The Widow Vanishes by Grace Callaway Read Free Book Online

slimy mound, shuddering as she did so. There was no time for delicate sensibilities. She'd probably only bought herself a few minutes of time before McLeod returned to look for her.
    She headed in the opposite direction of where he'd gone. With a few furtive glances backward, she sped through the dark labyrinth. No sign of McLeod. Perhaps she'd lost him ... Her heart slammed against her ribs when a figure materialized at the end of the alley, blocking her path. She halted and knew instantly from the man's wiry build that he was not McLeod.
    The stranger sneered, "What 'ave we 'ere?"
    She spun to flee—panic charged through her. Two additional figures had emerged from the shadows, blocking her escape. She was trapped in the narrow alley, surrounded by a trio of advancing brutes.
    "What do you want?" Though terror seized her, she tried to sound bold.
    "Lost your way, dove?" The menacing tone iced her insides. "Come wif us an' we'll show you a good time."
    She angled her chin up, went for a bluff. "I was just with my husband, and we got separated at the fork. He'll be back for me at any minute."
    "Then we'd better be quick wif our business, eh?"
    One of the ruffians made a grab for her. She dodged him, only to be caught from behind by one of his partners. She screamed and kicked out. The sound was muffled by a suffocating grip.
    "One more peep out o' you an' I'll break your pretty l'il neck," the villain snarled.
    She struggled nonetheless, managed to make satisfying impact with her knee.
    One of her attackers swore. "Christ's blood, 'old 'er still! Can't sample 'er wares wif 'er wrigglin' like a bleedin' lamprey."
    A beefy arm hooked around her throat, cutting off her air. Gasping, she dug and clawed at the choking hold to no avail. She heard a ripping sound, the humid rush of the night flowing over her bare skin.
    " Look at 'er tits—"
    Greedy hands fondled her. She couldn't breathe, couldn't fight. Terror bled into numbness, her vision fading into blurry lines ...
    "Unhand her!"
    The hold on her loosened, and she fell to her knees, wheezing. When her head cleared, she saw McLeod, fists flying, battling her three attackers with unhinged ferocity. A brute attacked him with a vicious-looking cudgel. Ducking the blow, McLeod executed a powerful uppercut that sent the other flying backward through the air, the cudgel skittering into the darkness.
    One of the remaining two bastards charged at McLeod, driving him into the brick wall. The other reached into his coat, and Annabel glimpsed the menacing glint.
    "Knife! Watch out!" she cried as the bounder charged at McLeod.
    McLeod shoved aside the cutthroat he'd been grappling with, pivoting away from the oncoming blade at the last second. He turned on his opponent.
    Beckoning with one large hand, he said, "Care to try that again, you bastard?"
    The idiot took the bait, went in again. McLeod caught the other's arm, executed a lightning-quick movement that resulted in a sickening crack. The brute screamed until McLeod's fist sent him into silence.
    By this time, the other two had recovered, and together they jumped on McLeod. One restrained the Scot by the arms, the other delivering blows to his gut. He struggled, trying to shake the two off, but they kept at him, persistent hyenas trying to take down a fierce, noble king of the jungle.
    Rage rushed through Annabel, freeing her from paralysis. She scrambled over to help, tripping over ... the cudgel . Gripping the heavy hammer-like weapon, she rushed toward the bastard beating McLeod. She saw the look of shock on his face the instant before she swung. The iron weight smashed against the brute's head, and he collapsed with a cry of pain. He groaned ... and went still.
    McLeod used the moment to his advantage, freeing himself from the remaining villain's hold. He grabbed the other's shoulders, brought his knee up into the man's midsection. He finished off the job with a blow that snapped his adversary's head back and tossed the limp,