by Dayna Quince
“I don’t have the necklace, you should let us go,” she pleaded.
“Let you go? Why ever would I do that? I want to see you suffer for the grief you have caused me. Your friend here is a boon. I can either ransom her, sell her, or both!” He laughed excitedly.
“If you don’t let us go right now, Lord Redwick will find you, and you will wish for the hangman’s noose,” Lilly warned.
“Oh yes, the infamous Lord Redwick. Terrible trouble that chap is. At the very least, I will escape with my head intact. You nearly cost me my life with your thievery, and now you will pay for it. However, once we reach France, I will no longer have need of you or your little friend. The price you both shall fetch will not go far to replace my losses, but what can one do?”
“Price?” Lilly paled.
“Oh yes, there is a decidedly lucrative market for pale-skinned women. The purer and more refined, the higher the price.”
“You bastard. I’ll die before I let you sell us off like cattle,” Lilly screamed, attacking him with her nails and feet.
A stinging slap knocked her into the window. “Keep it up and you will get your wish.”
Lilly wept silently as she glared at his retreating form. They traveled for what felt like hours, but when they emerged from the carriage, the position of the moon had not changed much. Lilly guessed it was close to midnight. Her surroundings were shrouded in darkness. She could hear the creaking of ships as her eyes began to adjust. They were navigating their way down a dirty and deserted wharf where any manner of beings could be lurking. Mr. Hollow tugged her along, followed by one of his men, who carried Olivia’s still unconscious form. She moaned but never woke.
Weaving their way through stacks of crates and coils of rope, they arrived at the shadow of a large ship. Low murmurs could be heard aboard. Stopping before a gangplank, Mr. Hollow whistled a strange tune. There was an answering whistle and then they boarded the ship.
Lilly frantically took in her surroundings, looking for any means of escape, but it seemed in every shadow there were menacing eyes watching her. They were led down stairs into the hull of the ship and put into a small cabin. The room was completely bare except for a small porthole and a single cot. Olivia was dropped onto the cot, and Lilly rushed to her side.
“Olivia!” she cried. “Are you awake?” She cradled Olivia’s head and found a large lump on the back. Olivia cried out when Lilly lightly touched it.
Mr. Hollow laughed. “Sweet dreams, ladies. I will come for you when we reach Calais. Do not venture from the room. The men aboard this ship are no better than rabid animals.” He slammed and locked the door behind him, leaving them no light except the meager glow from the porthole.
“Oh, Livie, I am so sorry. I should have never involved you in any of this. It’s all my fault.” Lilly sobbed. She felt helpless. She had been so close to happiness, and now she feared the worst. If everything had gone as planned, she would have married Dominic and lived the rest of her life in love, surrounded by her friends. It was everything she could have dreamed of, and now it was slipping away. Just as before, in a flash it would be gone, all her hopes shattered. However, this time she was not alone. Olivia would be dragged down with her.
The guilt was all-consuming.
Whatever she had to do, Lilly would protect Olivia—even at the cost of her own life. Lilly shivered in the cold, dank room. She had collapsed into a pile of despair beside the cot and rested her head next to Olivia’s, while holding her dearest friend’s hand. She could hear the rustling of feet above her, subdued voices, and the slide of heavy ropes.
Lilly cried out when the ship began to move. “Oh, Livie, what can we do?” She stood and began to pace the small cabin anxiously. By now, someone would have noticed their absence, but how would they know where to find them? It seemed so hopeless, even for a man like Dominic.
“Oh, Dominic.” She sighed wearily and stopped before the small porthole. “How will you find us?”
She heard a soft moan and knelt beside the cot. “Livie, are you awake?”
“Ugh, what happened to me?”
“You hit your head, dear. Can you sit up?”
“Maybe.” She groaned as Lilly pulled her into a sitting position and sat beside her. “Where are we?” She dazedly took in their surroundings.
“We are on a ship bound for France. I’m sorry I got you kidnapped, Olivia.” Lilly hugged her tightly.
“Really?” Olivia said in astonishment.
