Page 49 of Redemption

Bile rose in her throat, and to keep it at bay she kept her gaze on Ruckley. With each beat of her heart, she allowed hate for the man to spread its way through her body. It was the only sane way she would be able to watch the horrifying spectacle to come. Timothy had no idea of the terror and pain Ruckley was about to inflict on him, and she prayed to a God she no longer believed in that the boy would survive Ruckley’s torture.

Fear prevented her from trying to stop Ruckley, and she could only look away from Timothy’s pale, frightened expression. Her heart lurched in her chest at her cowardice.

The sound of Timothy’s shirt being ripped open made her stiffen with horror, and her gaze jerked back to the terrible scene in front of her. When the first lash of the whip struck the boy’s skin, Arianna’s hand gripped hers so hard Rhea winced with pain. Again, the whip snapped through the air to land on Timothy’s back. Stubbornness one of his traits, the lad did not cry out at either lash of the whip. Infuriated by the boy’s obstinance, Ruckley increased the pace of his whipping. Again and again, the black leather streaked through the air until Timothy’s back was splayed open and drenched with blood. Still Ruckley repeatedly brought the whip down on his victim. Sickened by the torture, Rhea leaped forward and grabbed the enraged man’s arm.

“Enough, Ruckley. You’ll kill him.”

Cruel laughter exploded through the shed as the crime lord met her gaze. A strange expression crossed his face, and Ruckley lowered his arm. With his free hand, he grasped Rhea by the neck and pulled her close. The foulness of his breath pulled bile up into her throat. If Ruckley knew she was nauseated by him, he’d know she was afraid. With great effort, she swallowed hard and refused to try and free herself from Ruckley’s grasp. She wouldn’t give the bastard the satisfaction of showing fear.

“Dear, sweet, Rhea. Always looking out for the weak ones in this little tribe of mine. One of these days, you’re going to have to pay me for all the latitude I give you.”

Ruckley bent his head in an effort to set his lips on hers in a rancid and foul caress, but she quickly turned her head away. With a grunt of anger, the man lowered his head and licked across the tops of her breasts. Rhea didn’t know how she kept from shuddering as she pushed him away from her. In an exaggerated gesture of disgust, Rhea dragged the sleeve of her dress across the exposed skin above her bodice then spat a portion of bile out of her mouth. Fury and hatred blazed through her as she faced the man laughing at her reaction.

“If you ever touch me like that again, I’ll kill you.”

“Come now, my poppet. We both know ye don’t ‘ave the killer instinct in you, or you would have already tried to do away with me,” Ruckley said with obvious amusement. “Fact is, we both know you’ll wind up in my bed sooner than later.”

“I’ll see you in hell first,” she bit out in a vicious hiss of air.

Ruckley simply laughed once more and wrapping his arm around Edgar’s shoulders walked out of the shed. When the man disappeared into the night, Rhea wheeled about and ordered several of the boys in their group to cut Timothy down. As they laid the boy on his stomach, no sound passed his lips. The small band huddled around the youngster as Rhea dropped to her knees and pressed her fingers to his throat. When she could find no pulse, she hastily grabbed the boy’s wrist. Again, she could find no sign of life. A small cry broke past her lips as she buried her face in her hands and tears soaked her palm. Remorse and guilt swept through her. How could she have allowed her fear to paralyze her for so long? Not even when her father had sold her and Arianna to Ruckley had she felt so helpless.

One by one, the group slowly dispersed. A gentle hand pressed her shoulder through her dress.

“Come Rhea, there’s nothing more you can do for him. He’s in a better place now. Harry and the boys have gone to find a cart to take him to Tower Hamlets.”

With a nod, she wiped the tears off her cheeks and rose to her feet. Her gaze fell on the horrible wounds on Timothy’s back. Pain shot through her face as her jaw clenched with pain, fury, and hate. She looked at her sister then back at the child lying so deathly quiet on the floor. She would never forget tonight, and she would make sure the children never did either. It was the only way to ensure they stayed alive. Timothy’s death would be a reminder never to cross Ruckley.

“Christ Jesus,” Percy exclaimed with a violence that startled her and the images of the past vanished. Before she could say anything, Percy leaned forward to pull her out of her seat and onto his lap. As he held her snuggly against him he quickly pulled the shades over the windows. The abrupt action startled her, but she didn’t protest as he held her close. As his fingers rolled up the veil over her face, she suddenly realized her face was wet. She was crying. She hadn’t cried since the night Timothy had died.

“You’re not to blame, Rhea,” he said gruffly as he wiped the tears off her face. At his words, she sniffed and shook her head. She desperately wanted to believe him, but the memory of Timothy’s battered body made it difficult.

“I should’ve stopped him. If I’d had the courage to stand up to Ruckley–”

“No,” Percy’s voice was harsh and emphatic. “There was nothing you could have done. If it hadn’t been Timothy it would have been another child. He’s a sadistic bastard, and I won’t listen to you taking the blame for circumstances that were beyond your control.”

Rhea wished she could believe what he was saying. But the memory of how she’d left Percy wounded and dying on the museum floor tortured her. She’d failed him and Timothy. Twice she’d had the opportunity to stand up to Ruckley and she’d failed.

“You’ve said it as well,” she whispered. “I was more concerned with saving my own life instead of standing up to Ruckley and ensuring you and Timothy survived the man’s brutality.”

“Bloody hell, I said that without knowing the truth. I would never have blamed you if I’d known you and your sister were Ruckley’s victims as well.”

When she didn’t answer him, Percy caught her chin with his strong fingers and lifted her chin upward. She closed her eyes beneath his intense gaze.

“Look at me,” he rasped. When she didn’t do as he instructed, he jostled her against his chest. “Look at me, Rhea.”

She opened her eyes to stare up at him. Admiration and something else darkened his brown eyes. The expression on his face reflected one of deep respect.

“There’s only one other person I know who matches your strength and courage. That’s Patience.” His fingers brushed across her wet cheeks again as he stared down at her. “Both of you think yourselves to blame for things completely out of your control, and yet in facing all the terrible odds both of you fought back. That is the very definition of courage. You were afraid and yet you took action in spite of that fear.”

“But I failed him,” Rhea whispered desperately wanting to believe Percy’s words.

“No, Rhea, you didn’t fail him. You can’t fail someone when you’re not in control of the situation.”

In a tender gesture Percy’s mouth brushed across her forehead. Biting back another bout of tears Rhea turned her head to bury her face in his shoulder. There was something so overwhelmingly comforting in doing so. The strength and security she found in his arms warmed her. She’d never felt so safe in her entire life. Silence filled Percy’s carriage as she allowed herself to nestle herself in his protective embrace.

As the rancid odors of the East End dissipated, she lifted her head to see they’d entered a more respectable part of the city. Rhea dragged in a deep breath of relief at the fresh air that flowed into the vehicle. As she did so, another smell brushed across her senses. The moment Rhea breathed in his warm and spicy scent a small tremor swept through her. He smelled wonderful. The knowledge made her body tense as she recognized the danger of being in his arms.

Instantly, Rhea tried pulling away from him. It was a futile effort as Percy’s embrace tightened around her. Her gaze jerked upward to look at him. His brown eyes had darkened until they were almost black, and desire glittered in his gaze. A knot formed in her throat, and she quickly swallowed it to keep breathing. Percy’s fingers lightly stroked her cheek as his thumb slid across her bottom lip pressed down on it.