The Pirate's Duty (Regent's Revenge #3)(70)

“Oriana.” John removed Girard’s head from her lap and gently lowered it to the floor. “He’s gone.”

Fearing what she’d discovered, Oriana glanced at him, not fully comprehending. Her breaths were labored as she cut a glance to the Regent. “Where can I go that he won’t find me?”

“You must come with us, Miss,” the Regent said stiffly, “to our ship. We will protect you.”

“Listen to him, Oriana,” John told her as she grasped his forearms and rose to her feet. “We must do whatever the Regent says.”

She studied his face. In that moment, their eyes locked and she recovered, seeing in his eyes the resolute, fierce woman Girard and O’Malley had trained, the one person capable of standing against Charles, of fighting for what she wanted, come what may.

“What do ye want me to do?” She pressed her lips together, absorbing the strength John gave her and praying she could warn him somehow not to trust this man who claimed to be the Regent.

The Regent and his men grinned. “You have something Carnage wants, Miss Thorpe—the cache Girard described. Get it and then accompany us to our ship. We’ll protect you there.”

She nodded. “You’ve already risked your men’s lives, and poor Girard has paid the ultimate price. I cannot ask ye to do more.”

“You’re not alone.” John tilted her face to his and kissed her lips.

Restless and desperate to find a way to warn him, Oriana sank into his embrace.

John turned her away from the Regent and whispered against her ear. “Take the blade behind my back and hide it in your skirts.”

He knew! The room spun as she attempted to do as he asked. He lowered his lips to hers again. Without any way to know if his ploy had worked, she moved her arms around his waist and leaned into him, pressing, moaning deep in her throat as she lifted the dagger free of his waist and slid the blade inside her sleeve.

The Regent cleared his throat and she heard someone unsheathe a sword behind her back. “I hate to interrupt such an entertaining display of affection, but we must be on our way. Time is of the essence.”

John stepped away from her as she hid her hands in her skirts. “Do as he says, my love.”

“My love?” the Regent loudly repeated. “Miss Thorpe, when I asked you who this man was, you neglected to mention how familiar you were with him. He’s obviously your lover.”

“My . . .” Alarm flickered on her face. If this man was not the Regent, if he worked with Charles, allowing him to believe she loved John would only get John killed. “Don’t be absurd. He’s not my lover.”

“She’s right,” John said. “We’ve only just met.”

The men burst into laughter, clearly not believing them.

“Enough of your prattle.” The supposed Regent’s tone turned deadly. “Where’s the box?”

Silence fell upon the room.

“Box?” Oriana squeezed John’s hand before she moved away, managing another glance at Girard. “I never said anything about a box.”

“He—” the Regent pointed to Girard “—told us about the box.” He flaunted his sword. “Carnage will be arriving soon with his men. We cannot allow him to retrieve it. I’ve learned he plans to use the gold to fund Boney’s war. Now where is it?”

John motioned with his hand. “Get him the box, Oriana.”

She nodded, drew in a determined breath, and began to follow John to the storeroom.

“He stays.” The Regent moved surprisingly fast, tipping the end of his sword between them. “Take one of my men with you instead.”

“Are ye sayin’ ye don’t trust me?” she asked. “After ye left Girard and O’Malley behind to help me?”

“It’s a courtesy.” He pasted a smile on his face that didn’t reach his masked eyes. “My man can carry the cache.”

She wasn’t swayed. “So can Mr. Hunt.”

“I don’t trust men I don’t know, Mr. Hunt included.” He laid his other hand on the pistol at his waist. “I trust that you will do what’s right, if you want no harm to come to your lover.”

His threat became more real as the other pirates brandished their weapons.

“I told ye, he’s not my lover.” Oriana cut her gaze to John.

“It’s all right,” he told her. “Do as he says.”

“You have a good head on your shoulders, Mr. Hunt. Perhaps you’d like to keep it.” The Regent’s eyes narrowed on her once more. “Heed his advice, Miss Thorpe, and do as I say.”

She gave John a hesitant nod, and one of the Regent’s men advanced to her side. The filthy pirate prodded her forward, escorting her into the storeroom and leaving John to face the Regent’s impostor alone.

“Oh!” She tripped through the doorway, fighting to regain her footing. “I’m not your prisoner, ye oaf! Ye don’t have to shove me!”

“Forgive me clumsiness.” One look into the pirate’s laughing eyes proved her comfort was not his chief concern. “Now get the box and be quick about it.”

Oriana moved straight to the leather box, hastening her steps and feeling more out of control than she would have liked. When she got to the box, she saw that the lid was ajar. Had she forgotten to lock it in her haste? Positioning herself so the pirate couldn’t see what she did, she scooped up Eliza’s things and put them on the shelf. Then she replaced them with several pieces of barrel iron before closing the lid and locking the box.