“Ada,” Jonny said, stepping forward and placing a hand on the small of her back. “Let’s get out of here.”
“You’re not arrested, then?” Colin asked, and Jonny shook his head.
“No. I’ll fill you all in on everything tomorrow if you’re fine with that.”
Colin didn’t lookfine, but he did nod before he and Lily disappeared into the night.
“Home,” Jonny said to Ada, and she knew he meant his own home, and not her parents’, to which she had refused to return after the police had taken Jonny away despite her father’s protests.
“Home,” she agreed.
They were silent until they arrived, and it was only when they entered through the door that Ada whirled around on him.
“I am so angry with you!” she said, pointing a finger into his chest.
“Why is that?” he asked.
“You took the blame for me! Why would you do that?”
“To protect you,” he said, clearly bewildered.
“I never asked you to!”
“Of course you didn’t. You never would, so I took it upon myself.”
“Why? Jonny, you could have been arrested. I would never have seen you again!”
Her voice became muffled as she banged a fist against his chest and tried to choke back the tears. She was furious that he would risk himself. He was a far more believable culprit than she was, that was for certain. It would have been better to let everyone suspect her.
“And what if I never sawyouagain?” he asked just as desperately, striding close. “You could have been taken. Sharpe could have heard of this and come after you. I couldn’t live with myself. I’ve told you, I would risk anything for you. Why will you not believe me?”
Her wrists caught in his hands, she stared up at him, desperate, pleading, angry, and in a fierce move, he ran his hands down her arms and caught her to him, his lips crashing on hers as their anger dissolved into a desperate kiss, raw truth in both of their breaths.
She knew the truth in his kiss — that they would face this together. No secrets. No distance.
They would be as one.
Chapter Twenty-Nine
Ada slid her pistol into a pocket of her borrowed black dress, one Maggie had told her she usually reserved for funerals.
Tonight, it would serve a different purpose — helping her blend into the night.
She shot a look at Jonny across the room. “I know what you’re going to say. And yes, I am coming with you. I know that you’re concerned, but I can help you. I know the docks nearly as well as you do, and I’m the best shot out of anyone you know — that, I can promise you.”
He gave her a short nod. “I’ve learned not to tell you to stay.”
“And our only information is that the shipment is happening tonight, at the warehouse we saw Will disappear into.”
“That’s right,” Jonny said, his fingers drumming against his leg, the one sign that he was concerned. “I hope he’s not in any trouble,” he muttered.
“Jonny,” Ada said, crossing the room and taking the lapelsof his dark jacket between her fingers, “You have to stop blaming yourself for him staying the past few years.”
He lifted his eyes to meet hers, the irises blazing into her imploringly. “How do you always seem to know what I’m thinking?”
“I suppose I know you better than you think,” she said with a mischievous smile before stepping back and donning the fur-lined cloak Lily had loaned her. “Ready?”
“As I’ll ever be.” He nodded before they stole out into the night, Jonny keeping Ada tight against his side as they moved quickly through the side streets.
