His escorts took him all the way into the tavern and right up to Jack. Pip wasn’t surprised; Davey was always angling for a way to get into the man’s good graces.
“Look what we found strolling through the streets, Jack!” Davey shouted, before shoving Pip forward.
Jack caught him by the shoulders and stared, his eyes wide. “Bless my soul,” he whispered. Then he pulled Pip into a tight embrace. The packages Pip was holding buffered him against the impact, but Jack quickly remedied that, flinging the whole bundle onto the nearby table. “Pip,” he said into Pip’s hair. “My Pip. You’ve come back. I took you for lost, boy.”
Pip’s hat tumbled off his head and he felt crushed by the memories the embrace piled onto him. Panic started to build in his chest. Nothing had changed. Jack hadn’t changed; his ginger hair, his broad shoulders, the chin rough with speckled hairs, those beautiful blue eyes framed by light-colored lashes. He still smelled the same (what Pip now realized was a disgusting mixture of ale, sweat, grime, and the stale scent of sex), his big arms around Pip felt the same, those hands already caressing his hair and body felt exactly the same. He trembled with the weight of it all and cursed himself for his own weakness. He immediately realized it was a mistake to have come, but he couldn’t reach the bag while Jack gripped him to his chest.
“Did you see his new duds, Jack?” one of the men behind him said. “Don’t he look a picture?”
Jack pulled back and gave Pip a quick once over. “My, my,” he said, stroking Pip’s cheek. “That you do.”
Before he had time to react, Jack had Pip’s cloak undone and one of the boys swiped it off his shoulders. He idly wondered how much Jack would get for it, as he knew he would never see that garment again. Then he realized Jack’s nimble fingers were unhooking his coat buttons and he couldn’t even protest before Jack had those undone too. His walking stick was snatched swiftly out of his grip. Then the coat was off. He was not prepared to be stripped by Jack in the middle of the tavern, so he held up his hands to forestall the unbuttoning of his waistcoat, which Jack looked on the verge of doing. Jack took hold of both of Pip’s wrists with one large hand and slowly slid the gloves off Pip’s hands, his smile sly. It was a move Pip had fantasized Lord Finlington doing, only in his dreams the action had seemed like it would be tender and intimate. He was saddened by the destruction of that fantasy.
“Jack, please. I just came to—”
Jack cut him off with a kiss, heated and demanding, and all too familiar.
Dazedly, he realized Jack was pulling him down to perch on his lap in exactly the way Jack always favored. Only this time, Jack twisted in the seat so Pip was wedged between him and the table. One of Pip’s arms was trapped at his side and he was irritated to have been caught so off guard as to let it happen. Even worse, Jack reached into the pocket of his waistcoat and, with a tug, pulled out the purse, which he dumped unceremoniously onto the table, and the protection spell.
“What’s this?” Jack asked, sniffing it.
“Powder, for my employer,” Pip lied.
Jack raised an eyebrow and tossed it out of arm’s reach. Next, he undid Pip’s cravat, sliding it off Pip’s neck with relish. Then he rested one hand on Pip’s thigh and his other hand began the old habit of stroking through Pip’s hair. It was all so horrifyingly familiar.
Jack leaned forward and began kissing Pip’s temple, his jaw, his neck. “God, you taste delicious. Even better than you used to.”
Pip swallowed. “Jack, I’m not here to come back. I came here to pay off my debts to you.”
Jack laughed softly into Pip’s cheek. “That’s not our way, boy.”
“How much, Jack?”
Jack tilted Pip’s head so he could begin kissing the underside of his jaw. “Who sprung you from prison?”
“A stranger.”
Jack nipped Pip’s ear. “There’s no one in London who’s met you and is a stranger to me. Out with it, boy.”
Pip sighed. “The gentleman from the Fox & Thistle.”
Jack hummed thoughtfully and Pip felt the vibration against his skin. “Thought that one wanted a taste of you. Guess he finally got it, eh?”
“No, Jack. It’s not like that. He hasn’t tried anything.”
“Really?” He seemed pleased. “That is surprising.”
“How much do I owe you? Just tell me how much and I’ll pay it off, all of it, whatever it is.”
The fingers resting on his thigh began to stroke gently. “I rather like these new trousers,” Jack said thoughtfully. “I think I’ll have you keep those.”
“How much, Jack? Please?”
The hands on his thigh moved upward and Jack pressed a bruising kiss to Pip’s neck. “Now, you know that isn’t our way,” he said again. “I’ll take payment from you the same as I always have.”
Pip gasped as Jack’s fingers stroked along the center seam of his trousers.
“I’m not paying that way anymore, Jack. I’ll pay you with money this time or nothing.” And then, boldly, “Name your price. Any amount you say.”
