The Bride of Devil's Acre by Jennifer Kohout Read Free Book Online Page B

passed.
    “But it isn’t you paying the price,” Finn said, knowing Devil wouldn’t understand. “The girl is ruined.”
    “She was ruined the moment we took her,” Devil said, his voice hard. “Even you knew that.”
    “Nay, she still had a chance,” Finn reasoned. “Between her father’s name and money…” Finn shook his head. “But there’s no hiding this,” he said. “There’s no hiding rape.”
    “What would you have me do?” Devil asked.
    “I don’t know,” Finn said, crossing his arms and shaking his head. “But it’s your mess; you clean it up.”
    The two men stared at each other. It wasn’t the first time they’d stood over a body together, but it was the first time Devil felt they stood on opposite sides. “Find Stubs. Get rid of the body.”
    “He’s not going to like this.” Stubs was more Carver’s man than Devil’s, the two of them having come out of St. Giles together.
    “I don’t care; just get it done.” Devil watched Finn leave. Alone with the girl, he tried to decide what to do. Her attacker lay dead by his hand, and he was prepared to return her home. What more could he do?
    Jacqueline felt her body being lifted, her mind somewhere outside herself but still trapped beneath the darkness of the hood. Strong arms slipped behind her knees and shoulders, and a crisp, clean masculine scent replaced the stale scent of blood as she was cradled against someone’s chest.
    “Is he dead?” Jacqueline asked, recalling the thick spray of blood against her chest, and the sound that could only be described as a death rattle.
    Devil hesitated. Holding the girl in his arms, he tried to remind himself of all the reasons this had been necessary. “Yes.”
    “Good,” Jacqueline whispered as the world went blessedly black.

    “Where we going?”
    Finn ignored Stubs as they hurried through the streets back toward the Hammer & Anvil. Crossing his arms, he pulled his coat tighter and tucked his chin to his chest. The weather had turned foul, and the rain was coming down in sheets, leaving Finn soaked to the skin.  
    Perfect night to dispose of a body.
    “Least you could do is tell me what we’re about, seeing as how I’m out the coin ‘cause of you.”
    Finn had found Stubs on St. Marks, the street that marked the divide between Devil’s Acre and St. Giles. He had had a whore pinned up against an alley wall, her skirts up around her hips and her thighs wrapped around his waist. Head tipped back, she stared up at the night sky with gin-glazed eyes. Despite adequate coin in his pocket, it seemed Stubs preferred the low-rent whores off Gin Lane.  
    “You could have finished.” Far be it for Finn to stop a man from spending himself in a women, especially one he’d bought and paid for.
    “Not with you watching,” Stubs grumbled.  
    “Don’t like an audience?”
    Stubs grunted.
    “Ah, well, I find it adds a bit of spice to the mix.” Finn glanced back over his shoulder. Stubs’ disgruntled expression clearly indicated he did not see the humor in the situation.
    “As for the coin,” Finn added, “she couldn’t have cost you much.”
    They were approaching the Hammer & Anvil, the sign barely visible in the rain. The street was deserted, and there was no sign of Devil. Finn could only hope he was gone, taking the girl with him. “We’re here.”
    Stubs craned his fat neck and checked out the cracked sign. “This place is closed.”
    “Down here.” Finn led the way into the bowels of the building. Lighting a lantern, he held the flame aloft, illuminating the body still crumpled on its side.
    “Bloody hell!” Stubs cried, recognizing Carver and stepping past Finn. Dropping to his knees, he rolled Carver onto his back, fresh blood seeping from the wound at his neck. “What the hell happened?”
    “Doesn’t matter,” Finn said, setting the lantern aside and shaking out a blanket. “Help me wrap him up.”
    “It matters to me.”  
    Short and fat, Finn wondered