Page 56 of Introducing Miss Joanna (Once a Wallflower 2)

“It’s him,” Jo whispered.

“Don’t like the look of ’im.” Becky turned away. “Better I get Fred.”

“No! Don’t leave me, Becky!”

Becky disappeared into the tavern. Jo went to follow, but Virden was quickly upon her. “Thought you’d run away from me, did you? I’ll teach you a lesson.” He thrust her back toward the room. Jo struggled and struck at his face with her nails. With a curse, he pinned her arms and lifted her off her feet.

A clamor behind them made Virden turn. Becky and three men burst out of the tavern and spilled onto the street.

“She’s my wife. Mind your business,” Virden cried.

The men stopped. “’e’s a toff,” one of them said. The men lost interest and filed back into the warmth and dry of the tavern.

“You didn’t say he was your hubby, luv,” Becky called.

A clatter of hooves and a horse rider galloped out of the dark. Reade! Was she dreaming?

Virden pushed her away and ran up the lane.

Jo screamed. “Reade! He’s got a knife.”

 

; Reade jumped down from his horse and took off at a run after Virden, who’d almost reached the door to his room.

Becky hurried over to her. “Friend ’o yours is ’e?”

Jo nodded.

“I should like to be his friend.” Becky grasped her arm. “Come inside out of the rain.”

“No, I can’t get any wetter. You go in, Becky.” She pushed the money back into Becky’s hands. “And, thank you!”

Stiff with fear, Jo stood alone in the halo of light cast over the street from the open doorway.

Reade brought Virden down in a flying tackle. The villain scrambled away from him. Back on his feet, he rounded on him.

If only she could help, but Jo could only watch helplessly and pray.

Reade needed Virden alive. He aimed his gun at the scoundrel’s chest. “It’s over, Virden.”

“You’re not taking me. You’ll have to shoot me,” Virden snarled.

It would be very satisfying to kill him after what he and his cronies had done to those women and Jo. But neither Virden nor Rivenstock were the mastermind of this cruel enterprise. If Black failed to get the leader’s name from Rivenstock, who appeared too terrified to reveal it, they might never find him.

Reade replaced his gun in his pocket and advanced on Virden, raising his fists.

With a savage laugh, Virden came at him, a knife flashing in his hand. It curved upward in a wicked arc, aiming for Reade’s heart.

Reade leaped to one side, avoiding the blade, then caught and clamped Virden’s wrist in both hands. The knife skittered away out of reach. Bending over, Reade hoisted Virden onto his shoulder, throwing him hard to the ground. Turning, he quickly realized there was no need for haste. Virden lay with his head at an odd angle where he’d hit the edge of the gutter. Reade cursed under his breath.

He bent and went through the man’s pockets. Virden’s head lolled back, and his sightless eyes stared up at him. Reade found the fake passports, tickets on the Seaward bound for Algiers, and a drawstring purse filled with coins. He rose to his feet.

Jo walked up the lane toward him, her clothing soaked, bareheaded, her hair tumbling over her shoulders. She came to look down on Virden, then hugged herself and shuddered. “Is he dead?”

Reade slipped off his coat and wrapped it around her. “I’m afraid he is.”

“I’m not sorry,” she said through chattering teeth. “He was taking me away from England. The boat leaves on the morning tide.”

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