Finley handed the suit to Sam and moved to catch up the three of them before they left. Jack.
He stopped and turned. Jasper and Wildcat continued to the lift and waited there. Finley was grateful for the privacy. You know if it was anyone but Griffin Id help you.
He nodded. And if it werent for Mila Id be helping you. His eyes glittered dangerously. Id like to have a go at The Machinist myself.
Ill hit him especially hard a few times, just for you.
Their gazes locked, and even though they didnt speak, Finley felt as though they understood each other better than they ever had. This was the dividing line between love and friendship. She and Jack shared a deep bond, but they each had someone who would always come first, and both accepted that.
He leaned in and kissed her cheek. Ill see you later, Fin.
She knew at that moment that he would never call her Treasure again. And oddly enough, it didnt make her the least bit sad.
Chapter Seven
The boardinghouse was located in the area of Garrick and King Streets. Mila had absolutely no difficulty finding it at all, though it took her nearly three hours to get there. There was so much to do in London! So many amazing sights and delicious foods. She bought a rose from a flower seller and tucked it in her hair. One pub smelled so good she had to go in and order a meat piedelicious. And she had ale for the first time. She wasnt mad for it, but it would do. Jack had brought her to this area before, but only to the theater, which shed loved, but she enjoyed the everyday life even more.
Finally, with her belly full and spirits high, Mila set off in the direction of her destination. It was getting dark earlier and earlier these days, and she wasnt so naive that she wanted to be out wandering the streets at night. Nor was she terribly afraid of doing just that. She wasnt easily hurt, but she could be injured, and she knew that she was easily taken advantage of. She wasnt stupid, she was just new. Human subterfuge and deceit were lessons she was still in the process of learning.
She had good reason to be wary. Two men had been following her for the past hour. They tried to be sneaky, but they werent that good at it. She didnt want trouble. All she wanted was to get to the boardinghouse, secure a room and maybe sleep for a few days. There were a few reasons she could think of as to why they were following her, and none of them were particularly good. Still, for those she thought of, there were probably at least a dozen more that she had not, and it didnt matter how strong she was if they took advantage of her naïveté.
And yet, she wasnt afraid. She was distracted, and annoyed. Was Jack thinking of her? Had he even noticed she was gone yet? Probably he had one of his doxies with him and he hadnt thought of her at all. The idea caused a burning sensation in her stomach. Was it rage or jealousy? Maybe both. Regardless, the nasty emotion did nothing for her...dispositionthat was a brilliant wordand she practically itched to find a little trouble.
Which was exactly why, after turning a corner, she pressed her back against a darkened shop front and waited. When the two men followed in her steps a few moments later, she grinned at them. They seemed surprised to see her.
You fellows have been following me so long now I thought Id give you the chance to catch up. And if shed allowed them to follow her all the way to the boardinghouse, then theyd know where she was staying, and someone else might get hurt.
The first onea lanky, skinny sort with spiky blond hair and icelike eyes grinned at her. He had two small metal bars through his left eyebrow, and six small hoops in his right ear. Arent you just the sweetest little bird.
No. Im a girl.
They seemed to find that very funny, but there was something in their laughter that made her spine tingle with unease.
No denyin that, ducks, the second one allowed. He was shorter than his friend and dark in skin, eyes and hair. He had what looked like metal studs coming out of his cheek and a small bar through his lower lip. Did these personal adornments serve any purpose? They appeared almost tribal in nature, and seemed out of place with their English clothing. So, weve caught you, now what?
Mila tilted her head. You havent caught me. I caught you.
Mila tilted her head. You havent caught me. I caught you.
The two of them shared a lookas though they thought themselves extremely lucky. What are you goin tdo with us, then? The blond one smirked.
First Im going to tell you that its not very polite of you to follow young ladies. It could be seen as...predatory.
The darker one whistled. Predatory. Listen to that, would you, Len? What big words the little bird chirps.
She frowned at him. I think you will begin to annoy me very quickly. The two of you dont seem very nice. In fact, the pair of them made her very uncomfortable. There was something...off.
Were not very nice, poppet, the blond told her.
That name made her stiffen. Slowly, she moved her gaze to his. He was smiling. Did you think we didnt know you? Dandy cut you loose? Makes you fair game for the rest of us.
