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As they approached the carriage, Rafael drew his pistol and aimed it at the man. “I wouldn’t move if I were you.”

“What the hell!” The man turned to look at him, a surprised gasp escaping him, then stiffening when he saw the gun as well as the person holding it on him. His eyes narrowed as they moved off the pistol and onto Devlin. “Goodrich. Bet you didn’t think you’d see me again.”

“Humbolt,” Devlin returned the greeting, knowing the man’s calm voice belied his violent nature. “Give me your guns. Slowly.” He gave a nod of his head toward Rafael but never took his eyes off the man. “My deputy won’t miss.”

Frances’ henchman did as ordered and unbuckled his gun belt. He didn’t seem happy about it, though. Not only had he been caught unaware and forced to give up his guns, but there would be hell to pay when Frances found out what happened. She was not a forgiving woman, as they both knew too well.

“The knife, too.”

Humbolt started to reach for his foot a little too quickly.

“Carefully.” Devlin warned, knowing the man’s penchant for taking risks.

Humbolt sighed as he slowly pulled up the leg of his trousers and reached for the knife he kept in his boot.

He reluctantly handed it over. “You’ll pay for this,” he said.

Devlin handed everything to Rafael. “Don’t take your eyes off him. And if he tries anything, shoot him.”

“My pleasure.”

He left Humbolt under Rafael’s watchful eyes and strode up the walkway, trying to keep his temper under control.

His heart was pounding much too quickly, feeling as if it were thundering against his rib cage, and his mouth was dry to the point he couldn’t even swallow.

He entered the house, not at a run, but cautiously, as one never knew if Frances had another one of her henchmen with her or if she herself held a gun pointed at the doorway.

She wouldn’t miss him at this distance, and he just didn’t feel like dying today. He had too much to live for.

He stopped short in the parlor, stunned yet suspicious of the tableau before him.

Tresia and Frances sat at the little table where the chessboard was usually set, a coffee service between them.

It was all very civilized, except it wasn’t.

The tension in the room was so suffocating, he could feel it stealing his breath.

Tresia jumped from her seat and moved toward the kitchen doorway, nodding toward the back door, letting him know that Avery was outside in the yard.

His gaze swept over her, noticing the paleness of her face, the darkness of her eyes, the stiffness of her body.

He could only imagine what Frances had said to her.

Despite whatever words had been said, Tresia’s first thought had been for Avery’s safety, for which he was grateful.

He turned his attention to his mother-in-law. She hadn’t changed at all, except maybe to become more arrogant, more forceful…and older, like she had aged ten years in the space of a few months. She was still as beautiful as she’d always been. “Frances.”

Frances smiled, but there was nothing warm or welcoming in it, and the hatred in her dark eyes was a tangible thing.

“Are you surprised, Devlin? Did you think I wouldn’t find out where you took my granddaughter?

” She remained seated, though her muscles were tense, as if she would jump up at any moment and attack him with her bare hands.

Or pull that gun he was worried about. It was just a small derringer she carried in her pocket, but she wouldn’t hesitate to shoot him right where he stood.

“I want to see her,” she demanded, but he wasn’t having it. He opened his mouth to deny her but never got the words out.

“Why don’t you ask Avery?” Tresia asked from the doorway, a little hesitantly, her voice shaking just a bit, her face still much too pale.

“Excuse me?” Frances turned on her, her eyes narrowing to slits, and the hatred he’d felt when he walked into the room doubled. “Who asked you to be part of this conversation?”

He saw Tresia stiffen and blink several times, yet she held her ground. “I’m the one who has been taking care of her. She should have a choice on whether or not she wants to see you.”

“That’s ridiculous! She’s a child. She needs to be told what to do.

” Francis laughed, a hard, cold, brittle sound that had nothing to do with humor and everything to do with thinking she was better than anyone else.

She turned toward him. “Tell your paramour her opinion is neither required nor sought. In fact, tell her that her duties—” she emphasized the word “—are no longer needed.”

“You remember what I did to Dr. Chambers, yes?” Frances stared at him, one perfectly shaped eyebrow raising upward, her hands still primly folded on her lap.

