Wings Of The Morning Part 21

The pirate's men went to work then, and the entire crew was tied Da.r.s.ey ended up next to Dallas and spoke in a low tone.

"Please tell me you didn't come aboard alone."

"I didn't" was all Dallas said, and the older man nearly slumped with relief.

173.

all the weapons had been removed from Smokey's cabin.

She had never thought to hide them before, so her foil, small knife, and pistol were all gone. Seeing this, Smokey began to know real fear. She tried to resign herself to the next few hours or days, but her insides were in turmoil.

Even though Smokey heard footsteps in the companionay, she jumped when her cabin door opened. Haamich Wynn stood there, but he was still speaking to one of his men outside. Smokey heard his man say the name "Lordlin" before he left. She had no time to wonder on the matter, however, since the pirate had finally come in and shut the door.

From where she stood by the desk, Smokey watched him lean against the jam. His smile was tender as he stared at her, and the young captain noted that very gently, almost affectionately, he ran a finger repeatedly down the scar on his face.

"I've missed you, Smokey. I was quite frantic when you left. I found myself terribly frustrated that I never found out where you make your home."

He pushed away from the door then and moved toward her; his presence seemed to fill the cabin. Smokey felt suffocated.

Her braid was again lying on her breast, and this time Haamich picked it up and began to wrap it around his fist.

Smokey panicked and moved away. Haamich shook his head "I promise you, Smokey, there is nothing to be afraid of.

I'm going to take very good care of you."

Smokey licked her lips in fear as he started toward her.

She didn't like standing close to the bunk and began to move away. This time Haamich antic.i.p.ated her move and reached for her upper arms. With strong hands he drew her slowly but inescapably closer. He was so big, frighteningly big.

Please G.o.d, Smokey prayed, show the men bow to help me.

"You're going to learn to love me, my dear." Haamich spoke then, and Smokey saw his head bend toward her. "You're going to learn that you can't live without me."

His words infuriated her, and she acted in desperation. As his head neared, she spit, hitting him full in the face. The pirate paused for the s.p.a.ce of two heartbeats before balling up his fist and punching Smokey across the upper cheek and eye. She barely saw the blow coming, and then she saw nothing at all.

Smokey had no idea how much time had pa.s.sed before she woke. Her head was spinning, and her wrists hurt. It took a moment for her to understand that her wrists were tied and secured to the bed frame on either side of her. She found herself praising G.o.d that she was still completely dressed Smokey heard her desk chair move and turned her aching head to see Haamich Wynn pus.h.i.+ng himself up. She watched as he sat on the bunk beside her and leaned a hand over her to rest it on the bed.

"I'm sorry, my dear. I never meant to hurt you. You are very shook up over nothing."

"Nothing?" Smokey whispered, not believing her ears.

"You call this nothing?"

"I am really the best thing that has ever happened to you,"

he spoke with conviction. "As soon as you get to know me, you'll see how right I am."

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His hand lifted toward her blackened eye, and Smokey's chest rose and fell quickly in fear. The movement drew his eyes downward, and Smokey wanted to sob.

"Please don't do this," she said in a breathless voice. The pirate's eyes came back to hers.

"I must. I am consumed with you, and I won't stop until you are mine."

His hands went to either side of her then, and he bent to kiss her. Smokey closed her eyes to blot out the image of his face.

Before he could touch her, however, there was a knock Smokey opened her eyes and watched with fear as rage contorted his features.

"I told you not to disturb me!"

"But Cap'n," the fearful voice of one of his men sounded through the door. "We need you."

"Don't bother me!" he shouted "But Cap'n," the voice began again, and Haamich Wynn came off the bed with a snarl. He wrenched the door open, and Smokey heard the sound of flesh meeting flesh. She craned her neck to see Haamich Wynn's head snap back, but he remained standing.

From her awkward position, Smokey caught a glimpse of Dallas. Then Da.r.s.ey's frame came through the door. Haamich wynn's punches were wild and without effect as he attempted to fight back. Da.r.s.ey's blows, however, were perfectly aimed Smokey's neck strained as she watched his fists pounding the man.

