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"Coan to craard the back of the box on his elbows and knees, and Frannie rolled over to follow, her long skirts twisting and catching beneath her knees Thom met her in the shadows behind the rows of seats and helped drag her farther back before reaching up with a s the privacy curtain Once it fell, he stood to help her up in the coundy velvet

Her knees wobbled, but he steadied her, one hand on each arm The knife had disappeared as quickly as it had appeared, and she realized that she knew very little about Thom, outside of his altruistic profession and his kindness She took deep breaths, trying to force herself into calm or at least sharpen her senses

"The pet shop’s ht her by surprise, and she had to think for a moment "On the outside, yes There’s wood on the inside in places"

"Then it’s safer than the fire station Can ye walk, or must I carry you?"

"I’ll let you know"

He stifled a chuckle and took her hand

Thom opened the door just a crack, and the sound of voices and the smell of overly warm bodies assailed them Cold dread sneaked down Frannie’s neck, and she held back froht beyond the door The person with the crossbow could be out there Thoed her hand, but she didn’t ot you"

He took off his jacket and slung it over the ripped shoulder of her dress Much to her surprise, he reached under her knees to sling her up tight against his chest

"Tilt your hat down," he whispered, and she obeyed, letting the deep brim cover her face

With his arms wrapped fired into the crowd She tucked her head against his chest and squeezed her eyes shut If an arroas going to come for her, she wouldn’t be able to stop it, and she didn’t want to see it Thoh the crush of bodies, a trail of gasps and whispers in his wake

"Must have fainted"

"Perhaps an invalid?"

"Told you the Maestro htly against Thoainst the linen of his white shirt His chest was hard underneath it--it would have to be, the way he wore his heavy fire and hefted hoses and ladders about In his arh invulnerable, his broad strides tearing a swath through the hall, down the stairs, and across the lobby, where his boots rang loudly against the marble as the first men from the pit dashed outside for a sh the door and into the night The clammy kiss of London’s air brushed her cheek, and Frannie dared a look around Tho her with grith on the shortest path from the Vauxhall to the pet shop

"Ye can relax a bit, dove," hefor ye will be behind us now"

"But that means they would hit you"

"Let theht cold as he ducked into a back alley, and she clutched at his chest when she saw the first bright red gleam of bludrat eyes

"A native Londoner scared of the rats?"

"Not usually But I’ve forgotten my parasol And my jacket is ripped They can sainst her palm, and hurried faster "They can always ss, where I come from"

"I was curious how you could wander about with yourwearing a" There was no polite way to end the sentence

Another chuckle, this one a shade darker "Oh, so ye noticed ainst his chest

Finally, he stopped, and she could tell fro that they were at her front doorstep

"I can stand"