The Song Bird (Siren Publishing Ménage Amour) (18 page)

Slowly, Ellis relaxed and backed up toward where she waited. Just as she stepped out from the shadow of the building, four men suddenly appeared. Ellis crouched, hands flying up in a defensive gesture. Even in the early morning light, Avilon noticed the scar on one face and a flash of gold in the mouth of the other.

“Behr’s men,” she whispered to Ellis. “I recognize them from the shanghaiing attempt.”

Ellis barely had time to acknowledge her before the men charged him. His style of fighting wasn’t fisticuffs, at least, not the type she was used to. He fought with legs and arms, bending and weaving, once even flipping backward. If the danger hadn’t been so terrifying, watching him would have been entertaining. As it was, fear for Ellis rose sharply into her throat, and she wanted to scream but was afraid that would only startle Ellis.

As good a fighter as Ellis seemed to be, he simply wasn’t a match for four vicious brutes. They simply overwhelmed him as they attacked, one brutal punch after another. The man with the scar managed to send Ellis flying. Then Gold Tooth picked up his foot and brought it sharply down upon Ellis’s face. Blood immediately poured from his nose. Avilon rushed to his side, but he was out cold.

She felt a presence behind her and looked up. The last thing she saw was a fist coming at her.

Eli shook Jason. Jason groaned, opened his eyes wide enough to squint at the window, then rolled over and buried his head under a pillow.

“Go ’way, Eli,” he mumbled from under the covers. “It’s too early.”

“Avilon is missing.”

Jason’s head immediately came out as he sat up, his hair tousled in all directions. “What do you mean, missing?”

“I woke up, and she’s gone. She’s not downstairs, and she’s not in the club. But all her clothing is here.”

Jason rose and grabbed his discarded clothes, dressing quickly. “How long have you been up?”

“Ten, fifteen minutes at most.”

“But we don’t know when she left.”

Eli nodded. “Dawn broke about half an hour ago. Christ, where could she have gone? Back to the church?”

Jason finished tying his shoes. “I don’t know. We can start there—”

All of a sudden, they heard their names being called from downstairs. Eli and Jason raced from the bedroom and came to a stop at the bottom step as they saw Ellis, banged up and bloody. And standing next to him was Louisie.

“She’s been taken,” he told them, his voice sounding stuffy through his swollen, possibly broken, nose. His right arm lay protectively around his ribs. “Behr’s men. Avilon recognized them.”

Dead silence descended. Eli’s body tensed up and his hands curled into fists.

“Rouse the men,” Eli told Jason. “We’ll go to Behr’s house on Nob Hill and beat the shit out of him until he hands Avilon back over.”

Jason gave a nod and ran toward the kitchens.

“What was she doing out there, Ellis?” Eli practically growled his question, sounding like a wounded bear.

“Because of me,” Amelia answered, cowering a little under Eli’s ice cold stare.

“You could have come to us,” he told her. “We would have protected you.”

“It’s more than just for this coin,” she replied, holding up her hand. Lying in her palm was the silver medallion. “I’ve been running from Eugene Behr for two years. He’s chased me from New Orleans to Saint Louis and all the way across the US to here.”

“Why?”

“He wants our daughter. But I won’t hand her over to a murderer.”

Eli gave her a long, measured look. “When we get Avilon back, we’re going to have a long talk.”

“He took her to get to me and Odette.”

“Who’s with Odette now?” Eli asked.

“Jin Li,” Ellis answered. “When I came to and realized Avilon was gone, I ran straight back to Amelia and Odette. The men must have been patrolling instead of following because Amelia was still there. I took her and Odette to Jin Li to hide her, but Amelia insisted she come here with me.”

“It’s me he wants,” Amelia said quietly. “We can bargain for Avilon, using me.”

Eli shook his head. “Avilon would never approve of that.”

“Avi is not here,” Amelia stated.

Just then Jason came back flanked by several men. It hadn’t taken time at all to rouse the workers, the same men who had saved Jason from the shanghaiing. Eli led them from to his office where they armed themselves with pistols before marching out the front door of the club.

Nob Hill had rapidly become one of the most affluent places to live in San Francisco. Its rolling hills overlooked the city, giving spectacular views for those who could afford the large houses being built.

