Angel in Black

by Fela Dawson Scott

  A different emotion ruled Blake as he struggled with the man he had always considered to be a good friend. Since he discovered Katrina alive, ugly visions haunted him, visions he could not cope with in a rational manner. In his mind, he visualized Trevor and Katrina, their bodies entwined as they made love. The worst form of torture, it tore at him, ripped and clawed like a vicious animal, shredding his vulnerable heart into pieces to be slowly, agonizingly devoured. With each blow struck, he cursed the lying whore who possessed him, as if in some way this burst of violence would exorcise her from his mind.

  The two men grew weary, their movements slow and clumsy, both breathing heavily as they labored to stay afoot. Trevor faced his opponent and he grabbed hold of Blake, reason beginning to return as his fighting anger eased.

  “You’re as stubborn as you are foolish. I should just leave you here and go after Katrina myself.”

  Blake paused; Trevor’s words seeped through the haze of pain and fury, a feeling of dread now surfacing in its stead. “What do you mean, go after her? Isn’t she at your place?”

  Trevor shook his head, ending the fight. “I think we should go there now. We have some talking to do, Blake. It’s time for you to listen and, for a change stop jumping to unfounded conclusions like an idiot.”

  Without waiting for an answer, Trevor turned and walked away. Blake followed him home in sullen silence.

  Trevor walked inside and barked orders to the servants who waited for his return. Taking the stairs two at a time, he reached the second floor landing before Blake burst into the hall, his annoyance apparent. When Blake reached Trevor’s room, he found two tubs set up. Already half-stripped, Trevor struggled with his leather boots. Something akin to a growl erupted from Blake, making the servants scatter nervously and disappear from the room.

  “You had best start explaining yourself, Trevor. My patience has run out.”

  Seeming not to have heard him, Trevor tugged his breeches off and stepped into the tub of steaming water. He settled back allowing the warmth to ease his strained and bruised muscles. With a long sigh, Trevor motioned to the other tub.

  “You are filthy, Blake. I will explain as we wash. The Sea Hawk will be ready to sail by dusk.”

  A sudden tiredness crept over Blake and he ran his hand through his damp hair in frustration. Seeing Blake’s uncertainty, Trevor spoke again. “You trusted me before, old friend, so trust me now.”

  Blake stood for a long moment. Perhaps Trevor was right — he had to trust someone. The least he could do was listen, he owed his long-time friend this much. So, he stripped down and climbed into the second tub and waited for Trevor to continue.

  “Katrina is on her way back to England. It seems she kept secrets from both of us, but Chin Li had the good sense to write and tell me everything. Katrina was kidnapped, Blake, and by the men you believed had taken her. It seems they were paid by her uncle, Lawrence Langsford. He intended they kill her.”

  Confused, Blake demanded, “Langsford? Why the hell would he do such a thing?”

  “He needed her out of the way. The man Katrina seeks for the death of her parents is Lawrence Langsford. She seeks revenge for their death, Blake. And I just let her go.”

  Trevor stopped; hurt by the fact Katrina never confided in him her dark secrets. She’d allowed him to believe the father of her child, and the man she longed to return to, was her husband. When he discovered Blake to be the father, she still kept certain facts from him. But when Trevor glanced at Blake, his own self-pity was forgotten. The pain Blake experienced clear as day. It seems Katrina hadn’t told him of the danger either. Trevor read the shock, fear, and horror on Blake’s face as the exposed truth soaked into his muddled mind.

  Trevor went on. “Katrina is a threat to his sole possession of Camray, so he hired two goons to take care of her — men who wanted her dead for reasons of their own.”

  Blake listened mutely and Trevor repeated all he learned from Li about Katrina’s past. He also told Blake about Walker and Chin Li, and Katrina’s illness during the voyage. And then he related his attack on the ship and the crazed seaman Willy meeting his end at her hands. He told of his first encounter with Katrina. Trevor’s voice became gentle and tenderness filled his eyes. Blake’s teeth clenched, jealousy lurking seconds away, ready to possess him as always.

