“You are a doctor,” Dev told him, surprised by the spurt of anger he felt over that bit of self-pitying nonsense. “I don’t care how many people you fuck, you save one life, you’re a doctor. So you’re a doctor. And you can just keep your damn mouth shut about it.”
The other man blinked at him blearily. “I can, can I? Is this another one of those instances where I’m supposed to do what you tell me to do? Because I don’t much feel like doing that. What do you think of that?”
Dev couldn’t believe he was talking to him like that. No one talked to him like that. “Do you know who I am?” he blustered.
The doctor gave an amused huff. “That again? Yes. Devlin O’Shaughnessy. Do I pass the test? Can I have a bloody drink?”
“Must you two go to battle first thing in the morning?” Kitty asked with exasperation as she rushed into the kitchen, still pinning her hair up. She was wearing one of those god-awful dresses of hers that covered her from neck to toe and made her look like a widow. “I haven’t got time to mediate your squabbles. I’m late for work. And I was gone half the day yesterday. I won’t make rent this month if I don’t get down there.”
“Since I own the building,” Dev said wryly, “I don’t think that’s going to be a problem.”
Kitty stuck her tongue out at him. “I told you I don’t want any favors,” Kitty said. “And don’t remind me that you bought the building just because my shop and flat are here. I feel too good this morning to be angry at you.” The look she shot him was heated and satisfied.
Dev laughed and wrapped his arm around her waist to pull her in for a kiss. She laughed too, right against his lips. He loved that. Then she pulled away and went over to the doctor and leaned down to kiss him on the cheek and Dev felt it like a blow to the gut.
“How are you, Thom?” she asked, hugging him from behind. Dev didn’t miss the fact she made sure to press his head right between her soft, plump breasts. “Did you sleep well?”
“Yes,” he lied. He glared at Dev as if daring him to say something.
“Oh, good,” Kitty said. She pressed her nose against the side of his head and rubbed it there. Her lips caressed his ear. Peters closed his eyes and he reached up to hold her arm like a drowning man where it lay against his chest. “What were you two fighting about?”
“I told him to call me Thom and he took offense and declared me a doctor.” Peters’ voice was shaky. The look he sent Dev’s way was another challenge.
“Well, that’s just silly,” Kitty said, standing and resting her hands on his shoulders, kneading the muscles there. “Of course you’re a doctor, but you’re also Thom. Call him Thom, Devlin.”
“Thom, Devlin,” Dev said. Kitty laughed. The doctor looked surprised.
“Are you going to work today?” Kitty asked Thom hesitantly. “I really think you ought to stay here.”
“Yes,” he said.
“No,” Dev said at the same time. “He’s staying here. All day. You’ll see him tonight.”
“Is this another—”
Dev cut him off. “Yes. My decision.”
“When I’m not feeling ill and weak as a babe, I’ll protest.” Thom—his name was far too easy to fall into—put his forehead in the palm of his hand, elbow on the table, and sat there.
Kitty frowned. “Perhaps I ought to stay too.”
Dev caught her shoulders in his hands from behind and guided her to the door. “Nonsense. He’s a fully grown man, not a child. He just needs rest. Go.”
“Shouldn’t I be saying that?” Thom muttered without raising his head.
“You are,” Dev told him. He opened the door and gently pushed Kitty through. “Go on,” he urged her. “He’ll be fine. I’ll get Rufus to stay with him.”
“Well, all right,” Kitty said reluctantly. “But only because I’ve got the Dorsett chit’s wedding coming up and she’s ordered a trousseau worthy of royalty.”
Dev smiled and softly closed the door in her face. He spun around to pin Thom with a hard stare. “You’ll stay and you’ll like it. Roll around on her bed and try to look more lively by the time she gets home.”
Thom cracked one eye open as he rolled his head in his palm to stare balefully at Dev. “Fine. Give me some whiskey.”
“No.” Dev grabbed a chunk of bread from the keeper and shoved it in his mouth. Then he grabbed his coat from the back of a chair and pulled it on. Just as he was about to curse Rufus for being late there was a knock on the door. He yanked it open to see the redhead standing there looking like the cat that got the cream.
