Chapter Fourteen #2
“Sir,” he said. “Can you come with me please? You and your companion.” My frown deepened at the request, though it sounded more like a command than anything else, especially with the two men looming behind him like ominous shadows.
“May I ask why?” Tarik asked.
The factotum’s mouth flattened. “It’s a private matter. You must come with us.” The men at his back flexed, and my entire body stiffened at the silent threat.
Tarik’s reluctance to go with them was clear, and I realized that what happened behind closed doors might not be so savory in a place like this.
Patrons could be beaten to a pulp, or the house could take our money with no one the wiser.
We didn’t have any protections. Well, technically, Tarik didn’t.
If needed, I had the protection of my station and my name, and though the aristocracy might not be revered in this part of London, that was still something.
I had limited power, but I wasn’t afraid to use it, not in this circumstance.
And if news got back to Mayfair, I’d deal with it then.
“Unless you can tell us what we did wrong,” I said in a clear voice, rising to my full height as Tarik followed my lead, “you have no reason or cause to detain us. And neither of us has to do anything.”
Calculating green eyes flicked over me. “This is a private establishment.”
“Then we shall leave.”
A smarmy grin overtook his face. “Not until we have a little chat, miss. You understand.”
Tarik’s fists clenched, but neither of us would be any match for the two enormous men.
I understood all too clearly what was happening.
They did not want us to walk out of here with the small fortune we had won, even if we had done so fairly.
Calculating odds was not a crime, but they did not like being undermined of potential profits by clever-minded players.
If Tarik had been alone, his winnings might have gone undetected, but with the two of us winning such large amounts, it had drawn notice.
“Either you let us leave, or you will find my father’s solicitor on your doorstep, and I assure you, if this is indeed your establishment, it will be shut down first thing tomorrow and everything in here will belong to him.” I paused for effect. “The Duke of Delmont.”
Recognition flared in his eyes. Oh, he knew who that was.
There wasn’t a business owner in London who didn’t know my father, considering his fleet of ships brought in many of the goods from the Far East. He was responsible for almost all the fair-trade laws in place in Parliament and took harsh measures to battle piracy and profiteering from illegal practices.
“Pay back your ill-gotten gains, and you’re free to go,” the factotum said through a clenched jaw.
“Fine, we don’t want any trouble,” Tarik said, reaching into his pockets, but I know he was capitulating only because he was worried for my safety. Although it was the principle of the thing. There was no law preventing a person who was good at addition from gambling.
“No.” I stopped Tarik with a hand to his arm. “We played, and we won.”
“You were keeping track,” the factotum snarled.
I snorted. “Everyone does, sir. Is that not the point of the game? To add numbers until a sum of twenty-one is reached?”
“That is not what I meant. You kept a tally.”
I feigned confusion. “Of my cards? Well, of course I did. A good player must have proper count of their cards to win, good sir. Surely, that is the goal of vingt-et-un.”
Face reddening, he curled his lip back over his teeth. “You’re mocking me.”
Perhaps I’d overdone it on the innocent indignation.
“If you feel mocked, sir, then you must look inward, as I have certainly no idea what you mean,” I said primly.
“However, if you do insist on detaining us, then I must insist that the Bow Street Runners be summoned by our coachman, who is waiting outside. And if you intend on threatening my fiancé or me, prompt measures will be taken, I assure you.”
My coachman was nowhere near Covent Garden, but he didn’t know that. I didn’t dare look at Tarik after the last declaration, though I could feel the immediate sweep of his stare. I kept my chin up and my demeanor fierce. Any glimmer of weakness would be exploited.
“Leave,” the man bit out. “And don’t come back.”
I smiled. “With pleasure.”
The two burly men stayed close to our heels as we walked to the entrance.
I didn’t miss the look that the furious factotum exchanged with them, nor was I unaware of the avaricious glances of some of the seedier patrons who had noticed us pocketing our winnings.
If we didn’t come to harm at the hands of the two men tailing us, there was a good chance we would be followed and robbed by others.