  Trevor must have seen the change in Blake and paused, stating his terms frankly. “Blake, you’re a friend, and I will be honest and hold nothing back, but I would know you will listen to all I have to say first, without your damn temper interfering.”

  When Blake nodded agreement, Trevor revealed his true feelings. “When I saw her, it took my breath away. She was a mixture of enchanted beauty, spirit and fearlessness. I had never seen a woman like this before and I will not lie; I wanted her from that first moment. I was blinded with so great a yearning, I lost control. I acted the fool, my friend — I put her life in danger. And I will never forgive myself for doing so. She was with child and I came close to taking her like a common strumpet.”

  Blake’s head snapped up and surprise registered on his tired face, his eyes questioning.

  Trevor answered but he could not keep the regret from his tone, “No, Blake, the child is not mine. Katrina was not my mistress, she never thought of me as anything more than a friend. I admit, I was foolish enough to hope for more, but her heart belonged to someone else. Katrina thought of no one but you, Blake; I never had a chance with the woman. I fully admit my disappointment, but there is nothing more to tell. You hurt her terribly with all your accusations and insults. She deserves much better. Never in my life have I known a woman with such strength and perseverance.”

  “And who is the father, Trevor? Did this woman Chin Li bother to enlighten you as to who he is? Or does Katrina know?”

  Trevor flushed at Blake’s ugly accusations. “You are, you bastard. Katrina has always been faithful and true to you, but you are too goddamned mule-headed to realize it. We may not think much of Grant Walker’s morals when it comes to selling women as slaves, but the man gave his life to protect Katrina. Use your head, man — Katrina has been untouched by anyone except the man she loves more than life itself. For the love of God, Blake — that man is you! You are Jason’s father.”

  Chapter Twenty-four

  KATRINA’S HEART RACED, ERRATIC and wild as they neared England’s shrouded coast. Home — the word echoed in her mind, it gave her a warm feeling of happiness. During the voyage, a persistent sad bitterness clung to Katrina. But the smallest spark of new hope emerged, making a weak appearance through the haze of numbness she experienced for the past weeks.

  Chin Li grew frustrated as Katrina withdrew inside herself, as she forced all the painful thoughts and memories into a dark place and, figuratively, locked the door on them. Katrina was a stranger, but most of all, she was a stranger to herself. She willed Blake from her mind and in doing so, emptied all feeling and hope from her.

  Jason became her life, the love for her son the only part of her she did not turn off. But when he slept, memories haunted Katrina, awake or in slumber. The nightmares left no room for anything but her need for revenge. She turned all her pain and bitterness into fuel, her hatred of Lawrence Langsford all consuming. When she was not occupied with Jason, Katrina’s mind turned to her enemy. In the privacy of her cabin, she exercised, toning her muscles, honing her reflexes, preparing for the final confrontation. It must come to an end, once and for all; she could no longer bide her time — her uncle would pay for slaughtering her parents.

  Perhaps, if the years had dulled her recollection of the life-changing event, to remember little of it, and only with a child’s vague memories … if she had been able to forget, perhaps her hatred would not have been so obsessive. But even the tremendous love for her son could not blot out the ugliness inside of Katrina, its strength dominating all.

  Li tried to talk some sense into her friend, but she found no logic or caution in Katrina, only grim determination to face Langsfo
rd and kill him. Unable to do or say anything to prevent it, she witnessed Katrina change, slowly, before her eyes. It was as if only two things existed in her life — Jason, her son; and Langsford, her enemy.

  “You must trust me, Li. I know you cannot understand my reasons for what I do, so you must not worry and trust me.”

  Katrina’s words echoed in Li’s troubled mind, pangs of guilt assaulting her heart — she had betrayed her dear friend to the man she wished to leave behind. Li knew Katrina’s fighting skills and courage to be great, and yet Li feared for her. Had she done the right thing in telling Trevor all?

  Jason stirred, bringing Li’s thoughts into the present. His movements also caught his mother’s loving eyes. “Here, Li, I’ll take Jason for a while. You must be getting tired of holding him.”

  Li shook her head and smiled reassuringly. “No, Katrina, we are fine. I’d rather look after Jason and let you take charge of all of us and our baggage. The docks look like a madhouse.”

