They were giving him one last chance to make good on the deal they’d made before, the one he hadn’t needed to keep because of Brynne. They had the rest of his supplies, and for double the price, he could have what remained of the shipment. Or, should he choose not to accept and make good on their original, now slightly altered deal, he could expect worse retribution.
Richard risked a glance at her. She stood staring at his building, her face set in an expression he was beginning to know well. He’d shared the note with her. No reason not to since, for better or worse, she had become involved with the knaves who’d done this. Brynne turned to meet his gaze.
“Don’t worry, Richard. This time, I won’t leave them anything to bargain with.”
“You are not going after them again, Brynne.”
“Why ever not?” she asked, seeming truly astonished.
“They are dangerous.”
“Oh, bosh,” she snorted and turned her attention back to the warehouse, but Richard grasped her arms and turned her back to him.
“I mean it, Brynne. I don’t want you anywhere near these men.”
“Richard, I appreciate your concern—”
“My concern? Damn it all, woman. I love you! No matter what has passed between us of late, nothing has changed that. I will not let you risk your neck over this.”
Brynne’s face softened and she reached up to caress his cheek. “I love you too, Richard. Which gives me even more reason to help you when I can. You need those supplies. It’s my fault for leaving so much behind the first time. I’ll get them for you. There is no way I’m going to allow you to pay for something that is already yours, especially after this,” she said, waving a hand at his smoking warehouse.
“Brynne—”
“It isn’t as dangerous as you are thinking it is. The last time it was almost too easy. I won’t be in any danger.”
“Last time was different,” he said, pulling her away from the other spectators. “They’ll be waiting for you this time.”
“Despite what you think, I don’t simply traipse in on a lick and a promise. I’m a little more fond of my life than that. Give me some credit, Richard. I’ve been doing this a long time. I know how to deal with people like this.”
For a moment, he was confused. Then he remembered. Ah yes, her days riding with her sister the bandit. He still had a hard time envisioning the woman before him duded up like a notorious outlaw.
He studied the stubborn set of her chin, the determination flashing in her eyes, and knew there would be no talking her out of it. “Fine. Then I’m going with you.”
“Oh no, you’re not.”
“I have every right to go, Brynne. It’s my money, my supplies, my vendetta. And I am not going to let you go alone.”
“I won’t be alone. I have someone who will help me.”
“Who?”
“That doesn’t matter. It’s someone I trust who has helped me before.”
Richard frowned. “I’m coming, Brynne.”
“You’ll only be in the way. You don’t know the first thing about…” Her eyes darted about the crowd and she leaned in to whisper, “This sort of thing.”
“Then I guess you’ll have to teach me, because you are not going without me.”
“Excuse me, sir.” A police officer approached them, looking between them with a wary look in his eye. “Is everything all right here?” He addressed that remark to Brynne with a pointed look at where Richard was grasping her arm.
“We are fine, sir, thank you. Merely a very difficult night.”
“Yes, of course. Regarding that, Dr. Oliver, I have been assured that the flames have been completely extinguished and most of your property was salvaged, though there may be some smoke and water damage. The fire was set in an empty corner of the warehouse. We believe it may have been set by a squatter trying to find shelter or some such miscreant who’d perhaps been trying to warm themselves. Most of the damage was contained to a small area of the building.”
Richard nodded. “I’m sure that’s all it was. Thank you so much, Officer.”
The policeman tipped his hat to them and went back to his men.
The moment his back was turned, Richard turned his attention back to Brynne. But she was gone.
“Damn that woman,” Richard muttered. He wasn’t going to let her get away with her crazy scheme. At least, not without him. He searched through the crowd for a few minutes but didn’t see any sign of her. He had no idea how she’d disappeared so quickly, but he had no delusions about where she’d gone. He climbed in his carriage and told the driver to go to Brynne’s house. He wasn’t sure where she’d be going that night, but he was relatively sure she wouldn’t be able to gad about thieving in her full skirts and bonnet. She’d need a change of clothing first. And he’d be waiting when she left her house again.
She was faster than he had assumed she’d be. He’d only been hiding in the shadows in front of her house for about ten minutes before he spotted a dark-clothed figure leading a horse from the stables. Before she could mount, Richard stepped from his hiding place. Brynne gasped and shoved a hand against her mouth to keep from screaming.
Before Richard could say a word, he found himself flat on his back, a blade pressed to his throat.
His adventure into banditry was off to a fine start.
Chapter Sixteen
“Good evening, Taggart,” Richard said.
Taggart looked down at him, one eyebrow slightly raised in surprise. “Good evening, Dr. Oliver,” he said, making no move to release Richard.
Seeing Richard pinned on the ground at her feet gave Brynne a small twinge of satisfaction, but one that was quickly buried beneath a wave of fear for him. The stubborn man was going to get himself killed. He was certainly going to get in the way. But since he seemed every bit as pig-headed as she was, it looked like she was stuck with him for the moment.
“Let him up,” Brynne said, her voice full of defeat.
