Signs of Love and Deliverance

by Tracy Kay

  “I intend to,” he whispered huskily and snuffed out the last candle.

  CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT

  He was angry. No, he was furious. Madeline had been listening to one of Mac’s tall tales about a sea serpent when Pete had informed her that the Captain wanted a word with her. She observed Damon across the deck waiting for her to make her way to him. He was a formidable man with his posture stiff and commanding. His eyes sparked like fire in the bright, morning sun as he watched her intently. Madeline had never seen him this way and she was a little afraid. He must have discovered her meeting with Captain Flint. She should have told him last night about the meeting. She should never have disobeyed him. She should have found a better way to threaten Flint. When Madeline stopped in front of him, she put her hand out in supplication. “I am sorry, Damon. I only . . .”

  He cut her off. “To my cabin. Now.” His voice was firm and filled with anger. Madeline meekly turned and walked to the cabin with Damon following closely behind.

  Upon entering the cabin, Madeline turned to face him. “Damon, I . . .”

  Damon did not give her a chance to explain. “Do you realize the danger you put yourself in by leaving this ship alone? If Farrington was here, you would be dead by now.”

  “Damon, I am sorry.”

  “Sit down.” He gritted his teeth and pointed to a chair.

  “Damon, please let me explain,” she said as she sat on the edge of one of the chairs at the table.

  Ignoring her, Damon said as calmly as he could, “I expressly forbade you to go ashore alone and you disobeyed me. You lied to me, Madeline.”

  “I never lied to you,” Madeline defended herself, doing her best to stay composed. She was a grown woman for goodness sake. She wanted to stomp her foot, say that it wasn’t fair that she couldn’t do as she pleased, but that would have made her seem childish and she wasn’t about to do that.

  “You promised you would not leave this ship.” Damon pounded his fist on the table to emphasize his point, making Madeline jump.

  “I said I would try to obey you. I never promised that I would and I never promised that I wouldn’t go ashore alone,” she replied earnestly, trying to defuse his anger.

  “I took it as a promise, Madeline. I told you not to go ashore alone. I trusted you to obey me,” he argued. “How can I protect you when you do something so foolish?”

  “It wasn’t foolish,” Madeline disagreed. Didn’t he understand that she was only trying to help? Closing her eyes, she took a deep breath to calm herself. “Let me explain. Please, Damon.”

  “Will your explanation be the truth?” Damon glared at her. “Because, Madeline, I hate people who lie to me,” he said vehemently.

  “I will tell the truth, Damon. Every last sordid detail.” Madeline bit her lip, trying to keep the tears from falling. She didn’t tell lies often, but when she did, they were only because she had to, like with Captain Flint. She hated disappointing Damon and she never did lie to him. “I didn’t lie to you, Damon,” she said again.

  Damon sat across from her at the table, trying to keep his temper under control. He gestured at her with his hand. “Go ahead, Madeline, explain.” The urge to turn her over his knee was overwhelming, but that wasn’t going to accomplish anything between them so he squashed the feeling. He would hear her out and then decide if he would punish her or not.

  “I went to see Captain Flint.”

  “I am aware of that,” Damon’s eyes glittered with anger.

  “Damon, please,” Madeline said quickly. “I wasn’t in danger, I promise. I met him at the restaurant we had dinned in earlier that day.”

  “That man is very dangerous, Madeline. Why did you find it necessary to meet with the man?” Damon ran a frustrated hand through his rumpled hair. Brandon wasn’t kidding when he said she was a handful.

  “I overheard one of your crew say he was threatening you and I wanted to put a stop to it.” Madeline furrowed her brow. He was upset with her. She could see him struggling to control his anger and she felt horrible having caused it. She was regretting her meeting with Flint.

  “Madeline, the man makes constant threats on my life, and if I can’t stop him, I seriously doubt you can,” he said sharply, giving her a condescending look.

  “Well, I did. I have some influence you know,” she replied indignantly. He might be cross at her, but he didn’t have to insult her.

  “Tell me.” Damon tried to reign in his temper. It was a rare occasion for him to become this infuriated, but somehow Madeline had managed to make him come close to losing his control. He wanted to shake some sense into her.

