Read Online Alex's Angel by Natasha Blackthorne - Free Book Online Page B

all her strength, then kicked and kicked and kicked until she was free from his helpless form. She got to her feet and ran in the direction of the pale yellow light from the Blue Duck, but suddenly lost her footing and the ground rose to meet her.
    The impact came hard, knocking the wind out of her with a whoosh. The surface was a mixture of broken pavement and sodden grass and mud and ice. Her arms burnt from the scrapes.
    Heavy breathing sounded behind her. She glanced over her shoulder. Green was coming for her, struggling over the uneven terrain.
    She scrambled to get to her feet, but a hard tug on her hair held her there immobile on her knees. Her scalp stung like fire. She winced and cried out, pulling at her head and trying to free herself.
    “Emily?”
    The shout echoed through the alleyway. Emily caught her breath. Green went tense.
    “That’s Dalton, isn’t it?”
    She nodded vigorously.
    “You’re in this together—aren’t you?” He gave her hair a brutal yank.
    Her scalp burned. She cried out.
    He tugged harder, pulling her head back mercilessly. “The two of you are trying to make a fool of me.”
    Tears streamed down her face. “No, no, p-p-please…”
    Footfalls sounded.
    Green released her. She knelt, watching as he went, frantically crawling and sliding and spinning over the icy patches. The sight might have made her laugh at any other time.
    The footfalls grew louder. “Emily?”
    “Over here!” she cried.
    Green intensified his efforts and finally managed to get to his feet and hurry in the direction of the light from the street lamps. He slipped around the corner, the wind blowing his plum-coloured coat tails up and fled into the night.
    “Good God.” Alex’s deep voice echoed off the buildings in the alleyway.
    She turned and sat up as he appeared. She’d never been happier to see anyone, and as he approached, a smile split her face so broadly it made her jaw hurt.
    He helped her up and stood there giving her a steady stare. Then he jerked the edges of her cloak together. “What’s this about?”
    The angry edge to his voice should have intimidated her but instead it sent the most disconcerting thrills through her—half fear, half anticipation. He seemed to loom over her, a taller, broader-shouldered shadow than Green. But he wasn’t wearing his hat and moonlight made his hair glow like gold and accentuated every perfect line and angle of his face. He was the very image of the ideal knight. A protector.
    With his earlier eagerness to fight in mind, she had no doubt he would call Green out over pistols for something like this. She never wanted to be the cause of danger to anyone, especially not the gentleman who’d just saved her twice in one night.
    “I slipped,” she lied.
    “I could see that.” His tone was dry. “My question is, why did you run from me?”
    “I…” Her brain froze at the hardness in his eyes.
    He took her by the shoulders and gave her a little shake. “Damn it, girl, this is Hell City. You should know better than to go traipsing through dark alleyways. I ought to haul you back to my carriage and drag you over my knee.”
    She didn’t care for his presumptive, authoritative tone. Yes, he’d just rescued her, but it didn’t give him the right to speak to her like that. Yet the image his words conjured up sent tingling warmth twisting through her core. A strange elation followed, the oddest sort of anticipation. She took a deep breath, then blew it out like a plume of smoke in the chilly air.
    “You wouldn’t dare.”
    “Wouldn’t I?” His gaze pierced into hers as the wind gusted and howled.
    Cold bit through her woollen cloak, and the silk gown and its attendant muslin undergarments provided no protection whatsoever. She shivered and hugged her upper arms.
    Cursing softly, he pulled off his greatcoat and laid it over her shoulders, the heavy weight of it exuding heat from his body.
    Before she could drag the edges together, he put his hands on her