Tears clogged Avilon’s throat as she stared at the miniature replica of Amelia.
“This is my daughter,” Amelia whispered. “Her name is Odette.”
“She’s beautiful,” Avilon whispered back. “But why didn’t you tell me about her?”
“Because he’s after us,” Amelia told her, her fear so tangible that Avilon could taste it.
“Who?”
“Eugene Behr.”
Shock poured through Avilon, temporarily robbing her of speech.
Amelia nodded her head toward the first room, and they all backed out, leaving the little girl to sleep. Amelia closed the bedroom door with a soft click and gestured to the table and chairs near the unlit fireplace, where several blankets waited. Ellis placed the lantern on the table. When Amelia sat, Ellis laid a blanket on her lap. Avilon realized that Ellis had feelings for her sister.
“Tell me,” Avilon urged. “From the beginning.”
“I met Eugene Behr at the opera one night,” she began, her voice emotionless. “He was charming and attentive, and every opportunity I had to see him, I did.” She gave Avilon a bitter smile. “Cousin Odell didn’t approve. She said he wasn’t the man he presented to the world and forbade me to see him. But I thought she was being selfish, wanting me to stay and be her companion forever. I had just finished school and was flattered by Eugene’s attention.”
Amelia stopped and took a deep breath. Her bottom lip began to quiver. “I snuck out at night to meet him. And it wasn’t long until he…took advantage of my adolescent infatuation.”
“Amelia—”
“It’s my fault that Cousin Odell died,” she sobbed. “Eugene came to ask for my hand, and I was so excited I hid in the downstairs closet, watching. But she said no, and he…he…”
Avilon reached out and cupped Amelia’s cheek. “Shh. It’s okay.”
Amelia shook her head. “He became furious when she wouldn’t change her mind, and then he picked up the fire poker and hit her. Again and again. There was blood everywhere.” She shivered. “Then he calmly picked up her broken body, took her to the top of the stairs, and threw her down. Then he left.”
“Oh my God,” Avilon said, horrified.
“I came out of the closet and stood by her body, not knowing what to do. Then he came back in, acting surprised and sad that Odell had fallen down the stairs. I…I was so scared, Avi. He went to get the sheriff, and still I couldn’t talk.”
“Shh,” Avilon said soothingly, stroking Amelia’s hair.
“All through the funeral I was paralyzed. I didn’t know what to say, couldn’t think. I fainted when I saw the coffin taken into the family vault. When I awoke, the doctor informed me I was pregnant. And he had told Eugene, who introduced himself as my fiancé. But I knew right then he couldn’t have access to my baby. He’s a monster!”
Tears started down Amelia’s cheeks.
“What happened after that?”
“That night I packed a valise and ran to the convent, just outside New Orleans. The sisters took me in, and when I told them what happened, they made arrangements for me to travel to Saint Louis, to a sister convent. I stayed until I had Odette, and the sisters were kind enough to continue to shelter us since I had agreed to work for them. But one day in town, I saw Eugene and knew he had found us. So I ran. I signed on to help a family travel to California on a wagon train, and within a fortnight, Odette and I left.”
“What made you come to work at Eli and Jason’s club?”
Amelia lowered her chin. “The wagon train’s destination was Marysville, but I’d heard some people talking about San Francisco. I needed to disappear, so I…I decided that would be a good place to become lost. I tried washing clothes at first, then cooking, but I couldn’t watch Odette. I needed my days free, so…I’d heard the club needed some girls and figured anyone who knew about Greek myths obviously couldn’t be all bad. Ellis answered the door. He helped me get the job, and he said he knew someone who could take care of Odette during the night. Everything was fine, until the night Eugene walked through the club’s door.”
“He’s after you?”
Amelia nodded. “He followed us. He wants Odette. Says she’s his property.”
Avilon remembered Eugene’s threat from the day outside of Madame Duplee’s. “So the coin means nothing?”
