The Girl in the Clockwork Collar (Steampunk Chronicles #2)(70)

Broad shoulders shrugged. “So don’t tell her.”

“You don’t want to do that, Sam. I know you want to protect her, but she’ll not take it well, and you know it.”

“You don’t know what it’s like to worry,” Sam moaned, running a hand over his jaw. “I’m terrified she’ll get hurt.”

Didn’t know what it was like to worry? Griffin punched him in the arm—hard. It was like punching a wall. “You great arse. I worry about all of you all the time. I’ve barely eaten or slept since Finley infiltrated Dalton’s gang.”

Sam made a face. “Finley can look after herself. She could rip Dalton’s head off.”

Griffin fixed him with a pointed gaze. “She’s still human, Sam. Still mortal. And now Dalton knows we know her by sight.”

“Bugger.”

“Exactly,” Griffin agreed, fighting down the fear that churned in his stomach. “I have to get her away from him. Fast.”

Sam shook his head. “Always the hero. Now take Emmy back to the hotel where I know she’ll be safe.”

“Right,” Griffin said, clearing his throat. A bloody hero? “Hopefully Dalton doesn’t know where we’re staying. Yet.”

He waited for Emily to check Kirby’s condition one last time, and then the two of them exited the building, and Griffin hailed a cab on the street.

Once back at the hotel, they made themselves comfortable in Griffin’s room, both of their portable telegraphs out and within easy reach should anyone try to contact them.

“What do we do now?” Emily asked, slumping onto the bed. “Go after Finley and Jasper?”

Griffin took a pack of cards from the desk. “We do what you and I do best, Emmy. We think. We think, and we wait.” They could hardly go charging after Dalton when he had a machine that he could easily use to kill them. As much as he might want to, it just wasn’t smart.

She made a face—it was as close to a pout as he’d ever seen on her. “I hate waiting.”

Griffin sighed and sat down opposite her. “Me, too, love. Me, too.”

Finley didn’t get a chance to talk to Jasper immediately when they arrived back at Dalton’s. First, Dalton wanted to talk to her. She tried to beg off to go have a bath, but he told her it would just take a second and then she could go get cleaned up.

“What was the Duke of Greythorne doing at Kirby’s?” He asked with fake pleasantness.

Finley shrugged. “Kirby told him he had me. Mr. FancyPants asked me about Jasper—and what you had planned. Didn’t believe me when I told him I didn’t know.”

He stared at her with those unnerving eyes. “Which is exactly why I never tell anyone my plans. Good girl. Go ahead and go get your bath. I want everyone to convene in the library in an hour. It’s time I told you our next move.”

With a promise to be there, Finley went to her room, gathered fresh clothing and went to draw a bath. She didn’t linger in the hot, soapy water. Dalton seemed to believe her story, but he believed it a tad too readily for her liking.

Once she was clean and had dried off, she quickly dressed in shin-length pantaloons, high boots and an Oriental blouse of bright blue, embroidered silk. Over that, she laced a black corset. Then she twisted her damp hair up on top of her head and secured it with one of her favorite chopsticks. Now she was ready for whatever Dalton threw at her.

Quietly, she opened the door and peered out into the corridor. No one was there. She slipped out and tiptoed along the carpet to the room she knew was Jasper’s. She had remembered to bring her portable telegraph with her in case they needed to contact Griffin.

She tapped softly upon the door. It flew open while her knuckles were still on it. Jasper stood on the other side of the threshold, a disappointed look on his face.

“Hoping for someone shorter and Chinese?” she inquired, tone deliberately dry as she stepped inside.

Jasper closed the door. “Maybe. How are you? Kirby treat you okay?”

She nodded and rubbed a hand over the back of her neck. There was no easy way to do this, and she wasn’t even certain it was her place to reveal it. “Jasper, Whip Kirby is married to your sister, Ellen. That’s why he’s here. He’s trying to clear you of the murder charge.”

His normally tanned cheeks paled. “No.”

“It’s true. You’re going to be an uncle soon. Kirby promised your sister he’d help you so you’d be able to meet your niece or nephew someday.”

Jasper shook his head, an expression of disbelief on his face. “I’m going to be an uncle?” His gaze snapped up. “Are you certain he wasn’t lying?”

“He let me sleep in the guest room. It’s only by chance I was actually in the cell when you showed up.”

“About that—what did you tell Dalton about Griffin?”

“That he had come there hoping I’d give him information about you.”

“Do you think he bought it?”

“Maybe. It’s doubtful, though. We need to get out of here before he decides he can’t trust either of us. He’d kill us both without blinking.”

“You go. I’m going to stay with Mei. If we make it through this, I’m going to ask her to go back to England—or go somewhere else—with me.”