He knew it to be a dangerous promise to make to such a man. After all, he only had so much money on him. But Pip was getting desperate and he impulsively decided that he would rather get help from Lord Finlington and feel guilty and ashamed from being indebted to the viscount than stay a moment longer on Jack’s lap.
Jack’s lips were grazing across Pip’s cheek. “You’ve changed,” he said.
“Yes,” Pip whispered. “That happens sometimes.”
“After all I did for you.”
“I’ll pay you back for all that.”
“No,” he said, pulling back a little and tilting Pip’s head to look him in the face. “You know you owe me more than money.”
“No,” Pip responded softly. “I don’t think I do. Name your price, Jack.”
“You heard my price,” he said, his fingers stroking Pip’s trouser seam.
“Money,” Pip repeated, his voice strained. “Good God, Jack. I’m telling you to name your price and you can’t even give me one?”
Jack stared at him for a long, hard moment. His fingers, which Pip remembered to always be in motion, were petting Pip’s throat while he thought. “You know,” he said. “I used to say that you and Nell were alike in a way the rest of us weren’t.”
Distracted by the abrupt change in topic, Pip said, “What do you mean?”
Jack looked pensive. “You both fight for people and principles first. Money always comes last for you.” He grinned. “It’s probably why you’re so bad at negotiating.”
“He’s only saying that because he doesn’t understand it,” said a new voice from behind.
One of the last people Pip ever expected to see in Jack’s tavern, Lino Bowles walked into view and plopped himself on the bench next to Jack. Lino was still as strikingly attractive as Pip remembered him, with light brown skin, a dark curly mop of hair, freckles dotting his cheeks, and long lashes framing his dark eyes. However, Pip recalled that the young man had always seemed almost carefree in manner. Now, there was a tightness to his expression that felt both out of place on his handsome face but also dreadfully familiar.
“Well, Pip,” he said with a forced smile. “Didn’t think I’d ever see you again. And certainly never here.”
“I was thinking the same thing,” Pip said slowly.
Jack kissed Pip’s cheek. “Someone was late getting out of bed.”
Lino rolled his eyes.
“You’re with Jack now?” Pip said, unable to keep the horror out of his voice. It felt like a lifetime ago that Lino had offered to help him with his Jack problems. Lino had been the only person to recognize Pip’s misery. Pip couldn’t rectify that past conversation with the idea of Lino in Jack’s control.
Jack chuckled. “Jealous, Pip?”
Pip didn’t answer, waiting instead for Lino to respond. Lino’s smile softened. “No,” he said. “He’s just a customer. No need to fret about me.”
Pip relaxed a little at the words. Unfortunately, Jack took that as a cue to resume his stroking. Pip immediately tensed again.
To his surprise, Lino reached forward and took Jack’s hand between his own. “Jack,” he said. “Why can’t you let him go?”
Jack smirked, tightened his grip on Lino’s hand, and then tugged the younger man forward. Then he reached up to cup Lino’s chin and rubbed his thumb across Lino’s lips. “Such a pretty mouth. It’s a pity you haven’t yet learned when no one wants to hear from it.”
“You forget,” Lino said, “that I don’t belong to you.”
“How many times must I tell you, boy,” Jack said, pulling on Lino’s chin to bring him closer, “that when I set my mind on someone, I always get them.”
“Pip got away.”
“And now he’s right back where he belongs.”
“I’m not staying,” Pip said. “And whatever Lino owes you, I’ll pay that too.”
“I owe him nothing,” Lino said. “I’ve been very careful about that.”
Jack laughed. “I think that’s enough of your lip, boy. Davey,” he said, raising his voice. “Keep him quiet, will you?”
Davey stepped forward and yanked Lino off the bench, pinning his arms behind his back. Lino tried to pull away, but Davey was bigger and stronger. His hands gripped Lino’s arms with what looked like painful tightness.
Lino raised his chin, looking stubborn. “You really think this is a good idea, Jack? How will it look to all of your loyal subjects when they find out that you’re holding me against my will? Particularly when I haven’t taken you up on any of your so-called generosity?”
Davey snorted. “You think anyone will care what happens to you, little harlot?”
Lino’s expression looked pained for a moment, but he made a brave attempt to hide it.
Jack sighed. “I thought I told you to keep him quiet.”
Jimmy laughed and clapped his hand over Lino’s mouth.
Pip tilted his head down and looked up at Jack through his eyelashes, just as Jack had taught him to do. “You might keep me here by force, but you know you’ll never have all of me. You’ll never have my heart or soul like you used to. Why bother? I can pay you enough to go find another boy who will love you with everything he has. Let us go, Jack. You don’t need us.”
