She tried to take a step back, but found herself against the wall of a nearby building, cold and unyielding.
Three more men materialized out of the shadows, stepping up to form a ring around her. Her eyes darted between them.
“Get out of my way,” she said with as much courage as she could muster. “If you come any closer, I’ll scream.”
The man with the scar laughed, and for a brief moment, Lily thought she saw a glint of recognition in his eyes.
“Go ahead. Ye think anyone will come running?”
“What do you want from me?” she demanded, trying to sound braver than she felt.
The man with the scar smirked. “Just a bit of fun. And to teach Oskar Galbraith a lesson. We warned him. He chose to ignore that warning.”
“What? You know Oskar?”
The man laughed. “I see he’s not told ye everything, has he, my darlin?
“What are you talking about?”
“Street-scum, that’s what he is. A villain and a bully. Did he not tell ye he was once the scourge of these streets? That everyone was afraid of him? No? I didnae think so. And he isnae coming to save ye this time. If he had half the brains he claims to have, he should never have left ye alone at his townhouse. He knows how dangerous this city can be.”
Lily went cold. “You’ve been watching the townhouse?”
The scarred man grinned. “Of course. We have interests to protect, after all. Canna have any rivals threatening those, can we?”
“Oskar’s no threat to you and neither am I. Just let me go!”
“No threat?” the scarred man hissed. His grin had disappeared and now he stepped forward menacingly, one hand going to his throat where there was a long cut. “No threat? Who do ye think did this? Ye dinna know him half as well as ye think ye do, Lily.”
She tried to shrink away but the wall was already up against her back. “How do you know my name?”
“Like I said, it’s our business to know who comes into our territory. I tried to speak to Oskar man to man, all polite like and point that out, but he wouldnae listen. Maybe he’ll listen now.”
His voice echoed through the narrow alley, its darkness swallowing any light from the courtyard behind her. The scarredman reached into his pocket and pulled out a long knife, the wicked blade gleaming.
As he lunged at her, her self-defense classes came rushing back. She ducked behind him, wrapping her arm around his neck, and yanked him backward. With an ‘oomph’ of surprise, he stumbled, dropping the knife on the filthy ground.
Lily turned and ran. She darted around a corner, and the alley twisted into a tangle of narrow passages. She could hear the men’s footsteps echoing behind her, gaining. Her breath came in short, sharp gasps, her thoughts only on escape.
Ahead, she saw an iron gate leading to a small courtyard, with a few draped bits of laundry fluttering in the wind. Grabbing the gate, she pushed with all her strength, and it finally gave way, hitting the wall with a loud clang. Lily stumbled into the courtyard, panting heavily, throwing the gate closed behind her and pulling the bolt across.
Behind her, the men crashed into the gate with a thump, but the bolt held. She glanced around frantically, looking for a way out. There were no other gates or doors leading from the courtyard. The only way out seemed to be a winding staircase leading up the side of a rickety wooden building to a window at the far side.
Suddenly, the gate behind gave with a crash and the men came stumbling into the courtyard. Lily gasped and ran for the staircase. But before she reached it, a hand closed around her ankle, sending her toppling to the ground. With a cry, she twisted and kicked at the man holding her, landing a blow against his arm.
He grunted but didn’t let go. While his companion gripped her ankle, the scarred man advanced on her, knife held in one hand.
“Ye shouldnae have done that,” he hissed. “Now ye have just gone and made things worse.”
She squeezed shut her eyes, bracing herself for the inevitable pain. But instead of the cold steel of the knife sinking into her skin, she felt a sudden jolt and the crushing weight of the scarred man’s body landed on top of her. It was there for only a second before it was yanked abruptly away.
Lily opened her eyes to see the scarred man lying on his back next to her, a dazed expression on his face as he blinked slowly. Oskar was towering above them, his eyes blazing with fury.
He bent over Lily, his hands cradling her head gently. “Are you all right?” he asked, his voice filled with concern. She nodded and sat up, trying to catch her breath and push the adrenaline-induced shock away.
The scarred man recovered from his stupor and climbed to his feet, wiping a line of blood from his lip. “Ye are really starting to get on my nerves, Galbraith.”
Oskar’s eyes flashed with fury as he straightened to face him. “I warned ye,” he snarled. “I warned ye to stay away from her. Ye are a dead man.”
