“Let us pass,” he said, his tone assuring them all that they’d meet the same fate as Henshaw and Grover, if they refused.
There was a beat, during which Edwina scarcely dared breathe.And then one of the other men said, “I’m grabbing what I was promised and getting the hell out of here before my name gets tied to all this.”
The rest of the group murmured their agreement and started toward the spot where the auctioned items remained.
“Does this mean I don’t get paid?”asked a man who remained near the door.
“Afraid so, unless you find the money you’re due in your employer’s pockets.”Edwina’s escort sent a nod over his shoulder, and the other man quickly moved off, allowing them to make their exit.
“Who are you?”she asked again.
Not answering, he steered her toward the left, past other guests who’d been at the auction but hadn’t yet disappeared into the rooms where they were meant to be staying.They stared at Edwina and the man leading her forward at a brisk pace.Then, realizing something was amiss, they hastened past them, back to the auction room to find out what had occurred.
“Can I at least have a name?”she asked when they reached the end of the hallway.He yanked a door open and shoved her into a narrow stairway.
“Murry,” he said as he shut the door.
Before she could form her next question, he’d grabbed her hand once more and was pulling her along with him.She gasped, nearly tripping on the hem of her skirt and barreling into him as they descended the stairs.
When they reached the next landing and she was able to find some traction, she leaned back forcefully, though not enough to bring the man to an absolute halt.Another attempt did the trick, earning her an exasperated sigh.
“We left two corpses up there, along with a group of men sure to question the logic of what I just told them as soon as they have a second to think.”Frustration showed in the set of his jaw.“We have to keep moving.”
“Not until you assure me that I’m not exchanging one hell for another,” she told him.When he didn’t respond right away she added, “You are a masked stranger who was prepared to pay a hundred thousand pounds for me.How can I know—”
“Your brother asked my employer to help him find you,discreetly.I’m here on both their behalf.Now if you don’t mind…” He started descending the steps once more.
This time, Edwina followed without hesitation.Even though she knew there was every possibility Murry was lying — that he was merely trying to make her comply – trusting him, for now, would at least ensure that she managed to get away from this place.
From above, came the sound of a door slamming open, then a voice, muffled by stone and distance.“I saw them go this way.”
The clatter of footsteps followed.
Edwina’s pulse leapt.She grabbed her skirts, lifting the hem so they wouldn’t impede her while racing after Murry.Down another flight they went.Her heart slammed into her ribs, and she gasped.
“Whoever that bastard was, he tricked us all,” a voice echoed.
“Don’t look back,” Murry warned her while pulling her with him.“Just run.”
She took his advice, hastening after him as fast as she could, even as the sound of footfalls behind her grew nearer.
She leapt off the last step.A zing of pain jolted her knees.There was no time to recover as Murry was once again on the move, insisting she match his pace.Lord, but her lungs burned, and her feet ached.
She couldn’t keep going.She needed a break.
Only half an hour ago, her body had still lacked the strength denied by the smoke Mr.Grover gave her.She’d been weightless, unable to reason her way through the simplest thought.And now she was fleeing the scene of a crime she’d helped commit, along with a dozen or so angry men who would probably murder both her and Murry if they managed to catch them.
Her feet began dragging.Heaviness filled her legs and torso.To rest, if only for a brief second, would be—
Before she’d completed the thought, her body was being lifted and turned by a pair of large hands.The world around her tilted.Blood rushed to her head, and she squealed, then gasped when her stomach was shoved down over a solid surface.
A muscular arm curled around her midsection, securing her against Murry’s shoulder.Her head bounced against his back while he ran, carrying her like a bag of grain.
Instinct compelled her to voice her protests and put up a struggle, but reason won out.
She’d been on the verge of collapse and he’d sensed it.If they were to evade the men giving chase, then this was the only way.
A door was thrust open, and then they were in a hallway, the voices at their back growing louder as Murry raced onward.He might be faster than them on his own, but now her added weight was weighing him down and…
