by Rebecca King
“My bags,” Poppy murmured. She struggled against his tight hold so she could search for her bags. Her heart raced with fear as she scoured the shadows for signs of her precious belongings. She needed them. Without her clothes and money she had no future. Panic began to build. Desperate to get her bags before a coach ran over them, or someone else appeared out of the fog to help themselves, she lunged toward them and snatched them up.
“Are you trying to get yourself killed?” Luke snarled. He hauled her back into his arms just as another carriage tore into the yard mere inches from where she had stood. He eyed her bags which were now soaked and caked in mud, and promised himself right there and then that he was going to take a look inside, even if he had to sit on her to keep her out of the way while he did.
“Let me go,” Poppy gasped. She shoved roughly at his hands and took several steps away from the busy entrance of the tavern so she could assess the damage to her bags. “Oh dear,” she whispered when she felt them squelch beneath her fingers. Sensing movement, she glanced up and felt her stomach drop to her toes to find herself looking straight into Luke Brindley’s gorgeous eyes.
Immediately, her eyes were drawn to the darkly garbed figure dressed entirely in black who now stood several feet behind him, just inside the entrance of the yard. Now that the figure was motionless she was able to see that deep inside the voluminous folds of the cloak was a woman. A woman who, right now, was studying her with such evil intent that Poppy took a wary step back, and braced herself in preparation for another strike.
Who was she? What did she want? Poppy clutched her bag tighter and watched the woman’s eyes drop to study it before the dark gaze slid insolently up to meet Poppy’s.
“What?” Poppy demanded with a scowl. She had no idea who this person was but had no intention of letting them believe she was an easy target. To her utter horror the figure surged forward again. Poppy stepped sideways, out of the way in case she intended to try to knock her over again. “Go away,” she protested.
“What is it?” Luke demanded harshly. He turned around and immediately saw the person who had very nearly killed Poppy moments ago.
“Give me the bag,” the woman snarled in a hoarse voice that was nothing short of evil.
“No,” Poppy declared flatly.
“Give me -”
“So, we meet again,” Luke murmured to the woman as he planted himself firmly in between both ladies. He had no idea what was in that bag that was so appealing to the woman but she wasn’t going to get her hands on it before he did. Luke eyed the woman’s cloak. She didn’t look like an ordinary mugger, so Luke wanted to know how she knew what Poppy had in there to want it so badly. His gaze locked with the woman’s, silently challenging her to accost him the same way she had Poppy. He poured every ounce of lethal menace he possessed into that steady stare. He was fairly certain she wasn’t anything to do with his investigation with the Star Elite. She was dressed no better than Poppy, but did that make her an opportunistic thief, or someone else?
The yard was practically littered with people from all walks of life, most of whom carried bags just like Poppy’s. There was no reason for this woman to target Poppy specifically unless she was after something in particular.
“I should have you arrested,” Luke drawled meaningfully. “You very nearly killed her.” He nodded to Poppy.
The woman stared at him and opened her mouth as though she intended to speak, but seemed to have second thoughts and closed it again without uttering a word. Instead she turned around and stepped blindly in front of a departing carriage that barely missed her. By the time the carriage had left the yard, the woman in black had once again vanished into the smog.
“I hope this time she doesn’t come back,” Poppy breathed tearfully.
Luke studied the yard but couldn’t see her. It was like seeing a ghost; one minute she was there and the next, gone in an instant. If he hadn’t locked gazes with her and read that age-old cynicism in the hardness then he would never have given her a second glance. However, the way she had been staring at Poppy’s bag rang alarm bells within him that prodded him to get to the bottom of what was going on, preferably before Poppy got hurt.
“Do you know her?” He demanded when he noticed that Poppy was trying to sidle around him to escape.
Poppy stared up at the handsome face that had haunted her since their last meeting and struggled to catch her breath when pinned beneath that steady regard. She had hoped never to see him again, but then had disconcertingly found herself looking for him on the streets anyway. The last thing she expected was to find him here, in the coaching inn, on the day she was leaving London for good.
A tendril of suspicion began to filter through her worry and she considered him a little more cautiously.
“Pardon?” she murmured when she realised he was waiting for her to speak.
“The woman; do you know her?”
“Woman?” Poppy repeated dully. She closed her eyes on a prayer as the last few moments replayed in her mind in a horrifying rush. She had been pushed, she was certain of it. “She pushed me,” she whispered, aware of the two spots on her back that ached more than they should.
“Are you sure she pushed you and you didn’t slip?”
“I didn’t slip,” she glanced down at the ground. It was strewn with straw but there was nothing to trip or slip on apart from a few puddles, and she hadn’t been anywhere near them when she had fallen. “She pushed me.”
“Why? Do you know her? Have you seen her before?” He sighed when Poppy suddenly looked as though she was about to start to cry. She was already shaking her head, but seemed almost dazed.
