The Bachelor Bargain (Secrets, Scandals, and Spies)

by Michaels, Maddison

  Good Lord, the man must be insane if he thought such a reply made her charming. “You’ll have to forgive me, but why do you wish to talk with me? And commit the crime of kidnapping to do so? It seems a bit extreme in the circumstances, wouldn’t you agree? Especially considering the gravity of such an offense, in light of who my family is.”

  “Extreme, perhaps.” He shrugged. “Though to exact revenge, my dear lady, one must take extreme measures. I have to admit, you were not the only one I wanted a word with.” He twisted slightly, his body now facing Charlotte, who had been standing next to Livie watching their exchange. “My, my. It is rather uncanny isn’t it…your eyes are identical to his! But apart from that, you’d never know you were related to such devil spawn.”

  Livie felt her heart drop. He knew.

  He knew Charlotte was Sebastian’s sister, and yet he still had had them kidnapped? While knowing full well it would start a war with Sebastian. The fact that he was willing to do so showed how mad the man really was. And if she didn’t find a way for them to escape, and soon, blood was going to be shed.

  Of that she had no doubt.

  Chapter Thirty-Two

  Seb eyed the forty odd men gathered on the dock, some of his most loyal men, a rough-and-ready gang who would do what he told them, without question. Anticipation stirred in his blood. This Lads gang, or whatever they called themselves, had become a thorn in his side, one he normally would have quashed earlier, but Seb had been trying to legitimize all his businesses of late and put an end to the impression that he was simply a thug dressed in a suit.

  But they had gone too far in murdering the poor maid, Mary, and had to be stopped.

  And though the killing hadn’t been in his area, he’d put the word out about wanting to speak with the girl, so the fact that she was killed could not go unpunished.

  Not to mention that Seb found those who perpetrated violence against women to be abhorrent bottom dwellers, and he simply would not stand for such a thing. And everyone in his area knew what happened to those Seb discovered had either beaten, raped, or killed a female.

  Edward Flintock’s poor excuse of a life was a prime example of what the Bastard of Baker Street did to a person guilty of hurting a woman. Though he was perhaps an extreme measure of Seb’s particular form of justice against men who abused women, considering Flintock was the man who beat, raped, and then murdered Seb’s own mother.

  Death had been too good for a man such as he, so rather than kill him, Seb had made certain that not only would Edward Flintock himself have a permanent and daily reminder of the consequences of daring to inflict such pain and horror upon Seb’s mother, but so would everyone else in the Rookeries.

  Seb had lost his mind for a period that day. Raging in grief and guilt, he’d been like a monster possessed when he finally caught the man and let his fury reign. To this day, even Seb was still fearful of what he’d become in those moments, as the picture of his mother’s bruised, broken, and bloodied body had been so clear in his mind, feeding his vengeance.

  And the visual reminder of the injuries and permanent damage Seb had inflicted upon the man to ensure that not only would Edward Flintock be reminded every day of what he’d done, but that he also could never harm another person again, had served as a remarkably effective warning to anyone else who dared to think of harming something of Seb’s.

  It also served as a warning to Seb himself, to never lose control like that again.

  He shook himself free of the dark memories, and without any fanfare, Seb told them the plan and who they were targeting. “We shall show them what happens when they dare to go after our territory and kill innocent women in the process.”

  The men roared in agreement, all of them eager to wage a war against this rival gang. Just as Seb knew they would be.

  After all, his men had grown up in the hell of the Rookeries, most having to scrape and fight for survival their entire lives. But when Seb had taken over, and brought order to the chaos, life had become a lot better, with the men actually getting paid to work for him. And Seb was a generous employer, so much so that all gathered around him were loyal to a fault.

  “All right then.” Seb glanced at his fob watch briefly. “We shall launch our attack in five minutes. Prepare yourselves and your weapons.”

  He’d ensured that a commotion on the other side of the Rookeries would draw away the local police’s attention, leaving them to do what they had to down here.

