Chapter 16 #2
“I refuse to argue with you about this anymore. You’re wrong. Theo’s reaction to the truth said everything,” Genevieve signed viciously to emphasize she didn’t like him interfering.
“And I’m saying you don’t trust him enough to accept you for you are. Theo would love you no matter how many scars you have on the inside,” Vincent snapped. “He sees more than your outer beauty, he sees the light shining inside you, too. He knows your heart.”
“This conversation is over. I’m going home,” she signed, her hands stressing her refusal to listen to him any more. “Goodnight.”
“Goodnight?” Vincent uttered with fierce incredulity. “Have you lost your goddamn mind?”
“If it makes you feel better, you can see me to the carriage, Martin will ensure I get into the house safe and sound.”
“God help me, no wonder you have Theo in knots. I’ll take you home myself since you refuse to be alone in the man’s company.” Vincent’s angry reply made Genevieve flinch.
“No, Lady Noakes is here, and I—”
“Lady Noakes and I are none of your concern. And if you think I’m going to give Warrington the chance to get you alone, you’ve lost your mind,” Vincent snapped. “Not to mention Theo and the others would kill me if I let you go home alone.”
Genevieve winced at this harsh chastisement and under her brother’s harsh glare, she gave way and nodded her acquiescence.
At her silent acceptance, Vincent leaned forward and kissed her forehead.
When he stepped back, the relief on his face made Genevieve’s mouth curve into a small smile.
Vincent shook his head in exasperation, but a twinkle sparkled in his usually serious, dark-eyed gaze.
“I think I will need to write this moment down. I have no memory of you ever complying with an order without uttering one word of protest.”
“That’s because I’m tired, and I just want to go home and crawl into bed.”
Genevieve signed her reply in a lethargic motion before pressing her fingers to her forehead. Vincent studied her closely as if trying to ascertain something before he nodded, and without another word, ushered her out of the small library.
§ § §
A week later, Genevieve was sitting in Simpson’s lap, one arm around his neck as she caught sight of Theo entering the Fox and Hound. An acrimonious oath escaped Freddie, and she arched her eyebrow at him before kissing his cheek, barely escaping his lips as he quickly turned his head.
“What’s wrong, duckie?”
“I saw you looking at that bastard just now.”
“I saw the door open, love. It ain’t me looking at the man, dearie. It just ‘append to be Saltkill who came into the pub. It could ‘ave been anyone.”
“I’ve seen the way he looks at you, Ginny.”
“So, let ‘I’m look.”
“Have you parted your legs for him?”
Stunned by Simpson’s question, Genevieve’s mouth fell open as she stared at the man in amazement. How could the man possibly know that? Had she done something to make him suspicious? Of course she had, the night Theo had almost bedded her in one of the rooms on the pub’s upper floor.
Word of Theo’s offer had circulated with greater speed than she’d hoped, and she’d had far too many offers since then.
But she hadn’t been aware Simpson knew about what had happened before he arrived the last time she’d seen the man.
The moment her mark’s eyes narrowed with assessment, she saw a flash of anger in his gaze.
“How much?”
“How much?” She repeated his statement with a sinking heart.
“Don’t toy with me, Ginny,” he snarled, his face shifting into the one he reserved for people who’d angered him. People who disappeared. “How much did the man pay you to bury himself between these lush thighs?”
For the first time ever, Simpson’s hand bunched up her skirt and slid his hand underneath the material to clutch one thigh in a painful grip.
The moment his hand slid further upward, Genevieve grabbed his hand and tried to force it off her leg.
The dark past rose up and blinded her to everything except the need to escape.
Desperately, she tried to slide away from Simpson, terror making her fight hard to free herself from the man’s powerful grip.
Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Theo striding toward them, and when he reached them, his hands slapped down on the table in front of her and Simpson.
“Let her go, you fucking son-of-a-bitch,” the icy command made Simpson’s grip on her slacken, and Genevieve was off his lap in a blink of an eye.
“I don’t recall inviting you to our table, Saltkill. The woman is mine for the moment. Just because you’ve dunked your wick into the whore doesn’t mean you can interrupt our fun.”
In a split-second, Theo reached across the table to grab Simpson by his jacket and pulled him up out of his chair. Genevieve gasped at his violent action, then released a soft moan of horror as a switchblade appeared out of nowhere to press against Theo’s neck.
“Freddie, no, dearie. Ye mustn’t. I couldn’t bear the thought of ye going to prison.”
