would only serve to make Jones suspicious. As it was, Sutton had replied to Jones’ note confirming he now had Gavin Winter in his custody at The Sinner’s Palace and he was ready to make a trade. If their plan of battle was to work, they needed Jones to believe Sutton was willing to surrender Gavin in exchange for Caro’s safe return.
“How am I to be calm when that rotter has Caro?” he snarled, though he knew Sutton was not wrong in this, the jibe about the carpets aside.
Demon was at his side, planting a calming hand on his shoulder. “Try to remain calm, brother. I know this is deuced difficult, but you’ve got to stay strong.”
“Trying,” he bit out.
Trying and failing.
Caro was out there somewhere, in the clutches of a brutal beast, and he was the reason. What if Jones had hurt her? What if she was in pain? What if she was afraid?
He would never be able to forgive himself for clinging to his pride and his anger instead of to his love for her. When this bloody business was over, he was going to tell her. He hoped to God he would have the chance.
“Try ’arder,” Sutton snapped at him, shaking him from his apprehensions.
Whenever the man started speaking like he’d been born in the rookeries, Jasper Sutton was worried. And for all that Gavin still resented Sutton for keeping him at The Sinner’s Palace under a pretense, he knew Sutton loved Caro.
Gavin loved her, too.
He supposed that did not mean Sutton was all bad.
“Think about the plan instead,” Dom urged Gavin, his tone calmer, kinder.
Gen and the legitimate Winters were the only siblings missing from this particular meeting. Gen was carrying a child and none of them—Sundenbury included—would countenance her joining them for a meeting with a madman. And this wasn’t the fight of the legitimate Winters, though Gavin had no doubt Devereaux would have gladly joined them had they sent word to him.
There were enough Winters lining the halls of The Sinner’s Palace as it was.
“The plan,” Gavin repeated slowly, forcing his spinning mind to settle upon it, for their actions were important. What they did could be the difference between life and death, between Caro’s safety and…
Nay. Do not think about that now, Gav. Think about saving her. Think about how much you need her. Think about what you must do.
A rap sounded on the door, and then was followed by three knocks in quick succession. Everyone in the room was suddenly, instantly on edge.
Sutton stood. “Jones is here. Winters, hide yourselves.”
With the push of a mechanism on the wall behind Sutton’s desk, the shelving popped open, allowing for a hidden chamber. Gavin could only guess at what purpose such a room ordinarily served. In this instance, it was to be where his brothers would wait while Gavin and Sutton faced Jeremiah Jones. There was a mechanism within the room by which those inside could open the panel should the need arise.
“No emerging unless I say so,” Sutton warned.
Dom, Devil, Blade, and Demon reluctantly shuffled into the room. There was a brace of candles lit within, but the space was incredibly cramped for