To Love a Thief (Steel Hawk)

by Jane Beckenham

“Before your father hauled me from the streets that day, I was…not an honest young man. I grew up on the streets, learned the hard way how to make a living.”

  “By stealing.”

  He nodded again, shame coloring his expression. “It was a long time ago, Rosie. My mother disappeared with yet another ‘uncle’, and my father was long gone. No one cared about me. No one even fed me. I realized I had a dexterity of hand and did what I had to do to survive. And then, thank God, I met your father and that life was no more. When Alex took me in, my world changed. Not only Alex but you changed my life.”

  “Funny way you had of showing it. You took off without even telling us where you were going.”

  “I had to leave in a hurry.”

  Rose wrapped her arms across her middle, trying to stop the angry pain stabbing in her gut and steady her breaking heart. “Got caught stealing again, did you?”

  “No. Some hooligans tried to stop me as I took those emeralds to Lord Grosvenor. They stole them. I tried to stop them, and one of the passersby got caught up in the fracas. He fell, hit his head and died on the spot.”

  Rose refused to feel sorry for Nathan. “And so you left.”

  “The constabulary was called. One of the bystanders recognized me. I was called out as the Raven. I had no choice. They would have hauled me off then and there. It was either leave or wait for the rope to tighten around my neck.”

  Rose swallowed hard.

  “So I stowed away on a ship leaving for the Americas.”

  “And you didn’t bother to tell us.”

  “I couldn’t risk leaving the ship once I was on board. I wasn’t thinking. I was scared. What if I came to see you and they followed me and caught me there? You could have been involved. I’m sorry. Can you forgive me?”

  Could she?

  She didn’t know. Didn’t know anything anymore. “I thought I knew you, but it seems not.”

  “Please, Rosie. It’s all in the past. I’ve built a new life.”

  “Are you sure? You’ve got access to jewels and riches in this new life of yours providing locks for the wealthy.”

  “Of course I am.” Nathan’s brows creased. “Don’t you trust me?”

  Did she? Rose wasn’t so sure, and yet she loved him. But could love and distrust be bed partners? Sadly, she didn’t think so.

  “I must leave you now. There’s someone I need to see,” Tommy interrupted. “But stay and enjoy the fireworks. I promise you they will definitely be spectacular.”

  As if a fog cleared in her brain, Rose looked sharply up at Tommy. “You told me you were the Raven, Mr. Pratchett.”

  “I am. Was. Past tense. I stole the title for a while. Used it to keep my hand in, so to speak. I have no need of it now.” Tommy directed his gaze to the barges out on the water. “Now the two of you have saved the Pasha Star, there’s no need for me to work as the Raven. So I reckon it’s time to move on.”

  The two of us. Nathan and I. We were a team.

  Now, she didn’t know what they were. But she did know she was a fool in love.

  Rose shook her head, shoving away stupid thoughts. She turned to Tommy. “Move on?”

  “Yep, just like your Nathan did.”

  “He’s not my…”

  “You’re a remarkable woman, Miss Valetta, I believe you have a skill equal to that of your father.”

  “Thank you.”

  Tommy’s expression morphed, brows knitted, eyes intently seriously. “Prince Randolph is bloody insane, intent on destroying what hundreds of years have created.”

  “Very poetic.”

  Tommy smiled. “I may tread the line of right and wrong a bit, but I’m English, and we English love our traditions. He wants power. All people really want is to have a certain degree of control over their own destiny.”

  “Is this why you’re leaving his employ?”

  Tommy winked at her. “Listen to what I tell you, Rose. Listen and hide it for the future.”

  He leaned into her and whispered in her ear, and Rose intently took it all in.

  His words took her by surprise and she pulled back. “A daughter? Are you sure?”

  “Cross my heart it ain’t no lie. You need to warn those that come after us. Randolph has poisoned his offspring. They will do what their daddy wants. It’s all about power and greed. Remember that.”

  Tommy walked off, and Nathan edged up to her. “You two were all cozy.”