“Olivia, how are you so calm? My stepfather is going to sell us!”
“Bollocks, Lilly—someone is probably looking for us right now. I have every faith in—ow!” She winced and touched her head. “How did we end up here?”
“We were ambushed in my room. You don’t remember that?”
“I don’t recall.” Olivia shrugged.
“I still don’t understand how you can be so calm. You must be in shock.” Lilly put her hand to Olivia’s forehead, but it was difficult when her own hands were cold and clammy.
“We will get out of this, Lilly. I’ve seen the way Dominic looks at you. He will search the world until he finds you. I’m betting we won’t make it halfway to France before we are rescued.” She grasped Lilly’s hand. “We must never let go of hope, otherwise we are already lost, and I refuse to give up.”
Lilly watched her friend and drew strength from her presence. “You’re right, Livie. We can’t give up. Dominic will find us."
Chapter 29
Dominic and Chance arrived at Colton Shipping on horseback, sweating from the mad dash across the city. Quickly dismounting, the two noblemen met with Olivia’s brother and an unknown gentleman. They quickly made introductions, learning that the unknown gentleman was a boyhood friend of Devon’s from the neighboring estate.
Jeffrey Colton Darling was not a nobleman, but his family built and owned the fastest ships in England, and that made him exceedingly rich. With his dark hair, dark eyes, and unshaven, swarthy face, he looked no better than a pirate. His gaze was as hard as steel, and he possessed an aura of reserved power that gave Dominic the impression that capturing ships was something this man did with ease.
“One of my men heard word of the Oily Eel pulling anchor not twenty minutes ago. She moved in the dark with nary a lantern burning to guide the crew. Very suspicious.”
“Who captains the Oily Eel?” Dominic asked.
“Don’t know. There are a lot of ghost ships that come in and out of this harbor under the cover of night but are always gone before dawn.”
Dominic’s instincts prickled. It could be unrelated, but his gut said otherwise. Lilly was on that ship, and so was Mr. Hollow.
“It’s got to be them. Have any other ships left this night?”
“Not a one.” Colton smiled. “I’d bet my fortune we can catch ’em. A twenty-minute lead is nothing to My Darling Emerald.”
Devon laughed. “Where did you get a name like that?”
“Your sister’s eyes, of course,” Colton teased.
“Bollocks, Darling, I should hit you for that.” Devon scowled at his old friend.
“I only tease you, Devon.” Colton shrugged nonchalantly. “I just made it up, no significance. I was drunk when it came to me.”
“My sister is on that ship being exposed to God knows what.” Devon paced the dock in agitation.
“Relax, Devon. We will get them back, and then we can torture those bastards for taking them.”
“I like the way you think, Captain,” Dominic said.
They boarded as Colton’s men hastily set sail. Within moments, they were moving with the tide into the black chasm of the open ocean. The moonlight was fleeting as a bank of clouds began to encroach from the south.
Dominic took a place beside Colton, unable to even feel the bite of the cold wind as they gained speed. My Darling Emerald’s sails snapped taut in the wind, carrying them to even greater speeds across the inky abyss.
“How long before we reach them, Captain Colt
on?” Dominic asked. His eyes never left the horizon as he searched for any sign of the merchant ship carrying away his heart.
“Not long.” He smirked. “Once spotted, we can decide how we want to take them.”
A man whistled from the crow’s nest. “Straight ahead, Cap’n.”
“Ready for hostile board,” Colton called from the helm.
Dominic tensed, still unable to see the ship against the black sky and equally black water. “How do we catch them?”
“Surprise attack. We will use the cover of the clouds to sail right up beside them. We will send a dingy with some of my roughest crew to prepare our welcome.” Colton smiled wickedly. “Mr. Timms, are you ready?”
“Yes, Cap’n. I’ve got my knife and my Bible.”
“Bible?” Devon said skeptically. Mr. Timms was a fierce-looking man with a shaved head, a scar under his left eye, and strange writing tattooed on his exposed neck and forearms.