“Thank you,” he said to Dev as he passed him. “I haven’t had such a pleasant fuck since I don’t know when. I may have to keep little Clarence around for a while.”
Thom raised his head and slowly lowered his hand to the table. “You fucked my Clarence?” he asked in disbelief. “If you’ve harmed a hair on his head…well, I don’t know what, but I’ll make it unpleasant.”
Rufus laughed. “Trust me, no hairs were harmed except the ones on my head when he grabbed them and screamed in pleasure.”
Thom closed his eyes again. “That is perhaps too much information for me.”
Rufus laughed. “So, were there pleasantries here as well?” he asked, pulling out a chair and flipping it around to straddle it inelegantly. “You two here…in Kitty’s kitchen…very cozy.”
“No,” they both said firmly. Thom stared at him for a moment and then blushed scarlet red. Dev could practically see the memory of him and Kitty fucking in Thom’s too expressive, gorgeous eyes.
“Too bad,” Rufus said, watching them both knowingly. “Shall I take the doctor back to his office?”
“No,” Dev said. He was pleased when Thom didn’t even try to answer or disagree with him. “He’s staying here. And so are you.” He walked over to the door and motioned Rufus to follow. “A word,” he said.
Thom raised his eyebrows. He waved Dev off. “Goodbye and good riddance. Mr. Rufus shall be better company.” He put his head down on his crossed arms on the table.
Outside the door Dev leaned in and told Rufus quietly, “No whiskey for him. Nothing. No spirits at all. Understand?”
Rufus nodded. “I do. Does he? And does this mean I’m sitting with him all day?” He didn’t whine. He knew better. Whatever Dev wanted him to do, he did. He understood that Dev trusted him like no one else except Kitty.
“Yes,” Dev said with a sigh. “I’m sorry. But he means the world to Kitty, and he can’t be trusted on his own. I’ll send a note to the office for Clarence.”
“Can Clarence come here?” Rufus asked. “To help me wile away the hours?”
“No,” Dev told him. “Thom doesn’t need to hear you fucking all day. I’m trying to break him of that habit too.”
Rufus tapped the end of his nose and pointed at Dev. “Got it.”
Dev turned and headed down the stairs. He had to deal with the shipment that came in yesterday, and it was time to make the rounds of his establishments and collect his cut. If he didn’t have a busy day planned, he’d stay. But business first. Dev had learned long ago to look out for himself first. If he went down, a lot of people would follow, and he couldn’t let that happen.
Chapter Ten
“What the hell?” Devlin exclaimed angrily. Thom looked up at him framed in Kitty’s doorway, glaring at him. “What did you do to him?”
“N-nothing,” Thom stuttered. He was tired of hearing people say that about him. They hadn’t done anything. Thom had done it to himself. The fact that he was lying there curled into a shivering ball of misery was on his head, and no one else’s.
Rufus put the cool cloth back on his head. “Nothing. He ain’t had a drink in a day. It’ll do this to a man.”
“Thom?” Kitty came to the door and gasped when she saw him. She rushed over and shoved Rufus out of the way. She sat on the bed next to him and he tried to smile at her. It felt more like a grimace. “Thom?” she said softly, brushing his sweat-soaked hair out of his eyes and reposit
ioning the cool cloth on his head. “He’s burning up,” she said to Devlin, worry in her voice.
“All right,” Thom managed to say between his chattering teeth. “Normal. Go away.”
“I won’t go away,” Kitty said with exasperation.
Well, he hadn’t meant that anyway. He’d meant the fever would go away in time. But he was too miserable to correct her.
“Fetch another blanket,” she ordered Rufus. “In the chest in the hall.” When he left the room she whispered furiously to Devlin, “Get him a drink.”
Devlin nodded and turned to go and Thom found the strength to sit up and call out, “No.”
Devlin stopped and turned slowly back to face them. Kitty was biting her lip and staring between them. “Are you sure?” Devlin asked calmly.
Thom jerked his head in a nod. “You left me here all day to think about it.” And he had thought about it. Thought about Kitty and what could be between them and earning Devlin’s respect at the very least. He craved both of those more than a drink. At least today he did. “Yes, I’m sure.”
“It’s going to get worse,” Devlin told him.
