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Annalise grinned, loving the triumph in his gaze as he looked at her.

Then Blake turned to Noel and whispered, “You’re going to be a big brother soon.” He suddenly lifted Annalise in his arms and twirled her, her joyful laughter echoing through the room.

Noel stirred in his bed, and Annalise clasped her lips with her hand.

Blake set her back on the floor and leaned in for a swift, sweet kiss.

“Come,” he said, taking her hand and squeezing her fingers. “For a proper celebration.”

Chapter 26

Dawn was creeping through the heavy curtains when Gideon stirred. His late-night conversation with Leila had been a balm to his soul, allowing him to sleep deeply and dreamlessly for the second time in years. He reached out to touch Leila’s warm, sleeping form, only to find the cold, empty pillow beside him.

He jolted into a seated position.

“Leila?” he called, his voice rough with sleep.

The rustle of papers drew his attention to the floor near the window before Leila answered him with a distracted, “Hm?”

She sat cross-legged on the Persian rug, surrounded by what appeared to be every piece of paper they had gathered from Blake’s study. She was wearing his shirt, and her dark hair was collected in her favorite braid as her finger traced the lines of text before her.

“What are you doing?” Gideon asked, swinging his legs over the side of the bed and padding barefoot across the cold floor to join her.

She looked up at him, her eyes bright with excitement. “I think I found him,” she said.

“Have you slept at all?” he asked as he reached her side.

“No. A little. But Gideon, listen, I know the Cardinal better than anyone—his habits, his preferences, the way his mind works. I thought I might find something others have missed. And I found this.” She raised a piece of paper, holding it above her head.

“What is it?” Gideon knelt beside her, taking the document from her fingers and studying it carefully. It appeared to be a rental agreement for a manor house a couple of hours away from London.

“I think they are there. It is remote enough, luxurious enough, and compared to all the other properties he leases in or around London, this one seems the most like the apartments he rented on the Continent. Besides, if you look closely at the layout and design, you can see how advantageous this place is for strategic purposes. The land before the mansion is vast. Anyone who approaches will be discovered long before they can reach the gates. And look here, there are some oddities within the walls. They seem a bit too thick in a few places. I think there might be hidden passages there, like inside Grace’s brothel.”

Gideon studied the document and saw exactly what Leila was saying. In addition to the points she had mentioned, there was a cellar similar to the one where they’d been held hostage. The Cardinal could be keeping Emir there.

However, he owned numerous properties, some of which they didn’t even know about, so singling out this one might be premature. Still, it was worth checking out, and he trusted Leila’s judgment. If she saw something in this place, there was probably something there.

“Do you want to go there and check?” he asked.

She glanced up at him, and for a moment, surprise flickered in her eyes. Did she think he would oppose her? But she immediately perked up, jumping to her feet. “Yes, I do.”

He rose to his feet but hesitated. “I don’t know if it’s wise for us to go there on our own for reconnaissance. Perhaps we should ask someone else to do it. And if Townsend is there, then we can—”

“No.” Leila reached for his hand, and he took it. “I can’t just sit here and do nothing. My blood is boiling, and my feet are restless.”

“What if he’s not there? While we are out, we might receive a note with his real location. You don’t want to miss that, do you?”

She seemed to deflate at his words. He stepped closer and gently grasped her arms, lightly massaging them. “We’ll find Emir, I promise.”

“I promised to keep him safe,” Leila whispered.

She leaned into his chest, and Gideon wrapped his arms around her. “And you will keep your promise.”

* * *

Within an hour of Leila’s conversation with Gideon, a note arrived indicating that Townsend would be attending a function later that night—a demimonde ball hosted by one Nicolette Burke.

Gideon sent one of his spies to watch the mansion Leila had singled out and see if that was where Townsend would be leaving from. In the meantime, Leila prepared to confront the man who had thoroughly ruined her life.