Harlequin Historical September 2014 - Bundle 2 of 2: Lord Havelock's ListSaved by the Viking WarriorThe Pirate Hunter

by Annie Burrows

  ‘We’ve had reasonable success in dealing with most of the privateers and pirates in the waters around the Caribbean,’ the Governor explained, ‘but there are pockets left. Pockets we can’t seem to find.’ He tapped his fingers on the table in irritation. ‘They seem to go to ground whenever we get close. Someone is sheltering them, must be.’

  ‘Sounds a likely theory,’ Will said. ‘In my experience a little local support goes a long way.’

  ‘Quite. But it will not be tolerated any longer. I have vowed to clear these waters of pirates and I do not intend to break my vow.’

  ‘Of course not, sir. And whilst the Navy is brilliant in beating the pirates when it comes to an out-and-out fight, often the pirates fight dirty.’

  ‘That’s why we brought you in. You come highly recommended.’

  Will took another sip of wine and grimaced. ‘Sometimes you need someone who doesn’t mind getting their hands dirty for the greater good.’

  And he didn’t. He hated pirates. They were greedy, cowardly, arrogant fools. Fools who had killed his brother. Governor Hall wasn’t the only one who wanted the Caribbean to be free from the plague of pirates. Will had worked for two long years to build his reputation so he would be deemed a suitable man to entrust with hunting Captain Del Torres and his crew.

  ‘Ah, here’s the local knowledge,’ the Governor said.

  Thatcher re-entered the room, pulling a struggling woman behind him. In an instant he saw it was Mia.

  ‘Mia,’ he said, standing up.

  She glared at him with hatred in her eyes.

  ‘We have been trying to apprehend Miss Del Torres for some months now,’ the Governor said. ‘Thanks to you we succeeded today.’

  ‘I...’ Will started, but realised he didn’t know what to say.

  ‘Miss Del Torres’s brother is the Captain of The Flaming Dragon, the scourge of the Caribbean. In exchange for her life she has agreed to assist you in locating her brother and his crew.’

  Will smiled tentatively at Mia, but she just scowled in return.

  ‘Miss Del Torres will be released into your custody for the duration of your expedition and knows she will be killed immediately if she tries to escape or warn her brother you are coming for him. Killed in a most unpleasant fashion.’

  ‘What is her crime?’ Will asked.

  ‘Her crime?’ the Governor repeated.

  ‘For her to deserve the death sentence.’

  ‘Aiding and sheltering known pirates.’

  Slowly Will nodded. He stood and took another sip of wine before walking towards Mia.

  ‘Your brother is a pirate?’ he asked.

  Mia looked defiantly at him, but nodded after a few seconds.

  ‘And you know where he is?’

  ‘No.’

  ‘But you know where he might be?’

  ‘No.’

  He stood directly in front of her and gently lifted her chin so she was forced to look into his eyes.

  ‘I’m not going to hurt you, Mia,’ he said quietly, ‘You saved my life.’

  Her eyes remained stony and no emotion was displayed on her face.

  ‘I have a job to do, a very important job, and I will need your help.’

  ‘What choice do I have?’ she said quietly in a voice that betrayed every ounce of contempt she held for him.

  Chapter Two

  ‘You’ll never catch them in that,’ Mia mumbled quietly.

  Will turned to look at her with inquisitive eyes. It was the first time she’d spoken since they’d left the fort, despite his valiant efforts to engage her in conversation.

  ‘Well, you won’t,’ she said after a few seconds.

  ‘I won’t be able to outrun them,’ Will corrected her. ‘I will be able to catch them.’

  Mia fell silent again and looked around the dock. She knew some of the sailors judiciously avoiding her eye—she wasn’t going to get any help from them. And the shackles that restrained her wrists weren’t conducive to escape, either.

  ‘I hope you’re not thinking of running away, young lady,’ Thatcher said sternly.

  She smiled her sweetest smile. ‘Why would I want to do that?’

  Thatcher grunted.