Yes, he remembered exactly what she’d done to the poor doctor who had the bad fortune to allow Hannah to die during childbirth.

Frances had ruined his reputation, took everything from him.

His patients, as well as his wife, left him, all because Frances was angry and vindictive.

The last time Devlin had seen the good doctor, he’d been thrown out of a saloon, his clothes disheveled and stained, and too drunk to stand.

A shell of the proud man he’d once been, before Frances began her campaign to discredit, demoralize, and just plain ruin him.

“If you don’t fire her, I will do the same to you.

And her. You know I can. I have the money.

I have the power. Actually, it would be my pleasure to ruin you both as I did him.

” She smiled smugly, her thin lips stretching over her teeth in a grin that was more brute than beauty.

“And then, I’ll take Avery. No judge or jury will allow her to stay with you after I’m done. She belongs with me anyway.”

He glanced toward the doorway to the kitchen, expecting to see Tresia still standing there, but she was gone and again, there was nothing he could do about it at the moment.

He couldn’t chase after her, not with Frances sitting in his house, just waiting for the opportunity to snatch Avery and take her away.

Perhaps Tresia had just gone to sit outside with Avery to make sure she didn’t come in the house.

“Good. She’s gone.” Frances laughed softly, but there was no humor in the sound. “She seems to be a little smarter than you.”

His jaw clenched as he turned to face the woman who’d been the bane of his existence since he’d met her.

“How dare you!” He roared, heedless of the consequences.

If he wasn’t a man of law and order, he would happily strangle Frances and just be done with it, but as much as he wanted to, he couldn’t.

“It’s just as well, Devlin,” Frances fairly purred, thinking—and looking—like she’d gotten her way. Again. “Now, Avery can come home with me.”

“The hell she will!” He ground out between his teeth, his hands clenching into fists at his sides.

“I made that mistake once. I will not make it again. And Tresia is a good woman. A kind woman. She doesn’t deserve your rancor or your rudeness.

She has done nothing to you and you will not talk to her that way. ”

“Bah! She is nothing but someone you took to your bed!” Frances exploded, spots of color adorning her white cheeks, her voice no longer modulated and cold, but fiery and harsh.

It was the first time he’d ever seen Frances lose control and it pleased him no end.

“Though how you could after Hannah, I don’t know.

Don’t you have any remorse for what you did to my daughter? ”

“I did nothing to Hannah except love her.” Anger burned in him though he tried to tamp it down.

“And I will no longer allow you to make me feel guilty for doing so. I loved her, Frances. I love her still. That will never change.” He paused as he looked at her, really looked at her, his gaze roaming over her face.

Her dark eyes glittered, red patches adorned her pale face, and her lips were stretched thin over her mouth, but beyond all that, he saw something else.

For the first time, he realized that Frances didn’t know how to love, and he pitied her. “I’m sure you don’t understand.”

That seemed to take some of her anger, but not enough. “I want to see my granddaughter.”

“No. Until you can show me that you have patience with Avery and not cut her hair to punish her or hit her with a brush because she wouldn’t sit still or berate her for imagined slights or for being a child, you will not see her.

On this, I will not budge.” His voice lowered as he gained full control of himself, no longer afraid of what Frances might do.

“Once you can show me these things, then I will let Avery decide whether or not she wants to see you.”

She opened her mouth to say something, but he held up his hand, stopping her.

“Go ahead, Frances. Fight me on this. Try to ruin me as you did Dr. Chambers and so many countless others. I promise you though, you will lose. I am no longer a man full of grief and guilt. The law is on my side. Tresia helped me to see losing Hannah was not my fault, no matter how much you blamed me.” He smiled, knowing that was true. “She and I are getting married.”

Frances sucked in her breath, her eyes narrowing to slits in her face. “You’re going to marry her?”

“Yes. I love her.”

For the first time he could ever remember, Frances seemed to shrink before his eyes. He’d never seen that before and it shocked him, but the moment was fleeting as she drew herself up and stared at him.

“You win,” she conceded. “For now. My lawyer will be in touch.”

It wasn’t the threat she thought it was, not anymore. “I look forward to it.” He walked to the front door and opened it then turned to look at her.