Page 68 of The Number of Love
Dropping his hand back to his side, Camden took a step away, smirking again. “Now, now. Don’t chide, miss. I’m notsucha bad friend. I would have paid him a visit days ago had it not taken me this long to pry from his sister where he could be found.”
He always knew which buttons to push, didn’t he? Drake leaned into Red to keep him still and willed the chap’s eyes not to blaze a response, though guile had never been Red’s forte. For his own part, Drake kept his smile clear. “Settling in at the OB, are you? How goes the training?”
The smirk faded—proving either that Red hadn’t reacted or that Camden was genuinely interested in the subject, one or the other. “Not as riveting as prison, but I suppose it’ll do. De Wilde assures me I’m ‘not a complete dunce,’ which I believe is the highest of praise.”
Drake felt as though another fist had landed in his stomach. “Margot De Wilde?”Shewas the one training him? This man as notorious for charming the females as he was for provoking his chums?
Perhaps Drake should have thought it through a bit more before suggesting Hall bring him on.
But the lift of Camden’s brows was absent its usual challenge. “Is that her given name? Everyone in the office just calls her De Wilde, as if she were a man. Frankly, it seems most of them forget that she isn’t.”
Red shifted. “That makes no sense. How could one forget she’s a girl? She’s pretty—”
“Pretty can’t make up for terrifying.” Camden’s smirk this time seemed to be, if Drake weren’t mistaken, at his own expense. “I tried flirting with her yesterday, and she calmly informed me that if I didn’t desist immediately, she had no fewer than one hundred and twenty-three ways to make my life miserable, sixty-five percent of which had been field tested and were without fail.”
Drake’s lips twitched up too. That sounded about right—though it wasn’t how she’d responded tohim, at least. No threats, just ... questions. He ought to have known, he supposed, that he needn’t worry she’d succumb to Camden’s charms.Charmdidn’t seem to be what drew her.
Hopefully he knew whatwouldthough. He’d had Red drop a few letters in the post for him yesterday—one to Abuelo, and the encoded letter for her. It ought to be delivered to her today. Tomorrow at the latest. And she’d realize it was from him in about two seconds, so he might soon know how she’d respond to it. His throat went tight.
As for Camden ... Drake cleared his throat and lifted a brow. “And you didn’t take her threats as a challenge?”
“I prefer my women with a bit of softness to go along with their pretty faces, thank you.” That glint reentered his eyes. “Your sister turned out quite well, Elton. When last I saw her, she was just a scrawny little thing, but I do believe she’s one of the loveliest girls in the OB.”
Red’s fingers went tight around Drake’s elbow. Drake kept hissmile easy though. “She’s spoken for, of course.” Or would be, as soon as Red worked up the courage.
Camden chuckled. “You think I’d let that stop me if I were determined?”
A good point. “And she’s Margot De Wilde’s dearest friend.”
“Oh yes, I already worked that one out.” He winced. Actuallywinced, which made Drake all kinds of curious as to what Margot had done or threatened to do to him. Camden clapped a hand to Drake’s shoulder and then angled away. “I need to get back to the office. But I’ll drop by sometime when your nursemaid isn’t here for a proper visit.”
“Mm. So long as you leave your fists at home.”
Camden’s smile looked like it always had—carefree and more than a little mischievous—but his eyes were absent the light that had filled them when they were lads. They sparked, but somehow darkly. “Don’t worry, old chap. No more fisticuffs until you’re well.”
Drake lifted his chin. “Not forgiven yet, am I?”
“My mother might keep you in biscuits for life, but I won’t thank you for this. You should have left me to rot.”
Red huffed out a breath. “Look at that. Something on which we agree.”
With one last glare, Camden strode away. Silence pulsed in his absence for a few moments. Then Red said, “What have you done to your hair? It’s all grey.”
Drake laughed and turned to the street they must cross. “I was doing some reconnaissance. And have a bit for you to do tomorrow, too, if you will.” As they made their way across the largely empty street and through the front door of Dot’s building, Drake gave him a bare outline of the suspicious character and how he was in need of a spot of help in following him.
“You know I’m happy to help,” Red replied, though the words did nothing to erase the confusion in his tone. He must be wondering why Drake thought he had enemies here in London, why he’d be willing to pay him to help root them out. But Drake couldn’t tell him that, so hopefully the speculation would remain unspoken.
He heaved a sigh and looked up as they crossed the threshold of the building and came to the never-ending rise of stairs. “Why couldn’t she have found a flat in a building with a lift?”
Red chuckled and gripped his elbow again. “We’ll manage it. One step at a time.” Then, “Who has spoken for Dot?”
That hadn’t taken long. Drake grinned and hooked the handle of his cane over his arm so he could grip the handrail. “No one. But I didn’t wanthimgetting ideas. Camden’s the sort of bloke who would defend a friend to the death—but not one to be trusted with one’s sister.”
“Ah.” Relief saturated the short syllable.
Drake shook his head and took the first step. Then the next. “Though if you’re so worried,youcould speak for her.”
Those fingers on his elbow tightened again. “Why would you even suggest that, Elton? I’m no better a prospect for your sister than he is. I’ve no income, no future—”