Stillness settled over Mila. A cold certainty that if it came down to her or them, shed leave them dead in the street. She didnt want to kill themsome part of her knew it would be wrongbut she would if she had to. For that reason, she wasnt afraid. The only weapons they had were a knife each. She could see the outline of the blades in their jacketsthe fabric basically had the imprint of the knives worn into it. Not very subtle, but effective. They didnt smell of gunpowder or any other substance that would indicate they had more dangerous items on their collective unwashed persons.
Now that they mentioned Jack she remembered seeing them at his house once. Their piercings should have alerted her. Many of the young men that visited Jack often sported similar decoration. Theyd come to him looking to get Jack involved in some scheme. He had tossed them out with a warning never to come back. If Jack didnt want anything to do with them they were either very dumb or very evil.
Maybe a little of each, because they looked at her as though they were going to hurt herbadlyand as though they expected her to just let them do it. Not just dumbimbecilic. Another great word.
You dont know me at all, she told them, softly.
The smaller one moved toward her, reached out his hand to brush his dirty fingers across her cheek. Well change that soon enough. His fingers slid down to grip her jawhard. He liked pain.
Fair enough. Shed give him something to love, then. Calmly, Mila dropped her valise, lifted her own hand and wrapped her fingers around his wrist. Her gaze held his glittering one as she applied just the right amount of pressure in the right spots. How quickly his expression changed from triumph to realization to pain as she snapped the bones in his wrist with a flick of her fingers. So fragile, human bodies.
He yanked his hand back with a cry, leaving himself open for a punch to the face. His partner lunged for her, blade out. She grabbed his forearm and cracked it. He fell to the ground with a grunt, lashing out at her with his boot. She moved, but he still connected with her hip rather than her stomach.
Mila was not accustomed to violence for the most part. The kick didnt hurt badly, but it did hurt. Instinct made her grab that foot and give it a sharp twist. The blond screamed as a loud snapping noise filled the deepening darkness.
Was that your knee? she asked, dropping his foot and whirling around just in time to use her own boot to drive the darker bloke back to the ground. Her foot came down hard on his hand, smashing his fingers so he had no choice but to release the dagger altogether. His hand would never heal properly, she realized with a touch of shame, and even more confusion. Why did they come back for more when she had already hurt them so badly? Why not quit when they had to know she had them beat?
I wish you hadnt made me hurt you, she told them. Please dont ever do it again. Then, she picked up her bag and crossed the street to the boardinghouse. As she reached the steps, she looked up and saw an older woman with jet-black hair and violet eyes in the doorway. She wore a black gown made of feathers that made her appear otherworldly. There was something different about her, but Mila couldnt determine just what. Still, she was beautiful and nonthreatening. Somehow, she knew that if she let the woman hug her, everything would suddenly be right with the world.
That was quite the show, the woman told her with a smile. Are you hungry?
Milas stomach growled in response. A bit, yes.
The woman stepped back and held the door open for her. Then youd better come in.
And Mila did.
Two months earlier...
This is your room.
Mila walked through the open doorway. Her eyes widened at the sight before her.
We can make it more to your liking if you want.
She whirled around to face her friend Jack. I like it. You live in a palace!
He chuckled at that. Not quite, but I suppose anythings better than a subterranean cave.
Nodding in agreement, Mila moved about the room. She was almost afraid to touch anything, but she couldnt help herself. The wooden furniture gleamed and smelled of lemon and beeswax. The curtains were rich blue silk that matched the bedclothes. There was carpet on the floor, so soft her feet sank into it. Her feet also left dirty smudges on it.
Jack arched a brow at the marks. Im sorry, Mila said, sensing shed done something bad.
Its just a bit of dirt, poppet. It will clean, but wed better get you clean first.
She cocked her head. Clean. You mean to bathe? Emily had done that in the cave. Shed wanted water to clean herself, and fresh clothing to put on. Milas own clothing was dirty and smelled bad.
Yes, Jack replied. Youll feel much better once youve bathed. Well get you into some clean clothes.
He sounded so sincere she just knew it would be a wonderful experience. She pulled the braces off her shoulders and let the baggy trousers she wore fall to the floor, and tore off the equally dirty shirt. When she was donenaked, it was calledshe turned to Jack.