“You mentioned it.” He frowned, appearing concerned.
“I did?”
He shrugged. “You must have. In the meantime,” he continued before she could dispute his words, “what’s your full name?”
She supposed it didn’t really matter if she told him. Once she left here, she was going to grab her new identification, assume a new name, and disappear. “Sam Bellamy.”
Ezra stopped rubbing her legs and sat back on the large wooden coffee table. She missed the contact. He crossed his arms over his massive chest and scowled. “If you don’t want to tell me the truth, I can accept that. Just don’t lie to me.”
She frowned. What was he talking about? “I’m not lying.”
He shook his head. “You want me to believe you’re named after a pirate, or did you think I wouldn’t recognize the name? Black Sam Bellamy is a legend around here. The Prince of Pirates.”
This wasn’t the first time in her life Sam had been embarrassed by her name. Not everyone recognized it, but Ezra certainly did.
“What does Sam stand for? Samantha?”
She hated having to explain. Her father loved her, she’d never doubted that, but he’d wanted a son. After the delivery, the doctor had informed her parents that her mother wouldn’t be able to have more children. A complication with her birth had resulted with her mother having a hysterectomy. Her father had named her for the son he’d wanted.
“Sam?”
“My father wanted a son, okay? He loved the pirate legends and often bragged we were related to the Sam Bellamy. I have no idea if it’s true or not and don’t care. But my name is Sam Bellamy. Sam is short for Samuel.” She stared into the fire, unwilling to look at Ezra.
Powerful fingers wrapped gently around her jaw. She tried to resist the light pressure but finally gave in. “Are you happy now? And what’s your last name?” Better to be belligerent than to feel sad.
“Thank you for sharing that with me.” A slow smile curved his lips upward. “My last name is Easton. Ezra Easton.”
Why was he smiling? It took her a second to make the connection. “Easton? After the pirate, Peter Easton?”
He nodded and chuckled. Sam smiled and soon joined in. It was too crazy to be believable, but life was like that.
And she owed this man a debt of gratitude she could never repay. “Thank you for saving my life, for bringing me here, wherever here is, and for tending my wound. I’d be dead if you hadn’t found me.”
“You’re welcome.” He took her hands in his. They were big and strong. Warm. “What happened, Sam? What are you afraid of?”
She couldn’t tell him, even if she wanted to. And she discovered she did want to share her burden with him. But he wouldn’t believe her. The story was far too crazy. Plus, the less he knew, the safer he’d be.
“I can’t.” She swallowed, suddenly aware she was very thirsty.
Rather than get angry, Ezra nodded. “It’s okay. We’ve got time.”
Maybe, or maybe not. The Knights would not give up. If Aaron was alive, he’d be looking for her. Karina Azarov would demand a body as proof of her death. She’d taken something valuable from the Knights. That couldn’t be allowed to happen, not without retribution.
She had no family, no close friends. There was only Ezra, the man who’d rescued her from the cold, unforgiving ocean.
She squeezed his hands and then released them. Best not to become any more attached to him than she already was. She was just so damn tired, and he was so big and strong. So solid.
The past year, she’d been living on nerves and dreams of justice. Now it had all fallen apart. Unless she could get away from here before the Knights tracked her to Ezra’s home, he would pay the price for her actions.
“I need to leave. It’s not safe for me to be here.”
“I’ll protect you,” he promised.
“It’s not me I’m worried about.” His expression became so fierce she actually leaned away from him. Not that she thought he’d hurt her. After all, he’d had plenty of opportunity, and all he’d done was take care of her.
“Me? You’re worried about protecting me?” It was as though the concept was foreign to him. Maybe because he was such a large man, he’d never had to worry about being in danger before.
He’d never dealt with people like the ones after her.
“You have no idea who is looking for me.” She shoved the blanket aside and sat up. It was time to get dressed, if she still had any clothes, and get out of here. “These people are dangerous and will stop at nothing to find me. If they don’t find a body at the wreck—” She broke off before she said too much.
“So you were in a wreck. I wondered why you were alone in the dinghy. And who is after you?” He stood, looming like a large, avenging angel over her. “You can trust me to protect you.”
“You might be willing to risk yourself, but I’m not. I need to leave. Where are my clothes?”
As though she hadn’t spoken, Ezra continued. “You must be thirsty. Hungry, too. I’m starving. How about I make some bacon and eggs? Maybe some pancakes and toast.” He left her standing there and padded barefoot into the kitchen. Why did she find it so sexy that he was barefoot?
She was obviously not thinking straight, otherwise she wouldn’t notice the way his long hair brushed his shoulders, or the way the soft denim cupped his behind as he walked away. Her toes curled against the rug.
She snatched up the throw blanket, wrapped it around her, and hurried after him. “Didn’t you hear anything I just told you? It’s not safe for you if I’m here. The people looking for me will kill you.”
Ezra pulled a carton of eggs, butter, and a package of bacon out of the refrigerator and set them on the counter. He added a box of pancake mix and a bowl to his collection before getting several large skillets out of the cupboard.
“Did you hear me?” she demanded. “They’ll kill you.”
Ezra propped his hands on his hips and faced her. “Not if I kill them first.”
