By The Assassin's Side (Daggers 0f Desire Book 3)

by Katherine Hastings

  “I think it’s best if we lie low here until dawn breaks. This forest is thick and filled with danger. Without the moon to guide us, it’s best we wait until we have some light. We’ll make a break for the Dark Shark as soon as we can see five feet past our faces.”

  “You won’t hear me argue. I haven’t had a peaceful moment since they took me.”

  The realization of what she must have endured, what haunted his every moment while he raced to find her, flooded back to him.

  “Did they hurt you?” His voice cracked when he asked. She looked unharmed and had said she was okay, but a beautiful woman could be hurt in many other ways that wouldn’t show as bruises on her face. A knot squeezed in his stomach while he waited her answer. Her prolonged silence only twisted it tighter.

  Finally, she spoke. “Cyrus tried.”

  Rage boiled his blood, an anger he never imagined possible rippled through him. The thought of her beneath that despot curled his lip. He could feel the heat of the fire burning in his eyes.

  “But he failed. Twice,” she said, a grin following the words.

  “What?” Simon asked, the shock thick in his voice. “What do you mean?”

  “He came to me. The first time I clawed his face and scratched his eyeball. He left the room wailing in pain.”

  Thinking back, Simon now remembered seeing scabs cutting across Cyrus’ face.

  “The second time, he had my hands bound so I couldn’t scratch him. He forgot however, that I have teeth. Those wounds weren’t visible, but let’s just say he wasn’t walking right for a few days, nor did he have those desires for me due to the unfortunate nature of his injury. Even a little excitement will cause him excruciating pain for weeks.”

  Pride and relief washed over him in waves. Not only did she remain untouched, she had caused damage to the man who intended her harm. “Well, I can’t say I’m surprised you could handle yourself. I can’t tell you what a relief it is to hear you are unharmed.”

  “Cyrus can’t say the same.” She chuckled. “In fact, he was so angry that his intentions were to leave me here on this island after they retrieved the treasure. He said by not killing me himself, he was keeping up his end of the bargain. If I was to die from my circumstances, then it was of my own volition. So, lucky for me, you’re here and I’m not stranded on this beach alone.”

  “I would have found you.” He closed his eyes and inhaled the sweet scent of saltwater in her hair.

  The words caused her to press in deeper.

  “Sleep, Vivian. No harm will come to you. I’ll protect you.”

  “Thank you, Simon.”

  The words had barely passed her lips before her breathing slowed. Closing his eyes, he pressed his chin over her head, enveloping her in the safety of his body. Sleep would not come to him tonight, but he didn’t need it. He needed to see her safe. Nothing else mattered.

  Time crept by while he sat still, listening to the wind rustle the branches above them. Her breathing kept time with the rhythm of the sounds of the surrounding forest. Astute ears listened for any signs of danger or discovery. If his plan worked, Cyrus and his men followed their footprints east and currently searched the wrong side of the island.

  Despite it being too dark to see, he could only imagine the sun would rise soon, and with it he would need to wake her and set them back to his ship. She looked so peaceful, it would be hard to shake her from sleep.

  The leaves just outside their little den shook. Simon closed his arm around her and drew his dagger. The rustling continued. He searched their surroundings in the soft glow of the promising new light, but nothing revealed itself. Another rustle moved the leaves by her feet.

  A large lizard’s head peeked up from beneath the fallen foliage, its mouth just inches from her leg. It seemed unaware of their presence, a creature just going about his business for the day. Simon held his breath in his chest, willing the lizard on its way.

  Vivian moaned and shifted in his arms. Startled, the lizard rose up, its yellow throat flashing in the dim light. With mouth held agape in threat, it froze, a hiss sliding out between its sharp fangs. Simon readied his dagger, but with Vivian in his arms he didn’t have a clear shot. To wake her meant she might move and induce the startled lizard to bite.

