“To Logan. He still does not know that Lord Cameron and the Silver Hawk are one and the same.”
She swallowed hard, not caring to be reminded of the fact herself. She shrugged. “What difference does it make? He plans to kill the Hawk. He would be only too pleased, I’m sure, to discover that he has killed Lord Cameron, too.”
He carefully set her down and stood, pacing the room, his hands upon his hips. “It makes a great deal of difference. If Blackbeard were to know—”
“Your crew is all in on this, I imagine?” Skye interrupted curtly. Robert! Robert Arrowsmith had known all along that her husband and her lover were one and the same. All of them!
And still, there wasn’t a single man among his crew she would like to see dangle from a noose!
He paused, casting her a frown, then nodding. “Yes, they all know both of my identities. But these fellows here, they do not. And, thank God, you did not see fit to inform them.”
“I’m not a fool.”
“You were acting like one out there.”
“Because he’s going to kill you! Then he’ll probably kill my father, too, for good measure!”
Roc shook his head. “Your father is worth too much.”
“Oh? Amazing, the pirate Hawk let me go for not so much as a farthing! Perhaps my father is worthless as well.”
“The pirate Hawk let you go for not so much as a farthing, my love, to show you not that you were worthless, but rather worth far much more than gold and silver to him.”
She stared at him incredulously. Then she saw the tug at the corner of his lip and she came quickly to her feet, hands on her hips, defying him. “You are a liar, sir!”
“All right, so I was deathly afraid of your self-importance becoming exaggerated beyond all measure. I knew that you would return home and discover yourself married and that you would try every trick and wile in the world to escape your husband. And I, milady, was already deeply in love, and not about to let you go.”
“You’re still a liar!” she accused him.
“And if I’m not?”
“If—you’re not?” she whispered.
“What if it’s true? What if I really do love you, Skye Cameron? Can you spare just a touch of emotion for an old friend, an old lover?”
She whirled around, not wanting to meet his eyes. “You know that I would be distressed to see you die.”
“Ah, for a child. But what about yourself?” He came behind her, setting his hands upon her shoulders. “A child would be nice,” he whispered. “An heir to Cameron Hall…when I am skinned alive and then shot dead and left for the carrion!”
“Stop it!” she hissed, but she did not turn around.
“Come here!” he told her.
She held still.
“Skye, come here,” he repeated, and she did not know what drew her around, but she did turn. And she came to him, too, standing before him, not touching him, but looking up into his eyes. She did not know what emotion was betrayed in her, but he touched her shoulders and bent to touch her lips very lightly. Then he kissed her forehead and drew her against him.
“You do care!” he assured her.
She laid her palms against his chest and pushed him from her and looked at him gravely. “I care, yes, Roc, I care! But I cannot accept you, or what you’ve done. I’ve no desire to see you hang, but I wonder at the innocents you’ve robbed and plundered, and what has created the whole empire you rule at Bone Cay. But for now, I do not think that I can leave you—”
“There is no question that you will leave me,” he said harshly. “I will have you safe.”
“I don’t want you to die! And Logan will kill you, and heinously so, when he discovers there is no treasure!”
He shrugged. “Perhaps I will find treasure. Accidents do happen.”
“That would be a miracle!” Skye murmured.
