Page 32 of Trapped By Clocks and Hearts

I rolled my eyes in resignation, but the moment I loosened my hold on Bill, he spun around, rearing back his arm to punch me in the face.

“You loathsome f—!”

It didn’t take much to weave away to avoid his laughable aim. But before I knew what was happening, Allie moved in to deliver a swift knee between Bill’s legs and he collapsed with a howl.

“Let’s go,” Allie urged, whirling around to run away.

I glanced at Bill, a crying heap on the floor as he clutched at his groin, and shrugged before following suit behind Allie as we ran up the stairs.

I couldn’t help my remark. “Steven is a terrible name.”

Somehow that made Allie laugh. “And Mary Ann is what? Your most favorite name in the whole entire world?” Her gaze sliding over my shoulder, her smile faded. “Oh, crapshoot.”

The saloon behind us was quickly filling with an angry mob of more ruffians, headed directly for the stairwell.

For us.

Annoyed, I clicked my tongue. I could possibly fight them all. I glanced over at Allie, her eyes wide with overwhelm. There was no guarantee that I could protect her at the same time. Without my magic, it would be too risky.

I backed up. “Go, out the side door,” I told her and followed suit as we ran down the narrow passageway along the side railing to head to the rear in an attempt to delay the inevitable fight.

When we reached the stern where the big paddle wheel furiously churned white water, I whirled back around.

Dead end.

Bracing my hands on the railing, I stopped to glance up the river. “We need to get off this boat now.”

Allie checked up the way. “Are we close enough to the other side?”

“Please tell me you can swim,” I prompted.

“I’m not the best but I can float.”

“Good enough.” I moved to help her up the side of the railing but she grabbed my arm.

“Wait.” Her gaze was on the floor, her eyes narrowed as if ascertaining something. “The boat is moving too fast. It’s not safe.”

I glanced past her shoulder at the rushing mob of bloodthirsty thugs. “Well, it won’t be safe on here for too long either.”

Allie’s gaze flicked out to the water and her eyes lit up. “I have an idea.” She pointed across the water to a buoy marker. “There’s a slight bend over there where the boat is likely to slow down. We just need to time it properly and then jump off the boat.”

Reading her firm tone, I grumbled inwardly, but I knew there wasn’t much choice.

“How much time until we reach the buoy?” I wanted to know.

Allie bit her lip. Her eyes darted around as she was seemingly trying to figure out something in her head and mumbling incoherently.

I narrowed my eyes. “Are you trying to calculate the velocity of the steam boat against the drag of the river current based on our distance to the buoy?”

She gave me a look of ridicule. “No, that’s crazy. I’m listening for the slowing down of the steam engine.”

But the noise of the mob was getting louder too, footsteps clattering on the wooden deck, on the metal stairs, and even beneath us. They were going to surround us soon.

“Allie!” I prompted in urgency.

She waved me away with a screech, “Shush!”

The fastest pair of the thugs was about to come upon us. I groaned in exasperation as I surged forward to take them on. I blocked an onslaught of punches before whirling around to deliver each thug swift kicks in the face. But as they fell at my feet with a clatter, two more sets of thugs jumped down from the top level of the boat, landing right in front of me.