Which made this all the trickier.
He grimaced down at his bride.
What they’d just done had been…magical. Emotional and physical satisfaction had coalesced in a perfect symphony leaving him spent and wanting and…in love.
They should be in his cabin, still locked in an embrace. Exploring one another… He stopped.
Thinking about it did not change the fact that they were now on deck as he issued commands.
If the winds were with them, he’d take Emily below deck again and…
“Ship dead ahead,” the lookout in the mast called.
Brandon straightened, pulling Emily closer. “What?”
But even as the words left his mouth, he just caught sight of the mast in the distance.
The captain up beside him. “Bloody Christ.” He spit over the rail. “Coincidence or foul?”
He grimaced. He’d like to believe coincidence. But his gut was saying something different. “We left London because we were attacked.”
The captain spat again. “Man your battle stations, men.”
“Battle stations,” Emily said next to him, her voice shaking. “What does that mean?”
“It means we’re preparing for the possibility that the other ship isn’t friendly.”
“You think they’ll attack?” Emily pressed into his side. “But you must see other ships all the time.”
“Aye,” the captain replied. “But not riding in our wake just out of sight.”
The ship drew closer and Brandon squinted to see the details.
He was just about to suggest Emily return below when he saw the ball of fire explode from the deck of the other boat.
He’d pushed Emily down before the noise reached them, cradling her body against his on the hard deck. The ball sailed wide of the ship.
“Make ready to return fire,” the captain boomed, even as Brandon rose again, pulling Emily with him. He swung her into his arms and started for the hatch.
“What’s happening?” Emily gasped as her hands came around his neck.
“Well,” he grimaced as he climbed down the ship’s ladder with her in his arms. “My guess is our merry band of thieves is following either you or me.”
She started in fear and he held her closer.
He pressed his cheek to the top of her head as he reached his cabin. Tossing the door open, he set her down. “Lock the door behind me and don’t open it for anyone.”
“Brandon,” she gasped as a cannon fired from the Return, shaking the entire ship with its force.
He wanted to tell her that he’d never allow anything bad to happen to her. But in this moment, he drew in a shuddering breath. His attempt to out these criminals and bring them to justice might just be their downfall.
“I have to go, love.” He pulled her tight to him and kissed her mouth, full and sweet. “Stay here and stay safe.”
She clung to him for a second or two and then stepped back. “Be careful.”
He nodded and then turned, even as he heard the door close and the lock click.
And then he was back on the deck.
Captain James turned to him. “We’ve hit their mast.” The man gave him a wide grin. “All those drills you allowed us to run have paid off. We’re hanging back so that they can’t hit us with any more fire. The question is what do you want to do? Let them sit adrift or board and fight?”
He drew in a long breath. He wanted to fight. But he had more than himself to consider. “There are women on board.”
Captain James gave a quick nod. “True. If we draw any closer, we risk catching fire from their cannon.”
“But I ran once to protect Emily…”
Jack gave a quick nod. “And here they are.”
“Can you sink them?”
Jack gave him a large smile. “I can. And might I just say, that’s my kind of plan.”
He chuckled. “My guess is you’ll enjoy it quite a bit more than conducting a wedding?”
“Indeed,” he chuckled, raising his arm to signal they fire again. “Push just a bit closer, lads. We’re gonna put that boat on the bottom.”
The men let out a cheer as the sails raised again at the same time the cannon fired.
Seven more balls were launched, five hitting the ship. Two fired back.
They did sustain damage to the port side, but they could sail. And when they watched two dinghies being lowered into open ocean, they knew they’d won. A cheer rose up from the sailors on board the Return.
“Now,” he gave Captain Jack a look. “It’s my turn for some action. Capture the men on board those ships. I want some answers.”
Captain Jack gave a single nod. “Get ready to take prisoners on board.”
Brandon was gone for hours. Night fell and the inside of the cabin turned black. Emily had heard the entire battle.
The cannons, the capture, and then silence.
But her husband had not returned.
She tried not to worry.
And she’d considered leaving the cabin a half dozen times. But in the end, she’d stayed. She’d paced the length of the tiny room a thousand times or more when a knock finally sounded at the door.
“Yes?” she called.
“It’s me,” Brandon called from the other side.
Tendrils of relief flowed through her. She ran to the door, flicking open the lock, and throwing open the door.
He stood leaning against the jam looking tired but…whole. “Are you all right?”
“I am.” He reached for her then and pulled her into his arms. “I’m sorry I was gone so long, love. You must have been terribly worried.”
“What happened?” she pulled him into the room, closing the door behind him.
“Well.” He ran his hands through his hair. “I’ve got Maestro locked in the hull of the ship.”
She gasped. “Maestro?”
“He ran the operation in London.” Brandon grimaced as his eyes flicked to her. “Unfortunately, he isn’t the top of the chain. He alluded to a larger boss, though he won’t say who or where.”
Emily covered her mouth with her hands. “Do you think he’ll come after us?”
Brandon shook his head. “I don’t know. But I can tell you that Maestro’s greatest weapon was secrecy. Capturing him today was far easier than I thought.”
She nodded. “It was easy?”
He shrugged. “I knew
