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THE PARTY that night was a gala affair. Tamara had again yielded to Ava’s preference for pants, rather than a dress to wear to the ball. She had sent her styling bot to ensure both her daughters looked their best. However, when Ava and Judith entered their common room, Tamara’s eyes riveted on the poniard strapped to her elder daughters thigh.
“You can’t go to a party wearing that thing!” she exclaimed, pointing at the slim dagger. “Go and take it off at once!”
“Why?” Ava said stubbornly. “You are wearing one. So is Judith. Mine is just out in the open.”
“But—Agustin, say something!” Tamara turned to her husband.
“What would you like me to say?” her husband inquired. “She’s right.”
“But it’s so off-putting to potential suitors,” Tamara complained.
“If they are put off by what I’m wearing, so be it,” Ava declared. “They need to know who I am the sooner the better.”
“That’s true,” her father agreed.
Her mother rolled her eyes but dropped the subject. “Well, let’s get going then. We don’t want to be late,”
Randal had swung by to pick up Tash and Devon. Once through the receiving line, he looked around eagerly for his fiancé, his eyes lighting up when he spotted Judith.
“You look beautiful,” he told her.
“Thank you,” she said with a smile, returning the kiss.
“I see you brought party clothes with you,” she told Tash.
Tash grinned. “Laughing Mountains seamstress shop was very accommodating, when I showed her the dress your mother gave me, and the clothes Devon borrowed from Randal. I also got Mark to give me a few lessons on how to handle a knife,” Tash said with a giggle.
“I’m glad,” Judith said. “Aunt Carmen over-ruled Dad and insisted Ava and I learn the rudiments—according to her, everyone should know how to handle a weapon.”
“Mark thought I was cracked too, but when I explained that everyone here carried one, he agreed I should learn enough not to cut myself.”
After the briefest of greetings, Tamara had drawn Ava away to introduce her to some of the eligible bachelors attending the party.
Ava was polite to them, but she was relieved when none of them asked for a second dance. Which might have been due to her openly carrying a weapon or to her obvious disinterest in them personally.
After the final partner had left her at the edge of the dance floor, she slipped outside, allowing the evening breeze to cool her cheeks.
“Sorry, I didn’t realize someone else was out here—Oh, it’s you,” she finished when Carlos turned around.
Even in the dark she could feel the tension rolling off him in waves. “Is something wrong?”
“Francisca’s gone,” he said.
“Gone as in disappeared? Did she run away?”
“I assume so. None of her friends have seen or heard from her—or so they claim.”
“Do you think they are lying?”
“It’s going to sound crazy, but I hope they are. Because if they aren’t lying, it means she might have run to that bastard Coudet.”
“I’m not familiar with that name. Who is he?”
“Aside from being years too old for her, he is probably a member of the Red Conclave. Your brother-in-law’s friend Devon fought a duel with him when he was here last time.”
“I hadn’t heard about that. Why did Devon fight him?”
“Apparently, he and some of his friends gave Tash a date rape drug at a party. The rumor goes, they intended to gang rape her. She wouldn’t have been the first either.”
“Have you checked the hospital?”
“Yes. They haven’t seen her.”
“What did Coudet say when you asked him if he’d seen your daughter?”
“I can’t find the bastard. I came here tonight so I could speak to Randal about where he found him last time. Is he here yet?”
“Yes, he was waiting for Judith when we got here. C’mon, let’s go find him.”
They ran Randal and Devon to earth in an alcove near the punch bowl along with the group he and Judith hung out with, consisting of Ailwin Doreward, Oliver Coffyn, and Jocelyn Dering who was engaged to Ailwin.
“What’s the matter sis?” Judith asked, seeing Ava had her serious face on.
“Carlos needs to find Jean Coudet,” Ava announced.
“What do you want with that creep?” Judith asked Carlos.
“My fourteen-year-old daughter ran away from home yesterday. I want to ask him if he’s seen her.”
“He’s bad news,” Ailwin said, giving his fiancé a reassuring hug. He and Jocelyn made an odd pair: he was tall and lanky, and she was short and full figured.
“How did he get acquainted with your daughter?” Judith asked Carlos. “After we outed him to the families about the date rape drugs, everyone quit asking him to any kind of social gathering.”
“I don’t know how she met him. Somewhere she got the idea he was wrongfully accused of that crime. We’ve been arguing about it for weeks,” Carlos said ruefully.
“I’ve sort of kept an eye on him since you’ve been gone,” Randal told Devon thoughtfully. “Let me make some coms. I have a few friends who just might know where he is.”
“He runs with a pack,” Oliver said, a frown on his dark-skinned face. “Why don’t we all go with you to confront him?”
“Is it dangerous?” Jocelyn asked anxiously.
“We won’t go looking for him unarmed.” Her fiancé told her.
Carlos had been watching who Randal had commed. Randal had invoked a cone of silence, so he couldn’t hear what was said, but he recognized the man on the other end of the com; it was Andri Gavreau. Officially Gavreau was retired, but unofficially he was suspected of being member of the Black Templars. For Randal to com him so casually, he must be a member as well.
“Thank you, sir.” Randal concluded the conversation and snapped off the com before turning back to the group.
“Well?” Carlos asked.
“It seems Coudet has moved up in the world since the last time we dealt with him,” he said to Devon.
Devon nodded. “Not surprising since we took down Albion’s little kidnapping ring. They would have had spaces to fill.”
“Did Gavreau say anything about my daughter?” Carlos asked.
“Not her specifically. However, Coudet seems to have been promoted to handling security for the Prostitution arm of the Red Conclave.”
“Prostitution?” Carlos felt sick. It must have shown on his face, because Ava laid a comforting hand on his arm.
“How old is your daughter?” Randal asked.
“Francisca is only fourteen,” Carlos replied, swallowing his gorge.
Randal looked thoughtfully at him. “Finding her won’t be easy. By the time we do she might not be the innocent she was when she disappeared,” he warned.
“It doesn’t matter. She’s my little girl, dammit. Did you find out where this Coudet hangs out?”
“Gavreau gave me the name of a few places. He also instructed me to go with you when you start searching.”
Ava heard her sister draw a quick breath of protest.
“I’m sorry, Darling,” Randal told her. “I need to do this.”
Judith swallowed. “Alright, but I need to know where you intend to look.” Randal frowned at her. “It’s too dangerous.”
“Then you better make sure you don’t disappear, you hear me?”
“I hear you,” he said, a note of resignation in his voice. “I’ll com you before we enter each destination.”
Judith nodded. “You’d better.”
“We’re going to need more weapons than we are carrying,” Devon said practically.
