Bitter Spirits (Roaring Twenties #1)(97)

“Are you hurt?” Winter asked, voice even and low. He was looking at Yip, but talking to her.

“I’m okay.”

“Did they touch you?”

She knew what he meant. “No.”

The herbalist spoke up. “Do what you will, Magnusson. I will not run from you or beg for my life.” Blood stained the slice in his shirt where Aida had slashed. He held his hand over the wound on his leg.

Winter stepped over the corpse. “And I won’t enjoy taking it. But you put my family in danger. You kidnapped and nearly burned Miss Palmer alive, and she is under my protection. You cursed and poisoned me, and you defiled my wife’s corpse.”

“I don’t deny it. They are war crimes, and I don’t regret them.”

“Turn around, Aida,” Winter said in a quiet voice.

She could have protested. She didn’t. More for Winter than her own qualms. A little for Yip’s dignity. Some part of her still pitied him, even then. She turned around and closed her eyes. Her shoulders jumped when the gunshot cracked.

THIRTY-ONE

DOZENS OF MEN FILLED THE SHIP. SOME WERE WINTER’S MEN, some were tong members. Aida felt like a sideshow curiosity as Winter marched her past them while they took stock of the liquor. She kept her eyes forward and tried not to look too closely at the aftermath of the siege.

Both Bo and Ju were welcome sights outside. Bo squeezed her hand, and she gave them all a brief summary of what happened, but was interrupted when two police cars pulled into the dry docks’ gates in the distance. No sirens, no lights. But she doubted they were on a regular patrol route.

“I’ll deal with them and buy us some time,” Winter told Ju. “Tell everyone inside to stay calm and be prepared to truck the booze out before daybreak. Whatever can’t be hauled out tonight will have to be forfeited. And if any of Yip’s survivors want to defect, the tong leaders are going to have to decide if they want to give them safe harbor.”

“Both my men are dead?” Ju asked.

“By my hand,” Winter confirmed.

“Thank you.” Ju turned to Aida and bowed his head briefly, then strode to the ship.

Winter tilted Aida’s face up. Exhaustion weighted his eyes; his face was grim. She couldn’t imagine what was going on in his mind after seeing his wife’s body, but he didn’t speak of it. “I have to take charge of this, and it may take me hours. I want you to go back to the house. When I’m finished, we need to talk.”

She wanted to talk now. Wanted to tell him how sorry she was that he had to face Yip’s cruel creation . . . how sorry she was that he had to crusade onto the ship and do what he did. She knew he didn’t relish it.

She wanted to tell him how grateful she was that he did it.

But most of all, she wanted to throw her arms around him and tell him she was sorry about their fight and how stubborn she’d been and how stupid she’d been not to answer him when he confessed his feelings to her. “Winter—”

The police cars rounded a building and headed toward them, halting any chance of her saying anything she needed to say at that moment.

“Bo,” Winter said. “Get Will to drive her.”

He gave her once last glance, exhaled heavily, then walked away.

Cold and empty, she complied and left in a daze, riding in silence with one of Winter’s men back to Winter’s house in Pacific Heights. Four armed guards emerged from the home’s gates. Her driver gave three of them a mumbled update while another let her inside.

Lamplight kept vigil in an otherwise quiet house. The clock in the side corridor said it wasn’t quite midnight. Breathing in the consoling scent of orange oil, she plodded to the foyer with no thought other than a hot bath, but halted on her way to the elevator.

Lined up against one wall were her things—the elegant steamer trunk and several other pieces of luggage Astrid had bought her after the fire. She stood in front of them as her last remaining column of strength collapsed.

“He wants me gone,” she murmured to herself.

This was what he wanted to talk to her about when he got back. Not reconciliation, but a good-bye. Her weary mind dredged up the sting of his words on the ship. It was a fling. She was giving it up for free—just a skirt, nothing more.

“Miss Palmer.”

Aida wiped away tears and turned to face Greta. “He’s delayed . . . I’m . . .” She inhaled deeply and righted herself. “I need a bath and a change of clothes, something to eat. Then I’ll need a ride to the train station, please.”

The frosty housekeeper didn’t reply as Aida walked past her and headed upstairs.

She bathed quickly, sloughing off sweat and blood and the scent of death. One of the maids brought her fresh stockings and underclothes, a dress from her luggage. It wasn’t until she was fixing her hair that she noticed all the mirrors had been removed again.

After eating, she trudged to the foyer and found Jonte waiting for her.

“Miss Palmer,” he said. “I’m relieved to know you are all right.”

“Thank you.”

“But I must implore you to stay. Wait for Winter. Talk to him.”

“I think we’ve done all the talking we need to do.”

“Are you certain?”

She nodded and spoke rapidly to keep herself from falling apart. “Can you take me to the train station? I didn’t realize there was so much luggage. I’m not sure how I’m going to manage it all. The steamer trunk is bigger than I am.”