The Widow Vanishes by Grace Callaway Read Free Book Online Page A

moaning figure into the dirt.
    Standing over the bastards he'd vanquished, the Scot locked gazes with her. Despite the energy coursing through her veins, the rage in his eyes made her pulse tick up another notch. He captured her by the arm.
    "Are you hurt?" he said tersely.
    She shook her head. Pointed to the man she'd clobbered. "But I think I m-may have killed  ..."
    McLeod bent and placed his hand on the fallen man's throat. "Bastard's alive," he said. "But he'll feel his head when he comes to."
    Relief trembled through her, buckling her knees.
    McLeod caught her. "Let's get out of here before more trouble finds us."
    For an instant, she questioned his commanding tone, his arm circling her waist. Why had he come to her rescue—and why had she stayed to help him? Was he a threat to her? Did he intend to bring her back to Todd?
    At the same time, he felt so solid and strong, an anchor in the storm. The dark was closing in on her, and she didn't know where to go. She swallowed, gave into impulse. Praying that she was doing the right thing, she let him lead her out of the alleyway and into the night.

EIGHT
    McLeod took her to a nearby inn situated on a snug lane off Bishopsgate. Despite The Black Swan's worn Tudor-style facade, inside the place was clean and warm, redolent with the smells of roasting meat and savory herbs. Annabel was relieved that the chattering of guests and shuttling of luggage muffled the rumbles of her empty belly.
    The innkeeper, a jovial fellow with grey whiskers, greeted them at the reception counter. "McLeod, now there's a sight for sore eyes! Haven't seen you in ages, sir."
    "Been busy, Mr. Boggs. Hoping you have a room to spare," McLeod said. "My companion and I ran into some trouble and need a place for the night."
    Annabel considered requesting a separate room. Given everything that had passed between her and McLeod, however, she decided not to push her luck. Besides, there was no use shutting the stable door after the horses had bolted.She didn't intend to stay long either. At the first opportunity, she would make her escape.
    For his part, the innkeeper didn't blink an eyelash at McLeod's request. Perhaps the latter showed up here with female companions all the time. Annabel found she didn't like the thought.
    "For you, sir, always." Plucking a key from the wall, Boggs led the way through the crowded main room and up a flight of stairs. "Haven't forgotten what you did for me last year, scaring those blackguards off. Protection fees, indeed," the innkeeper said with disgust. "Good riddance to bad rubbish, I say, and all thanks to you. It'll be the best for you and your friend, McLeod—and on the house, too."
    "You can return my favor with discretion," McLeod said. "If anyone asks, you didn't see us tonight."
    "Discretion is my middle name," Boggs said.
    The innkeeper unlocked the door to the suite, and at the sight of the cheerful fire and the tub set up beside it, Annabel had to suppress a sigh of longing. Then her gaze flitted to the large bed, and her tummy quivered.
    Not entirely with fear, either.
    Despite the fact that McLeod worked for her enemy, her heart flipped as she watched him talking to Boggs. Disheveled, bruises darkening his jaw and knuckles, he was a fierce warrior fresh from battle—from rescuing her from a gang of villainous knaves. And now he was requesting a change of clothes be brought for her, a hot repast. Surely a man who'd see to her comforts wouldn't harm her … would he?
    She felt as wound up as a dashed clock. She couldn't trust her own instincts. They'd led her astray with Randall, and William McLeod was a thousand times more dangerous than her dead louse of a husband. He worked for a deadly cutthroat who was probably going to have her killed for breaking her contract.
    Fear reared its head again, and 'twas a timely reminder. She couldn't allow herself to be lulled into complacency by a gallant rescue or a much needed meal. As maids came and went, bringing food