Page 102 of Ruthless, But for Her

“You're coming back to Mere’s End.”

The man tried to sit. “I can stay.”

“No.”

“I can fight.”

“Tomorrow, perhaps.”

Hours later, they arrived at the Daisy more bruised and bloodied than usual.

For the first time since they’d agreed to defend it, Ashton wondered if the Reach was worth the cost.

Then he answered his own question.

If de Grey controlled the Reach, Mere’s End would be next. They had already seen what the warden’s determination to control the border had cost them. He’d closed the roads, hanged Maxwell’s men and forced Ashton and his brothers to the sea.

The Reach was worth defending.

The question was, how many men it would cost them to keep it.

He rarely made use of Margot’s serving girls, but his men needed cleaning and patching. Allowing Margot to give the orders, each of them found themselves subjects of her attention.

“Ryker needed the barber-surgeon. He took a blade to the arm,” she said, coming to check on Ashton.

“He’d have bled out, fool man,” Ashton said, groaning as he reached for the soap on the stool beside the tub Margot had ordered filled for him.

“Thank you for this,” he said, reacquainting himself with the small pleasure after a day such as the one they’d had. He typically washed from a basin, which was adequate enough for him.

“I don’t understand. Why go to such lengths now?” she asked from her perch on the bed, clear across the chamber. “The Reach has been nothing but empty ground for many years.”

“It only became valuable after we claimed it and began holding the Spit. You know this,” he said, guessing Margot wished to speak of something besides the Reach.

“The case against the Black Sails will be formally raised at Norham on the morrow.”

He had already suspected as much.

“I care little what men such as de Grey say at his precious Day of Truce.”

There was more.

He could sense it.

“Cassia is there. She arrived at West Ford just today.”

“Dammit,” he cursed, the soap slipping through his fingers. “You are certain?” he asked, searching for it.

Margot sighed. “I am. One of our riders returned just before you. He heard it from a man coming south from Norham.”

She stood and headed toward the door.

“I will have provisions prepared.”

“How did you know?”

Margot stopped in the doorframe, just before closing it.

“You’ve been in my charge for more than twenty years, Ashton. Your brothers will attempt to talk you out of it. ’Tis a dangerous place to be, given the circumstances.”