The Devil of Downtown
Page 30
Duncan waved his hand. “Perhaps this property could be traded for stock in the company.”
“Perhaps.”
“I’d receive double the property value in stock, of course.”
“Would you, now?” Was Duncan honestly trying to swindle him?
“Yes, I would.” The older man stepped in and lowered his voice. “I figure it’s only fair seeing as you seduced and ruined my youngest daughter while I was traveling in Europe.”
“What is going on over here?”
Justine barreled into their little group and moved to Jack’s side, his do-gooder come to save him. Warmth filled his entire body, pure contentment and happiness the likes of which he’d never known. Ignoring everyone else, he bent to kiss her cheek. “Congratulations, cara. You were magnificent.”
“Thank you.” She looked at her father. “What were you discussing when I arrived?”
“I have a piece of property I’d like to give your fiancé.”
“He’s not my . . .” She shook her head, likely realizing the futility in arguing with her father. “That’s very generous, Daddy. I’m sure Jack appreciates it.” Her eyes widened meaningfully at Jack.
Swallowing his exasperated sigh, he nodded. “Yes, of course. How could I possibly refuse?”
“Excellent. Come see me tomorrow and I’ll give you all the information.”
They settled on a time and Justine grinned broadly. “I am so happy to see the two of you getting along.”
Yes, if one called nearly being blackmailed getting along . . . Duncan was more bruiser than gentleman, it seemed. But Jack couldn’t bear to disappoint her, so he merely smiled. “You know, I think I will fit right in with your family.”
Everyone said their goodbyes and drifted away, leaving Jack and Justine to walk together toward the settlement house. “Your family seems to think we are already betrothed,” he said. “Does the misunderstanding bother you?”
“No, not really. I sense it helps them accept our relationship. Also, my mother is anxious to plan another wedding, seeing as how Florence refuses to walk down the aisle with Clay.”
“Shall we make it official, then?”
“Was that your idea of a proposal, Jack Mulligan?”
Heat crawled up his neck. He knew women placed importance on these things and he’d now dug himself a hole from which he’d probably never emerge. “I . . .”
A delicate hand landed on his arm and pulled him inside the building, to the room she used as an office. She closed the door and latched it. Seconds later, she threw her arms over his shoulders. “I was teasing you.” She nipped his earlobe with her teeth, and a shiver worked its way through his entire body.
“If you recall, you were the one who wanted to wait. I was ready to marry you in August.”
She toyed with the ends of his hair. “I remember, but I like this part, where it’s new and exciting. Sneaking around and finding ways to not get caught.”
“A thrill seeker. How did I not realize this?” He placed his hands on her hips, dragging her flush to his frame so she could feel all of him.
“Hmm.” She skimmed her lips over his jaw. “Perhaps marriage wouldn’t be all that different, though.”
Blood thickened and heated in his veins, and all he could think about was bending her over the desk . . .
“Will you let me make an honest man out of you, Jack Mulligan? Will you marry me?”
“Yes, but not completely honest.” He reached down and lifted her right off the floor, then carried her to the desk. “I wouldn’t want you to get bored.”
She scraped her teeth over the sensitive skin of his throat, causing him to groan. “I think there’s very little chance of that.”
Acknowledgments
Thank you so much for reading and supporting the Uptown Girls series. It has been a blast to write. Because I love historical research, here are some notes for you.
Jack is loosely inspired by a real-life Gilded Age figure in New York City, Paul Kelly. A legendary criminal, Kelly really did consolidate many of the gangs, dressed like a dandy and spoke multiple languages. Trevor O’Shaughnessy is loosely based on Kelly’s rival, Monk Eastman.
The brewery information was largely based on Anheuser-Busch. A-B was the first to produce refrigerated train cars (1876), and the revolutionary beer that Patrick Murphy created was modeled after Michelob (created in 1896).
Marie Connelly (or Connolly) Owens is believed to have been the first policewoman in the US, joining the Chicago Police Department in 1891 as a detective sergeant with full arrest capabilities. It was her success in chasing down wife deserters that got her noticed by the Chicago PD and given a spot in the department.
