'Caine, don't raise your voice to me,' Jade instructed.
'That was a close call,' Colin interjected.
'I was very frightened,' Jade whispered. She turned to look at Caine. 'There isn't any shame in admitting I was afraid.'
Caine nodded. Her tone of voice suggested she was challenging him to disagree with her. 'No, there isn't any shame in being afraid.'
She looked relieved. Did she need his approval, then? Caine wondered about that possibility a long minute, then remarked, 'Now I know how you got those bruises on your shoulders. It was when you squeezed through that window, wasn't it?'
'How the hell do you know if she has bruises on her shoulders or not?' Nathan roared his question, for he'd only just realized the significance of Caine's remark.
'I saw them.'
Nathan would have gone for Caine's throat if Colin hadn't thrown his arm in front of his chest. 'Later, Nathan,' he stated. 'You and Caine can settle your dispute later. It looks like we're going to be guests
for a long while.'
Nathan looked like he'd just been told he had to swim with the sharks again.
'You'll put yourself and Colin in danger if you leave,' Jade said. 'It would be too dangerous.'
'We have to stay together,' Colin added.
Nathan reluctantly nodded agreement.
'Caine?' Colin asked. 'When you went after Pagan, you put yourself in danger. The remaining members of the Tribunal couldn't risk the chance of you finding the pirate.'
'There was the possibility that Pagan would be able to convince you that she didn't have anything to do with your brother's death. Yes, it was too much of a risk to take.'
'And so you sent Jade to me,' Caine interjected.
Nathan shook his head. 'We didn't send her. It was her plan from start to finish and we were informed after she'd left. We weren't given a say in the matter.'
'How are we going to get the hounds away from you?'
Colin asked. 'You can't help us find the culprits as long as you're being hunted.' He let out a long sigh, then muttered, 'Hell, it's such a mess. How in God's name are we going to find the bastards? We have absolutely nothing to go on.'
'You're wrong, Colin,' Caine said. 'We have quite a bit of information to start with. We know that Hammond, the Tribunal's director, was a legitimate department head. The three men he recruited were Ice, Fox, and Prince. Now only one or two are still living, correct? And one or both are Willburn's directors. Willburn, by the way, has to be leading a duel life. He must be working for our government
as well as for the Tribunal.'
'How do you figure that?' Nathan asked.
'When we received word of your deaths, my father and I were sent files filed with minor though heroic deeds you two had allegedly fulfilled for England. Willburn was protecting his backside, Colin, and neither file had any substantial information that could be checked out. Security was given as the reason, of course. By the way, you both were given medals for valor.'
'Why did they bother?' Colin asked.
'To appease,' Caine answered. 'Our father's a duke, Colin. Willburn couldn't just let you disappear.
Too many questions would be asked.'
'What about Nathan?' Colin asked. 'Why did they bother honoring him after his death? His father was already dead and there weren't any other Wakerfields with a title. Did they want Jade to be appeased?'
Caine shook his head. 'You're forgetting Nathan's other numerous titles,' Caine said. 'He's also the Marquess of St. James, remember? The Tribunal must have considered all the ramifications if they
made that barbaric faction suspicious.'
'I did forget about the St. James men,' Colin announced. He turned to grin at Nathan. 'You don't talk much about that side of your family, Nathan.'
'Would you?' Nathan replied dryly.
Colin laughed. 'This isn't the time for levity,' Jade muttered. 'Besides, I'm certain all those stories about the St. James men are pure exaggeration. Why, underneath all that grufFness, they're really very kind men. Aren't they, Nathan?'
Now it was Nathan's turn to laugh. 'In a pig's eye,' he drawled out.
Jade gave him a good frown for being so honest. Then she turned her attention back to Caine. 'Did you go to the ceremony honoring Colin and Nathan?' she asked. 'Was it lovely? Were there flowers? Was it
a sizable group…?'
'No, I didn't attend the ceremony,' Caine interrupted.
'Shame on you,' she announced. 'You missed your own brother's…'
'Jade, I was too angry,' Caine interrupted again. 'I didn't want to listen to speeches or accept any medals on Colin's behalf. I let my father have that duty. I wanted…'
'Revenge,' Colin interjected. 'Just like the time you went after the Bradley brothers.'
After making that remark, Colin turned to explain the incident to Nathan. Jade grew impatient again. 'I would
