by Rebecca King
Despite his determined efforts to get the thug off his throat, Phillip was propelled downward into the darkness. The thug became a ghostly figure as he was engulfed by the shadowy water, despite being only an arm’s length away. Phillip knew that he had only seconds to find freedom before the need to draw breath overwhelmed him. As the watery world around him started to fade, Phillip was struck with all the things he wanted to experience, and the woman who could bring them to him. With renewed determination, he tore at the hand but, before he could break free, extra hands appeared out of the darkness. They grabbed his shoulders and hauled him upright with such fierce speed Phillip didn’t have time to do much of anything except be propelled through the water.
Within seconds, he was being shoved free of the watery grave. Tossing his head back, he sucked in a huge breath of air. Before he could take another, those cruel hands grabbed his ankles. Phillip tried to kick them away but was tugged back under water. Aaron cursed and dived back under the surface but only to kick the thug in the head. Phillip looked down and watched the thug float away. The thug’s eyes were wide as he stared back at them. As they watched, he held his arms aloft and quite purposefully opened his mouth. A huge air bubble immediately escaped him. Instantly, he began to writhe as the sea dragged him relentlessly down into its oceanic depths. Within seconds he had gone.
Phillip broke free of the surface once more and swam toward the harbour wall, to the hands that were waiting to drag him ashore. He was more shaken by what he had just witnessed than by anything he had experienced in life thus far. In just a few seconds, he had been drawn so closely to death’s waiting arms that he knew that one breath would have been all it would have taken and he would have lost his life.
‘Thank you,’ he murmured fervently to his colleagues, who weren’t done saving his life yet.
Together, Aaron and Oliver pushed and shoved Phillip’s weary body out of the water and waited until the fishermen who had seen him enter the water hauled him onto the dockside. There he lay like a gasping fish, desperately trying to fill his starving lungs of the rich nectar called air.
Phillip’s blank stare at the sky overhead was broken by Oliver, whose concerned face appeared before him. Before he could speak, Phillip rolled over and lost the contents of his beleaguered stomach. He would have fallen into the water again had it not been for the concerned fishermen who held him on the dockside until he was finished. When he was flat on his back again, Phillip allowed himself to contemplate what had just happened. What he found was that he couldn’t think of anything except Carlotta. His sluggish mind refused to think of the watery deathbed, the thug who now lay within it, or the terror of drowning. All he could think about was that he had survived and had to make the most of the life he had with her.
‘All right?’ Oliver asked before shaking his head and spreading droplets of water far and wide.
‘I have been better,’ Phillip murmured wryly before forcing himself to sit upright.
Now that he had managed to rid himself of the seawater, he was starting to feel a little better and so tentatively clambered to his feet. He thanked the fishermen who all asked what was going on.
Now that all the criminals behind the kidnappings of the women in Leicestershire, Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire had been stopped, Oliver had no hesitation in telling the locals what they had inadvertently gotten themselves involved in. The locals were stunned but relieved that the stranger who had worried nearly all of them had been removed from the village for good.
‘What do we do if his body washes up?’ one of the fishermen asked.
‘Send for the magistrate. The thug is a criminal. He was hired to take the kidnappers to France. We think it was him who arranged for the gunmen we battled in Bladley Weeks.’
‘You were damned lucky to survive that,’ one of the fishermen grumbled. ‘From what I hear it was bloody terrifying.’
‘What about the gunmen you didn’t catch?’ Another fisherman asked.
‘They will disappear from whence they came. It is highly unlikely they will return. What we do know is that they are not from around here,’ Oliver assured them.
‘I am going to be living here from now on,’ Phillip announced and pointed one finger at the house high up on the cliff top. ‘Up there. With my future wife, the young woman you have all seen in the village.’
‘She is your wife?’ one of the fishermen asked with a delighted grin.
Phillip smirked at him. ‘She is going to be now that the investigation is over. She was inadvertently drawn into our investigation and so had to remain with us. Now that it is over, we can set about organising ourselves and making that place into a proper home.’
The fishermen all welcomed him to the village and invited all the Star Elite to the tavern for an ale or two to celebrate as soon as they were available. Amongst the joyous calls from the retreating fishermen, the men from the Star Elite all turned to look at each other.
‘Er, Oliver?’ Aaron called from aboard The Starling. ‘You might want to come and take a look at this.’
The men all climbed aboard and peered through the door into the main body of the fishing boat.
‘Good Lord,’ Aaron whispered. ‘How many boxes of bullets are there?’
‘Do you think he was running arms to France or something?’ Jasper whispered as he counted the boxes he could see twice only to give up when he realised that more were stacked behind the door.
‘I think it is highly likely. He is either bringing them into the country from France or taking arms over there. Either way, he won’t be transporting them anymore, or kidnappers for that matter,’ Oliver said.
‘At least we now know why Smidgley could hire him. This thug would have no qualms about letting two criminals travel with him on his next gun-run to France. With all this ammunition on board, it is a damned miracle the thug hasn’t blown himself to pieces before now, especially in the middle of that gun battle the other night,’ Aaron growled.