Taggart jumped up and held a hand out to Richard. Richard accepted it, pulling himself to his feet.
“What are you doing here?” Brynne asked.
Richard didn’t bother to answer. “Where are we off to?”
She scowled at him and he gave her his most angelic smile. Brynne bit the inside of her cheek to keep from smiling back. “Stay out of the way and do exactly as I tell you.”
“Yes, ma’am,” Richard said, his eyes gleaming in the moonlight. If she didn’t know better, she’d say he was enjoying himself.
His satisfaction faded into shock when he got a good look at her. “What are you wearing?”
Brynne sighed, seeming to remember those exact words coming from her brother-in-law Leo when he’d first seen Cilla in her men’s clothing.
“You don’t honestly expect me to be able to rob a warehouse in full skirts and corset, do you?”
His forehead crinkled. “I suppose not. But…” His eyes roamed over her, lingering on her trouser-encased leg that was firmly astride her horse. Richard’s frown relaxed into a much more appreciative expression that had Brynne’s insides quivering with delight. She did her best to stamp the feeling down. There was no time for that at the moment.
“You came in your carriage?” she asked him.
“Yes. Should I un-harness the horse?”
“No. We are trying to be as invisible as possible. The last thing we need is another horse. We don’t want to take an entire posse in there.”
Brynne frowned, but there was no help for it. She’d rather not take any horses at all, but they needed to be able to get out quick and carrying stolen supplies on foot wasn’t going to work.
She sighed and swung up onto her horse. “Come on,” she said, jerking her head at him.
Richard swung up behind her. “Try not to look so defeated. It isn’t the end of the world you know.”
“It might be,” she muttered.
Richard chuckled and wrapped his arms about her waist, pulling her back into his chest. For a mome
nt, Brynne forgot everything but the feel of him pressed against her, the familiar scent of him enveloping her. She’d missed him.
He nuzzled her neck, pressing a kiss to the pulse jumping beneath the tender skin. “I’ve missed you,” he said, echoing her thoughts.
She pressed back into him farther, tucking her head beneath his neck. It wasn’t the time or place, but she couldn’t think clearly with him wrapped about her. When this was all over, they were going to have a serious discussion. She hadn’t forgiven him yet for his lack of faith in her, but maybe they could work through that. Later. Right now they had a job to do.
Taggart cleared his throat and Brynne straightened. Richard’s arms loosened enough for her to sit forward, but he kept them about her waist.
“Let’s go,” she said, leading the way.
They took as many backstreets as they could, keeping to the shadows. The freezing temperature aided them. No one was out and about on such a night. Brynne was almost shivering by the time they reached the warehouse. She dismounted, pulling her coat closer about her. They tied their horses up behind the same building they had before and made sure there was no one about before they hurried across the street to the small window she’d used.
Richard followed Taggart’s lead, pressing as close to the wall as they could while Brynne shimmied to the window and looked through. Pitch dark. Nothing that betrayed the presence of the thieves or anything else.
She divested herself of her coat and handed Taggart her gun. He looked at her, eyebrow raised. “We’ve riled them this time. Better to be prepared if necessary, and besides, I’d rather not leave it lying on the ground by the window again. I’ll get it back from you when I come back out.”
Taggart hesitated but nodded his agreement and Brynne turned to wiggle through the window.
Richard made a choked sound of protest as she disappeared through the window, but she ignored him and eased herself into the building, dropping to the balls of her feet behind a stack of boxes. She waited for a moment, straining her senses for any sound that might indicate she wasn’t alone.
There was nothing.
Brynne crouched down and started to creep out from behind the boxes when a sound from above froze her in her steps. She looked toward the window in time to see Richard drop through it. She didn’t know how he’d managed to squeeze his shoulders through and debated sending him right back out, but as he was already inside, he might as well help grab the supplies.
Taggart’s angry face appeared briefly in the window. As soon as he saw that they were both accounted for, he backed off to stand guard.
Brynne glared at Richard, letting all the fear and fury raging through her show on her face. Richard flinched a bit, but didn’t back off. He put his lips to her ear. “I told you, I go where you go.”
Brynne shook him off with a scowl. The man was going to be the death of her.
She held her finger up to her mouth and crept around the corner of the boxes. Richard followed, close enough that he could follow right in her footsteps, but not so close that he’d hamper her movements. She led the way up the stairs toward the front of the warehouse where she’d found the supplies the first time.
There they were. Boxes of linens, equipment, and medicines that should have been in Richard’s clinic. She felt Richard stiffen beside her in fury. She felt the same way, but they had no time for it now. They needed to grab the most important items and get out.
The absolute stillness of the warehouse grated at her nerves. Something was off, wrong. There was no way the thieves would leave everything out in the open with no guard. No dogs. Not after last time. The supplies should be harder to get to, not easier. They must have expected another theft attempt. She paused again, searching the darkness for any sign of danger. But there was nothing alarming. Which in and of itself terrified her.
She and Richard crept to the box labeled Fragile. She looked about the space and grabbed a thin crowbar from a pile of tools near the crates.
