Rescued By the Scot

by Laura A. Barnes

  “Did you betray your friends, Thornhill and Mallory at the risk for the fortune Shears promised you?”

  “How do you have knowledge of Thornhill & Mallory?”

  “That isn’t the agreement Maxwell. Answer my question.”

  “They believe so, yes.”

  “I didn’t ask what they believed. I asked, did you?”

  Zane sighed and slid to the ground. He leaned his head against the door, closing his eyes. When he opened his eyes, he gazed into hers.

  “No.”

  “Explain yourself.”

  “It is a long story, Mac. One we can discuss at another time. Now we need to figure out our plan for Shears.”

  “No, Maxwell, you either explain what happened in London or this conversation will go no further. I will send out my signal, then my men will take you and chain you to the dungeon until we return you to Shears. Where in return, I couldn't care less what he does with you. And I will execute my revenge on the man when he is least expecting it.”

  Maxwell sent her a glare, on any other man or woman they would cringe and leave his presence. However, with her it only lit her fire. She settled back in her big armchair, sliding her legs underneath her and waited for him to explain.

  When he realized he needed to go into the detail of what made him go deep undercover, he figured he might as well make himself comfortable. He trusted her not to run, she wanted to learn his story too badly. Zane rose and stretched his body along her bed. He sighed as he sunk into the soft feathered mattress. It was more comfortable than the hard slab she had him sleep on the last few nights. Far be it for him to complain too much. At least he had a bed, the previous week it was nothing but chains.

  “What do you want to know?”

  Skye stared as he made himself comfortable on her bed. She saw the weariness he tried to cover. He sighed as he settled in to the spot she slept at night. His head nestled into her pillow, his breathing deepening, and she wondered if he drifted off to sleep. How would she sleep in her bed now? He not only wreaked havoc on her life, now she could never have a peaceful moment in her bedchamber ever again, without remembering him. Here. In her space. He filled it completely as if he were meant to be there. Lost in her thoughts, she was unaware he hadn’t fallen asleep, he gazed at her from under his lashes.

  “Skye?”

  Startled she raised her eyes to his, and he smiled his smug smile of satisfaction knowing he was untangling her presence. She rubbed her hands up and down her arms.

  “First, I want to know why did you help Shears escape in Margate?”

  “Mallory’s cover was blown. We still needed the whole network behind Shears, I realized if I portrayed I was betraying my friends and my country, Shears would trust me more.”

  “Did you fool him? Because from how I discovered you, it didn’t appear that way to me,” Skye spoke with sarcasm.

  Maxwell rolled on his side, propping his head on his hand. He smiled at her, seeming to enjoy her wry humor.

  “You are very witty my dear,” he told her.

  “I am not your dear.”

  “It is just a term of endearment one uses towards say a friend or an ally.”

  “Well since I am neither of those at this moment, please refer to me as Mac.”

  Maxwell rolled back over groaning as he realized she was harder to charm than he thought. She was immune to his charms. Still, it was early yet.

  “Yes, for a while. I fed him enough information to give the impression I had switched sides.”

  “How about when Charles Mallory was ambushed in the woods, beaten by Shears’s thugs?” she inquired.

  “No, not that time. I was unaware I was being followed. I confronted Mallory on the trail, to convince him to pull out. His life and his family’s life were in extreme danger. I had information of Shears’s plot to murder Mallory and the Thornhills, but the fool didn’t listen. He was too busy chasing a skirt throughout this whole affair,” Maxwell spoke in disgust.

  “Mmm, yes love should not exist during war.”

  “He was a fool. A fool in love.”

  “What of your plan to kill Charles Mallory and Raina LeClair in Dover?”

  “Nothing but a loose end. With them dead, I would gain the information I needed from Shears.”

  “Did this information help to bring the end to his operation? Or your own personal agenda? The personal agenda that has been your goal throughout your entire mission. The personal agenda of the lost rubies.”

  “What is your knowledge of the lost rubies?”

  “I know they are what you search for. Did you mean to kill them?”

  “No, I only needed for it to appear like I did.”

