Edmund’s gut twisted. This would be quite a different tussle than wrestling Ami away from Gil. One that could be deadly.
God, please. Give me strength. Give me wisdom.
“Tha’s it! Scuttle off to the corners like the cockroaches ye are.” The monstrous man advanced as the line of three officers retreated.
“You won’t make it far, cully!” the largest bluecoat sneered, a veneer of false confidence belied by his next backward step.
Thunderation! If those lawmen didn’t hold their ground, the villain would have free passage out the loading doors in a matter of seconds.
And who knew what would become of Ami at that point.
Edmund’s mind raced, desperate to devise the next move in this dangerous game. He cast a wild look about, searching for something—anything—to combat the blade at Ami’s belly.A length of chain coiled on the floor. No good, though. Too far ahead. The thug would spot him before he could reach it. A broken board leaned against the wall to his left. That could work but ... hold on. He squinted. There in the shadow of a large crate lay a gift from God.
A forgotten crowbar.
Edmund snatched it up.
Dashed ahead.
And swung.
The iron bar hit off-center on the back of the man’s head, but it hit! Thank God, it hit! For a fraction of a second, nothing happened other than a slight stiffening of the brute’s shoulders. Then in a surreal cascade, the villain’s colossal frame plummeted, taking Ami down with him. The dirty floorboards rushed up to meet them with a sickening thwack, the impact jarring the ground under Edmund’s feet.
Ami scrambled from beneath the weight of the unconscious man’s arm, and Edmund pulled her into his embrace, holding her close, his grip a mix of protectiveness, urgency, and heavenly relief. She was here. In his arms. Safe. Whole. Breathing. The realization nearly buckled his knees.
“Edmund?” She tipped back slightly, her nose scrunching in adorable confusion. “What are you doing here?”
“Solving a problem, of course. Namely that you were missing. Are you hurt?” His voice rasped, a blend of concern and longing, exposing a vulnerability he hadn’t intended to let her hear. He searched her brow, her cheeks, her chin, mapping every contour, seeking the slightest sign of injury. Then his gaze drifted lower to her side, where the cruel knife had torn the fabric of her gown. No blood, though. Just a ruined bodice. He shuddered. Oh, how close he’d come to losing her!
Thank You, God. Thank You!
“I am well,” she whispered. “But how did you know where to find me?”
“Your father.” He brushed back a loose lock of hair, relishing the moment despite the hellish howls and shouts around them,ignoring even the body at their feet. “Apparently there’s more to you than I realized, hmm, Shadow Broker?”
The name curved her lips into a sad smile. “I made the same mistake about you. Shouldn’t you be at your engagement party right now?”
The question was a bittersweet reminder of the tangled obligations that had driven them to this precipice.
He shook his head, his eyes never once leaving hers. “There is only one woman for me. And she’s right here in my arms.”
She sucked in a breath, her face turning ashen. Not the response he was hoping for but—
“Oh no.” Her gaze fixed just past his shoulder.
A yowling screech shattered the air like a stone against glass. Edmund wheeled about, his body instinctively shielding her from whatever new threat plummeted toward them.
Gil staggered out a nearby door, his face twisted by malice. Blood oozed from the corner of his mouth, a walking, breathing nightmare.
“You!” Gil advanced, swinging a jagged-edged slate like a scythe. “Don’t think you’re taking my prize now! I went to too much trouble bringing those blasted relics here. Wormwell owes me!”
Edmund swiped for the crowbar. He had no idea what the man was talking about, but he did understand the murderous gleam in his eyes. “Gil, listen. Just—”
A bluecoat charged, hitting Gil sideways. They both flew. The officer landed on top. In a trice, the lawman snapped on a pair of darbies and hoisted Edmund’s former business partner to his feet, then dragged him toward the dock door. Gil wriggled like a speared fish, shrieks spewing from his lips.
“Mr. Price!” A steamroller in sergeant stripes barreled toward them. “I thought I told you and the professor to remain at the station.” Newell pulled up in front of him and Ami.
“You did, Sergeant. But see?” In a single motion, he pulled Ami to his side. “I found the lady I was looking for.”