“Mr. Timms was a vicar in his former life, until he fell in love with a married woman and exiled himself from his small village. He is kind enough to read last rites when the occasion calls for it, which is thankfully rare. In the meantime, he is my first mate and an exceptional sailor for being a man of the cloth.”
Mr. Timms held out his forearm and pointed to the dark writing forever stained into his skin. The men stepped closer to see.
* * *
Thou Shall Not Covet.
* * *
Awed, the men stepped back and Mr. Timms set about his work. All the writing covering his skin was scripture. Dominic watched the man work, and a sad ache formed in his chest. It was clear this man was punishing himself for his sins, and even though he could be no older than Dominic, guilt and life at sea carved heavy lines around his eyes and mouth.
“Don’t pity him.” Colton broke into Dominic’s thoughts. “He is freer now than he ever could be as some small village vicar. This ship is his church, and these men his congregation. We are honored to have him with us. Will you wait on deck or in my cabin while we board?”
“I’m going with you,” Dominic declared. His stance and granite-hard gaze said the fact was non-negotiable.
“My lord…” said Colton.
“Don’t waste your breath,” Chance warned.
“So be it.” Colton gave a low whistle and the men below readied a dingy. “Your chariot awaits, my lord.”
The small boat was loaded with hulking, dangerous men, and as they were lowered to the water, thick clouds came crawling in like the fingers of an unknown beast. Dominic still couldn’t see the ship as My Darling Emerald slowed to a near stop. Suddenly the clouds were so thick Dominic could barely see the water before the small boat reached it.
Silently the men rowed, and a large, dark shadow appeared to loom over them as a misting drizzle began to fall. As they pulled alongside the merchant ship, Dominic looked back, but the Darling Emerald was completely shrouded in mist and invisible to him.
Like sinister shadows, Colton’s crew began to climb the side of the ship, as quick as spiders. Dominic followed, amazed with their dexterity and the secret nooks and holes they found to place their feet and hands in.
Dominic had been in many tense situations and experienced one too many close calls, where he barely escaped with his life. He was used to the fear, used to the hair-raising tension the moment before an attack but this time… This time the woman he loved was in danger, and every second he was away from her paralyzed him. The thought of losing her was too much to bear; so much so, that it took all his strength to block it out and focus on the task at hand. When Dominic found Mr. Hollow, he would make him pay with his life. Dominic wanted him to know he was coming and to fear it. He wanted him to surrender and beg for mercy.
Dominic was the last to climb over the railing onto the deck. Shadows moved all around him as fist met flesh and shouts were subdued. The misting fog was disorienting as Dominic headed toward what he hoped would lead to Lilly. He looked back over his shoulder. The dark mass of My Darling Emerald had pulled right up beside the merchant ship.
Lilly and Olivia sat, silently listening to the eerie sounds above them.
“What’s happening up there?” Lilly asked warily.
“Mutiny?” Olivia stared at the ceiling, equally puzzled.
“I would expect that to be louder, but then again, how would I know?” Lilly got up to look out the small, round window. “I can’t see anything but fog.” She returned to the cot and took Olivia’s hand. “Whatever happens, we will face it together.”
They could hear heavy footsteps running, and it sounded as if they were coming closer. Men began to shout, but their words were muffled. Their cabin door burst open to startling screams from both of them.
“You bitch! I will kill you before he finds you. I will never let him take what is mine.” Mr. Hollow lunged at them as the women split apart to evade him. He grabbed Lilly by the waist and twisted, bringing them to the floor by the cot. Lilly kicked violently, succeeding in squirming out of his hold and scrambling to her feet, but in the small cabin there was nowhere to run, and he soon had her against the wall. She swung at him, but he was quick to grab both arms and cage her wrists in one hand while placing his other hand around her throat. He looked into her eyes, and Lilly looked back into the soulless depths of his.
“It’s a pity I did not have time to enjoy more of you.” His eyes caressed her heaving bodice, but just as quickly returned to her face as his hand tightened around her neck. “I want to see the life fade from your eyes.”
Olivia jumped on his back, swinging her dainty fists and grabbing clumps of hair.
