by Tracy Kay
“Tup! Fredericks!” Flint yelled for his men, furious that they had allowed this woman to get by them.
“Your men are . . . preoccupied at the moment,” Chameleon answered. One of the inept sailors Flint had posted on the door was meeting Tylib’s fists and the other was meeting his maker. “Let the lady go.”
Flint glared at the gun Chameleon aimed at him and grunted. “I’ll kill her before you can shoot.”
“You think so? Huh. I think that is a chance I am willing to take.” She looked at him levelly through clear, hard eyes.
Flint peered at Chameleon in surprise, his grip on Madeline slipping. Madeline squashed her fear and took advantage of his loosened hold of her. She grabbed the gun with her hands and tried to wrench it free. Flint held fast to the gun and shoved Madeline to the floor.
“You are dead, bitch!” He yelled and pointed the gun at her. As he squeezed the trigger, Madeline rolled towards him, escaping the bullet aimed at her head. Flint stared at her in bewilderment before his eyes glazed over and he fell to the floor on top of her.
“Oh,” Madeline gasped, shoving the dead man off her. She turned away, leaned over, and promptly expelled the contents of her stomach, gagging and spitting. With a shudder, she sat up, wiped the back of her hand over her mouth, and pushed the hair out of her face. The irony of the situation didn’t escape her. She was reminded of how similar these events were to when Joselyn was killed. But unlike Joselyn, Madeline fought back and helped save herself. Her guilt over Joselyn’s death fell away. She hadn’t caused Joselyn’s death, Joselyn and Farrington did.
Chameleon stood silently with the smoking pistol in her hand. She had shot Flint in the head the same moment he had pulled his trigger. Tylib came crashing into the room, taking in the scene with a glance. He quickly untied Damon who moved to Madeline’s side.
“She killed him, Damon,” she whispered in disbelief.
“I know, honey.” He helped her up and held her close, stroking her hair.
When Madeline glanced back at Chameleon, her pistol was tucked away and she had a stiff, stoic expression on her face. Madeline had underestimated her. Chameleon was not the beautiful, carefree, fun loving girl Madeline had thought, but a hard as nails woman who did what needed to be done. Madeline regarded her with new respect and understanding. “Thank you, Chameleon.”
Chameleon met her gaze and took her measure. She nodded slightly with a lopsided smile. “You are welcome.” They understood each other. They both would do anything for those they loved. A new respect and friendship was forged in that brief exchange. “We need to get to Cat’s ship. He will be worried.” Chameleon turned and left the building.
“Are you all right, Madeline?” Damon smoothed his hand over her hair and kissed the top of her head.
“I will be, Damon,” she said, grimacing as she wiped her cheek and mouth with the sleeve of her dress. “May we leave here? I want to see Brandon.” She leaned into him, needing his strength and love.
Damon nodded and led her out of the shack.
“Madeline!” Brandon hugged Madeline to him as they met on the deck of the Midnight Glory. “One of my men saw you and Damon ambushed but couldn’t find where you were taken. My men and I searched for you, but with no luck. I was about to expand our search and contact the local authorities.” Brandon held onto Madeline, not willing to let her go. “What happened?”
“Tylib and I saw them ambushed as well. We were able to follow them. They are safe now,” Chameleon stated the obvious.
Damon gave her an odd look before turning to Brandon to explain what had taken place. “Chammy and Tylib saved us from a nasty situation.”
“Fill me in on the details in my cabin. Are you sure you are all right, Madeline?” Brandon asked with concern. “How is your head?” He was worried about her and her health.
“I am fine, Brandon.” She pushed him away from her. “I haven’t had my headaches for a while now.” He didn’t need to know that her scalp and breast ached from Flint’s abuse, that her stomach was soured from being sick, and that she would probably have some nasty bruises. What she really wanted was a hot bath and then to be in Damon’s arms with her head resting on his chest listening to his heart beat, but that would have to wait.
“Are you sure?” He studied her closely. He had the feeling she was in pain and wasn’t telling him, and he didn’t like it, not one bit.