The fight seemed to go on forever as the men fought over nearly every inch of the cabin. When Smokey didn't think she would be able to take any more, Haamich Wynn, with much moaning and carrying on, fell hard to the floor.

Smokey suddenly found Dallas above her. A knife flashed, and the blood rushed back to her hands as they were released.

Smokey wanted to sit up, but not until that moment, as she stared at Dallas with one eye, did Smokey notice that her other eye was nearly swollen shut. She didn't think she could move at all.

Dallas placed a hand on either side of Smokey, much the way the pirate had done, and leaned over her. This time Smokey was not afraid. She watched Dallas lean close, his eyes giving proof of the pain within.

"I'm sorry." The words were whispered Smokey reached and placed a hand on his arm. "You won't let him get me again, will you, Dallas?"

"No," his voice was whisper soft. "We're going to take him back to England and turn him over to the authorities. He can't hurt you again."

"Are my men all right?"

"Yes, they're fine; just worried about you."

Smokey nodded, and a shadow fell across her. Da.r.s.ey had come close to see her. On spotting him, a delayed reaction swifdy rushed in. She began to shake all over. Try as she might to hold them back, tears flooded her eyes.

Dallas, without waiting for permission, gathered her in his arms. She cried against him for a few minutes, tears of pain and tears of relief.

"Is it finally over, Dallas?" Smokey asked as she calmed "It's over," he a.s.sured her softly.

Tenderly cradling her with one arm, Dallas used a handkerchief to wipe her tears. He didn't try to comfort her with any more words or tell her to stop crying, but just held her until she slept.

He saw that it would not be a restful sleep as soon as he laid her back down on the pillow, but Da.r.s.ey was near and Dallas knew she would be in good hands.

As much as he hated to leave her, he had no choice. There were arrangements to be made concerning the pirate, his s.h.i.+p, and his men, and Dallas had volunteered to see to them.

He didn't see Smokey again before all three s.h.i.+ps set sail for England, but by the time they had arrived and turned Haamich Wynn over to the authorities, he had established a plan.

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smokey's face was still swollen when the London authorities came to take Haamich Wynn away. She watched as they cut him loose before putting him in the huge, black coach. Something didn't seem right to Smokey. His look was almost smug as he spoke to one of the constables. Smokey knew there was little she could do about it, so she tried not to dwell on the possibilities.

Dallas and Da.r.s.ey handled everything in the next two days, giving Smokey plenty of time to think. It occurred to her that the pirate might have friends in high places who would overlook his acts, or even listen when he claimed that it was her word against his own. She hadn't had a chance to ask Dallas about the pirate's s.h.i.+p, but Smokey knew that a holdful of stolen goods would add weight to her story.

For the moment, she had an important decision to make-- did she head home, as she longed to do, or out to sea, as she had originally planned? If she went home now, she could be there when Jenny and Tate's baby was born, Smokey had nearly convinced herself to return to Maine when Dallas arrived and ruined all her plans.

"They'll need you to testify."

Smokey hadn't even thought of that. She glanced at Da.r.s.ey, who had been with Dallas during this time, and then back at the man himself.

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"When do they need me?" she wanted to know.

"In about two weeks. Without you they don't have a case."

Smokey hid her disappointment and spoke carefully. "We could do some trading down the southern coast in the next week and be back here in two weeks."

Da.r.s.ey's mind was already obeying orders, but Dallas stepped in again.

"No."

"What do you mean, no?" Smokey asked him with raised brows. They'd had no time alone since their confrontation in Willa's living room, and even though the apology had been spoken, their relations.h.i.+p was not yet on solid footing.

"I mean that you need a rest, and I know just the place. I've contacted a friend. He and his wife would be glad to have us."

Smokey glared at Da.r.s.ey when he covered a laugh with a cough. The older man was thinking that Dallas was digging himself in deep.

'You took it upon yourself to arrange leave for me?"

Smokey's tone told Dallas he was in trouble, but his determination to get this girl to himself for a few days never wavered "Yes, I did," he told her calmly. "You look exhausted, your eye is still black and swollen, and you are going with me to Bracken. If I can't convince you, I'm sure Da.r.s.ey can."

