Tananguard 02 - To Love a Lord (11 page)

“Connor, where are you taking me?” Josephine asked in bewilderment.

Connor pulled her behind him as he strode through the lower streets of London. This part of town was less reputable, and Josephine had tried several times to get Connor to explain. He simply grinned and kept walking with a determined air toward his destination. That was several streets ago when they were still in a decent part of town. Now Josephine clung to him, wondering where he could possibly be taking her in such a hurry, and why here in the crudest part of London. Crime, prostitution, and death hung in the air. He didn’t seem to feel the threat for his life as she did. Instead, he seemed excited.

He led her to a rundown building where Lucas Hoffman waited outside. Josephine scowled. What was he doing here? She had had several encounters with him, and after each one, she liked him less and less.

“You brought her?” Lucas asked in doubt. “Do you really think that was wise?”

“No, but the last time I did this, she insisted I bring her for the next,” Connor answered with a grin.

Lucas frowned and shook his head, eyeing Josephine irritably. “Her presence had better not hinder your performance.”

“It won’t. I may actually perform better.” Connor winked at Josephine and her heartbeat quickened.

She scolded herself for allowing him to affect her so. They were friends, acquaintances. Nothing more. It was what she desired, but her heart wanted more and kept reacting to the simple things he did around her such as the light touches, the brush of his hand across her cheek to tuck a stray hair behind her ear, the winks, and the sly smiles. He was endearing and honorable,
and she yearned for him to kiss her again.

It had been over two months since they had spent the morning together in her small home, and they had been together far too much since. She was falling in love with him and believed he was feeling the same toward her. What could she do
to stop it? Did she even want to? She was a commoner. To love a lord was to be his mistress and nothing more. She couldn’t marry Connor. Would he even ask her?

It would be far too scandalous
if he did,
she thought. A mistress is all she could be for him. She smiled sadly, knowing that after tonight, she needed to cut her ties to Connor Tananguard.

“She is even smiling. She wants to be here, is that not so, Sophia?” Connor asked.

Josephine’s eyes widened. What had he asked her? She wanted to be here? “Yes, of course,” she said quickly. At least she thought she did. She was definitely curious.

She could hear a loud crowd coming from somewhere within the vicinity. She still was uncertain what this was about or what they were doing here.

Lucas eyed her skeptically and sighed. “Very well. Let us venture inside. They’re waiting for you,” he said. He turned and led Connor and Josephine to the front door of the building he’d been waiting by and knocked.

The door opened slightly, and Lucas said, “Connor Tananguard is here. Let us in.”

The door opened wider, and a burly man let them through. He eyed Josephine crudely, causing her cheeks to flare hotly. Connor pulled her tightly to his side, lifting an eyebrow and scowling dangerously at the man. The man grinned back, showing a mouth with several missing teeth.

“Donavan is waiting for you in the next room,” the man said.

Lucas nodded. They were in a small entry room. It was plain and empty except for the burly man and an old wooden chair. It reminded Josephine of a large wooden box with a door at each end: the door they had just come through and the door Lucas was leading them too. He opened the second door and held it for Connor and Josephine to go through first. They entered a large room, which was surprisingly nice for this side of London. It had a bar, several tables with chairs, and a collection of comfortable lounge chairs, the color of red wine, scattered about the room. The lighting was dim, but not uncomfortably dark. There was a flight of stairs leading upward to a dark hallway. It seemed a place to relax and enjoy a drink with a comrade, or a place to play a game of cards with strangers, or perhaps a place for other less reputable enjoyments as well. But at the moment, the room was empty except for a short, stocky man with three large fellows flanking him as he sat at a small table, waiting patiently with a drink in front of him.

“Ah, you finally arrived,” the seated man said. He was well dressed in a black coat and trousers with a red silk vest covering a white cotton shirt.

Josephine could hear the ruckus of the crowd she’d heard earlier, but it was louder in here. It was coming from somewhere nearby. “What is going on?” she whispered for Connor alone.

