“I know I am safe here.Mama said that if I ever felt scared, I should come to find you.”She squeezed his hand.“I’m so glad I did.I love it here, I really do.”She rose to her feet.“I am going to go find Pitter-Patter.”
“Stella,” he called out as she reached the door.“I’m glad you found me too.”
She sent him a wide smile before disappearing through the door to go find her kitten.His heart clenched in his chest.She was such a gift.He had been alone for so long after Uncle Harry died.Just trying to survive.He and Rhys had an unbreakable bond of friendship, but the way Stella cracked open his heart had reminded him what it was to love someone fiercely.He would be forever grateful.
He rose and stretched, cracking the tension in his back, then headed to his study.Just as he suspected, he had a pile of invoices to approve sitting on top of the daily ledger that needed to be checked.He opened his watch fob; he had two hours before the staff meeting.After sorting through the invoices, he opened the ledger, but he couldn’t focus.His eyes slid to the left and landed on the folded newspaper that lay on the corner of the desk.
His mind wandered to the woman who ran it.She had occupied too much of his thoughts over the last few days.He had no time for liaisons with complicated women.Life was complicated enough.But the fierce defiance in her eyes when he had challenged her today had made his blood heat and that kiss they had shared had been incendiary.He wondered if the prickly newspaper lady would take him up on his offer to have another taste.
Chapter Seven
Rutledge could goto hell.Matthew shoved his damp hair off his forehead and slammed his cap back on his head.Where was the bastard?Matthew had been standing outside the Montaque for two hours in the drizzle, the high collar of his coat barely keeping the damp from running down his back.He knew Archie Rutledge came to play deep here at the Montaque.He sneered up at the front of the hell.Gaudy and cheap, it catered to the hooks and sailors that worked near here on the docks.Rutledge fashioned himself as the leader of a gang of small-time criminals that ran this area below the Garden.
Matthew leaned back against the side of the building and lit another hand-rolled cigarillo, cupping his hands carefully over the end to block the drizzle.He needed to find out if Rutledge was behind Mary Beth’s murder.And the best way to find out was to confront him face-to-face.If Rutledge was involved, the cocky bastard would be dying to crow about it.And Matthew was spoiling for a good fight after spending the day trying and failing to not think about the lady in red.He rolled his neck.Fighting was almost as good as sex to release frustration.
Then, as though the universe was taunting him, the door to the tavern across the street opened, and in the spill of light, stood Elizabeth Harper.Still dressed in the same black outfit she’d worn at the funeral, she pulled on a pair of gloves as the door behind her swung shut.In the light of the lanterns that flanked the entrance to the Green Door Tavern, her hair gleamed with golden hues that weaved through the warm brown locks.He straightened.What the hell was she doing here?
A terrified scream rent the air.He and Miss Harper both froze.It had come from the alley next to the tavern.She turned in that direction, looked up and down the empty street, and then changed her grip on the umbrella in her hand, brandishing it like a sword in front of her.She slowly walked to the mouth of the alley.
For fuck’s sake.Matthew threw down his cigarillo and jogged across the street.He managed to grasp her arm right before she entered the alley.“What the hell do you think you’re doing?”he growled in her ear.
Her umbrella came round to hit him, but he easily caught it with his hand.Miss Harper’s eyes widened when she recognized him.She let out a long breath.“Someone is in trouble.”
“And you’re going to what?Pummel the bad guys with your umbrella?”
She huffed, but before she could respond, a loud crunch of wood splintering filled the air, followed by sounds of a struggle.Matthew dropped his grip on the umbrella and strode deeper into the dark.“Oy, what’s going on?Do you need help?”
The struggle ceased, and as he moved deeper into the alley, he could make out footfalls receding away from him.Then, he stumbled into the body of a woman lying across the cobblestones.He crouched down.She was unconscious.He felt her neck, relieved when he found a pulse, thank God.
“Is she dead?”Miss Harper’s voice came from above him.
He glanced up.“No, unconscious.”He scooped up the woman.She was small and thin, and he easily straightened with her cradled in his arms.They headed back to the street.At the mouth of the alley, the light that spilled from the tavern windows made it easier to see the victim.Young, blond, the woman wore a threadbare cloak over a simple blouse and skirt.A local girl, no doubt.
“Here, let’s bring her inside the tavern.I know the proprietor.James will help us,” Miss Harper said.
They headed out of the alley, and she pulled open the door to the tavern.
When they strode in, Miss Harper led the way to the end of the bar.“James, someone’s hurt.”
A tall, wiry fellow hurried down the length of the bar.“Sarah?”
“Do you know her?”Miss Harper asked.
“Yes, she works for me.Just finished her shift.”James lifted a section of the wood top and came from behind the bar.“What’s happened?”
“She was attacked in the alley,” Matthew said.“Is there somewhere we can lay her down?”The woman had been worryingly still in his arms.She should have regained consciousness by now.
“Yes, this way.Caleb, watch the bar,” he yelled to another man across the room.
They followed the proprietor to the back through a door that led to a large storage room.The man cleared a couple of boxes off a table that sat along one wall.Matthew strode forward and gently laid the woman down.She finally stirred.Her eyes fluttered open, filled with fear.She jerked, and her arms flailed out in defense.Matthew grabbed each of her wrists firmly, crossing her arms against her chest.“You’re safe.You’re inside the Green Door.”
The panic receded, and she relaxed underneath his hold.He let go and stepped back.Poor girl.She took several deep breaths in, then winced in pain.Matthew’s gaze dropped to her throat, where a deep red line marred her pale skin.He glanced over at Miss Harper.Elizabeth pursed her lips and gave him a small nod to tell him she had also seen the injury.
James stepped forward.“Sarah, what happened?”He helped her to sit up.“Where are you hurt?”
Sarah wrapped her hand around her throat.“He tried to strangle me.Came up from behind.”Then she moved her hand to her head, right above her hairline on the right side.“And here…bashed me against a crate trying to get away.”
James gently moved her hair, feeling along her scalp with his fingers.“Yep, you got a sizable bump there, girl.Come on.Let’s get you home to your da.”He turned to them.“Elizabeth, thanks for helping.I’ll get her home safe.”