I could never do this job alone. Much love and thanks to my traveling partner, Diana Quincy, who kept telling me to put more “devil” in The Devil of Downtown. I am so very grateful to Sarah MacLean, Sophie Jordan, Sonali Dev, Lenora Bell, Eva Leigh, Michele Mannon and Megan Frampton for their brilliance and friendship in all the things. And thank you to Jenny Nordbak, Jennifer Prokop, Joel Kincaid, Frauke Spanuth, and Adriana Anders for answering my very last-minute questions!
Thank you to the fabulous Tessa Woodward for her support and enthusiasm for my stories, as well as the entire team at Avon/HarperCollins who work on my books, especially Elle Keck, Pamela Jaffee, Imani Gary, Kayleigh Webb and Angela Craft. And thanks to Laura Bradford, who always looks out for me.
As always, much love and gratitude to Rich for his never-ending supply of patience and support.
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Don’t miss out on the rest of Joanna Shupe’s Uptown Girls series, available now from Avon Books
THE ROGUE OF FIFTH AVENUE
Silver-tongued lawyer.
Keeper of secrets.
Breaker of hearts.
He can solve any problem . . .
In serving the wealthy power brokers of New York society, Frank Tripp has finally gained the respectability and security his own upbringing lacked. There’s no issue he cannot fix . . . except for one: the beautiful and reckless daughter of an important client who doesn’t seem to understand the word danger.
She’s not looking for a hero . . .
Excitement lies just below Forty-Second Street and Mamie Greene is determined to explore all of it—while playing a modern-day Robin Hood along the way. What she doesn’t need is her father’s lawyer dogging her every step and threatening her efforts to help struggling families in the tenements.
However, she doesn’t count on Frank’s persistence . . . or the sparks that fly between them. When fate upends all her plans, Mamie must decide if she’s willing to risk it all on a rogue . . .
THE PRINCE OF BROADWAY
Powerful casino owner.
Ruthless mastermind.
Destroyer of men.
He lives in the shadows . . .
As the owner of the city’s most exclusive casino, Clayton Madden holds the fortunes of prominent families in the palms of his hands every night. There is one particular family he burns to ruin, however, one that has escaped his grasp . . . until now.
She is society’s darling . . .
Florence Greene is no one’s fool. She knows Clayton Madden is using her to ruin her prestigious family . . . and she’s using him right back. She plans to learn all she can from the mysterious casino owner—then open a casino of her own just for women.
With revenge on his mind, Clay agrees to mentor Florence. However, she soon proves more adept—and more alluring—than Clay bargained for. When his plans are threatened, Clay must decide if he is willing to gamble his empire on love.
About the Author
Joanna Shupe has always loved history, ever since she saw her first Schoolhouse Rock cartoon. In 2013, she won Romance Writers of America’s prestigious Golden Heart® Award for Best Historical. Since then, her books have appeared on numerous yearly “best of” lists, including Publishers Weekly, The Washington Post, Kirkus Reviews, Kobo, and BookPage. She lives in New Je
rsey with her two spirited daughters and dashing husband.
Discover great authors, exclusive offers, and more at hc.com.
By Joanna Shupe
Uptown Girls
The Rogue of Fifth Avenue
The Prince of Broadway
The Devil of Downtown
The Four Hundred series
A Daring Arrangement
A Scandalous Deal
A Notorious Vow
The Knickerbocker Club series
Magnate
Baron
Mogul
Tycoon
Copyright
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, organizations, or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.
the devil of downtown. Copyright © 2020 by Joanna Shupe. All rights reserved under International and Pan-American Copyright Conventions. By payment of the required fees, you have been granted the nonexclusive, nontransferable right to access and read the text of this e-book on-screen. No part of this text may be reproduced, transmitted, downloaded, decompiled, reverse-engineered, or stored in or introduced into any information storage and retrieval system, in any form or by any means, whether electronic or mechanical, now known or hereafter invented, without the express written permission of HarperCollins Publishers. For information, address HarperCollins Publishers, 195 Broadway, New York, NY 10007.
Digital Edition JULY 2020 ISBN: 978-0-06-290686-1
Print Edition ISBN: 978-0-06-290685-4
Cover design by Guido Caroti
Cover illustration by Jon Paul Ferrara
Avon, Avon & logo, and Avon Books & logo are registered trademarks of HarperCollins Publishers in the United States of America and other countries.
HarperCollins is a registered trademark of HarperCollins Publishers in the United States of America and other countries.
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