One Penny Surprise (Saved By Desire 1)

“She still has the money,” Luke hastened to reassure him. “I need you to write me a letter confirming that you gave Poppy the money, and it is for her to use. Clarence is desperate to get his hands on it, and I think is prepared to resort to outright assault if he has to. If you could provide me with proof he has no rights to it if he does take it off her then he can be arrested for theft.”

Without saying another word, Peter rose and scribbled the required note then handed Luke the sealed parchment.

“I will confirm this in court if necessary,” Peter promised. “Meantime, if you see Poppy, please tell her that when Clarence has been dealt with she needs to come to see me to learn the full nature of her fortune. However, her fortune is hers and hers alone, and is not even to be mentioned to Clarence.”

“Agreed,” Luke stood and held his hand out to Peter, who shook it enthusiastically.

“Please let me know how you get on. Meantime, if there is anything else you need, please don’t hesitate to call upon me.”

Luke nodded. His head was reeling a little with the enormity of the news he had for Poppy by the time he left. Now all he had to do was decide whether to tell Poppy about her good fortune just yet or wait until Clarence was out of the way. While he was pleased for Poppy because she now had sufficient funds to purchase a house of her own Clarence could never touch, he was also painfully aware that with means of her own, she was able to go wherever she wanted, and need not even consider a future with him. Unfortunately, by not telling her of her wealth was he being unfair because she would about her future needlessly?

Tugging the collar of his jacket higher, Luke tucked his hands into his pockets and went in search of his colleagues.

“Are we ready then?” Marcus asked as he eyed Luke and Jeb up and down two hours later. “Are you sure you want to do this?” Given the ruthlessness of the gang he wasn’t entirely sure that setting them up as lures was entirely a good thing, but both men nodded anyway.

Luke snorted. He could understand Jeb’s enthusiasm for a good fight. Right now he was so frustrated by the veritable plethora of questions rumbling around that he was champing at the bit to do something physical. It didn’t help that deep inside he was extremely worried that he was going to lose Poppy to her new life of good fortune, but he was unable to find a solution. After all, all he had to offer her was himself, an employee of the Star Elite who put his life in constant danger. Yes, he would love and protect her forever but was that enough?

“Someone has to do it,” Luke replied.

Once they arrived in the right street they split up. Jeb placed his broom on the barrow in front of him and began to push it down the street while Marcus sauntered in the opposite direction. Luke waited until his colleagues were in position then ambled casually down the street after them. He didn’t have to go too far before he came across two young lads propped up against a wall. The way they studied people as they passed was more than mere curiosity. The pedestrians who passed were assessed, and judged, as to whether they were worthy of mugging. Unlike the Toby’s group, these youths had a harder, more feral edge to them. Luke had no doubt who they were.

Luke tensed as he sauntered past. He kept his gaze trained on the end of the street and pretended to have not even noticed the thieves. However, inside he was very aware that one of the thugs nudged his cohort and nodded imperceptibly toward Luke. After a moment of hesitation they followed, just as Luke wanted. Luke turned into the allotted, considerably quieter side road, and hoped that Jeb and Marcus were around somewhere, and braced himself.

Unlike most pick-pockets, these youths didn’t use distraction. These louts went straight for the kill. Before Luke got more than a few yards into the street he was jumped on from behind. Years of training and experience within the Star Elite suddenly blasted into life. To his astonishment, however, he suddenly found himself outnumbered when several of the youths’ accomplices appeared out of various hiding places and surrounded him. Horrifyingly aware that the odds were now seriously stacked against him, Luke began to fight for his life.

Gritting his teeth, he caught sight of Jeb wading into the fray before he landed the first punch of what he suspected was going to be one long and very arduous fight. For several long moments all that could be heard were the sounds of fists striking against flesh interspersed with the occasional grunt or moan when a thump or a kick landed precisely where it was supposed to. Luke groaned when one youth’s punch landed square in the middle of his jaw, right on a spot last night’s assailant had already bruised. For a few moments all he could see were stars, and he gasped for breath while he fought his body’s need to fall to the floor. His brief pause in fighting was enough for his opponent to gain the advantage. Grabbed from behind, he bared his teeth against the volley of fists against his midriff before he landed a well-placed kick that rendered his assailant unconscious, and then turned his attention to the thug behind him. With systematic determination, the men from the Star Elite set to work clearing London’s streets of one of the most prolific and brutal pick-pocketing gangs they now knew worked for their arch nemesis: Terence Sayers.

CHAPTER SIXTEEN

Poppy blinked sleepily when several loud bangs from downstairs filtered through her slumber. Jolted at the ferocity of the pounding, she listened for a moment and recognised the muffled sound of Marcus’ voice. Without thought she lurched out of bed, dressed quickly and raced downstairs. Her heart was full of joy an

d excited anticipation at the thought that Luke had returned, and her face was wreathed in smiles as she yanked the door open. That smile quickly fell when she saw the state of the men on the doorstep.

“What on earth?” she gasped, eyeing the bloodied mess that had once been Luke’s handsome face. One eye was swollen and bled profusely from a cut directly above his eyebrow, but that was nothing compared to the blood and cuts on his hands, arms and, well, practically everywhere, Marcus and Jeb were just as bad.

“I am alright,” Luke assured her when she began to flutter around him fretfully. When she didn’t appear to have heard him and kept patting his chest for signs of injury he caught her hands in his and held them still for a moment. In spite of his colleagues’ presence, he placed a tender kiss on her lips. “It looks worse than it is.” In reality everything within him ached as though he had been set upon by the very Devil himself, but he didn’t tell her that. He was too busy trying to grin with delight at her obvious concern for him.

“What happened?” she demanded.

Barnaby stormed into the kitchen and threw her a worried look. “Can you get some water for them?” He nodded toward the dresser. “There should be some strips of cloth in the cupboard. We need to get them cleaned up.”

“They look to be in a bad way,” she replied.

“He got the worst of it,” Jeb warned her, pointing one long finger at Luke.

“Was it the gang?”

Jeb nodded. “We got them all. They are behind bars being refused contact with the outside world.”

Barnaby looked impressed. “All of them?”

“All of them,” Luke growled with satisfaction.

“Luke?” Poppy’s brows lifted.

Before the men could explain what had happened there was a knock on the door. Barnaby yanked it open and stared down at the youngster on the doorstep.

“Yes?”