“I took the coin for leverage,” Amelia admitted. “I wanted him gone, and I thought if I took it, I could blackmail Eugene into leaving me alone. Not every citizen of San Francisco was fond of the Committee of Vigilance, especially in Sydney Town. I thought it would put pressure on him, make him too distracted to focus on me and Odette. Eli and Jason promised to hide me, but Eugene found me once, and I didn’t trust them not to talk. So Ellis hid me here. When he told me you had arrived, I felt…unworthy of you.”
“What?” Avilon asked, appalled. “Why?”
“I’m…I’m a whore,” she said.
Avilon shook off her blanket and took Amelia’s shoulders. “Look at me,” she ordered. When Amelia’s eyes came up, Avilon shook her head. “Never think less of yourself. You did what you had to do to survive and to protect Odette. Eli and Jason are good men, and I’m glad you found them.”
She pulled Amelia into her arms, hugging her tightly.
“Ellis told me you’re singing there.”
“Yes. And…and I want you to know that I’ve agreed to be a part of their lives, as a family. So from now on, they will protect you with their lives as well. You don’t have to be afraid anymore. You aren’t alone.”
Amelia pulled back to stare at her with wide, tear-filled eyes. “Oh, Avi.”
Avilon shook her head and smiled. “It’s what I want. I’ve…I’ve grown very fond of both of them. This life we find ourselves in may not be the ones we dreamed of, but I think it could be a good life, Amelia.”
“I wouldn’t have to go back to whoring, would I?” Amelia asked timidly. But before Avilon could answer, Ellis was suddenly by Amelia’s side.
“No,” he said forcefully. He pulled Amelia’s head to his chest and squeezed her tightly. “Never again will you have to endure a man’s touch, not unless you want to. I’ll take care of you, Amelia. You and Odette. You have my vow.”
“Ellis?” Amelia asked, bewildered.
Watching them, it dawned on Avilon that Ameila loved Ellis as much as he loved her. Somehow in this crazy world, these two people had found one another, and she hoped that she, Eli, and Jason would have the same opportunity to explore their newfound commitment.
Finally, Ellis broke Amelia’s gaze and glanced over to Avilon. “It’s time for us to go. Dawn is approaching.”
Reluctantly, Avilon nodded and stood, pulling Amelia into a tight hug.
“I shouldn’t want this,” Amelia whispered into her ear, “but I wish Eugene would disappear.”
“Don’t worry about him,” Avilon told her. “It will work out. And then we’ll be a family again, and I’ll get to dote on my niece.”
Now that she knew Amelia was safe, she could stop worrying and talk to Eli and Jason. Together they would plan on what to do next. Eugene Behr had to be stopped.
Ellis went first, making sure the area was clear before Avilon followed after. Once she stepped through the door, she heard the bolt latching from the inside. The sky held the early emergence of diffused light, bathing the city in pale blue and purple. Avilon pulled her hat down low and wrapped the jacket around her body to keep out the brisk air.
Halfway back to the club, she heard a scuffling behind her. Ellis stopped, his body tensing as he listened. He pushed Avilon to the side of a building and turned in a circle, squinting as assessed the shadows. Her heart pounded, the blood rushing through her ears almost drowning out the sound of everything else. Endless minutes stretched as they both waited, anticipating anything.
Slowly, Ellis relaxed and backed up toward where she waited. Just as she stepped out from the shadow of the building, four men suddenly appeared. Ellis crouched, hands f
lying up in a defensive gesture. Even in the early morning light, Avilon noticed the scar on one face and a flash of gold in the mouth of the other.
“Behr’s men,” she whispered to Ellis. “I recognize them from the shanghaiing attempt.”
Ellis barely had time to acknowledge her before the men charged him. His style of fighting wasn’t fisticuffs, at least, not the type she was used to. He fought with legs and arms, bending and weaving, once even flipping backward. If the danger hadn’t been so terrifying, watching him would have been entertaining. As it was, fear for Ellis rose sharply into her throat, and she wanted to scream but was afraid that would only startle Ellis.
As good a fighter as Ellis seemed to be, he simply wasn’t a match for four vicious brutes. They simply overwhelmed him as they attacked, one brutal punch after another. The man with the scar managed to send Ellis flying. Then Gold Tooth picked up his foot and brought it sharply down upon Ellis’s face. Blood immediately poured from his nose. Avilon rushed to his side, but he was out cold.
