A Risk Worth Taking

by Laura Landon

  The groomsman hesitated and Griff had his answer.

  “The mistress is all right, though,” Hodges said. “She’s a brave lady, and I told her before she rode away that you would be right behind her.”

  “Let’s go,” Griff said. His body was numb with fear. He couldn’t let anything happen to her.

  “Send someone back for a length of rope,” Jack said to Hodges before he followed after Griff. “At least fifty feet or more.”

  Griff pushed his mount forward. Neither he nor Jack said anything until they reached the flat area just before the drop-off that led down to the caves.

  “Do you see anything?” Jack asked.

  “No. They’re probably down below. They know I’ll come after her. Brentwood is no doubt waiting for me.”

  “But he’s not expecting me. You go down from here, and I’ll circle around. They won’t expect anyone to come from that direction.”

  “That’s because it’s nearly impassable. Are you sure…?”

  “Don’t worry about me. You just keep the bastard occupied until I can get to you. Don’t try being a bloody hero until I’m there to watch your back.”

  Griff dropped to the ground and handed Franklin his horse’s reins. “Keep the rest of the men up here. If any of Brentwood’s men make a run for it, do what you have to, but don’t let them get away.”

  “You can count on us, sir.”

  Jack took the rope from the rider who’d just come and looped it over his shoulder.

  Griff started for the edge, then stopped. “How many of them are there, Hawkins?”

  “I took care of one earlier today, so there’s only five left, but with Brentwood, they’re up to six.”

  “We’ve faced worse odds.”

  Jack smiled. “Just get her to the back of the cave, Griff. Don’t try to take her out. There won’t be enough time.”

  Griff grasped the hand Jack held out to him, then walked toward the path. He made his way down, wondering how she’d gotten to the bottom without falling.

  Griff finally reached the bottom. He took only a few steps before Brentwood’s voice stopped him.

  “That’s far enough, Blackmoor. I’ve been waiting for you.”

  Griff turned toward Brentwood’s voice. “Where is she? What have you done with my wife?”

  “She’s right here.” He pointed toward the cave. “Inside.”

  Griff saw the pistol in Brentwood’s hand and the cocky tilt to his head. He wanted to wipe the sneering grin off his face. If he would just step closer…

  “I can’t tell you how relieved I am she didn’t accept my marriage proposal,” Brentwood said, pacing before him. “This Lady Anne is not at all the meek little mouse I thought she was. She was a great deal of trouble on the way, but don’t worry, I put her in her place as I know you would have wanted me to.”

  Griff seethed with anger. “So help me, if you hurt her, I’ll—”

  Brentwood swung out his arm. “I don’t think you are in any position to issue threats, Blackmoor.” Five men stepped out from behind the rocks. Each one had a rifle aimed at him.

  Griff ignored the men and the guns, and walked toward the mouth of the cave. Brentwood’s voice stopped him. “First lay down your weapons.”

  Griff pulled the pistol out of his jacket pocket and dropped it to the ground. Brentwood smiled but indicated with his hand that he knew there were more. Griff pulled out a second weapon he’d tucked into the waistband of his breeches, and dropped it, too.

  “That’s better,” Brentwood said, then moved to the side to make room for Griff to pass. “I’m sure she’s quite anxious to see you.”

  Instinct warned Griff to go slowly, but he couldn’t. He needed to see her with his own eyes. He needed to make sure she was all right. He strode past Brentwood and almost ran into the cave.

  “That’s far enough!” Brentwood bellowed as Griff got near enough to almost touch her.

  Griff stopped but didn’t take his eyes from her. His breathing came in ragged gasps while he fought to keep from racing to her, from loosening her from the pole Brentwood had her tied to.

  The only light in the cave came from torches in the holders anchored on the wall. At first Griff didn’t notice the dark bruises on her cheeks. When he realized what they were, he experienced a fury greater than he’d ever felt before. Her dress was torn at the sleeve, exposing her scraped and bloody shoulder. He fisted his hands at his side, swearing that no matter what, Brentwood would die. “Griff?” she whispered, her voice weak, the luster in her eyes faded. “You shouldn’t have come.”

