Lord of London Town

“Mm,” she said. “There’s the blue-blood arrogance shining through.” She sipped her brandy and let her cigarette burn down in its holder without taking a single drag. “But tell me, how can you love someone you barely know?”

“I know him.”

“You’ve known him for all of five minutes.”

I stepped closer to Eva, fighting back the need to slice my hand across her face. “I met Arthur when I was thirteen years old. Then again at eighteen.” Eva’s eyes narrowed. Clearly this was news to her. “Then we were together for five years. I’ve known him longer than you think.”

Eva batted her hand. “A secret affair is not proof of anything.” She finally took a drag of her cigarette, then said, “He was a bit on the side to you. You were engaged to a posh twit and fucked Artie behind his back. That’s the great love affair you’re referring to?”

Anger. That was what swept through me. Molten-hot lava, and anger so great my hands shook. It was rabid, so pure in its potency that I used its heat to spit, “In no universe could Arthur ever be just a ‘bit on the side.’ I loved him then and I love him now. I am here, and I’m not going anywhere. That’s something you’re just going to have to come to terms with.”

The room was silent. Eva glared back at me, but I thought I saw something flicker in her gaze. Something like approval.

“Grandma.” I turned to see Arthur filling up the doorway. He was dressed in a grey pinstripe suit, white shirt and black tie. His blue eyes cut to me, and my heart immediately started pounding.

“Artie,” Eva said. Arthur moved to his grandma and kissed her cheek. He poured himself a gin, then turned to face me. I couldn’t read the expression on his face as he cut across the room, heading straight for me. He stopped before me, put his hand on the back of my head, crushed my mouth to his and kissed me—ravaged me. I fell against him, the people in the room melting away as he pushed his tongue against mine.

Arthur pulled away but kept his hand on the back of my neck, keeping me close. “Princess,” he said in greeting. He sat down on his usual seat by the fire and pulled me onto his lap, wrapping his arm around my waist. He always did this when we were in this room. Whenever he was with me, he was always touching me in some way, possessing me, never letting me go.

I wrapped my arm around Arthur’s neck, feeling ten feet tall. Charlie sat down, fighting a smirk, as did Freddie. Betsy stayed standing beside Jacob, but when our gazes met she winked at me.

“That’s the first and last time you’ll interrogate Cheska, Grandma. I mean it,” Arthur said. Eva flicked her hand at him in dismissal.

I lay back against Arthur’s warmth. Against his hard body, smelling the tobacco on his suit, the musk from his aftershave. I looked at his face. Arthur’s jaw was clenched, but then he flicked his blue eyes in my direction. I smiled at him. In seconds he was kissing me again, as if he couldn’t get enough. Not giving one shit that his grandma was no doubt fuming across the room in disapproval.

He was choosing me … Arthur was choosing me.

The front door opened again, and Vera’s and Eric’s voices drifted down the hallway. Arthur didn’t get up to greet them. He kept his arm around me and drank his gin like the king he was.

Vera came to the living room first. She smiled, but it seemed strained. “Here he is,” she said. Behind her was a medium-height, slim boy with curly brown hair that flopped into his eyes. His gaze was lowered. He wore all black, and long black bandages hid his wrists and forearms. My stomach fell. There was only one reason why someone would need such things. One thing he could be trying to hide.

“Gene.” Eva got to her feet. She held him, and he reluctantly held her back, looking as though he wanted to be anywhere but in this room with us all right now. When she pulled away, Gene’s eyes flitted away from the floor. He had hazel eyes and pale skin. He was skittish, and clearly had little to no confidence. He was shy. But by the small, nervous smiles he cast at everyone, he seemed sweet.

He scanned the room, eyes landing on me. If he was surprised by me, he didn’t show it. Charlie stood and headed toward Gene, and Gene’s head lifted for the first time and stayed high. His eyes stayed fixed on Charlie.

“Gene,” Charlie said, wrapping him in his arms. Gene tucked his head into the crook of Charlie’s neck and held him back. His fingers splayed on Charlie’s suit jacket, like he was trying to sink his grip into him and never let go. “You okay, kid?”