The Hero Least Likely

by Darcy Burke

  “Gin Jimmy.” Ethan’s insides hardened with resolve. Audrey wanted Ethan to be done with hurting people, but he was going to carve Jimmy’s heart out if he’d hurt her.

  “You think she’s here in London?” Carlyle asked. The four men were standing around Ethan now, each one watching him intently like he was some sort of caged animal on display as a curiosity. Others were watching him too, despite the fact that the court proceedings had continued at the other end of the room.

  “I can’t imagine she’d be anywhere else.” Unless they’d done something with her along the way. No, he wouldn’t let himself think that. Not yet. He turned to Sevrin and worked to keep the despair out of his voice. “You’re certain she didn’t fall or meet any other sort of disaster on the path?”

  Sevrin shook his head. “There was no sign of that.”

  Ethan ran his hand through his hair and fought to rip it from his head. He wanted to tear the room apart, lash out at these men who were just standing there doing nothing.

  But what could they do?

  “I have to find her.” He moved toward the door, but Sevrin caught his arm.

  “Wait. Let us help you.”

  Ethan’s lip curled as he contemplated the four aristocrats. “How the hell are you lot going to help me?”

  Carlyle adjusted his cravat. “I’ll try not to be offended that you would think I couldn’t help you. After all, I owe you, and you know my contacts are equal to yours.”

  Ethan grunted. “I doubt that. But I take your point. Please find out whatever you can.”

  “Shall we reconvene at Lockwood House this afternoon?”

  Hours from now. “I can’t wait that long.” Ethan heard the anguish in his tone and wanted to shout his frustration.

  Jason probed him with an earnest stare. “Be smart, Ethan. You’ll be much better served with a plan. You seem to be the master of them.”

  He was referring to the plan Ethan had been orchestrating to take down Gin Jimmy in order to free himself and join Society. The plan Ethan had refused to share with his brother. He looked at Jason and their unspoken exchange was clear: Jason would help him, but Ethan had to trust him.

  Ethan forced himself to exhale and push some of the tension from his shoulders. “What do you propose?”

  Jason’s eyes flashed briefly with surprise. Then he too seemed to relax. “Let’s see what Carlyle learns.”

  “We’ll have to flush him out,” Ethan said, his mind working. He knew Gin Jimmy better than anyone. The man rarely left his comfortable rookery in the heart of the Seven Dials and he was untouchable there. If he’d taken Audrey—and Ethan absolutely believed he had—that was the only place he’d keep her. “I know where she is, but if I go in there, I’m dead.”

  “He’s laid a trap,” Sevrin said.

  “Then we’ll have to lay our own.” Saxton drew everyone’s attention. His pale blue gaze was cunning. “Lockwood—that’s bloody confusing.” He focused on Ethan to differentiate between the brothers. “If we can lure him away from her, will you have a chance or are you dead either way?”

  “I might have a chance,” Ethan said slowly. There were those who were loyal to Ethan, who would support the overthrow of Gin Jimmy, but they’d want Ethan to lead them instead. And Ethan wanted no part of that. “It depends on what Gin Jimmy’s told them in my absence. I don’t know how much allegiance I still command.”

  “I’ll find out,” Carlyle said, striding toward the door. “See you at Lockwood House. You can update me on the plan then.”

  “Carlyle,” Ethan called. The man paused and turned back. “Confirm that she’s there—the Cup and Burrow’s his place—that she’s safe.”

  Carlyle nodded and left before Ethan could say the most important thing of all: Thank you.

  “Did you have a specific trap in mind, Sax?” Sevrin asked.

  Saxton shrugged. “It seems like the one thing that could coax Jimmy out of his lair is the thing he wants most.”

  “Me.” Ethan shook his head. “I have to get into his stronghold.” Not only because he needed to be the one to save Audrey—and he needed to be that man—but because it was also imperative that he take Jimmy down for good. And that would require help, which he could only get by turning the men’s allegiance from Jimmy to him.

  Saxton lips spread in a shrewd smile. “Not you. The other Lockwood.” He inclined his head toward Jason. “Perhaps we can use your similarity in build and coloring to draw Jimmy out. Your scar, however, could be a problem.”

  Sevrin shook his head. “Not if we covered it. I got pretty good at disguising my injuries from the Black Horse.”

