Page 1 of A Raven Realized (The Raven’s Den #5)

Chapter One

A nother depraved man was dead.

Simon marked the file with an x and carefully placed it in the drawer with the rest. It might be ill-advised to keep records of the men he’d killed and maimed, but he needed them.

Proof that evil didn’t always triumph. Reminders of the progress he’d made cleaning up at least a small part of the filth that festered beneath the serene facade of polite society.

These men were abusers and villains who would otherwise go unpunished.

Tonight, he had checked another one of them off his shrinking list. After him, there were only two men left, plus the bloody vicar.

Unfortunately, Simon couldn’t slit that man’s throat.

He had to be arrested. But the other two were his to deal with.

Once this god-awful fake marriage scheme was put to rest, Simon could finally leave his job with the Intelligence Services.

He rolled his shoulders and stretched his neck before turning his attention to the note that had interrupted his ritual with its poorly timed delivery. He broke the raven-embossed seal and read the short letter.

He didn’t like being summoned, and Lord Ashdown was neither his employer nor his friend. He’d also been quite direct in his dismissal of Simon the last time they’d met, so what could he possibly want now?

He stared down at the note, tapping his finger against the side of his glass. He was tempted to simply ignore the demand, but Ash wasn’t a man he wanted as an enemy. He was powerful in a lot of ways, and it was definitely better to have him on your side.

He let out a rough sigh and swallowed the last of his whisky before taking himself up to bed.

The following afternoon, Simon stepped down from a hired cab in front of Raven House. Two large men stood before the gates. With the level of security Ash kept, Simon might as well be approaching Buckingham Palace rather than a dormitory that housed the women who danced at The Raven’s Den.

“Simon Allister to see Ash.” With a nod, one of the men pulled open the gate and allowed him to pass. Beyond that was another doorman, but he didn’t wait for an explanation, he simply opened the door and escorted Simon inside to Ash’s office.

Ash looked up from his desk. No smile, no scowl, just nothing.

The man was almost always completely unreadable, and it was irksome.

The last time they’d met here, Ash had been covered in flecks of blood.

Even then, he'd been cool and aloof. No one would have guessed he’d just finished flogging a man half to death.

“Mr. Allister, close the door and have a seat.”

Ash was one of the few people who put Simon on edge.

Working for the Intelligence Services had trained Simon to hide his emotions, but Ash seemed able to read him regardless, and was somehow also more adept at concealing his own.

Apparently, his training from owning a gaming hell was superior to that of the Intelligence Services.

Simon settled himself across the desk from Ash and waited. He was the one who had requested this meeting after all.

Ash raised a brow and spoke slowly. “Auburn Ridge?”

Simon’s stomach tightened.

“What about it?”

Ash tipped his head, looking irritated. Try as he might, Simon couldn’t stop the agitation that washed over him.

It was frustrating that Ash was so good at this.

Simon was supposed to be the one who controlled these kinds of interactions.

It was what he did for a living. But there Ash sat, silently staring, knowing if he waited long enough, Simon would eventually break. He who spoke first lost this game.

He sighed and closed his eyes, accepting his defeat. “How do you know about her?”

“What kind of man abandons his sister in a hellhole like Auburn Ridge?”

Simon forced down his defensiveness and kept his voice calm. “I didn’t have any other choice.”

Ash sneered. “Was she too much for you to handle? Did she sneak out to meet a boy?” His voice was scornful and belittling. “You didn’t have to throw her into an asylum. If nothing else, you could have brought her here, Allister. Helping wayward women is what I do.”

“I tried!” Simon stood and slammed his hands down on the desk, his breathing labored. So much for keeping his emotions in check. At least Ash finally looked a bit shaken as well.

“The conversation we had when you came looking for my help… that was about your sister?”

Simon nodded and sat back down. “She’s not a wayward woman. She spent five years in a fake marriage filled with unspeakable horrors. They weren’t all as lucky as your wife.”

Both men simply stared at each other. Ash didn’t think anyone knew about his wife’s involvement. But Simon had spent the last year of his life taking down every part of the disgusting scheme. He’d made it his mission to find every person connected to it, the women and their abusers.

Ash’s eyes narrowed slightly. “Fogg said he removed Gwen’s name from that list.”

