"I'm hoping you packed a bag," Robert said, coming downstairs. He had been upstairs checking on Brian before he had attempted to bear weight on it. "You'll be staying with me for at least a week. By the way, Angus will be late this morning. I sent him to Paris on a mission for me during the night. He..."
As Robert spoke, Angus apparated back in, dressed in black from head to foot. Black slacks, black boots, a back shirt, his black leather duster coat, and his black leather hat. "You're back early," Robert frowned at Angus. "How did you do?"
"Better than I thought. I didn't have nearly the trouble I thought I would. Seems Brian left Gelding's household in chaos last night. They took Burke there. And evidently, they don't have a healer that has the best skills in regeneration. They brought someone in from Belgium during the night for him because, as the story goes, Burke nearly bled to death. Gelding is hot. He's tripled the bounty on Brian's head, and quadrupled it on yours."
"That's all?" Robert frowned. "I thought surely I'd be worth more than that by now. I ought to just pay my own ransom off and end all this."
"Ah, but here's the new rub. The price on Khaat? That's gone up too. Her death gets them everything Gelding's got. The whole works."
"He has lost his mind," Robert frowned. "That is not the news I wanted to hear this morning. Tell Brian. He'll want to know at once. Khaat's up and dressed. Well, she should be by now anyway. Anything else?"
"Yes. They're planning a raid on our Paris headquarters. They believe they know where it is."
"And do they?"
"Unsure."
"Well, then, I guess I have to go to Paris first thing," Robert said. "Lock it down here today. No one in or out. Nothing. Not until I return. Make sure you keep Brian fully updated. And don't ever let Khaat alone. She stays in the house. Got it?"
"Yes," Angus replied. He looked at Cassidy. "It smells like you made breakfast. Thank you. I'm sure Khaat and Brian will be down in a moment. Anything else I need to know about here this morning?"