Chapter Twenty-One

Sebastian hauled Colton back into his arms. He whispered against Colton’s ear, “I love you.” Now that he’d said it, it almost felt like a relief. Like something he’d needed to get off his chest.

For as long as he lived Sebastian would never get the sight of Colton barreling out of the wall of fire on Apollo’s back out of his head. Nor would Sebastian get over the sheer terror that gripped him when Colton ran into the barn and the flames closed in behind him. Sebastian had been too far away to stop him. Sebastian now had ulcers, he was sure of it. His stomach wrenched and churned. The tingling in his head was no doubt from the sudden explosion of gray hair. He squeezed Colton tighter, trying to calm his racing pulse. The ash and soot clinging to Colton choked Sebastian, making him cough nearly as loud as Colton.

“Crazy little twit.” Sebastian shook Colton’s shoulders. “If you ever do anything so foolish again, I don’t care how much I love you, I’ll beat you black and blue then lock you in the highest tower of Townsend Castle and throw away the key. Do you hear me?”

“You love me?” Colton’s voice was quiet and scratchy.

Where’s the bloody doctor? “Yes, more than you can possibly know—” Sebastian moved back but didn’t let go of his consort. He couldn’t. He’d nearly lost this. The chaos around them barely registered as he rubbed Colton’s arms.

Good galaxy, with black smudges all over his face, Colton looked like a homeless person. Even Colton’s hair was singed. Sebastian fingered the locks, and a wrenching pain twisted in his gut. “I’ve loved you for a long time but refused to admit it to myself. I think I realized it when you tried to ignore me. I really don’t like you ignoring me.” The skin around Colton’s ears was red, swollen and hot to the touch.

“I promise not to ignore you anymore. Well maybe if you make me mad, since you’ve just revealed that it would be effective punishment…” Colton grinned. “I love you too, but then you knew that, didn’t you?”

It was too much to hope for. Could Colton really love him? Colton had had a crush on him for ages, but things were different now. If he could feel any love after living with Sebastian the past few days… “I wasn’t sure.” He grabbed Colton’s hand, reluctant to break contact. Colton’s right forearm was bright red and blistered. His sleeve was partially missing. “You’re burned.”

Colton glanced down at his arm. “I can be burned later. I don’t have time right now. We’ve got to get the horses settled and help with the fire.”

At the gentle reminder, Sebastian’s training kicked in. Life and death. Colton was not mortally wounded at the moment, but the fire still posed a huge threat. They had work to do.

Although the snow completely covered the ground and began to catch in drifts, the wind was high. The servants dumped and sprayed water on the surrounding area.

“It’s too cold for the horses to be left out in the paddock. We need to take them to the castle stables.” Which should be interesting considering all their tack was gone. At least Apollonia had a rope attached to her. She’d follow Colton, so they could use the rope on some of the other horses.

“I’ll get them.” Colton put his fingers to his mouth and let out an ear-piercing whistle. He immediately began to cough.

Sebastian frowned and looked toward the street. What was taking the doctor so long?

Apollo, Apollonia, Max, Dazz and Lisette, one of the other horses Sebastian kept, trotted toward Colton. The other three horses, Hockley, Dancer and Yvonne, continued to scramble about. Under the circumstances, five out of eight was impressive. Colton was like the pied piper of horses.

Sebastian waved the staff off. “Carry on.” To Colton, he asked, “What do you suggest? Are you just going to walk and let them follow you?” Sebastian scoffed.

“No, smart arse. I’m going to go get my coat on, ride Apollo and herd the rest of them.” Colton grinned, let go of his hand and wrapped his arms around Apollonia’s neck, who had come over and head-butted Colton. “Then I’m going to get the grooms to check them all out and make certain they’re okay.”

The filly snorted and nickered, still anxious.

Sebastian shook his head. After how close he’d come to losing Colton tonight, Sebastian hated to admit it but he suspected both horses would have perished in the blaze if Colton hadn’t rescued them. He was glad they were both all right too. “You took a big risk.”

“I had to. They were worth it.”

“Not worth you.” Sebastian touched his cheek and patted Apollonia. He gripped Colton’s hand again to get him moving.

“Ah.” Colton winced.

