Page 89 of Dangerous Exile

Evan nodded, but then his feet stopped before they reached the drawing room. “I received other news.”

“And?” Talen paused, turning to him.

“The men Gilroy had sent after Ness. They’ve been found. Your man in London—Declan—confirmed it and I verified they were the same men that Gilroy had used in the past to do his dirty work.”

Talen’s hand slammed against the stone wall of the castle. “Why didn’t you mention that right away? Are they still a threat?”

Evan shook his head. “They’ve been taken care of.”

“Do you know of anything else Gilroy may have set into motion?”

“No. And it’s been three months.” Evan’s voice dipped low. “But let me know if any threats still exist and I’ll take care of them. I do not care for how I failed Ness so completely. That I let what happened to her happen under my roof and I did not know—did not think to see. That is a regret I will carry with me to my dying day.”

Talen lifted his hand and clamped it on Evan’s shoulder with a slight nod. They both understood words could not take the guilt away, especially words said to placate the moment, so Talen said none.

Arms linked, Juliet and Ness walked out of the drawing room.

Ness’s gaze found him immediately, and he saw it clear in her amber eyes without her uttering a word.

Thank you for not killing him in front of me.

Thank you helping me find the strength to face him.

And then a wicked smile curved the right side of her lips.

You will be rewarded handsomely for this when we make it up to our chamber.

Talen’s chest swelled almost as much as his cock at her look.

All he’d ever wanted to see in her. She’d forged herself a spine of steel and the pride he felt was ridiculous and only shadowed by his love for her.

Ness’s gaze shifted to Evan and she stepped from Juliet to thread her arm along Evan’s elbow. “Thank you for arranging this meeting with him. It has been months in coming and I’m beyond relieved it’s over.”

They started walking deeper into the castle ahead of Talen and Juliet.

“It was the least we could do.” Evan patted her forearm linked with his. “You know I’ll never forgive myself for all that you suffered here. If I had known—”

Ness shook her head. “You didn’t. I’ve told you, you mustn’t flog yourself for it.”

“I can flog myself if I wish and you can’t do a thing about it.” He leaned down to half whisper to her, “I can even supply some cat-o-nine-tails for you if you’re in the mood, as long as you don’t let your husband near them.”

Ness laughed, the glorious chiming bells of it lifting into the castle, creating cheer against the heavy ancient grey stones. The sound of it so light, Talen’s feet stopped, his head tilting as he listened to the echoes of it.

There was no better sound in the world, even if he hadn’t been the one to just make her laugh like that.

Juliet clamped her fingers along the crook of Talen’s arm. “I am proud of you.”

“How is that?”

“You didn’t kill that old cur. I don’t know that would have been the case if we were in London at the Den or at the Alabaster.”

A frown crossed Talen’s mouth. “Probably not. Though I’d never wanted my fists in someone’s face more.”

Juliet flashed him the smile that had sunk thousands of hearts in London. “You are a better man now, Talen. I like that.”

He took her smile and the compliment as gracefully as he could as they walked. In front of them, he watched with amusement the difference in height between Evan and Ness, though it did little to hinder their conversation. He angled his right ear forward, then shook his head as he realized they were talking about, of all things, the lambing of sheep.

He glanced at Juliet, then nodded forward. “Why did you send Ness to me, of all people?”

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