Page 80 of Black Widow

“Call him back and have him set himself up in the caretaker’s cottage. He’s to sleep in thewig.”

Clarke snorted but hurried off to pass his orderalong.

The air was frigid here at the ocean’s edge. Taking a quick look at the cliff line, Gideon wrapped his greatcoat around himself, making sure nothing of his white shirt wasrevealed.

Mrs. Spencer had told them that seeing through the golem’s eyes distorted the image from a distance, but it was clear enough to make out details and colors when upclose.

So Sir Clarence would have seen Amelia clearly when she lay in bed next to him, nude.The brief surge of anger was sufficient to warm him, but he waited impatiently for Clarke to return before heading back. Once he did they slipped away along the cliff’s edge, sticking to the shadows whenever theycould.

He knew something was wrong when they reached Lilywood cottage. The house and grounds were dark, with no lamp in either the coach house or outside thestable.

“Where are the men?” Clarkeasked.

Gideon didn’t answer. He broke out into a run, rounding the corner. He faltered when he saw the open door and then began shouting. “Amelia!”

Clarke was right behind him when he barreled through the frontdoor.

They found the first man just inside. He was groaning. Another was coming down the stairs, helping Crispin make his waydown.

“Crispin!” Clarke rushed to the other man, taking him into his arms, making it down the final few steps with a littlejump.

“It got her,” Lord Worthing cried, touching his head gingerly. It came away stained with blood. “The other men, the ones who could still walk, went after them. They’re trying to trackit.”

Clarke held Crispin’s hand tightly. “We’ll find her, don’tworry.”

Lord Worthing’s eyes were shattered, but he didn’t respond as if he was afraid to share his fears in front ofhim.

Gideon held his hands to his stomach, pressing hard, physically holding himselftogether.

“If something of Sir Clarence is in there, it won’t kill her,” he said slowly, trying to make himself believe his ownwords.

It had to be true. If it was, then it would keep her alive…He crushed the next thought, refusing to think about what horrors might befall hiswife.

Gideon had badly miscalculated. He didn’t know how the creature had seen through their ruse. All he knew was Amelia was in the hands of a monster, one made flesh by one man’s obsession withher.

Chapter 31

Amelia groanedand came to on a rough stone floor. Her skull throbbed. Slowly, she dragged herself into a seated position and opened hereyes.

Her head ached viciously. Tentatively, she touched an egg-sized bump on the left side of her head. A jumble of images swept through her, thrills of terror chilling her blood to ice in the coldroom.

Oh, my God, Crispin.He could be dead! The last thing she remembered was his body crumpling to the floor. He’d been in front of her, trying to protect her. After that, she could recall only fragments, a sense of movement with a view of trees up above, and then the rockyshore.

She couldn’t see anything around her, but the roughly hewn floor didn’t feel like a cave. Was she in one of the old Romanbasements?

Good God, was sheunderher oldhome?

The Abbey was built over the natural cave formations native to the area. Crispin had almost fallen into one when the floor had given way underneath him. But according to her father, the network of tunnels extended for miles along thecoast.

She shuddered. Where was the golem? It was nowhere in sight—but then, she couldn’t see her hand in front of herface.

Had it brought her down here todie?

Amelia’s hands flew to her waist.No.That wasn’t going to happen. She had to protect her child—Gideon’s child. She had lost too much already to give up now. She’d smash the golem to pieces with her own handsfirst.

Now she simply had to findit.

Gideon could feelthe cold sweat running down the back of his neck, but he didn’t let his panic show. With hoarse instructions, he ordered the men who remained in asearch.

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