Richard’s eyes widened, a small smile creeping across his face. She pointed to her eyes and then at the inky blackness around them, reminding him he was supposed to be keeping watch.
He nodded and returned his attention to the warehouse. Faint traces of moonlight filtered in, giving them barely enough light to see by. It was helpful, but Brynne would have preferred no light at all. Hopefully, by the time they left, the clouds that had been rolling in all evening would give them more cover, though Brynne prayed the snow would hold off until they were well away. The last thing they needed was a trail of footprints in their wake.
The lid of the crate creaked as she pried the nails from the lid. The sound echoed and Brynne paused again. Nothing.
The sense of unease filled her, making her skin crawl. They needed to get out of there. Now.
She finished opening the crate as quickly as she could and motioned Richard over. They stared into the depths of the box.
“Which?” she whispered.
Richard quickly went over the contents, pulling out bottles and packages and handing them to Brynne. She yanked a sack from where it hung out of her back pocket and filled it with the items he handed her. The bottles clanked gently together and Brynne gritted her teeth. All this would be for naught if they shattered before they could get them home. She tried to pack the bags of herbs between the bottles to cushion them as much as possible.
After several moments, Richard turned, handing her the last of the supplies he wanted. “That should be more than enough,” he whispered in her ear.
Brynne nodded and handed him the bag. He cradled it in his arms rather than let it swing free. Brynne nodded. That should help keep the items from clanking together. She replaced the lid on the box, not bothering to hammer it back down. They didn’t have the time and risking the noise it would make was pointless. The thieves would know they’d been there soon enough.
Brynne and Richard made their way back to the window as quickly as they could. Once there, Richard handed her the bag and bent over, locking his hands together for her to use as a foothold. She grasped the windowsill and let Richard boost her up. She pushed the bag through and hauled herself out after it.
She looked around. Snowflakes landed on her cheeks, chilling her skin. And Taggart was gone.
Richard pulled himself out behind her, pushing through first one shoulder and then the other. Brynne grabbed an arm and helped pull him out. He stood and brushed himself off.
“Where’s Taggart?” he whispered.
“I don’t know, but I don’t like this. He was supposed to wait for us right here.” Brynne looked around, but there was no sign of her butler. “We can’t wait. Let’s check the alley.”
Richard nodded grimly and followed her back to the alley where they’d left the horses, his eyes darting behind them often, watching as she did for any sign of being pursued. Apprehension crept through Brynne, making her spine tingle and her skin crawl. The whole heist had been way too easy. Something was definitely not right. But she wasn’t going to stick around and wait for whatever it was to make itself known. They needed to get to their horses and get out of there. Fast.
They hurried across the lane and turned into the alley where their horses…were nowhere to be found.
Richard’s outraged gasp echoed Brynne’s own.
“That blackguard Taggart has made off with our means of escape,” Richard hissed.
“We don’t know that Taggart did this. Perhaps he was taken. The horses could have run off or been set loose or taken by the thieves.”
Richard’s gaze shot to hers, his frown deepening. “Then why didn’t we see any sign of a struggle. We heard nothing.”
Brynne shook her head, dread filling her to the core. “I don’t—”
Click.
Brynne froze, raising her hands as she slowly turned her head to look at the man who aimed the pistol at her.
“You come along nice and quiet and no one’ll get hurt.” The man jerked his head to the side and stood back a litt
le to give Brynne and Richard room to pass.
Gentlemanly of him. But Brynne wasn’t in a gentle mood. She moved past him, keeping him in her side vision. When she drew level with him she squared her shoulders, then ducked and lunged, throwing her arms up to knock the man’s gun arm off kilter while her shoulder rammed into his belly.
His shot went wild, the sound ringing through the quiet night. Richard shouted behind her and to his credit, didn’t falter, but immediately jumped to assist her in grappling with the man. The man tried to bring his gun level again, but Brynne seized his arm and bit down hard. He howled and dropped the gun. It clattered off into a ditch and Brynne cursed under her breath. So much for shooting the bastard with his own gun. She sent up another curse at Taggart for making off with her gun.
Before she could attack again, he swung, his fist connecting with her jaw.
Brynne went sprawling, her vision flashing black and white dots. Her jaw throbbed in time with her heartbeat. Richard flew at the man with a grunt of rage, pummeling him within an inch of his life. Two more men came running around the corner and Brynne shouted a warning.
Richard jumped off the man he was on, since he didn’t seem likely to go anywhere, and rushed to Brynne. He pulled her to her feet and they both stood ready when the other men reached them. Brynne reached behind her and grabbed the knife she kept in a sheath at the small of her back. The men rushing them slowed when they saw the weapon, still advancing, but more warily.
Richard’s eyes widened, but again, his reaction surprised her. “Got another one of those?”
Brynne grinned. “As a matter of fact, I do.” She reached down and pulled the knife she always kept in her boot. “Be careful with that,” she said, handing it to him.
Richard snorted. “You’re just full of surprises, aren’t you?”
Blood Blade Sisters Series (Entangled Scandalous) Page 36