Page 53 of Outrageous

“She’s a girl, Flynn,” he said to the older thief—Flynn, it seemed.

“Aye, Matthew, that she is.” Flynn pulled out the most disgusting handkerchief Eva had ever seen and brushed the rain off his face before leaning toward her, as if to get a better look. His eyes crinkled at the corners but Eva saw no amusement in them. “And she’s a beauty at that.”

Eva felt Godric’s body move closer. “She also happens to be my wife.”

Flynn turned at the sound of Godric’s voice, which was soft but carried all the menace of a cracking whip.

Flynn’s eyebrows jumped up in mock surprise. “Is she now?”

One of the men who’d been loitering with the others—a tall, hulking blond man—spoke up. “Don’t you recognize him, Flynn? It’s Fleming—Colonel Fleming.” The man’s cold, flat stare made it clear that the memory was not a pleasant one.

Flynn’s eyes widened. “Is that right? Why, I’ll be, Paul, I believe you’re right. Colonel Fleming hisself—a real live war hero, lads.”

The men behind him chuckled and Eva chanced a look at Godric; she’d thought he’d looked hard when he’d gone after her brother, but clearly she’d been mistaken. Right now he looked like the grim reaper come to collect his latest victim.

“And you must be Gentleman Flynn.” Godric’s eyes seemed paler, his pupils mere specks, their color the glinting gray of a freshly sharpened axe.

Flynn put his splayed hand across his chest. “Why, I’m flattered you’ve ’eard of me.”

Again his men laughed.

Eva was surprised she’d not guessed the man’s identity sooner. Gentleman Flynn and his band of deserters had been in the paper for months as they ransacked the countryside. She knew robberies as far south as London and as far north as Leeds had been attributed to them.

Her mind spun to recall all she’d read, but there was likely a healthy amount of rumor blended with fact. Had his band of merry men ever killed anyone?

“Here.” Godric’s voice pulled her from her thoughts. He’d drawn his heavy gold signet ring off his pinky. “I’m going to get my purse.” Flynn nodded and held out a hand. Godric slapped both money and ring in his palm. Hard. “Take this and be on your way.”

Something in Flynn’s eyes kindled and he took a step forward, pushing his face into Godric’s. “Your sort no longer gets to order me around, my lord.” He made a hawking sound in his throat and then spat at the ground near Godric’s feet.

Eva flinched back at the disgusting gesture, even though the phlegm had come nowhere near her boots. When she looked up from the muddy road she saw Godric holding a cocked pistol to Flynn’s temple.

She gasped, her jaw hanging open. Where in the world had that come from?

Of course her surprise was nothing to Flynn’s.

“Now then,” Godric said coolly, “tell your men to lower their weapons or I’ll blow a hole through your head bigger than a twelve-pound shot.”

The small hairs on the back of Eva’s neck stood up at the barely leashed violence in Godric’s tone.

A muscle in Flynn’s jaw flexed and his eyes flared with hatred. But the look was gone in an instant, tucked back behind his jovial mask. “You ’eard ’im, boys.”

Most of the men hadn’t been holding weapons as they’d been too busy working on the carriage. Only two of them had guns: the one called Matthew and another man.

Flynn chuckled. “It was a mistake not friskin’ ye, I see that now.” His eyes slid to the side, assessing the pistol poised a few inches away from his brain. “That’s a right pretty piece. Why di’n’cha use it when the boy was robbin’ ye?”

Eva was startled; Flynn had watched that? How long had he been in the trees? There was only one reason he would have been there: he must have sabotaged the carriage and been waiting.

Godric ignored Flynn’s question. “You, gun expert,” he called over his shoulder without taking his eyes from Flynn.

The young man in the dress had been gaping like a fish. “Me?” he squeaked.

“Take the guns from the other two and then hold the pistol on Flynn and keep it on Flynn until I tell you otherwise.”

“Aww, Colonel,” Flynn whined. “The boy is shakin’ like a leaf! ’E’s like to blow a hole through me if I so much as twitch.”

“I recommend you don’t twitch,” Godric said. “Eva, take the arquebus.”

Eva sidled around Godric and took the big gun from Flynn’s unresisting hand. She staggered a bit under its weight.