She tried to hide in the crowds. She was pretty sure he hadn't a clue she was following him. When he went down less crowded streets she lagged further behind, and when he went down allies, she waited until he'd passed through before she even entered. Sadie was proud of her stalking abilities, until he disappeared altogether. He had just walked through this ally, she'd waited, then followed him through; but at the other end he wasn't anywhere. She looked left, right, back, up...
"You'se lookin' fo' me?" Someone whispered in her ear. Before she could turn, there was something sharp at her neck and an arm around her waist. Something heavy pushed her up against a wall. No way out of this one, she thought.
"Uh...I was jus' taking the shortcut back ta get me things..." she stuttered.
"Now, me friend Timmy may be stumped by a perty face, but I ain't dat stupid. Who sent ya?!" the knife choked her this time. She tried to swallow, but it got caught in her throat. "Tawk!" Spot demanded.
"I... I heard ya mention Mush, an' I havn't seen `im since we... since..." He pulled his arm from around her and stuffed his knife back into its holster at his calf.
"Dis is over Mush?" he sighed loudly, obviously disappointed. "Are you'se out of yer everlovin' mind?!" His eyes burned blue-hot heat. Sadie backed down for the first time she could remember.
"Yes... I...I'm sorry." It was all she could think to say. He still had her backed up against the wall. She lowered her head as he brought his face closer to hers. She could feel the heat of his frustration; she could only imagine those clear blue eyes burning.
"You know dat I almos' killed you'se. Don't make dose kinda mistakes in dis town." He breathed in her ear. She could feel his cheek against hers, his lips against her ear. "You might get hurt," he said as he dug his fingernails in her arm. He took a step back from her. "So you wanna go see Mushy-boy," he smirked. Sadie couldn't keep her legs from shaking at this point. She wasn't sure if it was fear, adrenaline, or the pure sexual rush he had just given her.
"Uh huh," she agreed. She never thought she'd faint before. She tried to focus on staying conscious.
"Alright, follow me," he laughed at his own joke.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Mush arrived at the count's residence just as the count himself was coming home. How the count knew him, he hadn't a clue, but he seemed to be waving him over toward his carriage. The driver helped the comte de Castellane out of the carriage, and as he took his last step down, Mush came forward to meet him.
"You are looking for Miss Sadie, I presume," the count greeted him.
"Yes sir, I am," Mush spoke clearly, and pushed his shoulders back. "Is she here sir?"
The count grabbed Mush's hand and shook it heartily. "You'll want to shake my hand young lad!" He then pulled Mush towards him and whispered, "Because I got a piece of the mademoiselle before you." He smiled, "And I got her good," he growled.
Mush didn't think. His first instinct was to swing. And that he did. An uppercut to the count's jaw brought him crashing heavily onto the mud street. Two servants jumped to help the count to his feet. Another came to restrain Mush, but after an easy struggle and an elbow to the servant's pelvis, Mush was free and quickly making his way back home.
The count and his servants were brushing off his garments when he yelled after Mush. "Oh! And she's not here anymore. I'm finished with her. You can have her back!"
Mush was livid. He felt the warm rage rise to his face and hands. It took all he had not to turn around and beat the crap out of that sick French bastard. But this was only round one...
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Race and Blink sat together at the local watering hole, eating a celebratory dinner to Race's incredible luck of the draw lately.
"...But I never get dis kinda luck wit' da ladies..." he whined. He slumped over his plate of food, and played with it.
"What about `Ophelia'?" Blink asked, clasping his hands together and fluttering his eyelashes. He mocked the way she pronounced her own name.
"Nah. No. Not her. She's pure trouble, that one." He had thought about that a long time ago, but she was too young, too headstrong, and man, did she attract trouble like a magnet.
"Den I'll taker `er off yer hands," Blink smiled.
"No you won't!" Race gave Blink the evil eye. Blink grinned even bigger.
"You'se lookin' fo' me?" Someone whispered in her ear. Before she could turn, there was something sharp at her neck and an arm around her waist. Something heavy pushed her up against a wall. No way out of this one, she thought.
"Uh...I was jus' taking the shortcut back ta get me things..." she stuttered.
"Now, me friend Timmy may be stumped by a perty face, but I ain't dat stupid. Who sent ya?!" the knife choked her this time. She tried to swallow, but it got caught in her throat. "Tawk!" Spot demanded.
"I... I heard ya mention Mush, an' I havn't seen `im since we... since..." He pulled his arm from around her and stuffed his knife back into its holster at his calf.
"Dis is over Mush?" he sighed loudly, obviously disappointed. "Are you'se out of yer everlovin' mind?!" His eyes burned blue-hot heat. Sadie backed down for the first time she could remember.
"Yes... I...I'm sorry." It was all she could think to say. He still had her backed up against the wall. She lowered her head as he brought his face closer to hers. She could feel the heat of his frustration; she could only imagine those clear blue eyes burning.
"You know dat I almos' killed you'se. Don't make dose kinda mistakes in dis town." He breathed in her ear. She could feel his cheek against hers, his lips against her ear. "You might get hurt," he said as he dug his fingernails in her arm. He took a step back from her. "So you wanna go see Mushy-boy," he smirked. Sadie couldn't keep her legs from shaking at this point. She wasn't sure if it was fear, adrenaline, or the pure sexual rush he had just given her.
"Uh huh," she agreed. She never thought she'd faint before. She tried to focus on staying conscious.
"Alright, follow me," he laughed at his own joke.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Mush arrived at the count's residence just as the count himself was coming home. How the count knew him, he hadn't a clue, but he seemed to be waving him over toward his carriage. The driver helped the comte de Castellane out of the carriage, and as he took his last step down, Mush came forward to meet him.
"You are looking for Miss Sadie, I presume," the count greeted him.
"Yes sir, I am," Mush spoke clearly, and pushed his shoulders back. "Is she here sir?"
The count grabbed Mush's hand and shook it heartily. "You'll want to shake my hand young lad!" He then pulled Mush towards him and whispered, "Because I got a piece of the mademoiselle before you." He smiled, "And I got her good," he growled.
Mush didn't think. His first instinct was to swing. And that he did. An uppercut to the count's jaw brought him crashing heavily onto the mud street. Two servants jumped to help the count to his feet. Another came to restrain Mush, but after an easy struggle and an elbow to the servant's pelvis, Mush was free and quickly making his way back home.
The count and his servants were brushing off his garments when he yelled after Mush. "Oh! And she's not here anymore. I'm finished with her. You can have her back!"
Mush was livid. He felt the warm rage rise to his face and hands. It took all he had not to turn around and beat the crap out of that sick French bastard. But this was only round one...
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Race and Blink sat together at the local watering hole, eating a celebratory dinner to Race's incredible luck of the draw lately.
"...But I never get dis kinda luck wit' da ladies..." he whined. He slumped over his plate of food, and played with it.
"What about `Ophelia'?" Blink asked, clasping his hands together and fluttering his eyelashes. He mocked the way she pronounced her own name.
"Nah. No. Not her. She's pure trouble, that one." He had thought about that a long time ago, but she was too young, too headstrong, and man, did she attract trouble like a magnet.
"Den I'll taker `er off yer hands," Blink smiled.
"No you won't!" Race gave Blink the evil eye. Blink grinned even bigger.