Tangled Webs (9 page)

“H
as Nic come back yet?” Arista burst through the door as soon as Becky opened it. A whoosh of musty air swept over Arista, so
different from the exotic, clean smells of the ball. Blood still buzzed through her veins. She had to ask Nic about Wild. She had to know if what he said was true.

“No, miss. Though there’s been a racket fit to wake the devil on the other side of the wall since about the time you left. I’ve had to tear out three rows of stitches on a new
costume because of the commotion.” The lamplight illuminated the frown on Becky’s face before the maid turned and hurried down the hall. She had not lied about the ruckus. Voices boomed
through the thin walls and something heavy thudded against the boards. Arista cringed when the distinct tone of Bones’s voice could be heard over all the rest.

“You find him and bring him back here. That sorry bastard will regret the day he double-crossed me. I’ve got someone else to question, but you three go, now.”

Doors slammed and the din quieted, which made the footsteps coming toward the second door that much louder. Only Nic used that door to gain access to the main part of the house. No one else ever
came through from that side. From the inside.

The person stopped just on the other side of the door. The rattling of keys was followed by the unmistakable sound of a lock being turned. Even through the wood, Arista could sense the murderous
intentions of Bones, and the urge to flee flooded her body. “Go.” Arista nudged Becky toward their room. The girl fumbled with the doorknob, and kept looking over her shoulder. Arista
groaned with frustration. Her hand fell to her side and rested on the hard knife handle under her skirt.

The inside door swung open and Arista made out the shadowy outline of Bones standing there. An involuntary shudder raced over her. Her dealings with Bones were infrequent in nature, with Nic the
usual liaison between them. That suited Arista fine. This, though, wasn’t just his terrifying temper; it was something more, something darker. He approached, and her skin crawled.

“Miss?” Becky held the lamp up to her face and gestured hurriedly for Arista to come inside the room. She could run, but it would do no good. Others had tried to run away.
They’d been made examples of.

Though she doubted Bones would harm her physically, there were other ways he could get to her, and he knew them well. Arista straightened her shoulders and shook her head. “No. You go.
Close the door quickly, and lock it. Do not come out until I tell you to. Here he comes.”

Becky didn’t move. Her gaze flicked to the door, and the color left her face.

“Becky! Leave me.” Arista hated being short with her friend, but it was imperative that she was safely behind the door before Bones got to them. Becky made a terrified sound deep in
her throat, and the light disappeared. Arista heard the click of the door latch falling into place, and exhaled.

When she was young, Arista would close her eyes and pretend that in the darkness, she could become invisible. A useless trick; Bones always found her. Tonight, Arista kept her eyes open and
stared directly at Bones. His pupils were dilated and his lips were a tight, thin line.

“Girl, did you have anything to do with this?” Bones’s raspy voice grated across her skin, leaving goose bumps in its wake. He waved a leather pouch in her face, but
she’d never seen it before. She had no idea what it held.

“I don’t…” Arista steeled herself. It was always the same when faced with her guardian, if he could even be called that. Slave master, maybe? He owned her as if she were
a piece of paste jewelry, and could reduce her to a small, scared child with a single glare.

Who could she be tonight, right now? Not that scared child. Someone else.

Arista called on her alter ego, and Lady A straightened her back. “I don’t know what you mean.” Her voice regained its cultivated tone, with no evident trace of street
dialect.

She saw his fist too late. Pain exploded along the side of her jaw and she crumpled back against the wall. He never hit her in the face because of her value as Lady A. Something had happened to
change her worth.

“Don’t you dare use that uppity voice on me, girl. I made you, and I can unmake you just as quickly.”

Arista held her jaw and pushed herself up to stand. She would not lie at his feet like a dog. He could beat her senseless, but she would not cower. Not anymore.

“That boy o’ yours. Where is he?” Cold, steely fingers wrapped around her wrist. Bones was much stronger than he looked.

“Nic?”

“Ni-ic,”
he mimicked. His lips turned up in a snarl. “You got more than one boy, then? Whorin’ yourself behind my back, girl?”