  Lance walked up to him. “Where’s Rowan? I would have thought he’d be here to be part of this.”

  “He’ll be here shortly.” Seb glanced at his watch and noted there were three minutes left until eight o’clock. “I sent him on an errand to ensure Lady Olivia and Charlotte were safe, but he knows to return here at this hour.”

  “Charlotte?” Lance blinked, his eyes full of shock. “You told him about Charlotte?”

  “I did,” Seb confirmed. Lance was the only other person who knew about her. “Why? Do you think he cannot be trusted?”

  Lance blew out a deep sigh. “At the end of the day, who really knows who can be trusted? You and I are both well aware what power and money can do to a person. It can corrupt them and make them do things they never thought possible. I can’t imagine that happening with Rowan, but one never knows.”

  Seb had to agree. That was partly the reason why he rarely trusted anyone.

  Just then, Rowan sprinted through the men and ran toward Lance and Sebastian as if the very devil was chasing him.

  Seb had never seen such trepidation in the lad’s eyes before. Instantly, he knew something was wrong, very wrong indeed. “Tell me.”

  “They’ve been taken,” Rowan panted.

  For a moment, there was silence, and everything around Seb shrunk away as he was transported back to the fateful moment he’d learned his mother had been kidnapped, and he’d been too late to do anything to save her.

  The mountain of rage and the unreasoning devastation he’d buried deep within all those years ago was getting ready to erupt like a volcano. But not yet. He had to keep his head clear for a little bit longer.

  “What do you mean taken?” It was Lance who asked the question. “Both of them? And by whom?”

  “Yes,” Rowan replied. “The Lads have kidnapped both Lady Olivia and Charlotte, using Seb’s own carriage. I found our men’s bodies in the alleyway behind the modiste, their throats slashed. God rest their souls.”

  “Clearly, they are after a war, killing our men.” Lance’s mouth drew into a hard line.

  It felt like every single inch of Sebastian’s body braced itself upon hearing the news, and a deep simmering rage that had long been buried kindled into a bonfire. “Where have they been taken?”

  “To the warehouse we’re about to storm, maybe a half hour ago. Our scouts saw the ladies being escorted there in your carriage and marched inside, with Lady Olivia stumbling on the way, her cane nowhere in sight, so one of them started dragging her.”

  “They took her cane from her?” Seb’s voice was glacial. Cold, formal, and precise, and everyone took an unconscious step away from him. He gritted his jaw to stop the yell of wrath from escaping his lips. Soon he could unleash his inner demon and all hell be damned, but not just yet.

  Rowan simply nodded.

  “Once we attack them, I want whoever it was who dragged her inside, found and brought to me. Alive.” The man had to be alive to appreciate the punishment Seb had in store for him.

  “Aye,” Rowan said.

  “The rest of you,” Seb addressed his other men who had gathered around watching. “You will show these vermin what happens when they dare touch what is mine and kill our men. And you will show them in any way you see fit. But leave their leader, who calls himself Orestes and has a purple snake on his neck, for me.” He drew his lips back in a snarl.

  He turned to Lance and Rowan.
“They want a war? They shall have it. They will fucking rue the day they dared take anything from me. And if anyone thinks the example I made of Edward Flintock was extreme and confronting, they will have seen nothing until they see what I do with this Orestes. He is to be left to me, neither of you are to touch him. Are we clear?”

  The two men nodded, identical expressions of alertness on their faces. They’d all thought these days were well behind them. Seb most especially of all.

  But, of course, he’d known, deep down, he couldn’t stay at the top of the chain in the Rookeries without someone trying to challenge his authority and vie to take control. Even with his reputation, there was always someone wanting to wrestle power away from the Bastard of Baker Street and build up their own reputation in doing so.

  But this rival leader, as others had before him, was going to learn soon enough just what dealing with Sebastian Colver entailed.