  Madhouse was an understatement. The London docks crawled with people of every description. Cargo crates were stacked everywhere, some filled with live animals, which added to the noise and confusion. Smells of every sort drifted to their noses as they made their way carefully through the milling crowds.

  The two women and child attracted much more attention than Li wanted — an uncomfortable feeling descending upon her. The whistles and catcalls made her cheeks burn, but Katrina remained unflustered by the throng of rough men surrounding them. In Li’s mind an eternity passed, but their luggage finally arrived. Katrina left Li with Jason and their trunks to hire a carriage to take them into the city.

  Li had asked Katrina to send a message of their arrival so someone could meet them, but she said there was no time. Li was frightened to be left alone but slowly relaxed as the attention they attracted focused elsewhere. Had she thought on the matter, she would have realized when Katrina left, the unwanted attention followed her.

  Katrina carefully weaved in and out of the stacks of cargo, dodging people along the way. She spotted a line of carriages and stepped forward to wave one down but found her way blocked by a huge bulk of a man dressed in seaman’s clothes. He looked as if he hadn’t bathed in some time; his smell confirmed the notion. His lopsided grin revealed an equal number of tobacco-stained teeth and holes left by the ones already rotted out. Stubble covered his face, not quite a beard, but rather just enough to show he shaved once in a great while. Glossy, colorless eyes stared rudely at Katrina, the whites no longer clear, but bloodshot and yellow. When he spoke, the slurred, rough words completed the picture of dissolution.

  “Looky here, mates, I found me a pretty li’tle lass. Yes, I have.”

  Katrina found her way blocked by men and crates, her only avenue past the man who had spoken. “If you will excuse me, I need to pass.”

  Katrina hoped to avoid trouble and prayed he would step aside; after all, there were people all about — certainly they realized this.

  “How ’bout lettin’ us buy you a drink, honey?”

  Thinking of Li and Jason, Katrina bit back the sharp retort she came close to blurting out and instead smiled prettily at the fat, ugly man. “Perhaps some other time, sir, I am in a hurry right now. I thank you for your kind offer, though.”

  Katrina tried to pass, but a pudgy hand snaked out and grabbed her arm, stopping her. Anger caused previous caution to flee and Katrina’s head snapped up. “Take your hand from me, you fat son-of-a-bitch, or you’ll lose it at the elbow.”

  Surprise registered on the sailor’s face when she hissed the words at him, the venom in them warning him to take heed. But it was the flash of metal in her hand, partially hidden among her skirts that made him drop her arm and step back, more from shock than fear.

  Another voice spoke behind Katrina. “I believe the lady said she was in a hurry.”

  Looking past her, the sailor saw the lieutenant standing there, his arm resting ready on his sword, his jacket pulled back to reveal a pistol as well. Mumbling some incoherent words, he disappeared, the others slinking into the shadows behind him.

  Katrina turned to see who had helped her, and incredibly, found herself face to face with Lieutenant Greerson.

  “David,” she whispered.

  Stunned, David just stared at her for a long moment before gathering her into a powerful hug, lifting her completely from the ground and whirling her about with joy.

  “My God — I don’t believe my eyes,” he laughed, finally putting her down as people stared in curiosity. Noticing the attention they attracted, David pulled her back into a pile of crates for more privacy. Once out of reach of prying eyes and ears, he gave her another hug.

  “You have got a lot of explaining to do, Katrina. Why — you’re supposed to be dead. I saw you myself — or someone we all thought to be you. Dear God, you’re alive!”

  Katrina reached up and laid a finger to David’s lips, stopping his chatter. “There is much to explain, I know, but I cannot right now.”

  He started to object, but Katrina’s pleading eyes stopped him. “Dearest David, I must ask you a favor.”

  “Anything,” he exclaimed readily.

  A sigh escaped Katrina, and David sensed a tremendous sadness overshadowing her. “Promise me, no questions.”

  Confused, David objected, “But, Katrina —”

  “No questions,” she interrupted. “Promise me.”

  David hesitated, but only for a moment before reluctantly nodding his head.

