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Chapter Two
The sky was quickly growing dark. Dinah shifted a bit, changing around how she sat on the ever-hardening ground. Her legs tingled in protest, but she didn’t dare stand to stretch them fully. Cuddled up close to her, the little girl sighed loudly in her sleep at Dinah’s movement.
They had to get away from these men. Dinah chewed on her lower lip. There had to be a way to slip off without half a dozen guns being aimed in their direction. She had no idea how, though. She had been instructed to deliver the little girl to Mr. Harding after rescuing her. Perhaps when neither of them showed up, Mr. Harding would send someone their way. She sincerely hoped he would—but she didn’t believe just waiting to be rescued was a good plan.
She needed todosomething.
At times like these, one could miss opportunities if one stopped to think too long.
When the moment came, she’d know it. And she would take it.
One of the men who’d been laughing earlier with Pock-Face stood and stretched. He glanced her way. His hair was red, his eyes icy blue, and one of the largest rings she’d ever seen on a man ornamented the smallest finger of his left hand. He smiled and, picking up a burlap sack, strolled over to her.
No sooner had the man taken one step in her direction that Dinah felt Black’s eyes land on her. Since their staring contest before, he hadn’t glanced her way once. But now, though she didn’t look in his direction, she knew he was watching her most carefully.
The man with blue eyes reached her and crouched down low. He pulled open the bag.
“Has the cat gotten hungry yet?” he asked, his tone as leering as before.
Dinah kept her mouth closed.
The man dropped his gaze and appeared to be rummaging through his bag, his ring catching a bit of sunlight and shining brightly. While he searched, he whispered so low, Dinah had to strain to hear him. “Don’t worry, I’ll keep you safe. Just don’t try anything stupid like bolting, got it?”
Dinah nodded. This had to be the man who had infiltrated the group some months ago.
Blue-Eyes took an apple out of his bag and handed it to her. “Eat this, then get some sleep. We aren’t moving for a couple of hours yet, but you’ll want your strength when we do.”
It was a huge relief to know she wasn’t alone. As Blue-Eyes stood and moved back to where he’d been resting before, Dinah’s eyes landed on Black.
He was watching her closely. Though the intense hatred from before seemed to have simmered down, he still looked at her with no small amount of malice.
Dinah scowled back, willing her gaze to carry every bit as much anger as his did. This time, he was the first to look away. Dinah took a bite of the apple. Her stomach rolled over greedily. Good heavens, but she was starving. She ate through the whole fruit quickly and then did as Blue-Eyes recommended and lay down fully. The ground was far from comfortable, but it was nothing compared to how vulnerable she felt as she lay on her side. Nonetheless, not a single man approached her or even glanced her way. They had looked at her enough when she’d first been caught. But now, it seemed her appearance was old news, not nearly as important to the men as their sleep.
She forced her eyes shut but kept a close ear out for any movement.
Time stretched on. After a while, Dinah finally heard someone move. The little girl sat up. Dinah opened one eye, but only a sliver, just enough to see what the little girl was about. It was far darker now than when Dinah had first shut her eyes. The little girl looked about the group. Then she lifted a hand and beckoned silently to someone.
Footsteps moved closer, and Black knelt down in front of the little girl.
“You need to sleep some more,” he said in a very low voice.
“Sing to me again?” the little girl said.
Dinah couldn’t see Black’s expression, but he clearly hesitated, his head swiveling around to look at the other men first and then her.
Dinah quickly shut her eye, curiosity winning out over a need to let him know she was watching him even now.
“Please?” the little girl begged.
Black let out a long, near-silent sigh. “Very well. But lie down first.”
The little girl crawled around until she was beside Dinah, then lay down directly beside her. The little girl even went so far as to pick up Dinah’s arm and drape it over herself. An intense, pulsing need to protect this little girl swelled up inside Dinah. Though Dinah was careful to keep her arm limp and continue the charade of sleeping, what she most sincerely wished to do was to pull the little girl in closer, kiss her on the top of her head, and tell her that somehow, everything was going to be all right.
Then Black began to sing.
His voice was as low as she’d expected, but she hadn’t anticipated how good he would sound. She’d rarely heard a more clear, more musical voice. So lost in the lilting tone, Dinah only caught a few words; something about horses sleeping and sparrows singing. It was a lovely lullaby. All too soon, he finished and moved away.
Dinah, her eyes still closed, could barely think straight. How had a ruffian and a smuggler come to sing so well? More still, not only was his voice and tone excellent, he’d sung with a softness, a beauty that was completely out of place when compared to his dark expression and current company. Dinah held the little girl closer to her. Black was a confusion, a contradiction. She didn’t understand him—yet another solid reason to steer clear of him.
