Closer To Sin (20 page)

‘The same question could also be asked of Allard.’

‘You make a good point,’ he agreed. ‘I think I might just pose those questions to Allard when I meet with him.’

Liliane gritted her teeth. Her next suggestion was not likely to be well received. ‘Sin, based on what you have told me, it’s reasonable to suspect that someone may wish to try and kill you tonight.’ She lifted a hand and placed it upon his shoulder, imploring him to listen to her. ‘I’m coming with you.’

‘No, you’re bloody well not.’ Sin pushed Liliane from him and looked at her incredulously. ‘Didn’t you listen to a thing I just told you? Did you not just acknowledge that the meeting tonight may present a danger?’

Liliane arched a delicately shaped eyebrow. ‘Precisely. And, if you just gave yourself a moment to consider it rationally, you’ll know I’m right.’

He glared at her. ‘No, you are a menace.’

‘And you’re being unreasonable. If you put aside your chauvinistic preconceptions for just one short minute, you would see that what I propose makes sense. You need a lookout, someone to protect your back—to warn you if there’s danger. And that someone should be me.’

‘Chauvinistic preconceptions?’

‘Would you like me to elaborate?’

‘No need, you’ve made your point. Dress in something warm, and pack your valise. We may not be able to return here.’

‘Oh?’ Liliane queried, not daring to back down, despite the tone in his voice. ‘Were you planning on abandoning me here?’

‘I was planning on keeping you safe. Now stop being so antagonistic and get ready. We leave in an hour.’

***

The smell of the dock was as pervasive as the fear that threatened to blind Liliane’s senses to everything around her. A light mist enshrouded the night, casting a ghostly haze upon everything it touched. She hugged the wall and folded her arms more firmly across her body. At least the shivering eased slightly, now she just needed to stop her limbs from trembling.

It hadn’t occurred to her that they’d be meeting Allard among the looming shadows of the dock’s deserted warehouses. Not that it would have swayed her decision to accompany Sin, but some prior warning would have at least helped her to summon some much needed courage before they arrived.

Sin leaned forward, his warm breath a familiar comfort as he whispered in her ear. ‘Stay here, I’m just going to take a walk around and see if Allard has arrived.’

She swallowed back the lump in her throat and grabbed his wrist. ‘Are you sure you don’t need me to come with you?’

‘Shh, you’ll be fine. Just remember what we discussed. If anything happens, take your horse and go to Lyon’s shop. He’ll get you safely back to Solange.’

She squared her shoulders. ‘I won’t leave you behind.’

‘No acts of bravery, Liliane.’ Sin lowered his head and gently covered her mouth with his own. The contact was fleeting, but left her breathless and yearning to return to the inn where she could curl into his strength and his warmth. He dragged a thumb across her bottom lip. ‘Now stay here, I’ll be back shortly.’

As Sin was enveloped by the fog Liliane strained her ears to concentrate on the crunch of his footsteps. Within a few short seconds, though, the comforting sound of his presence faded away and other sounds began to assert themselves. She huddled deeper into the shadow of the warehouse, every sense on heightened alert. The night seemed preternaturally still, except for the rhythmic slap and splash of the ocean against the pylons. Nothing bad about that. In fact, she’d always enjoyed listening to the sounds of the ocean … hadn’t she?

She covered her mouth and nose with her gloved hands and took a few slow breaths, drawing in the warmed air and forcing her shoulders to release the tightness that held them motionless. Another sound caused her to still. The creak and groan of the fishing boats further down the dock pulling against their berthing lines; she must be becoming more attuned to the night noises.

But where the hell was Sin? He seemed to have been gone forever, although she’d never had any patience when it came to waiting. For some inexplicable reason, time always seemed to take on an indeterminate quality. In all likelihood he’d probably only been gone a minute of two. She shuffled from one foot to the other.

Fates preserve her!
A screech pierced the night, the sound cutting through her like a stiletto blade straight to the heart, sending her pulse pounding through her veins.

Liliane jumped, her hands flying to cover her mouth and contain the scream that was clawing its way up her throat. From a further distance a second screech answered the first.
Bloody seagulls.
She sucked in several huge breaths and willed her heart to return to a pace that wasn’t likely to tear it from her chest.

