Page 74 of Molly Boys

“Yes.”

“It’s so dark,” he admitted in a small voice. “I don’t like not seein’ nuffin’.”

“I know, Jack.” Ev reached out and smoothed his dirty hair back from his forehead. “It won’t be forever.”

“I like your voice,” he murmured.

“Would you like me to read to you until you fall asleep?”

“What do you mean?”

“Would you like me to read you a story?” Ev tilted his head as he studied the boy.

“A story? Old Bert down at The Murdered Prince in Spitalfields used to tell stories when he was drunk, but I never understood them.”

“These are very different stories.” Ev smiled; he could only imagine what stories a drunken reprobate in some pub in Spitalfields would tell. “They were written for children. When I was a boy, my mother used to tuck me into bed and read to me.”

Jack yawned. “I don’t remember my ma.”

“I don’t remember much about my mother either.” Ev reached for the book that Henry had brought in earlier and placed on top of the dresser. “But I do remember the stories. Would you like one?”

Jack nodded his head slowly. Smiling softly, Ev opened the book and began to read.

“Alice was beginning to get very tired of sitting by her sister on the bank, and of having nothing to do…”

* * *

Everett closed the door to Jack’s room with a gentle click, not that it would disturb the boy. He was deeply asleep, which was the best thing for him. Stretching out the kink in his neck, Ev headed down the stairs to the second floor and into his own bedroom.

It was growing late, night had already fallen, and Ev was restless. He reached for the decanter and glass he kept in his room, but in the act of pouring himself his customary drink, he paused and set the bottle down. He wasn’t in the mood for getting lost in a hazy cloud of alcohol or drugs, not when his mind was filled with thoughts of Archie, and the boy.

He’d committed to being responsible for Jack, which meant he had to make a decision about his future. He knew he didn’t want to join the church, he didn’t want to be a reverend. Reverend Edwin was right—he needed to have a conversation with his father, one he’d really rather avoid, but there was no escaping it.

Then there was Archie, Ev thought with a confused sigh. The man tied him up in knots. His body heated at the thought of the night before, of Archie’s rough, calloused hands gripping him, his hard body rutting against him, his tongue in Ev’s mouth. Ev had simply gone to pieces in the man’s hands.

That had never happened before.

They’d both felt the draw to each other from the moment they’d met, he’d seen it in Archie’s eyes. Seen the way he fought it, fought his nature, and Ev understood. It wasn’t easy for any of them to come to terms with their attraction to other men but for Archie, he imagined it was doubly so. He was a police inspector, one charged with upholding the very laws they’d broken last night.

There was no future for them, Ev knew that. Not with Archie working his way up the ranks of the Metropolitan Police Force and Ev’s future so uncertain, and certainly not while any intimate relationship between two men was still illegal.

That knowledge didn’t stop him from craving the man though.

Ev sighed again and scrubbed his hand tiredly over his face. He knew what he needed. Leaving his room once more, he headed down the stairs to the ground floor, calling for Henry who appeared in the hallway as Ev reached for his overcoat and slipped it on.

“Are you going out, my lord?”

“I need to see Francis.” Ev buttoned his coat and grabbed his only remaining hat, having lost his top hat at The Lotus Flower the night Archie had found him and his Homburg on their frantic flight from The Nichol. He looked over at Henry. “Watch the boy for me.”

“Of course, my lord.”

“I don’t expect to be back late,” Ev said as he turned and opened the front door himself.

The street was unusually quiet as the door clicked closed behind him. There was a strange feeling in the air, almost like the world was holding its breath. Shaking the uneasiness from his mind, he put his head down against the wind and made his way down the street. He’d barely made it ten paces from his door when a huge shadow loomed over him. Before he could let out a cry of surprise, a massive arm wrapped around his body, pinning his arms to his side, and a cloth was shoved over his mouth and nostrils.

He struggled but to no avail. A sharp chemical taste filled his mouth and everything around him began to spin before it finally went black.

* * *