Chapter Six
Ezra had meant to reassure Sam, not scare her. From the look of horror on her face, he hadn’t done such a great job. Maybe blurting out that he had no trouble killing anyone who came for her was a mistake, but he wouldn’t take it back. He would protect her, no matter what it took.
Tarrant would call him crazy. After all, she could be a member of the Knights. Just because she was running from some of them didn’t mean she wasn’t working for another faction.
And that was another thing. His brothers needed to be updated. He was surprised Tarrant hadn’t already called, demanding to know what was going on.
“Why don’t you get a shower?” She had to be feeling less than fresh after everything she’d been through. Her skin and hair would still have residue from the salt water. “I’ll whip up some breakfast while you’re gone.”
She yanked the colorful throw more tightly around her. “Fine. But when I come down, we’re going to talk, and you’re going to give me some answers.” She spun around and stalked toward the stairs. Ezra watched her all the way.
“And you’re going to give me some answers, too,” he muttered under his breath. The beast inside him growled, not liking the fact that Sam was leaving. He’d never been possessive over a woman before. It was unsettling.
As soon as she was out of sight, he grabbed his cell phone and called his brother. Tarrant answered on the first ring. “Where the hell have you been? I’ve been calling for hours.”
He’d meant to leave the phone on. Obviously, he hadn’t. No wonder he hadn’t heard from his brother. “I had the phone turned off. You know I’m not fond of all that ringing.”
Tarrant growled at him. Ezra couldn’t help but grin. “All that ringing? Only three of us have your number.”
“And telemarketers,” Ezra reminded him. “Those people can find you anywhere. No number is safe from them.”
Tarrant made a rather rude and anatomically impossible suggestion. Ezra held the phone away
from his ear and chuckled. “Listen, I’m going to put you on speaker, and I don’t have a lot of time.”
His brother was all business. “What happened? What do you need?”
It was a reminder that his brother was there for him, no matter what. They all were. The bond the four of them shared was unbreakable. “I need to know everything there is to know about a Samuel Bellamy.” He could hear computer keys clicking in the background as Tarrant worked. Ezra began to measure out pancake mix for the batter, then decided he should start the bacon frying first.
“There are dozens of people with that name. Can you narrow it down for me? Any idea what this guy does for a living? And where did you meet him? Was he on the Integrity?”
Ezra sliced open the package of bacon and began to lay strips out in the pans he’d set out. “First of all, Samuel is a woman. And secondly, she was escaping the Integrity in a dinghy when I first saw her.”
“What the hell happened, Ezra? No more beating around the bush. Tell me everything.”
Keeping one ear out for Sam, Ezra told his brother about watching the fight between Sam and the man aboard the Integrity, her getting shot, Ezra sinking the ship, and then bringing Sam back with him.
All the bacon was cooked, and he was starting on the pancakes by the time he was finished recounting the tale.
“Fuck. You should have called me immediately.”
“Sorry.” He was, but he couldn’t have done anything differently. “I had to tend to Sam and sink the dinghy so there’d be no trace to lead anyone here.”
The clicking of computer keys hadn’t stopped while they were talking. No one on the planet could access information like Tarrant could.
“Okay, here’s what I can tell you. Samuel Bellamy is twenty-nine years old. Both her parents are dead, and she had no siblings and no other immediate family.”
Ezra wanted to ask if there was a man in her life, but he figured that would make Tarrant lose his mind with worry. Best to ask her himself.
“She’s an archaeologist. Has lectured at several universities.” Tarrant paused. “This is interesting.”
“What?” Ezra poured batter onto the hot skillets and began making pancakes.
“She had a mentor who was killed in a home invasion about a year ago. She was the one to discover the body.”
The thoughts of Sam finding the body of her mentor made his heart ache. Sam seemed to be truly alone in the world.
“Do you know if the Knights found anything in the wreckage? Was there anything there we need to be concerned with?”
Ezra scooped six pancakes onto a plate and began to cook the next batch. Once he had them sizzling, he stuck the plate in the warm oven alongside the platter of bacon.
“That’s the thing. Sam was trying to get off the ship with a book.”
This time, Tarrant’s cursing was extra inventive. It was also in several languages. “Have you lost your mind,” his brother demanded. “You know how dangerous books belonging to the Knights of the Dragon can be.”
“It’s secured. I put it in that safe you insisted I needed.”
“That’s something.”
“I’ve got to go.”
“I’m worried, Ezra. You sound way too involved. You should have left the woman with the rest of the crew of the Integrity.”
Ezra tried not to be angry with his brother. Tarrant didn’t understand. “We’ll talk more later. Get me everything you can about the crew of the Integrity and what’s happening with it.”
“I’ll call you back as soon as I can.” Tarrant hung up on him, but Ezra didn’t take it personally.
He glanced toward the base of the stairs to find Sam standing there with a look of horror on her face. “What have you done?” she whispered.
…
A shower had perked Sam up considerably. It had been awkward and a bit painful to bathe, but well worth it. Just that small amount of activity had exhausted her. What she really needed was some food and about eight solid hours of sleep. But what she needed most was answers.