His hand was wet and crusty. Sebastian lifted Colton’s hand to the light. It was bloody and torn to shreds. Bugger. How had Sebastian forgotten about Colton holding the rope and Apollonia darting away as they’d cleared the stables?

“Come on. We’re going to go patch up your hand. And where in the hell is that. Damned. Doctor?” Sebastian’s voice climbed on each word. Sliding his hand to Colton’s wrist, Sebastian tugged him toward the house.

The horses followed.

“Sebastian?”

“What?”

“Who’re those people?” Colton pointed toward the far end of the lawn.

Two men approached on foot. They were too far, about a hundred yards away, and the snow was too heavy for Sebastian to make out anything other than silhouettes, but one of them kept stumbling.

“What in the hell?” Sebastian grabbed Colton’s arm and tugged him up the steps and inside the house. He needed his fragger from the office. He had an odd feeling about their prospective visitors.

The clip-clop of horse hooves echoed off the marble.

Without turning, Sebastian groaned and let go of Colton. Sebastian knew exactly who had followed them inside. “Get her out of the house.”

Colton chuckled and began talking to Apollonia.

Sebastian went to the wall safe behind his desk and moved the picture out of the way. “Berkley, what can you tell me about the men on the edge of the lawn?”

“One of them appears to be the man who started the fire, my lord.”

“What?” Sebastian froze in the process of pressing his thumb to the scanner. “Are you telling me the fire wasn’t an accident? Like a stable lad smoking or some such.”

“No, milord. A man set the fire.”

Bloody hell and imploding planets. Un-fucking-believable. “Why didn’t I hear about someone being on the property before they got close enough to start a bloody fire?” The safe opened. He removed the fragger, closed the safe and the picture over the safe.

“You said not to disturb you unless there was a fire or someone was dead, my lord.”

Sebastian ground his teeth together. “Damn it, Berk— Never mind. We’ll discuss this later.” He jogged out of the office.

“My lord, Jeffers has inquired about the fire. What shall I tell him?” Berkley asked.

“Tell him everything is under control and for Their Highnesses to stay there. Tell them Colton and I will be at the castle momentarily.” After Sebastian found out what these men wanted.

Colton stood outside the front door with the horses gathered around him.

The arsonist and the other man were closer now, almost upon them. The man in front nearly fell. The other, bigger man was pushing him.

Sebastian moved off the steps and waited for them with his fragger by his side. “Colton, get inside.”

“Not on your life.”

A few of the servants gathered around, putting themselves between the men and Sebastian and Colton. Digby actually backed into Sebastian. “Sorry, me lord.”

Sebastian patted the boy on the back and walked around him without taking his eyes off the approaching men.

One man was dressed as a gentleman in a gray coat and nice polished black boots. The other was rough, scruffy. He too had on a coat, but it was a ragged wool that had seen better days. His hair was overlong and shaggy. His face blazed red where the wind had chapped it.

“Durant?” the gentleman called out. He was using brute strength on the other man. “I mean Hastings. Is that you?”

A chill snaked up Sebastian’s spine. He hadn’t been called by his birth name in ages. “Yes?” Sebastian stepped closer. There was something familiar about the man. He looked like… “Robert? Lieutenant Robert Jenkins?”

“Yes.” Robert Jenkins, Admiral Carl Jenkins’s missing son, stepped into the light and shoved the man in front of him toward the servants who had surrounded them. “Tie him up. He’s responsible for the fire.”

 

Colton’s temper flared to life hotter than the fire now burning itself out. He wanted answers, and he wanted them now. Pushing through Sebastian and Robert Jenkins, Colton ignored their protests and locked gazes with the arsonist sitting on the ground against the wall of Wentworth Park. “What did the guy who hired you look like?”

“’E ’twas a gentleman. Dark ’air, dressed nice. Paid me a hundred pounds. Does this mean I can go? I told ye who hired me,” the scraggly man declared.

“Hell no,” Sebastian half-shouted. “Your sorry arse is going to jail.” To his assistant butler, he said, “Go get the constable.”

Robert Jenkins stuck his hands in his pockets. “Tell them what he said.” He kicked the man’s foot.