  “What?” She jerked around to face him and instantly wished she hadn’t. He was so handsome, so… He pulled her into his web without even trying, damn it.

  “Don’t be ridiculous, Nathan. We were simply talking.” Tommy’s whispered warnings spurned a riot of nerves to flutter in her belly.

  “Rosie, why haven’t you married Floyd? It’s obvious he’s in love with you.”

  “Because…” She caught the words before she uttered them. “That is none of your business.”

  “You’re wrong, I think it is.” He stepped forward, and every instinct in her screamed to run…into his arms.

  “Because I don’t love him.”

  “So who do you love, Rosie? Me?”

  Yes. Yes. Yes.

  But she stifled those words and kept fighting hard. “You lost the right to ask me that question years ago, Nathaniel Hawk. You left, without a word, proving you were not reliable. You’re going back to San Francisco. I don’t want an unreliable man in my life. I don’t want you. Now I find out you were a thief too. What else is there I don’t know about you?”

  “It’s in the past, Rosie.”

  Rose held a hand up to stall his excuses, but he continued. “We all have a past. It’s what makes us who we are. Molds us. You were brought up in a loving family. You know love, show love. That’s what makes you, you.”

  “Pretty words, but you’re not going to make me change my mind.” Spinning away from him, needing to disconnect from him visually and emotionally, Rose took a stride, only to slam right into Ben Steele.

  “You’re leaving so soon?”

  “I…” Rose glanced behind her. Nathan stood there, his expression dour, and her heart broke all over again. She turned back to Ben. “There’s nothing here for me, and it’s time I went back to the real world.”

  “I think there’s something you should see.”

  “What?”

  Ben linked his arm through hers and directed her toward the podium. In front of the quartet was a large marble column, atop it a cage. A Steel Hawk cage and locking system, to be exact.

  “What’s going on?”

  “Wait and see. I think you’ll find it interesting.”

  Just then the princess’s master of ceremonies walked onto the stage to the accompaniment of a blast of trumpets. The crowd hushed, all eyes directed toward him.

  “Ladies and gentlemen, as you know, the Pasha Star has been on display at your wonderful exhibition, and tonight, the superb locking system from the renowned locksmiths, Steel Hawk, have provided us with their fine workmanship for all to see. Now that is not the Pasha Star you see inside, but a diamond nevertheless. A chance for you to win it. Who does not like a little challenge, eh?” The man in his beribboned outfit waved a hand toward the cage and its contents. “Open the lock, and the diamond is yours. Who would like first try?”

  Rose shot Ben a horrified look. “Ben, are you mad? If they…”

  His hand clasped hers, offering a reassuring squeeze, which didn’t provide an ounce of relief whatsoever. “Don’t worry, just watch. It’ll work.”

  “Exactly how?”

  “By proving that Nathan’s prowess in crafting unbreakable systems is not only superb, but peerless.”

  Rose turned back to the dais watching as guest after guest tried their hand at breaking the lock. None succeeded.

  Finally, the Master of Ceremon
ies returned center stage. “Well, I think that proves the craftsmanship of Nathan Hawk surpasses the rest of the world.”

  Rose turned to Ben. “Nice show, Ben. So, he’s good at making locks, but it seems he’s just as good at picking them too.”

  “We all develop our skills, Miss Valetta, and though the route Nathan took was a tad crooked, shall we say, he’s as honest as the day is long. I trust him.”

  “That’s good, since he’s in charge of your systems and will have access to the world’s riches.” She clamped her reticule to her chest. “Now I must leave you. Good night…and good-bye, Mr. Steel.”

  Without giving Nathan, who had stood silent at Ben’s side all this time, even one hint of a glance, Rose turned and walked away, her heart breaking with every step she took.

  This was hard. So very hard. But it was something she had to do.

  The crush of the crowd, however, proved impenetrable, just as were Nathan’s locks. The similarity was not lost on her but did not prove humorous. She needed to find her father and explain. She needed to leave.