“Ow!” Mr. Hollow cried, letting go of Lilly’s throat. She collapsed to the ground, gasping for breath.
Olivia clawed and scratched at Mr. Hollow’s face as he spun around, trying to shake her off. Olivia lost her grip and slid off his back, landing next to Lilly just as a shadow filled the doorway.
“You will pay for that, bit—” Mr. Hollow froze as he saw the man standing there.
“Release them and I just might spare your life,” Dominic snarled.
Lilly wanted to cheer with joy, but her throat felt like she had swallowed glass. Her heart filled with such love and happiness, she thought her chest would burst. He stood there like a dark knight ready to slay the dragon and whisk them away to safety.
“Come to me,” Dominic said, keeping his gaze locked on Mr. Hollow, who seemed to be frozen with fear.
Lilly grabbed Olivia’s hand, and together they darted past Mr. Hollow and behind Dominic as he stepped into the small cabin.
“Go above. Chance will see you both to safety,” Dominic ordered, and by the look in his eyes, Lilly guessed what was about to happen was something she would never want to see or know Dominic was capable of. However, Mr. Hollow dearly deserved it.
The women ran down the hall to the stairs as Dominic slowly closed the cabin door and locked it.
Chapter 30
When Lilly and Olivia reached the deck of the ship, Chance and Devon were waiting. Olivia jumped into her brother’s arms, and he spun her around. Whatever faults Devon had, he dearly loved his little sister.
Chance briefly hugged Lilly. “Where is Dominic?” he asked.
“Doling out some knuckle justice, I would assume.” Olivia laughed when Lilly gasped.
“Really, Livie, I had no idea you could be so bloodthirsty.” Lilly shook her head in wonder.
“I did.” Devon smiled. “I grew up with her.”
“I would like to think I had a hand in it. She idolized me, after all.”
“Colton!” Olivia beamed and jumped on the man who spoke.
He wrapped his arms around her and lifted her well off her feet. “Good to see you, Livie, although I would prefer not to have to rescue you from the arms of traitors.”
“All right, that’s enough,” Devon scolded. “You can unwrap yourself from him, Livie.”
Olivia blushed furiously and glared at her brother. She reluctan
tly let go of Captain Colton. “He is my friend too, Devon,” she snapped, clearly embarrassed.
Lilly looked to where they had come from, anxious to see Dominic again and know he was okay. She was surprised when she saw him standing there just a few feet away, watching them.
“Lilly” was all he said, but there was so much meaning behind it, Lilly’s knees almost buckled when she stepped toward him, and then ran into his arms.
Dominic held her so tightly he was probably hurting her, but he didn’t want to let go.
“Dominic, I was so scared. I didn’t think you would be able to find me.” She cried into his neck.
“No one could take you away from me.” He buried his face in her neck, breathing in the scent of her mixed with the tang of ocean and misting rain.
She pulled away and looked into his eyes. “Is he…?”
“No,” Dominic said regretfully. “I’ll let the crown have that honor. All I care about is you. Let’s go home.”
“I could not agree more.” Lilly smiled.
Dominic dispatched two men to bring Mr. Hollow to the waiting ship, bloodied, bruised, and unconscious. Olivia and Lilly were escorted onto Colton’s ship and into the captain’s cabin, where a warm, cheery fire and hot tea were waiting for them. The mood was light as the friends sat at a small table huddled under wool blankets, after removing soaked jackets and ball gowns. The ladies, of course, were given the use of two very fine, albeit large, dressing robes of Colton’s.
“I don’t believe I have ever had this much fun. What an adventure!” Olivia said cheerily. She snuggled into the warm rabbit fur-lined robe and inhaled the scent of the man it belonged to.
“You must be in shock, Livie. I don’t know how you stayed so calm throughout this ordeal,” Lilly said.
“I am not in shock,” Olivia said defensively. “I am stronger than I get credit for. I realize I was in danger, but I am not going to be some simpering miss who faints when things get rough. I stayed positive and was prepared to fight for my life.”