Chapter 18 #2
So far, he hadn’t even seen what lay beneath. Too much of a coward to look. He chuckled under his breath, remembering that first day when he’d demanded a mirror. But that was before he’d felt it. Before he knew it was real. Since then, he’d never dared to ask again.
Perhaps tonight it was time to finally look.
When he raised his head, Thistle stood silently in the door to his dressing room. Giles had been harsh with him earlier. He’d been harsh with everyone lately.
“I’m sorry, Thistle.”
“No need to apologize, sir. You’re going through a difficult time right now, and you don’t have to pretend otherwise with me.”
“Thank you. I’ll take care of myself tonight if you don’t mind. I’d like some time alone. I haven’t had even a moment of that in a long while.”
“Of course. Ring for me if you change your mind.”
Giles sat for a long time before finally walking into his dressing room.
He lit a lamp near his dressing table and sat down.
No wonder everyone was so worried about him.
He looked as bad as he felt. He was pallid, with a dark circle beneath his remaining eye.
Was he brave enough for this? His heart pounded as he reached for the straps. It was time.
The image staring back at him was not quite as monstrous as he had expected it to be.
Right now, the lid was sewn shut, but the stitches weren’t obvious.
The other stitches, repairing the injuries above and below, had all been removed.
The thing that was most disturbing, was that there was nothing behind the skin, giving it a rounded shape.
It appeared sunken. Perhaps a prosthetic eye would be better than just emptiness, but the thought still made nausea roil in his stomach.
He’d give it a chance, though. He could only hope it would be enough to make him worthy of being a husband again.
He put the patch back into place, and changed into his pajamas. He groaned as he slid under the blankets. “I missed you,” he said to the bed.
For the next few days, a part of him hoped that Christina was only staying out of his bed due to the doctor’s very specific instructions.
But three days had come and gone, and she was still in her own bed each night when he returned from the club.
It was probably naive for him to hope for anything different.
How could she possibly find him attractive now?
At least he’d been able to return to working on the gaming floor for the last three nights.
The patrons had all been surprisingly respectful about the whole thing.
No doubt they’d all heard the story of what happened.
They were growing more comfortable around him, some of them even making jokes.
In turn, he was growing more comfortable, himself.
Not only around them, but in his own presence.
Being surrounded by people who accepted him made him feel less gruesome.
It was time to close up, but Ash hadn’t appeared yet. He looked back at O’Connell, who gave him a nod. Giles couldn’t help but smile. Even before losing his keys, and his eye, he was rarely given the privilege of ending the night. It was something Ash liked to do.
“Gentlemen,” he called out over the roomful of men. “Say goodnight to the Lady Ravens!”
They all clapped and whistled as the ladies danced their way through the tables to the back where they each blew a kiss before disappearing through the curtain.
“One last deal, spin, or roll. Final chance to win, so make those bets count!”
After the doors were locked, Ash and Allister came down to count the money with him. Brennan also joined them, which was unusual.
“I thought,” Ash said beside him, “if you’re feeling up to it, we might pay a visit to Christina’s father after we finish here.”
“I would like that very much.”
Allister was nice to have around for a lot of reasons. He made quick work of just about any lock, and tonight’s was no exception.
Giles led them up the dark staircase. The last time he’d climbed them, he’d been there for Christina.
Remembering her lying unconscious on the bed only fueled his anger.
He barely got the lamp lit before Brennan and Allister were dragging the man out of his bed.
His grey nightshirt gathered around his waist, but fell back into place once he was upright.
He fought against them, whimpering and begging, but his eyes sought out Giles. His gaze lingered on the eyepatch. “Please don’t let them kill me. He wasn’t supposed to hurt you. I’m sorry. Please don’t kill me.”
“And what about the black eye you gave my wife?”
“I shouldn’t have done that either. I’m sorry. I was upset.”
“You’re right. You shouldn’t have.” He took two strides, and slammed his fist into the side of Pelham’s face. “That’s for Christina.”
The man nodded, tears running down his face. “I deserved that. I know I’ve made unforgivable mistakes, but I do love her.”
“Do you know who I am, Mr. Pelham?” Ash asked from the corner.
The man hadn’t noticed him before, but his eyes shimmered with fear as Ash stepped out of the shadows. “Yes,” he answered quietly.
“By your reaction, I assume you know what happens to a person when they harm someone I care about.”
“I truly didn’t mean for him to get hurt.” He shook his head frantically.
“Mr. and Mrs. Henderson are both under my protection. Do you understand?”
“Yes.” The man’s breathing was rapid and jerky.
“Yes, my lord,” Ash corrected. The haunting chill in his voice made even Giles feel a shiver of nervousness. He’d never been part of one of their late night visits before.
“Yes, my lord,” the man said quietly.
“Because I care about Christina and do not wish to bring her even more pain, I am going to spare your life tonight.”
He blew out a relieved breath. “Thank you. Thank you, my lord!”
“Oh, I wouldn’t get too comfortable just yet, Mr. Pelham. There will be consequences for what you’ve done. You’ll just still be breathing when we’re finished.”
Pelham struggled against the men holding him, shaking his head again.
“But let me make one thing very clear. The next time you harm someone under my care, even by proxy, you will die a very long, slow, painful death, and no one will ever know what happened to you. Do you understand?”
Giles had never seen this side of Ash. Everything about him was quiet.
He stood very still, his hands resting on top of his cane, his voice barely a whisper.
Somehow, it made his words all the more terrifying.
But the fear in Mr. Pelham’s eyes didn’t make Giles feel sorry for him.
It made him proud to be someone under Ash’s protection.
Pelham nodded, tears running down his face. “Yes, my lord. I swear I will never hurt them again. You can trust me.”