“Promise me you’ll take no unnecessary risks,” Burke said softly.
Strange that he should say that since she was thinking the same herself. This would be one rescue mission that she wanted desperately to survive. The others never mattered to her, but then she didn’t have anything to live for. Now she did.
Now she had Burke.
“I promise,” she said, and meant it with all her heart.
“I don’t know what I would do if I lost you.”
The tremor in his voice told her just how sincere he was, and it touched her heart and quivered her stomach. Lord, but she wanted a chance at a life with this man.
“I feel the same about you. I never believed I could feel that way again; perhaps I feared feeling that way again. Now, however, I’m glad I have you to love. I forgot how truly wonderful loving and being loved feels.”
He leaned on his side and ran his finger gently over her lips. “I want you to keep my love strong in your heart while on this mission. Know I am with you at all times and know I will not let anything happen to you.”
Storm kissed his finger and attempted to ease his concern and possibly her own. “My stubbornness will not allow me to remain captured.”
“And my stubbornness will make certain that you return to America with me.”
“Which has been your plan from the beginning, to take me to America,” she accused teasingly.
He kissed her softly and grinned. “And my plans always succeed.”
Storm silently prayed it would be so. It had to be so. She loved him too much to lose him.
Chapter 35
Burke didn’t want to let Storm out of his sight but he knew that in a few minutes she would walk off and be captured.
It had all been planned. William had scouted an area near Weighton where Storm, Tanin, and Angus would be spotted. While the two men would be able to escape, Storm would be imprisoned. Burke and her men would wait in an area where they could remain undetected until the time came to carry out the remaining part of the plan.
They had made certain the capture would take place near Weighton so she would be incarcerated there immediately. News of her capture would spread fast enough, which was why two days was the maximum time she could remain behind the prison walls. After that, there was no telling what orders would be given and what fate she would meet.
“Almost time,” Tanin informed Storm and walked away, leaving the couple alone.
Burke tugged her stocking cap down on her head. “You have the knife I fashioned for you tucked in your boot?”
“Yes. I don’t think anyone will find it between the strips of leather. It is concealed quite well.”
He grabbed hold of her. “I hate sending you off like this.”
She placed a gentle hand on his arm. “I know, but soon I will return with your brother and we will all set sail safely for America.”
“Promise,” he urged. “Promise me you’ll be careful and take no chances.”
“I have promised you time and again, but I will promise you this one last time,” she said quietly and squeezed his arm. “I promise you I will be careful, and I promise you I will return safely.”
He kissed her hard and long, fearful that it might be their last kiss.
Their hands held tight for a moment and then drifted reluctantly apart, and she walked away from him, taking one last glance back before the dense woods swallowed her from his view.
He continued to stare at the trees and bushes, thinking for a split second that he should go after her and stop this madness. But then he would insult her with his lack of confidence in her.
He had thought about simply sailing off to America with her and leaving his brother behind. It wasn’t something he could do. He had promised his father, and he could not break that promise. Besides, Cullen was his brother, and he could never leave him to die. He was also reminded of the look of love in Lady Alaina’s eyes when she spoke of his brother. They loved as strongly as Storm and he.
He could not desert them. It would be like failing Storm and himself.
There was no easy choice in this matter and little time to make one. Once his attempt failed, there was no other option left to him, though he tormented his brain trying to find one.
Time had run out, and now he had until tomorrow evening to wait and pray that Storm and his brother made it out of Weighton alive.
Storm ached from the punches and kicks the guards had taken delight in delivering to her. Once they had discovered who she was they had pranced and strutted like braggarts, claiming they had captured the uncatchable Storm.
What they hadn’t realized was that the whole time they had been praising themselves they had paid little attention to the way she had watched every twist and turn and noticed every guard post and key hook along the way to her cell.