“Tell me where my father is,” Duke demanded, taking the man’s collar in his hands again. “Tell me, damn it.”
“Never.” The man grinned through a bloody mouth. His eyes closed and the heavy rise and fall of his chest slowed. “Damn it.” Duke shoved off him and turned to find Roman with the other man pinned against a wall.
Now aware of the aches in his body and fists, Duke staggered over as Roman pressed the man against the brick. “Where is my father?” he said through a tight jaw.
The man shook his head. Roman drew him back a little and pushed him against the brick again. “Where is he?”
“It’s not worth my life.”
“Your life is in my hands,” Roman reminded him.
The man shrugged. Duke and Roman exchanged looks. Patrick Doyle had everyone so terrified of retribution they’d get nothing from the men.
“Let him go.” Duke paused to bend and take a deep breath.
Roman frowned. “Let him go?”
Duke nodded, eyed his friend with what he hoped was atrust melook, and gestured to Roman to release him. “Let him go,” he confirmed.
Slowly, Roman eased his grip and let the man drop to his feet. Doyle’s’ man straightened his clothes, swung a look between them both and darted out of the warehouse door.
“Now, we follow him,” Duke said. “With any luck, he’ll lead us to my father.”
Understanding dawned in Roman’s expression. “Ah.”
Duke led the way, slipping out onto the darkened wharf. He pointed to the right. The man had already slowed his pace. Duke shook his head. The arrogant bastard. With any luck, he was that arrogant, he wouldn’t expect them to follow him.
“This way,” he said to Roman as he started to follow the man. “We’ll need to be cautious so that—” He paused when he realized Roman hadn’t kept up with him.
“Uh, Duke...”
He turned quickly and froze. “Well, I’ll be damned.”
The old man at Roman’s side flashed a quick grin. “Seems I missed all of the action.”
Duke rubbed a hand over his face to ensure he wasn’t suffering delusions after hitting the ground so hard.
“It seems you did, Pops.” He grinned and hastened over to his father to grip him tight. “It seems you did.”
Chapter Nineteen
When Violet emerged from the bedroom into the hallway, she paused, a hand to the fabric wall covering and took a breath.
It was over.
Duke’s father was safe, and Patrick Doyle had no leverage over Duke. They could all go back to normal. The trouble was, she wasn’t certain what normal was. Looking out for her sisters? Being the only Musgrave anyone wanted to speak with? Smiling through the snubs and the tittering gossip?
There would be no more investigating, no more daring behavior. Back to being the pretty, popular Musgrave who ensured her family still somehow survived in society. She grimaced. It didn’t sound that appealing after all this.
No more time with Duke.
“You look exhausted.”
She blinked and glanced down the hallway to spy Duke leaning against the doorframe of his bedroom, his arms folded. With his hair mussed, shirt sleeves rolled, and his collar open, one could say the same for him if one stretched the truth, but he simply looked entirely too handsome. She wondered how long he’d been standing there.
“You should know better than to say such a thing to a woman.”
“You still look beautiful, naturally.”