Angel in Black (11 page)

S
HE WOKE LATER THAN
intended; most of the night spent tossing and turning until exhaustion finally took hold in fitful sleep. Rina felt refreshed after breaking her fast and started for the place Jake told her about. An old friend would give her a good price for her jewelry and she was anxious to complete her business. The rain continued to fall, but Rina pulled her hood over her head and set out. It would be a long walk, but she looked forward to the exercise after three days cooped up in the coach.

Despite the weather, the streets came alive as coaches, wagons, and horses rumbled by. Smoke continued to hang low over the city and burned her eyes. She stepped carefully among the people in the crowded lanes, the skirt of her dress heavy with mud and muck. Rina walked on, past shops filled with bright and tempting wares. Tantalizing smells drifted on the air — breads, tarts, custards, biscuits, scones, and sweets of all sorts. It mixed with the tangy aroma of bitter ale, brewing tea and coffees, and some hot chocolate for those with a sweeter taste. People as varied as the products lined the streets, some crowded into shops to escape the rain while others braved the dampness and cold.

Every once in a while Rina stopped; something in a shop window catching her eye. Slowly, she noticed a tall, darkly-clad gentleman in the distance. As she continued on her way, she caught sight of him several times, always far enough away she could not see him clearly, yet, was strangely familiar. When Rina arrived at her destination, she forgot about him and entered the small shop, a bell overhead ringing. Promptly a tiny, elderly man appeared and smiled at Rina pleasantly.

“What may I help you with, young lady?”

“Would you be Elmer Jackson, sir?”

“Yes, I am,” he said.

“My name is Rina, Jake Tidwell’s niece. He told me you are an old and dear friend of his.” The old man’s face lit up and he stepped from behind the counter to take her hand in his.

“Yes, yes. Jake and I go back a long way. Why, I never realized he had a niece,” his smiled broadened and a twinkle lit his eyes, “Especially one so beautiful. How is Jake?”

“As cantankerous as ever,” laughed Rina.

“That’s Jake all right. Now what brings you all the way to London, my dear?”

“I have some jewelry I need to sell and Jake assured me you were the man to see.”

Rina’s smile made Elmer wish he was twenty years younger. “Yes, indeed, I am more than happy to help you. Do you have the jewelry with you?”

Rina pulled the leather bag from her cape and removed the necklace and earrings. Elmer’s eyes widened when she handed him the expensive pieces. He examined them closer and muttered to her. “It is truly a fine set. I must admit I am a surprised at the quality.” He glanced up into Rina’s eyes, the same deep blue as the sapphires he held. Yes, they would bring them out to perfection. What a shame she had to sell them.

Rina misunderstood his look, believing there to be doubt in it.

“They were a gift, from someone special.” Sadness overcame her and her voice quivered. She drew a deep breath and looked away for a moment. “Would it matter if I had stolen them?”

The question caught Elmer off guard and he studied the young woman, calm beneath his scrutiny. “No, it doesn’t matter where you got them. If Jake sent you, I would ask no questions.”

“Thank you. I will take whatever you think is fair.”

When Rina left the shop, she felt empty and depressed; a part of her past was now gone for good. She hadn’t expected to feel so emotional and stared blankly down the street, unaware of the man who still watched her. After a moment, Rina noticed several people staring at her. She pulled the hood of her cloak up and started down the street. She walked only a short distance and decided to stop in a small cafe for tea. Deep in thought, Rina never noticed her pursuer go into Elmer Jackson’s shop.

Melancholy settled heavily on Rina, an emotion she rarely allowed to control her. But the sleepless nights and tiring trip had taken a toll. She wandered listlessly from street to street. Time slipped by unnoticed. A thick, heavy fog swirled about, finally bringing her out of her dazed reverie. There were no longer a lot of people about, and Rina realized she didn’t know where she was. She looked about for a hired hack, and finding none, she drifted down different streets with hopes of running across one. But, instead, she ran into trouble.

Two men stumbled down the street toward Rina and stopped in front of her. Wanting to avoid a confrontation, she tried to go around them, but one stepped directly in front to stop her. He reeked of alcohol, his clothing was stained and dirt smudged his coarse face. His short, thick frame swayed unsteady on his feet but it was the man who stood at his side causing her to take a step back. He was a veritable giant and towered over them both, his wide grin revealing missing teeth.