  ‘I’m being treated so well.’

  ‘Were the shackles really necessary?’ Will asked, turning back to look uneasily at the chains on her wrists.

  ‘Can’t be too careful, Greenacre. This little lady had evaded us for months.’

  ‘Would have been longer...’ Mia muttered, looking pointedly at Will.

  Not that she really regretted saving him. If she hadn’t jumped into the sea he would have been dead and she would have been free, but her conscience would never allow her to forget she had killed a man. And in her eyes allowing him to drown when she had the capability to save him would have been murder as sure as shooting him in the heart.

  ‘Shall we, my lady?’ Will asked, motioning to the ship.

  They walked up the gangplank and on to the ship. She saw Will hesitate for just a second before he placed his foot on the wood of the deck, overcoming the memories of what happened the last time he was aboard a vessel like this.

  The crew were all lined up along one side, waiting patiently for their orders. One man stepped forward and approached their little party.

  ‘Captain Little. Pleasure to have you aboard, Mr Greenacre.’

  The Captain was a lithe man of about fifty. His eyes flitted backwards and forwards all the time as if taking in every detail and his skin had the weather-beaten leathery look all sailors shared in the Caribbean.

  ‘Thank you for your hospitality, Captain.’

  ‘May I introduce my First Mate, Ed Redding.’

  A young man stepped forward and shook Will’s hand. He glanced at Mia and smiled sadly as if commiserating with her for getting caught.

  ‘And this is Lieutenant Glass.’

  Another man stepped up and shook Will’s hand.

  ‘A pleasure to serve with you, Mr Greenacre. It will be an honour to assist you in catching these pirates.’

  ‘Lieutenant Glass is here at the Navy’s request. He will be representing their interests in our voyage.’

  ‘I am here to give whatever help I can.’

  Mia studied him. He looked rather dashing in his pristine white waistcoat and blue coat—each of the buttons shimmered in the sunlight and reflected the mid-afternoon rays. There was not a hair out of place in his ponytail and not a single scuffmark on his shoes. He was most likely a stickler for rules and routine.

  She diverted her gaze back to Will and watched as he walked down the line of assembled men, greeting each in turn, asking their names and a little about their lives. He was good at getting people to like him; Mia could see that already. The crewmen were not used to a Commander who took an interest in them as people. In a few days they’d probably lay down their lives for him.

  ‘When do we sail?’ Will asked when he was back by the Captain’s side.

  ‘The tide is favourable for the next few hours. If we miss that, we shall have to wait until the morning.’

  Mia willed them to wait until the morning. That way she might have a chance of escape. Once the ship was out to sea she had no chance.

  ‘No time like the present,’ Will said with a smile.

  ‘Where shall I set a course for, sir?’

  ‘Port Royal, Jamaica. I have some information to pick up there.’

  Mia allowed herself a small, inconspicuous smile. Port Royal was a notorious haven for pirates even now with their new Governor, but it wasn’t where her brother would be hiding out. He’d always said that although you could lose yourself in the crowds in Port Royal and Tortuga, if someone really wanted to find you and had enough gold they w
ould be able to buy information about your whereabouts.

  ‘We will leave within the hour,’ the Captain assured him.

  ‘That’s my cue to leave,’ Thatcher said, clapping Will on the back, ‘Best of luck and, whatever you do, don’t let those pirates engage you in the open.’

  ‘I’ll see you soon, old friend.’

  Mia watched as Thatcher walked back to dry land and felt her hope of escape ebbing away.

  ‘Shall we make you more comfortable?’ His voice was low and close to her ear and sent shivers down her spine.

  ‘I can’t imagine that would be conducive to your plans,’ Mia replied.

  ‘I am sorry, you know,’ Will said. ‘I didn’t plan any of this.’

  Looking into his eyes, Mia nearly believed him. In fact, she wanted to believe him, but had to keep telling herself to stop being so naive. He was using her. He would extract whatever information he could from her, then deliver her back to the Governor to spend the rest of her days in chains.