  “Yes, but when Shears found out you didn’t, your cover was blown. So, you decided to blow up the ball of the season with Prinny himself in attendance. Because then you could redeem yourself in Shears’s eyes.”

  “That was where it went wrong.”

  “Explain why you threatened your friends for this swine.”

  “It was the only solution to keep them safe. I had an escape route, I came close to bringing Shears and the whole treason operation to justice.”

  “What went wrong?”

  “Shears noticed me speaking with Thornhill and Mallory. I warned them to take their ladies and leave. Instead they remained at the ball to bring the treason to an end. Stupid fools.”

  “So how did Shears convince you to carry out his plans?”

  “He held Raina LeClair captive.”

  “So why save her, she was nothing to you.”

  “She was my friend’s love and at one time a trusted ally. I know how Shears treats women and he meant to inflict the worst harm to her. He meant for her to suffer, for what she accomplished the prior months. I couldn’t let that happen to her. She deserved none of it.”

  “But you’re forgetting another in your story.”

  Zane knew she referred to Ivy, but his friend wasn’t up for discussion. It was his fault Ivy arrived at the ball. If he hadn’t gone to their townhome with rumors of Thorn’s demise, she would have never been in danger. He would never forgive himself for his actions. Zane only prayed no harm came to her or the child she carried. He ignored her comment as he continued.

  “So, I helped Mallory in her escape, who with the help of Thornhill stopped the attack. While I helped in the escape, Shears arrived. For them to escape to safety, I battled Shears. He was as sure as dead until his reinforcements arrived. They helped him to escape and took me as a prisoner. We set sail that night. A few days later, you entered the scene. At the time, I didn't appreciate my good fortune, but now I do.”

  “How so?”

  “Because Mac we can help each other. I will kill Shears and help you get your brother back.”

  “I haven’t agreed to work with you.”

  After he pulled his arms from behind his head, Maxwell closed his eyes, sinking deeper into the bed.

  “Oh, but you will,” he mumbled.

  Skye sat there gazing at him lying on her bed, contemplating what she heard from him. While it sounded as if he worked deep undercover with Shears, it still didn’t explain his own private mission. She mentioned the rubies as bait and he didn’t respond. The rubies weren’t the only topic he didn’t answer. Ivy Thornhill. Who was she to him? Was she the love who Shears had used to bait him? He avoided explaining his involvement with her. She needed to know the depth of his mission because it would lead her to Logan. She already knew he was innocent in his actions towards Mallory and the Thornhills, her sources told her that much. What did those lost jewels mean to him? They belonged to the Crown, but they also held a personal side to his mission.

  She heard the story behind them. They were meant for the King’s bastard. The lost red rubies were sent with the nurse to be given to the King’s illegitimate child for his future. His future held the shame of being a bastard. He would never hold a title, never receive the respect of the aristocracy, never be paraded in front of the proud ma
mas of the ton. No prosperous future, but one of shame. The rubies needed to pave his way, to buy his status. The child would grow into a gentleman and the only title he would hold was Bastard.

  But the nurse betrayed the King, she sold the rubies for her own personal gain and abandoned the child at an orphanage. The crazy nurse was captured and didn’t tell where she left the baby. She was still being held at Newgate in a special cell. Her confinement only made the old nurse crazier, so crazy she forgotten where she abandoned the child. The only clue the Crown possessed for their search was one ruby remained with the child. Every orphanage was checked, but none held the child with the missing ruby. The child not only held the missing jewel but a birthmark identifying the claim of a bastard child to the King.

  That was how Logan became involved. A man on their property hiding from the Sinclair clan held a small bag on his person, which contained a red ruby. Not any red ruby, but the missing jewel. With his body severely injured he told Logan his story of the missing heir. Logan sent the information to the Crown. As the man recovered on their land, he confided more to Logan on the location of the child. He explained how the nurse left the child with his wife and him to raise. The man agreed because his wife was unable to have any children. They raised the child for years, then his wife passed away from a lengthy illness. He brought his wife’s body back to her family, the Sinclair clan. While there he encountered Shears. Shears discovered the story of the missing child and the red ruby, so he convinced Sinclair to kill the old man and he kidnapped the child. Logan set sail after Shears and was soon ambushed. Shears now held Logan prisoner too. Wherever Shears traveled, he left destruction across every path; uprooting lives.