  Another blast of a trumpet sounded, and the Master of Ceremonies called again for everyone’s attention as Princess Mary took to the stage. Several staff moved silently around the terrace, dousing the lighting so that only one small grouping haloed the princess. It proved a dramatic move and a spectacular way to showcase the Pasha Star draped around her neck.

  Rose glanced fleetingly around the partygoers. Prince Randolph had not shown up, thank goodness. Perhaps he had realized his folly and given up his quest.

  Princess Mary’s smile radiated, her eyes glittering. “My dear guests, it gives me great delight to have you all here. The Pasha Star, which has been in your great exhibition in London, has been returned to me, for tonight I wish to introduce you to my son, Prince Stefan. He is, like his father, a born leader, and will lead our country of Zarrenburg into this new age of great inventions and creativity. There is a story about the diamond. A great prince of the East loved his fair maiden, but she was uncertain of his love, uncertain if she could trust him, and uncertain whether she could leave her family, for she loved them immensely.

  “One night, the maiden called out to the stars for guidance to her heart. At that moment, a star burst into the night sky that she had not seen before, its brilliance outshining all others. This star was different, seeming to move across the sky. The maiden found herself following the star, her fears gone, trust swelling in her heart, love burgeoning, until…” The princess cast her gaze toward Rose, and Nathan, who had sidled up beside her. “Until the maiden found her prince. In his hand, he held the Pasha Star, a light to guide her love to him. She had taken the leap of faith and of love. The prince declared his love to her and his country, for he would not wander the earth searching anymore. He had found love and honor and family where it had always been, waiting for his return.”

  Rose’s heartbeat seemed to stop. Such a story.

  If only.

  A young man stepped onto the stage, his blond hair and eyes so like his mother’s, his regal bearing and strength apparent. Yet there was a kindness in his face, something that had been utterly absent in his uncle’s.

  “Ladies and gentlemen, my son, Prince Stefan, the new ruler of Zarrenburg.”

  Rose’s jaw dropped. The princess had done it. She had ceded her rule, just as she said she would.

  Applause erupted; shouts of “Long live Prince Stefan” echoing.

  Suddenly, Nathan shoved her aside. “No! Stop!” He charged into the crowd toward the stage, just as Prince Randolph burst onto the stage.

  Randolph grabbed at the princess, holding her throat with one hand, his sword with the other. “You fooled me, you whore. It is mine, the power, the glory! It should be mine.”

  Guards charged after Nathan, all heading toward the royals.

  “Do not bother coming back! Zarrenburg is mine.” He ripped the diamond necklace from Princess Mary’s throat. “One foot over the border, and you will die.” With a swipe of his sword, he knocked the stands of blazing candles aside. They were extinguished as they hit the floor, plunging the stage and surrounds into darkness. The princess’s scream deafened the crowd’s gasp. “My son! The diamond!”

  “Nathan?” Rose couldn’t see him or hear him. She pushed into the crowd, but they surged backward, lifting her from her feet, carrying her in a human wave, not toward the princess but the far side of the terrace.

  “Let me go. Nathan!” She fought hard, hitting out at those around her, but it proved futile, her might no use against so many.

  A candle flame flickered. One. Then another and another, and the smothered moon burst free.

  The princess stood on the stage, a hand clasped at her throat.

  Rose’s eyes widened. The Pasha Star was gone.

  Just then, a shout echoed, and all eyes switched toward the river. Prince Randolph had been here. It hadn’t been her imagination. He boarded a barge, the sails already aloft, filling with the evening breeze.

  On deck, he turned and waved to them, the diamond dangling from his hand. “Adieu, I cannot stay. I have a country to run.”

  Guards ran to the water’s edge, pistols at the ready, but too late as the barge set sail, moving swiftly.

  “Look.” The man next to her pointed to a movement in the water. Rose craned her neck, standing on tiptoes to see above those in front.

  “It’s a man. He’s swimming toward the prince.”

  Nathan!

  “Do you think he’s trying to get away too?”

  An explosion shook the earth beneath her feet, and she cried out. The earth rose up beneath her, toppling her to the ground as a blinding flash lit up the night.