  “Just so you know, though—” Rowan said. “This man, Orestes, hasn’t been seen coming or going from the warehouse. He might not even be there.”

  “Then after we are done with his men and his warehouse, we will hunt him down, and I will destroy him.”

  Chapter Thirty-Three

  “What are you talking about?” Livie said, trying to act completely surprised, but the knowing look in the man’s eyes suggested he didn’t believe her for a minute. “This is Charlotte Hastings, a good friend of mine. She has nothing to do with Sebastian Colver.”

  “You’re not the only one who can dig up secrets, Lady Olivia.” The man took a step forward and the lower portion of his face came into view as his lips twisted into a smirk.

  She still couldn’t see his full face or recognize him, but Livie felt like launching herself at him and clawing his smirk away.

  Perhaps she’d been hanging about with Sebastian too much lately, as she’d never felt so violent before. Though she’d also never been in such a situation either. “Just let the girl go before you truly reach the point of no return. If you don’t, Sebastian will hunt you down, and he will not be merciful.”

  “Such threats scare me not.” The man seemed unworried. “I am on a mission from God to seek revenge. He will protect me from that spawn of Satan. In any event, the lovely Miss Hastings is a wonderful bonus that my men will enjoy greatly. But you are my true prize.”

  Livie felt Charlotte flinch beside her at the man’s words. “Your men will deserve everything they get for even thinking of touching her. And you, you will have a special place in Hell for your part in orchestrating it all.”

  Right then, she could have cursed the heavens above when her bad leg began to cramp up, finally having had enough of her weight being placed on it without her cane to take some of the load. She tried to not let the man see the grimace of pain that lanced across her face, but his gaze traveled to her leg.

  “Ah yes, my men took your cane, didn’t they? I do feel so very bad about that.” He sighed deeply, sounding so apologetic that Livie could almost believe him. Almost.

  “Might I have it back then?”

  He laughed. “You’ve got courage. No wonder Sebastian is enamored of you.” He tittered. “But I can’t have you using it as a weapon, now can I? Especially with the blade concealed in its end.”

  Livie blinked. “Excuse me?”

  “Come, Lady Olivia, stop pretending.” The man shook his head. “Or rather, stop lying to me. We will get along much better if you start telling me the truth. The things I know about you and Sebastian Colver would shock you.” The man’s lips pressed together tightly and a muscle in his jaw twitched, all belying his pretense of calmness. But she didn’t wish to antagonize him further. She had to get answers out of him.

  If only he would step slightly forward into the light of the lantern, then she might see who she was dealing with.

  “Very well, I shall agree to be truthful with you from now on.” Perhaps a change in tact with him would be just the thing. “If you return the same courtesy to me and tell me why you have kidnapped us and what interest you have in me.”

  His upper lip curled in a semblance of a smile. “Very well. Get her a chair,” he called to one of his men standing behind him, who quickly rushed to do the man’s bidding. “I would have you be comfortable for our little chat. You see, I am not such a terrible person that I imagine you believe me to be.”

  The other man returned carrying a wooden chair, and a moment later the cell door was unlocked and the chair deposited on the floor in front of Livie. She didn’t particularly want to sit down in front of any of them, but her leg wasn’t giving her much choice. If she kept standing on it for too much longer, she really wouldn’t be able to move anywhere. And then, if an opportunity to escape did present itself, she wouldn’t be in any physical state to take it.

  Reluctantly, she sat, somewhat awkwardly without her cane, but instantly her leg thanked her, all but singing out in relief at the weight being removed from her sore and cramping muscles. “Thank you,” she said to him. Politeness had, after all, been drilled into her since she was a child.

  “You’re quite welcome. I’m not a bad person by any means and am trying only to make the world a better place.”

  “Then why have you done this?” she asked. “The actions of kidnapping two women are not those of a good person. Surely God would not be pleased.” The man had already mentioned God several times, so perhaps if she could scare him with that, he might listen.

