the brute's next words killed the thought.
"Get me somethin' to tie 'er up with, Tom. She'll fetch a prime price—"
"Let her go." Stephen's low voice cut through the night air, and Gillian nearly fainted with relief. Now she would be released. But the monster did not act as she expected. He simply shrank back a little into the shadows and dragged her closer to his massive body.
"Ain't none of your affair, mister. She be my wench and 'e's our brat, so's go about your business, afore you get 'urt."
"You will release her or I will put a bullet between your eyes." Stephen's voice was soft, but it carried the full weight of deadly authority. That and the flash of moonlight on the barrel of a pistol was enough to make the villain pause.
Which gave her her chance.
Planting her feet as best she could on the slick stone, Gillian threw her elbow backward straight up and under her captor's ribcage. It was no more than a minor annoyance to the huge man, but it surprised him enough to loosen his hold while she dropped to the ground, easily slipping out of his grasp.
The man bellowed in rage, but the roar died abruptly as Stephen's lightning fast fist connected with his jaw. The brute stumbled backward, and Stephen followed, landing more well-placed blows until the man collapsed on the ground.
Gillian felt her mouth grow slack with astonishment. She knew Stephen was muscular, even athletic, but never had she thought him that powerful, that brutal with his fists.
"Listen closely for I will say this only once." Though he was slightly out of breath, Stephen's voice carried easily through the murky night. "I am the Earl of Mavenford. This boy is in my employ and this... wench is under my protection. Touch either of them again and I will kill you. Now get out before I decide to use my pistol after all."
At first she thought the villain too dazed to understand because he did not move. But then the moon peeped out from behind a cloud to catch his bloodied face in a look of pure hatred. Gillian gasped in shock, not because of the expression, though it was horrifying enough. She was stunned by its target.
The man did not direct his malevolence at Stephen, but at Tom, who shrank around the corner of a building, his small face ghostly white. She stood up from her crouch, her feet splashing in a puddle as she took a step toward the prostrate man.
"You horrible bully! He is just a child!" She would have advanced farther, but Stephen yanked her roughly backward.
"Shut up, wench," the earl said in a growl.
Gillian started to spin. "Wench!" she exclaimed, but Stephen's tightening hold cut off the rest of her words as he shoved her behind him.
"Get out of here now," he said to the fiend, his voice filled with deadly threat. The man needed no further encouragement. He stumbled to his feet and ran to the shadows before Gillian could remember to breathe.
"Is he gone?" she asked as she squinted into the darkness. "I cannot hear or see anything in this city. There is too much noise. How do you stand it?"
Stephen turned, his eyes glittering focal points in the shadows. "I wear shoes and carry a pistol."
It took a moment for his words to sink in, but when they did, she felt the rising heat of a blush flood her face as her bare feet twisted beneath her. "Yes, well, I would, too, except it would make it difficult to climb up and down the trellis." She flashed him a triumphant grin. "You did not think of that, did you?"
He made a strange choking sound, but when he spoke his voice was dry and controlled. "No, Amanda. I must confess I did not think of that."
She nodded. "And they say men have superior minds." Then she glanced around, looking for Tom. She found the boy inching his way around the neighboring house. "No, Tom. Pray do not run away, not after I went to all this trouble just to save you."
Stephen turned to stare at her. " You saved him?"
"Well, we saved him. I delayed that beast until you could finish him off." She turned long enough
"Get me somethin' to tie 'er up with, Tom. She'll fetch a prime price—"
"Let her go." Stephen's low voice cut through the night air, and Gillian nearly fainted with relief. Now she would be released. But the monster did not act as she expected. He simply shrank back a little into the shadows and dragged her closer to his massive body.
"Ain't none of your affair, mister. She be my wench and 'e's our brat, so's go about your business, afore you get 'urt."
"You will release her or I will put a bullet between your eyes." Stephen's voice was soft, but it carried the full weight of deadly authority. That and the flash of moonlight on the barrel of a pistol was enough to make the villain pause.
Which gave her her chance.
Planting her feet as best she could on the slick stone, Gillian threw her elbow backward straight up and under her captor's ribcage. It was no more than a minor annoyance to the huge man, but it surprised him enough to loosen his hold while she dropped to the ground, easily slipping out of his grasp.
The man bellowed in rage, but the roar died abruptly as Stephen's lightning fast fist connected with his jaw. The brute stumbled backward, and Stephen followed, landing more well-placed blows until the man collapsed on the ground.
Gillian felt her mouth grow slack with astonishment. She knew Stephen was muscular, even athletic, but never had she thought him that powerful, that brutal with his fists.
"Listen closely for I will say this only once." Though he was slightly out of breath, Stephen's voice carried easily through the murky night. "I am the Earl of Mavenford. This boy is in my employ and this... wench is under my protection. Touch either of them again and I will kill you. Now get out before I decide to use my pistol after all."
At first she thought the villain too dazed to understand because he did not move. But then the moon peeped out from behind a cloud to catch his bloodied face in a look of pure hatred. Gillian gasped in shock, not because of the expression, though it was horrifying enough. She was stunned by its target.
The man did not direct his malevolence at Stephen, but at Tom, who shrank around the corner of a building, his small face ghostly white. She stood up from her crouch, her feet splashing in a puddle as she took a step toward the prostrate man.
"You horrible bully! He is just a child!" She would have advanced farther, but Stephen yanked her roughly backward.
"Shut up, wench," the earl said in a growl.
Gillian started to spin. "Wench!" she exclaimed, but Stephen's tightening hold cut off the rest of her words as he shoved her behind him.
"Get out of here now," he said to the fiend, his voice filled with deadly threat. The man needed no further encouragement. He stumbled to his feet and ran to the shadows before Gillian could remember to breathe.
"Is he gone?" she asked as she squinted into the darkness. "I cannot hear or see anything in this city. There is too much noise. How do you stand it?"
Stephen turned, his eyes glittering focal points in the shadows. "I wear shoes and carry a pistol."
It took a moment for his words to sink in, but when they did, she felt the rising heat of a blush flood her face as her bare feet twisted beneath her. "Yes, well, I would, too, except it would make it difficult to climb up and down the trellis." She flashed him a triumphant grin. "You did not think of that, did you?"
He made a strange choking sound, but when he spoke his voice was dry and controlled. "No, Amanda. I must confess I did not think of that."
She nodded. "And they say men have superior minds." Then she glanced around, looking for Tom. She found the boy inching his way around the neighboring house. "No, Tom. Pray do not run away, not after I went to all this trouble just to save you."
Stephen turned to stare at her. " You saved him?"
"Well, we saved him. I delayed that beast until you could finish him off." She turned long enough
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