  “Thank you,” muttered Katrina, relieved. “And thank you for helping with that … that horrible man.”

  A pleased smile crossed David’s handsome face and he shrugged. “If I had known it was you, I would have not have interfered — I could have been hurt crossing such devious characters. I am certain the Angel in Black could have handled the matter and carved all his blubber up easily.”

  The glint in his eyes and smile revealed his teasing nature. “You scoundrel,” she said good-naturedly, but added on a more serious note, “I am grateful, David, and happy to see you.”

  Katrina saw an uneasiness descend on David and steal away his playfulness. He cleared his throat and stammered, “Uh … Blake is not in London, Katrina. He … he is … well, I don’t actually know where he is.”

  Understanding his sudden awkwardness, Katrina relieved him from explaining further. “I know, David. You need not be concerned about Blake.”

  Looking away so David would not see the pain on her face, she changed the subject. “I have someone waiting with my things. I must return.”

  “I have my carriage, Katrina. I will take you wherever you want to go.”

  As the two walked to David’s landau, they were unaware of the woman standing in the shadows, listening intently to every word exchanged between them. Catherine Ramsey ran to her own waiting coach and followed. She had come to the docks to see her latest lover off — back to France and his wife. The blow of seeing Katrina alive left her distraught with anger and rage, but tears of jealousy sprang to her eyes. And, if the unexpected appearance of her old rival wasn’t enough, Catherine felt faint when Katrina took a baby into her arms and introduced him to the lieutenant as her son. She started to tremble, she could not deny the truth of the matter — the child was Blake’s son.

  Slowly, the rest of what she’d overheard sank in — Katrina Easton was the notorious Angel in Black!

  A plan formed in her mind, and she smiled, satisfied. Perhaps she would be rid of Katrina yet. “Yes,” she murmured to herself, pleased by her thoughts. “You will not spoil my plans for Blake — not this time, you witch.”

  Catherine let the curtain on the window fall back into place and slid back into the plush seat. She purred like a content kitten as she pulled on her gloves. She had heard enough. Enough to put an end to the problem of Katrina Easton, once and for all.

  AT DAVID’S INSISTENCE, HE took them directly to the Roberts’ townhouse in the city — their homecoming filled with much joy and h
appiness. Rebecca cried openly as she hugged Katrina, afraid to let her go. David was initially hurt to find out Ryon knew Katrina was not dead, but he managed to overcome his reaction. What mattered was Katrina was alive and well.

  Chin Li stood back shyly, her own eyes misted from the touching scene played out before her. Jason woke up at the noise and gurgled at his mother. Rebecca sniffed, her tears under control, and turned to Katrina’s friend and the child she carried. A small gasp escaped Rebecca when the baby’s golden gaze met her own.

  Katrina walked over to Li and lifted the happy baby into her arms. “Ryon and Rebecca, may I present my dear friend, Chin Li.” She turned to Li and continued. “Li, this is Ryon and Rebecca Roberts, Blake’s brother and sister-in-law.”

  After they politely acknowledged the introductions, Katrina looked to Rebecca and Ryon. “This is my son, Jason.”

  Rebecca hugged both mother and child. She extended her arms and took Jason to her, kissing his forehead tenderly. Ryon remained silent, his mouth still gaping open in surprise.

  “J-Jason,” he finally stuttered, tears filling his own brown eyes as he closed the distance between himself and Katrina.

  “Yes,” Katrina said softly, keenly aware of the delicate situation. “Your grandfather was dear to me, Ryon. I hope you do not mind me naming my son after him.”

  Ryon grabbed her in an affectionate bear hug. “Mind? I am filled with joy, Katrina. He would have been proud his first great-grandson was given his name.”

  It slipped out before Ryon had a chance to think and his blunder brought a crimson flush to his cheeks. Seeing everyone’s discomfort, Katrina smiled warmly.

  “Jason is Blake’s son; I am not ashamed of that fact. He is a beautiful boy, with his father’s looks — his father’s golden eyes. I cannot hide his identity from anyone who knows Blake, nor would I wish to. If you have any reservations accepting Blake’s bastard into your home, I will understand and leave.”