Page 24 of A Raven Revived

“Have a seat.”

Fitz ignored him. “Tell me what it means.” His voice shook with emotion.

“She’s gone, Fitz. She’s taken a position.”

A scalding wave of anger nearly choked him. He dropped the slate on the desk, grabbed Ash’s lapels, and slammed him back against his large wooden filing cabinet.

“You son of a bitch! Where is she? Where did you send her?”

The smug bastard didn’t even look ruffled. He merely raised his brow and let out a bored sigh.

“I understand you’re upset, Fitz, which is why I’m giving you this warning. You have five seconds to take your hands off me, or I will have you face down on the floor.”

He was far too confident for it to be a bluff. Fitz shoved him once more and let him go. Ash straightened his coat, completely unperturbed.

“Have a seat,” he repeated.

He looked at the slate again. She’d drawn a little daisy next to his name and there were two spots that looked like water had dripped onto the surface. Tears.

“Where did you send her?”

“I gave her my word that I wouldn’t tell you.”

She’d left to get away from him and didn’t want him to find her. His legs suddenly felt weak. He lowered himself into the seat before finally looking up at Ash again.

“What did I do? Why did she leave?”

Ash let out a long sigh. “It was an act of self-preservation. I told you before, losing you again would break her. She must have come to that same conclusion, so she decided to go before she became even more attached to you, knowing that without your investment, you would eventually leave this place.”

“But I’m not leaving! Even now, my solicitor is drawing up papers to make an offer on a townhouse. One of yours, no doubt.”

His dark brows hitched up in surprise. “That’s an awfully permanent step.”

“Like I said, I’m not leaving. I will find her, even if you don’t tell me where she is.”

“She’s safe, Fitz. I can promise you that much.”

“I’m glad to hear it, but that doesn’t mean she isn’t hurting. There are tearstains on this slate.” He pointed a finger at one of them. “So wherever you’ve hidden her, I am going to find her, if it’s the last thing I do.”

“I won’t try and stop you,” Ash said, holding up his hands.

“But you won’t tell me where you sent her?”

He shook his head. “I gave her my word.”

With a huff, he got to his feet. “Just accept my offer on your townhouse so I have a place to live when I get back that isn’t that bloody inn. And furnish the place. I’ll pay whatever it costs.”

Ash inclined his head. Fitz picked up the slate from the desk and left.

To be placed so quickly, she had to be at one of the owners’ estates. He’d start with Ash’s, and if she wasn’t there, he’d move to the next one. He was not going to give up on her. He’d been a bloody fool to give her up so she could wed his brother. He should have fought for her then. He wouldn’t make the same mistake again.

* * *

When Daisy woke, her eyes were still swollen. Her head ached, but not as much as her heart. As hard as it was, it confirmed that she’d made the right choice. How much more painful would it have been in another week or month when he’d decided to leave Raven Row?

He would leave, or at least, he would have. Without the opportunity to invest in The Raven’s Den, there would be nothing to keep him there. That might change, now that she was gone, but she couldn’t think about that. With a sigh, she pushed back the blankets. The sun was shining brightly, and it was time to face the day. It was going to be an adjustment, working days instead of nights after all this time.

After dressing, she opened the door and stepped into the hall. Both Trent’s and Maggie’s rooms were already empty, so she made her way downstairs.

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