A hundred pounds was a fortune to many people in this area, and we were plump targets to thieves.
As we exited to the street, I pointed up one of the roads.
“There’s the carriage,” I lied loudly, and grabbed Tarik’s hand.
I sucked air into my lungs as we hurried away, hopefully toward a thoroughfare where we could actually get a hackney.
Seven Dials was a warren of streets one could get lost in, and obviously, I was not familiar with this part of London.
“That was brilliant!” he said, squeezing my palm. “You were brilliant! I thought we were done for! I wasn’t quite ready to give up any of my fingers.”
“They do that?” I asked in horror.
“So I’ve heard.”
I blanched. In hindsight, perhaps we should have forfeited the winnings and left. “Is anyone following us?” I asked.
Tarik glanced over his shoulder. “No, but I have no doubt someone will.”
Sure enough, it wasn’t long before we heard footsteps on the cobblestones, ones that were much too fast to be anything but cutpurses in pursuit.
Tarik tightened his grip on my hand, and we both upped our pace.
My delicate dancing slippers with their leather soles would not last on these streets, but I didn’t have much choice.
Footsteps grew louder and closer.
“This way,” Tarik said urgently, yanking me down the mouth of another alley.
We darted through the narrow streets, though I was already hopelessly lost. My feet were aching, my heart was hammering, and my lungs were shrinking with each panted breath. And yet, we couldn’t seem to shake our trackers—their footsteps persevered, getting even closer!
“Here!” Tarik panted, shoving us into a recessed doorway that seemed to lead to an underground cellar.
The sound of scampering and squeaking behind the door instantly grabbed my attention.
Good heavens, are those rats? A shudder rocked through me.
Tarik’s tall body crowded mine. “Don’t move, and don’t make a sound. ”
I could feel the thrum of my heartbeat in my ears as the darkness and silence enveloped us. I didn’t dare breathe as the sounds of approaching people grew louder.
“Oy, you see ’em?”
“Check over there!”
“I think they went this way, lads!”
It was difficult to pinpoint how close they were, but after what seemed like an eternity, their voices faded, until it was deathly quiet.
I became acutely aware of Tarik plastered up against me, and even though my heart rate should have been calming, because the immediate danger had passed, it wasn’t.
In fact, it sped up like a runaway horse.
My palms were glued to his chest, and I could feel his own unsteady pulse.
I forgot about the possible rodents…about everything.
He smelled so good, that delicious chocolate-and-snow scent of him invading my nostrils. His cravat had disappeared, and I wanted to lift my chin and bury my nose in his neck, but of course, that would be unseemly. Though no one was here but us.
“I think they’ve gone,” he whispered, leaning down so his breath feathered against my temple. My entire body trembled at the barest contact of his lips, heat sparking through me in a shower of embers.
“Tarik…”
The groan that left him was pained. “I love when you say my name, Rosalin. May I call you Rosalin?”
“Yes.” I could barely speak as his nose trailed a heated path down my neck. It was untoward and wicked, and I wanted more.
He inhaled deeply. “How do you smell so good? Like roses and fresh rain.”
I gasped when his lips grazed the edge of my jaw.
Instinctively, I tilted my head to the side to give him better access.
My fingers inched upward, dancing over his muscled biceps and strong rounded shoulders to wind in the soft curls at his nape.
It was so wrong…and yet felt so incredibly right.
If we were seen together, my reputation would be irreparably shattered.
But who would discover us here? Tangled in each other’s arms? Shrouded in the darkness as we were? We were nothing but shadows.
Tarik pulled away to study me. He scoured my face so intently butterflies exploded in my stomach. I licked my lips and felt his gaze settle on my mouth. The fact that I could barely make out his features added to the allure, to the thrill of this illicit interlude.
“What are you doing?” I asked him softly when he didn’t move.
“I want to kiss you so badly,” he whispered, and my breath hitched.
My eyes fluttered closed. “Then kiss me.”