Thom lay back down with a sigh. “I know. I’m sorry I’m doing it here. What a trial I am.”
“Nonsense,” Kitty said. She wiped his brow with the cool cloth. “I wouldn’t have it any other way.”
From the look on Devlin’s face he didn’t agree. But he didn’t say a word.
* * * * *
Three days. Three fucking days Thom had been feverish, lying in bed shivering, delirious half the time. And the nightmares.
Jesus Christ, the nightmares.
Dev took a drink of whiskey straight out of the bottle and felt like the worst sort of hypocrite. He wanted to march in there and pour the stuff down Thom’s throat if it meant it would stop. But he wouldn’t do it. This was what Dev had wanted. Kitty didn’t need a drunk. Thom had to sober up.
Even though Thom looked as weak as a babe, Dev knew the truth. He was one of the toughest men he’d ever met. The man in the bedroom wasn’t the one Dev had found drunk and bruised and damn near raped. He was the man who’d saved Carrie, and hundreds of men during the war. Maybe even more. Doing it this way was hard, but not once had he begged for a drink. He’d begged for other things, especially when the dreams came, but never a drink. Dev respected the hell out of him. He knew why he was doing it. For Kitty. Dev would walk through hell for her too, so he understood Thom completely. He wished he could hate the other man, but he couldn’t.
There was a knock on the door and Dev turned to the sound, irritated. No one was supposed to be up here bothering them. He’d left very specific directions. He yanked open the door and glared at the two men standing behind Rufus.
“What?” he barked. He turned his venom on Rufus. “I said no one.”
The smaller of the two men pushed past Rufus and went toe to toe with him. He looked familiar. “I’m Daniel Steinberg. I’m here to see Doctor Peters.”
“You can’t.” Dev tried to close the door in his face but he shoved his walking stick in the door and stopped it.
“I will,” he said calmly. “You can either let me in, or I’ll make you let me in.”
Dev suddenly realized who he was. The Shadow. The one who’d been haunting St. Giles last year and cleaning up messes, the kind of messes Dev usually had to clean up. Dev had let him operate at will because it made Dev’s work easier. That didn’t mean he was going to allow him in, however.
“I’d like to see you try, you little prick,” he growled, dropping the carefully cultivated polite speech he’d worked so hard on. He let the streets enter his voice and balanced his weight on his feet, ready to go. “You think I made it this far not knowing how to handle the likes of you?”
Steinberg’s companion, a tall man with an eye patch, slid in between them. “Yes, well, all right then. We’re just friends of the doctor’s and were concerned for his welfare. We were sent by Lady Randall to check up on Doctor Peters and Miss Markham,” he said, mentioning Kitty’s best friend. He held out his hand in greeting. “Harry Ashbury. You must be Mr. O’Shaughnessy.”
Dev was still breathing heavily through his nose, his gaze narrowed on Steinberg, who glared right back.
“Dev.” Kitty spoke quietly behind him. “Let Daniel in.”
“Kitty,” he growled in warning. Friends or not, he knew Thom wouldn’t want them to see him like this.
Kitty pulled on his arm until he relented and backed away from the door. The two men came in and Steinberg kissed her cheek. “Kitty, my dear. How is he?”
“How did you know?” she asked wearily, falling more than sitting on the sofa. Her dark hair was down, hanging over her shoulder in heavy waves. She wore a simple dark gown with no adornment. She didn’t even have shoes on. Even exhausted and disheveled she was gorgeous.
Steinberg removed his hat and sat next to her. “Word gets around. Jason went to his office and was told he was here.” He gestured at the door. “The fellow down there wouldn’t let him in.”
“How’d you get past him?” Dev demanded. He was going to have serious words with Rufus.
“He thought it was business.” The look Steinberg gave him told him he knew that Dev was aware of who he was. Dev gave a curt nod. Steinberg looked back at Kitty. “Can I see him?”
Dev glanced over at the closed bedroom door.
“He’s sleeping,” Kitty said. “I don’t want to wake him.” She shared a look with Dev. He knew she was as worried as he was. When Thom slept, the dreams attacked. It could be any minute now.
“Just a peek?” Steinberg wheedled with a little grin. “You know how I worry.”
