They were a half hour before the ship was scheduled to depart when Ridge nudged her. Her eyes followed the direction of his gaze, and she froze.
The man with the tattoo stood in the crowd of people, his eyes seeming to find them even in their hiding spot.
Beside her, Ridge swore. “He’s not our only problem,” he murmured.
“What do you mean?” she hissed.
“Look to the right of the gangplank. Do you see that gentleman talking to the rather unsavory group of men?”
Her eyes shifted over until they lighted on the man in question. Her eyebrows drew in. He was well turned out, obviously of nobility. He brandished a gold topped cane and was speaking in an animated fashion to the three men around him.
“Do you know him?” she whispered back.
“Lord Clarence.” Ridge’s voice dripped with disgust.
Lord Clarence turned and pointed his cane at the ship and stomped his foot for emphasis.
Ridge’s hand tightened on her arm when Lord Clarence drew out a wad of bills. One of the men reached for the money while another pulled a pistol from his pants.
“The bloody bastard.”
“What does he want?” India demanded, her eyes leaving Lord Clarence long enough to search out the tattooed man again.
Her heart sped up. Where was he?
She gripped Ridge’s shirt and craned her neck. “Ridge, where is the other man?”
“Christ, I don’t know,” he ground out, his head moving rapidly as he scanned the crowd. “But I’ll tell you this. Lord Clarence is up to no good, and I’m willing to wager my entire fortune that he is after what we have.”
“Bloody wonderful,” she muttered.
“We have to get off this ship now.”
Ridge’s tone brooked no argument. But it was easier said than done. Their only way off was blocked.
She looked up at him in silent question. They hadn’t considered an actual confrontation, rather they figured staging a presence on the ship would go noted by anyone following them.
The group of men started up the gangplank, and Ridge pulled her away from the side. They crossed the deck, dodging cargo and a pile of nets.
“Do you know how to swim?”
She blinked. “Yes.”
“Good. We’re going to have to jump overboard.”
“But—”
“I know Lord Clarence. He tried to have his own brother murdered. He would think nothing of killing us to gain access to Pagoria.”
She had a million questions, but they didn’t have time for a discussion.
“When you go over, stay under as long as you can and let the current carry you down. Stay as close to the bank as you can. When we’re out of sight we’ll swim to shore.”
She nodded and no sooner had she done so, he dove cleanly over the side. Not sparing a thought for the insanity they were embarking on, she swung a leg over the railing and dropped into empty space.
She kept her body in as straight as a line as possible so she wouldn’t make much of a splash, and yet when she hit the water, she felt the impact in every bone of her body.
The cold nearly made her inhale, and she spiraled downward forever. She struggled to position herself forward so she could swim with the current. The murky water offered nothing in the way of sight. Blindly, she propelled herself forward, her chest burning, her lungs screaming for air.