  “It’s all right,” he whispered, reaching out to cup his hand against her face. She winced when he touched her. “Everything will be all right.”

  Brentwood laughed behind him. “What an optimistic sentiment.” He circled the pole where Anne was tied.

  Griff stepped closer to her and felt the thick ropes and the knots that bound her. Each knot had been tied separately. It would take hours to cut through the ropes and free her.

  “Aren’t you going to ask why I’ve gone to all this trouble?” Brentwood cocked his head to the side.

  “I already know. You’re using this cave as a hideaway for the opium you smuggle into the country.”

  “Very astute of you, Blackmoor. I knew you must have been the culprit who came earlier and left one of my men dead. When we did a count of our goods, we came up one chest short. That’s when I knew I had no choice. I had to eliminate you and your wife now. Today.”

  “Even if you kill us, you won’t get the land. My brother, Lord Covington, will never sell it to you.”

  “Yes, he will. I realize my mistake when I came to you. I offered too much money for something seemingly so worthless. It aroused your suspicions immediately. I won’t make that mistake again.”

  “Did Freddie discover what you were doing?” Griff asked. “Is that why you killed him?”

  Griff heard Anne’s shocked gasp. Brentwood laughed. “Unfortunately, yes. I really wasn’t all that interested in the title, nor did I care overly much for possessing Brentwood Manor, although it is rather nice. I just wanted to use this little section of isolated coast where I could unload and store my goods, then distribute them without anyone the wiser.”

  “But Freddie discovered what you were doing.”

  “Yes. I think perhaps he even knew his life was in danger. Why else would he go to such lengths to have this piece of Brentwood Estate removed so it was no longer entailed? To spite me. He made sure even if I possessed the rest of his inheritance, I would never possess the portion I truly wanted.”

  “You won’t get away with this, Brentwood.”

  “I already have. I’m a very wealthy man, thanks to my little venture here.”

  “That was before your smuggling was discovered.”

  “By you? You think you can stop me, Blackmoor? Look around you. There are five rifles pointed at you, and”—Brentwood stopped and pointed to the opening of the cave—“and the tide is coming in.”

  Griff saw the water seeping into the mouth of the cave. He moved closer to Brentwood, praying he could get close enough to grab him. “You’re going to shoot us?”

  “Oh, no. That would cause too many questions. But I’m going to make sure neither of you make it out alive. It will be such an unfortunate accident, the two newlyweds trapped, unable to escape before the tide came in. The story will cause tears to fall and soften even the hardest hearts in Society.”

  Griff held back. He needed to give Jack more time to get down the cliff, but he couldn’t wait too long. Water was now seeping farther into the cave.

  “You two,” Brentwood said to two of his men. “Get the boat ready.”

  The two men closest to the entrance left.

  The odds were better now. He prayed Jack was out there and could eliminate the men who had left. He’d only have four to watch. If he could get his hands on Brentwood and hold him captive until the water rose, he had no doubt his men would abandon him to sa
ve their own skins. If only he could get close enough to him.

  “I still don’t understand one thing,” Griff said, taking a step closer. “How do you think you will be able to convince anyone that our drowning was accidental when they find our bodies bound to poles?”

  Brentwood’s brows shot upward. “You are not tied, are you, Blackmoor? Are you that anxious to make your escape that much more difficult?”

  Griff stopped where he was. The water now reached the tips of his boots. “You bastard! What are you up to?”

  “Nothing, Blackmoor.”

  Brentwood turned to the three men still standing guard. “Harley, see what’s taking the others so long. We can’t wait much longer. We have to get out of here.” Another man standing close to the entrance left the cave.

  Brentwood turned his attention back to Griff. “Where was I?” He took another step closer to Griff.

  Just a little closer, and Griff could grab him.

