Several more pistol shots rang out. Jade could hear the thundering of men chasing them. It sounded like
a herd of wild horses were about to trample them down.
Jade soon lost all track of where they were. Caine seemed to know his way around the area well enough. He pulled her through a maze of alleys and back streets, until she had a horrid stitch in her side and couldn't catch her breath. When she stumbled against him, he lifted her into his arms without breaking
his stride.
He continued the grueling pace long after the sounds of pursuit had stopped. When they reached the center of the old bridge spanning the Thames, he finally paused to rest.
Caine leaned against the rickety railing, holding her close against him. 'That was close. Damn, my instincts were off tonight. I never saw it coming.'
He hadn't sounded a bit winded when he made that remark. She was amazed by his stamina. Why, her heart was still pounding from the exertion. 'Do you do quite a lot of running through alleys, Caine?' she asked.
He thought that was an odd question. 'No, why do you ask?'
'You aren't at all out of breath,' she answered. 'And we never once ran into a dead end,' she added. 'You do know your way around the city, don't you?'
'I guess I do,' he answered with a shrug that almost sent her flying over the railing. She threw her arms around his neck and held on. Then she realized he was still holding her in his arms.
'You may put me down now,' she announced. 'I'm certain we lost them.'
'I'm not,' Caine drawled out.
'I've already explained that I don't like being touched, sir. Put me down.' She paused to give him a hard look, then asked, 'You aren't going to blame me for your instincts tailing you, are you?'
'No, I'm not going to blame you. Jade, you ask the damnedest questions.'
'I'm not in the mood to argue with you. Just apologize and I shall forgive you.'
'Apologize?' He sounded incredulous. 'What for?'
'For thinking I have an overactive imagination,' she explained. 'For telling me I'm confused, and most
of all, for being terribly rude when you said those insulting things to me.'
He didn't apologize, but he did smile at her. She noticed the wonderful dimple in the side of his left cheek then. Her heart took notice and started pounding in a wild beat again.
'We're standing on a bridge in the middle of London's most disreputable section with a band of cutthroats chasing us, and all you can think about is gaining my apology? You, sweet, really are mad.'
'I always remember to apologize when I've done something wrong,' she remarked.
He looked downright exasperated with her now. She couldn't help but smile at him. Lord, he was a handsome rascal. The moonlight softened his harsh features, and she barely minded his frown now.
In truth, she wanted him to smile at her again.
'Jade? Can you swim?'
She was staring intently at his mouth, thinking to herself that he had the most beautiful white teeth she'd ever seen.
He shook her. 'Can you swim?' he asked. There was a little more urgency in his tone now.
'Yes,' she answered with an unladylike yawn. 'I can swim. Why do you ask?'
In answer to that question, he tossed her over his right shoulder and started climbing the rail.
Her long hair brushed the back of his boots. The wind was knocked out of her when he slammed her against his shoulder, but she soon recovered. 'What in bloody hell are you doing?' she cried out. She clutched the back of his jacket. 'Put me down.'
'They've got the exits blocked, Jade. Take a deep breath, sweet. I'll be right behind you.'
She only had enough time to shout her denial at him. Then she let out a bellow of outrage. The sound echoed off into the inky blackness when he threw her away from the railing.
She was suddenly flying like a disc into the biting wind. Jade kept right on screaming until her backside
hit the water. She remembered to close her mouth just as the frigid water closed over her head. She
came up sputtering, but immediately closed her mouth again when she got a good whiff of the stench surrounding her.
Jade vowed she wouldn't let herself drown in this filth. No, she was going to stay alive until she found
her new protector and drowned him first.
Then she felt something brush against her leg. She became absolutely terrified. In her confused mind,
she was certain the sharks had come for her.
Caine suddenly appeared at her side. He wrapped his arm around her waist, then let the swift current
drag them under the bridge and away from the enemy stalking them.
She kept trying to climb up on his shoulders. 'Hold still,' he ordered.
Jade wrapped her arms around his neck. 'The sharks, Caine,' she whispered. 'They're going to get us.'
The terror in her voice and her grip told him she was close to losing all control. 'There aren't any sharks,' he told her. 'Nothing could live in this water long enough.'
'You're certain?'
'I'm certain,' he returned. 'Just hold on a little longer, sweet. We'll be out of this muck in no time at
