The man ran a crop across his palm, and the woman shuddered at the hissing sound. Edward could care less. As he sat in his private room in the Easy, he glanced at his watch. Collins was late. Deidre shifted next to him on the couch. He knew the tableau titillated her by the avid way she watched. It irritated him, that she could be so detached when the stakes were so high. Where the hell was Collins? He’d left orders not to be disturbed, unless it was someone bringing news of his daughter’s return. The door behind them opened. A thrill of anticipation shot through him. Then he became aware of the stench of defeat that drifted in with his employee, and knew he wouldn’t be meeting his daughter today. Edward kept his gaze on the scene in front of him, riding the cold tide of rage that swept through him. He could feel Collins’s discomfort behind him.