  “Maxwell?”

  He didn’t answer her.

  “Zane?”

  The only response she received were snores from the man on her bed. She let out her moan of frustration. She had a decision to make. To trust him on helping her return her brother or to give him back to Shears and walk away. While he didn’t betray his friends, he put their lives in danger for his own means. Could she trust him not to deceive her?

  She stayed curled up in her chair and watched him sleep. He looked peaceful while he rested. Less overwhelming. When he was awake, he threw her senses into overdrive. His dark soulful eyes always searched out her secrets. Secrets she didn’t want him to seek. Then his dark husky voice melted her insides, it was smoky with desire when he spoke her name. All the while, his smile held the humor of the sarcasm to his words.

  Skye curled her legs up under her and rested her chin on her knees. She closed her eyes for a few moments. She would rise soon and see to Isobel and Lachlan. The last few days as she hid away from Maxwell, she avoided them as well. It was time to quit running and make plans. A few moments of rest she would allow herself.

  Chapter Four

  WHEN ZANE AWOKE A few hours later this was how he found her. Her dark red hair creating a curtain around her body as she slept. She looked more vulnerable than she realized. This was a side of her he was sure she didn’t show to anybody. He saw the purple smudges under her eyes, caused by not sleeping and overworking herself. She was too young and enchanting to carry the burdens of her clan. If she would only trust him, he could help lighten the load. Zane didn’t mean to fall asleep on her; he was still trying to make a full recovery. He hated this sensation of utter weakness. Mallory must have felt worse pain than this. He endured more pain than any of them. Well, at least he was out of danger; all his friends were. They may hate him, but he could live with that if he knew they were safe. Safe and in love it appeared. That was not a life for him. He was fine living the life of a confirmed bachelor. No lady existed to have tempted him to retire from the exhilaration of being a spy. He didn’t care if he produced an heir and a spare. The best thing was for his line to die with him. He lived with the shame of his parents for years and carried their secret which had led him to this time in his life.

  He didn’t want any child of his to carry their disgrace. Shame was the only legacy he had to give. No, it was best he remained alone. Hopefully one day, his friends would forgive him for his deceit. If not, it didn’t matter. For he needed no one. It wasn’t as if his bed ever laid empty; he found sport wherever he desired. His needs were not confined to one lady; even the one sleeping before his eyes.

  She tasted like heaven when their lips met. Her body was a fine silk beneath his fingers; she was all fire. Her magnificent glory of hair reflected her personality. All fire and brimstone. Fire that could burn him alive if he allowed her too close. No, he must keep it light and personal with her. He would charm her enough for her help, but not enough to experience her singe.

  He slid off the bed and scooped her into his arms. She snuggled into him, trustingly as her hand settled against his chest. Zane felt the scorch burning through his cotton shirt. He stopped and gazed at her sleeping, curled into his arms. Her lips parted, begging for his kiss. He lowered his head to brush his lips across hers when she muttered in her sleep.

  “Maxwell.”

  Zane pulled back, thinking she had awakened. When he saw she slept on, he realized the effect she held over him. Lowering her to the bed, he pulled the quilt over her body and backed away. He ran his hand through his hair as he walked to the window. How was it possible a woman he only met, have this power over him? He laid on her bed and tried to convince himself she was only any another lady. A means to an end. All he had to do was carry her in his arms, look at her lips and he wanted to ravage them. Kiss her into submission, make her his.

  Even her speaking his name in her sleep unsettled him. He watched as the sun started its descent into darkness. The bright orange rays bleeding into the earth, bouncing off the mountain tops. The gray light settling in for a night of danger. Every minute was dangerous as long as Shears ran loose. He turned back around to watch her sleep. He would bring Shears to justice. The only justice Shears deserved was death, it was the only ending for him. For every single injustice he performed, death was even too nice for the devil.