  ‘Let me go,’ Mia said quietly so only Will would hear.

  He shook his head.

  ‘I’m sorry, that just isn’t possible.’

  ‘I saved your life.’

  ‘And I’ll always be grateful for that.’

  ‘But your gratitude doesn’t extend to giving me my freedom.’

  Will sighed and turned so he was facing her directly. He placed his hands on her upper arms and looked squarely into her eyes. Mia shivered a little at the contact and the proximity of his body.

  ‘When this is over I will argue your case, that I promise. I will do everything in my power to see you have your freedom back.’ His voice hardened. ‘But you have to understand, my priority is catching these pirates and I won’t let anything stand in my way.’

  Mia swallowed hard, but held his gaze. He was a driven man. He reached over and took her hands in one of his, holding them still so he could unlock the shackles on her wrists. His hands were slightly rough against her softer skin, but his touch was gentle.

  ‘Shall I show you your quarters?’ Lieutenant Glass offered, breaking the moment.

  ‘Thank you.’

  ‘We can put her in the brig on our way.’ He motioned towards Mia, a sneer on his face.

  Will turned slowly to face the Navy Officer. ‘The brig?’ he asked.

  ‘It’s a kind of prison cell on the ship, sir.’

  ‘I know what it is.’

  Lieutenant Glass stood looking at Will with a perplexed expression. Neither man spoke for twenty seconds.

  ‘It’s very secure, sir.’

  ‘I don’t doubt the security of the cell.’

  ‘I’m sorry, sir,’ Lieutenant Glass said eventually. ‘I don’t think I understand.’

  ‘Miss Del Torres is helping us with our mission.’ Will spoke slowly. ‘She has very kindly agreed to impart her valuable knowledge so we may be successful in catching these scoundrels. I don’t think we should be locking our guest up in the brig, do you, Lieutenant?’

  ‘Guest, sir?’

  ‘Yes. Guest.’

  Mia felt herself scoff. It wasn’t a ladylike noise, but she could see the Captain and the Naval Officer mirrored her disbelief.

  ‘Are you planning on escaping, Miss Del Torres?’ Will said, turning his attention on her.

  Yes, yes, yes. Yes a thousand times.

  ‘No.’

  ‘There you have it,’ Will said with a smile.

  ‘But...’ Glass protested.

  ‘Yes?’

  ‘She’s the sister of a pirate.’

  ‘And I once was the neighbour of a man who beat his wife. Does that make me a violent lowlife?’

  Glass looked at him as if he’d grown two heads.

  ‘But what if she tries to escape?’ he queried valiantly one more time.

  ‘Then we’ll have to catch her.’

  The Lieutenant was stunned into silence.

  ‘Lead on,’ Will commanded, taking Mia’s arm in his own. ‘Take us to our rooms.’

  Mia allowed herself to be led forward and down into the bows of the ship. Men scurried backwards and forwards, getting everything ready for their voyage.

  ‘This is your room, sir,’ Glass said, opening the door to a cramped but well-furnished cabin. It had a large four-poster bed that filled over half the floor space. Mia felt herself drawn to it and scolded herself immediately; she was there as a prisoner, not to lounge about on the bed of a man she barely knew.

  ‘Nice bed,’ Will said.

  Mia realised she’d been staring and quickly averted her eyes.

  ‘And for Miss Del Torres?’ Will asked.

  Ed Redding, the First Mate, came down the stairs behind them.

  ‘Miss Del Torres can have my cabin,’ he said. ‘Come this way.’

  ‘I don’t want to put you out,’ Mia said quickly. ‘I’ll be quite comfortable in the brig.’

  Redding turned to her with a laugh. ‘No one is comfortable in the brig, miss.’

  ‘But where will you sleep?’

  ‘There are spare bunks with the rest of the men. I’ll be fine down there for a couple of weeks.’

  ‘That’s very kind of you, Redding,’ Will said, ‘I appreciate it.’