“What have we here, Ralph? Looks lost, don’t she?” The short man’s lascivious stare made Rina’s stomach churn, drool literally spilling from his mouth as he licked his lips.

“Maybe we best help her, huh, Mack?” Ralph walked up behind her and yanked her hood from her head. “Uuhh, she’s pretty.”

“Yeah — a real beauty, mate. How ’bout you let us buy you a drink, girl?”

Rina stared straight into Mack’s beady black eyes, her voice steady and unwavering. “Get out of my way.”

“Aw, come on darlin’, you’re not bein’ very friendly. Is she, Ralph?”

“Naw,” Ralph said, staring at the gold ribbon shimmering in her hair. He reached up his filthy hand to loosen it.

At his touch, Rina whirled around and brought her knee up, swift and accurate into the big man’s groin. He doubled over from pain. In the next second Rina pulled her knife and turned on Mack, her look ferocious. His face lost all color as he stared into her cold, hard eyes. Her voice steel, she muttered, “Make one move and you’ll never be fit to have a woman again. Do we understand each other?”

The pressure of her knife on his crotch brought sweat to Mack’s upper lip and he sobered immediately. He nodded in mute agreement, the fear in his eyes telling her he believed her threat to be genuine. A hack turned the corner and rumbled by, and Rina turned to hail it, jumping inside before either man had sense enough to move. When the hack pulled away, Rina closed her eyes in relief. Mack’s curses followed after her, the vulgar words sending a shiver through her.

Blake stopped short when he saw Rina jump into the hired carriage. As he had since their arrival in London, he followed her, always good distance away so she wouldn’t spot him. When the two men accosted her, Blake started to run, but before he could reach them, she was safely spirited away. He looked at the hunched over giant and the man cursing at the disappearing coach in surprise. How the hell had she managed to escape them?

A slow grin touched his lips, suspecting her penchant for carrying a hidden dagger had something to do with it. And, from the way the groaning giant held his balls, he shouldn’t have worried at all. She certainly knew how to cripple a man in an instant. Blake longed to stay and teach these bastards a permanent lesson, but caution prevailed. He needed to make sure Rina made it back to the inn, safe and sound, so reluctantly, he followed.

Once assured Rina was in her room, Blake went to his own. He stretched out before the fire, a drink in his hand. On the table near him lay her necklace and earrings. He glanced at the jewels and wondered where Rina had gotten them. Perhaps they’d been a lover’s gift? Blake leaned his head back against the chair, recalling the feeling he experienced when those two drunks approached her. Had it been fear? God, he would certainly be relieved to see her safely back at Tattershall. Yes, it would be good to get home and be free of the troublesome wench for good.

R
INA LAY IN BED
and stared at the ceiling, sleep evaded her, her mind full of self-imposed recrimination. How could she have allowed herself to get so tied up with her emotions as to actually lose her way? Rina squeezed her eyes shut, as if to block the image of Mack’s evil, dark eyes. Without realizing it, her hands clamped over her ears in a useless effort to quiet the memory of his curses and shouts when the coach pulled away. An involuntary shiver swept through her, his words echoing in her dulled mind.

“You whorin’ bitch. You’ll regret this. I’ll find you and enjoy plantin’ myself between your moist li’tle legs yet. I’ll find you, slut, an’ me cock will split you in two!”

Jumping from the bed, Rina moved to stand in front of the fire. She added a piece of wood to warm the chilled room and stared into the flames. She could not shake the feeling of dread inside her, the feeling she had not seen the last of those two. Rina knew they would meet again — she was certain of it.

“It seems violence and death is to be my companion, happiness never to touch me in life.” The words were but a whisper, the dark room silent, except for the crackling of the fire. Its light cast shadows on the wall and Rina felt its warmth on her face and through the thin nightgown she wore. Out of nowhere, a pair of golden eyes filled her thoughts.

“And how do you fit into my future, Blake Roberts? I want desperately not to love you. My future belongs to a promise — it cannot belong to a man. You make me want you with every fiber of my being. I yearn for your touch and my lips hunger for your kiss. You call me witch, and yet it is you who has cast a spell on me. For the first time, I want to know what it is to be a woman and have a man make love to me. Damn you — damn you for coming into my life. For making me want something I can never have.”

