She playfully pushed at his chest. “You are foolish.”
He hugged her tighter and rocked back and forth with her secure in his arms. “Foolishly in love.”
She laughed and shook her head. “This is no time to be talking of us. We—”
“Aha, you admit there is anus.”
He let her wiggle out of his arms.
“I want to hear about the earl. Did he accept easily or did you need to convince him?”
Soon she would need to face the fact there was an us. For now she was right. This needed to be discussed and Storm put at ease. He didn’t want her wasting another minute on a plan that no longer proved necessary.
“He wasn’t receptive at first, but the gold mine changed his mind.”
“Gold mine?” Storm asked, stunned. “You offered him a gold mine?”
Burke shrugged. “It had to be an offer he couldn’t refuse, and I can’t think of a soul who would refuse a gold mine.”
Storm shook her head and paced in front of Burke. “This isn’t good.”
“Why? The earl gets more than he should in exchange for my brother’s freedom.”
Storm stopped and glared at him. “Only a fool would refuse a gold mine and the earl is no fool. But he is also a man determined to have his revenge. I do not trust this arrangement he has made with you.”
“I don’t either. I know the earl is deceitful, so no papers will be signed until my brother is standing in front of me. I also do not intend to arrive alone at the meeting. I shall have the captain of my ship with me and several sailors.”
Storm shook her head. “I still don’t like it. I don’t believe the earl will release Cullen. He wants him dead and he will see him dead.”
Burke tried to ease her trepidation. “It will go well. We will plan and see that it does.” He reached out and stroked her arm. “I know you were unable to save your husband from the earl, but we will save Cullen.”
Storm stepped away from him. “You think I worry that your brother faces the same fate as Daniel?”
“It’s all right that you do,” Burke said. “I appreciate your concern.”
“My concern has nothing to do with my husband. It has to do with a man who deceives people and will always deceive people. The earl cannot now or ever be trusted. He sets a trap and will see your brother dead before turning him over to you, though after taking ownership of your gold mine.”
“Now you wound my intelligence,” Burke said annoyed. “I’d never let that happen.”
“You won’t see it coming.”
“I’m a cautious person—”
“Not cautious enough when it comes to the earl,” Storm warned.
“You managed to break into his prison and free your husband and he never saw it coming. I think I can manage the same.”
Storm rubbed her forehead and leaned against a thick tree trunk. “He didn’t expect me, a mere woman, to make such a foolish attempt. I had the element of surprise on my side.”
“And Tanin to help.”
Storm sighed. “Tanin wasn’t with me in the prison.”
“You told me that Tanin had plans to free his wife and you asked to join him.”
“Yes, but I changed his plan since I knew it was doomed to fail and we executed my plan instead.”
“You had a plan all along? You intended to free your husband on your own?” He shook his head. “Something happened that night with the earl, didn’t it? That’s why he is so determined to catch you and make you pay. What happened, Storm? What did you do to the earl?”
