Skip wavered. The job had to be his least favorite. With any luck, he would listen to Christian. But the kid pulled his scrawny shoulders back. “Orders are orders.”
He pulled out the keys and slid one into Samantha’s door. She tensed. No click. But he didn’t react. Her breath whooshed out and she crawled forward to grab the bucket. He didn’t notice the lock. But would he notice the missing handle?
He didn’t. Oh, to be young and oblivious. He set the bucket down and locked her door with a loud clank. When he moved to unlock Christian’s door, the lieutenant did a better job of masking the unlocked state. He shook the door while Skip turned the key.
The boy frowned. “Don’t you try nothing. My friend up there will beat you to a pulp if you do.”
Christian didn’t say anything and handed the boy his bucket. His hands clenched around the bars so tightly his knuckles had gone white. If he did something foolish... Samantha glared at him. But he didn’t move.
Skip quickly took the bucket and pushed the door shut. The lock clicked into place a moment later and he yanked the key free and jumped back. He handed the buckets up and scrambled up after the man above took them. The hatch slammed shut and Samantha leaned her head back against the bars.
“I could have taken him out.”
“And then what? What about the man waiting there?”
“I could have taken him too.”
Samantha jerked her gaze to him. “Lieutenant, that man nearly killed you last night.”
“I was tired, weakened from fighting. Today would have been different.”
“Hmph.” She turned away.
“Give me the wire.”
She ignored him.
“Miss Warstein—”
The stubborn man was going to get them killed.
“No.”
“No?”
She crossed her arms. “There’s no reason to risk our lives like that again. You heard the boy. We’ll be anchoring off an island tonight. It would make far more sense to try again then.”
“Miss Warstein, with all due respect, you have no experience in these sorts of things.”
Ha. She had far more than he could know. Her nose scrunched. Although, she had never been captured by an enemy before. Still, she wasn’t going to give him a chance to rush headfirst into certain death. If they were going to escape, she needed him hale and whole.
“I would appreciate it if you considered my wishes. I do not feel comfortable trying another escape right now. I would prefer to wait until dark, where this monstrosity,” she pointed to her dress, “won’t stick out like a sore thumb.”
“It’s not a monstrosity.”
“First thing I’m going to do if I get out of here is burn it.”
He chuckled, and some of her tension drained. “Though I want to disagree with your plan, I will concede. A night escape will be easier with fewer men on the decks.”
She fought the urge to look at him. Perhaps not as stubborn as she’d first thought.
“Miss Warstein?”
What now? She swiveled to face him.
He’d crossed to the bars separating them and her gaze dropped to where his shirt still gaped open. Her pulse jumped and her throat went dry.
He ran a hand through his hair. “About earlier. I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have kissed you.”