Madeline nodded and took Damon’s hand. “Honestly, I am fine. Stop worrying, Brandon. But I would like to sit down.” Brandon studied her a moment longer before leading them back to his cabin.
After he listened to their story, Brandon poured each of them a glass of brandy, and sat down across from Damon and Madeline at the table, taking note of their clasped hands. “I am relieved Flint is no longer a problem. However, Madeline, the next time you decide to threaten a man, I am going to throttle you.”
“Yes, Brandon.” Madeline rolled her eyes at him as she squeezed Damon’s hand. Damon winked at her and squeezed her hand back in support.
“Now that Flint has been taken care of, we need to deal with Farrington and soon.” Cassandra leaned against the door, grinning at the surprised faces of her friends. “He put into port shortly after I did. I have been following him for days and it appears his ship took a beating in that storm. I sailed past him last night.”
Chameleon curled her lip in revulsion. “I saw him limp into port. I have put my men on alert and they are watching him.”
“Oh! I almost forgot,” Cassandra exclaimed with happiness. “I saw the Deliverance coming in as I walked over here. Raven should be joining us later.”
Brandon stood and went to her. He took her into his arms and held on for a moment then slowly ran his hands down her body. “You seem to be in one piece,” he said while cupping her face with his hands.
Cassandra giggled, putting her hands on his wrists. “I am. Now stop. We have Farrington to deal with and you can examine me later.” She grinned at him.
“You know I will,” Brandon said in a husky voice. He reluctantly released her, led her to a chair, and poured her a drink. “Farrington. Anyone have any ideas?” Brandon asked the room in general as he took his seat next to Cassandra.
“No fighting. I want Madeline safely away from here.” Damon squeezed her hand. “The Wayward Wind’s repairs are almost complete and we can leave with the evening tide.”
Cassandra rubbed her chin. “If we run, like we did from England, Farrington will only follow again. He wants a fight, and if he gets one of us alone, he will and he might win. If all four of us leave at the same time, it is unlikely that he will challenge us as a group.”
“I agree. He won’t like the odds. The only problem we will have to face is if his sons are following him. Then we will be more equally matched and he might attack us,” Damon stated and put his arm around Madeline’s shoulders. He didn’t like running and he wanted this over. He preferred confronting his enemy head on, but that wasn’t always the best course of action. No matter what strategy they used, he wanted Madeline safe and away from Farrington.
“I don’t think his sons followed him. Did anyone see Farrington’s other ship?” Brandon inquired.
“I only saw the one in port, Brandon,” Chameleon responded as Damon gave a negative shake of his head.
“If it was following me, my crew and I didn’t notice. There was only the one ship I was following and that was the one Farrington was on,” Cassandra said with a grimace.
“Then Farrington’s sons are probably still in England waiting for us to return,” Brandon replied as he watched Cassandra.
“Perhaps.” Damon wasn’t so certain. “In any case, I think you should leave first, Brandon, and try to get Farrington to follow you.” He smiled softly at Madeline. “I don’t want to engage into a battle with Madeline on board.”
“You won’t get an argument from me on that point,” Brandon agreed, glancing at Damon and noting how protective he was of his sister and the arm he had arou
nd her. “Cham, what is your opinion on this?”
“I agree with Cassie. Farrington’s going to want a fight and he wants Madeline. If you want her safe, you get her home. You shouldn’t have left London in the first place,” Chameleon admonished with a shrug as she crossed her arms.
“I am tired of running.” Madeline looked at each of them. “Brandon, you dealt with this your way and we got nowhere doing it. Now, it is my turn. It is time I struck Farrington with a little retribution my way on my terms. It is time we returned to England,” she said decisively, leaning into Damon for support.
Brandon frowned at her. “Madeline, it isn’t safe for you to deal with Farrington. Let us handle it.”
“I did let you handle it and all we have done is run away with Farrington following us, gaining us nothing. I am not safe anywhere you take me.” Madeline was annoyed with her brother for not having faith in her and she didn’t want to run or hide. She wanted to go home. “At least in London, I can do something. By calling in a few favors, I can make Farrington’s life very uncomfortable.” Her breast ached, her scalp was sore, and she was tired of all the tension and danger. She absently rubbed at her breast and gazed up at Damon. In silent understanding, he gently stroked her cheek and kissed her forehead.
