like to get back to our original topic,' she announced. 'Have you come up with any solutions yet, Caine?'
He nodded. 'I think I have a sound plan to take the jackals off my trail. It's worth a try, anyway, but that's only one threat. We still have to worry about Jade.'
'What do you mean?' Colin asked.
'Colin, we're dealing with two separate issues here. I'm one target, yes. We must assume they know I won't give up looking for Pagan, their convenient scapegoat.'
'But what does that have to do with Jade?' Colin asked. 'They can't possibly know she's Pagan.'
Caine let out a sigh before answering. 'Let's start at the beginning. It's obvious that the other two members of the Tribunal knew Fox had saved the letters. Since they couldn't locate them, they did the next best thing. They used their man, Willburn, to recruit you, Nathan. What better way to keep an eye on Fox's son.'
He didn't wait for Nathan to respond to that statement, but continued on. 'I imagine your rooms at Oxford were searched more than once, weren't they?'
Nathan nodded. 'They had to be pretty certain you had the letters. For a time, you were the only logical candidate. Your sister was too young, and Harry had already taken her away. Now then,' he added with a nod. 'No one could believe that Fox would have trusted Harry with the letters. His appearance alone would lead anyone to that decision. They couldn't know Fox had known Harry for some time either.'
Jade felt like sighing with relief. Caine was being so logical now. She felt as though he'd just taken the burden away from all of them. From the look on his brother's face, she concluded that Colin was feeling much the same relief.
'And?' Nathan prodded when Caine remained silent.
'They waited,' Caine answered. 'They knew eventually the letters would surface. And that's exactly
what happened. Harry gave the letters to Jade. She showed them to Nathan and he shared the
information with you, Colin.'
'We know all this,' Nathan snapped.
'Hush, Nathan,' Jade whispered. 'Caine's being methodical now. We mustn't interfere with his concentration.'
'When Colin told Willburn about the letters, he went to the Tribunal, of course.'
'And so we were sanctioned,' Colin said. 'I trusted the wrong man.'
'Yes, you trusted the wrong man.'
'They're still after the letters,' Nathan said.
Caine's nod was quick. 'Exactly.'
Colin sat up a little straighten 'Now that they think we're dead, Nathan, there can only be one other person who could have the damning evidence.'
He turned to look at Jade. 'They know you have them.'
'They can't be certain,' Jade argued. 'Or they would have killed me,' she added. 'That's why they're
still searching, why your lovely house was destroyed, Nathan, the reason your fine carriage was shredded too…'
'Jade, they don't have anywhere else to search. There's only one avenue open to them now,' Nathan interjected.
'They'll try to take her,' Colin predicted.
'Yes,' Nathan agreed.
'I'm not going to let anyone near her,' Caine announced then. 'But I'm not convinced they're certain
she has the letters. Either one of you could have hidden them before you were taken. It must be making them crazed, though, waiting for the letters to surface again. They're getting desperate, 1 would imagine.'
'So what do we do?' Colin asked.
'First things first,' Caine said. He turned to look at Jade. 'Do you remember what you asked of me
when you came into the tavern that night?'
She slowly nodded. 'I asked you to kill me.'
'You what?' Nathan roared his question.
'She asked me to kill her,' Caine repeated, though he never took his gaze off Jade.
'But he declined my request,' Jade explained. 'I knew he would, of course. And just what does that
have to do with your plan?'
The dimple was back in evidence when he grinned at her. 'It's really very simple, love. I've changed my mind. I've decided to accommodate you.'
Chapter Thirteen
'Pagan has to die,' Caine said, his voice low, emphatic. 'It's the only way.' He stared at Nathan when
he made that statement. Jade's brother was quick to nod agreement.
Jade bounded out of her chair. 'I don't want to die,' she cried out. 'I won't have it, Caine.'
'Now, Jade…' Nathan began.
'He's talking about the pirate,' Colin explained. 'He isn't really going to kill you, love.'