  “Oh, yes. I just couldn’t live with myself if I did not give you a fighting chance to survive. So, even though I have made it impossible for poor Lady Anne to escape, I have decided to leave you free. Then, when the water rushes into the cave, filling this part of it to the ceiling, you can stay with your true love and perish together, or”—Brentwood laughed as he waded through water that now swirled around his boots—“you can leave her to her death and save yourself. And live with what you did for the rest of your life. Even if you did survive and told what you know, who would believe a man who’d abandoned his wife to save himself?”

  Brentwood laughed, the sound sending chills down Griff’s spine. “I wish I could stay around and see how this little drama unfolds. I believe you may be the only man in all of England who has the habit of surviving his wives while they drown.”

  Griff knew he should give Jack more time before making his move, but Brentwood’s words affected him more than he could stand. With a roar, he leaped through the air. He grabbed Brentwood around the throat and wrestled him to the ground.

  One of the men standing guard got off a shot before Griff tackled Brentwood into the swirling water. Griff felt a burning sting to his upper arm, but he wasn’t hurt enough to impede his movements.

  “Get him!” he heard Brentwood holler, but when the two remaining men made a move to come closer, Jack rushed into the cave and tackled them both.

  Griff hit Brentwood hard in the gut. The bastard doubled over in pain but recovered and came to his feet with a knife in his hand.

  Griff wanted to get this over quickly. The water already swirled around their ankles, which made going after him difficult. Griff had to hurry. The longer Brentwood held him off, the less time he had to free Anne.

  He rushed forward, focusing his attention on the knife in Brentwood’s hand. He lunged, then pulled Brentwood’s hand to the side and twisted up. Brentwood staggered backward, then went beneath the water. He came up sputtering.

  Neither of them could move now. The water was nearly to their knees, and made even the smallest steps extremely difficult.

  Brentwood lunged forward and locked his arms around Griff’s shoulder. He brought his hand down to stab Griff in the back, but Griff twisted to the left. When Brentwood reached for him, Griff grabbed his arm and thrust the knife upward. He buried it deep in Brentwood’s chest.

  Brentwood’s eyes opened in disbelieving horror as the water turned red with his blood.

  Griff kept his hand on the knife until he was sure Brentwood was dead, then pulled the knife from his body and released him. He didn’t take time to watch their nemesis float facedown away from them. He needed to get to Anne. The water was already past his knees.

  “You’re safe now, Anne.” Griff wanted to hold her in his arms, but he didn’t have time. He had to get her loose before the water rose so high they couldn’t work with the ropes.

  “I’ve tried, but I can’t get loose.”

  “I know. We’ll free you. Just hold still.”

  “If you don’t—”

  Blood pounded inside his head. “We will.”

  Griff checked the ropes. Blood dripped from Anne’s wrists where she’d struggled to free herself from the ropes that bound her to the pole.

  “How are we going to handle this?” Jack hollered, wading over to Griff’s side. No fewer than ten separate ropes held Anne, from her chest to her ankles. “I’m afraid the pole is too strong and big around for us to break.”

  “We’re going to have to cut the ropes. It’s the only way.”

  “Even with both our knives, there’s no way we can cut through this many ropes in time. They’re too thick.”

  “Hold still, Anne. Don’t move.” Griff took his knife and slit her gown at the waist, then pulled on her petticoats until they drooped downward. “Do you have your gun? Is your powder dry, Jack?”

  “Yes.” Jack pulled it from his jacket and held it.

  “I want you to shoot as many of the ropes as you can from the back. Fire against the pole. The bullets won’t go through. I’m going to try to cut all these layers of skirt. Once all this excess material is gone, the ropes should be loose enough to fall to Anne’s feet and she can step out of them.”

  “There’s not enough time, Griff,” Anne said as the water rose to her hips. “Get out before it’s too late.”

  Griff ignored her and kept working while Jack stepped back and fired the first shot. The bullet sliced the lowest rope just below the water line and it fell to the water.

  Six ropes held her tight above the waist, and six below. Jack fired six shots, one after another, freeing Anne from the waist up. Now she was tied only by her hands and by the six ropes that bound her from her hips to her feet. Griff worked frantically to stuff her layers of clothing beneath to give them some slack. Already, though, he had to work underwater, coming up only long enough to take a breath before going back under.