"Did you know about this, Da.r.s.ey Brennan?" Smokey nailed him with a glance.

"Not a bit, la.s.s, but if you ask me--"

"No one's asking you, Da.r.s.ey," Smokey cut him off, and it was Dallas' turn to m.u.f.fle his laughter.

He was truly desperate to get Smokey someplace safe and restful, but Dallas knew from the thundercloud on her face that he was going to have to change tactics. He stepped close and spoke low.

"You asked me not to let him get you again. I can't do that if we're not together."

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In the light of his tender gaze and caring voice, the indignation drained out of Smokey. Running her tongue over her suddenly dry lips, a s.h.i.+ver of fear resurfaced "So you think they might not hold him?"

"I don't know. Something didn't feel right to me, but I can't put my finger on it."

Smokey nodded, knowing just what he meant. She glanced out over the Thames in indecision and then at Dallas' s.h.i.+rtront.

Dallas reached out two long fingers and placed them under Smokey's chin. With a gentle move, he tilted her face until her eyes met his.

"Please come with me to Bracken so I can take care of you.

Da.r.s.ey will be there as well, and I know you'll love Brandon and Sunny."

Smokey thougjit she could agree to anything when he spoke low and touched her so tenderly.

"All right," Smokey said and felt suddenly cold when Dallas immediately removed his hand and stepped away. He turned to leave then, calling absentmindedly over his shoulder to say that they would be leaving for the country in an hour.

Dallas completely missed the vulnerable look on Smokey's face. Da.r.s.ey, on the other hand, saw it all. He walked down the gangplank with Dallas and stopped him with a few words when he would have walked away.

"Don't play games with her." The older man's voice was a growl.

"What are you talking about?"

"I'm talking about touching her and saying sweet things just to manipulate her."

Dallas stared at him in true surprise. "Does she feel that way?"

"You saw the look on her face. You know she does."

Dallas looked back to the deck, but Smokey was gone. He honestly hadn't noticed any distress on Smokey's part. In truth, he thought Da.r.s.ey was being overly protective.

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When Dallas looked at Smokey's first mate again, he was given one final, serious warning before Da.r.s.ey boarded the Aramis.

"Don't play with my girl, Mr. Knight, because I won't stand for it."

Dallas stood for just a moment and recounted his scene with Smokey. She wasn't some child to be easily fooled, and Da.r.s.ey knew that. Dallas was not a man who believed that the end justified the means. He didn't feel he'd been out of line.

He hoped to have a chance very soon to tell Da.r.s.ey that he was overreacting.

It took Dallas just ten minutes into the carriage ride to Bracken, Lord and Lady Hawkesbury's home, to see that Da.r.s.ey had read the signs correctly. He had hurt Smokey. Her set face and the way she held herself spoke volumes.

Dallas had complimented Smokey on her dress, a lovely rose-colored day dress, as soon as he had seen her, but he realized now that her thanks had been rather stiff.

His desire to ask Da.r.s.ey to ride with the driver so he could be alone with Smokey was nearly overwhelming. But he knew that both Smokey and Da.r.s.ey would take that request as an insult. It would only make things worse.

If only they weren't so tired right now. Da.r.s.ey looked ten years older, and Smokey's good eye sported a dusky circle, a sure sign of fatigue. DaHas' own eyes had a gritty feel when he blinked He was glad that evening was approaching, knowing they could all get some rest soon after they arrived at Bracken.

He told himself he would make things right with Smokey in the morning. All that mattered right now was her rest and safety. Dallas found himself wis.h.i.+ng he didn't have to sail to Denmark, but the s.h.i.+pment could not wait. At least he didn't have to leave until tomorrow afternoon and would only need to be gone three days.

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He watched the small brunette nod off from his seat in the carriage across from Da.r.s.ey and Smokey. Da.r.s.ey himself looked like he would surrender to sleep at any moment, so Dallas let his own head fall back against the squabs where he dozed off and on for the next hour.