Nodding in agreement, Cassandra stopped Brandon’s protest. “She is right, Brandon. Running, or trying to distract Farrington away from Madeline, doesn’t get us anywhere but chasing our tails. Even you have said that Madeline has influence in London’s society. Give her a chance to do what she does best. Madeline knows a lot of people and has a lot of connections. She might be able to accomplish what we can’t. If we all work together, we might be able to rid ourselves of Farrington for good. We can start by learning more about the orphanages he is buying and why. If we can’t out run him or out fight him, maybe we can out smart him.”
Brandon sighed in defeat. “Ladies, you win. Madeline, we will try it your way, but at the first sign of danger, you, and you, Cassandra,” Brandon paused and looked at each of them meaningfully before continuing, “are both going where it is safe. Understood?
“Yes, Brandon,” Madeline agreed, relieved that Brandon was going to let her do more than run. And she would be going home.
Cassandra scowled but reluctantly nodded. She knew better then to push Brandon any further, for the time being anyway.
“Now that that is settled,” Brandon turned to Chameleon. “Chammy, you and I will need to catch up with your recent escapades a little later,” Brandon said firmly to her, making her blush. He always knew when she was hiding something and she was definitely hiding something or she wouldn’t have blushed. He turned to Damon and Madeline. “Tell me what has been going on between the two of you?” With intense scrutiny, he raised one, black eyebrow at them, waiting patiently for one of them to answer.
Madeline’s words rushed out of her before she lost her nerve. “We are in love.” At her blatant words, Damon groaned and removed his arm from around her, rubbing his palms along his thighs.
“I noticed that.” Brandon ignored Damon’s groan. “Is there something you want to ask me, Damon?”
Damon lifted his brow at him with mild surprise and slowly grinned as full understanding came to him. Brandon had, indeed, set them up. “You sly dog. You knew I would fall in love with Madeline. You knew I would . . .”
“Careful . . .” Brandon warned in a soft voice.
Damon amended his words. “I couldn’t resist her.”
“Yes, that was noted,” Brandon replied dryly. “I am waiting.”
Damon sighed and drank the rest of his brandy. “Cat, you know how I feel about you. I love you like a brother and I would never purposefully dishonor you.”
“I know that, Damon,” Brandon said with patience.
Damon sighed again. “I love your sister. She is very persuasive and a handful.”
“I know that, too,” Brandon smirked. Damon was stalling and Brandon was enjoying making him uneasy; indeed, he was. Actually, he was very pleased with the match. Damon would make a good husband for his sister.
“She asked me to marry her. I told her you wouldn’t approve. I have nothing to give her. No wealth, no title, no home. I have only my ship and my integrity. But she is stubborn.” Damon faced her before she could protest. “You are, Madeline, don’t deny it.”
She smiled at him with sparkling eyes, took his hand in hers again and stayed quiet. She knew she had to let him say his piece to Brandon on his own.
“Even though she is stubborn and incorrigible . . .”
“I would have said a pain in the ass,” Brandon interjected.
Madeline frowned at him and glared.
Brandon chuckled and winked at her. “You know it is true, Madeline.”
She snorted, letting go of Damon’s hand, and crossed her arms in mock anger. Secretly, she agreed. She could be a pain in the ass.
Brandon chuckled again at her. “Please go on, Damon.”
“As I was saying, Madeline can be a handful, but I love her for it. I love everything about her. I have a hard time saying no to her because all I want is to see her happy.” Damon pulled her hand to him and placed a kiss in the center of her palm. “I love your smile, Madeline. When you smile, everyone around you smiles too. You are kind, you are intelligent, you are beautiful, and you are all I want. I love you.”
“I love you, too, Damon.” Madeline looked at him with love and tears in her eyes for the wonderful things he had said.
Damon glanced back at Brandon. “I want to marry her, Cat. I have nothing to give her, only my love.”