“Ow,” the arsonist complained. “’E said ’e was yer younger brother and ’e was tired of yer father throwing ye up in ’is face.”

“Bullshit!” Colton saw red. He grabbed the man by the throat. “You lie. Tarren would never—”

Two arms wrapped around Colton from behind, dragging him off the man. Colton struggled. No one accused his little brother of something like that and got away with it.

“Colton, calm down,” Sebastian whispered in his ear.

Colton rounded on his husband. Colton was tired, he hurt, he and his horses had been nearly killed and this arsehead was accusing his family of wrongdoing. “Don’t tell me to—”

“He was talking to me.”

“—to calm down.”

“It wasn’t Tarren who sent him. It was Plume.”

“What?” Colton shouted. Plume? That didn’t make any sense.

Sebastian grabbed Colton’s uninjured hand. “Come on. We need to talk.” He looked over Colton’s head. “Robert, don’t go anywhere. I’ve a ton of questions for you.”

“I’m not going anywhere.”

“You’ll take care of this?”

Robert nodded.

Sebastian pulled Colton into the house and toward the study.

“Don’t you find all this a bit odd?” Colton jerked his hand out of Sebastian’s. He was in no mood to be placated.

“Damn it, Colton. I’m trying to tell you something. I tried to tell you this earlier.” Sebastian grabbed his hand again, pulled him into the study and shut the door. “Viscount Leith is my father.”

Colton froze. He couldn’t have been more surprised if someone had told him he was adopted. But Sebastian had a mother, didn’t he? Why didn’t the viscount and viscount-consort recognize Sebastian as their son? “I don’t understand.”

Sebastian slouched against the door and ran his hands down his face. “My mother was his mistress.”

A lump formed in Colton’s throat. His anger evaporated, and he backed up until his legs hit the chair in front of the fireplace. He sank down into the seat and stared at his consort. Well, that explains his birthmark. His father was born using Regelence’s procreation technology and passed the mark on to Sebastian even though he was conceived naturally.

Sebastian moved to the sideboard and poured himself a drink. He tossed it back and continued without turning around. “She’d worked for his parents, the Earl and Earl-Consort of Vale, since she was fifteen. When Leith moved out of his family home, he took her with him to Dogwood House. Everything was great then. She shared a room with him and acted as lady of the house. I stayed in the nursery with my governess, but I got to go outside and play when my studies were done. It was wonderful. Nothing like life at Plume House had been.

“Then Leith’s parents threatened to cut off his funds if he didn’t marry. They picked his husband and everything. I was only six, but I can remember him complaining about it. When he married, my mother and I were moved into our own house on Hamilton Street. Not much changed. We continued to live the life we were accustomed to. Mom still had pretty dresses, I still had a governess and plenty of toys. My fath—Leith stayed with us more often than not, only returning to Dogwood House to get things he needed. We were happy.

“When she died of influenza when I was ten, Leith moved me into Dogwood House with him. I didn’t see him for days. After a week, I was put to work in the stables for a few days and then finally I was thrown out onto the streets. I lived on the streets for years, picking pockets to survive. As luck would have it, one day I picked Admiral Jenkins’s pocket—he was a captain then—and he caught me. I still don’t know why he did it, but he took me home, fed me and offered to buy me a commission in the Regelence Navy. The rest of it you know.” Sebastian turned around and met Colton’s gaze. Sebastian’s shoulders were held high, but his face… His eyelids drooped. His face was pale.

It tore at Colton’s heart. He stood, wanting to go to his consort, but Sebastian held up a hand.

“If you want out, I understand. I should’ve told you all of this before I married you. I’m sorry.” He inhaled and let it out. “Giles was disgusted after I told him. He kicked me out of his bed and out of his life. A week later he died of a heart attack.”

No wonder Sebastian had not wanted to tell Colton. He started forward again.

Sebastian turned his back. “File for an annulment.”

“What?” Colton froze, his anger rising.

“I said file for an annulment. I won’t contest it.”

“Of all the—”

There was a crash from the foyer and a shout. It sounded like Robert.

“Sebastian!” Yes, definitely Robert.

“Colton,” a familiar voice called out.

Colton frowned. “Cony?”