The Vampire of Tinkerfall (Elysium #3)

~Nine: Part III~

Gin humored Booker for only one night before she slipped away and returned to the slums. Not that she hadn't enjoyed staying with him. He'd been a perfect host. He fed her, served her tea, entertained her. In fact, when she refused to sleep in one of the guestrooms, he pulled up an armchair and sat with her in the parlour. When she woke the next morning, he was still there, dozing soundly, his head resting in his hand.

But it was because he'd been such a good host that she felt the need to get back to work. He'd been so kind to her. No, not just kind. He'd saved her life. She had to repay him. And the only way she knew how to do that was to get him the information he was after. So, with renewed zeal, she threw herself into ferreting out any news about Noxbury.

She managed to avoid Ford, but Madison was another story. He found her almost as soon as she left Booker's place. "What happened to you?" he exclaimed, grabbing hold of her and gawking at her purple, swollen nose.

Freeing herself from his grasp, she waved away his concern. "Only a little run-in with a thug. Nothing to worry about."

He went pale. "It was Ford, wasn't it?"

She shrugged and turned away. "Maybe."

Madison caught her shoulder and made her face him again. "It's because you missed all those jobs. He tried to kill you."

"I'm alive, aren't I?"

The boy's lower lip trembled before he threw his arms around her and hugged her tight. "Gin, I really don't want you to die," he whispered.

Sighing, she returned his embrace. "I'm not dying, Maddie. Not yet."

After another moment, he released her and swiped at his eyes with his tattered sleeve. "So what happened?"

"Broken nose. And maybe a broken rib."

He cocked his head, his eyes running up and down her face. "It doesn't look crooked."

"Booker fixed it."

She started making her way to the station, and Madison followed after her. "You went to the doctor?"

Clearing her throat, she looked away shyly. "No, he found me. Actually, he stopped Ford from finishing me off."

"He did? Man, he really is a good doctor."

She smiled softly, fingering the metal bird stashed away in her pocket. "Yes. He is."

"So, what? You gonna work for him full-time?"
Taking a deep breath, she gazed up at the rising sun. "Maybe."

"What about Ford?"

The pain from her injured nose spread through her veins and into the rest of her body. "I'll find a way around him."

~

Worried that Booker would be mad at her for sneaking out without telling him, Gin made her way to the Clocktower that night, hoping to catch him before he went home. He dined there nearly every day, so she was confident she'd find him there. She'd apologize for running off and try to make it up to him. She had to make sure he wasn't upset with her. Losing his approval was not an option. She had to stay in his good graces, whatever it took.

"Oy, ratbag!"

She froze at the sound of Ford's slurred words, and for a terrifying moment, she thought he was there for her. But when she spun on her heel, she found that his attention was on, not her, but a gentleman coming from the Clocktower.

No, not just a gentleman. A doctor.

Booker.

"Pardon?" Booker replied, eyeing Ford suspiciously. "Do you mean me?"