  “You tried,” Saxton said. “Let’s employ an expert. I’m certain Olivia can put her experience from the theater to good use. It won’t be perfect, but we should be able to mask the scar enough to fool people at a distance.” Saxton looked to Ethan. “Will that work?”

  “It could.” Ethan envisioned Jason dressed like him and situated in a dark corner of the Brazen Bride flanked by a few of Ethan’s men. It would sufficiently dupe anyone watching into thinking that Ethan was there, which would hopefully draw Jimmy out. Ethan decided he needed to weigh the odds and knew exactly what he could say to lure his former mentor from his den.

  The question was, could he bare himself to Jason? He wouldn’t have to, he reasoned. He could write a message that would bring Jimmy from his den without telling Jason what it said. He glanced at his brother. His brother. His neck tingled uncomfortably. No, the time for secrets had passed. It was time to trust and discover faith—if he could.

  “Let’s go to Lockwood House where we can sort this all out.” Jason slapped him on the shoulder in an exceedingly brotherly manner. “I’m not asking you to relax, but you can bathe, change your clothes, and have a glass of whisky. As my butler North would say, you need fortification.”

  No, what he needed was Audrey. If anything had happened to her . . . He wouldn’t be able to bear it. To have happiness within his grasp only to have it be torn away would kill him. But did he deserve anything else?

  After a brutal six-day journey that had seen her bounced around in a stolen cart, racing over hillsides on a stolen horse, and ushered into London in a rundown—and, yes, stolen—carriage, Audrey was simply glad to be still. Even though it meant she was locked in a windowless room in a flash house in St. Giles. She wasn’t sure what a flash house was, but it wasn’t good.

  The ground floor had been somewhat like a pub or tavern, but filled with a class of folk Audrey had never encountered. Men, women, children—all filthy and possibly drunk—had gaped and leered at her as Perkins and Bird had dragged her inside. A woman had taken her from them and brought her upstairs to the third floor, a warren of rooms from which came intermittent and disturbing sounds. Crying. Shouting. Darker sounds of a more . . . intimate nature.

  The woman, Mother Dean she’d called herself, had drafted two younger women to help Audrey. They’d set up a bath and brought her fresh clothes, though Audrey would’ve preferred to have her old clothing, wretched as it was after the nearly incessant travel. Her new costume didn’t fit properly. As with most gowns that weren’t tailored for her, this was too short and too tight in the bodice. It also revealed much more of her bosom than she’d ever exposed.

  The room she’d been placed in was small, little more than an alcove beneath the stairs leading to the uppermost floor. The now-tepid bath sat in the corner while Audrey perched on a wooden chair. One of the young women, Ellie, who’d helped her bathe and dress, was styling her hair, and the other had gone to fetch cosmetics.

  “I’d prefer not to apply anything to my face.” The gown was degrading enough.

  “It’s expected of the girls ’ere at the Cup and Burrow.” Ellie stuck pin after pin into Audrey’s hair. “How do ye manage these curls?”

  “It’s a bit of a trial. What do you mean the ‘girls’?” Audrey had a pretty good guess but asked anyway.

  “The Cup and Burrow’s a flash house. The
cup is for the gin and the burrow’s for what’s between yer legs.”

  Audrey’s gut tightened with fear as her guess was affirmed. “How many girls are here?”

  Ellie jabbed a pin into Audrey’s hair, scratching her head. “Depends. As many as forty sometimes. We get new girls often, but not all of ’em work out.”

  “What happens to them?”

  “Out on their arse, unless there’s another need for ’em. I can usually tell who’ll wash out. I tend to ’em when they come in, like I’m doing for ye, if they need it. Most of ’em arrive lookin’ as they ought. Not like ye.” She stuck another pin into Audrey’s curls. “Ye won’t last a day.”

  Audrey suppressed a shudder. “I’m not one of the ‘girls.’” God, what if she were? No, she’d cling to the hope that Gin Jimmy was only using her as bait to get Ethan. “But if I were, what would happen to me next?”

  “Ye’ll be allowed to settle in for a day or so. And if ye’re smart, ye’ll drink a lot of gin to make things easier.” She laughed, which gave the room a subtle scent of the gin she spoke of. She gave a final pat to Audrey’s hair, then moved around in front of her. “Ye’ll do. After we get yer face done, I’ll take ye downstairs to the common room for somethin’ to eat.”

