Page 2 of Lord of Fortune
The stranger, whose face was mostly covered by a neckerchief, trained a pistol between Penn’s eyes. “Your companion looks far more amenable. Send him, or I’ll start shooting.”
He thought Egg looked more amenable? Penn wanted to laugh. Egg was as surly as they came. Or could be, at least. “I don’t think you will,” Penn said softly, hoping to unnerve the man with a lack of concern while edging forward. “Why on earth would you want a silly old dagger?”
The man barked out a laugh. “Do you take me for a fool?”
This miscreant knew the value of this find, that it was an important treasure that could change the face of history. This knowledge was highly guarded—only a handful of people were informed. Which meant this man was either one of them or an associate hired by one of them. Whoever he was, he would leave here empty-handed.
Penn clasped the dagger. “Indeed I do if you intend to steal this from me.”
“Must I really shoot you?”
Penn looked askance at Egg. “D and C,” he whispered.Divide and conquer.They’d done this many times.
Egg gave an infinitesimal nod.
“Now,” Penn breathed as he darted to the right while Egg went left.
One of the pistols fired. Penn thrust the dagger back into his waistcoat as he scrambled along the edge of the cave. Reaching the mouth, he dove for the man, hitting him in his midsection and wrapping his arms around his back. They both went sprawling backward through the entrance into the light of day.
“Oof!” The villain landed with a thud and an exhalation. He lifted his arm—likely so he could take another shot—but Penn knocked the pistol from his hand. The other pistol was gone.
Penn stared down at the man, eager to see if he knew the brigand. The cloth covering his face had dislodged, exposing his features. Penn’s breath caught as he took in the unfamiliar face and the softness of her—her—body imprinted on his.
“What the bloody devil are you doing?” Penn thundered.
“Get off me!” she shrieked, raising her arms to push him away. Gone was the deep, clearly affected voice from the cave. Her tone was still darker, grittier than most females, but it wasunequivocallyfemale.
Penn ignored her struggles even as she landed several blows against his chest. “Egg, do you have the weapons?” he asked.
“I do now, sir.” He came abreast of them and sucked in a breath. “Blimey, it’s a woman!”
Penn took in the soft arc of her cheekbone, the lush curve of her lip, the sparkling green of her eyes, and the blonde curls peeking from beneath her hat. “So it is.”
“She nearly shot me,” Egg complained, his voice climbing. “Bullet whizzed past my ear, it did. If I were any slower…” He shook his head.
She glared up at him, her eyes nearly as dangerous as the weapon she’d fired. “Get. Off. Me.”
“Are you going to try to kill us again?”
“You have my weapons,” she hissed.
Penn lifted a shoulder. “So you say, but there might be more. Perhaps I should verify for myself.” He patted at her coat, and she renewed her efforts to beat him away from her.
“What are you doing? Don’t touch me!”
“I’m making sure you aren’t still armed. Forgive me if I don’t trust you.”
“I’ll forgive you nothing, you scoundrel!”
He felt down her abdomen. Despite the bulk of her men’s costume, she was quite slender and, as he’d recognized a few moments ago, soft. He grazed his hands over her hips, and his body seemed to realize he was astride a beautiful, curvaceous female. Beautiful? Oh yes, she was stunning. But then so were wolves, and Penn had no desire to tangle with one of them either.
He pushed himself to the side and stood, offering her his hand to help her up.
She glowered at him and rose on her own. “You’re despicable.”
“And you’re a thief.”
“Would-be, actually,” Egg clarified, ever the stickler for accuracy.