Poppy was indeed reeling now that the true nature of the incident had started to sink in. That woman, whoever she was, could have killed her. If it wasn’t for Luke’s quick thinking and speedy reaction she would have been run over by one of the carriages. It was on the tip of her tongue to thank him, but something made her hesitate. She wasn’t sure why, but the words just wouldn’t come. Instead, her suspicion over why he was there built in the back of her mind. She looked at him and was only vaguely aware of his questions because her mind was busy trying to work out how he could be even more handsome than he had been in the park the other day. The smog made him look dark and dangerous. It swirled around him hauntingly and gave him a dreamlike quality that created a flurry of awareness within her she had never felt before. She wasn’t entirely sure what to do about it.
He wondered if she had hit her head when she had fallen and grabbed her shoulders, partly to stop her from sidling away and partly to make her look up at him. When she did eventually look into his eyes the smog seemed to envelope them, cocooning them in solitude that protected them from prying eyes. It encased them in a haze of desire he just couldn’t ignore anymore. Before sense could apply logic, he leaned toward her.
Poppy gasped when his lips touched hers. She instinctively recoiled but couldn’t go far because of the hold he had on her. Neither his kiss nor hold were harsh or threatening, just firm, but firm enough to warn her that she was going nowhere until he allowed her to. Not that she had anywhere she wanted to go right now. Rooted to the spot, she clutched her bags tighter and sighed when his lips slid softly and gently over hers. The hand that came up to cup her face was warm and gentle and feathered across her face so lightly that it elicited a shiver that came from deep within her soul. Before she could stop herself, she leaned against his strength.
How long they stood locked in a passionate embrace for he would never know. Time slowed until it came to a complete standstill as he savoured the feel of the woman in his arms. He was fairly certain they could have remained there forevermore and probably would have done if circumstances hadn’t worked against them. In spite of the fog, a stable hand caught sight of them and threw them a wolf whistle that was loud enough to wake the dead, and elicited the titters of several milling patrons. Reluctantly, Luke lifted his head to look down at the stunned disbelief in Poppy’s eyes. He wa
s unsure whether he should be pleased or quietly horrified by what had just happened.
That whistle was like a bucket of iced water over Poppy. Thankfully it was too murky outside for anybody to see much, but that didn’t prevent a fierce blush from staining her cheeks as a wave of mortification chased away the desire that had stolen her senses. She gave a start of surprise when she realised just how risqué their embrace must look to others and immediately took a hesitant step back to put a bit more of a decorous distance between them.
“Mr – er –” She tried desperately to remember his name. His first name was Luke, but it would be terribly presumptuous of her to use it without his prompting. Aware that they were drawing attention, she tried to side-step around him only to find that he still blocked her path to the tavern doorway. If only she could get him to move a little she could get inside before her trembling knees refused to hold her up anymore. They shook with alarming ferocity; to the point that she was fairly certain that if she didn’t sit down she would fall down – again, and as far as she was concerned she had done enough of that already.
“Luke,” he drawled, trying and failing to tear his gaze away from the beauty before him. He had tried to reassure himself that the attraction he felt toward her was nothing more than mere carnal interest he would ordinarily feel toward any other beautiful woman who attracted him. Now that he had seen her again though he knew he was only fooling himself. She drew emotions from deep within him that he had never even realised were there. Protectiveness; curiosity; attraction were all there, along with something else, something more acutely disturbing. He didn’t like it. He didn’t like it at all, especially toward someone who was surrounded by so much mystery.
“Excuse me,” she whispered. “I need go inside.”
Please move before I fall at your feet, she added silently. She tried desperately not to fidget beneath that steady regard, but the longer she stood there the more her heart began to pound, to the point that she just had to do something to break the frisson of awareness that came out of nowhere and refused to leave. The atmosphere between them gradually became so thick that she was certain it could have been cut with a knife. It bothered her, mostly because it wasn’t dark and sinister like she had expected. It was something softer, more defined, and considerably rawer than anything she had ever felt before. For the first time in her life she wanted to touch him, a man she barely knew, to see if he really was as strong and powerful as he looked beneath the thick layers of clothing he wore. She clenched her fingers against the need and clutched her bag tightly instead while she forced her attention to more mundane and practical matters. Like how on earth she was going to get out on shaking legs without making an utter fool of herself.
“We need to talk,” Luke said firmly, now more determined than ever to find out just how much trouble she was in. He had never met anyone who had such a capacity to attract trouble as her and was determined to get some of his questions answered.
Before she could escape out of the gates she kept looking longingly at he took her elbow in a gentle but firm hold and began to tug her toward the tavern door. He glanced down at the bags she still clutched and wondered if he should just snatch one off her. He was positive she would just follow it. Unfortunately, he was aware that the kiss had drawn the interested gazes of several of the stable hands how. He wouldn’t get away with appearing as though he was trying to seduce her one minute and mug her the next. The last thing he wanted was to wind up in a brawl with several stable hands.
“Inside,” he murmured without preamble. When she didn’t follow his orders, he began to march her unceremoniously toward the doorway.
Startled at the bolt of awareness that shot up her arm and settled somewhere in the centre of her chest, Poppy stumbled two steps forward and then slammed to a stop, twisting her arm around in an attempt to get him to loosen his hold.
