Free Bedford Street Brigade 02 - Love Unbidden by Laura Landon

finished. They have to be stopped now or they’ll get away.”
    “You can’t stop them by yourself. There are too many of them.”
    “Mack and the others will be here soon. I can hold them off until help arrives.”
    “No!”
    “I have to, Nellie. This is what I do.”
    Quinn stepped out of the carriage, then turned back to her. He couldn’t leave her unprotected. What if the others didn’t arrive in time? What if something happened to him before they did? He reached in his pocket. “Here. Take this.”
    Quinn handed her the second gun he always carried. “Be careful with it. It’s ready to fire.”
    She pulled back from the pistol. “No, you keep it. You might need it.”
    “Take it, Nellie. And don’t be afraid to fire it.”
    “Quinn—”
    “Shh, lass. I can’t waste any more time.” Quinn turned away from the carriage, then stopped. There was something else he had to tell Nellie—just in case he didn’t have the chance later.
    He turned. “I love you, Nellie. I have for a very long time.”
    Tears filled her eyes but he couldn’t go back to hold her like he wanted to. He couldn’t kiss her one last time. He needed to move before Paxton’s men finished and they escaped.
    Quinn made his way to the warehouse on shaky legs, praying that he’d have the strength to hold Paxton’s men until Mack and the others got here. When he reached the open warehouse door, he cocked his pistol, then looked inside.
    There were six men removing the bundles of opium. They were all inside at the moment and in relatively close proximity to each other. If he stepped forward now, they’d be easier to control. He aimed his gun, and stepped inside the door.
    “Stop where you are.”
    The six men turned. Four of them held onto the bundles in their arms. Two did not. It would be less likely any of them could reach for a weapon if they were holding bundles of opium.
    “You two, pick up the bundles you dropped.”
    When neither of the men moved, Quinn waved his pistol. “I’d pick up your bundles if I were you. Especially you,” Quinn said, pointing to the man who’d shot him when he was there earlier. “I’d love to put a bullet in your gut.”
    The man’s eyes narrowed. “That’s mighty brave talk for one man facing the six of us.”
    “Except he’s not just one,” Nellie’s voice said from behind him.
    Quinn thought he knew fear. But nothing caused terror to race through him like knowing that Nellie had put herself in danger because of him.
    Quinn motioned for her to step beside him. If she were close, perhaps he could shield her if things went wrong.
    She moved toward him, then pointed her gun at the man standing closest to her. “I’m not a very good shot,” she said in a voice that sounded amazingly calm and steady, “but even I doubt I’d miss hitting at least one of you from this distance.”
    The two men who’d dropped their bundles slowly bent to retrieve them.
    “That’s better,” Quinn said. “Now, stand in a line against the wall.”
    Quinn pointed to the spot where he wanted them to go, but before they could move, a loud, angry voice stopped them from moving.
    “You!” an irate voice said from the side of the warehouse. “This is all your fault!”
    Quinn turned. He expected to face Carter Paxton. Instead, Baron Paxton stepped out from behind the bundles.
    Paxton took several steps toward them. His face was an angry mottled red, and the hand holding a pistol aimed at Quinn’s chest shook uncontrollably.
    “You’ve ruined everything! Everything!”
    “Put the gun down, Lord Paxton. Murder is far worse than what you’ve done so far.”
    “Maybe,” Paxton answered, “but killing you will give me great satisfaction.”
    “It will also give the authorities more cause to go after you.”
    “Do you think they’re likely to overlook what I’m doing here?”
    “No, not overlook it. But perhaps exact a sentence that isn’t as harsh as the one you will get for murder.”
    “Only if