  Zane departed the bedroom and searched for Isobel. She was his ally, with her help they would convince Skye to work alongside him. When he entered the main hall, he noticed Isobel struggling with her coat. Zane went to her side and helped her to remove the heavy garment. She gave him her thanks, and he offered his arm where he escorted her to the fire. He helped her settle in a chair and took the one opposite from her. As he gazed at the fire, he sensed Isobel watching him. When he looked up, she offered him a smile of encouragement.

  “Any luck?” she asked.

  Zane shrugged his shoulders in doubt.

  “Give her time, she will, she is as stubborn as her brother. In the end she will see what is right.”

  “We have little time.”

  “She will come around. She doesn’t hold out for very long, only enough to make you suffer. Then she will concoct a plan which will make it look like it was her idea all along.”

  Zane sat with Isobel while she sewed where she shared stories with him of growing up with Skye and the trouble she got herself into. Young Lachlan joined them for a spell, telling his hijinks for the day. Still Skye slept on, he knew her to be exhausted from avoiding him the last few days.

  “How long has Logan been missing?” Zane asked out of curiosity. He wondered about the timeline of Shears’s exploits and how they intertwined with each other. Logan was the missing piece.

  “A few short months,” answered a voice behind them.

  Zane turned in his chair and the woman who was never far from his thoughts joined them near the fire. Her tousled hair rode in waves billowing around her face. Her sleepy eyes took him in and he saw the desire in them. He wondered if she dreamt of him since he held her, and she uttered his name while sleeping. Because he had thought of her, the whole time he sat waiting for her to rise from her nap.

  He rose and offered his seat to her. She settled in the chair and rocked as she shot Isobel a glare for consorting with the enemy, but Isobel only
offered her a smile of innocence.

  “Around the same time Ivy was kidnapped,” he replied.

  “Thorn’s wife?”

  “Do you know Thornhill? Only his friends call him Thorn.”

  “We are acquainted.”

  “How?”

  “It does not pertain to you Maxwell.”

  Zane stewed in frustration at her secrecy. He would undo her secrets before this mission ended. And when he did, she would surrender to him. Not only her secrets, but her body too, he decided. He wanted her, and he would have her. She was made for his desires he realized. Plus, if he enjoyed her body, then he could eventually remove her from his thoughts.

  “He might have kept them captive on his ship during the same time. Ivy never mentioned another prisoner, but young Tommy might know. I need to get word to Thorn. Do you have a guard I can trust with a missive?”

  “You will send no missive to anybody. I don’t need you to plan your escape. You need to understand, My Lord, that I am the one in charge here, not you. Let me make this clear, you’re only a pawn to be traded at the end of the month. It is you I will trade to Shears for weapons.”

  “I will not allow you to use those weapons to destroy England. I have stopped many before you and I will stop you too. I’m not sure how yet, but don’t make the mistake to cross or underestimate me.”

  “I will use whatever necessary to get what I want. And if I need weapons to bring Logan home, then those weapons are what I will use.”

  “Never.”

  By this time Skye came to her feet standing toe to toe with Maxwell, each glaring at each other as the tension built in the hall. Her men overheard her anger and were behind Maxwell, their hands rested on their weapons waiting to defend her as soon as she gave her word.

  “Skye sit, ye are making the men nervous. Lord Maxwell, please pull up a seat, so we can discuss our strategy as the dignified adults we are. You two are acting like savages I know ye are not to be,” Isobel ordered.

  Skye sat down in a humph. Maxwell pulled up a chair, folding his arms over his chest. He held his anger in check. His fingers drummed against his forearms. Forearms that were bulging from his shirt, molding the fabric as it pulled against his body. He was no lightweight dandy that she suspected he portrayed to the ton. Oh, he was dark and mysterious to every lady, but to the men, no one ever took him seriously, because he always chased the skirts. Or he used to until the last few years when he only courted one lady. The woman he mentioned. The one who married Thornhill, he spoke her name in a tender way, which offset her emotions. Skye’s jealousy over a lady she never met who was married to another man confused her. Did Maxwell still love Ivy Thornhill?