The Secrets of a Scoundrel (30 page)

A few minutes later, he could hear her coming even before they had brought her topside. “Take your hands off me, you disgusting brutes! I can walk by myself, thank you very much!”

Heart in his throat, Nick could have wept to hear the fire in her voice. Whatever they might have done to her, she hadn’t lost her Scottish fighting spirit, and he nearly dropped to his knees to thank God for it.

“You hear that? A proper hellion, that one,” Rotgut said with a smirk. “Hope you know what you’re in for.”

“Oh, I think we’ll manage just fine,” the mercenary Jonathan Black murmured, arms folded across his chest as he waited for his prize.

She burst up from the hatch still wearing the same gown in which he had last seen her weeks ago, in that Paris alley. She was pale and thin, the wind running riot through her auburn hair, which hung free, but her eyes had never blazed so wild, the cobalt blue of the Adriatic all around them.

Nick forgot to breathe from the minute that he saw her.

He had only a moment to steel his expression before she noticed him standing there in her angry scan of the decks.

She went motionless.

The two crewmen holding her arms laughed at how she had frozen at the sight of him, misunderstanding the reason for her shock. They took it for terror.

Nick held her stare in fierce warning, willing her not to give away the truth of the bond between them.

He glanced at Rotgut. “Well, well,” he said. “Very nice, indeed. I’ll take her.”

The slaver gestured to the men to bring her closer. Virginia stopped fighting, staring at Nick in amazement, her complexion gone even paler, her eyes wide.

He could not bear to hold her gaze for long for fear that his relief and his love for her would be written all over his face. Or worse, that he would give in to the overwhelming need to take her in his arms and hold her as tightly as he could, forever.

“Aye, here’s the hellcat I told you about, Black,” Rotgut said, nodding as he, too, looked her over. “She’s yours if ye want ’er.”

Nick put out his hand to her. “Come here, woman.”

The soft-toned order seemed to jar her out of her daze. “Why?” she forced out.

Nick figured she was just playing along with the charade.
Clever.
No doubt she wanted to run into his arms, but she kept her wits about her.

After all, a woman
ought
to be reluctant to be presented as a gift from one criminal to another.

“I’m taking you home with me,” he replied, trying not to sound too strangled by the lump in his throat.

She stared at him soulfully, an anguished mix of joy and sorrow warring in her eyes, but she made no move to come to him though the sailors had released her.

“Come!” he ordered, waiting with his hand out to rescue her, every nerve ending thrumming with crazed protective instincts.

But either she was taking the charade of resistance too far, or, he thought with a sickening feeling, she was even more traumatized than he had anticipated. For, to his amazement, she shook her head slowly and once more, gave the answer: “
No.
”

Chapter 22

G
in could not take her eyes off him.

Everything in her longed to run to Nick and fling herself into his arms.

Fraught with emotion and fragile after all she had been through, she was shaking from head to toe with the shock of seeing him again, especially since she had been half-certain he was dead.

Boundless love flooded her at the sight of him.

But her refusal to go with him was genuine, and as she held his stare, she saw him gradually realize that.

The confusion in his dark, fiery eyes gave way to a flash of understanding. Disbelieving fury filled his face. “Come to me! Now,” he repeated in a hard tone. God only knew what lengths he had gone to to save her.

But she shook her head again, her heart in her throat, for she knew what she had to do.

Perhaps he was catching on. He glowered at her like he would wring her neck, and it wasn’t just for show. “I gave you an order, wench,” he warned, while his midnight eyes pleaded with her,
Don’t do this to me.

She balled her fists at her side and held her ground, refusing to budge. The men snickered at her show of obstinacy, but Nick’s eyes narrowed.

He cast a cold glance at Rotgut. “Might I have a moment alone with the wench to apprise her of her situation?”

“Be my guest! But don’t go rogering her in my stateroom,” the captain drawled with a coarse laugh, gesturing toward the door on the quarterdeck.

While the crew laughed, Nick closed the distance between them with a few angry strides and grasped her by her arm. His touch was blissful, his nearness heavenly, even though she could tell he wanted to throttle her.

“Like to borrow a belt, Black? Give her a few snaps on the hind end, eh? That’ll get her in line.”

“Not necessary,” he said through gritted teeth.

“Go on, ye little spitfire, go with him!” Rotgut taunted her, as Nick escorted her none too gently into the stateroom. “Willful witch, now you’ve met your match, haven’t ye?”

The moment Nick had closed the door of the cramped, messy stateroom behind them, he turned to her in bewilderment. “What do you mean, no?” he whispered.

Gin couldn’t hold back. She launched herself into his arms; he caught her up hard in his embrace, and she clung to him in trembling secrecy and silence.

She ran her hands almost frantically over his head and shoulders, glorying in the solidity of him. “You’re a miracle,” she breathed as she held him hard. “I can’t believe you’re really here. I thought I’d lost you,” she whispered with a small sob.

“I’m here, sweeting,” he soothed barely audibly. Then he cupped her face and pushed her back gently to examine her for signs of injury.