  The crowd stilled at the horror before them, and Rose stared across the Thames. The barge had split in two, fires erupting on both sections as each portion upended. Flames licked across the water as the barge broke up, the once-strong watercraft, now mere burning debris floating atop the water.

  “Nathan!” Rose elbowed her way to the edge of the river, but someone grabbed her around the waist, stopping her. “You can’t go after him, Rose.”

  “Tommy. Stop him. Someone has to.” She tried to shake him off, but he held her back, her feet kicking out into the air as he lifted her off the ground. “Please, let me go. Please, Tommy. Save him!”

  “Bloody hell.” He dropped her to the ground in an undignified heap, shed his jacket and shoes, and then ran to the water’s edge. Rose ran after him, only to see him as he dove in, swimming with strong stokes beneath the moonlight toward the boat.

  She scanned the fiery debris for life. Nothing. No bodies. No one.

  Then, in the darkness, she spied Tommy. He treaded water amidst the burning remains of the barge. Suddenly, he darted farther into the flames.

  Another explosion ripped into the barge, then another.

  Rose screamed and screamed for help, but no one answered.

  Please, God.

  She waited. Prayed.

  “There’s someone,” a woman in the crowd screeched. Rose peered through the smoke and flames. There was someone…and he was not alone. He hauled in a survivor.

  Nathan? Tommy? Was it him? Tears streamed down her cheeks, blinding her, and she rubbed them away with the hem of her beautiful gown.

  She didn’t care about anything right now. Just Nathan. Her Nathan. The man she loved with all her heart.

  Rose shoved at the people in front of her, pushing them out of her way, and raced to the water’s edge. Nathan. It had to be him. Had to be. She had to tell him.

  She skidded to a halt on the muddy embankment as the two men crawled from the mud.

  One of them straightened, and horror churned in Rose’s gut as she stared at Tommy’s gaping wound. Her knees buckled as she spied his hand and forearm. Fragmented bone and flesh were ripped apart. “Oh God, Tommy.”
r />   “The prince is dead. He’ll not bother Zarrenburg again,” Tommy managed.

  “But who? How?”

  A hint of a smile lit Tommy’s face. “You do not need to know, but just that what was needed to be done, has been done.” He collapsed to the ground and was quickly surrounded by guards.

  “Hello, squirt.”

  Rose spun around. Nathan stood there, dripping wet, his clothes in tatters.

  Her heart thudded.

  Her Nathan.

  “But you…” She looked over his shoulder at the still-burning fragments of the barge, then back to him.

  Just then, more guards stormed the river bank and surrounded them, weapons drawn. “You’re coming with us,” one of them barked.

  “But…you can’t, he’s done nothing wrong.”

  “He came off the boat, in league with Prince Randolph. Trying to kill our beloved princess.”

  “No, no you’ve got it wrong.” Desperate, Rose stepped in front of Nathan, trying to block the guard, but he stepped forward and brushed her away.

  “Bind him and take him to the tower.”

  Rose clutched at Nathan’s hand. She had to do something. “Stop. No. no you can’t. Ask the princess. She knows us. She will explain.” Rose searched the crowd, but the moonlight now cloaked in clouds offered little illumination.

  Voices echoed, a myriad of faces staring at them. After everything they had been through…

  Guards bound Nathan’s wrists and hauled him from her grasp. “Nathan. Nathan!”

  Then, as suddenly as the guards arrived, the voices went silent, and the crowd hovering around them parted.

  “What is going on here?” Princess Mary walked between the guests who fell back in her wake. “Why have you tied up my friend, Mr. Hawk?”

  The captain visibly gulped. “But Your Highness, he came off the boat. He is in league with those that plot against you.”

  “Rubbish. Mr. Hawk is a great friend to Zarrenburg. Untie him immediately.”

  The captain nodded to the guards to obey their ruler, and Nathan’s wrists were loosened from their bindings.

  “Are you injured, Mr. Hawk?”

  “No, Your Highness. A few scrapes, but I’ve had worse.”