Rina turned and slid back into the large bed, only to toss and turn again. When she managed to get a little exhausted sleep, it was filled with troublesome dreams. Finally, morning dawned and she crawled out of bed to prepare to leave, dark circles under her tired eyes.

The rain grew worse and poured down in solid sheets of cold water, the roads muddy and dangerous. The coach made its way slowly out of London, the strong horses struggling through the thick mire on the roads. The day droned on, and by late afternoon exhaustion finally overtook Rina. She closed her eyes and leaned against the wall of the jolting carriage.

The coach stopped once to allow another person on board, his horse tied to the back. The rain battered down in drenching torrents, making it impossible for a man to travel on horseback. Rina did not bother to look. If she had, she would have been shocked to find Blake Roberts across from her, his face angry as he stared rudely at her.

Rina did not move for the rest of the day’s trip, choosing to remain in her own private world. Once in a while, she drifted into a restless, uncomfortable sleep. Once the coach had stopped for the night, she continued to feign sleep until the coach completely emptied before going into the inn. Though her stomach was empty, food held no temptation and she went straight to her room. Only the bed she crawled into made her smile, and sleep instantly overtook her.

Blake noticed the dark smudges beneath her eyes and her pale face. After acquiring the room next to hers, he asked for a bath to be set up after his meal. The taproom was crowded and noisy as Blake stretched out by the fire. He had ridden most of the day in the cold, pouring rain and looked forward to a hot bath. Plates of steaming food were set before him and the wine he ordered soon dispelled the chill from his bones, more so than the roaring fire. The inn wasn’t fancy, but the food hearty and good. Once he had eaten his fill, he leaned back to smoke a cheroot and finish his bottle of wine. The guests slowly disappeared, each seeking their own room and comfort. The hour was late and Blake knew his request for a bath meant extra work for the staff, but, they would be well compensated for it. Finally, the inn keeper informed him everything was ready and he went to his room.

R
INA SLEPT DEEP, SOUND
. Exhaustion had sent her into a heavy, dreamless slumber.

The moonlight from the window revealed her sleeping figure to the four silent shadows creeping into the room. They saw her hair spread out in a halo of gold, streaks of copper flickering beneath the flames of the fire. The rain spattered against the windowpane and she looked peaceful.

A rough hand clamped over Rina’s mouth, while another jerked her awake, her arm twisted painfully behind her back. To her horror, evil black eyes glared at her, only inches away. A wicked grin spread across Mack’s ugly face when he saw the anger in her cobalt eyes. Behind him, Ralph stood, an unseen third man held her from behind, and a fourth stood guarding the door.

“I told you I’d find you. Were easy, the cab driver told me where you disappeared t’. Now we’re goin’ t’ show you what you missed out on yesterday when you made the mistake of pullin’ a blade on me. No one, especially no whorin’ li’tle bitch is goin’ t’ make a fool of me. By the time we be done fuckin’ you, you’ll be wishin’ you were dead.”

His mouth twisted hideously as he spit the vile words at Rina, a murderous gleam in his eyes. The man behind wrenched her arm terribly, pain shooting through her arm and shoulder. Mack’s hands groped Rina, stopping to squeeze and pinch a breast painfully. His tongue darted out to lick his dry lips like a dog about to savor a meaty bone. She struggled and kicked, until she managed to loosen the grip of the man behind her. She bit down on his hand and he let her go with a bellow of pain.

Mack grabbed for Rina but she shoved him back with her foot, reaching beneath the pillow for the knife she had placed there earlier. As Mack lunged at her, she brought the blade up and slashed him across the face, twisted about in the same fluid motion, to plunge the knife into the other’s throat. Blood spurted everywhere when he fell forward, his throat making a sickening, gurgle as his severed windpipe drew in air and blood. He slumped over Rina, and Mack’s screams pierced the silence.

The giant seized a handful of hair and completely lifted Rina from the bed. He brutally slammed her into the wall, knocking the breath from her. She slid to the floor, dazed, the back of her head bleeding from the blow. Ralph’s eyes were glazed with fury and his massive hand easily encircled her slender neck while the other crushed her tiny wrist, preventing her from using the bloody dagger again. Her hand grew numb and the blade fell to the floor.