“Of course a man like Eugene Behr would live here,” Jason muttered as they walked uphill to reach the peak where Behr’s house was located.

“He’s a megalomaniac,” Eli answered, resting and taking a deep breath of air. “He’s established banks in New York, in New Orleans, and here. He bases his clout against gambling money.”

“He’s also a murderer,” Amelia reminded them.

Eli gave her a wry glance. “Yes, there’s also that.”

“Let’s get my sister,” Amelia said. “She once came for me. Now I need to save her.”

Four men stood on guard at Behr’s front door. Dawn had come and gone, but clouds hung heavy in the air, obscuring sunlight into a filtered haze of mist. Eli sent out a silent bid of thanks to whatever higher power was watching over them, hoping like mad that good luck continued through their fight to get Avilon back.

He held his finger over his mouth, indicating to keep his men silent. He gestured for Jason to take two men and circle around back while he, Ellis, Amelia, and five men stayed in front, keeping watch over any movement from the house.

As Eli stood there, he felt rage coursing through his blood. He wanted to kill Behr, to wrap his hands around the man’s throat and squeeze until there wasn’t any life left. How dare the man touch Avilon? She was his. His and Jason’s. She may have started out as an abstract thought to hold on to Jason in his desire to become a father, but she had quickly transformed into something more to him. She had gotten under his skin and wormed herself into his heart.

He and his men watched, giving Jason plenty of time to get into position before going on the attack. But all thoughts ceased when he heard a scream come from the house. Eli acted on pure rage by jumping from his hiding place and charging forward. Dimly he was aware of his men following, of them engaging the guard dogs. All he was concerned about was getting into the house and finding Avilon. One man with a scar on his face jumped into his way, and he swung his fist up as hard as he could. He barely registered the jarring impact that shook his shoulder. All his attention was focused on the front door.

And then it swung open just as he reached it, and Avilon fell into his arms.

* * * *

“Are you crazy?” Avilon screamed at him. She dangled over the shoulder of one man, her hands tied over her head. She tried kicking with her feet, but the man held her legs tightly and slapped her on her rear. “Let me go!”

The men didn’t seem to be afraid of walking in daylight where anyone could see them, but then again, there really wasn’t anyone walking around at dawn. By the time they got to where they were going, she felt nauseous from the blood rushing into her head.

Her captor walked up to a house, crossed the porch, and knocked on the door. She struggled again when she heard it open, but he suddenly threw her off his shoulder, and she landed hard on her right side. Pain lanced through her body, causing her to curl into a fetal position. But before she could assess just how badly she was hurt, a hand yanked her upward, and she stared into Eugene Behr’s cold, dark eyes.

He dragged her inside, through a foyer and into a room decorated in dark mahogany and cherry leather. He pushed her into a chair and then sat behind his ornate desk.

“My men lost track of you earlier, but now that I have you, I’ll ask you one last time. Where is your sister hiding my daughter?” he asked without preamble.

“There’s nothing you can do that will make me tell you anything,” she all but spat at him.

He reached into a drawer and pulled out a revolver. Avilon’s eyes widened.

“There are certain things I’m exceptional at,” he stated as he leveled the barrel at her. “One is making money. Another is my determination at getting my property.”

“People are not property.”

“Of course they are. Those who have money”—he gestured to himself—“will always be able to buy the future of those who have none.” And he pointed to her.

“Then shoot me,” she told him calmly.

He stared at her, eyes narrowed as he assessed her. Avilon felt peace descend over her, because as much as she wanted to jump up and run out of the room, away from this crazy man who now held her very life in the palm of his hand, she knew any sudden move wouldn’t be the smartest decision. For a brief second, Eli and Jason flashed through her mind, and a bittersweet ache hit her heart. She would have liked to have that family they talked about.

And then he did something unexpected. Eugene Behr lowered the gun. He looked over her head as another man walked in. One of his thugs, she thought. They talked in low voices, and then Behr shot her a small, evil grin before rushing out of the room, leaving behind his guard dog.