It is alright, you are in the middle of the coaching yard. What harm can he do? a small voice assured her. Unnerve you, that’s what, she added with a sigh. And he is doing a darned good job of it too.
“I don’t believe we have anything to discuss,” she protested. She wished she had a hand free so she could prise his grip off her elbow. It wasn’t painful, but it was strong.
“Oh, I think we do. There is the small matter of the body you abandoned in the park for one, and the contents of that bag for another.”
“The contents of my bags are nothing to do with you,” she argued with a scowl.
Luke snorted and scowled straight back. “I am afraid they are. Especially since you appear so protective of them, and had them at the park, and someone is prepared to kill you for them.”
“I don’t believe I am obliged to do anything you order me to do,” she retorted while trying, and failing, to remove his hold on her arm. “Let go of me.”
“I think we had better go inside and discuss that because I disagree with you,” Luke countered and looked her square in the eye. “On all counts.”
Working with the Star Elite, he was used to getting what he wanted and right now he wanted Poppy inside, sitting down where she was safe. He hadn’t lost sight of the number of people who were milling about, and was struggling to keep one eye out for the return of the woman in black, while trying to keep his mind on the reason he was in the stable yard in the first place. It was difficult to concentrate when such strong desire was coursing through him. Desire that was the very last thing he wanted to have to deal with right now.
“I have a carriage to catch,” she replied waspishly, more shaken than she cared to admit by the connection she felt toward him.
“Where to?”
Her stomach dropped to her toes. She considered lying to him but had no idea which coaches were due to depart and which weren’t. She could name a location but then it would soon become apparent that she had lied and then she would never get rid of him. Strangely, she didn’t want him to think she was a liar.
“Pardon?”
“Where are you going?” Luke glanced around them. “You are in a coaching yard. You must be going somewhere.” He eyed the bags in her hand meaningfully, silently daring her to deny it.
“I am going home.”
Luke mentally sighed and wished now he had shaken her in the first place. “Where is home exactly?”
“Look, who are you? I don’t know you so why should I tell you any of my business? Now please get out of my way and go and pester someone else.” She tried to side-step him again but then noticed him signal to another gentleman she hadn’t seen before. He was equally dark and just as tall as Luke himself. She didn’t need to know who they were to be aware that neither of them were people she should challenge in any way. That put her in a dire predicament indeed because she needed to get out of the coaching yard, and the sooner the better. However this man, Luke, and his associate, had just made it clear she wasn’t likely to be going anywhere without talking to them first. She sighed and realised that she had to concede defeat if she hoped to go anywhere today. This time, when Luke tried to drag her into the warmth of the busy tap room, she didn’t object and chose a seat in the far corner.
“Just talk to me for a few moments. There are a few questions I need to ask you about the body you found the other day, and why you decided to leave when I told you to stay.”
“I don’t want to think about it,” Poppy countered, eager to put the entire ordeal behind her. In reality she had spent the last several days thinking of nothing else. Her problems with Clarence had faded into insignificance compared to what had happened in the park, and the problems the man before her brought with him. She had found herself waking up in the middle of many a night with him on her mind. Strangely, he was the last thing she thought about before she fell asleep as well. Now that he was beside her, the rest of the world paled into insignificance.
“I am afraid that you have no choice in the matter. A body has appeared, you see, of a rather estimable gentleman. You were the one who found him. Unfortunately for you, you have no
witnesses to corroborate your story that you have no prior knowledge of who he is. You were the one who allegedly found the body in the park. The man had only recently been murdered. You were the one who then vanished when you were told to remain with the corpse until I returned. I think you had better explain yourself.” Luke’s voice dropped to a menacing whisper, and he leaned forward threateningly just in case she decided to bolt for the exit she kept looking at. However, the closer he drew to her the more he became aware of the delicate scent of roses and quickly had to lean back to put some distance between them again when his body responded with predictable eagerness.
“Just stay with me. Once we have talked, as long as you are honest with me and answer my questions, you can go wherever you want to go. However, lie to me and I shall hound you wherever you go.”
Poppy stared at him and shivered at the ruthlessness in his gaze. She didn’t want to touch him anymore because she rather suspected he would bite her. He was nothing short of dangerous, and had such a strong, somewhat imposing aura about him that he made Clarence look like a limp cravat. Luke was vibrant, strong, and downright sinister when he wanted to be, but there was also something else, something softer, more reassuring that she never expected to see there as well. Confused she stared at him and tried to decide what to do. She glanced at the exit. It was too far away. Besides, his friend was right next to it. She could try to leave, but suspected it would be a futile endeavour. If one didn’t stop her the other one would.
Given what had just happened with the woman in black, she couldn’t take the risk that the woman wasn’t lurking outside somewhere. She certainly seemed fixated on her bag, but for a mugger she had looked incredibly odd. No, her chances were better if she told him what he wanted to know, and got on the next carriage to Cumbria. Then she could put this entire farce behind her – somehow and get on with what was left of her life.
“All right, just a few minutes then,” she replied reluctantly. “But I warn you that I have a carriage to catch so you had better ask your questions quickly. As soon as the carriage is announced, I am going and nobody is going to stop me.”