He shook his head. “Stay behind me and stay close,” he whispered back.

“We’re here now. Let’s get this started,” Lucas ordered. He handed a large collection of money to the greasy, short man. “All of it on Connor,” he instructed.

“I will add an extra hundred for the woman,” the man said.

Lucas smiled, shaking his head.

“Five hundred then,” the man said. “A beauty such as she would bring in much profit. Or perhaps I would keep her for myself,” he mused.

Josephine’s eyes widened in shock as she realized he was speaking of her.

“The woman belongs to me. She is not for sale,” Connor growled. He pushed her behind him even further and stepped toward the man threateningly.

The man smiled. “Alright, alright. Save the fighting for the match,” he said, motioning for peace with his hands. “Perhaps you would like her to stand with my men and I while you fight, though. We have a rougher crowd than usual tonight,” he stated truthfully.

“She will stand with Lucas,” Connor ordered.

Lucas jerked visibly before rounding on Connor. “Do you really want her next to the ring? Sophia, talk some sense into him,” Lucas said.

She couldn’t. She couldn’t seem to process what was going on. The word
fight
kept running through her mind, and she was forced to realize Connor was competing in some sort of punching brawl. Suddenly, she pictured him beaten and bruised, cringing in pain as he tried not to laugh. Then she remembered the bruises on his ribs. He hadn’t been lying? He’d been drunk when he came to her, but he did say it was a voluntary fight that had caused his injuries and not some bar brawl. Now, seven—nearly eight—weeks later, he was doing it again. “You…you’re fighting tonight?” she asked frantically. Her eyes locked onto Connor’s. The fool grinned back at her and nodded!

“Well, what are we waiting for?” Connor asked with that grin still on his face. “Lead the way, Donavan.”

The short man returned the grin, smacking Connor’s shoulder. “Ha! The man with no fear. That’s what I like about you, Tananguard.” He nodded his head to the three bodyguards, and the small group began heading further into the building.

Connor led Josephine, holding her close as he followed the men through the building. The deeper in, the louder the crowd grew.

“Connor, you cannot do this,” Josephine whispered near hysteria.

Connor smiled down at her. He leaned down and kissed her forehead lightly. “My darling Sophi
e,” Connor said. “You have nothing to fear. I will be fine. You may need to worry about the other fellow, though. He may not fare as well.” He winked at her.

He wasn’t taking this seriously! Didn’t he remember the weeks of agony from his last fight? He was walking to his doom!

Their small group exited through a door that led outside to a tight alleyway. They took several steps to cross the alleyway then entered another door into an old warehouse full of people. The floor was dirt, the building was enormous, and the ceiling rose two-stories high. The crowd exploded when Connor entered the building. Jeers and boos along with cheers of praise followed him. He lost his smile finally, gripping Josephine even tighter, keeping her close.

“Stay close to Lucas while I fight,” he ordered her. He had to lean close to her ear for her to hear him over the noise of the crowd.

“Connor, don’t do this,” she pleaded.

He looked down at her, studying her a moment before steeling a quick, gentle kiss. He caressed her cheek, and his eyes danced with excitement. He seemed quite pleased with himself, and all she could feel was utter joy that he’d kissed her. She should be angry, or she should at least still feel fearful for him.

“Do not lose sight of her, Lucas. I’ll never forgive you if you let anything happen to her,” Connor told Lucas dangerously.

Lucas laughed. “Shut up, and get yourself ready. We will be at the south end of the arena to the left of the platform.” He took Josephine’s hand, pulling her from Connor’s side.

“Charles. John,” Donavan said loudly. “Go with Hoffman and the woman. Keep an eye on her. If she is important to Tananguard, she is important to us. We protect our investments, Connor.” The man patted Connor’s back. “Good luck and win.” He parted ways, taking only one of his bodyguards with him, heading toward a stage-like setting. That must have been the platform Lucas had mentioned to Connor. It stood about five feet above an open area nobody was standing in…the fighting ground, Josephine realized.

