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More rushing footsteps.
Jake came to stand by Barney’s side, and the two of them stared into the cabin at the captain. “I was going to tell you about her,” Jake said.
“When? After she died of starvation?” The Sea Wolf’s jaw ticked as he rose slowly to his feet and turned to face Jake and Barney. “Dammit, Jake, what kind of mess have you dragged me into now? I would have thought you’d learned your lesson about kidnapping women.”
In spite of the anger in the Sea Wolf’s voice, Jake cracked a roguish grin. “Don’t take that tone with me, Drake. You know what I do to people who make me angry. Besides, would you have had me leave her behind for Hayes to question?”
The Sea Wolf returned his dagger to its sheath. “There were other alternatives.”
“Such as?”
“You could have warned her of the danger, and her father could have seen to her protection.”
Jake snorted. “Do you really think her father could have kept her safe from Hayes?”
The Sea Wolf tensed, and Serenity could see him debate Jake’s words.
Jake met her gaze and his smile died. “We just have to decide what to do with her in the meantime. I figure we only need to hide her out a couple of weeks before Hayes will pick up someone else’s trail and leave Savannah.”
“Weeks?” she asked in disbelief.
The Sea Wolf placed a comforting hand on her shoulder, which kept her from rising. “Her reputation’s ruined if we do that.”
“That’s not as bad as what Hayes will do to her,” Jake said nonchalantly.
“Who is Hayes?” Serenity demanded, and then she listened in horror as the Sea Wolf explained. Not that she had a problem with Hayes hunting down the dreadful pirates. They deserved to be hung for their crimes. But any man who would hand over a hero like the Sea Wolf, well, she certainly had a problem with that.
“Youcantake me home,” she said. “I could go stay with some of my family in Marthasville.”
“Aye,” the Sea Wolf agreed. “We could do that. I doubt if he’d—”
“Ifound her with very little effort,” Jake interrupted. “And you don’t want to know how much information about her family I was able to purchase. Hayes could easily track her to the home of a relative. And to get a prize like you, you better believe he would.”
The Sea Wolf raked his hands through his hair. “Jake, keeping her doesn’t make any sense. She doesn’t even know who I am.”
“That’s not entirely true,” Serenity couldn’t resist adding. She didn’t know why, but she liked taking the upper hand with the good captain. Maybe it was the arrogance of his stance, that devil-may-care attitude that seemed to bleed from every pore of his skin.
The Sea Wolf cocked a surprised brow. “What’s that?”
She rubbed her chafed wrists. “I didn’t know who you were until you came to the party. Your ire gave you away, sir, and as I told you then, if I knew the identity of the Sea Wolf, I would get his views on his activities.”
Ignoring Barney and Jake, who still watched them from the doorway, she retrieved her glasses from her coat pocket, along with her book and pencil. She put her glasses on, opened her book to the correct page, positioned her pencil for notes, then locked gazes with the captain. “So tell me, what got you interested in freeing American sailors?”
“Ah, bloody hell!” he cursed.
Jake folded his arms across his chest. “Now what do you think?”
“I think the girl’s ruined and you and I are going to hell for it.”
Jake laughed. “Given our past sins, I doubt if she’ll be the stone that tips the scales of our damnation.”
The Sea Wolf sighed. “Well, I guess there’s nothing we can do but make the best of it. It looks as if the girl’s to be our guest. Barney, see to it Kit makes my room ready for her.” He pinned his stare on Jake. “I really wish you’d told me what you had planned before you took it upon yourself to abduct her.”
Jake shrugged. “As if you would have come up with a better idea.” He clapped Barney on the back. “Come on, old man. Let’s go see to that room.”
Once they were alone, the captain turned to face her with arms akimbo. “Well, Miss James, I don’t suppose I’ll be able to keep my name from you much longer. Allow me to present myself, Captain Morgan Drake at your command.”
Morgan Drake. The name suited him.