With none of her own grooming products on hand, she’d been forced to use Ezra’s. Unfortunately, that didn’t run to conditioner and control serum for curly hair. Still, being clean made up for the wild profusion of curls that bounced around her shoulders. She’d even raided Ezra’s closet and dug up a clean flannel shirt, socks, and a pair of sweatpants to go with them. The pants were much too big, but the drawstring kept them up, and she cuffed the legs. The sleeves of the shirt needed to be rolled back several times. She looked ridiculous, but she was warm, clean, and covered. That was all that mattered.
She really needed to find out what Ezra had done with the rest of her clothes. Maybe they hadn’t been salvageable.
She started down the stairs, once again clinging to the banister for support. When she heard male voices, she slowed and listened intently. Ezra was talking to someone. And they were talking about the Integrity and her.
“What have you done?” she asked when he turned to face her. He tossed aside the phone and started toward her. She held up a hand, surprised when he actually stopped. “You’ve put both of us in danger.”
“How much of the conversation did you hear?” he asked.
“Enough to know you told someone about the Integrity. Whoever you were talking with was probably right. You should have left me there.” Then he wouldn’t be in danger. Then something even scarier occurred to her. “How did you know it was the Integrity? I didn’t tell you the name of the boat.”
She had to get out of here now. Who exactly was Ezra Easton? How did he know about the Integrity?
“I have to leave. Now.” She turned toward the front door and stopped short. She was on an island with no way off.
Strong arms wrapped around her from behind and Ezra’s warmth surrounded her. “First of all, it wasn’t hard to find out the name of the ship you were on. My friend is good at finding out information, and there are only so many ships out on the water nearby. When you narrow it down to those involved in a wreck, it’s a very short list.”
His explanation did make sense. She had no idea if anyone from the Integrity had contacted the coast guard. If they had, it might have even made the news.
He scooped her right off her feet as though she weighed nothing at all. “Come and have something to eat and we’ll talk.” She fought the urge to rest her head against his shoulder. She wanted to burrow close and never leave.
Ezra set her on one of the stools next to the large peninsula separating the kitchen from the dining area. She rubbed her hand against her forehead, ignoring the throbbing in her arm and the pain in her head. “You have no idea what you’ve done. The people who will be looking for me have more power than you can imagine.” She had to make Ezra understand. “They have tentacles everywhere.”
“Why do you work for them?” As though he had no worries in the world, he removed some golden-brown pancakes from a pan and poured in the last of the batter.
God, she ached everywhere but forced herself to concentrate. “I don’t. Or I did, but not really.” She sighed. “It’s hard to explain.”
“Try me.” He obviously knew his way around a kitchen. He had plates of food warming in the oven, pancakes bubbling away on the stove, and now he was cracking eggs into a large bowl. When he had a full dozen, he picked up a fork and whisked them quickly. His movements were economical and oddly graceful for such a large man.
“I’m an archaeologist.” For some reason, she didn’t want to lie to him. “I was onboard the Integrity to handle the salvage from the shipwreck that was being excavated.”
“What were you looking for?”
She leaned her elbows on the counter and propped her chin on her hands. “That’s the thing. Even my employer didn’t know what we should be looking for, only that there was something rumored to be valuable on the vessel when it went down.”
“Gold?” The way he asked made her think he already knew the answer to that question.
“No, not tha
t kind of treasure.”
“Ah.” He opened the oven and scooped the last of the pancakes onto the warm plate before shutting the oven door. The delicious aromas made her stomach growl.
“What do you mean by that?” she demanded.
He divided the eggs between the two skillets, pulled a container of orange juice out of the refrigerator and poured two large glassfuls, then handed one to her. She took it and drank deeply.
“Do you have any coffee?” She’d kill for a mug.
“After. You need to hydrate first. You lost a fair amount of blood.” He retrieved a bottle of water and set it beside her before tending to the eggs. “Back to the treasure. I take it the book was what they were looking for.”
This is where things got tricky. “I’m not entirely sure.”
Ezra faced her, spatula in hand, and a look of disbelief stamped on his face. “You’re not entirely sure?” He set the spatula down and stalked toward her, his turquoise eyes snapping with temper. “You risked your life. You were shot for the thing, and you’re not sure?”
Sam sighed and shook her head. “All I know is that whatever is in that book is powerful.” She took the plunge, knowing he’d either believe her or not. Maybe if he thought she was off her rocker, he’d be glad to be rid of her. She ignored the tiny part of her that mourned the thought of leaving him. “There’s like a hum in my blood when I’m around certain items.”
He stood there staring at her until she motioned to the stove. “Your eggs are burning.”
…
Ezra didn’t know whether to shake Sam or kiss her senseless. How could he be expected to think straight when she was sitting there looking adorably mussed in another of his too-large shirts with her red curly hair bouncing around her shoulders?
As a man, he was drawn to her on many levels. Physically, it went without saying. There was a vibrancy about Sam that made him want to be near her. He wanted to strip the clothes from her body and spend hours mapping every hollow and curve. He wanted to kiss and stroke her soft skin until she begged him to do more.
Drakon's Plunder (Blood of the Drakon) Page 5