Page 19 of The Hood and his Thief

Rhosyn bristled and tried not to think about how she herself was working outside of the Police’s jurisdiction at the moment.

“I expect them back soon.” Mr. Gower spoke again. “I refuse to change my plans.”

“They weren’t here for long enough for me to—”

“I don’t take kindly to excuses, especially from you, Hamish.” Mr. Gower interrupted the groom’s attempts to explain. “Remember what will happen if you fail to help me.”

A rustling came from the stall where the two men spoke, and Rhosyn’s heart leapt into her throat as she realized Mr. Gower was about to step around the corner, with her only partially obscured by the shadow of his carriage. She had been so preoccupied by his conversation that she had failed to devise her plan of escape.

She sprang from her crouch, preparing to make a break for it, hoping she wouldn’t be recognized even if she was seen. Before she could run, the door of the coach at her back slid open and an arm wrapped around her neck. She tipped backwards into the interior of the coach, another hand clamping over her mouth, muffling the instinctual scream that threatened to break free.

The carriage door closed before her with quiet snick as she squirmed in her assailant’s hold, one arm firm across her chest as they hunched over her on the lushly upholstered seat.

“Quiet,” a male voice hissed in her ear. “I don’t want to get caught any more than you do.”

Rhosyn froze, still but for the frantic pounding of her heart and the rushing beneath her skin. She knew that voice. Her eyes darted down, and sure enough, a wrist bow decorated the forearm banded across her heaving chest.

The pair stilled, listening for any sounds indicating their scuffle had been noticed. A shadowed silhouette drifted past the small glass window set into the door, but it didn’t pause or give any indication they had been found.

Still, they didn’t move yet, the only sound in the space their carefully schooled breathing. If Rhosyn’s was a bit ragged, it was from the sudden jolt of adrenaline. It certainly wasn’t the sudden wash of awareness coursing through her body as she strained to remain perfectly still, despite the press of the Hood against her back, his muscular thighs bracketing hers. His chest against her was certainly as solid as the width of his shoulders suggested it might be.

Rhosyn opened her mouth, quickly deciding to bite the Hood’s palm. She needed him to let go of her, and certainly the immediate danger had passed. Before her teeth could close around the meat of his hand, he snatched it out of the way, as if he had sensed her intentions. Her teeth snapped on thin air.

“That wasn’t very nice, considering how I just helped you.” The Hood didn’t release her, his fingers instead drifting up to where a coppery curl had slipped out of her scarf. He plucked at it gently, rubbing it between his thumb and pointer finger. The red of her hair was stark against the dark gloves he wore. Rhosyn swallowed.

“Ah, I thought I recognized you,” the Hood murmured as if to himself. “I shouldn’t have expected you to play fair.”

“I’m not the one who has to drug my opponents to escape,” Rhosyn hissed.

He huffed in what might have been a chuckle, the breath filtering through his mask warm and ticklish on her neck. Rhosyn squirmed.

The Hood tightened his grip. Rhosyn prepared to throw her head back and break his nose, but she hesitated. Even if it seemed they were now alone in the stables, she wasn’t willing to risk a full-on brawl on the Gower’s property—especially when she wasn’t supposed to be there.

As if reading her thoughts, the Hood spoke. “And I’m not the Royal Police officer who appears to make a hobby of breaking and entering.”

Rhosyn flushed, seriously considering breaking his nose anyways just for the satisfying crunch. “You were here the night of the party,” she deflected. “What do you know?”

Maybe he was the one responsible for Olivia and Paul’s disappearance. Perhaps an associate stole them away while the Hood distracted Rhosyn and Joseph. After all, Mr. Gower’s description of his attacker didn’t match the Hood…but then why would he be here now?

“Are you here to steal more Talented from their new lives?” she hissed accusingly.

The Hood’s arm stiffened around her, but he didn’t answer her question. “I’m going to let you go, and you’re not going to tell anybody you saw me here, or you’ll have to explain why you were here too.”

“I’m investigating a crime scene. There’s nothing hard to explain about that.” Rhosyn hoped her words would distract him as she shifted surreptitiously in his grasp, searching for a way to slip free without things descending into a full out brawl. Then again, maybe throwing a few punches would clear her head.

“Something about the way you slipped in under cover of darkness makes me think that you don’t exactly have a warrant.”

He was right, but Rhosyn wasn’t inclined to confirm that. Instead, she hooked her foot around his calf where she kneeled between his legs. She simultaneously threw her weight sideways, grabbing at the arm around her neck and grappling with her leg to take him down with her. The pair rolled on the floor of the carriage, the Hood falling on his back with a heavy ooph as Rhosyn landed on top of him.

The momentum of the fall from the seat was more than Rhosyn expected, and her shoulder crashed into the carriage door with a bone-rattling thump, slamming it open. She tipped out of the black box and hurtled to the ground below. The Hood held fast to her shoulders, following her down.

Rhosyn flung out her arms and bent her knees, trying to tuck into a roll that would bring her to her feet. A ripping sound filled the still air of the stable as Rhosyn failed to break her fall. Her forehead smacked the straw strewn floor, and her ears rang.

When awareness of her body beyond the sharp pain in her head returned, the Hood’s weight was no longer on top of her, and the strange sensation of a cool breeze caressed her ass.

“I thought those pants might be a little tight for crime fighting,” a familiar voice chuckled just above her. “If you were trying to distract me, it very nearly worked.”

Then light, quick footsteps began retreating.