  The First Mate led the way further into the ship and stopped outside a narrow wooden door.

  ‘It’s not much,’ he said, ‘but it’s comfy enough.’

  ‘Thank you,’ Mia said.

  ‘I’d better get back up on deck. We’ll be leaving in a few minutes.’

  Redding left and Lieutenant Glass reluctantly followed behind, leaving Will and Mia alone.

  ‘Will you be comfortable here?’ Will asked.

  Mia realised he was genuinely concerned. He might be her captor and willing to use her to find her brother, but he was considering her comfort at the same time. Things could be worse: she could be in the hands of Lieutenant Glass.

  ‘I will, thank you,’ Mia said.

  He turned as if to leave, then slowly spun round again to face her.

  ‘Mia,’ he said slowly, ‘I meant what I said earlier.’

  She looked at him. The small frown line in between his eyebrows was back again.

  ‘I might not agree with the Governor’s methods and I am sorry you’ve got caught up in this, but I have made an oath to bring your brother and his associates to justice and I need your help. I know you don’t want to be here, but if you help me I promise I will do everything I can to protect you when we get back to Barbados.’

  Mia nodded slowly. She felt torn. She believed him, she believed that if she helped him he would try to protect her, but she also knew it would be in vain. She’d watched so many men and boys she’d known from childhood hang and she knew if she set foot on Barbados again as a prisoner she could well be heading for the noose.

  ‘I understand you are going to feel loyalty to your brother, but he has killed hundreds of innocent men and women. I can’t let that continue.’

  He moved in closer so there was only a sliver of air between their bodies. Mia looked up at him and tried to concentrate—she found it so distracting when he was this close. They stood for a moment just looking at each other, trying to figure out what their next move was. She had to consciously stop herself from reaching up and running her fingers through his golden hair, pulling his head down so his lips met hers.

  ‘Shall we return to the deck?’ Will said suddenly, stepping away.

  Mia felt as though she had been jolted awake from a trance. She nodded and docilely followed him up the wooden stairs and back into the humid air.

  Chapter Three

  Will cocked his head to one side and listened as the quiet footsteps approached his door. There was a long pause before
a soft tap on the wood.

  He was on his feet immediately and threw open the door.

  ‘Come in,’ he said with a smile.

  Mia looked around suspiciously then stepped into the room.

  ‘Afraid of an ambush?’ Will asked.

  ‘It’s nearly midnight.’

  ‘And?’

  ‘When a man asks you to come to their room at this late hour a girl is allowed to be suspicious.’

  Will looked at her closely and realised Mia was joking with him.

  ‘Worried I’m about to ravish you?’

  ‘I’d like to see you try.’

  ‘So you have concerns about my motives, but you still came?’

  Mia shrugged, ‘It’s not as though I had a choice.’

  He let it go. It was understandable she felt uncomfortable and didn’t want to be there. She’d been dragged in shackles on to the boat and if Lieutenant Glass had his way she’d be shivering in the brig now.

  ‘I thought we could get started.’

  Mia looked around for somewhere to sit and finally decided on the bed. She flopped down in an unladylike fashion and Will had to hide a smile.

  ‘Mr Greenacre,’ Mia said seriously.

  ‘Will.’

  ‘Will,’ Mia refused to let herself be distracted. ‘I’m not sure how much the Governor told you about me.’

  Hardly anything. In fact, he’d promised ‘local knowledge’ and then produced Mia. From Thatcher’s information, Will had managed to piece together a little more of her background, but she was still in the main a mystery.

  ‘I know your brother is the infamous Captain Del Torres. You’ve been wanted by the authorities for the past few months and have been in hiding.’

  ‘Anything else?’

  ‘I know you have a kind heart and would risk your life to ensure a stranger doesn’t drown.’

  Mia turned away from him.

  Will leaned forward in his chair. She had a sadness about her this evening.

  ‘Anything else?’

  He shook his head.

  ‘When I was captured I was given a choice; help you or be executed the very next day.’