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Sadly our “punishment” must come to an end, but do not worry, I will return before nightfall.

You should probably check on our guests, they are most likely as disgruntled as you are at this point.

Yours,

L

“Bloody hell,” Ezra growled, storming to his dressing room for some fresh clothes.

Moments later he was dressed and stomping out of his quarters, startling the servants in the hallway as the door slammed into the wall.

“Where in GOD’S name is my WIFE!?” Ezra roared, his voice echoing through the halls.

“That was exactly what I was about to ask you,” Duncan growled, storming toward him from the right.

In his hand, he held a similar piece of paper, and Ezra snarled.

“Son of a bitch,” he growled, snatching the letter from Duncan’s hands as he tossed his own toward his friend.

The contents read almost verbatim to Lydia’s, save for the punishment part.

“You care to explain this?” Ambrose demanded, joining them.

“It appears our wives have staged a coup,” Ezra muttered, snatching another identical letter from Ambrose’s hands.

He rolled his eyes and tossed the letter toward Duncan, who then crumpled them together and threw them on the floor.

“These damned women,” Ambrose seethed, heading toward the stairs. “Barbara took Helena with her too,as usual.I swear I am going to wring both of their necks for this.”

Ambrose’s voice tapered off as he started muttering something along the linesdamned succubus,andthree-day sex coma,and it piqued Ezra’s curiosity. It seemed to pique Duncan’s too, because he suddenly caught up to Ambrose, demanding details.

“Wait a minute, what have you been doing for the last three days?” Duncan demanded, stopping Ambrose on the second-floor landing.

Ezra narrowed his eyes as he watched Ambrose’s ears and neck turn scarlet red, and something pinged in his brain. Had their wives devised something?

“It has been an incredibly stressful time,” Ambrose growled defensively, picking at his jacket, “Some recuperation was required.”

Recuperation,” Ezra echoed, looking from Ambrose to Duncan.

His initial suspicions were confirmed when he noticed that they both wore the same flushed yet proud looks on their faces.

“They staged this,” Ezra admitted aloud, shaking his head as his thoughts grew dark.

“Wait a minute,” Ambrose stated, his face growing pale again. “Where is Morgan? Where is mysister?”

Ezra went blank as he suddenly pictured Morgan’s funeral, and heprayedhis foolish friend was not that reckless.

“Ambrose,” Ezra said warningly as the man suddenly pivoted and ran back up the stairs, heading toward Morgan’s room.

“Take a breath, mate,” Duncan pleaded.

“HELENA!!” Ambrose roared, kicking in the double doors to Morgan’s room.

Bewilderment and relief consumed Ezra as Morgan sat up from his bed along with not Helena, but two other women he and Ambrose knew.

“Maria?” Ezra stated.

She gave him a bashful look, then turned her eyes to Morgan before laying a hand on his chest and snuggling into his shoulder. Ezra looked from her to the other woman. Angel, hevaguely remembered, was her name. Another working girl at the hell.