To Love a Thief (Steel Hawk) (12 page)

Chapter Ten

Two men walked into the room, shock registering on their faces in an instant, and the princess’s complexion bleached of color. “Randolph! I didn’t know you were here.”

Her brother-in-law?

The man’s eyes were black as pitch and narrowed, his fingers seeking the short sword at the side of his regal uniform. “What is going on?” His gaze switched to Nathan. “Let her go.”

Nathan snatched up a letter opener from a nearby desk and held it up against the princess’s throat. “Stay back, and she won’t get hurt.”

The prince stepped forward. “You cannot get away. The palace is crawling with guards.”

Nathan tugged the princess back. “Don’t come any closer. I’m not joking.”

The second man stepped forward, his gaze fixed on Nathan. “Long time no see, Hawk.”

“Hello, Tommy. You’ve come up in the world, it seems. Who would have thought you’d be mixing with royalty.”

The prince looked sideways at his companion. “You know him?”

“Rather well, though it’s been years since we’ve had the pleasure of meeting, and I never imagined it would be under these circumstances. Are you back to take up your moniker?”

“Long-gone days, Tommy.”

“Not according to the gossip, and look, here you are back amongst us.”

Rose tugged on Nathan’s arm. “Tommy? The same Tommy you thought you saw before?”

Nathan barely looked at her. “The very same.”

“So he wasn’t an illusion.”

His old friend offered a smooth smile. “Oh, I’m never that, Miss Valetta.”

“You have an unusual mix of friends,
Nathaniel Hawk
.”

“It’s all in the past, Rosie.”

Rose harrumphed. “Well, it seems your past has caught up to you again.”

“Yes, yes, very nice to meet old friends, but who are you and what do you want?” Resplendent in gold braid and a sash in the colors of Zarrenburg’s flag across his chest, held in place with a gold-and-ruby brooch with the country’s crest, Prince Randolph stepped forward. “I’ll call the guards.”

“No. Not yet, Randolph.” The princess held up a hand to stall him. “I’m sure I can soothe the situation.”

The man sneered. “You and your
soothing.
Just like you try to do at home. Soothe and play word games with the people.”

“Better that than using military force.”

Randolph snorted his disgust. “They need to learn who is their leader, not be soft-soaped into these bloody reforms you’re so hell-bent on introducing.”

“It’s for the country.”

“You
are
the country, though what the hell Johan saw in secondhand goods, I will never know. I warned him against you. He should have listened. The crown should…” Prince Randolph’s rant ceased as abruptly as it started, and, coughing, he swiped a hand across his face.

“We all know what you think, Randolph, but it does not matter. I am the ruler of Zarrenburg, and
my
son its heir.”

A low growl curled up from deep inside the prince’s chest, his face turning scarlet as he fisted and unfisted his hands.

Nathan edged back a few steps. “Well, this has been all rather informative, but I’m sorry we cannot stay.”

“Guards! Guards!” Prince Randolph’s shout echoed. Nathan darted a glance over his shoulder. “The window.”

Rose scrambled over its ledge, Nathan following, dragging the princess with him. “Sorry, for the inconvenience, but we need to make haste.” He shoved the princess forward as gently as he could, and she tumbled into the two men, giving Nathan a few seconds to propel himself out the window.

Rose shot out, falling in a heap at the bottom, Nathan landing on his backside on the cobbled pavement beside her.

Crawling upright, she stood over him, hands on her hips. “Are you going to lie around all day?”

He scrambled to his feet as a posse of guards raced out of the Zarrenburg residence and into their alley. As one, they looked toward her and Nathan.

“Come on.” She held her hand out to him, and they charged down the alley. A few feet later, Rose realized her mistake. “It’s a dead end.” She came up hard against the brick wall. “We can’t get out. They’re closing in. We’ll need to give up or they’ll shoot.”

“There’s no way am I bloody giving up. Up you go.” Nathan grabbed her around the waist and literally threw her upwards. “Grab the wall, squirt. Come on. Hold on.”

Hands flailing, she grabbed at the wall. Her fingers scraped across the brickwork. “I can’t. There’s no handhold.”

“Try harder.”

Panic skyrocketing, Rose glanced over her shoulder. The guards were closing in, aiming their pistols. She snatched at the wall again. Her left hand slid over a metal hook and held on fast. She searched for another handhold, grateful when she found its partner.

“Excuse me.” Nathan cupped her bottom and hoisted her higher. With all her might, she hauled herself up, up and finally over the wall. Nathan followed her in an instant.

A gunshot rang out and pinged against the wall. Rose automatically ducked.

“It’s okay. It’s on the other side,” Nathan said.

“But for how long?” She straightened, though still aware of the feel of Nathan’s hands on her derriere. “Where to?”

“No idea, just away from here.”

The sound of huffing alerted Rose, and she glanced back to the wall. “They’re coming.”

