Page 79 of Rose
“Jack,” Rose admonished. “Thieves not murderers, remember?”
Another gust of wind barreled over the deck. “If we keep standing around,” Tristan snapped, “the angry sea might steal your chance.”
Jack sheathed his sword. Tristan scanned the deck. Then his gaze settled on Rose.
“Get down below,” Tristan and Jack said in unison.
“I will not!” She stood tall with her hands on her hips.
Tristan turned to Jack. “She doesn’t like being told what to do.”
Jack nodded. “Now that is something I do know.” Then he motioned to Alec who stood on Rose’s right. “Ye know what to do.”
Tristan lunged forward and grabbed Alec’s arm. “If anyone is turning my wife into a sack of potatoes, it’s going to be me.”
A smile curved Jack’s lips. “Alec, stand down.”
“Get away from me,” Rose shouted.
Tristan seized her and threw her over his shoulder. “Can I assume I just met the rest of your brothers?”
“Don’t change the subject,” she snapped.
He carried her below deck and kicked open the door to their quarters. Elizabeth screamed, her face a mask of terror in the shadows.
“Everything is going to be all right, Elizabeth.” He laid Rose on the bed, then locked eyes with his sister. “You stay put, too.”
Eyes wide, Elizabeth nodded as a whimper fled her lips.
Tristan shut the door and found his discarded sword, which he drove into the floor. Then he thundered back up the stairs.
When the storm cleared, Tristan scanned his decks. All his men were accounted for, plus four Scotsmen. Rose’s brothers stood in a line glaring at him. Unlike Ian, they all had black hair and fierce black eyes save one whose eyes were as blue as Rose’s.
“I know you all have a lot of questions. I will go down now and release your sister,” Tristan said, walking toward the stairs. Then he stopped and turned back. “We might be a few minutes. I have a feeling I’m about to weather another storm.”