She took several deep breaths and forced herself to exhale slowly. This was ridiculous, surely Sin should have been back by now. She slipped her hand into the pocket of her cloak and curled it around the butt of the pistol he’d insisted she carry. Its weight felt reassuring. Another lone seagull cried out into the night, but thankfully she only flinched this time; there was hope for her nerves yet.

This waiting wasn’t exactly easy, though. Perhaps she should go in search of Sin; maybe he’d been attacked and was waiting her to come and find him. Or maybe Allard had taken him someplace else and she was now here alone, with just the blasted seagulls for company. If she went to Henri Lyon for help they would only need to come back here to search for Sin—she should at least have a quick look around to see if she could find him before she did anything rash.

Carefully, Liliane removed the pistol from her pocket and checked to see if it was ready to fire. She’d only ever get one shot, so she would have to ensure it wasn’t wasted. She stepped forward from the shadows just as a light emerged in the mist. Her heart jumped back into her throat and she ducked back against the side of the building, her jaw locked tight. The newcomer—whoever he was—certainly had a sense of menace about him. Damn, she really was going to be a quivering mess by the end of the night.

She shrank further into the shadows as the figure, swathed in a swirling cape, drew nearer. A bi-corn hat pulled low over his ears disguised his features from her, but something about the way he moved assured her he wasn’t De Bois.

It must be Allard, he was late.

As the man drew level with her, he paused and turned slightly to peer behind him. Liliane stilled her movements, hardly daring to breathe. She strained to detect any noise that was separate from the erratic hammering of her heart. Nothing. The man turned again and searched into the night. He appeared to be looking straight at her. She held her breath, willing every cell in her body to cease movement.

A cold uncomfortable sweat trickled down between her breasts and goosebumps broke out across her body. She was dressed head to toe in dark colours, so surely he couldn’t see her. The seconds ticked by and she fought the urge to move, to shrink down and make herself smaller. Then, finally, with a shrug of his shoulders he moved on. Liliane heaved a silent sigh of relief.

She watched until he had passed by and then she slid slowly away from the building. She needed to make sure he really was Allard, except the hair at her nape prickled; there was someone else out there. Again she stepped back and pressed herself against the wall, her breathing sounded like a gale force wind against the silence of the night. The footsteps were getting closer. This time, though, there was no accompanying light. She reached up and pulled the hood of her cloak over her head. Whoever this was, they didn’t wish to be seen.

She needed to warn Sin. Adrenaline surged through her, impelling her to act. She rechecked the pistol and stealthily edged towards the back of the building. If she moved behind the row of warehouses she may be able to locate Sin without being seen by anyone who was moving along the front. Just so long as the fates were kind and she found Sin before this latest arrival did.

Her hands slid along the wall until she reached the corner. She was still deep in the shadows and she hadn’t made a sound. There was little chance that she’d been seen—yet. She slid around the corner and broke into a run, dragging her skirts up with her free hand as she moved.

Fifty yards later she stopped, the cold air cutting through her lungs with each laboured breath. She peered down the gap that separated the building from the one she stood behind and the next. No one.

She kept going—running, stopping, checking. Each fall of her footsteps sounded like the pounding of a thousand drums, surely every wharf rat around could hear her coming. She reached the end of the fourth warehouse and paused to catch her breath.

Not there either.
Damn it, where could Sin have gone to?

Straightening, she went to move forward when the sounds of urgent whispering stopped her.

Sin, thank goodness.

She held the pistol before her and silently entered the alley way. The mist had not succeeded in penetrating between the warehouses, but the closeness of the buildings inked out all detail. She slowed her breathing and willed herself to move towards the voices. Ten paces into the darkness something brushed against her foot before scurrying away. She gasped involuntarily and the voices silenced. From up ahead a person emerged from a doorway, a lantern held aloft to detect the source of the noise.

Liliane raced towards it, her hand raised to shield her eyes from the bright light. ‘Sin, it’s me.’ Behind him a second person remained obscured in in the shadow. ‘Quickly, we have to leave—someone’s followed us here.’

At the far end of the alley a dark shape stepped into the gap between the two buildings.

Oh God, I’m too late.

