Page 67 of Tender Blackguard

Chapter Twenty-two

Hale sauntered into Warfield’s study with the air of a man who expected space to be made for him. Large, brutish, rough in manner as well as appearance. Alastair hadn’t been expecting him and frowned in response to the other man’s wide, unrepentant grin.

“Good evening, Warfield.”

“It might’ve been,” Alastair retorted before giving a nod to Dell Turner, who strode in after Hale. “Turner.”

“My lord. As you can see, Mr. Hale’s decided to join us.”

Though Alastair would have preferred to have things handled without the former bare-knuckle boxer’s involvement, it seemed that was not to be. He couldn’t imagine what the man could contribute to their discussion this evening, but he was here now and no point wasting time bemoaning that fact.

He allowed a few moments for his guests to get comfortable before he settled his focus on Turner and got right to the point of their meeting. “My suspicions about the brotherhood are correct. The special event they’re planning is to be a sale by bid. Two young women, recently procured by these gentlemen”—he sneered the word—“are to be presented to a select group of guests. The man with the highest bid claims the woman as his, to be used in whatever way he sees fit.”

“Fucking hell,” Hale muttered under his breath as he slouched back on the sofa, an expression curiously close to self-disgust twisting his hard features.

“That’s karma, mate,” Turner said without an ounce of sympathy.

At Alastair’s questioning glance, Turner simply replied, “Hale has a few things to atone for. Your description hits a little close to home.”

“Arsehole,” Hale muttered.

Turner just smiled as he ignored his friend to ask, “Am I correct in assuming you’ll be attending this event?”

“I’ve been invited,” Alastair replied. “They believe me destitute and in need of funds. I’m to have a share in the profits of the evening—which they’ve promised will be beyond expectation—if I offer something in return.”

As he finished speaking, he could see exactly when the other men understood. Turner was first, though his reaction was little more than a tightening of his jaw and a darkening awareness in his eyes. Hale, however, muttered another expletive and curled his hand into a fist. “They sure know how to rope you in, the bastards.”

“Did they give you an address?” Turner asked curtly.

“No. They’ll be sending a vehicle for me at an appointed hour. I’m to know nothing of the destination until I arrive.”

“Well, I believe I’ve narrowed it down to one of three possible locations. Two in Covent Garden and the last closer to Soho. Each of them is owned by one of the men from our list. I’ve managed to visit them in turn. Covertly, of course.”

Now, Alastair leaned forward. “What did you find?”

“All three appear abandoned from the outside, but one of them in Covent Garden revealed something curious. Built for business and storage, the two-story building is large for the area but small in terms of typical warehouses. The windows are all shuttered, as would be expected for an empty building not in use. Except I noted four men circling the property, and a few people local to the area mentioned having seen toffs in carriages come and go on occasion.”

Anticipation flickered through Alastair’s blood. “Curious, indeed.”

“Turner and I’ll be returning later tonight,” Hale noted with a glimmer of anticipation in his gaze. “See if we can have a little talk with the blokes who guard the place.”

“If it turns out to be the location we’re seeking, I’ll install some of my associates nearby to keep watch. The night of the sale, we’ll be ready.”

“It will all be for naught if they manage to bribe their way out of the authorities’ hands,” Alastair warned. “We must make sure the charges are indisputable.”

“There’s got to be something inside, right? Some sort of records?” Hale asked. “We could take a good look around tonight while we’re there.”

Alastair shook his head. “No. They must be caught in the act. The brotherhood. The buyers. Every single one of them needs to be held accountable for their crimes against these women. We can’t risk tipping them off ahead of time. We have to move forward carefully.”

“I agree,” Turner replied.

“Everything takes place two nights from now,” Alastair explained. “If I arrive alone, I won’t be allowed entrance.” He sneered. “They’re not requiring I provide a girl who meets all the usual criteria since I’ve such limited time, but they insisted on a few particulars nonetheless.”

“I can imagine,” Hale muttered.

Alastair focused on Turner. He’d have preferred to say anything but his next words. “I truly wish I didn’t have to suggest this, but your wife...”

---