“And you think he’ll do right by you, do you?” Dresden’s eyes were narrowed upon her.
“He has done right the entire time,” she said simply. “He hasn’t hurt anyone, when he could have. I’ve placed my trust in him, we all have.” She looked at Lucian and father, then back to me. “And none of us have been betrayed.” Her brown eyes were beautiful and clear—a spring shower washing away my sins. I nearly staggered under the impact. She looked back to Dresden. “Please.”
The entire room seemed to take a breath.
Dresden’s eyes scrunched. “I don’t like people mucking around with the law. Mucking around with justice.”
“No, not mucking. Just giving justice a chance to succeed in a different way. To prevent the innocents from being hurt.”
Dresden looked around the room. “What innocents?”
“My brother, for one.”
“It will hardly hurt him when he is exonerated by Lord Alcroft being taken into custody.” But the corners of Dresden’s eyes loosened a fraction.
“The innocents taken advantage of by the high lady and her—” Marietta’s mouth turned down. “—club.”
When Dresden’s eyes softened another fraction, Marietta stepped forward. “Please. I know you want the letter of the law followed, but those victims, those boys, will never get their justice this way.”
“And what of the women?”
“I didn’t say that justice wouldn’t be done. Just…just let Gabriel handle it.” She took another step forward, her fingers spreading. “Please.”
The faith in me, when she didn’t even know what I would do… I could just let John go. My closest friend, my brother in all but blood… I could let him walk through the door. Marietta trusted me not to, when it would all be so much simpler for me to do just that.
“Lord Alcroft needs to be tried and punished,” Dresden said.
John wasn’t looking at him, he was looking at me. I stared back, thinking through plan after plan. John tilted his head, then nodded, tired eyes never leaving me.
Pain ripped through me. I stepped forward, at Marietta’s shoulder. “He will. I will take him,” I said, barely above a whisper. I cleared my throat. “Someone fetch a rope and a male servant’s outfit.”
“Why do you need—”
I held up a hand. “It will be easier this way.”
Lord Steelcrest disappeared to retrieve the items.
“John, the letter opener.” I held out my hand. He looked at the weapon for a long moment before giving it to me. I slipped it into my inside pocket, the cold steel pressed against my ribs.
“If you betray me, I will destroy you,” Dresden whispered, his voice low and even behind me.
“I know,” I said.
Steelcrest returned and handed me the coat, simple shirt, trousers, and shoes.
“Put these on,” I said to John.
“Something for prison, Gabriel? How thoughtful.” He put on the borrowed garments and removed his pocket watch to slip inside his new trousers.
“No. Your watch.” I held out my hand. “And your signet.”
He raised a brow, but removed the objects and handed them to me. “Robbing me?”
“No. Keeping them for you,” I said simply.
John’s eyes narrowed, searching mine, then he nodded. “Very well.”
“Come.”
