All the angry desperation built up inside Minnie to the point that she nearly screamed out in frustration, but all she could do at the moment was keep her head about her.
She knew Tommy felt this was all his fault, could see in his face that he thought he had failed her again.
They had to get out of this so she could tell him that he had done all he could, that this was a stroke of bad luck, and that she appreciated everything he had done for her. This was a result of her own choices and Blackwood’s malice.
But first, they had to somehow overcome Blackwood and his men.
Considering Blackwood and Garrick were holding pistols to their heads, it didn’t look like they had much of a chance.
“Well, Mrs. Ward?” Blackwood said from beside her, close enough to make Minnie’s skin crawl. “I don’t think my offer holds any longer. Now that I see your husband and his friends plotted against me, that option is gone. Now, I can do as I please, which means taking you with me and doing away withthe rest of them. I haven’t decided yet if I’m going to make it quick or let them return home and then slowly savor every bit of their downfall. What do you think, Garrick?”
“I think they’ll be a nuisance,” Garrick said gruffly. “Get rid of them now.”
Blackwood sighed. “You are no fun, but you are usually right. Very well. You take care of it. Fortunately, we are close to the river. Mrs. Ward, come with me.”
While the gun was still trained on her, he stepped back slightly, just enough that maybe Minnie had a chance to escape?—
And a shot rang out through the air.
Minnie froze, her eyes widening as panic filled her. She waited for pain, but nothing came. She was fine. Which meant?—
“Tommy?” she cried, just as another shot rang out, followed by a cry from Garrick, the likes of which she had never before heard from a grown man.
Everything moved quickly after that.
Before Minnie knew what was happening, she was in Tommy’s arms as he ran them out of the circle of crates, away from the rest of the men, who were looking around for the shooter, shock on their faces.
It was enough for police to suddenly swarm the docks, taking down every man before them — including Rhys and Colin.
“Not them!” Minnie called, and then Inspector Finch appeared before them.
“We’ll sort it all out at the station, but do not overly concern yourselves,” he said to them before he knelt beside the prostrate Blackwood and placed a finger on his neck.
“Dead,” Finch determined, before turning to Garrick, who was holding one bloody hand in the other, his gun on the ground. Finch pocketed it before he called out to another ofhis men to place a handkerchief over the wound and take Garrick in.
Minnie clung to Tommy at the side of the scene, wanting to both be away from here and also needing to stay to make sure Rhys and Colin were well.
“Was it Jonny?” she whispered in his ear, wondering if Tommy’s teammate had managed to free himself in time to save them.
“I don’t know,” he muttered. “For a moment, I wondered if he had turned against us. I’ll feel bad if he was the one who saved us instead.”
Minnie’s breath caught as she pointed behind Rhys.
There, crawling up out of the River Irwell, was a familiar figure.
Tommy stood, about to walk toward him, but Jonny placed a finger over his lips, shook his head, and slipped away before anyone else could see him.
“Not sure what to make of that,” Tommy said, scratching his head.
“But if he wasn’t the one who saved us,” Minnie said, “then who did?”
“Finch thought the shot came from over there,” Tommy said.
Tommy protested when Minnie tried to weave through the crates, but she had to see if anyone or anything remained.
No one was beyond, but Minnie’s eyes caught on something on the ground.
She bent, picking up the shiny object. It was an earring, interlocking diamonds fashioned into an intricate circle within.