Jack chuckled and skimmed his hand up Pip’s leg again. “You’re a bit out of practice, aren’t you?”
Jimmy made a disgusted noise and pulled his hand away from Lino’s mouth. “He licked me,” he said.
“Just reminding you,” Lino said, looking satisfied with himself, “that Pip is not alone anymore. He has friends. Rich, powerful ones. You really think they’ll let him be snatched like this? They’ll come looking.”
“I’ve heard that before,” Davey said.
Jimmy went to cover Lino’s mouth again and then hesitated. Jack snatched Pip’s discarded cravat and held it up. Jimmy grinned and grabbed it, tying it around Lino’s mouth in a gag.
“That’s better,” Jack said. “He’s still learning to heel yet. Taking him longer than it took you.”
“That’s because he’s a great deal smarter than I was,” Pip said. “You’ll never hold him. Just like you could never hold Nell.”
Jack rolled his eyes. “Nell was useless.”
“Nell was one of the cleverest people you had,” Pip countered. “She knew she could do better than be a thief. She knew she could do better than this life. She didn’t need you.” He paused, looking at Jack thoughtfully. “And you knew that. That’s why you let her go. I wonder why you don’t see that Lino doesn’t need you anymore than Nell did. I don’t either. We’ll both fight you with everything we have until we’re dead or we’re gone.” He allowed for a small, coy smile. “I think we’d both be worth more to you if you were paid now than if we fought you to our graves.”
“Oh, I don’t know,” Jack said, looking amused. “I think I’d get a great deal of pleasure out of both of you first.”
“Name your price, Jack,” Pip said. “I’ll pay you double whatever I owe you, if you let us both go.”
Jack hummed thoughtfully and nuzzled Pip’s neck. “Double, eh? As it so happens,” he said, his voice dangerously quiet, “I do have a figure in mind. Do you remember when your gentleman friend told me that what I’d been offered to steal that quizzing glass of his was a—what did he call it? Oh, yes, ‘a paltry sum?’”
Pip was confused by another seemingly abrupt change in topic. “Yes.”
“Well, I did some looking into the matter. Turns out, what your toff paid me was also a paltry sum. A fraction of what the item is worth.”
Pip huffed. “It does belong to him, after all.”
It was a foolish thing to say, and Pip regretted the words as soon as they were out of his mouth. The hand on his throat tightened and the expression in Jack’s eyes went cold.
“Nobody cheats me, boy. So,” he continued, his tone light again, “you get me that quizzing glass and we’ll call it even.”
Pip gaped. “You must be joking.”
Jack smirked. “The way I see it, you’ve got several choices before you. You can both agree to behave yourselves, and I’ll take care of you like I always did. We could have a lot of fun, the three of us.”
“You said several choices,” Pip said.
“Or if you want me all to yourself like before, Lino can agree to work in one of my harlot houses.”
“Definitely not.”
“Or,” Jack went on, “you can steal that quizzing glass for me and I’ll let you both go. You know I pride myself on being fair, Pip. And that’s more than fair.”
Jack had trapped him and they both knew it. No matter what option Pip picked, he would lose the friendship and trust of all the people he had come to know and love in Tutting-on-Cress. Jack was neatly taking away his future with the same dexterity with which he had stolen away his past.
“Now,” he said, kissing Pip’s temple. “What’ll it be?”
Pip knew his decision before he said the words and he hated himself for it. “The quizzing glass.”
Jack turned Pip’s head and kissed him hard on the mouth. Then pulled away and grinned. “I’ll miss you, Pip. You always were my favorite.”
If he weren’t so frightened, Pip would have rolled his eyes. He had heard Jack say those words, or something similar, to practically everybody.
Then he was yanked to stand. As soon as his feet hit the floor, he realized his shoes had been pulled off. He hadn’t even noticed. He grimaced at the prospect of trudging across London in stockinged feet in January but, frankly, it was the least of his problems.
While he was realizing all of this, Jack relieved him of his waistcoat, keeping one hand firmly around the back of Pip’s neck.
“It’s a shame you don’t have any bits and bobs on you,” Jack said, sliding a hand down Pip’s torso. He slid the hand back up and cupped Pip’s cheek. “It didn’t have to be this way, you know.”
Jack wrapped his arm around Pip’s shoulders, tugging him close. “Davey. Jimmy,” he said. “You’re coming too. Bring Lino with you.” He gripped Lino’s chin again. “Since the foolish boy is so intent on involving himself. You got anything to make sure he behaves? Make sure they both behave, really.”
Jimmy grinned, pulled out a knife, and held it up to Lino’s throat.
“Lovely,” Jack said. He kissed Lino’s temple. “Come along.”
Pip stumbled along in Jack’s grip. It was a long, cold, miserable, and painful trek across London.