AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“I gave you the perfect opportunity, and yet you still kept the knowledge to yourself,” Ravencroft argued.
“I was unsure of what you referred to.”
Ravencroft hung his head. “You were quite aware of what I referred to. Can we please discuss this tomorrow after I have calmed down?”
Noel nodded and crawled back under the covers. She kept her eyes on Gregory. He never once raised his voice in anger, only stating how he wished to calm down. She admired how in control he was of his emotions, not allowing them to dictate his words, while she only held disappointment in herself for not trusting him sooner.
She watched him settle in the chair and close his eyes, but he didn’t sleep. She longed to go to him, wrap him in her arms, and plead for his forgiveness. Noel didn’t realize that holding onto her secret would hurt him so deeply. But then again, everyone Ravencroft had ever cared for hurt him with their secrets. Darkness settled around them, and the fire offered only a little light. Not enough to see him. However, she didn’t need to stare at him to feel his heartache. Heartache she had caused and would heal.
And she vowed from this day forth he would never suffer from it again.
Chapter Fifteen
Dracott slinked throughthe alleys, slipping in between the shadows to keep hidden from the evil lurking around every corner. He tried losing the person who followed him but to no avail. The gentleman stayed behind him. He followed Ravencroft’s directions, which led him near the docks in the East End. Now he only needed to locate the prostitute named Jane who catcalled hackney drivers. Then he would be close to finding Lady L’s hideout. He had traveled down every lane nearby but still couldn’t find the whore. He almost returned to the office when a familiar face walked along the storefronts.
His luck took a turn, and he followed his old friend. He wished the gentleman following him wouldn’t observe his confrontation with Ren, but he didn’t want to lose this opportunity to learn where they kept Noel and Ravencroft. He understood the dire need to find them this evening because of his familiarity with the timeframe Lady L held prisoners. Dracott shuddered to think what would become of them on the morrow.
As close as he kept to Ren, it wasn’t close enough. She slipped from his grasp again. He retraced his steps, hoping to find her, when someone pulled him inside an abandoned building. Dracott pulled the knife from his pocket, ready to attack, when he noticed Ren leaning against the wall, wearing a smirk.
“Yes, love has weakened your defenses.”
Dracott growled. “You almost got yourself gutted.”
Ren rolled her eyes. “Please. I could’ve sliced your neck and you wouldn’t have even known who I was.”
Dracott slid the knife back into his pocket and ran his hands through his hair. Ren stood correct, as always. With Falcone following him and his mind filled with images of what his brother and Noel endured, he didn’t pay attention to his surroundings. He had been careless and owed Ren his gratitude for keeping him alive. If one of Lady L’s men had noticed him, they would’ve left him bleeding out in an alleyway, ignored by the harsh element of everyday life in the slums.
“Where are they?” Dracott demanded.
“Tsk, tsk. Your mother may have never taught you any manners, but I had least hoped your wife tried. Should you not offer me your gratitude for saving your life?” Ren asked.
“Thank you.” Dracott bit the inside of his cheek, fighting for patience. He wanted to rush Ren along into telling him where they kept Noel and Ravencroft captive, but his friend had her own agenda for this meeting. With a reluctance to play her game, he propped himself up against the wall, waiting for her move.
Ren bit her lip, unsure how to read Dracott. At one time, she had known his moods better than her own. He wasn’t the same friend who had taught her how to survive in this dangerous world. Dracott held himself with confidence she only pretended to express.
She missed their friendship but refused to focus on the loss. Because if she thought too long on the issue, she would experience the heartache she had endured when she lost her parents, a pain she never wanted to suffer from again. Instead, she regarded him as another soul who flitted in and out of her life and hardened her heart once again. She must face the truth of how she only had herself to depend upon.
