and has put you in danger, too. Those are the only facts we can take as true.'
Caine knew he was right. He leaned back against the settee. 'Now tell me what your gut reaction is.'
'Perhaps this has something to do with her father,' Lyon suggested with a shrug. 'I'll start looking into
the Earl of Wakerfield's history. Richards will be able to help.'
Caine started to disagree and then changed his mind. 'It couldn't hurt,' he said. 'Still, I'm beginning to wonder if her brother might not be behind all this. Remember, Lyon. Nathan went to London to help a friend in trouble. That's when all this started.'
'If we accept the story she told us.'
'Yes,' Caine answered.
Lyon let out a long sigh. 'I only have one question to put to you, Caine.' His voice was low, insistent. 'Do you trust her?'
Caine stared at his friend a long minute. 'If we apply logic to this bizarre situation…'
Lyon shook his head. 'I value your instincts, friend. Answer me.'
'Yes,' Caine said. He grinned then. For the first time in his life, he pushed reason aside. 'I trust her
with my life but I couldn't give you one valid reason why. How's that for logic, Lyon?'
His friend smiled. 'I trust her, too. You don't have the faintest idea why you trust her, though, do you, Caine?'
Lyon sounded downright condescending. Caine raised an eyebrow in reaction. 'What are you getting at?'
'I trust her only because you do,' Lyon explained. 'Your instincts are never wrong. You've saved my backside more than once because I listened to you.'
'You still haven't explained what your point is,' Caine reminded him.
'I trusted Christina,' Lyon said. 'Almost from the very beginning. I swear to you it was blind faith on
my part. She led me a merry chase, too. Now I must side with my wife. Christina, as you know, has some rather unusual opinions. She's on the mark this time, though.'
'And how is that?' Caine asked.
*'I believe, good friend, that you've just met your destiny.' He let out a soft chuckle and shook his head. 'God help you now, Caine, for your chase is just about to begin.'
Chapter Seven
The ladies were waiting in the foyer for Caine and Lyon. A large gray and white speckled satchel was
on the floor between them.
Caine tried to lift it, then shook his head. 'For God's sake, Jade, no horse is going to be able to carry
this load. The weight will be too much for the animal.'
He knelt on one knee, flipped open the catch on the satchel and looked inside. Then he let out a low whistle. 'There's a bloody arsenal in here,' he told Lyon. 'Who packed this thing?'
'I did,' Christina answered. 'There are just a few weapons I thought Jade might need to protect the
two of you.'
'Weapons Jade might need to protect me?' He looked incredulous. 'Lyon, did your wife just insult me?'
Lyon smiled while he nodded. 'She certainly did, Caine. You might as well apologize now and get it
over with.'
'Why in God's name would I apologize?'
'It will save time,' Lyon explained. He was trying not to laugh. Caine looked thoroughly bewildered.
'Marriage has made you soft,' Caine muttered.
'As soft as milk toast,' Lyon announced with a grin.
Caine turned his attention back to stripping the unnecessary items from the bag.
While both ladies gasped in dismay, Caine tossed several long knives to the floor, two pistols, and one mean- looking link of chain. 'You aren't going to need all of this, Jade. Besides, you're far too timid to
use any of them.'
She was already gathering up the weapons. 'Leave them there, my little warrior.'
'Oh, have it your way,' she muttered. 'And quit using endearments on me, sir. Save them for the other women in your life. I'm neither your sweetheart, nor your love, and I'm certainly not your warrior. Oh, don't look so innocently perplexed, Caine. Christina told me all about the other women.'
He was still trying to make sense out of her earlier comment. 'Calling you a warrior is an endearment in your befuddled mind?'
'It most certainly is, you rude man,' she replied. 'I won't make you apologize for calling me befuddled, but only because you're probably still cranky over the news that your town house was burned down.'
Caine felt like growling in frustration. He finished stripping the bag of unnecessary weapons, then clipped the lock shut. 'Thank you for going to all the trouble, Christina, but you may need your weapons to keep Lyon safe. Come along, Jade,' he ordered. He took the bag in one hand and Jade's hand in the other. His grip stung.
She didn't mind. She was too pleased at how well she had told her stories-how she had at once convinced Caine and confused him. The set of Caine's jaw indicated he wasn't in a reasonable mood.
She let him drag her to the back door. Lyon's groom had readied two mounts for them. Just as Jade was
