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“Oh, good! You’re here.” Blake expelled a breath of relief. The thief-taker would know what to do, surely.
“I received your note,” he said. “Tell me everything.”
Once Blake recited the events of the morning again, Ford scratched his jaw thoughtfully.
“Let me send a note to my men. We need all the help we can get here.”
“Very well, but what are we to do? Do you think Hades will help us hunt his rogues down?”
Jarvis scoffed. “Hades does not help people.”
Ford gave him a curious look before turning to Blake. “I do not think it wise for you to go anywhere. In fact, you shouldn’t have left the townhouse.”
“What?”
“Since the thugs took Annalise and did not harm her, I suppose they have a motive of their own. And they will probably be contacting us to let us know what their demands are.”
“And what are we supposed to do until then?” Blake threw up his hands.
“Wait.”
“You are mad if you think I shall be sitting on my arse while Annalise is in peril!”
“And what are you going to do, then? Ride up and down the road looking for any sign of her? You’ll just waste time and energy. It isn’t worth it.”
“It’s my wife we are talking about, you cur!” Blake grabbed Ford by his cravat and slammed him against the wall.
“Blake!” Jarvis put a calming hand on Blake’s arm. “The man is right.”
“To hell he is!” Blake growled.
Ford took advantage of Blake’s distracted state and freed himself from the hold.
He cleared his throat. “You feel free to roam around the docks then, and we’ll be the ones actually getting your wife back.”
Blake turned on his heel and raked his hands through his hair, his entire body vibrating with anxiety and helplessness.
Somewhere out there, Annalise was in the company of thugs, and there was nothing he could do to help her. What if they hurt her? What if they were doing unspeakable things to her at this very moment while he prowled in this townhouse?
Useless.
He felt completely and utterly useless. And it was all his fault. If he wasn’t such a bastard, Annalise would never have left him, and she’d be safely tucked in by his side, sleeping peacefully in his arms.
* * *
Annalise sat on the cold, dirty floor, hugging her knees to her chest.
She hadn’t moved ever since the captors threw her into the basement of an old, rickety building and left her there. It felt like hours had passed, but she had no way of telling for sure. In the dark, all sense of time left her.
It was pitch black, and the darkness was suffocating her. She had no idea if the room she was held in was big or small, if it had any furniture or was empty, and she was frightened to make a sound, fearing that she was not alone.
The squeaking of a rodent startled her as the animal ran past her. Annalise jumped up and shook out her skirts in disgust. She hugged herself close and squinted in the dark. As her eyes adjusted, she noticed a slight shadow playing on the wall opposite hers.
A shadow. Which meant there was a source of light somewhere. She turned and saw a narrow window up on the wall. It was barely letting in the light. It seemed like the window was covered with something. She came closer and stood on her tiptoes to inspect the window. Was it dirt, stones or—
Steps sounded outside her door. Then the key rattled in the keyhole. Annalise burrowed into the opposite corner of the room and made herself as small as she could.
The thug appeared in the doorway. “Here, drink some of that.”
