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Beautiful Tempest(96)

By:Johanna Lindsey


"Pirates don't make good carpenters," James replied, and sent his brother and a handful of men to check the back of the larger building.

Damon poked his head through the doorway for a glance inside before they entered. An upper floor hadn't yet been built, and the ground floor was open space that hadn't yet been divided into rooms, so there were no other doors behind which men might be waiting to ambush them. They walked to the kitchen area in the back, which hadn't yet been enclosed. Lacross was sitting alone at the end of a long table that was filled with half-empty plates. He appeared oddly unconcerned by their arrival. Damon wondered if the pirate had really sent all of his men down to the beach to make one single effort without providing for any contingencies. 

Pierre said calmly, "I see you're not in chains, Hawke." And then with an accusing glare at Damon: "Why is that?"

"You should have kept your vendetta between men," Damon replied. "Involving women was an inexcusable mistake on your part. We already apprehended your daughter. Catherine succeeded in stealing more baubles for you, which will be used as evidence to convict her."

Pierre merely shrugged. "It's a shame about the jewels. I was looking forward to the money they would bring. Building a proper base is costly."

Damon was disgusted by the man's utter disregard for the daughter who'd tried so hard to please him that she was going to prison for it.

Anthony came in from the rear of the building and stopped behind the pirate to stick a pistol in his back. "Drop your weapons."

"I'm not armed," Pierre insisted, though he didn't raise his hands to prove it. "There was no point."

"You have one second to drop-"

Metal hit the floorboards under the table with two distinct thuds. Anthony yanked Pierre to his feet and pushed him away from the table. Damon quickly removed two more pistols from the pirate's belt. No wonder he'd sat there so damn calmly.

James shook his head as he came forward. "Dying just so you can take me with you, Pierre? Was that your final escape plan?"

"I'm not going back to prison!"

Two of the Anderson brothers had come in, and Drew suggested, "Kill him and get it over with."

"What the devil, Drew?" Boyd said. "I thought you agreed with your father-in-law that Lacross won't pay enough for his crimes with a quick death."

"Who said anything about quick?" Drew shot back.

Boyd snorted. "The man wants death rather than prison again. We didn't come here to give him what he wants."

"Point made, Yank," James said, right before he delivered his first punch. "But he needs a few things broken to remember me by."

That ended up being a jaw, some ribs, one arm, and a collarbone before Pierre lost consciousness. Damon winced a few times, not for the pirate, but because he'd escaped a similar beating and still wasn't sure why. Malory's children's brief alliance with him must have carried more weight than he'd thought.

When they went outside, the third Anderson brother approached James. "There are nearly thirty more of Lacross's people who tried to hide in the jungle-servants, doxies, and the men who weren't willing to die for Lacross. They surrendered without a fight."

Damon looked behind Warren and didn't see anyone else. "Where are they?"

Warren turned around. "Give it a moment. There were a damned lot of bushes to navigate through."

But the captured bunch started appearing through the trees, sailors pushing them forward, and Damon's eyes suddenly flared. "Father?"





Chapter Forty-Seven




IT WAS NEARING DUSK by the time the three ships docked on the island of Anguilla. One was going to give Damon and his men passage to Jamaica after they were done here, since he would no longer have the use of the warden's ship. He was surprised Malory had arranged that after his earlier parting remark: "All for nothing, eh?" Damon had tried to get Malory to go about his business, assuring him that Damon could see to Lacross's delivery to the prison, but Malory had just ignored him. But he had to try again. If James ended up arrested for old charges against Captain Hawke, Jack would never forgive him.


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"Still no bloody coaches to be had on this island," James complained when the wagon arrived to take them to the prison.

As Pierre, who had been slipping in and out of consciousness, was being laid in the back of the wagon, Damon tried again to dissuade Malory from going to the prison. "You needn't inconvenience yourself. I'm capable of delivering him-"