Read Cloaked in Danger for Free Online Page B

depths. “Shame on ye, girlie. Takin’ a’van’ge of me.”
    She could barely make out the words, but understood the context.
    The game was up.
    Aria shoved aside the guilt. She had new information. If the bastard John had referred to had been in Egypt, he couldn’t have been in London at the same time.
    And every man on her father’s list was in London right now.
    It was a small space to share with the man who had attempted to murder the two people she loved most in the world.
    The hand that landed on hers made her jump.
    “Stay out, Sprite. Please,” he pleaded.
    Before she had to answer, his breathing grew steady and even and the hand over hers slackened.
    Aria pulled in a long draft of air and slowly exhaled, trying to ease the tension curling like bad milk in her stomach. She pulled the blanket up around John’s chest and leaned down to place a gentle kiss against the gristle of his unshaven cheek. As she did, a tear dropped to his face, and she quickly reached up and realized she was crying.
    With a last look at him, Aria left the room and clicked the door shut. In the corridor, she leaned back against the door and let the tears fall.
    He meant so much. They’d been a team, the three of them. He had been there for her since she was a little girl. Constant. Sure.
    Sprite. Scamp. His multitude of nicknames had been one of the many games started upon that very first trip after her mother’s death. Uncle John had wanted to keep her mind off her sadness. The more she’d hurt, the sillier his nicknames became.
    She supposed she could take heart at that. He hadn’t started making up words as nicknames yet, so somewhere inside, John still held hope.
    As long as he maintained that, she would continue fighting for answers.
    “How is he?”
    At Emily’s soft words, Aria quickly scrubbed her face and inhaled a long breath, giving her time to tuck away all the emotions. When she turned, she aimed for serene and calm, but all she felt was exhaustion.
    “He’s resting.” She stepped away from his door.
    Emily stifled a yawn. “And did he provide any further information?”
    “The man responsible was in Egypt at the time Papa disappeared.” A yawn of her own escaped. “It gives me a focus. It should be simple enough to find out who on Papa’s list was not accounted for during the time it would take to travel there and back.”
    Including the two men she had met tonight. The duke, and the Lord of—no. The Earl of Merewood.
    His face flashed in her mind, that breathless moment he’d been inches away from her, as he’d lain atop her. A wave of prickly warmth washed over her. Would it have been so awful if she had kissed him? For all her adventures, she’d never been kissed, and he’d tempted her in a way no one ever had. Now, it was as if her body had woken up from a long sleep. She was acutely aware of every tingle and twitch she felt when his handsome, aggravating face came to mind.
    Which was entirely too frequent.
    In other circumstances, maybe she could have enjoyed the feelings he brought out in her. In other circumstances, she would have gladly done more than enjoyed. Reveled. Indulged. Those feelings were definitely worth a ruined reputation....
    She shook her head, and after bidding Emily good night, headed to her chambers. Foolish thoughts. She had no want of his title, his wealth. His life.
    She had no want of him. He had nothing to offer her but heartache.
    Aria closed her door. Most important, his name was on her father’s list of investors. That was all that mattered.

Chapter Four
    The next morning, Adam entered the corridor to the low hum of male voices, likely all suitors waiting for his ever-fashionably late sister, Cordelia, to show. He mustered the strength not to turn on his heel and head back upstairs. This did nothing to improve the pounding on both sides of his head.
    But neither a headache nor the lack of sleep that had induced it was reason enough to shirk his duty. So what if he’d