Abigail smirked. “Coward is right.” Her words ended in a squeak that had Minerva tensing as Roger tightened his grip and the knife dug into the fabric of her gown.
Minerva’s heart raced wildly, but she would not panic. She glanced over at Marcus who seemed to be having some sort of silent communication going on with Caleb.
No doubt they were planning something. To take him down when he was distracted.
She spoke quickly, needing to keep his attention on her and Abigail, and give the two men a chance to attack. “I can’t understand why though, Roger,” she said, imbuing her words with maternal concern. The kind of tone Roger had always softened to. He liked his ladies gentle and kind, and so that was what she would be. Her brows drew together as if she were truly concerned for him. “Why would you put yourself in such danger by working with pirates?”
“Isn’t it obvious?” he shot back. “The money, you stupid girl. Do you know how humiliating it was to be sent here to this forgotten miserable excuse of a naval operation? I was at sea, you know. I was a hero in the war with France and then it all ended, and I was sent here to rot. All those years of service and dedication, and for what?”
She ignored his hypothetical question to ask her own. “Who are you working for then?”
He stared at her for a moment before letting out a bark of a laugh. “If you don’t already know then I won’t be the one to tell you.”
Something about the dark humor in his gaze unsettled her. “Roger, please. I don’t wish to see you hurt. Perhaps if you let Abigail go—”
“You honestly think it’s these men I fear?” He nodded toward Marcus, not seeming to notice that Caleb was creeping forward so slowly and stealthily he was gaining ground without Roger realizing. “If they stole from my contact, then they’re the ones who ought to be afraid.”
“Why, Lieutenant, are you concerned for our welfare?” Marcus’s tone was light and jovial and Minerva almost grinned at his showmanship when he clasped a hand to his heart. “I am touched by your concern, Roger. Truly, I am.”
Roger sneered and then Abigail...giggled.
Her giggle seemed to set everything into action. Roger’s eyes flared with anger. “How dare you laugh at me?” he snarled. As he lifted his knife, moving it from her ribcage to her neck, everyone else flew into action.
Marcus rushed him, Minerva reached for Abigail, and Caleb grabbed the knife.
Without even flinching, the large brute of a man tore the knife from Roger’s grip by the sharp edge and sent it clattering to the ground.
“Why you—” Roger never did manage to finish the thought before Marcus landed atop him and Abigail went sprawling in the opposite direction.
Minerva gathered her sister close. “I’m so sorry, Abigail,” she whispered as she held her sister in her arms. “You’re all right now.”
She was too quick to speak, however. Roger was scrambling between the men, and he drew another dagger from his boot before anyone could stop him.
The world seemed to slow, time nearly stopping as she watched Roger’s crazed eyes fix on her and Abigail before he lunged.
Caleb moved so quickly that Minerva barely knew what had happened until it was over, and Caleb was groaning with a knife sticking out of his thigh. Abigail was half crushed beneath his monstrous weight, but if Caleb hadn’t shielded her with his body...
Minerva felt all the blood rush from her head as Marcus toppled Roger and restrained him with a knee on his neck to hold him still.
After the flurry of activity, the sudden silence felt deafening.
Abigail shifted out from under Caleb, but then she was on top of him, seeing to his knife wound and fretting over him as he told her in low gruff tones that he would be fine.
“Which is more than Roger can say,” Marcus said with a devilish grin as Minerva joined him.
She studied the red, angry face of the man on the ground. He hardly even looked like the Roger she knew.
“Now that we’re comfortable,” Marcus said, adjusting himself so he was sitting on Roger’s back, holding one of his arms behind him and making him grunt in pain. “Let’s talk, shall we?”
“Never!” Roger squirmed. “She’ll kill me.”
“She...” Minerva repeated. She met Marcus’s gaze. “Did he just say she?”
“He did,” Marcus confirmed. “And I mean no offense, dear Min, but I don’t believe you are the cruel murderous woman he’s frightened of.”
Minerva bit her lip to hold back a laugh. “How can you still be teasing at a time like this?”
“What better time is there? Honestly, from my experience...” He trailed off to readjust his grip when Roger thrashed. “Taking life too seriously is what causes most of the distress in life. Take this one, for example.” He nodded toward Roger. “So serious.” He tsked like a nursemaid. “And look where that has led him.”
Minerva shook her head, torn between amusement and exasperation. “Now then,” she said, addressing Roger with crossed arms and a glare. “Perhaps it would be best if you start from the beginning.”
“And leave nothing out,” Marcus added.
Roger’s lips twisted and he spit on the ground, but as he was opening his mouth to speak, chaos broke out at the cave’s entrance.
“What is going on here?” Minerva’s father’s voice boomed into the cave, and behind him came a stream of officers.
Eddleston appeared beside her father and his gaze found Minerva’s. “I heard shouts. I thought—”
“Thank heavens you’re here!” Roger’s distressed voice had her whirling back and a second too late, she realized how this would look.
How Marcus would look.
Her father might have believed his story about being a privateer, but even so, that would do little to excuse the fact that he was currently sitting upon his right-hand man.
“Get him off of me,” Roger roared, and men under his command