  “I threatened his livelihood. I know a man in West Africa, Monsieur Tabot, who can keep him from his revolting business. I told him that if he didn’t leave you alone, I would put him out of business,” Madeline replied with a haughty lift of her chin, sure she had done the right thing and confident in her abilities.

  “Madeline, you didn’t?” Damon was exasperated. Patience, he had to dig deep to find his patience. It was never wise to threaten a man’s livelihood, especially one such as Flint. He knew she meant well, but this wasn’t London’s society where there were rules of etiquette.

  “I did, but that is not all.” At his raised eyebrows, Madeline rushed on. “I told him I was to be your wife.” Madeline cringed, waiting for his outburst. He didn’t disappoint her.

  “You did what!” Damon yelled, but was able to catch himself before rising completely out of his chair.

  “I said we were to be married,” she repeated quietly and glanced down at her clasped hands resting on the table.

  “I heard you the first time,” he said testily. “Madeline, you lied.” Patience, he was desperately trying to find some because he had just run out.

  “I know, but not to you, only to Flint,” she said in a rush. “He doesn’t have to know we aren’t to be married. He only needs to believe that we are. I am, after all, a very powerful woman, a duke’s daughter, and if you did marry me, you would become an Earl. It is part of my dowry, along with lands, a large estate, and a great deal of money.” Madeline had spoken very fast, needing to get it all said before she burst into tears. She bit her lip, hoping that Damon would understand and wouldn’t stay angry at her. She didn’t like being the cause of his anger.

  “Madeline, I don’t care about your title, money, or lands. That sort of thing holds no meaning to me. I care about you and your well-being,” he said in exasperation.

  She blinked at him in surprise. Her title and wealth was why she was sought after and respected, even feared, in London’s society. The fact that Damon didn’t care about those things was disconcerting and confusing for her. “But . . .”

  “Madeline,” he interrupted. “Flint won’t care either. He will figure out that you lied, and at the very least, he will want proof. He won’t believe you, particularly when he knows where I come from. He will never believe a lady would marry me.” Damon ran his hand through his rumpled hair. He was frustrated, infuriated, and mildly amused by her antics all at the same time. She had him tied up in knots and he didn’t know if he should spank her or kiss her.

  “Why not? You are a wonderful man, Damon. Any woman would be lucky to have you as a husband. I would marry you in a minute if you asked.”

  Damon stared at her in astonishment and his anger deflated. “You would?”

  “Yes, I would.” Madeline stood and came around the table to kneel in front of him. Taking his hands in hers, she gazed up at him with imploring eyes. “I love you, Damon. It is why I did what I did. I would do anything for you. Anything. Please, Damon, forgive me,” she pleaded. “I know what I did was reckless and I should never have left the ship, but I did it because I love you. I don’t want Flint to hurt you anymore.”

  “You love me?” Damon was too stunned to say anything else.

  “Yes, Damon, I love you.” She met his amber eyes with her own emotion-filled, glistening, green eyes.

  Damon squinted at her susp
iciously. “You are not saying this because I am angry with you?”

  “You can be as angry with me as you want.” She tossed her head in defiance. “And I will still love you.”

  “When did you start loving me, Madeline?” Damon asked, uncertain if she was playing a game with him to get out of a punishment or telling the truth.

  “I don’t know.” Madeline shrugged. “Maybe it was that first night when you held me while I cried or maybe when you rescued me from the rigging.” Madeline held his hands against her breast. “All I know is that somewhere along this voyage, I fell in love with you, and I want to protect you the way you protect me.”

  Easing a hand free of her grip, Damon cupped her cheek in his palm. “I don’t know what to say.”

  “You don’t have to say anything.” Madeline averted her eyes from his intense gaze. It hurt her deeply that he didn’t love her in return. She was only another affair to him. She was sure he cared about her and needed to protect her, but he didn’t love her. “I don’t expect you to love me in return.” She bit her lip before shyly meeting his eyes. “I only wanted you to understand why I had to see Flint.”