She felt a presence behind her and looked up. The last thing she saw was a fist coming at her.
Chapter Twenty-Two
Eli shook Jason. Jason groaned, opened his eyes wide enough to squint at the window, then rolled over and buried his head under a pillow.
“Go ’way, Eli,” he mumbled from under the covers. “It’s too early.”
“Avilon is missing.”
Jason’s head immediately came out as he sat up, his hair tousled in all directions. “What do you mean, missing?”
“I woke up, and she’s gone. She’s not downstairs, and she’s not in the club. But all her clothing is here.”
Jason rose and grabbed his discarded clothes, dressing quickly. “How long have you been up?”
“Ten, fifteen minutes at most.”
“But we don’t know when she left.”
Eli nodded. “Dawn broke about half an hour ago. Christ, where could she have gone? Back to the church?”
Jason finished tying his shoes. “I don’t know. We can start there—”
All of a sudden, they heard their names being called from downstairs. Eli and Jason raced from the bedroom and came to a stop at the bottom step as they saw Ellis, banged up and bloody. And standing next to him was Louisie.
“She’s been taken,” he told them, his voice sounding stuffy through his swollen, possibly broken, nose. His right arm lay protectively around his ribs. “Behr’s men. Avilon recognized them.”
Dead silence descended. Eli’s body tensed up and his hands curled into fists.
“Rouse the men,” Eli told Jason. “We’ll go to Behr’s house on Nob Hill and beat the shit out of him until he hands Avilon back over.”
Jason gave a nod and ran toward the kitchens.
“What was she doing out there, Ellis?” Eli practically growled his question, sounding like a wounded bear.
“Because of me,” Amelia answered, cowering a little under Eli’s ice cold stare.
“You could have come to us,” he told her. “We would have protected you.”
“It’s more than just for this coin,” she replied, holding up her hand. Lying in her palm was the silver medallion. “I’ve been running from Eugene Behr for two years. He’s chased me from New Orleans to Saint Louis and all the way across the US to here.”
“Why?”
“He wants our daughter. But I won’t hand her over to a murderer.”
Eli gave her a long, measured look. “When we get Avilon back, we’re going to have a long talk.”
“He took her to get to me and Odette.”
“Who’s with Odette now?” Eli asked.
“Jin Li,” Ellis answered. “When I came to and realized Avilon was gone, I ran straight back to Amelia and Odette. The men must have been patrolling instead of following because Amelia was still there. I took her and Odette to Jin Li to hide her, but Amelia insisted she come here with me.”
“It’s me he wants,” Amelia said quietly. “We can bargain for Avilon, using me.”
Eli shook his head. “Avilon would never approve of that.”
“Avi is not here,” Amelia stated.
Just then Jason came back flanked by several men. It hadn’t taken time at all to rouse the workers, the same men who had saved Jason from the shanghaiing. Eli led them from to his office where they armed themselves with pistols before marching out the front door of the club.
Nob Hill had rapidly become one of the most affluent places to live in San Francisco. Its rolling hills overlooked the city, giving spectacular views for those who could afford the large houses being built.
“Of course a man like Eugene Behr would live here,” Jason muttered as they walked uphill to reach the peak where Behr’s house was located.
“He’s a megalomaniac,” Eli answered, resting and taking a deep breath of air. “He’s established banks in New York, in New Orleans, and here. He bases his clout against gambling money.”
“He’s also a murderer,” Amelia reminded them.
Eli gave her a wry glance. “Yes, there’s also that.”
“Let’s get my sister,” Amelia said. “She once came for me. Now I need to save her.”
Chapter Twenty-Three
Four men stood on guard at Behr’s front door. Dawn had come and gone, but clouds hung heavy in the air, obscuring sunlight into a filtered haze of mist. Eli sent out a silent bid of thanks to whatever higher power was watching over them, hoping like mad that good luck continued through their fight to get Avilon back.
