Page 92 of A Deal with the Devil

He loved that about her too, damn it—her strength, her determination. The freckles on her lower back. The way she moaned. Tasted.

It was too damn early to be this hard. To know she was upstairs right now, soft and warm in her bed. But she needed rest, despite what she might have to say on the matter. She needed care.

Stealing from her house was such a good decision that he was only sorry he had not done so before. She was at war with the world with no one at her back. No more. Not ever again.

At the knock at the study door, he tucked the jewelry away. “Come.”

It wasn’t Kitty, unfortunately.

“Shipment was taken again,” Macleod said. “Bastards stole it barely ten feet from the docks.”

“Which one?” Devil asked.

“The bourbon from America.” Macleod narrowed his eyes. “You don’t look upset.”

“Do I ever?”

“Your left eye twitches.”

Devil leaned back in his chair. “The bourbon was delivered to Yelena’s house. You can have it picked up and taken to the Sins. The gin coming in from Holland will go to Soho Square and the chocolate goes to the modiste on Oxford Street. Knock twice at the back door or she’ll set her dog on you.”

“You cagey bastard.”

Devil shrugged. “Sabotage is boring. And Portsmouth doesn’t get to talk about the Sins, never mind get in the way.” He smiled, and it was his smile from the Continent. “And you might want to tell the nearest magistrate that he just received a trunk of smuggled wine. He can’t afford the tax, seeing as he owes me a fortune. How embarrassing for him.”

“I don’t recall a debt.”

“Neither will he, but who will believe him?”

“A hit to his reputation and sense of power will hurt more than any monetary debt.” Macleod whistled. “You did always tell us to know the enemy better than they know themselves.”

“I know he’s hiding something,” Devil said. “Three dead wives is a lot even for his cronies to overlook. Something else is going on. He’s an earl, not a duke or a prince.”

“We’ll get our man. We always do.”

Devil thought of Kitty.

“Damn right we will.”