s n a ils t ea ring into h e r soul . S h e stu m bl e d , turn i ng b a ck to hi m. He r p a l m scr a p e d a g a inst th e rough w ood e n w a ll of th e s a gging building . He wa s hopping a round , th e fir e spr ea ding a nd turn i ng hi m into a torch . Agony t w ist e d his count e n a nc e as his skin split a nd blist e r e d . T h e sc e nt of ch a rr e d w ool a nd ro a sting fl e sh ma d e h e r gag.
G ood G od , wh a t h a d sh e don e ?
S h e l ea pt upon hi m, h ee dl e ss of th e fl ame s , a nd
tu m bl e d hi m down . T h e y f e ll in a h ea p b e for e sh e roll e d th em, st am ping out fl ame s . He howl e d , his f a c e a p a l e, s wea ty ma sk .
“ B e s t i ll , ” s h e c r i ed. “ I ’ v e got y o u . I ’ v e got y o u . ” T ea r s blurr e d h e r vision . S h e wa s a m onst e r . S h e ’d don e this .
He was sobb i ng now, ch il d i sh and d i m i n i shed as he cu rl ed i n on h i mse lf i n pa i n. M ir anda ’ s hands shook as she he l ped h i m up. “ Come w it h me. I ’ll see you sa f e. ”
“ Ge t awa y fro m me. ” S pittl e fl e w fro m b e t wee n his c l e n c h ed t ee t h as h e g r o un d o u t t h e w o r d s . “ B l ood y , f u ck i n ’ witch . ”
O h , sh e wa s th a t a nd m or e. S h e took a deep br ea th as sh e slid an a r m a round his wa ist . He wa s too wea k to stop h e r .
He took a st e p , th e n stopp e d w ith an unho l y m o a n . T h e fir e h a d ea t e n m ost of his co a t a nd shirt . Ra w , r e d fl e sh oo ze d a nd cr a ck e d a long his a r m a nd upp e r torso .
S h e shook s ee ing it . “ C o me. C o me. ” S h e could not s a y a nyth i ng e ls e.
S o me ho w sh e got th em to th e ma in str ee t . Pe opl e g a v e th em a w id e b e rth . N o on e wou l d h e lp th em. N o on e e v e r did .
He sw a y e d , h e lpl e ss gro a ns a nd whi m p e rs e sc a ping his lock e d j a w . He wou l d not l a st long .
D e s pe r a t e l y , s h e h a i l ed a h a ck . T h e j a r v ey t ook o n e look at th em, a nd his w ea th e r e d f a c e pinch e d . “ O h , no , I don’t w a nt no p a rt of this . ” He ma d e to driv e off , a nd M ir a nd a gr a bb e d hold of his hors e ’s h a rn e ss . I t wouldn’t do m uch; m ost lik e ly th e driv e r wou l d roll ov e r h e r without a thought , but it st a rtl e d hi m e nough for h e r to get a word in .
“ I ’ ve got money ! ”
“ Don ’t ca r e if I ’ m end i ng up w it h a dead man i n me cab. ” “ I ’ll pay you a sove r e i gn. ” Jos tli ng he r l oad, she dug i n t o
he r pocke t and pu ll ed one ou t . P r ec i ous co i n, bu t we ll wo rt h it . “ Fou r b l ocks f o r one sove r e i gn. ”
T h e driv e r’s e y e s n a rrow e d . “ D on e. But you’r e g e tting hi m in on your own . ”
“ F or a sov e r e ign , you’ll be h e lping me a nd still h a v e ma d e a d ea l , ” sh e r e tort e d . Alr ea dy th e thug h a d p a ss e d out , a nd his dead we ight wa s ma king h e r toppl e.
T h e ma n’s e y e s shift e d to th e coin , th e n b a ck to h e r . W ith a m utt e r e d curs e a nd purs e d lips , th e j a rv e y h e lp e d h e r get hi m into th e c a b , a nd th e y w e r e off . He r victi m m o a n e d w ith th e jostl e of th e co a ch but didn’t wa k e. Awkw a rd l y , sh e p a tt e d his should e r as h e r h ea rt thund e r e d w ithin h e r br ea st . W h a t h a d sh e b e co me ?
“ Don ’t wo rr y, ” she mu tt e r ed, no t be li ev i ng a wo r d she said. “ I ’ll get you we ll . ”
Chapter 5
London , Ma y 1, 1879
I t h a d been h e ll . M ir a nd a cl a tt e r e d do w n th e b a ck st a irs of h e r hous e. T h e m uscl e s a long h e r torso tr em bl e d so h a rd th e y hurt . He r fing e rs w e r e ic e cold as th e y slid a long th e h a ndr a il .