  “It was foolish. I don’t want you leaving this ship again without me.” Damon ran a finger lightly back and forth over her bottom lip to ease the pain she had inflicted on herself, and smiled gently at her. “I love you, too.”

  “I promise I won’t leave the ship without you again.” Confused, Madeline stopped herself, crinkled her brow, and blinked in disbelief. “Did you say you love me?”

  “Yes, Madeline, I love you.” Damon caressed her cheek, his eyes twinkling with humor and love. “I have for some time now.”

  Gripping his hand tightly, she regarded him in amazement. “You love me?”

  “Yes, I love you.” Damon squeezed her hand and grinned at her. Madeline laughed and Damon joined her as he pulled her onto his lap and took her into his arms. Damon leaned away from her and grasped her chin with his fingers. “I am holding you to your promise.”

  “I know,” she said, and tilting her head to the side, she bit the corner of her lip again and shyly peeked up at him through her lashes. “Now that we have established we love each other, will you marry me?”

  Damon was stunned. “I don’t have anything to give you, Madeline. I am only a sailor.”

  Madeline gazed at him with love and smiled softly. “You have your love to give me. That is all I need.”

  Damon shook his head. She was a lady, a duke’s daughter. It couldn’t be this simple. “What about Brandon? Shouldn’t I seek his permission?”

  She placed her hand on his cheek and smiled wryly. “He gave you his permission and blessing when he gave me to you.”

  “What do you mean?” Damon asked, drawing his brows together. He had the sinking feeling that she had drawn the same conclusion Chameleon had. Brandon had set them up.

  “Brandon knew that this was likely to happen and wanted it; otherwise, he never would have trusted you to protect me. He would have kept me with him.” She explained with amusement in her voice. “I know my brother, Damon. He intended this. He wanted you to make love to me. He wanted us to fall in love and he wanted us to marry. Regardless, as you know, his ship came into port this morning and you can ask him yourself.”

  “I can do that. We can do that.” Damon returned her smile uncertainly. “Are you sure you want to marry me, because once it is done, there is no going back?” There was no way in hell he would ever let her go once they were married.

  “It is what I want.” She hugged him closely.

  Damon kissed her deeply, holding her tightly against him. When she was breathless, he released her mouth and tipped her head up to meet his eyes. “I am still angry with you, you know.”

  Madeline blinked at him in surprise. She had hoped her revelation would cause him to forget his anger, but it hadn’t. “Are you going to punish me?”

  Damon chuckled and tweaked her nose. “I should, you little minx, but no, I am not going to punish you. However, you are not permitted to leave this ship without me. Is that understood?”

  Madeline nodded.

  “I need to hear the words, Madeline. I don’t want to have to confine you to this cabin and post a guard.”

  “I promise I won’t leave this ship without you. Now, kiss me again before I die from desire,” she demanded.

  Damon threw back his head and roared with laughter before squeezing her tight. “I intend on doing more than kiss you, Madeline.” Damon stood and carried her to the bed. “I am going to make long, sweet love to you,” he whispered as he laid her on the bed, covering her with his body.

  “I am so excited. I can’t wait to tell Brandon we are getting married.” Madeline hugged Damon’s arm to her as they walked towards Brandon’s docked ship, the Midnight Glory.

  “Don’t get too excited, Madeline. I still have to ask his permission and he could say no.”

  “Not a chance.” Madeline laughed. Madeline’s amusement stopped short when she saw six men coming towards them with pistols pointed at them. “Damon . . .” Madeline squeezed his arm in apprehension.

  “I see them. Stay calm, Madeline. It is going to be all right,” Damon reassured her, drawing her close as the men surrounded them. There was no escape. Flint made sure of that.

  “Move, and don’t say a word or I will kill you both here and now.” Flint barked and waved his gun in front of him. Madeline stared at Damon with fear in her eyes. He took her hand and steered her in the direction Flint had indicated. As they made their way across town, Damon surveyed the area around him, searching for an escape, but Flint’s men were everywhere, and none of the pedestrians were going to interfere to help them. They were too frightened of the armed sailors or unwilling to get involved.