“He did.” Fogg was Ash’s valet now, but had once worked for the Intelligence Services, as well. He was one of the few people Simon knew who was as deadly as he was. “I should probably thank you for taking care of Frederick Arnold so I could simply cross him off my list.”

Ash tipped his head slightly. “I feel as if I may have underestimated you.”

Simon shrugged. “How do you know about my sister?”

“I got her out of there. Why in God’s name would you send her to a place like Auburn Ridge?”

“She tried to end her own life. I didn’t know what else to do to keep her safe.”

“Christ, man, you should have spoken up.”

Simon felt like a fool and a coward. “Perhaps I should have, but I didn’t have anything to offer for your help besides my services.

You very clearly do not want that while I am still employed by the Intelligence Services, and I can’t leave there until I finish cleaning up this fraudulent marriage mess. ”

“What is it you think I get in exchange for taking in the rest of these women, Allister?”

He sighed. His pride had prevented him from simply asking for Ash’s help. It felt too much like charity. If he couldn’t give something in return, it made him feel like even more of a failure. “Is Samantha here?”

Ash nodded. “She’s under my protection now.”

Simon didn’t know Ash well personally, but he’d done enough research on the man to be confident his sister was in safe hands. He also knew he would protect Samantha, even from her own brother.

“Dr. Mickelson assured me that she would be safe and cared for at Auburn Ridge, but it would seem I was misinformed. What do you know that I don’t?”

Ash reached for a bottle and held it up. “Drink?”

“Please. My best may not have been good enough, but I really have tried.” In truth, he was exhausted.

Ash set the glass in front of him with a nod. “She’s safe now, Allister.”

“Thank you.” Simon took a sip. Somehow he wasn’t surprised by the impeccable quality of the brandy.

“I have men who could help you with your list, you know.”

Simon shook his head. “There are only a few left now. I took care of one of them yesterday. I’d just barely finished washing off the remnants of his blood when your telegram arrived.”

“So why did you not allow me to take care of Warwick?”

Simon shook his head. “Can’t kill the ones that are going to be arrested, unfortunately.

But many of them won’t be for one reason or another.

Those are the ones I deal with on my personal time.

I don’t kill all of them. Some of them I can only maim, in hopes the scars will serve as a deterrent, or at least as a warning to others to stay away. ”

Ash nodded slowly. “I definitely underestimated you.”

Simon chuckled. “I get that a lot. It works in my favor, usually.” At face value, Simon was average in every way.

Average height and build. Average brown suit.

Average tawny hair and dull blue eyes. What weren’t average were the skills he possessed.

He had trained hard and could easily subdue a man twice his size.

“I could use your skills if you ever decide to leave the Intelligence Services.”

“As soon as I finish with this, I will gladly take you up on that.” He’d been ready to leave a long time ago, but when he’d discovered what had happened to his sister, he’d committed to staying until he destroyed every last one of the men involved.

“Good.” Ash swallowed the last of his brandy. “Would you like to see Samantha?”

“I doubt she’ll want to see me. Especially now.”

Ash got up from his chair. “Stay here. I’ll have Gwen talk to her. She’s still quite nervous around me.”

That wasn’t surprising after all she’d been through.

Simon didn’t know all the details, but he knew enough.

She’d been through hell, and apparently he’d sentenced her to another helping of it when he’d taken her to that asylum.

Dr. Mickelson had promised Simon she’d be well cared for and safe, and Simon had foolishly believed the man.

Or perhaps he’d just been too desperate to look any closer.

A few minutes later, his sister rushed into the room and threw herself into his arms.

“I’m sorry, Simon. I didn’t mean to cause you so much trouble.”

“Hush now. You haven’t caused me any trouble.” He held her close, so relieved that she didn’t hate him. “You’re safe here, Samantha. Ash is a good man and you have nothing to fear from him.”

She turned and looked into the hall where Ash was standing, purposely keeping his distance. “Does that mean you’re not taking me with you?”

Simon shook his head. “For now, it’s best if you stay here.”

Sadness furrowed her brow as she nodded. He just couldn’t seem to be enough to take care of her the way she deserved.

“Did they hurt you at Auburn Ridge, Samantha?”

Her eyes grew wide. “Are you taking me back there?”

Anger boiled within him at the confirmation. “No,” he said, wrapping his arms around her again. “You’ll never go back there.” The tension in her body eased with relief.