Hiding Rose (Saved By Desire 5)

“Where is the woman?” Chadwick demanded, still lurking in the shadows.

Barnaby didn’t want to give the man the satisfaction of knowing that he couldn’t see him so he remained perfectly still, but his eyes scanned the area for possible locations he could find the enemy.

“She has gone,” Barnaby replied.

“She is here somewhere,” Chadwick replied.

Barnaby went cold. “Just because I am here doesn’t mean she is.”

“You were seen heading this way with her. She is here,” Chadwick replied adamantly.

Barnaby shrugged. “Whatever you say. Of course, you are a fool if you rely on a double-crossing traitor for information.”

Chadwick laughed. “Oh, anybody can be bought for the right price.”

“Maybe so, but they will also pay a price,” Barnaby replied, feigning disinterest.

“We know you have no idea who your spy is,” Chadwick murmured. The only sign of his presence was the muted sound of his boots on the cobbles as he tried to creep quietly closer.

Given the way the street echoed every movement it was difficult to pinpoint exactly where Chadwick was. Vulnerable, Barnaby stepped into the shadows and began to study each nook and cranny of the alley for movement. He glanced around for support, and cursed fluidly when he realised that Reg had disappeared. Barnaby hadn’t even seen him move.

Was Reg the traitor?

He didn’t know but he was going to find out. First, he had to be patient and try to lure Chadwick into conversation because Chadwick was a braggart who liked to boast about his accomplishments. If Barnaby could manipulate the conversation enough, Chadwick was likely to tell him who the spy was, if only to be able to taunt him.

“Alright, so you got an advantage over us this time, Chadwick, but you won’t leave this town with your life intact. I don’t care who you are getting your information from, if you rely on them you are the fool,” Barnaby called.

He fell silent and listened. When he couldn’t hear anything, he changed his position but made sure that his boots didn’t make a sound on the stone floor.

“Worried are you, Stephenson? You have gone quiet on us,” Chadwick teased.

Barnaby didn’t bother to reply. He waited until the much thinner man creeping toward him got within a few feet and stepped forward. Within seconds, the man crumpled silently to the ground. Barnaby left him where he lay and stepped over him as he returned to the shadows and watched another man creep down the street toward him.

“I am not worried,” Barnaby murmured.

“I think you should be. Someone you trust is not as honest as you think they are,” Chadwick called from his left.

This time there was no echo. It helped Barnaby to pinpoint the man’s location perfectly. Honing in on one particular shadow that moved more than the rest, Barnaby crept toward it. As he went he scoured the area for Reg, but had to reluctantly admit that Reg had left him to face this battle alone.

Reg must be the traitor, Barnaby thought on a sigh. It could be the only reason why he had led us to Edinburgh, where he knew Chadwick was waiting.

Barnaby mentally cursed when he realised just how close Rose had been to someone who would have no hesitation in killing her. It galled him to think of how much he had trusted his colleague, but it wasn’t a mistake he was prepared to make again.

Before Barnaby could move to a new location again, several shadows suddenly began to move and loomed threateningly toward him. So many fists appeared out of the blackness that he was quickly overwhelmed and struggled to defend himself. Gritting his teeth, he temporarily forgot about Reg and Chadwick and, with Rose and their future together locked firmly in the forefront of his mind, Barnaby began to fight for his life.

Sometime later, several men lay at his feet, but too many were still standing. Every inch of him ached fiercely, but Barnaby continued to throw punches and kicks with every ounce of strength he could muster. He was starting to doubt that he could get out of this situation alive, but he gritted his teeth and tried anyway. The determination to survive came from the burgeoning love he knew he felt for Rose.

His rescue came in the form of several of his colleagues from the Star Elite, who immediately threw themselves into the fray.

“Sorry, Boss,” Reg grinned as he landed a punch that made his opponent’s eyes roll back in his head. “I had to round everyone up.”

Maybe Reg isn’t the spy after all, Barnaby mused as he eyed several of his colleagues steadily working their way through the band of cut-throats. The rapidly growing pile of prone and lifeless bodies was staggering, but also immensely reassuring to Barnaby. At least the men who had turned up to rescue him could be trusted.

Barnaby made a mental note of who they were and then turned his attention to a particularly dark shadow that detached itself from the wall and came toward him. Removing a small flick knife from his boot, he stepped toward it and went on the attack.

An hour later bodies littered every inch of the tiny alley. Reg grinned at him over the body of a groaning opponent and nodded toward Ben, who lay on the floor trying to catch his breath.

“Thank God you came when you did,” Barnaby growled.