“No!” Heat flooded her face.

Bones dug his fingers into her wrist until she thought she would hear a snap. His snarling face was inches from hers. His breath reeked of garlic and tooth rot. “Where is he?”

“I thought he was out on an errand for you,” she gasped. Prickles of light danced in her vision. Bones had always been cruel, but tonight something had changed. Tonight, Arista
feared he might finally kill her. “I went out alone tonight.”

“You were out tonight?” Bones lifted the light over his head and peered down over her, finally noticing her costume. “What game are you up to? I didn’t send you
out.” Spittle flecked his lips and he shoved her back against the wall. As he held her there with an arm across her throat, the flames from the lantern burned in his eyes. He looked like the
devil himself. “Are you double-crossing me, girl?”

“You sent me.” She tugged desperately against his iron grip.

She realized the truth in a rush. The card that granted her entrance to the masquerade hadn’t been from him. Of course not—why would he send her to meet Wild? Unless Wild had
arranged the meeting under the pretense of needing Bones’s services. But judging by the murderous glint in Bones’s eyes, he knew nothing about tonight.

Bones released the pressure on her neck, but then tangled his gnarled fingers in her wig. The pins pulled painfully at her scalp, and Arista grabbed his wrist with both hands. “I’ll
not be double-crossed, girl. Not by the likes o’ you. Who gave you the order to go out? Do not lie to me.”

Arista glared at Bones. “You did.”

He yanked upward until she stood on her toes, pinned against the wall. She dug her nails frantically into his flesh, but he didn’t relent. He twisted his hand, tightening his grip on her
hair, then drove his free fist into her gut over and over again.

He did plan to kill her.

Bile rose up in her throat as the blows kept coming. Her entire body burned with fiery pain. She couldn’t hold it in any longer. She screamed. The door to her room flew open.

“It was me,” Becky cried. The girl half fell out of the door, then sank to her knees at Bones’s feet. “A note was slipped under the outside door. I thought it was from
you.” Bones released Arista. She doubled over, gasping for breath. Each inhale sent a new, agonizing shot throughout her body. Wild had known her at the party, had even expected her to be
there. Had he slipped the note under the door? No one except Becky, Arista, Nic, and Bones knew of Lady A’s whereabouts—knew that the nondescript outside door led right to her.

“Please.” Arista jerked her head toward the plea in time to see Becky cowering on the floor. Bones drove his boot into the girl’s middle, and her abrupt scream was cut off when
the next blow landed on her head. Becky lay still on the floor.

The invisible vise on Arista’s limbs released, and she staggered a few steps before the pain doubled her over. “No, stop!”

Bones barked an order over his shoulder and two huge men stepped from the shadows. One, a hulking beast with a disfigured face, advanced on her with a feral gleam in his eye. “Put them
inside,” Bones said.

The brute grabbed her arm and pulled her against his chest. He smelled of sweat and onions and Arista gagged as he pushed her nose against his shirt. He slid his arm around her back and drove
his hand into her stomach, in the same spot Bones had beaten. She cried out in pain and the man laughed, a low sadistic sound she had heard on the streets too often. He lifted her off her feet and
all she could do was concentrate on breathing in through her mouth and out through her nose.

She would not faint. She would not let this monster do
anything
to her without one hell of a fight.

Arista didn’t have time to contemplate it, because she suddenly flew through the air. She landed hard on her shoulder and the impact sent fresh jolts of pain through her body. The knife
handle dug into her hip, and she slid her hand under her skirts until she curled her fingers around the cool, smooth wood.

Becky lay motionless on the floor. Bones took the single lantern from the room and handed it to one of the men. He stood over her, a sneer on his face. “Maybe a little reminder of how it
could be
will help you remember. There’ll be no food or drink or light until I find him.”

His guards left the room, then Bones followed, taking the light with him. Arista heard the outside lock click into place. She scrambled to her hands and knees and crawled to the door. Splinters
dug into her fingertips as she clawed at the wood.

They were trapped in the dark.

