My Lady Gambled (32 page)

The horses still tried to gallop forward, even twisted in the reins as they were, they managed to drag it on its side for another fifty feet before the soldiers caught them and stopped them. When the whole twisted conveyance stopped, it could not have happened better, it was as if the hand of god directed it, because the crate in the boot fell free, sparks still flying. Soldiers rushed to stamp out the sparks and discovered the broken crate with gunpowder spilling out of it.

Brynmore huffed a huge breath of victory, but quickly turned his mind and gaze from the amazing spectacle toward Ash.

“God damn it. Bloody balls!” Brynmore swore. Ash was gone …

Several weeks later …
 

“I did not know,” Drummond said to Brynmore and Kit as they sat in his study. “I had asked discreetly for a volunteer. Ash came.” Drummond sighed. “Apparently Ash is part of an extremely secret underground section of England’s own varied covert operations that I had not heard of, only had hints of from time to time.” “So he is not Rushborn’s son?” Brynmore asked.

“No, Ash sent me a message explaining as best he could and I might add against the rules he must live by to not expose himself. So we are privileged to get this or any information about him at all,” Drummond advised.

Both Brynmore and Kit nodded. Not all the Archangels were going to hear the details of this, only the overview, it seemed Ash had specifically requested in his missive that Kit and Brynmore be privy to it all.

“Its seems Rushborn owed Ash a large favor from years ago when Ash broke up Rushborn’s nefarious club of virgin defilers. At the time Ash kept Rushborn out of Gaol with Rushborn’s promises to repent but, more important to Ash, Rushborn agreed to compensate the victims with cash to improve their broken lives. However, that gets ahead of ourselves.”

Drummond turned his gaze out the window in contemplation, as he said softly, “Ash’s connection to Hellion and his cult starts with the disappearance and subsequent murder of Ash’s brother by the cult. Ash’s brother was Marco Remior.”

Kit gasped. Brynmore grasped her hand leaning forward with Drummond’s gaze returning to them. “Marco Remior was a real person and not just a name Incubus made up?” Brynmore asked.

“It appears so. According to Ash that is Incubus’s style. He never takes fictitious names, only ones of real people that are dead.”

“Then the love letter I found from Marco to my brother was real? Not from Incubus?” Kit asked.

“Yes, Ash wanted you to know, Kit, that the love affair between Clay and Marco was very real and very deeply felt.”

“Oh my lord,” Kit said, dabbing at her tearing eyes.

“Another part of the story we might get from Ash if our paths should cross again someday, is how it all came about. How Clay and Marco became involved with the cult. Ash only said he began trailing the money. That was what was in the trunks. He followed it to Hellion.”

“But why would he not tell us to begin with?” Brynmore demanded.

Drummond raised a hand, then lowered it. “I will get to that shortly. One thing you both need to know is that Ash had only infiltrated The Order a short time before we did, and before he knew we were even there. The night at The Satyr Whip Club he was there, but he did not know about us yet. It appears his following the cult was not something his superiors had sanctioned, he was doing it on his own without their knowledge.”

Drummond paused, seeming to let that sink in, then his knuckles rapped the tabletop once. “We told Ash more than he had been able to discover about the cult yet. However, his main focus was and will be Incubus. Because, where we felt just destroying the order was enough, Ash is after the name of every person The Order murdered and the name of the killer. Incubus has that.”

“He is going after Incubus?” Brynmore punctuated the question with surprise.

“Yes, as we speak.”

“I’m glad,” Kit declared, still dabbing her eyes.

“Although, I will tell you I believe Ash’s superiors think he has gone rogue and that will be a good deal of trouble for Ash. Even though I understand why he cannot tell them, and I cannot reveal, his reasons.

“Even though he busted my blimey balls over this,” Brynmore said. “I’m wagering on Ash.”

Drummond nodded. “I tend to also. As for why he did not tell us, I can only speculate. Timing was one factor, trust another. Ash, has a lot to lose should his superiors find out he was working on something personal on his own. They are still not certain what he is about. Only that he is missing. I have only said that he helped us admirably and then he disappeared.

“Fact is, we could not have done as well without him.” Brynmore admitted grudgingly.

“Well it seems when the question of why Hellion would remain in a carriage about to explode and kill the Prince of Wales, someone whispered in the Chancellor’s ear all about Hellion’s belief that he could ascend to become a god if he died at the same moment a person of royalty did. Hellion bellowed his denial, however our furious prince is not listening and does not care.”

“Bravo,” Kit said quietly, looking up at Brynmore.

Brynmore lifted her hand to his lips, kissing the knuckles as he gazed at her. “Bravo to you to, love, none of this would have been possible without you.” 

- THE END - 

Also From Shirl Anders erotic Archangel series listed in order. 

My Lady Compelled (printed & in ebook) 

My Lady Enslaved (printed & in ebook) 

My Lady Captive (printed & in ebook) 

My Lady Taken (printed & ebook)

My Lady Enthralled (printed & ebook)) 

My Lady Gambled (printed & ebook) 

Plus the first book in Shirl Anders Red Cloak Regency series: Red Cloak of Abandon (printed)

&

Owning Arabella (printed & ebook) www.allurebooks.com