  “We all answer to God at some point in our lives. Some sooner than others. Sometimes, the lines between good and bad get blurred in the fight to eradicate evil.” The man stood back as his henchman closed and locked the cell door once again, before dismissing him with a quick flick of his head. “But back to the topic at hand, as to why I am interested in you. That can be answered for two reasons. Firstly, it takes money to gain power, and someone offered a lot of money to have you silenced permanently.”

  “Someone does want me dead? Who?”

  “Someone with a lot to lose, apparently, if you continue your investigation. He’s willing to pay rather handsomely for you to be eliminated.”

  “It has to be Lord Daverell behind it then. Am I correct?”

  “Does it matter?”

  “Yes. I would like to know who wishes to have me murdered.”

  “Unfortunately, I never disclose my clients to anyone.”

  “Then you intend to kill me?” She faced him in defiance.

  “Eventually,” he admitted. “Not just yet, though, as I have some plans for you, for both of you. I cannot wait to attain my vengeance against Sebastian using you both. It will drive him insane, and it will be so beautiful to see. But, in the meantime, I need to get back before I’m missed. I shall see you ladies soon. Don’t try to fret too much, and I wouldn’t bother to try to escape, either, as there is no way you can.”

  His eyes flickered briefly toward Charlotte before he turned on his heel and marched from the room and up the stairs. The two men who’d been with him followed silently behind, leaving Livie and Charlotte alone.

  “That man is horrid,” Charlotte said as she raced over to where Livie was still sitting, her lower lip quivering as she knelt down beside her. “What are we going to do?”

  “We need to get out of here.” Livie braced as a sharp pain shot up her leg as she stood and leaned on the back of the chair. “But I don’t see how we can. Our only means of escape are the window and door to the cell, but without any lockpicks I can’t see how we’re going to unlock them.”

  “Do you really know how to pick a lock?”

  “Yes, though I’m not nearly as proficient as my friend Lady Kaitlyn Montrose,” Livie replied. “Kat can get any lock open in probably less than a minute or two. She’s rather brilliant at it, and Etta is fast, too.”

  “Goodness, do most ladies in Society know how to do such things?”

  “No, not at all. M
y friends and I are considered slightly odd in the eyes of most of Society.”

  “I think I should like to meet your friends. But here,” Charlotte pulled out some hairpins from the bun of her brown hair. “Could you use these to pick the lock?”

  Livie shook her head. “I doubt it. Lockpicks are odd little things with special shapes on their ends to manipulate the lock. Hairpins are different.”

  “It worked for the heroine in The Ghost of Balliwick.”

  “Oh, that was a marvelous novel!” Livie forgot their dire circumstances for that brief moment as she remembered the scene where the heroine had indeed picked the lock to a library door and found herself confronting a man she thought was the villain but had turned out to be the hero instead. “But fiction rarely mirrors real life.”

  “I suppose not.” Charlotte shrugged. “But have you tried picking a lock with hairpins before?”

  “Well…no,” Livie admitted. “I haven’t…”

  “Isn’t it worth a go?”

  Actually, Livie supposed it was. “We have nothing to lose. Come, help me move the chair to the window.”

  “You’re not going to try to get out of the gate?”

  “No. The window will be your best bet to escape.” Livie hoped against hope that she could manipulate the lock with the hairpins. It really was their only chance. “It leads directly onto the street above, and if you can get up there, you can run as fast as you are able and raise the alarm.”

  “I can’t leave you here.” The girl sounded horrified at the thought.

  “Well, let’s see if I can get the lock open first, before we argue about the matter, all right? Even though I warn you now, you will concede.”

  Charlotte placed her hands on her hips. “You are rather bossy, Livie, are you aware of that?”

  “Very.” She hobbled along behind Charlotte as the girl carried the chair over to the window. “All of my brothers, not to mention your brother, too, have taken great pains to tell me so, and on more than one occasion. Now help me up, would you?”