  When they approached a rundown shack, Damon took stock of where they were. He had to find a way for them to escape. To his surprise, and perhaps to their advantage, Flint dispersed his men, leaving only two sailors behind to guard the building. Flint shoved Damon and Madeline inside. What greeted them was a single room with a dirt floor and no windows. The only light was sunlight filtering in from the cracks in the walls. A rickety, scarred table and two chairs sat in the middle of the room. Flint shoved Damon into one of the chairs. One of the sailors, a big, burly man, took out a rope and tightly secured him.

  Madeline watched in horror. The room, Damon being tied to a chair, was all reminiscent of Joselyn’s death. Madeline shivered as the memory crashed over her. She closed her eyes and saw Joselyn’s lifeless body. She gave herself a mental shake. She wasn’t Joselyn, and as long as she kept her wits about her, she wasn’t helpless. With determination, she took a deep breath and opened her eyes. As she looked at Damon, he flashed her his dimples in a quick smile and gave her a wink.

  “Go guard the door with Fredricks,” Flint ordered the man, who quickly left the room. Flint grabbed Madeline by the hair and dragged her against him, jamming the gun into her ribs. He leered at Damon and curled his lip. “Your woman ain’t yours no more. She ain’t much compensation for what you lost me, but she is a start. She will bring a nice little price.” He ogled her blatantly, licked his lips, then shifted his hand from her hair and grabbed her breast, squeezing and rubbing it brutally. He yanked her closer into him and gyrated his hips against her. “That’s if there is anythin’ left of her when me and my crew gets done with her,” he said cruelly and twisted Madeline’s breast viciously.

  Madeline yelped out in pain, much to her mortification. With her cry, Flint dug his hand into her hair and tugged on it, causing her eyes to sting with tears. She swallowed back the bile forming in her throat and blinked away the tears, ignoring the pain.

  He was revolting. The stench coming from him was so noxious she had to fight the urge to gag. She didn’t want to give him the satisfaction of knowing he had caused her pain. She wasn’t weak and she refused to let him see her fear.

  “You son of a bitch. She did nothing to you. Let her go.” Damon fought the r
opes, desperately trying to get out of them. When he got free, he was going to pummel the bastard to death. Damon took a deep, calming breath. He had to keep his head and figure out how to get of these bonds. He quickly perused the room for anything that might help him.

  Flint gave a short laugh, enjoying his power. “I don’t think so. I’ve been waitin’ a long time for this. I’m goin’ to enjoy fuckin’ her while you watch.” Flint yanked at her hair when Madeline began to struggle. “Stop it, ya haughty bitch. That’s if ya want to live.” He laughed and wrenched her head back close to his face. With a wet tongue, he licked her cheek, leaving behind a trail of saliva. “All your high placed friends ain’t goin’ to help ya now. Did ya think ya could threaten me and not pay?”

  Damon let out a low growl of anger and frustration, struggling with the ropes.

  Flint laughed evilly, and kissed Madeline full on the lips, prying them open with his and shoving his tongue down her throat. After callously twisting her breast again, he released her mouth and cackled loudly. “When I’m done with her, she’ll beg me to kill her.”

  Madeline gagged and shuddered with revulsion. His breath was foul and the taste of his tongue in her mouth was disgusting. She wanted to throw up. Doing her best to hide her fear and loathing, Madeline sneered with bravado and spit in his face. “You kill me and there will be more people after you than you can image.”

  “Your threats don’t frighten me, bitch.” He jabbed the gun deeper into her ribs to make his point.

  “Perhaps they should.” A tall, slim woman silhouetted the door way. Damon looked up in surprise and relief. He met her eyes and a silent message of understanding passed between them. He gave her a slight nod of his head in approval.

  Flint turned towards the voice while keeping a tight grip on Madeline, forcing her to turn with him. “Who the hell are you?”

  Chameleon smiled slowly at Flint and ignored his question. “The lady you are mauling is quite powerful and she could destroy you easily. Your disbelief of her power will be your downfall. That is, if I don’t destroy you first.” Her voice was even and devoid of emotion, but her body was alert and ready to act.