  The second woman came in. Beneath the kohl around her eyes and the unnatural shade of red on her lips, she looked far younger than Ellie, though Audrey suspected they were of a similar age.

  Ellie stared at the other young woman. “Nan, where’s yer cosmetics basket?”

  “I was told to bring ’er downstairs immediately. Mother Dean wants to see you, Ellie.”

  Ellie went to the door and paused, looking back at Audrey. “Remember what I said about the gin.” She gave Ellie a knowing smile and quit the room, leaving laughter in her wake.

  Audrey got up from the chair, her legs trembling. “Where are you taking me? I’m not one of the . . . girls.”

  Nan smiled softly. “I know. I’m taking you to Gin Jimmy. Is it true you’re Jagger’s woman?”

  Though the label was somewhat crude, it gave Audrey a silly thrill. “Yes. You know him?”

  The young woman’s smile turned shy as she nodded. She suddenly looked quite young. “I’m not one of the ‘girls’ either, and I have Jagger to thank. I came ’ere to be one. I didn’t have no money and there was nothin’ left to sell. It was starve or come ’ere. I was lucky that ’e was in the common room that first night. ’E could tell I didn’t want to be ’ere. I kept refusin’ the gin.”

  Audrey was desperate to hear why she was grateful to Ethan. “What did he do?”

  “’E told Mother Dean I’d make a good maid. They were short one at the time. It was just a few months ago.”

  “And you haven’t had to sell yourself?”

  Nan shook her head almost violently, then suddenly took Audrey’s hand. “It’s terrible what’s goin’ to happen to Jagger. I wish there was somethin’ I could do.”

  Audrey’s skin prickled. “What’s going to happen to him?”

  “I don’t know for sure, but from what I hear Gin Jimmy’s angrier than anyone’s ever seen ’im.” That didn’t sound good at all. “Come on, we ’ave to get downstairs.” She gave Audrey a pitying look, then turned and led her back down to the ground floor. Instead of going to the front of the flash house, where the common room was located, they turned to the back of the building. They entered an extravagantly decorated room. The walls were hung with silk, the furniture ornate and expensive, if a bit mismatched. There was a dais at the opposite end with a large chair surrounded by lush pillows littering the floor. It was a reception area fit for a king who prized decadence and self-importance.

  A stout man with a shock of white hair came from a door in the corner and climbed the dais to sit in the chair. Audrey recognized his face—the man who’d been wearing the livery at Lockwood House: Gin Jimmy.

  He was dressed in clothing that suited his surroundings—a dark velvet frock coat and a garish silk waistcoat with alternating red and gold stripes. Lace from the cuffs of his shirt draped over his hand, which were covered in brightly jeweled rings. He looked like an aging dandy.

  “Miss Cheswick at last. Ye know who I am?” He held his hand out just as a boy rushed to his side with a gold goblet.

  “Gin Jimmy.” She noted the men who’d clustered at the sides of the dais. Rough-looking men like Perkins and Bird, who were standing a few feet away.

  “Ye’ve done well,” Gin Jimmy said to them. “Ye’ve earned yer keep.” He inclined his head at the man closest to the dais, a surprisingly young fellow with spectacles. He withdrew two pouches from his coat and tossed them at Perkins and Bird.

  They each caught their pay, bowed their heads, and left. Bird flashed her a nasty leer as he passed.

  Audrey suppressed a shiver. They hadn’t touched her beyond moving her here and there, but the danger surrounding her was seeping into her bones by degrees. She glanced behind her for a supportive look from Nan, but the maid was gone.

  “Were ye comfortable upstairs?” Gin Jimmy asked before taking a draught from his gaudy chalice.

  “Not particularly.”

  Gin Jimmy laughed. “Ye’ve got fire. No wonder my boy Jagger likes ye. But at least I didn’t put ye to work. I’m thinkin’ ye’d rather not do that.”

  A chill settled over her. “No. Thank you.”

  “Polite too.” Gin Jimmy chuckled, shaking his head. “What’s happened to my boy? He’s traded a good life for a bit of Society fluff. Question is, can ye keep his attention? At least long enough for him to come after ye?”

