Read Online Bedford Street Brigade 02 - Love Unbidden by Laura Landon - Free Book Online
Authors: Laura Landon
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waited until the man’s loud snoring continued in rhythm. When he was sure it was safe, Quinn stepped across the warehouse floor.
Even though there wasn’t enough light to see the contraband clearly, Quinn recognized the shape of the bundles. His guess was that Paxton was dealing in opium.
Quinn needed to have proof of what he’d found, and couldn’t be guaranteed that the warehouse wouldn’t be empty by the time he got the authorities and returned. So he carried a bundle back across the warehouse floor to the window. Because of the height of the window, he had no choice but to toss the bundle out first, then follow.
The steady snoring proved the guard slept behind him, but Quinn knew he’d have to act quickly once he threw the bundle over the window sill. The chances of it landing softly enough not to wake the guard were slim.
Quinn took a deep breath, then tossed the bundle. He didn’t wait to see if the guard woke, but grabbed the window ledge, then pulled himself up. Before he could drop to the ground below, he heard a loud bellow, then felt a sharp sting. His arm suddenly refused to function and he had no choice but to drop to the ground and pray he had the strength to grab the bundle and run.
Quinn crumpled to a heap on the ground below the window, and after several attempts, struggled to his feet, picked up the bundle, and ran.
The guard came out the front of the warehouse and fired again.
Quinn felt a fiery sting at his side and knew he’d been hit yet again, but not too badly. He could still move. He could still breathe.
He wasn’t sure how he made it back to his carriage, but somehow he did. He slapped the reins against the horses’ rumps and jerked backward against the cushion when the carriage moved. Damn , but he hurt. Especially his arm. The wound to his side was nothing more than a nuisance, but he was afraid the bullet was still lodged in the flesh of his arm. And Jack was the only one at Nellie’s to help him.
Having Jack dig the bullet out of his arm wasn’t a comforting thought.
. . .
“ Shouldn’t Quinn be back by now?” Nellie checked the street in front of the house again. She couldn’t resist the pull to watch for him to return.
“Come back and sit down, Nellie,” Mack said from a chair on the other side of the room. “Watching never helps.”
Mack had arrived shortly after Quinn left. Nellie was glad. There was something settling in having him here.
Nellie left the window, then sat on the sofa. When she was seated, she lifted her gaze to Mack’s composed features. “How does your wife do it?”
Mack laughed. “Actually, Nellie, Cora handled my job and the risks I took so well she turned down my offer of marriage and left me.”
“Left you?”
“Yes. And the thought of living my life without her broke my heart.”
“But she came back,” Nellie said.
“Yes,” Mack said. “Thanks to her sister. She convinced her that there were no guarantees in this world. That knowing love for even one day is better than never knowing love at all.”
Nellie hesitated before asking her next question. “Did you ever consider giving up your work?”
Mack locked his gaze with hers and shook his head. “No.”
Nellie didn’t have time to ponder Mack’s words. The door flew open and Jack walked in with Quinn’s arm draped across his shoulders.
“Mack! I need some help here.”
Jack’s words brought them racing to the entryway.
“Take him to the kitchen,” Mack said, then went in ahead of them. By the time Jack had Quinn in a chair and his jacket and shirt off, Nellie had water and cloths ready.
“It’s not bad,” Quinn tried to say. But his blood-soaked shirt indicated the opposite.
“I’ll need to get a needle and thread,” Nellie said. She handed a cloth to Jack. “Clean the wound as well as you can.”
Jack took her place and she ran to get her sewing kit, some bandages, and the salve Eileen always kept in case of a skinned knee. When she returned, she
Even though there wasn’t enough light to see the contraband clearly, Quinn recognized the shape of the bundles. His guess was that Paxton was dealing in opium.
Quinn needed to have proof of what he’d found, and couldn’t be guaranteed that the warehouse wouldn’t be empty by the time he got the authorities and returned. So he carried a bundle back across the warehouse floor to the window. Because of the height of the window, he had no choice but to toss the bundle out first, then follow.
The steady snoring proved the guard slept behind him, but Quinn knew he’d have to act quickly once he threw the bundle over the window sill. The chances of it landing softly enough not to wake the guard were slim.
Quinn took a deep breath, then tossed the bundle. He didn’t wait to see if the guard woke, but grabbed the window ledge, then pulled himself up. Before he could drop to the ground below, he heard a loud bellow, then felt a sharp sting. His arm suddenly refused to function and he had no choice but to drop to the ground and pray he had the strength to grab the bundle and run.
Quinn crumpled to a heap on the ground below the window, and after several attempts, struggled to his feet, picked up the bundle, and ran.
The guard came out the front of the warehouse and fired again.
Quinn felt a fiery sting at his side and knew he’d been hit yet again, but not too badly. He could still move. He could still breathe.
He wasn’t sure how he made it back to his carriage, but somehow he did. He slapped the reins against the horses’ rumps and jerked backward against the cushion when the carriage moved. Damn , but he hurt. Especially his arm. The wound to his side was nothing more than a nuisance, but he was afraid the bullet was still lodged in the flesh of his arm. And Jack was the only one at Nellie’s to help him.
Having Jack dig the bullet out of his arm wasn’t a comforting thought.
. . .
“ Shouldn’t Quinn be back by now?” Nellie checked the street in front of the house again. She couldn’t resist the pull to watch for him to return.
“Come back and sit down, Nellie,” Mack said from a chair on the other side of the room. “Watching never helps.”
Mack had arrived shortly after Quinn left. Nellie was glad. There was something settling in having him here.
Nellie left the window, then sat on the sofa. When she was seated, she lifted her gaze to Mack’s composed features. “How does your wife do it?”
Mack laughed. “Actually, Nellie, Cora handled my job and the risks I took so well she turned down my offer of marriage and left me.”
“Left you?”
“Yes. And the thought of living my life without her broke my heart.”
“But she came back,” Nellie said.
“Yes,” Mack said. “Thanks to her sister. She convinced her that there were no guarantees in this world. That knowing love for even one day is better than never knowing love at all.”
Nellie hesitated before asking her next question. “Did you ever consider giving up your work?”
Mack locked his gaze with hers and shook his head. “No.”
Nellie didn’t have time to ponder Mack’s words. The door flew open and Jack walked in with Quinn’s arm draped across his shoulders.
“Mack! I need some help here.”
Jack’s words brought them racing to the entryway.
“Take him to the kitchen,” Mack said, then went in ahead of them. By the time Jack had Quinn in a chair and his jacket and shirt off, Nellie had water and cloths ready.
“It’s not bad,” Quinn tried to say. But his blood-soaked shirt indicated the opposite.
“I’ll need to get a needle and thread,” Nellie said. She handed a cloth to Jack. “Clean the wound as well as you can.”
Jack took her place and she ran to get her sewing kit, some bandages, and the salve Eileen always kept in case of a skinned knee. When she returned, she