Lucas pulled Josephine through the crowd to the edge of that open area, directly to where he told Connor they would be standing. Lucas had called it the arena. It was a square, twenty-by-twenty, roped off section in the middle of the large warehouse. And Lucas and Josephine as well as the two bodyguards had found a spot right up next to the ropes.

Connor stayed behind, waiting to make a grand entrance to the arena. The crowd parted, cheering loudly as he approached the ring. He parted the ropes and slipped between them to enter the ring, standing tall and raising his fists into the air once inside. The crowd erupted. His eyes searched the area Lucas and Josephine were standing in. He seemed to sigh in relief when his eyes landed on her. He looked at Lucas and nodded firmly to him as if to say do not lose sight of her. Lucas nodded in return, taking a step closer to Josephine.

Satisfied she was safe, Connor finally turned to face his opponent.

Josephine’s heart dropped at the sight of the man. He was huge with a shaved head and several scars on his body. He was shirtless, displaying thick, well-rounded muscles and a tattoo of a skull on his upper left shoulder. Connor nodded to the man. Then to Josephine’s horror, he turned his back to him. Why would he do that?

Connor sauntered over to the corner Lucas and she were standing by, pulled off his shirt and handed it to Lucas.

Josephine’s eyes widened, and she couldn’t help but stare. Yes, she had seen him without his shirt before, but she had only noticed the bruises. She hadn’t taken the time to really admire him. He was magnificently formed. The other man may have had a sturdy, thick build, but Connor was cut and defined. She could see the intricate details of his muscles in his arms, shoulders, chest, and stomach. She swallowed hard then made the mistake of looking up into Connor’s face. There was a far-too-pleased look on that face. Had she had her senses, she would have turned her look of awe into a scowl. Instead, she blushed, and forced herself to focus on the moment. Connor was about to face a man twice his size in a hand-to-hand fight, and that man looked like he had had many of these and been the victor.

“Connor, please don’t—”

Her words were cut short as a man sitting next to Donavan rose and began shouting over the crowd, introducing the fighters.

Josephine turned to Lucas. “Lucas, you have to stop him. He cannot do this. That man will kill him,” she pleaded.

Lucas laughed. “Connor’s good. He’s fast, and he knows how to bring any man down. Trust me. He will be fine.”

“There are no rules!” the man on the platform was shouting.

“No rules?” Josephine repeated in horror. “Lucas, please, this is foolish!”

Lucas shook his head at her. “It’s too late now, darling. You had better hope he is as good as I’ve said.”

She gaped at him. How could he care so little?

“Let the fight begin!” the man on the platform shouted, jerking Josephine’s attention from Lucas to Connor.

He danced lightly around his opponent within the square barrier. The larger man simply watched him, waiting for an opportunity to strike. The crowd booed as they waited for one of the men to make a move. Josephine watched in horror when the larger man finally did, swooping toward Connor, grabbing at him with those large arms. Connor dodged the reach and landed a right hook to the man’s face. The man staggered to the side, but only slightly. He eyed Connor with contempt as they began circling each other. The gap narrowed, and the fight really began.

Connor threw several quick punches into the man’s midsection only to receive a nasty uppercut in the jaw, sending him flailing backward and to the ground. Lucas jumped to the ropes shouting for Connor to get up. Josephine’s heart thumped wildly as she too willed him to get up. The large man was coming at Connor fast, and Connor was still gathering his senses. The man lunged at Connor and was met with one foot in the ribs while the other foot made a sweeping motion at the man’s legs, flipping him to his back, the force almost rolling the man clear over the top of his head and to his stomach. Connor rolled and leapt to his feet while the other man staggered to his. They eyed each other, Connor’s hands up and out in front of him in a ready position as he danced on the balls of his feet. The other man had his hands up too, but his footwork was heavy as he approached Connor. Connor sidestepped the first attack and dodged the second.