His indirect threat renewed Piper’s fight to position herself as Temple’s shield.
He secured her behind him again. “Stop it.”
“I won’t let them hurt you,” she murmured with earnest. “I’d never forgive myself.”
“And Connor will never forgive me if I let them take you.”
Wilkes continued to stroke his mustache. “Curious, this mutual defense of yours. I’ll tell you what, Lady Phillipa, it’s been a rather long, tiring night waiting for you to make an appearance. If it will spare me any female hysterics—kicking, screaming and the like—I’ll let him live.”
“I’ll not be insurance for her good behavior.” Temple drew a knife from his boot and dove at Wilkes before Piper could grab hold of him. The injured henchman at Wilkes’s side fell on Temple and cried out in pain as he grappled for the weapon. The grind of pistols being cocked chilled her blood.
Everyone froze.
Temple had likely been in this position before. No doubt, he would let himself get shot for her and consider it all in the line of duty. Ian would do the same and call it familial obligation. Neither suited her.
Snatching Temple’s spent pistol off the ground, Piper aimed it at Wilkes. The men all laughed, infuriating her. She raised it to her own head, and in unison, they gasped in alarm. Temple—on his knees with a barrel jammed to his skull—gaped at her as if this was the most horrifying part of the scenario. “That’s right, you just said the duke wouldn’t look too kindly on his prize being killed, would he? Let us go.”
Wilkes seemed shaken but shook his head anyway. “Regrettably that would earn me an early grave as well, and to be honest, I don’t believe a lady like yourself will resort to such drastic measures.”
“If you know Rutledge at all, you’ll know that death is a preferable alternative to letting him have me.” Piper prayed her bluff would work. Not that her threat wouldn’t have been genuine if she were out of options, there were bullets left in the pistol, and she didn’t have something extraordinarily compelling to live for. “All I have to live for are my friends. Take them away from me and I have nothing left. Let them go as insurance formygood behavior, and I’ll come without a fight.”
Talk about female hysterics. Piper was mildly disgusted with herself for such a display. It worked, nonetheless. Wilkes either knew Rutledge better than she thought…
Or he believed her.
“Piper!” Temple protested, earning a pistol whip to the head for his trouble. Behind her, Ian rained down a deluge of Gaelic curses. He hefted his rifle like a cricket bat, ready to attack. Five armed men against two—and a half, if they counted the semi-conscious Tam—and a single knife. What more could they do in the face of superior weaponry?
“So be it. I don’t kill for sport and don’t fancy bringing the crown down upon my head any more than I welcome Rutledge’s wrath.” Wilkes must have recognized Temple and been familiar with his position in the government to make the comment.
Whatever it was that compelled him to comply, Piper didn’t care. He ordered his men to load their injured. “Collect their weapons and horses, too.”
“No,” Piper retorted, brandishing her weapon as a reminder. “My friends need medical attention. They keep their horses.”
“So they might follow?” Wilkes laughed dryly. “I don’t think so. The only reason they live now is because I’m not paid by the body.”
“They won’t follow,” she promised and glanced at Temple. “You won’t. Swear it.”
Temple’s glare shifted from Wilkes to Piper, though he nodded. “I swear.”
“More to the point, they follow, they’re dead.” Wilkes aimed his gun at Temple’s head. “You got that?”
Temple shot daggers from his eyes, and Wilkes had him bound hand and foot for it. It wouldn’t hold him long with the twins remaining untied, but would delay him long enough that he couldn’t follow and get himself killed for the trouble.
Whatever lay before her, Piper had to be content with that.
Leading her horse off to the side, she remounted. There was not a single portion of her being that did not protest her compliance. There was no way she was going to sacrifice Temple, Ian, and Tam for the sake of her freedom. She had to be satisfied with knowing the three men would live. She prayed that was the case. The twins were already injured; she had no idea how severely. She’d have to find a way to elude her captors. To get away.
To get back to Connor.
Holding her gun at the ready, Piper made sure all Wilkes’s men were ahead of her before she kicked her mount into motion. Wilkes rode beside her, though she maintained a measured distance between them until they were well down the road and she was certain they wouldn’t go back to kill the others.
“I can’t believe you would do this,” she sneered at him. “I thought you said you were a decent bloke?”
“What can I say? I have five hungry mouths to feed.”
“I thought it was three.”
Wilkes frowned then shook his head with a laugh. “You caught me there.”