‘He might have fetched this shipment recently,’ Oliver suggested. ‘Maybe he was due to take it over to France later today when the tide came in and he could set sail.’
Everyone nodded.
‘What do we do now? We cannot leave this lot here.’ Callum opened the lid of a large long box and whistled through is teeth when he saw several brand-new guns nestled inside.
‘We won’t need any ammunition or guns for a while, will we? Does this lot need to go to Sir Hugo?’ Phillip asked Oliver, who was the unofficial manager of the team.
‘We can store it in the outbuildings at Cliff House if you are happy for us to. We cannot leave them all here.’ Oliver turned to Phillip. ‘I think you need to go and see how Carlotta is. Leave this to us. We can borrow a cart or something to get it all back to the house.’
For once, Phillip didn’t insist on staying to help his friend. Instead, he jumped off the boat and made his way around the harbour, to the cliff path that would take him back to Carlotta. He knew that Oliver was really giving him and Carlotta some time alone together so that they could have a private conversation and was eager to be able to make a start on his future happiness.
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
Carlotta yawned and, without opening her eyes, rolled over in bed. She then had the distinct feeling that she was being watched. When something cold and wet splashed onto her cheek, her eyes popped open. She gasped when she found herself staring into Phillip’s loving gaze.
‘You are wet,’ she stated as if he shouldn’t already know.
‘That I am,’ he mused with a rueful look down at his sodden clothing. Despite his still dripping state, Phillip settled down onto the bed beside her.
Carlotta blinked at him. ‘Did you decide to go swimming with your clothes on?’
Phillip nodded but didn’t have even the slightest interest in telling her about his investigation. Rising onto one elbow, he leaned over her until she had to lie back down again. He followed her down and caught her next question with a very thorough kiss.
When he eventually lifted his head, Phillip smiled down at her. ‘I won’t apologise for that.’
‘I didn’t ask you to,’ Carlotta replied, stroking his cheek with gentle fingers. ‘I won’t apologise for it either.’ She glanced around the empty bed chamber as if she expected him to pop up at any moment. ‘What have you done with Horace?’
‘He is walking to gaol for the murder of your mother. I am sorry, Carlotta.’
‘Don’t be sorry. My mother deserves to rest in peace knowing that her killer has been brought to justice. She didn’t deserve what he put her through and certainly didn’t deserve to have her life ended the way she did. He was horrible to her.’
‘And you,’ Phillip added.
Carlotta didn’t deny it.
‘Have your parents put you off marriage forever?’ he asked quietly.
Before he settled back down beside her, Phillip sat up and yanked his shirt over his head. Ignoring her startled look, he resettled himself on a part of the bed that wasn’t wet and gathered her into his arms.
‘Well?’ he prompted when she appeared more interested in his chest than his question.
Carlotta stared at the rippling muscles of his stomach with avid interest. It took her several moments to realise that he had just asked her something and was still waiting for her to answer. ‘What?’ she asked blankly.
‘Has witnessing what happened between your mother and father put you off marriage forever?’ he whispered.
‘No, but I certainly wouldn’t marry anybody who was anything like my father,’ she replied honestly.
‘What do you want from a husband?’ Phillip asked, sliding a teasing thumb across the curves of her bottom lip.
‘Someone who is kind, protective, nurturing. Someone who is happy to raise a family with me and enjoy the laughter children can bring. My father never did.’
Phillip pursed his lips. ‘And where do you see yourself sharing your life with your husband?’
‘I don’t know what I am going to be doing tomorrow much less next week, next year or in the future,’ she replied with a heavy sigh.
‘If you had a choice,’ Phillip prodded. ‘Where would you choose to live? Would it be in one of the smaller houses in the village, or in town where the shops are closer? Or would you prefer to stay here where it is quite isolated, but the village is still within walking distance?’
‘This house is wonderful, but it is far too large for just me to live in.’
‘Could you see yourself raising a family here?’
Carlotta frowned. ‘Look, what is this? This house is wonderful, but I cannot stay here. I know it no longer belongs to Henry, but it is the War Office’s property now.’
For the first time since he had left the bed earlier, Phillip began to relax against her. When Carlotta didn’t, he tugged her closer and pressed another kiss against her lips. ‘Oliver has made it clear to Horace that he has to compensate you, so you will have a lot of money.’ He grinned and took the opportunity to place another lingering kiss onto her parted lips and added: ‘You can afford to buy this house ten times over and would still walk away with change. Moreover, so can I.’
Carlotta rolled onto her side only to then realise that she was pressed intimately against him. When she tried to ease away, Phillip placed a large palm in the small of her back and stopped her from going anywhere. He then rolled onto his back and took her with him, so she was leaning over him. Thankfully, she didn’t try to move away. Instead, she leaned over him and smiled lovingly down at him.
‘You don’t need to move. The house must remain the property of the War Office until Oliver has managed to secure the return of your inheritance, but you don’t need to leave it in the meantime. As soon as Henry hands the deeds over they can be put into our names.’