Thankfully, the black eye she had received from Limarque was long gone. She did not wish to stoke the wrath he already felt.

As they stared into each other’s eyes, Nick touched her hair with a mix of adoration and fury on her behalf. He took her face between his hands and kissed her on the forehead with exquisite gentleness, then on the lips.

She closed her eyes. The man melted her entirely.

When he pulled her into his arms once more, she rested with all her soul against his chest. He stroked her head in soothing reassurance as he held her. “It’s all right. You’re safe now,” he whispered.

“Oh, Nick. I’ve missed you so much.”

“And I, you. More than you’ll ever know.” He kissed her head again, cradling her in his arms. “But there’ll be time for kisses, sweeting. Right now, I’ve got to get you out of here. I’ve got a ship waiting just a stone’s throw away. Rotgut and I have made an exchange of gifts, y’see, some of my guns for one of his women. Now, let’s get the hell off this ship before he changes his mind.”

She warded him off when he started to draw her toward the door. “Nick—I can’t.”

“Why? What are you talking about?” he whispered.

“I can’t abandon these girls! They don’t have a chance without me.”

His jaw dropped. He stared at her incredulously, then blurted out, “I’ll drag you!”

“Please don’t. Can’t you see? As one of Rotgut’s prisoners, I’m in the best possible position to help the others escape. Nick, please. I can do this—with a little help. Show me you believe in me like my father never did.”

“So that’s it?” he whispered in outrage. “You always wanted to be an agent, and now you think this is your chance? Are you mad, or do you think this is a game?”

“Of course not!” she whispered back. “But I can’t walk away from these girls just to save my own skin! We’ve got to do something!”

“I’ll
do something,” he corrected with a glower. “You’re a lady, for God’s sake! And you’ve already been through enough. Let me take you to safety first, then I’ll send for a contingent of Marines. There’s a base on the other side of the island—”

“What island? Where are we?”

“Corfu. Adriatic. We’ll come back here in force and stage a raid—”

“Absolutely not.” She shook her head. “As soon as they see you coming, they’ll kill the girls and burn the ship to hide the evidence. It won’t work.”

He scowled at her, amazed by her retort. “Well, what do you propose, then?”

“I don’t know!” She searched his face in frustration. “What would an Order agent do? What would
you
do if you were in my place?”

“Well, that’s easy. I’d take over the ship.”

His answer startled her. “How?”

He shook his head. “Forget it. This is madness. There is no way I am leaving here without you.”

“Darling, listen to me.” She clasped his lapels, gazing up at him. “If Rotgut is allowing you to take someone off this ship, then you have to take the little girl, Rose.”

His midnight eyes flared at this news. Then he let out a low groan of doomed exasperation and dropped his head back to glare at the ceiling.

“She’s just a child, Nick. Please. You have to get her out of here, not me. I can fend for myself and help protect the others.”

He could not seem to speak for a minute. Then he looked into her eyes, his own churning with frustration. “You’re serious.”

“Of course I am,” she whispered. “I am Virgil’s daughter, and I will not leave these girls behind to die.”

He shook his head at her, at a loss.

“Nick, please. You’ve got trust me.”

“After you lied to me about the whole reason for this mission?” he retorted in a whisper. He visibly checked his impatience with her and gave her a hard look. “I know about your father’s journal. You should’ve told me.”

She winced. “I know. I’m so sorry. I shouldn’t have kept anything from you. I won’t in future. Please forgive me.”

His gaze softened and he ran his hand down her arm with a comforting touch. “Of course I forgive you. But, honestly, woman! Charging into that alley on that horse . . . You should have stayed out of it.”

“They were going to shoot you! Was I to let them?”

“Never mind, we’ll talk about it later.” He captured her chin, lifting her head again to search her eyes. “Are you all right? You seem remarkably yourself after everything. More than I expected.”

She nodded, pleased with his assessment. “I’m well enough. You?”

“I’m fine.” He hesitated. “Has anyone . . . hurt you?”

She knew what he was really asking. If she had been raped. “Limarque tried. It didn’t go well for him.”

He seemed taken aback, then he melted at her dry reassurance.

With a soft laugh, Nick shook his head, pulled her close again, and held her tenderly. “That’s my girl.”

She smiled, dizzied by the bliss of his embrace.

He kissed her forehead as he sheltered her in his arms. “Sweeting?” he murmured after a moment. “About your father’s book—I’m afraid I must ask. Did you give Limarque the codes?”

“No.”

“Good,” he murmured in relief.

“But he still has it,” she warned.

“I’ll take care of it from here. As for you—”

“I’ll be fine,” she promised. “Just help me figure out a plan to get everybody out of here. I’m not leaving just to save my own skin. I couldn’t live with that.”

He pulled back a little to give her a rather paternal frown. “I still think this is daft. But, if you insist, and you swear to me by your stubborn head that you’ll use the utmost caution—”

“I will, I promise!”

He nodded reluctantly, even as he eyed her with a speculative glance. “Very well, then. Where are they keeping you?”

“Cargo hold, behind a heavy, barred door that’s always locked, except when they bring rations or carry out the slop.”