The corset shrank with each breath until it became impossible to get any air. The room grew warmer with each exhale and Arista fought the panic welling up inside her. There were no
windows—another safeguard to prevent anyone from discovering they were there. White dots danced at the edges of her vision. She could not stop her limbs from shaking as she turned and put the
door at her back. She drew her knees to her chest and rocked back and forth.

What if I told you I know where Bones hides his money? That I can get to it? Where would you want to go then?

Oh God, Nic, what have you done?

She must have said it out loud. “Miss?” Becky’s faint voice pulled Arista from her thoughts.

“Becky!” It hurt to talk, but she called out again despite the pain. Arista turned back onto her hands and knees and crawled toward her friend’s soft cries. Each small movement
sent fresh waves of agony shooting through her stomach, but she pushed on. She had to be strong for both of them now. “Where are you?”

“Here, miss.”

Arista made her way over the last few feet and found Becky. As she carefully ran her fingers over the girl, something warm and sticky coated her fingers. Without any light, Arista had no idea
how badly her friend had been injured.

“Becky,” she whispered. Her voice sounded as though her mouth were full of muslin. “I’m going to get us out of here, and I’ll get you some help, okay?”
Emotion welled up in her throat, making it difficult to swallow.

Arista fought through the growing panic and pushed to her feet. Sharp pain radiated from her middle but she made her way blindly across the room, one arm cradling her aching stomach and the
other held out in front of her. When she finally felt solid wood under her hand, she leaned her forehead against the wall and took in several shallow breaths. It didn’t hurt as much that
way.

She felt so small, so helpless. Being trapped again, in the dark room, brought back memories of before, when she was too young and helpless to fight back. Then, she would just curl up and wait.
Maybe there was nothing to do now—nothing to be done. What could
she
do, anyway? She was just a girl. An orphan. Nobody.

But she was also Lady A. She’d brought grown men to their knees.

What would Lady A do? She’d fight.

And she’d win.

Arista made a fist and pounded on the door. The force rattled the locks like bells but the door held, surprisingly firm despite the rotten wood.

“Bones!” she shouted as best as she could. He thought she would admit defeat—beg to be taken out of the dark. He thought she was weak.

She was counting on it.

In only a minute, she heard his footsteps in the hall outside. Between the folds in her skirt, she found the hidden slit and pulled her knife free. He would not get the chance to lock her inside
again.

A key scraped across metal and the click sounded like a gunshot. Sweat beaded on Arista’s forehead and trickled down into her eyes. There would only be one chance. If she failed, he would
kill her this time.

When the door swung open and light filled the room, Arista drew back and kicked out at Bones’s legs. He fell into the room and the lantern he’d been carrying smashed onto the floor.
The oil spread out and flames licked at it greedily.

He had not expected her to fight back, after being held in the dark. He’d expected a scared, cooperative child. But she wasn’t that little girl anymore.

Bones growled like an animal and pushed to his feet. He faced her, blackened teeth bared. A small stream of blood ran down his face from a cut on his cheek. She smiled in satisfaction. But then
a
whoosh
swept through the room, and the flames leapt to the bed—and the wall behind.

Fire ate at the flimsy wooden structure, spreading so fast that within seconds, thick black smoke rolled across the ceiling.

Becky moaned from the floor. Arista crouched down, the knife still pointed at Bones. “Becky, we have to get out. I need you to stand up.” Arista’s jaw throbbed and flashes of
pain wrenched her stomach each time she moved, but if they didn’t get out soon, they would burn to death.

“Die, like the scum you are!” Bones shouted over the escalating sound of the fire. He started to move past her, but he would not get away. If she was going to die, he’d go with
her. Arista swung her arm in a high arc and sank her knife into his soft stomach.

He screeched and fell to his knees next to her. A deep red stain quickly spread over the bottom half of his shirt. He clutched at the knife handle but could not get a grip on it, because of all
the slick blood pouring from the wound.

Bones fell forward with a hard thump. He didn’t move again. Through the walls, Arista heard his men shouting. She rolled Bones over and used the material of her shirt to grip the knife, to
pull it free from his unmoving body. If his men found them, she’d need it again.