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Soainst the brick wall Before she could react in self-defense, he was pressing his body against hers, pinning her in place, one of his hands gathering up her skirt, lifting it--

"I’e from Bob Sykes," he rasped, his breath rancid fro teeth "Leave his boys be"

"Letto buck his "Not until I get paye I’ve alanted a taste of a fancy skirt"

He cla hers, his other hand touching her--

No, no, no!

She elve again, fighting, fighting--

Everything happened in a heartbeat Struggling against the dark abyss into which she wanted to fall, she pulled out the knife and thrust it--

He yelled and was gone She heard a thud, even as the knife hit so hard, and the iroan sounded

Labored breathing echoed around her

Fingers dug into her shoulder In the pale glow of a distant gas la at Greystone, his hand pressed to his side She could barely ers

She heard a scrabblingaway "This ain’t over, Frannie Darling," her attacker called out as he disappeared in the deep shadows and around the corner of the building

Releasing the knife, she pressed her hand over Greystone’s He ground out a strangled curse, and she felt the warers So much blood

"Dear God How badly are you hurt? Can you make it up the stairs? I want to have a look, see how--"

He wrapped his hand around her neck, surprisingly strong, holding her near "If I’m to die," he rasped, "let me do so…with the taste of you upon my lips"

Without his usual finesse he planted his mouth over hers She told herself that he couldn’t be th and his e fluke of fate that he’d jerked her attacker off her just as she was plunging a knife toward hishis blood over hiainst hi to bleed to death"

"It’s ath to climb the stairs?"