  “Can you shoot the rope loose from her wrists?” Griff gasped when he came up and saw that Anne was free on top.

  “If you hold her steady and keep her wrists as far apart as possible.”

  Without hesitating, Griff stood in front of Anne and wrapped his arms around her. He grabbed hold of each hand and pulled her wrists apart. Griff didn’t doubt Jack could put a bullet between her hands without harming her. He was that good.

  Griff pressed himself against her and looked into her eyes. What he saw made him more afraid than he’d ever been. What if he lost her? What if they couldn’t free her in time? What if she drowned, too? Just like…

  “I love you, Anne,” he whispered, bringing his lips down on hers. “I love you,” he repeated as the gunshot blew through the rushing water. The rope fell in two and her arms were free.

  Tears rolled down her cheeks. “I love you, too, Griff.”

  Griff released her and dove beneath the water to push her skirts beneath the ropes.

  He was frantic to get her loose. Even with Jack’s help, they couldn’t free her fast enough. The water was already up to her chest and rushing into the cave faster than before. His chest burned and his lungs screamed for air, but he forced himself to stay underwater as long as possible. Four ropes still held her.

  No matter how fast he worked, he was afraid she would not be free in time. He was afraid he could not save her before the water rose above her head. Afraid there was no way he could keep from losing her.

  Griff rose to the top and took a deep breath, then dove back down. The pain was unbearable. His head spun in dizzying circles. He was so tired and weak he couldn’t stay below as long as he had before. His heart pounded so hard he thought it might explode.

  Jack’s knife sawed through the second rope. They had only two more ropes to cut and she would be free. He was frantic. His hands trembled while he worked. If only the water would stop rising, but it didn’t. If anything, it seemed to rush in faster.

  He and Jack needed another breath and they both pushed to the surface. The water was up to Anne’s shoulders and she lifted her chin to be able to brea
the.

  “We’re almost done, Anne,” he cried out, but she didn’t answer him, only looked at him as if to memorize his features, as if knowing this could be the last time she might see him.

  “I won’t lose you,” he promised, then dove back to the bottom.

  Jack worked on the lowest rope until it snapped apart, then swam away to get the long length of rope he’d brought with him. When he came back, he tied it around Griff’s waist and swam to the large open room, where it was dry. Griff was glad. He wasn’t sure he had the strength to carry Anne that far on his own.

  Griff cut at the rope and the material that bound her, thinking he would not need another breath to free her, but the knife wasn’t as sharp now and wouldn’t cut through the wet rope. He couldn’t make it. He needed another breath.

  He pushed to the top to gulp a huge breath, and before he dove back down, he looked at Anne. The water covered most of her face now, with her nose lifted high so she could breathe.

  He dove back down and sawed at the rope with frantic urgency. He couldn’t lose her, couldn’t live without her. He’d die before he’d let her drown. But it was taking so bloody long to get the last rope off.

  Finally, it fell loose and he pushed upward, reaching for her to pull her to safety. But he was too late.

  Water covered her head.

  Griff freed her, then pulled her above water, but she didn’t struggle for air. Instead, she floated facedown in the water.

  “No!”

  He heard the hoarse echo of his voice as fear took over every part of his body. He reached for her, turning her to keep her face above the water, but she didn’t take a breath. “Anne! Oh, God, Anne. No!”

  Her face was pale, almost blue, and she lay in his arms like a limp rag doll while Jack pulled them toward dry ground.

  Terror raged through him until he couldn’t breathe, until he couldn’t think. He couldn’t lose her.

  “Dear God. Please don’t take her away from me,” he prayed over and over. “I love her too much.”

  Chapter 33

  Griff felt solid ground beneath his feet and tried to stand but his legs were too weak to support him. He went under with Anne in his arms. He struggled to his feet and Jack pulled on the rope to help him walk the slope upward until he was on dry ground.