The Girl in the Clockwork Collar (Steampunk Chronicles #2)(36)

“I’ll tell him you said so.”

It was all Jasper could do not to stare at her in openmouthed amazement. He knew for a fact that this was a lie— Finley’s father had died before she was born—but his mind wanted to accept it as truth from the simple, sincere way she’d delivered it.

“I was just going to show Miss Finley to her room,” he told Dalton, hoping the other fellow would leave them alone once more.

“I can do that.” Dalton held out his hand to take the luggage from Jasper. “You go tell Little Hank to bring the carriage around. He’ll take the two of you to your destination. Shall we, Finley?”

Jasper looked at her, but Finley didn’t so much as blink in his direction. She merely smiled at Dalton as though they were the only people in the room. “Lead on, good sir.”

He watched them walk away, torn between wanting to protect her from Dalton—or perhaps protect Dalton from her—and wanting to walk out the door and run as far away as he possibly could, like a coward. Instead, he went to the kitchen, where he knew he would find Hank.

“It’s time,” he told the giant. “Dalton wants you to get the carriage.”

Little Hank, who was sitting at the table eating what appeared to be an entire apple pie in the company of a tired-looking kitchen maid, stared at him for a moment before nodding his head. “Fine.”

Jasper didn’t bother to wait for him but went outside to sit on the steps. He’d gathered other bits of the machine faster than he’d wanted, and there was only one more piece to collect after this one was recovered. He couldn’t stall much longer. Dalton had him running other “errands” for him, and each left a sour taste in his mouth. He hadn’t had to do anything serious, but standing there while Little Hank beat up a man because he hadn’t yet delivered some forged documents was bad enough.

He’d been made to pick out a rifle, as well—a good one that felt right in his hands and had sights so accurate he could have shot a fly from two hundred yards.

Whatever Dalton had planned, he was making certain Jasper played a part in it, so if there was trouble or things went south, he would share the blame—and the hangman’s noose.

He hadn’t figured out how to get Mei and himself out of this situation without letting Dalton win. There was no way to get the collar off her—the fear in her eyes when she spoke of it was enough for him. He could only imagine how it felt when the thing began to tighten, but short of putting a bullet between Dalton’s eyes, what else could Jasper possibly do?

Dalton had wanted the machine badly enough in the first place that he had killed a man when he originally stole it. Whatever it did, Dalton would use it for his own purposes— and those were never good.

He wished he had his guns. He’d feel better with them strapped around his hips. Cleaning them helped to clear and settle his mind. Without them he felt naked—vulnerable. Which was exactly how Dalton wanted him to feel. He wasn’t allowed to have the rifle, either. Dalton knew him too well.

Since being exposed to the Organites Griffin’s grandfather had found, Jasper doubted anyone could beat him in a gunfight. He was faster than a blink. Dalton was smart to keep him unarmed, because he’d take the outlaw out in a second.

But that chance wasn’t worth risking Mei’s life. What if little Hank or another of Dalton’s henchmen also knew how to work the collar? If Jasper did anything to Dalton, Mei would be the one to pay for it.

His only choice was to do exactly what Dalton demanded and wait for the right opportunity. It was his own dang fault for getting involved with the gang in the first place. His mother had warned him not to be swayed by the promise of big money for little work, but he’d needed the money, and he would be the first to admit that the dangerous life was also fun and exciting at times. It hadn’t taken long, though, to realize how stupid he’d been.

A fella couldn’t outrun his past, no matter how fast he was.

The door opened behind him, and he leaped to his feet. He should have known better than to leave his back open like that.

Dalton smiled, as though he knew the direction of Jasper’s thoughts. “Jasper, there you are. Don’t keep my Finley out too long.” He smiled in a way that reminded Jasper of a shark.

Dalton went back into the house, leaving Jasper and Finley alone for a few moments before the carriage arrived.

“What did he tell you to do?” Jasper asked, pretending to watch for the vehicle in case they were being observed.

Finley’s eyes narrowed as she glanced up at the sky. “To make sure you found some mechanical item. And to put a ‘serious hurt’ into you if you try anything dodgy.”

He kicked a tiny pebble off the step. “Not surprising.”

“What’s this thing do?” she asked. “The thing you’re supposed to retrieve?”

“Damned if I know, but whatever it is, it’s bad or Dalton wouldn’t want it. I brought it here to Manhattan and dismantled it, thinking that would keep Mei safe back in San Francisco, but I was wrong. There’s only one more piece to get after we collect this one.”

“He wanted it bad enough to send men to London after you.”

“Their payment is part of the debt he figures I owe him.” He took off his hat and ran his hand through his hair. “I should have left the damn thing where it was. He wouldn’t have cared less what happened to me.”