“Not you,” Jack told her, but he was looking at Maddie. “You two keep running. Nick and I will go back and distract him while you two escape.”
“But we can’t leave you,” Maddie protested. She was on her knees now, and Jack wished he could push her back on the ground, cover her with his body, and keep her safe for the rest of her life. Instead, he’d have to do the next best thing.
“Don’t argue,” he ordered as another shot, this one hitting closer, rang out. “Run and hide. We’ll find you.”
“But—”
He silenced her with a quick kiss—a press of his mouth on hers—then pushed her forward. “Go!”
With steely determination, he turned again to the road and Bleven. As soon as Jack heard the girls’ footfalls receding, he called, “Okay, Bleven, you have us! Stop shooting and we’ll surrender.”
“No more tricks,” Bleven called back. “One wrong move and I kill you where you stand.”
“Agreed!” Jack called. He looked at Nick, grim-faced and white. “First chance you get, escape and find them.”
“I’m not leaving you with Bleven.”
Jack grabbed Nick about the throat and pushed him hard against a tree. “Goddamn it, don’t argue with me. This isn’t going to be like what happened with—” He stopped, swallowed hard. “First chance you get, you go find the girls. Got it?”
Nick nodded, and Jack released him.
“Let’s go.” The two put their hands up and marched out.
One of Bleven’s men was questioning Dover near the duke’s carriage, but the others immediately descended. Jack and Nick were pulled apart, and Jack’s arms were bound. As soon as he was defenseless, the thugs got their revenge.
Jack didn’t blame them. He’d humiliated Bleven and his men today, forced them to leave London to chase him all the way to—wherever the hell they were—and then humiliated them again.
The men weren’t in a good mood.
It took about seven kicks and punches before Jack went to his knees. He looked over and noted Nick was already on the ground, curled into a protective ball. Smart man, he thought, but something about his own pride—or was it stupidity?—wouldn’t allow him to go down.
His head felt as though it had split in two. He wanted to reach up and piece it back together again, but the men held his arms so tightly that there was no feeling in them anymore. He knew they would hurt like hell once the numbness receded.
He bent to try and cushion the next blow to his ribs, and his stomach blazed up with fire. It hurt to breathe, to move, to exist. He looked up, tasting blood in his mouth, and saw Bleven sauntering over to him
Finally, thank God, the thugs stood back.
“So you thought you could outsmart me,” Bleven seethed. He was out of breath, and Jack realized he must have taken a few swings at Nick. “You thought you could humiliate me and get away with it.”
Jack shrugged, ignoring the pain the movement caused. “You showed us. If you’re done proving what a big man you are, Nick and I have other more pressing matters to attend to.”
“You arrogant whoreson,” Bleven spat, his boot landing in Jack’s stomach, just to make the point. “I never liked you.”
Jack doubled over. His intestines felt as though they had been kicked out through his back and shoved in again, but he managed to stay on his knees. “The feeling’s mutual,” he wheezed.
“Shut up!” This time Bleven caught him on the right cheek, and Jack’s head snapped back. The pain was like a knife thrust in his flesh, but he forced himself to stay upright.
When his balance returned, he looked up at Bleven and smiled. “Having fun?”
Bleven moved to kick him again, then seemed to think better of it. One of his thugs grabbed Jack’s arms and pinned them behind his back. Bleven leaned close, so close that Jack could smell the brandy on his breath.
“Oh, I’m going to have fun. I’ve been waiting a long time for this.” His face swam in Jack’s vision, his leering smile huge and distorted. “I’ll take you boys back to London with me, and we’rll have lots of fun. As much fun as we had all those years ago in that dark alley.”
Jack tensed and shook his head. Had he heard Bleven correctly?
“Do you remember that, Jack? Do you remember how you cried and hid your face? Oh, yes. I stood in the shadows behind you, and I saw it all.”
Jack strained against the man holding him, almost breaking free. “You bloody bastard. Come here where I can reach you. Fight me like a man.”