  It hissed again, louder this time. The sound stirred Vivian, though sleep still held her tight in its grasp. She rolled over in his arms, her legs sliding toward the frozen creature. With a hiss it shot forward and clamped down onto her calf. She awoke with a scream, shaking her leg and scurrying deeper into Simon’s arms.

  “Don’t move,” he whispered, struggling to keep her still. “The more you struggle the harder it will clamp down!”

  “What is it? It hurts!” she whispered, trying to keep her voice from rising with the pain.

  “It’s just a lizard!”

  “Kill it!”

  “Just hold still!”

  Simon reached down and grabbed the lizard by the back of the head. Trying to tug it off only caused it to clamp down harder.

  “Ow, ow, ow!” Vivian squeaked.

  “Let go, buddy or I will need to put this dagger in your head!”

  “Simon! Get it off!”

  Simon pulled on the lizard, its teeth dug deep through her leather pants into her skin. Finally, he felt it losing its grip. One last tug and he sent it flying back out of their hideout.

  Vivian hopped to her feet, terror showing in the white of her eyes while she stood with her injured leg suspended.

  “See, all better. And I didn’t have to kill an innocent creature. He was only defending himself.” Simon stood up with a triumphant smile.

  “Defending itself? It tore up my leg!”

  The branches cracked above them. “Did you hear something over here?” a man’s voice close to them asked.

  Simon grabbed Vivian and pushed her up against the tree as deep into the makeshift cave as they could go. He slid his hand over her mouth and pressed his body into her. With the other hand he pulled up his hood and lowered it over his face. Pressing forward, he enveloped them in the leather cloak. She grabbed two handfuls of his shirt and pressed her face into his chest.

  “I heard something! It was over here! I swear I heard something.”

  Footsteps shook the leaves above them. One man, no two... two men stood on the fallen trees that created a makeshift roof above them.

  “You’re hearing things, Dusty.”

  “If you weren’t so deaf from the pistol going off in your ear, you’d have heard it, too.”

  Simon slowed his breathing and matched his own to hers. Together they took shallow breaths, waiting to be discovered. With his dagger tight in hand, he prepared for the moment they were. With any luck it was just the two men.

  The man had jumped down, determined to find the cause of the noise. Footsteps thudded just outside the opening to their hideaway.

  “Look! There’s a den here!” he said, moving toward the opening.

  His cloak was the only thing concealing them, blending them into the tree. If the sun so much as shone one more ray, the light would illuminate their position. The man moved into the cave with them, now only feet from where they stood. Together they took a breath, each holding it while he searched around them.

  “I can’t see a thing. Hand me the lantern.”

  This was it. Discovery was imminent. Simon readied for battle.

  A hiss startled them, but steel will forced them not to budge.

  “Ouch! Bloody hell! Something’s got my leg!” the man in the cave shouted.

  Unable to see, Simon listened to the sounds of the man stumbling backward.

  “Dusty! It’s got my leg! A lizard! My leg! Ow!”

  “Hold on, Rodney!”

  The man backed out of the cave, swearing and yowling while he hopped around, the lizard likely attached to his leg the same way it had been attached to Vivian. Simon wished he could peek out from behind his cloak and see the man flailing about.

  A pistol sho
t went off. Vivian jumped in his arms but pushed herself back into his chest.

  “Ow!” Rodney yowled. “You shot my leg! You shot my bloody leg!”

  “Sorry, Rodney! I was aiming for the lizard. At least it let go.”

  “Get me back to the ship, you daft prick!” Rodney commanded.

  They each took a breath when the two arguing men finally faded from range. Still frozen against the wall and under the cover of his cloak, Vivian pulled her face up from where it was buried in his chest, her hand sliding across the bare skin left exposed by his opened shirt.

  “Good thing I didn’t kill it, eh?” he said, smiling at her beneath his cloak.

  Her eyes met his own, but their depths didn’t reflect any amusement over his joke. No. A fire burned beneath the shadow of her dark lashes. Red lips parted, her breath pushing out from between them with quickened pants. Simon’s heart hammered in his chest, his own breathing increasing with hers. He waited, willing his body not to move, begging her to come forward, to claim him with her kiss.

