“The flowers can then be put against the windows in the hearse,” Fletcher said.

It was possible. Difficult and risky and dangerous . . . but possible.

“You think Kumar’ll be able to find a double hearse?” Baz asked.

Stone nodded.

“And Dominique worked in carpentry,” Fletcher said. “We can give him your specifications, and he’ll make certain you’ve got a couple pine boxes suited to the task.”

They were really going to do this. Gemma’s heart pounded even as it dropped further and further into her stomach. She looked to Baz once more. “You don’t have to do this, you know. You could just leave Town.”

“The Mastiff and your uncles would still target people who know me, trying to sniff out where I went, believing I could lead them to you.”

“Not if they are convinced I’m dead.”

“Are you saying you don’t want me to start new somewhere with you?”

“That ain’t it at all. I—you—you didn’t ask for any of this. You married a Kincaid to save me from a terrible fate. I feel like I’m dragging you into a rather terrible fate now. You’d be dying in a very real way. You couldn’t be Doctor Barnabus Milligan anymore. You wouldn’t be the Barnabus Milligan who runs safe houses in London and rescues people. There’d be no chance of maybe meeting your actual family after all.”

“You are my actual family, Gemma.”

“Because you didn’t have a choice.” She stepped away, trying to calm the storm of conflicting emotions swirling inside her. She wanted him to come with her. She wanted him to build this new life with her. But she couldn’t bear to think of him giving up so much for a wife he’d not chosen to begin with.

Baz moved to stand behind her. “I never should have said I married you because no one else could help you.”

“But it’s true,” she said.

“Sometimes the truth can be worded in such a way that it becomes a lie.” His arms wrapped around her. He rested his cheek against hers. “Acknowledging that we were in a situation where choices were limited has given you the very false impression that I am not choosing this—choosing us—now.”

She closed her eyes, letting the moment write itself on her mind and wrap itself around her heart.

“Though I’d love to stand here all day, holding you like this,” Baz said, “our two friends over there are likely to grow impatient if we don’t get back to the business of our untimely deaths.”

“I cain’t think of anyone I’d rather untimely die with,” she said.

He laughed, then kissed her cheek once more.

Gemma felt a bit better. She was still overwhelmed, and they were still facing tremendous danger. But she felt a very little bit better.

Chapter 29

Chapter 29

Mr. Sorokin had worked a miracle.