Seeing Danger (Sinclair and Raven #2)(87)

“What are they saying, Eden?”

“Two men stay here, the rest will go to the rear and try to get in that way.”

Lilly watched as they moved. Dev shot her a warning glance that she guessed meant they were to stay in the carriage, and then he was gone.

“It is intolerable sitting in the carriage not knowing what is going on.”

“Ssssh, I can hear everything,” Eden said, listening at the window. “They are trying to break down the back door. Cam is howling in pain because he hurt his leg.” Eden snorted. “They are in!”

Lilly gripped Eden’s and Essie's hands but remained silent, her eyes intent on the front door. Suddenly it opened and James's face appeared, and then the two men who were waiting there entered the house.

“They are moving from room to room, trying to find Danderfield.” Eden's eyes were alert as she listened.

“Someone is inside. I thought I saw a curtain twitch upstairs.”

“Dev will know where he is, Lilly. He will have seen his colors. Yes, he is directing them upstairs as we speak.”

A desperate tension began to build inside Lilly; something bad was about to happen, she could feel it.

“I heard gunfire. Dear Lord, someone has been shot!”

“Devon!” Lilly screamed. Flinging open the carriage door, she leaped from it and ran for the house. She raced through the front door and up the stairs.

“Devon!” Screaming his name, Lilly ran down the hallway, giving each room a fleeting glance until she found all the men huddled in a small parlor. Looking to the floor, she found Danderfield lying in a pool of blood, his eyes staring unseeing at the ceiling.

“Lilly!”

Cam called to her from the right. He was crouched beside Dev, both hands on his brother's chest as he tried to stop the blood flowing from a bullet he had obviously taken.

“Dear God, no,” Cam cried, lowering his head over his brother.

“Dev!” Eden was next to scream as she and Essie dropped down beside their brother. “Tell me he's all right, Cam!”

Lilly stumbled forward, falling to her knees beside the man she loved.

No, no, no. This can't be happening, not to him, not Devon.

“Everyone out,” Lilly heard James roar, and then the door slammed shut.

“He's not breathing.” Cam's words were desperate. “Danderfield caught us by surprise, he said he was surrendering, and then—”

“No!” Lilly cried. “He's not leaving me, he promised.” Biting the end of her finger, she wrenched off her gloves. “I won't let him leave me.”

“Lilly.” James moved to her side as he reached out to haul his wife close. “He has stopped breathing, Lilly. There is nothing we can do.”

“No, I don't believe that.” Lilly tore open his shirt, sending buttons in every direction. She felt a fierce surge of strength pulse through her. “He wouldn't leave me, he promised.”

She could hear the siblings crying, sobbing for their brother, but Lilly shut them out. Her focus was the man lying still before her. He would not leave her, she vowed silently.

“I need you all to touch me. I want your hands on my hands.”

“Lilly, please, he is gone.”

“No, he is not!” she roared. “James, I need you to kneel behind me, and do not let me stop until he is healed. I mean it, you must promise me this.”

She felt her cousin move behind her, wrapping his arms around her waist, bracing her between his knees.

“Cam, Eden, and Essie, I need your strength. I need you to focus on your brother. He needs you now.” From somewhere she found calm, the pain inside her pushed aside to focus on what she must do.

“Come before me and place your hands over mine.”

They did as she asked, and she fought not to let the desperate sorrow in their eyes weaken her. Placing her hands over the wound, she focused.

“You will not leave me,” she vowed. “Hold me tight, James.”

“I promise,” he said softly.

“Concentrate now,” she whispered, closing her eyes and willing the panic to recede. “Focus on our hands.” Slowly, her fingers began to tingle as heat sparked up her arms. Beneath her fingers, Dev began to twitch.

“Dear God, Lilly, something is happening. I felt his body move,” Cam said.

She couldn't speak just gritted her teeth and kept her hands over the wound. Her body began to shake and the pain struck at her, swift and strong. She felt James use all his strength to hold her there when her body shook and shuddered for release.

“It's hurting her!” he roared.

The pain was almost too much to bear, yet she held still until she felt the bullet beneath her palm.

“He's breathing,” Eden sobbed. “Lilly, you saved him.”

Turning over her bloodied palm, Lilly held out the bullet. Seconds later she slumped forward onto Devon's chest, unconscious.



Lilly could hear voices as she drifted slowly to the surface. She had no wish to open her eyes, as this blissful state was wonderful.

“Open your bloody eyes, woman!”

“Dev, stop that. She will wake when she is ready.”

“She has been sleeping for two days, Essie. It's enough. She should wake up now!”