Brandon smirked in mild amusement. “Damon, spit the question out, will you? You are taking too long. I know you love my sister and I know all about what you have and don’t have. So get on with it.”
Damon gave a half laugh at his friend. “Right then.” This shouldn’t be so hard. Brandon was his best friend. He shouldn’t be this so damn nervous. With a deep breath, the words came rushing out. “Brandon, may I have Madeline’s hand in marriage?”
“Finally, I thought you would never get that out.” Brandon frowned and let them both worry for a minute more before he gave his answer. He allowed his frown to turn into a grin, admitting the truth. “Yes, Damon. It is what I wanted. Why do you think I gave her to you in the first place? I knew you couldn’t resist her, nor her you. I knew you would be good for each other. And I am pleased everything has worked out.”
Damon let out a sigh of relief and Madeline tapped his shoulder. “I told you he wanted us together.”
“So you did, honey. Brandon, thank you.” Damon reached across the table and shook Brandon’s hand. “I will take good care of her.”
“I know you will.” Brandon squeezed Damon’s hand with affection. “However, before we celebrate, we have a small matter of Madeline’s father and mother to deal with. I want you both married and quickly. Madeline, your parents will disapprove of this match.”
“Father won’t be too difficult and I will figure some way around Mother,” Madeline said anxiously. Her mother was never going to approve of her marrying a commoner.
“No need to worry, Madeline,” Brandon reassured. “We are going to Morgan’s Island and you will marry there. I am assuming you have already consummated your love?” Madeline blushed hotly and Damon averted his eyes. Both Cassandra and Chameleon found something fascinating with the ceiling and did their best not to laugh, wanting to stay out of this conversation. Brandon grinned. “Good, you may already be pregnant,” he said blatantly. “If you are expecting, Madeline, your mother will have to accept the union. So, work on that.”
“Oh, good heavens, Brandon.” Madeline blushed again and covered her face with her hands.
Damon laughed out loud. “I will be sure to work extra hard on that, Cat.”
Brandon smirked. “I have complete faith in you, Damon.”
“I will be at it morning, noon, and night,” Damon added with a wicked grin.
“That is enough you
two,” Chameleon chastised. “You are embarrassing Madeline and she doesn’t deserve that.”
Brandon cleared his throat. “You are right, Chammy. Sorry, Madeline, sweet. We got carried away.”
“Yes, you did,” Madeline said haughtily, her face bright red from embarrassment. She decided to get her own little bit of revenge for their teasing. “I would have preferred to have a church wedding with my family and friends there, but I guess I have to settle for a large celebration when we return to England.” When Brandon and Damon both groaned, Madeline smiled impishly. “Oh, yes, a big formal party with dancing and lots of people, and you all have to be there.”
Cassandra grinned. “Sounds like fun. I will finally get Chameleon in a dress.”
“Don’t count on it,” Chameleon grumbled.
They all laughed in good humor and friendship when a loud boom sounded, repeated by a second and third boom which rocked the ship violently. The laughter ended abruptly and they all jumped up, startled by the explosions. The only one left seated was Chameleon, who wore a self-satisfied smile on her face.
“What the hell was that?” Brandon said to no one in particular, ready to leave the cabin.
“Sit down, all of you.” Chameleon sat calmly in her chair and regarded each of them at turn. “That would be Farrington’s ship blowing up.” They all stared at her in astonishment. “Oh, did I forget to mention that I instructed my first mate and two other crew members to set off a few explosives on Farrington’s ship, at . . . ah . . . oh, at about this time?” She crossed her arms and smiled smugly, quite pleased with herself.
“Yes, you forgot to mention it.” Brandon stared at her quizzically with irritation and worry. He sighed in exasperation and surmised correctly that the explosion had been the secret he had sensed she was hiding.
“You have become sneaky, Cham. I like it,” Cassandra stated in female approval. It was a good feeling that someone had finally hit Farrington with a well-deserved blow.
“It was reckless and dangerous,” Brandon admonished at the irresponsible action. “Innocent people could be injured.” He believed her impulsiveness was not going to turn out well in the end.
