Page 95 of Seducing the Knave

He reached inside to grasp her by the shoulders, pulled her from the vehicle with very little effort. Though she was tempted to struggle and fight, she knew from their previous tussle that resistance wouldn’t be terribly effective and some instinct told her to preserve her strength for what was to come.

A quick glance at her surroundings revealed that they’d pulled into a dank and narrow alley between two crumbling brick tenement houses. She saw no one else about amongst the piles of refuse and empty crates piled high against the walls.

“Come along,” he muttered, as he locked a hand around her elbow and shoved her two steps through a side door in one of the buildings.

She was immediately surrounded by heavy, smoky darkness that smelled of men’s sweat, stale tobacco, and something else far more unpleasant.

Elle lifted a hand to cover her mouth and nose as she was propelled along a narrow hallway before being shoved into a tiny, unlit room. The shove was enough to send her to the floor, and before she could right herself or turn around, the door slammed shut behind her and a lock was thrown loudly into place.

She waited there in the darkness—first remaining stubbornly on the floor before rising to pace the abbreviated perimeter of the closet-sized room—for what felt like countless hours, though she had to admit was probably more like forty minutes or so. Fear and fury grew by limitless degrees as she imagined all of the ways she might be used against Max or the many people who relied on him. She hated knowing that her selfish insistence on exploring and learning more about Max’s world had allowed for this to happen. She had allowed this to happen. Langworth had warned her of the dangers but she’d stubbornly refused to listen. Lost in regret and self-castigation, she gave a start of surprise when the door was opened once again.

The scruffy driver had returned.

Though this time she put up enough of a fight to cause the arsehole a few grunts of pain, in the end her much smaller size was a significant disadvantage and the man simply hoisted her over his shoulder to take her through the house to another room on the second level. There, she was deposited a bit roughly onto a threadbare sofa. When she managed to shake the hair which had fallen from her pins out of her face, she looked up to find herself in an office or study of sorts where a rather common-looking man of approximately thirty years old sat with casual ease behind a wide desk.

A quick assessment determined that there was nothing at all memorable about his appearance except for his rather disturbing expression of oily satisfaction.

She hated him instantly and didn’t bother to hide it.

“Lady Elvina Fowler,” he said with a bow of his head, though he didn’t rise to his feet. “What an honor ’tis to have such a distinguished lady as yerself as me guest.”

“Guest?” she asked with a haughty tilt of her chin. “You mispronounced captive?”

His laugh was the exact opposite of his oily grin, grating and harsh. “Well, the truth is ye won’t be staying in me company fer long.”

He rested his forearms on the desk and leaned forward to study her with narrowed eyes. His leering focus made her want to shiver in disgust, but she resisted, holding herself still and unwavering.

“Yer a fine one, ain’t ye,” he sneered and she got the sense he was as disgusted by her as she was of him. “But o’ course the mighty Griffin’d ’ave only the best whores spreadin’ their legs fer ’im.”

Elle nearly rose to the bait of his insult as her temper flared. But it was clear that was exactly what he wanted. So instead, she decided to return his impertinent gaze with a dismissive assessment of her own. Her sweeping glance was practiced and cutting as she tossed her head back to shift her gaze elsewhere. As though he didn’t deserve more than a moment of her attention.

“You’ve suggested I’m only to be here a short while,” she noted with a subtle air of boredom as she glanced down at her fingernails, “so, what exactly is intended for me?”

“That’s entirely up to yer man,” he answered with a distressing lilt of maniacal glee in his voice. “Ye see, I’ve set up a bit of a conundrum fer the bastard. ’E’ll have to choose between saving ’is precious lover...or ’is beloved sister.”

His sister! Oh God, could the man mean Caillie? That friendly girl who enjoyed games of reverse burglary? Max had called her his sister, and though she’d initially been skeptical, she since suspected he’d been telling the truth.

“Ye see,” the man continued gleefully, “’e can only save one. The other’ll be shipped off to a foreign brothel, where she’ll spend the rest of her useless life spreading her legs fer coin.”

Disgust and fury rolled through Elle. And fear. For herself and the girl she’d met only briefly. But threaded through all of the churning emotions was a heart-deep worry for Max. She knew him well enough now to know he’d be furious at being placed in such a position.

But she also knew his loyalty was unquestioning. He’d save his sister, of course. He’d have no real choice in the matter. But he’d also hate himself for being forced to leave Elle to such a fate.

Well, she wouldn’t allow it.

Max would save Caillie. And she’d just have to find some way to save herself.

The man in front of her was a villain of the worst sort, but she’d escaped Jasper. Twice. Her glare as she stared him down expressed every ounce of her hatred and revulsion.

“Why are you doing this?” she asked sharply. “Who are you?”

The man laughed again. The sound was not unlike the creak and grind of rusted metal.

“Me name’s Gill Rook. Me and Max were best mates once.” The man’s expression darkened dangerously. “But I’ll never forgive ’im for stealin’ me whore. The bitch was mine,” he breathed through clenched teeth. “She was always cryin’ about wantin’ to go back to the pathetic little shire she spawned from. Max didn’t even lie about helpin’ her get out of town. ’E admitted it right to me face. ’E shoulda known I wouldn’t forget his betrayal.”

“It sounds like it was her choice to leave,” Elle pointed out with a contemptuous glance. “I can see why she wanted to get away from you.”

The man shoved to his feet.

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