“Can you pick a lock?”

“If I have a suitable instrument, yes.”

“Here.” He bent down and gave her the knife hidden in his boot, unbuckling the small strap that secured the sheath.

“Ah!” Her eyes lit up as she grasped it, sliding the nasty little blade out of the sheath and holding it up to the light. “This should come in handy!” she murmured with great relish.

It felt wonderful to have some means of self-defense in her hand again, at last. As Nick straightened up again, she noticed him staring at her. Did she seem too savage?

“What is it?” she asked.

“Your father would have been extremely proud of you.”

She smiled ruefully as she put the knife away.

Then Nick leaned down and kissed her with mesmerizing softness. The silken caress of his lips on hers made her shiver with longing to make love with him again.

Perhaps his thoughts had wandered down the same wayward path, for he ended the kiss abruptly, as though unwilling to be distracted by desire when so much was at stake. Taking hold of her shoulders, he pushed her back sternly to arm’s length and stared hard into her face.

“Right.” From that moment, he was all business, all spy. “Here’s what you need to do . . .”

He told her.

Gin listened avidly. She hung on every word until she had her full instructions, asking just a few brief questions.

“Have you got all that?”

She swallowed hard, nodding. “It doesn’t sound too difficult,” she said, though her heart was pounding.

“I’ll see if I can’t even the odds for you before you make your move. You’d better be safe,” he added, pausing as he cupped her cheek. “Because it’s beginning to look like I can’t live without you.”

She beamed at him. “Really? Does that mean you’re not still planning to go to America?”

“Oh, I think life with you is plenty wild enough for me,” he whispered. “Of course, when all this is over, I still fully intend to pay you back for scaring me like this. You’ve got it coming, just so you know.”

She smiled, her lips inches from. “Mmm, that sounds fun. Nick?” she murmured in a dreamy tone after he had kissed her again. “I want you to know how much you mean to me.” His eyes glowed warmly at her words as he pulled back just enough to meet her gaze. “I never thought I’d feel this way.” She ran her hands slowly down his rock-hard arms. “Thoughts of you—and of Phillip—are all that’s kept me going. At least, thank God, my son is still safe at home.”

An odd look skimmed his face.

She paused, unsure what it meant. Maybe her love words had made him uneasy. “What is it, darling?”

“Nothing. Just promise me you’ll use all possible caution when you do this thing. I can’t lose you again.”

“You won’t. I promise. Well—I guess we’d better go back out there before our dear Captain Rotgut gets suspicious.”

“Right. I’ll tell him he was right, that you’re too much damned trouble. Which is true.”

She pinched his cheek for that, smiling adoringly at him.

“And then we’ll see if there’s any honor among thieves. If the rat will let me choose another female,” he added in distaste.

“You’ll know little Rose when you see her. Blond curls. Big blue eyes. Once you get her to safety, tell her it was all my idea. We’ve become quite close.”

Nick took a deep breath, then let it out with a look of disgust. “I can’t believe you’re making me act the part of someone who would buy a child virgin. I kill those kinds of men. With great zeal.”

“And I love you for it,” she replied. “I know. I’m sorry, darling. But if there may be shooting, all the more reason to get the little one out of here before it starts.” Gin shook her head. “God knows she’s already been through enough, poor thing. She’s scared to death. The only blessing is that she’s too innocent to understand what these men intend.”

“Good,” he grumbled. “I’ll see that she stays that way.”

As he turned and grasped the door handle, pausing to gather himself for another round of playacting as one of the criminal cutthroats, Gin quickly hid the knife under her skirts, buckling the strap above her knee.

He glanced back at her. “Ready?”

“Not quite.” She pulled him down for one last, passionate kiss. Heart pounding, she whispered a promise that they’d be together again soon.

“Now I’m ready,” she breathed.

He wasn’t, it seemed, hesitating for one moment more. “I love you, Virginia,” he suddenly blurted out. “I just wanted you to know that.”

She drew in her breath at his declaration—just as a shout from outside summoned them back to an unforgiving reality.

“You’re not rogering her in there like I said, are you, Black?”

“I wish,” Nick said under his breath. Then he opened the door. “Damn you!” he yelled at her, rubbing his cheek as if she had clawed him and cursing at her under his breath.

Gin followed him, trying not to laugh at his performance—though that was partly from nerves and partly from her sheer, giddy joy that the hero of her girlish dreams had just said he loved her.

“Hellcat! God, you were right, man! She’s a vicious thing!” The men laughed heartily while Nick feigned sheepish indignation. “The little viper bit me! No thanks, you can keep the guns, I don’t want her. Bloody hell!”

“Ah, poor fellow! Let’s see if we can’t find you another,” Rotgut said with great humor, clapping him on the back. “You ruined it for yourself, lass. Try to get away with that when I sell your lily-white arse to some prince of Arabia.”

Gin hissed at him in answer, but stole one last longing glance at Nick before they returned her to her dungeon.

N
ick soon left the slavers’ frigate with a screaming twelve-year-old slung over his shoulder as he climbed down the ladder.