That grin worried her. Had they happened to find where Ellis had been hiding Amelia? Was he rushing, right now, to grab her sister and take Odette? Behr had taken the gun. Perhaps she could outrun the hulking brute he’d left behind. It was worth a try, even with her hands tied in front of her. She waited for a few moments, let the man relax a bit as he came to the wrong conclusion that she wouldn’t cause him any trouble. As soon as he began to sit, she darted for the door. A second later, he caught her around the waist and swung her around. She screamed as she crashed into the fireplace, her hand landing on the poker. Instinctively she grabbed it, and as he spun her around, she rammed it down onto his foot. He let her go as he gasped, grabbing the poker that had pierced through his shoe, but she didn’t waste any time escaping. She flew from the room and headed to the front door. Just as she opened it, she saw Eli. With a cry of happiness, she flew into his arms.

* * * *

“I think he found her,” she babbled into his shoulder. “He left after Poker Boy came to tell him something. Ellis has to go save her.”

“Shh,” he said, stroking his hand down her long hair in a soothing gesture. “Amelia is here, and Ellis hid Odette. Wherever Behr went, it wasn’t to them.”

For the first time, she looked around and saw the remnants of the fight between Eli’s men and Behr’s. Then she saw Amelia rushing at her, and she stepped out of Eli’s arms to embrace her sister, taking a step back at Amelia’s impact.

“Come on,” Jason said as he appeared at the bottom of the porch steps. A small trickle of blood came from the corner of his mouth. “Let’s get back to the club. We can figure everything out there. I’ve got the men rounding up Behr’s dogs to take to Scannell.”

With Eli and Jason surrounding Avilon, and Ellis holding on to Amelia, they trudged back to the club. They made an incongruous band as they marched past early morning traffic, hackneys whisking by as people traveled to whatever jobs they held. Women wearing aprons and with scarves around their heads hurried by, and men with shovels and buckets walked up and down the streets, cleaning up the manure. Such mundane pieces in a city that seemed to breathe its own uniqueness.

When they made it back to the club, the cooks gave them all wide-eyed stares. Eli ordered a tray full of food be brought into the dining room.

“Are you sure Behr didn’t go after Odette?” Avilon asked.

“Jin Li has her,” Ellis told her. “And Jin Li knows how to hide. He hid me and himself on a boat here without once being caught getting us food.”

Food was brought in and laid out, and they all helped themselves to the delicious-smelling eggs, ham, bacon, and coffee.

“I think it might be a good idea if you and Odette come to the club,” Eli told Amelia.

Amelia shook her head. “I won’t expose Odette to what I am. Besides, she’s safe with Jin Li until I can figure out how to handle Eugene.”

“You aren’t anything,” Avilon said sharply, “except my sister.”

Ellis took Amelia’s hand. “And my wife. If you’ll have me.”

Amelia turned large, surprised eyes on him. A lump welled up in Avilon’s throat, and she brought her hand up over her mouth to hide her wide, happy smile.

“Ellis…you don’t want me,” Amelia finally whispered, casting her eyes down. “I’m—”

“Beautiful,” he finished. “Brave. Strong. Resilient. There aren’t many people who can travel thousands of miles to protect someone they love. And I do want you. I’ve wanted you since the first moment I laid eyes on you. I love you, Amelia Chambert.”

Jason’s arm draped over Avilon’s shoulders as he pulled her into his side. She peeked up at him, and he sent her a heartwarming smile.

And then Amelia hugged Ellis and murmured her answer, too low to be heard. But it was clear her answer was an affirmation because Ellis picked her up and swung her around.

Eli tapped Jason’s shoulder and gave a jerking movement with his head, indicating they should leave. Jason took Avilon’s hand, and they left Amelia and Ellis to their moment of happiness.

“I don’t know about you two,” Eli said, “but I’ve had about three hours of sleep.”

Avilon blinked. “I haven’t had any.”

“Come on,” Jason said as he led the way from the club back through the connecting hallway and into their town house, all the way upstairs into their bed room.

“And before we succumb to sleep…” Eli murmured as he came to stand in front of Avilon. He cupped her face with his hand, running his thumb over her bottom lip. “Are we a family now?”

She nodded and took hold of his hand and Jason’s hand. “I understand why you didn’t tell me, why you felt like you had to keep your love a secret. Thank you for trusting me.”

“And now you can trust us,” Jason said.