Carlotta’s heart flipped. ‘Our names?’
‘Our investigation has now been concluded. The men are all going to head home to their families for a while so they can catch up with what has been going on while they have been away,’ Phillip explained.
‘Where do you call home?’ It galled Carlotta that she was lying so intimately with him yet knew so little about him.
‘I have a room in a lodging house in London,’ Phillip replied. He slid an interested look around the house. ‘I hardly ever use it because I rarely go to London now, especially over the last few months. I have been chasing Smidgley up and down this country instead.’
‘Are you going back to London at all?’ Carlotta tried to hide her concern.
‘Not to live. I need to go back to fetch my things.’
‘Where do you want to stay?’ Carlotta’s voice was soft. Her heart was alive with hope.
‘I have to stay here, with you,’ he informed her bluntly.
‘So, you get to be the one to babysit me,’ she whispered, feeling more disheartened than ever.
‘Not at all. I am staying purely so we can discuss what we are going to do about us,’ Phillip replied firmly. ‘I have to confess that my life hasn’t given me much time or opportunity to think about marriage. I have been too busy fighting criminals for the Star Elite, but that doesn’t mean I can’t start to think about a future doing something different.’
‘When you were in that safe house with your friends I saw how worried they were about you. I realised that they are more than just your colleagues. You are friends; people who can turn to each other for help if you need it,’ Carlotta whispered.
‘That is true. We rely on each other to stay alive,’ Phillip said. ‘Like this morning.’
Phillip told her what had happened down in the harbour.
‘You were lucky you didn’t drown,’ she whispered in horror.
‘While what happened is regrettable, it has taught me not to waste any more time. I have to go after what I want,’ Phillip murmured. ‘What I want is you.’
‘Me?’ she whispered.
‘Definitely.’ To prove it, Phillip settled his lips over hers and kissed her the way he had wanted to kiss her from the first moment he had met her. He made no attempt to control the passion that roared to life or hide his need for her. Thankfully, Carlotta didn’t object. Instead, she returned his embrace with equal fervour and, to his delight was reluctant to let him go when he lifted his head. He bumped noses with her and smiled into her eyes.
‘You are going to stay?’ Carlotta whispered, making no attempt to hide the fact that she adored him.
‘We are going to stay,’ he corrected. ‘This morning, I realised that chances like the one you have presented me with don’t come around more than once. If I don’t take the chance to be with you, I know I am going to regret it for the rest of my life.’
‘I have brought you nothing but trouble,’ she countered.
When she turned to look at him, Carlotta became aware that over the last few minutes Phillip had draped one heavy leg over her hips, effectively pinning her to the bed. He had also slid around her waist and settled himself so closely against her side that she could feel every breath he took. It felt wantonly reckless yet hedonistically tempting. Over the last few moments a deep-rooted suspicion about where this conversation was going to take them began to flourish, especially when she watched his loving gaze slide down to her lips.
‘Stay with me,’ he whispered, his voice laden with need. ‘I want the chance of a future with you. I want to marry you and have children with you. I want the chance to be able to call you my wife, Carlotta. I need you to be happy; to make us both happy. Without you in my life I am going to be a mere shadow of a man; of what I could be if you aren’t with me. I want to be able to return home and find you here waiting for me. I want to be able to turn this house into a home with you. I have no previous experience of the kind of feelings I am experiencing right now. I have fought in wars, battled gangs, been shot at by armed thugs, and nearly drowned in a harbour, but nothing has stymied me as much as being able to put a name to the emotion that damned near floored me in the kitchen the second I set eyes on you
. You walked into my life and turned it onto its head. I have dragged you through Hell, halfway across this damned county, and right into the centre of one of my investigations. You should hate me right now.’
‘I could never hate you,’ Carlotta murmured tearfully with a heart full of love. ‘You have become an integral part of my life and it isn’t because of your work with the Star Elite. I had thought it was but when I saw you with Horace, I knew that what attracts me to you is the man you are. You are nothing like Horace. I wasn’t lying when I told him that you were a man. You are stronger, calmer, kinder, and fight, but for the right causes. My father caused problems for others because he was mean. Seeing the differences between you two assured me that no matter what problems the Star Elite throws at you, you would never allow it to make you nasty and bitter like my father is. It is because you have the friendship of the other men in the Star Elite, and the ability to see life at its worst. It has made you appreciate what you have and who you are, and where your place is in the world. It has made you decide what you want out of life, and for that I am grateful. I want to marry for love alone. I want you to be happy. I want to be the one to make you happy.’
‘The place I had in the world is no longer right for me. I want a different world. There comes a time in every man’s life when something must change. I want life to bring new challenges and purpose. I wouldn’t be half as happy as I could be with you if I just left here and returned to London. I would spend the rest of my life regretting not taking the chance of happiness with you, I am sure of it. I know we haven’t spent much time together, but we have the rest of our lives to find out what we want to know.’