Warmth filled her chest. Gray had defended her.
“You sound like you respect him, Leo.”
“He is easier to tolerate than I thought” was all her brother would concede.
“How is it London can be fine one day and this the next?” Teddy said. “I loathe this weather.”
“Me too, little brother,” Ellen said. A vision of men sprinting toward them filled her head suddenly. Panic sliced through her. “Run!”
“What?” Leo demanded. But it was too late. The attack came so fast they didn’t see it. A hand grabbed her from behind.
“Teddy, run!” Leo roared as two men grabbed him.
Ellen’s umbrella was hooked in its loop, but Leo had his cane.
“Run, Teddy!” Ellen cried when her little brother hesitated. “Go to the bakery!”
She heard his footsteps running away from them. Ellen then stopped struggling, and the hands holding her relaxed. She kicked back with her foot, and her attacker grunted. The seconds gave her time to free her umbrella. She spun. There were three men. Shooting Leo a look, she saw he had four on him.
“Run, sister!”
“Help!” Ellen screamed as loud as she could, and then they were on her.
She swung and lashed out with her umbrella, also using her hands and feet. She got in jabs and blows as she heard fists connecting behind her.
Leo!
“She’s a fiery bitch!” These words were followed with a punch to her jaw that had her stumbling back. Tripping, Ellen fell to the ground. Then boots lashed out and kicked her, and pain shot through her. A face appeared above Ellen, bending until it was inches from hers.
“Stop investigating what doesn’t concern you, or next time we’ll come for someone you love, and we’ll kill them. You and that detective mind your business or pay the price.”
More kicks came, and all Ellen could do was hold her hands over her face.
“No!” she heard the roar, and then suddenly Alex was there with Uncle Bram and others. They were safe.
Leo?Ellen tried to find him, but there was so much pain, and then there was darkness.
CHAPTERTHIRTY-TWO
“AMr. Hellion is here to speak with you, Detective Fletcher.”
Happy for the reprieve, even if it was his nosey cousin, Gray said, “Show him in, Harry.”
While he waited for Ramsey to arrive, Gray thought about what he’d learned. Mr. Brownly was not the fine, upstanding gentleman he appeared. He’d looked into the man and had come up with a few things that raised his suspicions.
There was also the matter of why Miss Olivia Nicholson was in that alley with that man and why her brother had given her a large sum of money two weeks before he died.
“Gray.”
He looked up as Ramsey appeared in his doorway. The expression on his face had him rising from his seat. His cousin never looked that way. He was rarely serious.
“What has happened?”
“I went to Appleblossoms Bakery, Gray. Ellen and Leo, they were set upon outside the store this morning.”
“What?” He grabbed his coat and shoved his arms through the sleeves as panic gripped him.Not Ellen. Please, not her.
“Her brother ran into the bakery screaming.”
