Then Came You (The Gamblers #1)(106)

Nathan smiled sardonically at his friend’s impatience, and then his thin face turned somber. “I’m considering some disquieting possibilities,” he finally said. “The man your wife hired, Mr. Knox, is the pride of Learman’s Westminster office. Lady Raiford was not at fault for believing him to be trustworthy.”

“Is he?” Alex asked tersely.

“I’m not certain.” Nathan gave a long sigh. “In the course of their duties, Alex, my officers become quite familiar with the underworld and its workings. Sometimes they are tempted to use this knowledge in evil ways…trading innocent lives in return for money, and therefore betraying every principle they are pledged to uphold. I’m afraid your wife and her daughter may have been victims of this devil’s bargain.” He frowned in disgust. “Knox has earned a large amount of ‘blood money’ this year, in the form of rewards for recovering stolen children. His unusual success leads me to suspect he could be in collusion with the criminals who are responsible for the abductions. Feeding them information, warning them when to change locations, helping them to avoid arrest. Knox may actually be partners with this Gavazzi.”

Alex’s jaw hardened. “What the hell are you going to do about it?”

“With your permission, I would like to set a trap, using Lady Raiford as our front.”

“As long as she won’t be exposed to danger.”

“No danger of any kind,” Nathan assured him.

“What about her daughter?” Alex asked tersely. “Will this help to find her?”

Nathan hesitated. “If we’re fortunate, it will lead to that.”

Alex rubbed his forehead and closed his eyes. “Dammit,” he muttered. “That’s not much to take home to my wife.’

“It’s all I can offer,” came the quiet reply.

Chapter 13

“Mr. Knox was helping Giuseppe?” Lily demanded in outrage. “While he was working for me?”

Alex nodded, taking her hands in his. “Nathan suspects Giuseppe may be part of a rookery gang, and that Knox is in collusion with him. Recently Knox has been making a large amount of ‘blood money’ in addition to his regular salary.”

“Blood money?” Lily asked in confusion.

“Rewards given him by private citizens for finding and returning stolen children. Knox has collected rewards for resolving several such cases this year.”

Lily’s eyes widened with surprise and anger. “Then the gang abducts children…Mr. Knox returns them…and they all divide the reward money amongst themselves? Why has he returned everyone’s child except mine? Why not Nicole?”

“Giuseppe may have persuaded him that they’d make more by keeping Nicole and draining you of everything you had.”

Lily was still. “He was right,” she said numbly. “I handed over several fortunes to him. I gave him whatever he wanted.” She dropped her head into her hands. “Oh, God,” she muttered. “What a naive, blind fool I’ve been. I made it so damned easy for them.”

While she remained hunched over, his hand settled over her head, his long fingers sifting through her curls in an easy, repeated stroke. Until now she had winced away from his attempts to embrace her, but she allowed the soothing massage, the tense muscles in her neck loosening.

“Don’t blame yourself,” Alex said gently. “You were alone and frightened. They took advantage of that. It’s impossible to look at things objectively when you’re afraid for your child.”

Lily’s mind seemed to spin with questions. What did he think of her now that he knew all about her past?…Did he feel pity or censure?…Was he only being kind until he felt she was strong enough to face his rejection? She told herself that she couldn’t make a move toward him until she had the answers. She would rather die than force herself on him…but rational thought was becoming impossible with his fingers playing softly in her hair. A surge of need rose inside her, and she couldn’t stop herself from lifting her head with a quiet plea. She didn’t care if it was pity. She just wanted him to hold her.

“Sweetheart.” Alex gathered her into his lap, cradling her tenderly as she buried her face against his neck. He seemed to read her thoughts easily, as if she were a treasured volume he had paged through a thousand times. By telling her secrets, she had given him that power over her. “I love you,” he said against her temple, brushing back her hair with his fingertips.

“You can’t—”

“Quiet. Listen to me carefully, Wilhemina. Your mistakes, your past, your fears…none of it will change how I feel about you.”

She swallowed hard, trying to absorb the statement. “I-I don’t like that name,” she faltered.

“I know,” he said gently. “Because it reminds you of when you were a girl. Wilhemina is frightened and eager, wanting to be loved. And Lily is strong and brave, and would tell the world to go to hell if she wanted to.”

“Which do you prefer?” she whispered.

He nudged her chin upward, staring into he eyes. He smiled slightly. “All of you. Every part of you.”

Lily trembled at the assurance in his voice, but as he lowered his mouth to hers, she flinched. She wasn’t ready for sensual kisses or embraces…her inner wounds were raw…she needed time to heal. “Not yet,” she whispered pleadingly, afraid he would be angry at her refusal. Instead he gathered her close again, and she rested her head on his shoulder with a weary sigh.