  Audrey looked at the group of men with their pistols and knives and was glad Ethan couldn’t walk into this trap. “He can’t. He’s been arrested by Bow Street.”

  Gin Jimmy took another swig from his cup and handed it back to the boy who’d kneeled on one of the pillows. “That won’t stop him.”

  Audrey couldn’t contain her curiosity—or her worry. “What do you mean?”

  He lifted a velvet-clad shoulder and Audrey noticed a sparkle in his earlobe, an earring. “Jagger’s a cunning lad. He’ll find a way to get out. And if he doesn’t”—he glanced at his small army and grinned, stirring them to grin and chuckle in return—“they’ll try him and sentence him to hang.” His tone had turned cold, vicious. His eyes shrank to terrifying slits.

  Audrey clasped her hands together to keep them from shaking, but it was no use. A shudder shook her frame. She couldn’t countenance either of those outcomes. “What do you plan to do with me?”

  “We’ll just wait fer a bit. I’m not lettin’ Bow Street rob me of sendin’ ’im to ’is maker. If necessary, we’ll get ’im out and then ’e’ll come for ye.”

  She tried to show bravado. “He may not.” Could Jimmy tell she was lying?

  He scrutinized her a long moment. “I think ’e will. ’E dragged ye all over England. Aye, ’e’ll come fer ye, and then I’ll gut ’im. I’m going to ’ave some luncheon. Ye must be famished.” He made the observation as if he hadn’t just promised to murder the man she loved.

  Audrey could only stare at the garish fiend. But then her stomach growled, prompting everyone in the room—save the boy—to laugh.

  “Stay and eat then.” He stood and walked down the steps of the dais toward her. She fought the urge to turn and run. He held out his hand. “Come, dearie. Let us share a meal and ye can tell me all about our boy Jagger.”

  Audrey didn’t want to tell him a thing. “I’d rather not.”

  Gin Jimmy’s eyes hardened. “Ye ought not turn down my generosity. Wouldn’t want ye to end up in a room upstairs.”

  His threat had the desired effect. Audrey could scarcely breathe through her fear. She gave him her shaking hand. He took it and she steeled herself against the rush of revulsion as he led her to a baroque table at the side of the room. The boy rushed to hold a chair for her.

  After Gin Jimmy was seated at the head of the table and she on his right side, the crime lord snapped his
fingers. A young woman rushed forward and curtseyed to him. Her gown was even more revealing than Audrey’s. The woman, little more than a girl really, was a tiny thing, but her breasts had been pushed up until they swelled above the neckline nonetheless.

  “Fetch Marie,” Gin Jimmy said to her.

  She dashed from the room and came back a moment later with a very attractive woman. She was curvaceous, with blazing red hair and full lips. Her attire was equally scandalous, but for some bizarre reason it suited her. She didn’t look nearly as awkward as Audrey felt.

  “Marie,” Gin Jimmy said, “this is Miss Cheswick. She’s Jagger’s new plaything. Miss Cheswick, this is Marie.” His eyes narrowed with devious intent. “She’s Jagger’s old plaything.”

  Guffaws sounded from the gallery of men near the dais. Gin Jimmy laughed with them, then inclined his head for them to take seats at the table.

  Audrey stared at Marie, who was beautiful, despite her vivid attire. Jealousy pricked her, but she quashed it. Thinking of Ethan with another woman was pointless. He loved her. And he would come for her. But no! She didn’t want him to walk into a trap.

  Marie sauntered toward her. “Can’t see what Jagger’d want with ye. But I s’pose it was all part of his act.” She leaned down and sneered in Audrey’s face. “Can’t pretend to be a fancy gent without a fancy gel on yer arm.”

  Audrey opened her mouth to tell Marie she was far more than arm decoration, but Gin Jimmy snapped his fingers again and more scantily-clad women appeared bearing trenchers of food. As a steaming plate was placed before her, Audrey struggled between hunger and nausea. She looked around at the men attacking their meals and wondered how she was ever going to escape this nightmare. She wanted to pray for Ethan to find her, but couldn’t bear to see him killed. Neither could she contemplate him hanging. If a more hopeless situation existed, Audrey couldn’t imagine it. All she could do was fight for her survival. With that thought, she picked up a piece of bread and ate.