Chapter Eighteen
The cabin door crashed open. Kate jumped, her nerves on edge, then relaxed when she saw it was only Talon. He stood in the doorway, his gaze riveted on her face, then used his foot to slam the portal closed behind him.
He was soaking wet, his hair plastered to his head, his clothes outlining every lean, muscled inch of his body. Despite her anger, she still appreciated his stark male beauty. His father had chosen him well. He was everything she’d ever wanted.
“What’s going on? What was that noise?” Just after Daniel had left, the entire ship had given a violent shudder, and her fear of the storm eclipsed her earlier fury.
“Lightning hit the mast.” He rubbed his hand over his face and leaned against the door for a moment. “The ship is going down. We need to get to a lifeboat.”
“The ship is sinking?” She shook her head, unable to believe him. “That’s not funny.”
“It’s no joke.” He strode to his trunk and began pulling things out. “Go change into those trousers you wore when you first came on board. Be quick. Grab the quilt off your bunk and anything else you think might be useful.”
She stared at him, shocked at the sharpness of his tone. He’d never spoken to her this way before.
“Now!” he snapped. “We’re running out of time.”
She scrambled to her feet, spurred into action by the truth in his eyes. The ship is sinking. This wasn’t the time to tell him how much he’d hurt her. She hurried into her cabin and donned the boy’s clothing then grabbed her heaviest cloak and the quilt.
When she returned to the sitting room, Talon was going through Daniel’s trunk. She blinked in surprise when he pulled out a revolver and tucked it into the waistband of his trousers.
“I’m ready. Where’s Daniel?”
“Daniel should already be in the boat.” His voice was harsh, leaving no room for questions or accusations.
But she couldn’t resist one little jab to let him know how furious she was. “Did he tell you I know about your lies?”
Talon paused and gave her a long, searching look. “Yes. But there’s no time for this now. We have to get to a lifeboat before there aren’t any left.”
He strode toward her, grabbing her arm and pulling her toward the door. His hand was gentle despite his harried manner, but she shook it off. “Don’t touch me. Don’t ever touch me again.”
“All right,” he murmured, eyeing her as though she’d lost her mind. “But you have to come with me now. Go ahead and hate me. I deserve it. But please, just do as I say for the next ten minutes.”
She nodded, and he preceded her out into the narrow passageway. She followed him, shocked to find the corridor full of ankle deep, ice-cold water. She fought to stay on her feet as the ship swayed and bucked beneath them. He climbed the steps that led to the hatch, waiting at the top.
“It’s going to be rough out there. I know you don’t want to touch me, but if the wind is too much, don’t hesitate to grab my hand. I don’t want you blown overboard.”
As soon as he’d finished speaking, he opened the hatch, letting in the ferocious wind and rain. Kate gasped and swept her cloak around her shoulders. It was nearly impossible to battle her way across the deck by herself, and she found herself clinging to Talon’s waist, letting him pull her forward through the chaos.
None of the men even glanced in her direction, but it seemed an eternity before Talon reached the skiff. He stopped so suddenly she slammed up against him.
“Damn it,” he cursed, prying himself away. “Stay here,” he bellowed, struggling to be heard over the roar of the wind. He wrapped her freezing fingers around the rail. “Hold on. I’ll be right back.”
Then, to her shock, he kissed her, fierce and hard. Before she had a chance to protest, he was gone. She clung to the rail, blinking to see through the driving rain as he made his way to a lifeboat being lowered just ten feet away.
He waved his arms, yelling something, but the wind stole his words away. One of the men scrambled back up the rope and swung his beefy arm in Talon’s direction. Talon blocked the punch and then pulled out the gun, aiming it at the sailor’s face.
The battle of wills lasted several seconds, but then the two men got out of the boat. Talon gestured in her direction, and she realized he wanted her to join him. She pulled herself down the rail, every step a battle.
“I told them to find their own damned boat. I’ve already provisioned this one,” he yelled when she was mere feet away from him. “I don’t know where Daniel is. If he doesn’t get here fast, we’ll have to leave without him.”
She nodded, wondering why it mattered. The sea rose toward the deck like some nightmarish monster. The tiny lifeboat would never stay afloat in this raging maelstrom. They were all going to die.
He pointed to where the lifeboat hung suspended above the seething waves. “You’ll have to jump for it, Kate.”
Jump for it? It seemed impossible, but one look into his flinty eyes convinced her. There was no other way.
She jumped.