“Really, dearie?” Simpson said with cold sarcasm, not taking his eyes off Theo, who was still holding onto the other man’s jacket. “You allowed this man to fuck you, but refuse me.”
“I…please Freddie, I—”
“You don’t have enough coin to fuck her, Simpson,” Theo sneered.
“I think I’ve enough to pay for any whore I want.”
“A thousand pounds?” Theo’s icy words made the switchblade drop away from Theo’s neck as Simpson turned the knife in Genevieve’s direction with a stunned look on his face. Freddie’s surprise vanished a second later, his eyes narrowing at Genevieve.
“Any man willing to pay that kind of money to bed a whore is always in love with her. How long have you been leading me on, you fucking bitch?”
Before he had a chance to do anything Theo grabbed the wrist of the hand Simpson was using to hold the switchblade, and in the next breath, Genevieve heard the distinct sound of a bone snapping.
The switchblade clattered to the floor as agony darkened Simpson’s face before he roared with pained fury.
“You bloody bastard, I’ll kill you for that.”
The moment the man bent to pick up the switchblade from the floor. Theo kicked it out of Freddie’s reach.
“Try it, and I’ll break your other wrist, and then I’ll break your fucking neck.
” The calm, menacing threat sounded like ice cracking beneath their feet, and it made Freddie blanch.
Theo uttered a primal sound that echoed with cold fury.
“Stay away from her, or I won’t hesitate to do both the next time I see you. ”
Genevieve had never heard Theo’s voice sound so dark and deadly before. Freddie’s reaction to Theo’s threat sent dread slithering through her blood as Simpson’s gaze narrowed with venomous fury.
“I’m going to kill you, Saltkill, and it’ll be a slow, agonizing death.” The cold promise in Simpson’s voice had no effect on Theo.
“Remember what I said, Simpson.”
With that final statement, Theo turned and grabbed Genevieve by the wrist and tugged her away from the overturned table. Gasping in surprise, she had the presence of mind to protest his rough handling in an effort to maintain her disguise.
“I don’t know who ye think ye are, but no one treats me this way, ye lout.”
“Shut up,” Theo snarled in a voice intended to ensure everyone heard him. “I didn’t pay a thousand pounds to have you sitting on another man’s lap when I’m not here.”
The sound of men choking on their ale and uttering oaths of astonishment filled the air as Theo wound his way through the tables at a quick pace with Genevieve in tow.
Stunned into silence, she didn’t protest as he pulled her to a stop at the bar.
Pulling several silver coins from his pocket, he dropped them on the bar with an apology to Smitty for any damage he’d caused.
He didn’t even wait for the man to respond before he dragged Genevieve out of the pub.
When they were outside the Fox and Hound, Genevieve was forced to stumble after him, still in shock over Theo’s behavior.
By the time she’d gathered enough of her wits to protest, he was already pulling her down the alley that led to the waiting carriage.
As they passed Teasdale, who’d been waiting to enter the pub after Theo, the agent exclaimed softly at the sight of Genevieve half-running to keep up with Theo’s fast pace.
Theo gave a soft command for the man to follow them as they continued toward the end of the alley and the waiting carriage. The sudden realization that Theo had entered the Fox and Hound, and not Vincent settled an icy blanket panic around her. Where was her brother?
“Vincent,” she choked out in a horrified voice.
“He’s fine. He slipped and cut his hand on his way to meet you and Teasdale. You can give thanks to the almighty that I took his place,” Theo muttered, followed by another statement Genevieve couldn’t hear.
Before she could say anything else, the three of them were in the carriage and riding out of the East End.
Silence that one could have cut with a knife filled the interior, as the powerful fury radiating off Theo made even Teasdale remain silent.
Like the other field agent, Genevieve knew to wait until the appropriate moment to rain down the fires of hell on Theo’s head.
Instead, she glared at him with a fiery anger.
Theo seemed oblivious to her outrage, and he stared out the carriage window, his handsome features hard with suppressed fury.
“What the hell happened?” Teasdale finally asked in a soft, hesitant voice, wary of Theo shifting his anger to himself.
“Genevieve’s cover is blown, and probably mine as well,” Theo ground out, his gaze still focused on the view from the carriage window.
“No,” she exclaimed with outrage. “You just signed your death warrant if you return to the East End.”
“I can handle Simpson,” Theo snarled as he fixed his furious gaze on Genevieve. “I think I proved that tonight.”