It felt like hot lead slipped down my pipes.

“And how would you know that?” Rob asked. Were more like a growl. John stepped in front of me.

“Was it a secret? I could tell.”

“She’s coming with me tonight,” Rob said.

“Yeah, and you leave Scar to me,” John said.

“Oh,” Walker said, like he just understood something new. “You’re her fellow, then.”

“No.”

“Yes.”

Me and John spoke at the same time, and I crossed my arms. “I ain’t your girl, John,” I hissed at him.

He winked at me. “I’m getting there.”

I shook my head, and we all broke up. Much and Mark headed off, and John came over to me and rubbed my arms.

“So why aren’t I your fellow yet?” he asked me.

I shut my eyes so that I didn’t look after Rob. “Come on, John, you ain’t serious about me. It wouldn’t end well if you were my fellow and I saw you charming Bess, or Agatha Morgan.”

His arms went round my waist. He had a big grin, full of teeth like stars. “You saying you’re the jealous sort, Scar?”

“I’m saying that some girls slap, but I have knives.”

“For me or for Agatha?”

“Both.” He pulled me tighter, but my arms were still crossed so my elbows pushed into him.

“What if I kept all my smiles to you?”

I chuckled, shaking my head. “You ain’t that sort, John. Why go changing for me?”

“Because. You’re worth changing for.”

That gave me some sort of flutter inside, but I put my hands on his big chest to push away. He let my waist go. “We’ve got work to do, John.”

He sighed. “All right. Let’s be quick, and I’ll buy you a drink at Tuck’s after.”

“Deal.”

The others left, and me and Rob split the bag in two and started at opposite ends of Edwinstowe. It were two long rows of houses, with a big well in the middle and a church by the well, and more houses clustered there. There weren’t no village gates, just a big barn where they all kept their livestock. I started at the far end, and Rob started at Tuck’s end. This weren’t the type of delivery that I could just drop off, so I knocked quiet at every door, passed a handful of coin, enough for taxes and some food besides. Most were fair grateful, but some were more gruff ’bout it, and that were fine. I got that sometimes pride got in the way of things.

I got through maybe ten houses, which weren’t much—there were about thirty-and-five houses to go—when I heard a whish.

I turned in time to watch a branch slam my side, knocking me to the ground beside a house. The air ran from my chest and I couldn’t take none in. My nails clawed at the ground, but someone flipped me over, ripping back my hood.

“Thom?” I gasped. Pain shot through my chest, and I couldn’t breathe in. He grabbed my hair, dragging me back over the ground.

My eyes ran as I tried to breathe in, huffing Rob’s name and twisting against Thom’s hold. He dragged me behind the house by the woods, rocks cutting and scraping as I went. I managed a little breath, enough to fuel my rage and swing a kick to his knee. He crashed down, falling on top of me and knocking the air out again.

“Have it your way, then,” he said. “Gisbourne said I only had to stall for a few minutes, and this is as good a way as any.” His fingers dug in my hair, and his legs were pinning my legs down, one of his arms trapping mine.

“Bastard,” I hissed, snapping my forehead up to slam his.

He roared in pain and slugged me ’cross the mug. I punched him one back, grabbing for a knife, but he took my wrist and wrenched my arm up, holding both my arms above my head. I flopped angry like a caught fish, my hair flying out everywhere.

“How could you?” I asked. “Gisbourne?”

His free hand fisted in my shirt and jerked, tearing the fabric down the front. “He pays well! But there are certainly some benefits to the position.”

His hand grabbed my bits over the muslin, and I spat at him. I jerked up, headbutting him again. If he thought I were going to be some helpless lass, he were dead wrong. His eyes closed in pain, and I snapped my head against his nose once more.

“Rob!” I shrieked.

Thom twisted and yelled in pain, enough to free my leg to knee his male bits. He wrenched up and I drove my little fist through his jaw. Then the damn fool collapsed, pressing all his weight straight on top of me. I tried to move him, but he were out cold.

“Rob!” I shrieked again. “Hurry!”

I angled to lever my leg out, and I heard crunching in the lane. I pushed him off me, standing to meet Rob.

But it weren’t Rob’s shape I saw. It were Gisbourne up near the road, casting his shadow on me from between the houses. He chuckled, and I froze.

“I knew as soon as Thom mentioned your eyes. Before that, I didn’t dare hope,” he said, his smile gleaming like a wolf’s. “But when he said you had eyes like moonstones, I knew I’d found my wayward girl at long last. So they call you Scarlet now, do they? How ironic that you ran so far from your old life and named yourself for your expensive ribbons.” He walked closer. “What, no sweet words for your fiancé?”

My back were pounding with pain and I steadied myself on the house. A shadow were moving closer to me from behind the house, and I could only pray it were Rob and not Gisbourne’s men. I spat on the ground, showing Gisbourne my teeth like some wild animal.