Kisses and Scandal (A Survivors Series Anthology ) - Shana Galen Page 0,102

lead she had. The slavers were attempting to extricate themselves from the angry costermonger and hadn’t spotted her yet. Ahead of her was The Greedy Vicar. She headed straight for it and ducked inside.

“Oh, you look all out of breath,” said the woman who greeted her.

Raeni was out of breath. She could barely speak. “I need the...the...” She gasped for air.

“Are you the lady from the tobacco shop? The one that works with Mr. Gaines?”

Raeni nodded.

“What’s the matter then? You look as if you’re being chased.”

Raeni nodded. “Yes. The constable. I need a constable.”

The woman’s eyes bulged. “The constable? Oh, dear.” She pushed Raeni onto a bench just inside the pub. “Now you wait right here. I’ll go fetch him.”

Raeni nodded, her lungs burning and her eyes stinging with unshed tears. Why hadn’t she left last night? Why had she waited? She’d put everyone in danger by staying. She should have been far away from London. Instead, she was hiding in a tavern, praying the serving wench would hurry back with the constable.

The door banged open, and Raeni jumped. She looked up, hoping to see the constable. Her hope died when the slavers stepped inside. The one with the pistol pointed the weapon at her chest. “I’m tired of games. Come with me now or I use this.”

She knew her father had told the men to bring her back alive, but they looked angry enough not to care.

“The constable is on his way,” she panted. “You should run now.”

“Not without you.” The slaver with the burlap sack grabbed her arm and shoved the sack over her head. The world went dark and smelled of her own fear and barley, which must have been the contents of the sack before it had been emptied. She tried to fight, but she couldn’t see, and the men easily caught her. She screamed and pain bloomed in her head. She’d been hit. She reeled back just as a fist landed in her belly. She crumpled to the floor, breathless.

Limp with pain, she was lifted and tossed over one of the slaver’s shoulders as though she were a sack of flour. They began to move, taking her out of the tavern. Once they were out on the street, they could quickly disappear. The constable would never find her. She heard the bell above the tavern door tinkle and then a voice she knew well.

“Going somewhere, gentlemen?”

Thomas! Relief at knowing he’d found her was quickly replaced by fear. They would kill him. She tried to call out to him, to tell him no, but she couldn’t seem to find the breath.

“Move out of the way or we’ll bring you back with us too.”

“Give me Miss Sawyer, and I’ll gladly step aside.”

“Why don’t I give you a pistol ball to the forehead instead?”

Raeni screamed and struggled, and in the next instant she was falling, landing hard on the floor. She could hear grunts and a scuffle and tore at the sack, finally pulling it off her head. The pistol had fallen to the floor and the two men were taking turns throwing punches at Thomas, who was ducking and throwing his own punches as well. Raeni lunged for the pistol, her hand closing on it just as the slavers noticed she was free and turned to her. Raeni lifted the pistol and trained it on the men.

“Give me that,” ordered the slaver who had put the sack over her head.

“Get out or I’ll shoot.” She looked both men dead in the eye, showing them that she would kill them if it came to that. She’d seen her father use a pistol. She knew how they worked, and she cocked the hammer to prove her point. The men raised their hands and backed toward the door to The Greedy Vicar. Raeni pointed the pistol at them until they were out on the street again.

Then she collapsed into tears, dropping the pistol. Thomas took her into his arms, cradling her head. “Are you hurt? Raeni, did they hurt you?”

“Not really,” she said. “I’ll be fine. But I have to go. I have to run before they find me again.” She cupped his face, feeling the scratch of stubble under her palms. “You could have been killed. I can’t let that happen.” She pulled away from him and stood on shaky legs. He rose too.

“I can’t let you deal with those two alone. Raeni, I’ll hire Bow Street Runners to find them. I’ll take you to the Continent. Let me