A Rogues Proposal

'Oh.' Dillon's face fell. He slumped down in the chair at the table's end.

Drawing off his gloves at the table's other end, Demon studied Dillon, noting his pallor and the lines the last week had etched in his cheeks. It was as if the reality of his situation, now fully realized, and the consequent worry of apprehension and exposure, were eating away at his childish self-absorption. If that was so, then it was all to the good. Drawing out the last rickety stool, Demon sat. 'We've discovered your elusive contact.'

Dillon looked up, hope gleaming in his eyes. Demon raised his brows at Flick, wondering if she wanted to tell Dillon herself. Instead, she nodded for him to continue. He looked back at Dillon. 'Your man's name is Bletchley- he's a Londoner.' Briefly, he described their quarry.

Dillon nodded. 'Yes-that's him-the man who recruited me. He used to bring me the lists of horses and jockeys.'

Flick leaned forward. 'And the money?'

Dillon glanced at her, then colored, but continued to meet her eyes. 'Yes. He always had my fee.'

'No, I mean the money for the jockeys. How did they get paid? Did Bletchley give you their money?'

Dillon frowned. 'I don't know how they got paid-I wasn't involved. That's not how it worked when I did it.'

'Then how did you do the organizing?' Demon asked.

Dillon shrugged. 'It was simple-the list of jockeys told me how much to offer each one. I did, and then reported if they'd accepted. I wasn't involved in getting their money to them after the race.'

'After the race,' Flick repeated. 'What about the payments before the race?'

Dillon's puzzled frown grew. 'Before?'

'As a down payment,' Demon explained.

Dillon shook his head. 'There weren't any payments before the race-only the one payment after the deed was done. And someone else took care of that, not me.'

Flick frowned. 'They've changed their ways.'

'That's understandable,' Demon said. 'They're presently targeting races during the Craven meeting, one of the premier meetings in the calendar. The betting on those races is enormous-one or two fixed races, and they'll make a major killing. That's something the jockeys will know. They'll also know that the risk of being questioned by the stewards is greater-more attention is always paid to the major races during the major meets.'

Dillon frowned. 'Last season, they didn't try to fix any truly major races.'

'It's possible they've been building up to this season-or that they've grown more cocky, more assured, and are now willing to take greater risks in the hope of greater rewards. Regardless, the jockeys for the Spring Carnival races would obviously demand more to pull their mounts.' Demon glanced at Dillon. 'The going rate for the two races we've heard fixed is five ponies.'

'Five?' Dillon's brows flew up. 'I was only once directed to offer three.'

'So the price has gone up, and they're locking the jockeys in by offering some now, some later. Once the first payment's accepted, the jockey's more or less committed, which is less risky for the syndicate.' Demon looked at Dillon. 'They would, I fancy, be happy to make a down payment to avoid a repetition of what happened in the first race this year.'

Dillon slowly nodded. 'Yes, I see. This way, the fix is more or less certain.'

'Hmm.' Flick frowned. 'Did you ever hear anything from the jockeys you organized about how they got paid?'

Dillon paled. 'Only from one, early last season.' He glanced at Demon. 'The jockey wasn't too happy-his money was left at his mother's cottage. He didn't feel easy about the syndicate knowing where to find his old mum.'

Demon met Dillon's gaze. He didn't like what he was learning. The syndicate sounded disturbingly intelligent-an evil, ruthless and intelligent opponent was, in his book, the worst. More of a challenge, but infinitely more dangerous.

That, of course, would normally whet his appetite, stir his Cynster blood. In this case, he only had to look at Flick to inwardly curse and wish the whole damned syndicate to hell. Unfortunately, the way the situation was shaping, it was going to fall to him to escort them there, while simultaneously protecting an angel from the consequences of her almost certain involvement in the syndicate's fall.

While the thought of the syndicate didn't stir his blood, Flick did-in quite a different way, a way he hadn't experienced before. This was not mere lust. He was well acquainted with that demon, and while it was certainly in the chorus, its voice wasn't the loudest. That distinction currently belonged to the impulse to protect her; if he complied with his inner promptings, he'd tie her up, cart her off to a high tower with a single door bearing a large and effective lock, and incarcerate her there until he had slain the dragon she was determined to flush out.

Unfortunately…

'We'd better go.' She gathered her gloves and stood, her stool grating on the floor.

He rose more slowly, watching the interaction between Flick and Dillon.

Dillon was looking earnestly at her; she tugged on her gloves, then met his gaze. 'We'll let you know what we discover-when we discover something. Until then, it's best that you stay out of sight.'

Dillon nodded. Reaching out, he caught her hand and squeezed. 'Thank you.'

She humphed and shook free, but without any heat. 'I told you I'm only doing this for the General.'

The statement lacked the force of her earlier rendering; Demon doubted even she believed it.

Dillon's lips twisted rather ruefully. 'Even so.' He looked at Demon and stood. 'I owe you a debt I'll never be able to repay.'

His expression impassive, Demon met his gaze. 'I'll think of something, never fear.'

Dillon's eyes widened at his tone; with a curt nod, Demon turned to Flick.

Frowning, she glanced back at Dillon. 'We'll look in in a few days.' Then she turned and led the way out.

Following on her heels, Demon breathed deeply as they emerged into the night. A quick glance at the sky revealed a black pall-the moon had been engulfed by dark clouds. Within the cottage, the light of the lantern dimmed, then died. Eyes adjusting to the dark, Demon looked around as he strode across the clearing; no other human was anywhere about-just the two of them alone in the night.

Flick didn't wait for help but scrambled into her saddle. Untying Ivan's reins, Demon quickly mounted, holding the stallion steady as Flick trotted Jessamy over.

'I'll ride home through the park. I'll see you on the Heath tomorrow afternoon.'

'No.'

Surprised, she stared at him. Before she could scowl, he clarified, 'I'll ride back to Hillgate End with you. It's after midnight-you shouldn't be out riding alone.'

She didn't scowl, but he sensed her resistance. She studied him, then opened her mouth, doubtless to argue, when a breeze wafted through the clearing and set the trees shivering. It moaned, softly, eerily, through the branches, then died away on a sigh, an expiring banshee leaving only the rustling leaves slowly stilling in the deep darkness.

Flick shut her mouth and nodded. 'Yes, all right.'

Shaking her reins she set out; muttering his by now customary oath, Demon wheeled Ivan and set out to catch up. He did in short order; side by side, they rode across the next field-the last bastion of his domain. Beyond its hedge, directly ahead of them, lay the furthest reaches of the former park of Hillgate End.

There was a spot they both knew where the hedge thinned; they pushed through onto an old bridle path. Flick led the way into the dark shadows beneath the trees.

Although some of the park's paths were kept in good condition for riders, notably Flick, to enjoy, this was not one of them. Bushes pressed close on either side, branches flapped before their faces. They had to walk their mounts-it was too dangerous to even trot. The path was deep in leaf mold; it occasionally dipped, creating the added danger of their horses slipping. They both instinctively guarded their precious mounts, alert to every shift in weight, in muscle, in balance, of the beasts beneath them.

The General had no love of shooting, so the park had become a refuge for wildlife. A badger snuffled and growled as they passed him; later, they heard rustling, then the yips of a fox.

'I didn't realize it would be this bad.' Flick ducked beneath a low-hanging branch.

Demon grunted. 'I thought this was the route you used to go back and forth to the cottage. Obviously