“And I’m not going through life with your death on my conscience.”
“Treveryan, we part ways right here,” Brianna cried out determinedly.
“The hell we do!”
“You got your money’s worth. I’ve my life!”
He laughed dryly. “I’m not so sure about my money’s worth, and your life will be worthless if you don’t listen to me. Oh, the hell with it—there’s no time left to argue.”
Brianna backed quickly away from him, her eyes warily upon him as he came to her with determined strides. “No, Treveryan,” she warned him, but her words were useless. He caught her outstretched hand and ducked low, heaving her over his shoulder while she cursed away at him and furiously pounded against his back. “Let me down. I despise you, I’ve no wish to go with you—”
“Stop pounding on me and shut your mouth, or I’ll knock your head into the wall!” he warned her in a deathly rage.
“You will not.”
“Don’t test me!”
Where would he take her? Oh, God, she would never get to her family! “Let me go!” she cried again, slamming a fist hard against his shoulder. He grunted and she felt his palm crack full force against her buttocks, causing a stinging pain. Salt tears of fury and humiliation stung her eyes; she blinked them away, stunned and seething with rage.
“You—” she began.
“Shut up!” he finished, swinging about so that she flounced hard against him and totally lost her breath.
With her as his burden he threw open the door and hurried down the stairs. Liam stood at the landing. “I’ve a horse ready outside, Cap’n. Godspeed, m’lord.”
Sloan nodded his thanks. “Take heed, Liam.”
He carried Brianna through the tavern and out into the cool night—oblivious to her muffled curses.
A tavern youth held the reins of a handsome bay gelding. Thrown roughly over the saddle, belly down, Brianna once again found herself breathless and unable to curse him any longer. With an agile leap he mounted behind her, tossing coins to the boy, and smacking his mount soundly upon the rump.
The horse broke into a gallop. She could do nothing but cling to the gelding and feel the coolness of the night sea breeze as it whipped against her face. The clip-clop of the horse’s hooves against the cobblestones was like the hard and trembling beat of her heart. Tossed about by the horse’s gait, she barely noticed the shops that they passed and the few stragglers still walking the streets. She was aware only of the strong muscles of the horse bunching beneath her as they reached the docks and veered northward along the berths.
Darkness had descended. The glow of the moon and the oil lamps from the various tall ships that lined the harbor lit their way. Before one of these ships their wild ride through the night suddenly ended. Sloan reined in and leapt from his horse in one fluid movement, then reached for Brianna and swept her to the ground without ceremony.
The second his arms released her, she turned to run.
“Get back here!” he exploded. “I swear to God you’re the most stubborn creature I’ve ever met!”
She cried out as his fingers tore into her hair, pulling her back hard against his chest. She saw pure fury in his eyes as they met hers for an instant—and then she was gasping again because he was tossing her over his shoulder and wearing viciously as he hurried along.
“Paddy!” he shouted loudly, his strides long as he carried Brianna along with him to a broad gangplank.
“Who goes there? Cap’n? Is that you?”
“Aye, Paddy, ’tis me. Rouse the crew and make way to sail.”
“Now? Damn, Cap’n, but we weren’tdueto sail—”
“Now, Paddy. I’ve a feeling in my bones we’ll be contested if we don’t leave port with all haste.”
Brianna finally saw the man called Paddy as Sloan jumped to the deck and swung around. He was tall and slender, and a cap covered the shock of snow-white hair upon his head. His face was weathered by wind and sea, but his eyes were a young and brilliant snapping blue.
“Did ye get yerself in trouble, then, Lord Treveryan?”
“Aye, and ‘trouble’ is with me!” Sloan replied irritably. Brianna struggled to sink her teeth into his back. He cried out sharply, slapping her rear soundly once again. “More trouble than she’s worth!” Sloan muttered, further irritated by Paddy’s laughter.
“She seems to be quite a woman,” Paddy observed with amusement.
