Page 6 of Pirate's Intent
Luke squinted at the letter and shook his head before he shrugged and tossed it aside. “Can’t make out a bloody word.”
He’d certainly made out every word but played his part well. Unfortunately, the warning look he shot Thomas a short while later told him something unforeseen had happened. Whatever those scrolls had said made their plan a whole lot riskier. Especially considering, having sniffed out an opportunity, Big Devil's rat had followed in the wake of that trunk.
ChapterTwo
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THE MOMENT ‘BIG DEVIL’S’minion left, Rose leaned her head back against the cage she’d been shoved into and bit back a sob. Then another. Then one more before tears finally fell. She clenched the bauble she had managed to keep hidden and prayed for strength.
She had sworn she would not do this, that she would remain a character from her book as Hannah advised, but it was much harder than one would think. Especially considering the sheer terror she’d felt since she and her sister were taken. She was tossed over one shoulder and her sister another until they were plunked down in a skiff and brought ashore.
Hannah being Hannah, hardly remained quiet the whole way, telling them precisely what she thought of their predicament. When that did no good, she promptly began bartering for Rose’s safety. That, of course, was the last thing on these barbarian’s minds, so Rose continued playing dumb. Literally. As daft as a poor fool in one of her latest books.
Yet she wished she had played a more courageous part.
That she had fought for Hannah as her sister had done for her.
In truth, she nearly had, and Hannah knew it.
“Do not do it, Sister,” she had warned Rose on a hissing whisper. “Play your part and survive.”
While she understood the logic, it was the hardest thing she had ever done. Almost more than she was capable of when Hannah was dragged away. Her head might have been held high, but pride did little for the ultimate fate her sister faced in the brothel. Then again, it seemed their fates weren’t all that different in the end.
Both were at the mercy of monsters.
“Control yourself, Rose,” she whispered into the darkness, trying for calm when she felt only fear. “What good will tears do you?”
She rolled her shoulders and tried to make things out, but it was so blasted dark her eyes weren’t adjusting. Therefore, paying attention to details coming in so, she could get out had been a moot point. Shehadlistened though and heard the snap of a padlock on her cage door.
Best to start there.
She felt around until she put her hands on it. Embracing the persona of a stealthy spy, she pulled a pin from her hair and started fiddling with the lock. And fiddling. Then fiddling some more. They made it sound so easy in her books, but nothing seemed to be happening.
“It’s not quite as easy as that,” came a voice from her past. “You have to move it just right.”
She blinked, not overly surprised she’d think of him right now.
That he would be her voice of reason.
“Right,” she muttered, recalling how he had bent her hairpin just so and showed her. “Usually, if you turn it slowly, you will find the catch and free it.”
So Rose did as he had said, and by the Lord's almighty grace, it unlocked. She nearly whooped with joy but instead flew from the cage only to run smack into someone. Before she could scream, a strong hand clamped over her mouth, and she was pulled against a hard body. If that weren’t jarring enough, the voice in her head actually spoke, British accent and all.
“Shh, Rose, it’s me,” he whispered. “Thomas.”
Thomas?Truly?
It could not be.
She must be going mad.
When she struggled, he gripped her tighter. “It is me, Rose. We met in Yorktown when we were ten, shared our first kiss beneath the old oak at fourteen, and were secretly betrothed by sixteen.”
She froze, stunned.
It reallywasThomas.
“My quartermaster can only keep your captor off for so long,” he murmured, his breath warm against her cheek, his scent not all that different than it had been in their youth. Spicy and masculine.