Liliane opened her mouth to scream a warning but it was drowned out by the blast of a pistol ricocheting against the walls on either side of them.

Time stopped still as the lantern crumpled to the ground to flicker at her feet.

Sin. No, no, no—

Words screamed across her mind, but her throat constricted until she was unable to make even the smallest sound.

Without a second thought, she raised her pistol and fired blindly down the alleyway. A dull thud confirmed she had found her target.

Not wanting to waste a further minute, she dropped to the ground and sought to find a pulse for the man before her. The pain in her chest robbed her of breath, drawing a stranglehold around her heart.

Her hands found his body slick with blood. Her voice burst out on a sob. ‘Sin, hold on. I’ll get you help. I’ll get you somewhere safe.’ Tears slid unheeded down her face. ‘Please, just stay with me.’

The man in her arms lifted a hand to her head and pulled her down low. He turned his head, his voice a bare whisper against her ear.

‘…the Cousins’ Legacy. Follow the Cousins’ Legacy, it will…’ His words faded away on his last breath.

Liliane frantically shook the man in her arms. He was not going to leave her when she’d only just found him. ‘What do you mean? Tell me what you mean. What do you want me to do?’

From behind her a hand clasped her shoulder. ‘Shh sweetheart. It’s alright, I’m here.’

Confused, Liliane turned and looked at the shape standing behind her. Understanding coursed through her on a tidal wave of relief. The man at her feet was Michel Allard.

‘Oh Sin, I thought this was … you.’

‘I know.’ He pulled her to her feet and dragged her into a hard embrace. ‘We’ll talk about this another time. Come, we need to get away from here—this way.’

Liliane grasped the fallen lantern and pulled back. ‘No, wait. We need to see who followed us.’

Sin paused, his voice laced with resignation. ‘You stay here, I’ll check.’

‘No, we’ll go together.’ There was no way she was being left behind a second time. She felt the tension in his body as he grabbed her by the hand and moved towards the crumpled shape at the entrance of the alleyway. The body was still, not having moved from where it had fallen.

Sin released Liliane’s hand and bent to roll the apparently lifeless form over. ‘It appears that you are quite the marksman after all sweet wife,’ he dryly remarked.

‘Who is it?’ Her voice was remarkably calm.

Sin lifted the lantern and swore long and foul. ‘De Bois.’

The words landed on her like a body blow, the guilt a punch to her solar plexus. ‘Oh dear God, is he dead?’ The mere thought of having killed someone exploded through her mind, drenching her in an ocean of dread. ‘Sin, please tell me I haven’t killed him.’

Sin examined the man more closely. ‘No, he’s unconscious, but not dead.’ He pulled a second pistol from De Bois’s pocket and stood up. ‘You’ve grazed the side of his temple, but with luck he’ll live.’

Liliane closed her eyes, the need to throw up was overwhelming—but she wasn’t a murderer! She may not sleep well tonight, but she’d be sleeping with a clear conscience. Fighting the dizziness that swarmed her senses, she opened her eyes. She needed to take a closer look at De Bois. As she bent down and picked up the lantern Sin grabbed her hand and propelled her back into the alley. Sin’s voice against the side of her head was harsh, commanding.

‘De Bois’s henchmen. Quickly, this way—’

Propelled by the urgency in Sin’s voice she grasped her pistol and the lantern with one hand and, with her skirts lifted high, hurtled after him. As they reached the end of the warehouse he pulled her around the corner and beseeched her to keep up.

‘Hurry, we need to make it back to the horses.’

The cold air burnt into her lungs as she fought to stay with him. Behind them footsteps could be heard pounding along the dock. ‘Sin, they’re getting closer. We need to hide.’ Each breath ripped through her chest like a thousand knives, reducing her voice to a barely intelligible rasp.

‘In here.’ Sin dropped his shoulder and threw his weight against a door. The wood peeled off around the lock and the door swung open. Without pausing, he dragged her through the doorway and into a darkened building. She would have bruises on her wrists tomorrow, but right now, that was the least of her worries.

‘Follow me,’ Sin ordered. ‘There should be another doorway at the front.’ Holding the lantern aloft in the darkened room she could distinguish palettes of large crates piled high. She edged closer to Sin as he navigated their way through the maze dominating the centre of the warehouse.