He r gu e st h a d scr eame d . T h e r e wa s so me thing a bout h ea ring a ma n scr eam in p a in th a t unn e rv e d h e r to th e
G ood G od , wh a t h a d sh e don e ?
S h e l ea pt upon hi m, h ee dl e ss of th e fl ame s , a nd
tu m bl e d hi m down . T h e y f e ll in a h ea p b e for e sh e roll e d th em, st am ping out fl ame s . He howl e d , his f a c e a p a l e, s wea ty ma sk .
“ B e s t i ll , ” s h e c r i ed. “ I ’ v e got y o u . I ’ v e got y o u . ” T ea r s blurr e d h e r vision . S h e wa s a m onst e r . S h e ’d don e this .
He was sobb i ng now, ch il d i sh and d i m i n i shed as he cu rl ed i n on h i mse lf i n pa i n. M ir anda ’ s hands shook as she he l ped h i m up. “ Come w it h me. I ’ll see you sa f e. ”
“ Ge t awa y fro m me. ” S pittl e fl e w fro m b e t wee n his c l e n c h ed t ee t h as h e g r o un d o u t t h e w o r d s . “ B l ood y , f u ck i n ’ witch . ”
O h , sh e wa s th a t a nd m or e. S h e took a deep br ea th as sh e slid an a r m a round his wa ist . He wa s too wea k to stop h e r .
He took a st e p , th e n stopp e d w ith an unho l y m o a n . T h e fir e h a d ea t e n m ost of his co a t a nd shirt . Ra w , r e d fl e sh oo ze d a nd cr a ck e d a long his a r m a nd upp e r torso .
S h e shook s ee ing it . “ C o me. C o me. ” S h e could not s a y a nyth i ng e ls e.
S o me ho w sh e got th em to th e ma in str ee t . Pe opl e g a v e th em a w id e b e rth . N o on e wou l d h e lp th em. N o on e e v e r did .
He sw a y e d , h e lpl e ss gro a ns a nd whi m p e rs e sc a ping his lock e d j a w . He wou l d not l a st long .
D e s pe r a t e l y , s h e h a i l ed a h a ck . T h e j a r v ey t ook o n e look at th em, a nd his w ea th e r e d f a c e pinch e d . “ O h , no , I don’t w a nt no p a rt of this . ” He ma d e to driv e off , a nd M ir a nd a gr a bb e d hold of his hors e ’s h a rn e ss . I t wouldn’t do m uch; m ost lik e ly th e driv e r wou l d roll ov e r h e r without a thought , but it st a rtl e d hi m e nough for h e r to get a word in .
“ I ’ ve got money ! ”
“ Don ’t ca r e if I ’ m end i ng up w it h a dead man i n me cab. ” “ I ’ll pay you a sove r e i gn. ” Jos tli ng he r l oad, she dug i n t o
he r pocke t and pu ll ed one ou t . P r ec i ous co i n, bu t we ll wo rt h it . “ Fou r b l ocks f o r one sove r e i gn. ”
T h e driv e r’s e y e s n a rrow e d . “ D on e. But you’r e g e tting hi m in on your own . ”
“ F or a sov e r e ign , you’ll be h e lping me a nd still h a v e ma d e a d ea l , ” sh e r e tort e d . Alr ea dy th e thug h a d p a ss e d out , a nd his dead we ight wa s ma king h e r toppl e.
T h e ma n’s e y e s shift e d to th e coin , th e n b a ck to h e r . W ith a m utt e r e d curs e a nd purs e d lips , th e j a rv e y h e lp e d h e r get hi m into th e c a b , a nd th e y w e r e off . He r victi m m o a n e d w ith th e jostl e of th e co a ch but didn’t wa k e. Awkw a rd l y , sh e p a tt e d his should e r as h e r h ea rt thund e r e d w ithin h e r br ea st . W h a t h a d sh e b e co me ?
“ Don ’t wo rr y, ” she mu tt e r ed, no t be li ev i ng a wo r d she said. “ I ’ll get you we ll . ”
Chapter 5
London , Ma y 1, 1879
I t h a d been h e ll . M ir a nd a cl a tt e r e d do w n th e b a ck st a irs of h e r hous e. T h e m uscl e s a long h e r torso tr em bl e d so h a rd th e y hurt . He r fing e rs w e r e ic e cold as th e y slid a long th e h a ndr a il .
He r gu e st h a d scr eame d . T h e r e wa s so me thing a bout h ea ring a ma n scr eam in p a in th a t unn e rv e d h e r to th e
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