  Her eyes fell to his lips, her body pressing forward, though it seemed more pull than push. Simon’s own lips pulled him down lower, their hot breaths now mingling as one. Desire surged through every vein and every fiber in his body, the resolution not to touch her lips with his own searing through him with throbbing agony. It had to be her... she had to be the one to make the choice.

  Please, Vivian. Choose love over fear.

  Her hand touched his cheek, a finger slipping across his jaw. With a breath she leaned forward, her lips brushing against his. He sighed as they connected, a gentle touch, the sweet release of her kiss washing over him in waves. His need for her exploded and took control of his hands. Grabbing her face, he captured her lips, pressing her back into the wall. She moaned, allowing his tongue to invade her mouth, desperately inhaling his own. Her arms wrapped around his neck, pulling his body deeper into hers.

  Like a riptide he had been fighting, he finally gave way to the power of its pull. Surrendering, he let it sweep him away, dragging him deep under the swirling sea of ecstasy with her in his arms.

  “Vivian,” he whispered between passionate kisses. His body was no longer his own. She controlled it, commanded it, and owned it. He savored the sweetness of her lips; no amount of kissing them seemed to quench the thirst for her. He drank her in, inhaling her scent, relishing in the heat that burned between them.

  “Simon,” she panted, her hands sliding down his chest. He moaned beneath her touch, every inch of his body begging to explore hers. So long he’d waited for her release. So long he’d begged for her touch. After the anticipation, it felt more powerful than he could have imagined. So much passion, so much desire... it exploded between them, an insatiable need he doubted could ever be quenched.

  A stick cracked just outside the cave. Their lips broke apart, both freezing to listen to the sound. For a moment he considered continuing his assault on her and welcoming the swords, so long as he died underneath the sweet ecstasy of her touch. But a need to see her safe, to get her to the freedom she prized, kept his lips at bay. They panted beneath his cloak, eyes locked as they listened. There was no other sound.

  Not knowing what he would find when he pulled back his cloak, Simon readied his dagger. Carefully, he turned his head, the light now creeping into the darkness that had enveloped them. No men stood waiting with pistols drawn. Only the big lizard sat staring at the entrance to their hideaway.

  “Bloody lizard,” he said. It flicked out its tongue and held its ground. “I think we’re in its house.”

  He turned back to Vivian, still pressed against the wall, her face dazed and flushed pink.

  “I hate that lizard,” she said, finally breaking the silence.

  Simon laughed. “He saved our lives. And allowed us a little... moment to ourselves. I’m rather fond of him. Perhaps we should take him with us.” Tracing a finger across her cheek, he watched as her chest heaved with each excited breath.

  She swallowed hard and he saw the insecurity rise up in her eyes. “Simon... what just happened—”

  It was too late. He wouldn’t let her erect new walls now... not when he’d just dismantled them. She could try to build all she wanted, but he would forever remain on the inside with her. He pressed his finger to her lips.

  “Don’t ruin it,” he said, a crooked smile emerging. “Let’s get back to the ship and you can tell me all about your regrets later. Until then, I will savor this moment... and the taste of your lips.”

  Much to his surprise, she didn’t argue. Before she changed her mind, he grabbed her by the hand and pulled her from where she still stood pressed against the wall.

  “Come on,” he said, heading toward the opening. He bent down and picked up the dried map, rolling it tight and sliding it back into his pants. The lizard still held his ground, wary eyes watching as they approached. “Give him space, he’s a feisty little bugger.”

  “You’re telling me,” she groaned, following his lead and giving the lizard as much room as she could. It hissed as they passed by, causing them both to bolt forward in laughter.

  “Maybe I should make it my pet,” he said, turning to give it one last fond glance now they were safely away. “It can follow me into battle, biting the legs of all my foes.”

  “If I never see a lizard again, it will be too soon,” she said, rolling her eyes.

  “Then let us get to the ship.”