“You didn’t worry too much before now,” Dev said angrily. He realized he had a dishrag over his shoulder and threw it toward the kitchen. “He’s been in a bad way for months. Where the hell were you then?”
“Dev,” Kitty said with a sigh, but there wasn’t much fire to it.
“In Scotland,” Steinberg said stiffly. “We only just returned a few weeks ago. With a new baby and things to settle. I’m afraid Doctor Peters wasn’t at the top of the list.”
“He should have been.” Dev bit his tongue, not sure why he was lighting into them over it.
“Come on,” Kitty said, taking Steinberg’s hand and pulling him up. “Just a peek, and then you’ll have to go.”
She opened the bedroom door quietly and he heard Steinberg’s sharply indrawn breath. Thom wasn’t looking his best, that was for sure. “Peters,” he murmured. He turned to Kitty. “I can take him, Kitty. I know this is hard.” He turned a cold eye on Dev and then looked back at Kitty. “He can come to our house until he’s better.”
“No,” Dev said harshly. “He stays.”
Just then Dev heard Thom moan. Kitty started in the door and gave Dev a panicked look over her shoulder. He walked quickly over and pushed Steinberg aside. Before he could get to the bed Thom screamed and began to cry out incoherently, names and places and horrors spilling from his mouth. Steinberg stood there stoically, but Ashbury blanched and backed away. Kitty rushed over and crawled onto the bed. She dragged Thom into her arms protectively, hugging him to her breast, whispering in his ear. He clutched her, his arms around her waist, his face buried against her chest, and choked out, “Kitty.” Then he began to chant her name, “Kitty, Kitty, Kitty.” With each word he calmed down and Kitty petted his back and his hair, kissing his brow and murmuring.
Dev walked back out of the room, sure that Thom wasn’t going to get violent. That hadn’t happened again, but he still worried. Steinberg followed, closing the door behind them. “That’s why he stays,” Dev said heavily. “Only Kitty can soothe the nightmares.”
Steinberg nodded and turned to leave. Dev stopped him with a hand on his arm. “Do you know North? Gideon North?”
The other man looked taken aback for a moment. “Yes. Why?”
“I need his direction,” Dev said.
Steinberg just kept staring at him. “The
dreams,” Dev explained gruffly. “He’s part of the dreams.”
“What do you expect him to do?” Steinberg asked, picking up his hat.
Dev sighed. “I don’t know. But I thought…something.” He shook his head. “I don’t know.”
“He’s at Blakely Farm, Ashton on the Green. But, O’Shaughnessy,” he turned and gave him a sad smile. “He’s seen Gideon. He went to see him a little over a year ago, and Gideon has been in town since then.”
“Things have gotten out of control,” Dev said tightly. “I’m trying to rein them in, in the best way I know how.”
Steinberg tipped his hat and took hold of Ashbury’s arm as he led him to the door. “Good luck,” he said, sincerity ringing in his voice. At the door he said, “When he’s better, send a note. Kate is worried about Kitty, too.”
Dev nodded and watched the two men leave. Then he turned and went to sit on the bed, watching Kitty rock Thom like a baby.
Chapter Eleven
Kitty opened the door for Dev before he knocked. Thom was actually resting quietly. He’d slept for the last two days, recovering from his ordeal of the week before. Kitty was almost as exhausted as he was. But she felt hopeful. Thom hadn’t had a drink in all that time. He hadn’t even asked for one. All he wanted was Kitty and Devlin. He just liked to have them in the room with him, talking. He was like the man she’d met years ago, clever, sweet, funny, acerbic. She was glad his sense of humor wasn’t based in the liquor, like so many drunks. He liked her to sleep next to him now, her hand in his. It kept the dreams away, he told her.
Dev looked worn down. He shuffled in and gave her a chaste little peck on the cheek and tossed his coat over the back of the sofa. “How is he?” he asked quietly.
“Fine,” Kitty answered, sizing him up. “How about you?”
“Me?” Dev gave a bitter laugh. “I’m grand. I got to play the villain all day.”
Oh, dear. Dev had his dark moments just like the rest of them. They usually followed days like that. “Tell me.”
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