Wicked Lies: Book 2 in the Wicked Love Series

Wicked Lies Prologue: Sally gripped the rail of the luxury liner she and Anabel Potter were traveling on. Her blond curls, framing her face, blew in the gentle night breeze. Slight in stature, Sally was repeatedly mistaken for a girl and not the wealthy widow she was. The journey, smoother than her last trip aboard a cargo ship, was still causing her stomach to turn. Sally had convinced herself that she wanted to travel the world, but each time her stomach rolled with the movement of the ship she wished she had stayed with the Deacons. Robert Deacon had taken Sally in when she was young and homeless. She had stayed by his side and completed any task he or his sister Pearl had asked her. Sally watched Robert and his wife Amelia interact together and didn’t want to admit to anyone that the loving couple caused her heartache. Sally’s marriage had been short; she and her late husband had been friends, but there was no love. She wanted what Robert and Amelia had. Standing on the ship’s deck, Sally wondered if her decision had been rash. Traveling back to England, pretending to be a wealthy American heiress seemed more like an impetuous mistake. She was an heiress, she reminded herself, she wasn’t American. Her gut tightened again and rolled with the movement of the ship. She told herself it was only the motion of the boat, but deep inside Sally was wracked with a pang of nervous guilt. Someone was sure to recognize her as the little pickpocket that worked in Diablo’s whorehouse. She wrinkled her brow at her silly thought, no one in polite society would accost a stranger about being a thief or a w***e. Straightening her spine and squaring her shoulders, Sally reminded herself that she could be the woman she pretended to be. Still, her self-confidence did nothing to help her motion sickness. Anabel’s joyful exuberance was not helping Sally’s anxiety during their trip. Although the two women were close in age, Anabel’s childlike innocence at times irritated Sally’s nerves. While neither of the women came from high society, Anabel’s father had gained wealth quickly, sparing no expense on any of his daughters. Anabel’s lack of refinement was evident in every way, making Sally wonder if everyone saw her as a charlatan as well. “Sally!” Anabel squealed behind Sally. “Miss Potter,” Sally shouted, her accent sounding foreign in her ears. “You must call me Mrs. Clark in public. And one does not sneak up on others.” She turned to face Anabel. Seeing the hurt look on Anabel’s face immediately caused Sally to regret her choice of words. “I’m sorry, Anabel,” Sally whispered. “I shouldn’t have shouted at you. I’m not feeling well.” “It’s alright. I shouldn’t have startled you.” Anabel replied. “Maybe you should lie down? It’s not like you to let someone sneak up on you.” Sally’s mouth tightened into a thin line. It wasn’t like her to allow someone to sneak up on her. Only when she wasn’t feeling well did anyone ever surprise her. “You’re right. Perhaps I should lie down.” Sally patted Anabel on the arm. She smiled to herself as she walked toward her room. Her voice, manner, the accent had all changed so much in the past few months, there wouldn’t be anyone in England that would recognize the pickpocket Sally Spade. Chapter 1 Sally Spade stood in front of Jack Pointer’s filthy desk. Coins were stacked up in the middle of the desk. Chipped empty dishes with dried bits of food littered the edges of the desk. Old newspapers were crumpled on the floor. Sally’s matted hair was tucked underneath. her cap and her threadbare clothing hung loosely from her frame; Sally’s large blue eyes followed Jack’s hands as he counted out the piles of coins on the desktop. A greedy smile spread on his thin lips. He had stringy black hair, rotten teeth, bad breath, and blotchy skin. She pulled a diamond-encrusted pocket watch from her boot and tossed it onto the table with the money. Jack counted everything. “Miss Spade, what else did you bring me tonight?” He said with a grin. Sally dumped three large purses full of coins, four pocket watches, and six rings on the table. Jack went through everything, counted every bit, and tossed Sally a few coins. “Keep up the good work.” He said pointing to the door. No matter how much Sally brought back, Jack always gave her the same amount to take away. She started to grumble. “That’s more than last night and the night before. I want my fair share.” Jack shook his head and clicked his tongue. “Sally, Sally, Sally. We feed you, don’t we?” “Yes.” She said, Although the food was slightly better than what she was fed in the workhouse, it was still meager. “We provide you with a safe place to sleep, don’t we?" Again, Sally answered “Yes.” “And we protect you, don’t we?” “Yes,” She said again. “It breaks my heart to hear that you think I’m cheating you.” He smiled at her, showing his rotten teeth. “Now, if you would like to make a few more coins, I do have a special job for you.” He said, gesturing to his lap. Sally wrinkled her nose, she felt her stomach churn as bile rose in her throat. She had no intention of letting Jack or anyone else touch her. She drew her lips together in a tight line. Sally knew Jack was cheating her, but she knew Jack played dirty. She turned to leave Jack’s little office. “Where are you off to, Miss Spade?” He asked her. “Bed.” She answered, but Sally was off to make money of her own. She broke Jack’s rule. She went out without telling anyone where she was going. Sally headed to a gentlemen's club named Diablo’s. The night was early, and she stood a good chance of making money for herself. She hid in the shadows and waited for the doors of the club to open. Slowly she crept up to an inebriated gentleman. A large arm wrapped around her waist and hoisted her in the air. Sally was thrown over the man’s shoulder as she punched, kicked, and screamed to be let go. She was taken into the club through the back entrance and tossed onto a hard kitchen chair. Sally glanced around her quickly, the room was clean and lit by a fire. She was alone with her assailant. The broad-shouldered man peered at her. He had piercing blue eyes and light brown hair.