Page 58 of Company of Thieves
“Alan,” she said with a knowing smile, and curled her fingers into his. “You are so stinkin’ adorable when you go Akbar on me.”
“I will be going Akbar all over your fair body tonight, after we are wed,” he said, kissing her hand and sending her a look that should leave her in absolutely no doubt as to his feelings, before turning from her when his sister, calling his name, threw herself into his arms.
“Zand says you have broken with Papa? And that you have a woman at last? Is this her? She’s very pretty, isn’t she? And Zand and I can be married? You look different. You look happy. I’m sorry you had such a hard time with Papa, but oh, Alan, I love Zand so very much, and now we can be together, yes?” She spoke in Kazakh, her words tumbling over one another as she kissed his cheeks and cast shy little glances toward Hallie.
“Yes to all of it,” he said in English, and, taking Hallie’s hand, pulled her to his side. “Hallie, this impertinent bit of baggage is my oldest sister, Safie. Despite being the smartest of all my father’s children, her mother was a less favored concubine, and thus Safie was married off to an ogre who treated her very badly.”
Hallie, who had been smiling, suddenly looked horrified. “I’m so sorry,” she started to say, shooting him odd looks, obviously questioning why he was smiling over something so horrendous as a brutal marriage.
Safie laughed, then leaned forward and hugged Hallie. “Don’t believe a word he says. My late husband lifted his hand to me once, and the following day, he found himself in the garden hanging upside down, with Alan holding a gelding knife to a very sensitive part. He didn’t so much as glance my direction after that, and in fact died six months later.”
“But ...” Hallie glanced at theFalcon. “Jack said there was a female captain that I would meet one of these days, but I had no idea you were Alan’s sister. Doesn’t your father ... er ... mind that you’re doing this?”
Safie put her arm through Alan’s. “Papa would have apoplexy if he knew I wasn’t at Alan’s home in the south of Italy, where I’m supposed to be mourning my husband in seclusion.” She gave a roll of her eyes. “Instead, Alan conscripted me to monitor the Mediterranean for the Company. But I had no idea you were the sister of Jack! You are so very pretty, and I can see you love Alan as much as he loves you. But when are you to be married?”
“Tonight,” Alan said, nodding when Jack and Octavia hurried over to greet Safie, followed by their crew.
“About time,” Jack said, glaring at him, after all the greetings were exchanged. Safie didn’t meet up often with Jack and Octavia, since Alan didn’t like her going to areas where she might be seen by someone who would pass on reports to the imperator, but he was pleased to have the opportunity to introduce a favorite sister to Hallie.
“You know, I get to have a say in this, too,” Hallie said in a mild voice that didn’t fool Alan for a minute. Her eyes positively danced with amusement ... and love. He basked in the emotion in her eyes, feeling as if he were invincible when she looked at him like that. “And I’ve changed my mind again.”
He frowned at her, his deliriously happy mood turning sour. “What is this? You’re not going to make me declare myself again? I have said the words you wanted to hear, and you accepted me. You can’t change your mind a third time.”
“I’m sorry,” she said, shaking her head, her eyes filled with laughter. “I refuse to marry a diplomat. Akbar may be dead, but is there anything to keep you from becoming the dread pirate Alan, who honors the famed prince by wearing his dashing and extremely sexy clothing?”
Alan relaxed, the panic that Hallie would slip away from him evaporating into nothing. He thought about what she asked of him. “I suspect William’s court will have a thing or two to say if I was to appear in the dress of a Moghul.”
“Fine, I’ll let you wear these boring clothes when you absolutely have to,” she said, flipping his tie in a disgusted gesture. “But the rest of the time ... ?”
“Nothing would please me more. Our armor is an important part of our heritage, so it is not something I cast aside lightly. Plus, it is infinitely more comfortable,” he agreed, his heart so full of happiness, he would have given her whatever she asked.
“Well. It sounds like we’re going to have a wedding tonight.” Octavia glanced at Jack. “I think we should do this properly, don’t you?”
“Absolutely,” he said, taking Hallie by one arm, and pulling her toward theEnterprise.
“Hey!” she said, frowning at him before glancing over her shoulder to where Alan stood. “What are you doing? I don’t want to leave Alan. We’ve been away from each other for an incredibly long week. Besides, I could be a mother-to-be. You can’t drag mothers-to-be. It’s traumatizing.”
“It’s bad luck for you to see the groom until the wedding.” Jack paused and consulted with Octavia for a moment, before calling back to Alan, “There’s a church on the southwest edge of town, near the depot. Do you know it?”
“I can find it,” he answered.
“Good. We’ll meet you there in an hour.”
“Two hours,” Octavia corrected him, smiling and taking Hallie’s other arm. Their crew cheered, and accompanied them back to their ship, all of them talking at the same time, each of them demanding a role in the ceremony.
“Alan, best of all my brothers—” Safie started to say, her dark eyes laughing almost as much as Hallie’s.
“I am your only brother,” he interrupted.
“If you do not allow Zand to marry me tonight, I will see to it that your marriage bed is filled with honey and fire ants and all sorts of uncomfortable—”
He clapped a hand over her mouth, and gave a shout that stopped Jack and Octavia. “Go,” he said, pushing Safie toward them.
She whooped, kissed him, flashed a gaze that was unmistakable at Zand, and ran off to catch up with the others. Alan’s heart was warmed to see Hallie slip her arm through Safie’s.
Zand grinned like an idiot. Alan studied him for a moment, then punched him on the arm. “If you make her unhappy—”
“You’ll hang me upside down and threaten to geld me, I know, I know,” Zand continued, laughing.
