Read Online A Kiss In The Dark by Kimberly Logan - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Kimberly Logan
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care to ’company us to breakfast?”
Despite the gravity of her situation, the fear and uncertainty that had dictated her actions since last night, Emily couldn’t restrain a giggle as she took his hand, allowing him to assist her to her feet. “I’d be delighted.”
He led her over to a plank table in the center of the room, where the boys had already started to gather. Seating herself, she gave Nat a grateful look as he set a chipped plate of steaming sausage before her.
Peter quickly introduced the other lads, and Emily nodded to each one in turn. Aside from Nat and little Benji, there was Miles, the freckle-faced boy who had accompanied Peter, and so many others she knew she’d never remember them all.
One boy, Davey, sported several nasty bruises on the side of his face that made Emily gasp in dismay. Seeing her reaction, Peter inclined his head in the boy’s direction. “Our Davey ’ad a run-in wiv the same lads you met last night.”
Emily’s heart flew into her throat. Toby and his boys? Good Lord, they were twice the size of Davey and they’d ganged up on him? How horrible!
His eyes holding hers, Peter gave her a warm smile. “You don’t ’ave to be afraid. You’re safe ’ere. But I’d like to know why they’re after you.”
Swallowing her fear, Emily told him and the other boys what had happened last night in the alleyway. When she had finished, Peter was quiet for a long moment, his expression unreadable.
Finally, just when Emily didn’t think she could bear his silence any longer, he turned back to her and reached out to pat her on the shoulder in a reassuring gesture. “Well, you’re welcome to stay ’ere as long as you like. We’ve got plenty of room, don’t we, boyos?”
A chorus of assent ran around the length of the table.
“Are you all bloody mad?”
Jack’s sudden exclamation had heads whipping in his direction. He stood on the far side of the room, glowering at Peter. “Flynt’s already got ’is men tearing up the Fields looking for our hideout, and you’re going to let ’er stay ’ere and lead ’im right to us?”
Peter’s jaw set stubbornly. “She needs our ’elp.”
“She’s a murder witness, is what she is! If Flynt doesn’t find ’er, the law will. Look at ’er. Does she look like she belongs in the Fields?”
Emily’s fists clenched on the table at Jack’s words. He was right. As much as the thought of going back out on the streets frightened her, she didn’t want to cause any trouble for the Rag-Tag Bunch. But at this point, she wasn’t certain where she would go or what she would do. A part of her longed to go running back to Tristan, but another part of her was determined to prove to her brother that she could make it on her own.
She turned to Peter, biting her lip. “It’s all right. Truly. As soon as I finish breakfast, I’ll go. If one of you would just be kind enough to show me the way to the river …?”
Before Peter could even answer, a small sound came from the end of the table, and they turned their heads in time to see Benji go flying at Jack like a fury, his fists clenched and his face red with temper.
“No!” he cried, flailing away at the older boy. “She’s our guardian angel, and I won’t let you make ’er leave!”
Jack growled and started to raise his own fist, but in a move so swift it made Emily blink, Peter shot up from the table and lunged across the room, catching Jack’s hand just inches from Benji’s face.
“You ’it ’im,” he said, his voice dangerously soft, “and ’e’ll be the last person you ever ’it.”
The air vibrated with an almost palpable magnetism, and Emily waited with bated breath, certain the two older boys would come to blows. After a moment, however, Jack cursed and lowered his fist before turning away with one last glare at Benji.
Peter placed an arm around the little boy’s shoulders and led him back to the table. “There. You see? Miss Emily isn’t going anywhere.
Despite the gravity of her situation, the fear and uncertainty that had dictated her actions since last night, Emily couldn’t restrain a giggle as she took his hand, allowing him to assist her to her feet. “I’d be delighted.”
He led her over to a plank table in the center of the room, where the boys had already started to gather. Seating herself, she gave Nat a grateful look as he set a chipped plate of steaming sausage before her.
Peter quickly introduced the other lads, and Emily nodded to each one in turn. Aside from Nat and little Benji, there was Miles, the freckle-faced boy who had accompanied Peter, and so many others she knew she’d never remember them all.
One boy, Davey, sported several nasty bruises on the side of his face that made Emily gasp in dismay. Seeing her reaction, Peter inclined his head in the boy’s direction. “Our Davey ’ad a run-in wiv the same lads you met last night.”
Emily’s heart flew into her throat. Toby and his boys? Good Lord, they were twice the size of Davey and they’d ganged up on him? How horrible!
His eyes holding hers, Peter gave her a warm smile. “You don’t ’ave to be afraid. You’re safe ’ere. But I’d like to know why they’re after you.”
Swallowing her fear, Emily told him and the other boys what had happened last night in the alleyway. When she had finished, Peter was quiet for a long moment, his expression unreadable.
Finally, just when Emily didn’t think she could bear his silence any longer, he turned back to her and reached out to pat her on the shoulder in a reassuring gesture. “Well, you’re welcome to stay ’ere as long as you like. We’ve got plenty of room, don’t we, boyos?”
A chorus of assent ran around the length of the table.
“Are you all bloody mad?”
Jack’s sudden exclamation had heads whipping in his direction. He stood on the far side of the room, glowering at Peter. “Flynt’s already got ’is men tearing up the Fields looking for our hideout, and you’re going to let ’er stay ’ere and lead ’im right to us?”
Peter’s jaw set stubbornly. “She needs our ’elp.”
“She’s a murder witness, is what she is! If Flynt doesn’t find ’er, the law will. Look at ’er. Does she look like she belongs in the Fields?”
Emily’s fists clenched on the table at Jack’s words. He was right. As much as the thought of going back out on the streets frightened her, she didn’t want to cause any trouble for the Rag-Tag Bunch. But at this point, she wasn’t certain where she would go or what she would do. A part of her longed to go running back to Tristan, but another part of her was determined to prove to her brother that she could make it on her own.
She turned to Peter, biting her lip. “It’s all right. Truly. As soon as I finish breakfast, I’ll go. If one of you would just be kind enough to show me the way to the river …?”
Before Peter could even answer, a small sound came from the end of the table, and they turned their heads in time to see Benji go flying at Jack like a fury, his fists clenched and his face red with temper.
“No!” he cried, flailing away at the older boy. “She’s our guardian angel, and I won’t let you make ’er leave!”
Jack growled and started to raise his own fist, but in a move so swift it made Emily blink, Peter shot up from the table and lunged across the room, catching Jack’s hand just inches from Benji’s face.
“You ’it ’im,” he said, his voice dangerously soft, “and ’e’ll be the last person you ever ’it.”
The air vibrated with an almost palpable magnetism, and Emily waited with bated breath, certain the two older boys would come to blows. After a moment, however, Jack cursed and lowered his fist before turning away with one last glare at Benji.
Peter placed an arm around the little boy’s shoulders and led him back to the table. “There. You see? Miss Emily isn’t going anywhere.
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