Page 45

S ophie woke as the tray skidded across the floor.

“Get up. You’re wanted.”

Blinking the sleep from her eyes, she saw one of the men standing in the doorway. He no longer had the lower half of his face covered, which scared her. If he was not concerned about Amelia and Sophie identifying him, that suggested they wouldn’t be leaving here.

“Amelia.” Sophie nudged her friend, who was lying on her side snuffling softly. “Get up.”

She woke with a start and sat up. Blinking several times, her eyes went from Sophie to the man standing at the door.

“He wants us to go with him, Amelia.”

“Fine. But I am not a morning person,” her friend said.

“It’s not morning yet,” Sophie said, standing. She held out her hand, and Amelia took it. The man then waved them out the door.

“It’s so cold in here,” Amelia whispered.

“Freezing,” Sophie agreed. “We need to work out how to get out of here,” she whispered. “So start thinking.”

“Don’t try anything,” the man behind them said.

They walked along the hall in silence and then took the stairs at the end up to another hall.

“Go in through that door on the right.”

“Please,” Amelia added.

Sophie felt him as she entered the room. The air was colder in here. Jack Spode sat behind a desk, which was the only furniture in the room. Evil, she thought. It came off him in waves.

“My love, we are reunited at last.”

This man had always terrified her. But she’d fought hard not to show him that fear. Sophie believed this was the reason he’d never tired of her. Jack Spode wanted to break her.

“Love implies a certain depth of character, Mr. Spode, and you most definitely do not have that,” Sophie said.

“Aren’t men meant to stand when a lady walks in the room?” Amelia asked from beside Sophie. She would show no fear either.

“He’s no gentleman,” Sophie added.

Jack Spode hated anyone disrespecting him.

With dark features and eyes that were too close together, he wasn’t a big man but gained power through manipulation and greed. Sophie loathed him.

“Mr. Spode? So formal, Sophie Beams,” Jack said. “I spent a lot of time working out how to get revenge on you, and then one day someone delivered you to my door.”

“I think you have stretched the truth, Mr. Spode, because no one delivered me to your door—they brought me at gunpoint.”

Sophie watched as he got out of the chair and came around the desk to stand before her.

“A countess. You have done well for yourself, Sophie Beams. Although…” he said, running his eyes over her body. “Once a guttersnipe, always a guttersnipe.”

“Guttersnipe?” Sophie said quietly. “I think you have us mixed up, Mr. Spode. Surely it is only you who has existed in such a place, not I. You are the sniveling rodent who lives off the pain of others.”

“Bitch!” he snarled. His temper was never far from the surface, and Sophie had just tweaked it. “I will teach you manners!”

“But I already have them,” Sophie said, clutching Amelia’s fingers, “so it is you who should live in a sewer.”

Show no fear.

“I said I would teach you a lesson for what you did to me?—”

“I did to you?” Sophie snapped back at him. “You tried to force yourself on me! I fought you off to save my life. I hit you with that rock and ran. It is no less than you deserved.”

“This man tried to force himself on you?” Amelia demanded.

“Shut up.” Jack jabbed a finger at Amelia. “This is between her and me.”

“Then let her go,” Sophie yelled back.

“She will suffer alongside you, and you’ll know her pain is because of your actions,” Jack spat out.

“You’re a weak-kneed weasel, Jack Spode,” Sophie hissed, her temper rising.

“Tut-tut, Jack, do not let the lying little whore anger you. We have a plan and must keep our thoughts clear to see it through to the end.”

Sophie and Amelia turned at the words and found Lord Myles Dutton behind them.

“Lord Dutton!”

“In the flesh, Miss Logan, and may I say how distressed I am to see that you are involved in this sordid little mess. But it is hardly surprising if you associate with people like her.” He pointed at Sophie. “She is a lying whore.”

Myles then touched her cheek. Sophie grabbed his hand and bent his fingers back, making him scream.

“Their hands should be tied!” he cried to Jack.

“You are a sniveling little rat, Myles. My husband will kill you for this,” Sophie hissed when he jumped away from her. She relished the fear she saw in his eyes. It gave her power.

“They cannot escape here,” Jack said, calmer now. “And her husband will never see her again.”

“What good will killing me do, Myles?” Sophie said, tamping down her fear.

“Once you are out of the way, my aunt will be desolate because she is fond of you, and I will then go after the boy.”

“He is under my husband’s protection,” Sophie said as fear sent its icy tendrils through her veins.

“Coulter will care nothing for a child who is not of his blood. The man is ruthless. I have it on good authority he married you because he had to.”

“From whom?” Sophie demanded.

“It’s amazing what happens when you pay a staff member to listen at the door,” Myles said.

“You always were a weak-kneed rodent with no friends and an inability to form a rational, sound thought without help, Lord Dutton,” Amelia said. “Everyone in society is aware of what you are, and it seems now you have sunk even further.” Amelia advanced on him.

“Get Miss Logan out of the room!” Myles squealed as he took several steps backward, to the delight of both women.

“Scared, Myles? Tsk-tsk,” Sophie said, moving closer to him. She kept an eye on Jack Spode, though; he was not to be trusted, and it was he who she feared the most. Myles was a brainless twit. Spode, however, was anything but.

“I thought drowning Timothy would be the most humane way,” Myles said, backing up another step as he fought to regain his control.

Sophie launched herself at him, raking her nails down his cheek as she drove her knee into his groin hard. Not to be left out, Amelia grabbed a handful of his hair as he bent double and pulled.

“Get them off! Get them off!” Myles screamed.

“Get a grip, man,” Spode growled at Myles, who was cowering and whimpering on the floor even though the women were no longer on top of him. “Take them to my rooms and watch over them until I am ready.”

Sophie and Amelia were dragged from the room. Her arm burned, but she bit her lip to stop from crying out as they were forced up the stairs. This time, they turned right instead of left at the top and were pushed into a different room.

Sophie felt sick to her stomach as she looked at the large bed in the middle.

“There is no way any of the men in this house are hurting us,” Amelia said defiantly.

“Then we must make a plan, my friend, because I fear that is exactly what they are planning to do.”

As the words left her mouth, the door opened and in walked Jack Spode.