Elise’s sharp voice behind him brought Aidan to a halt. He turned around to see her tying the belt on one of the terry cloth robes Bronwyn kept for guests. “And the next time you try to run off and leave me tucked up like some fragile flower, I’ll gut you with a spoon. This is my daughter we’re talking about. Not yours, mine. ” She was pale and had dark shadows under her eyes, but she was functional again. Good.
Aidan tipped his head. It went against the grain to apologize for chivalry, but he did it anyway. “Sorry.”
Des paused with one foot on the bottom step and his hand on the newel post, his body so tense it practically quivered as he stared up at Aidan, his dark eyes assessing every line of Aidan’s face. “What the hell have you done, Greene?”
“Not a bloody damned thing except try to find your niece.” He took three more steps, nodding his thanks as Des backed off and let him leave the stairs. Elise slipped down behind him. When she reached the bottom of the steps, she hesitated, then allowed her brother to gather her awkwardly into a hug. Even with family, she wasn’t demonstrative—at least not in front of others. Maybe Aidan had been reading her wrong when they were together. When they’d split, he hadn’t thought her feelings were all that engaged due to her lack of open affection. When she’d pressed for commitment, he’d thought it was more for appearances’ sake than because she’d actually cared about him. Had he been wrong all this time? Perhaps he should have been honored that she was so warm and open in private, rather than feeling rebuffed because she didn’t like to touch in public.
“I’m so sorry, Lise. We’ll get her back.” Desmond’s tone softened as it only ever did for his sister. Aidan fought back an urge to rip Elise out of her brother’s arms and back into his where she belonged… oh, fuck. He had to stop thinking like that.
“I don’t know how they did it, Des.” Her voice broke. “I don’t know why . Dina never hurt a living thing in her life.”
“I know, Lise. I know. Now why don’t you go get dressed while I talk to Greene?”
“Desmond—”
“Look, I promise I won’t hit him. But it’s going to be a long day. You’re going to want some clothes on.” Des made it sound like not hitting Aidan would be an effort, but he’d manage.
Ah, well, that feeling was mutual.
Elise turned to Aidan. “Will you behave?”
Aidan gave her a brief bow. “Of course. We’ll be in the security office if that’s okay. One of the guards can take you there whenever you’re ready.”
He nodded at the security staff stationed in the foyer. Wallis had brought in more guards from Oakwood, Aidan’s Underhill estate. Good.
When Elise turned and stomped back up stairs, he turned to her brother. “Have you been by Elise’s house, or did you come straight here?”
“Straight here.” Des ran one hand through his short black hair. It was already standing straight up, a testament to his having repeated the gesture often as he drove. “She sent me a text that she wanted to be near the portal.”
Aidan nodded. “We know that Dina was taken by an elf and a djinni. The likelihood of them being somewhere Underhill is pretty damn high, so basing ourselves here seemed the wisest course of action.”
“Djinni? How the hell did the djinn get involved in this?” Des glared at Aidan, his dark eyes narrowed in suspicion. “This has to have something to do with you. In almost five years, there’ve been no problems until today.”
“You’re probably right.” Aidan held both hands, palms out, in a conciliatory gesture. “But it was none of my doing. You want to actually come in, sit down and talk, or would you rather stand here and yell at me?”
Desmond might have had his issues with Aidan, but he wasn’t a totally unreasonable bastard. With a curt nod, he stepped past Aidan toward the library. “Any chance of getting some coffee?”
“There’s
Aidan tipped his head. It went against the grain to apologize for chivalry, but he did it anyway. “Sorry.”
Des paused with one foot on the bottom step and his hand on the newel post, his body so tense it practically quivered as he stared up at Aidan, his dark eyes assessing every line of Aidan’s face. “What the hell have you done, Greene?”
“Not a bloody damned thing except try to find your niece.” He took three more steps, nodding his thanks as Des backed off and let him leave the stairs. Elise slipped down behind him. When she reached the bottom of the steps, she hesitated, then allowed her brother to gather her awkwardly into a hug. Even with family, she wasn’t demonstrative—at least not in front of others. Maybe Aidan had been reading her wrong when they were together. When they’d split, he hadn’t thought her feelings were all that engaged due to her lack of open affection. When she’d pressed for commitment, he’d thought it was more for appearances’ sake than because she’d actually cared about him. Had he been wrong all this time? Perhaps he should have been honored that she was so warm and open in private, rather than feeling rebuffed because she didn’t like to touch in public.
“I’m so sorry, Lise. We’ll get her back.” Desmond’s tone softened as it only ever did for his sister. Aidan fought back an urge to rip Elise out of her brother’s arms and back into his where she belonged… oh, fuck. He had to stop thinking like that.
“I don’t know how they did it, Des.” Her voice broke. “I don’t know why . Dina never hurt a living thing in her life.”
“I know, Lise. I know. Now why don’t you go get dressed while I talk to Greene?”
“Desmond—”
“Look, I promise I won’t hit him. But it’s going to be a long day. You’re going to want some clothes on.” Des made it sound like not hitting Aidan would be an effort, but he’d manage.
Ah, well, that feeling was mutual.
Elise turned to Aidan. “Will you behave?”
Aidan gave her a brief bow. “Of course. We’ll be in the security office if that’s okay. One of the guards can take you there whenever you’re ready.”
He nodded at the security staff stationed in the foyer. Wallis had brought in more guards from Oakwood, Aidan’s Underhill estate. Good.
When Elise turned and stomped back up stairs, he turned to her brother. “Have you been by Elise’s house, or did you come straight here?”
“Straight here.” Des ran one hand through his short black hair. It was already standing straight up, a testament to his having repeated the gesture often as he drove. “She sent me a text that she wanted to be near the portal.”
Aidan nodded. “We know that Dina was taken by an elf and a djinni. The likelihood of them being somewhere Underhill is pretty damn high, so basing ourselves here seemed the wisest course of action.”
“Djinni? How the hell did the djinn get involved in this?” Des glared at Aidan, his dark eyes narrowed in suspicion. “This has to have something to do with you. In almost five years, there’ve been no problems until today.”
“You’re probably right.” Aidan held both hands, palms out, in a conciliatory gesture. “But it was none of my doing. You want to actually come in, sit down and talk, or would you rather stand here and yell at me?”
Desmond might have had his issues with Aidan, but he wasn’t a totally unreasonable bastard. With a curt nod, he stepped past Aidan toward the library. “Any chance of getting some coffee?”
“There’s
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