  Simon glanced up, the warm glow of the rising sun illuminating the thick forest around them. He’d never seen so much green in all his life. Green moss covered the forest floor and crawled over every exposed piece of the trees that stretched tall enough to strain his neck.

  “It looks different than I imagined,” Vivian said, her own neck craning to the canopy above. “Last night it seemed so frightening, but today it’s beautiful.”

  “And it will be beautiful when we come back for that treasure. But first, we need to get out of here, get to the ship, patch up your leg, and study that map to find out where on this island it is. Come on.”

  Taking her hand, he pulled her through the forest. Even with her wounded leg she kept up with ease. They sprinted so long even Simon struggled for breath, but the threat of Cyrus’ men drove him on. Finally, the shadows of the forest gave way to a bright opening to the western sea. They skidded to a stop when they hit the edge of the forest. White sands stretched endlessly before them, ripples formed by the wind and untouched by human or animal feet. The aqua blue waters beckoned them forward, the morning light gliding across the surface. Simon followed the horizon to where the outline of his ship bobbed along gentle waves.

  “There! My ship!” he shouted, pulling her into the sand.

  It kicked up behind them, sliding beneath their feet while they tore to the ocean’s edge. The Dark Shark sat towering against the warm colors of the morning sky, a dark beacon calling him home. It was a longer swim than he had prepared for, but certainly not impossible.

  “Can you make this swim?” he asked, turning to face her.

  “I think so,” she said, confidence absent from her voice and face.

  “I need you to know so. Thinking you can but not knowing means we both drown in our attempt because I’m not leaving you behind. If you can’t make it, I will hide you here and swim it myself and then sail us in closer for you. Or perhaps there is a skiff down the beach I can find. My intentions were to put you in the skiff last night, but things didn’t go as planned. So, can you make it?”

  She shook her head. “I don’t know. I can’t be sure. It’s a long swim, Simon.”

  “That’s all right,” he said, reaching out to touch her shoulder. “Let’s hide you in the trees and I’ll go get my ship and bring it to you. A proper rescue.” He beamed.

  “Simon,” she said, looking past his shoulder. Fear widened her eyes.

  He turned to where she stared. A group of Cyrus’ men roared as they tore down the beach with pistols drawn.

  “About that proper
rescue. We’ll have to try that another time. Swim, Viv!”

  Simon grabbed her hand and yanked her into the water. She shrieked before crashing in behind him. Saltwater stung the still-healing gunshot wound on his chest as, with gritted teeth, he absorbed the pain and transformed it into determination. Looking over his shoulder, he saw the men clamoring together on the shore, pistols taking aim.

  “We need to go under again! Don’t let go of my hand! Tug when you need to come up!”

  With simultaneous breaths, they descended beneath the waves. The salt water stung his open eyes, but he refused to give up his sight. He pulled her deep beneath the waves to the bottom of the ocean floor as deep as it would allow in such shallow water. Bullets whizzed past them causing the sand to explode into clouds as the tiny explosions collided around them.

  She tugged on his hand. Simon pushed up and dragged her to the surface. One gulp of air each and he pulled her back below. The sting in his eyes lessened as he adjusted to it and swam her farther and farther from danger. A school of brightly colored fish burst from formation and scattered around them as they swam through. The creatures fluttered through the crystal-clear water and resumed formation behind them. Another tug on his hand sent them both to the surface. His own lungs burned with desperation for a breath.

  Gasping for air, they looked around them. Cyrus’ men stood on the beach, shooting. The bullets fell just short, their splashes sending little droplets of water into the air, catching the light and casting little rainbows around them.

  “Ha!” Simon shouted, slapping the surface. “We’re out of range. Now what are you going to do?” He shouted at them.

  Vivian grinned beside him, paddling hard to stay afloat. His own leather cloak weighed him down, but attachment to the old thing made the extra effort worthwhile. The men shook fists with frustration before turning and racing off down the beach.

  “Just a little further, Viv. We need to keep swimming.”