He held his finger over his mouth, indicating to keep his men silent. He gestured for Jason to take two men and circle around back while he, Ellis, Amelia, and five men stayed in front, keeping watch over any movement from the house.
As Eli stood there, he felt rage coursing through his blood. He wanted to kill Behr, to wrap his hands around the man’s throat and squeeze until there wasn’t any life left. How dare the man touch Avilon? She was his. His and Jason’s. She may have started out as an abstract thought to hold on to Jason in his desire to become a father, but she had quickly transformed into something more to him. She had gotten under his skin and wormed herself into his heart.
He and his men watched, giving Jason plenty of time to get into position before going on the attack. But all thoughts ceased when he heard a scream come from the house. Eli acted on pure rage by jumping from his hiding place and charging forward. Dimly he was aware of his men following, of them engaging the guard dogs. All he was concerned about was getting into the house and finding Avilon. One man with a scar on his face jumped into his way, and he swung his fist up as hard as he could. He barely registered the jarring impact that shook his shoulder. All his attention was focused on the front door.
And then it swung open just as he reached it, and Avilon fell into his arms.
* * * *
“Are you crazy?” Avilon screamed at him. She dangled over the shoulder of one man, her hands tied over her head. She tried kicking with her feet, but the man held her legs tightly and slapped her on her rear. “Let me go!”
The men didn’t seem to be afraid of walking in daylight where anyone could see them, but then again, there really wasn’t anyone walking around at dawn. By the time they got to where they were going, she felt nauseous from the blood rushing into her head.
Her captor walked up to a house, crossed the porch, and knocked on the door. She struggled again when she heard it open, but he suddenly threw her off his shoulder, and she landed hard on her right side. Pain lanced through her body, causing her to curl into a fetal position. But before she could assess just how badly she was hurt, a hand yanked her upward, and she stared into Eugene Behr’s cold, dark eyes.
He dragged her inside, through a foyer and into a room decorated in dark mahogany and cherry leather. He pushed her into a chair and then sat behind his ornate desk.
“My men lost track of you earlier, but now that I have you, I’ll ask you one last time. Where is your sister hiding my daughter?” h
e asked without preamble.
“There’s nothing you can do that will make me tell you anything,” she all but spat at him.
He reached into a drawer and pulled out a revolver. Avilon’s eyes widened.
“There are certain things I’m exceptional at,” he stated as he leveled the barrel at her. “One is making money. Another is my determination at getting my property.”
“People are not property.”
“Of course they are. Those who have money”—he gestured to himself—“will always be able to buy the future of those who have none.” And he pointed to her.
“Then shoot me,” she told him calmly.
He stared at her, eyes narrowed as he assessed her. Avilon felt peace descend over her, because as much as she wanted to jump up and run out of the room, away from this crazy man who now held her very life in the palm of his hand, she knew any sudden move wouldn’t be the smartest decision. For a brief second, Eli and Jason flashed through her mind, and a bittersweet ache hit her heart. She would have liked to have that family they talked about.
And then he did something unexpected. Eugene Behr lowered the gun. He looked over her head as another man walked in. One of his thugs, she thought. They talked in low voices, and then Behr shot her a small, evil grin before rushing out of the room, leaving behind his guard dog.
That grin worried her. Had they happened to find where Ellis had been hiding Amelia? Was he rushing, right now, to grab her sister and take Odette? Behr had taken the gun. Perhaps she could outrun the hulking brute he’d left behind. It was worth a try, even with her hands tied in front of her. She waited for a few moments, let the man relax a bit as he came to the wrong conclusion that she wouldn’t cause him any trouble. As soon as he began to sit, she darted for the door. A second later, he caught her around the waist and swung her around. She screamed as she crashed into the fireplace, her hand landing on the poker. Instinctively she grabbed it, and as he spun her around, she rammed it down onto his foot. He let her go as he gasped, grabbing the poker that had pierced through his shoe, but she didn’t waste any time escaping. She flew from the room and headed to the front door. Just as she opened it, she saw Eli. With a cry of happiness, she flew into his arms.
The Song Bird (Siren Publishing Ménage Amour) Page 14