“Shit.” Nathan grabbed her hand and yanked her roughly after him. “Come on, let’s get out of here.”

They charged for the end of the next alley. Nathan came to an abrupt halt at the exit. Rose slammed into his back. “Why are you stopping? They’re coming, Nathan!”

“And we need to check they’re not out in front too.” Nathan leaned out, peering in both directions. “Okay, all clear. Let’s make for the park. We can hopefully get cover from the trees.”

Out in the open, they sprinted across the thoroughfare, darting between the horse carts parading various wares in front of the local households. Once through the park’s wrought iron gates, Nathan quickly locked them. “That should stall them a moment, at least.” He grabbed her hand again, and Rose hitched up her skirts to keep pace with him. “This is why I need men’s trousers,” she wheezed.

“Aye, it is an advantage, but then you’d garner a lot more notice, which we can’t afford.”

At last, they took cover in the depths of a copse of oak. Rose fell against a tree trunk, bending double as she sucked in a lungful of air and tried to gather enough oxygen to steady her ragged breathing.

Nathan rested a hand on her back. “You okay?”

“Nothing that peace and solitude for several hours won’t fix.”

“Not possible, I’m afraid.” He glanced between the leafy branches toward the path they’d taken. “At least there’s no sign of them.”

“Do you think they’ve given up?”

“No idea. Randolph knows we’re onto him, and he won’t like it one little bit.”

“But surely the princess will do something to delay them and give us more time.”

“Let’s hope so.”

“What did that man mean back there?”

“What man?”

“Nathan, don’t be obtuse, you know exactly who I mean. The man with Prince Randolph. He’s from your past, isn’t he?”

“He’s from a life I no longer live. Come on, we need to keep moving.”

He went to take her hand, but she sidestepped him. “What is it you’re hiding?”

“Something I’m not proud of.”

“Illegal?”

Nathan’s gaze shifted away from her, and disappointment soured in Rose’s gut. “It is, isn’t it?”

“Not now, Rosie. I promise you I’ll tell you.”

“When?”

“Soon, just let’s get clear of those guards first, find your father and the diamond, and then I’ll tell you everything. Let’s go.”

But Rose held firm, holding her arms at her sides, ignoring his outstretched hand. “I can manage on my own.”

Nathan’s hand dropped and his lips quirked. He looked at her again, and Rose had the distinct impression he was summing her up. “Yes, you probably can, but the question is, do you want to?” With that, he turned from her and began to weave his way through the trees.

For a moment, she simply stared at his back. His strong, broad-shouldered back. Did she want to go this path alone?

She could. She knew she had the strength and determination to fight anything on her own. But now Nathan was back.

What difference does his return make?

Actually, it meant a great deal, but she didn’t want to even contemplate such a complication.

Shoving those thoughts aside, she stepped out after him. She would, however, not let it rest. She wanted the truth from him. And soon.

With Nathan’s stride being longer than hers, she had to jog a few steps to keep up. Nathan remained silent, not even acknowledging her presence.

After what seemed ages of enforced solitude, the silence got the better of her. “So where are we heading?”

He glanced at her, his expression grim, eyes shrouded by his long dark lashes. “Back to the Cock and Hen. If anyone knows any more of what is going on, Harry will. They’ll put us up, and we can go over what we know and work out our next move.”

“Surely it’s better if we just keep going.”

Nathan halted, faced her, his shoulders slumped. “I don’t know about you, squirt, but I’m exhausted. I’ve been beaten up, kidnapped, chased by soldiers on horseback, and shot at.”

Rose held up her hands. “Okay, I get it. You weren’t the only one.”

His countenance softened. “I know, and that’s why I think we need a rest. We can’t keep going at this pace. What if the next time we’re confronted by guards shooting or chasing us and we’re even more than exhausted? We won’t have a chance.”

“You think they’ll hunt us down.”

“No, I think
we’ll
hunt
them
down. It’s time the game changed.”

Her brow creased at his comment. “You think this a game? You have a funny way of thinking, Nathan. My father is no pawn in a game of chess.”

“I didn’t say that. What I meant was that so far these bastards have had it all their own way. No more. It’s time the tide changed.”

* * * * *

Harry Biggins welcomed them with open arms, a twinkle in his eye as he recognized her with Nathan. “Ah, I thought my boy, Nathan, would catch up with you.”

“All thanks to you, my friend,” Nathan said.

“Come on in. Ye looks like it’s been a mighty tough time for ye both.”

“You could say that.”

“Well, the wife has a stew on, and I’ll get you both an ale.” Harry guided them through the pub and behind the counter out back to a small room.

Alice stood at the fire, a ladle in one hand as she stirred the contents of a huge black iron pot. Hearing them enter, she turned, a bright smile plastered across her cherry-red face as she spied Nathan. “Oh, my darling boy.” She dropped her ladle into the pot and quickly wiped her hands on the checkered apron tied around her matronly middle, and then wrapped her thick arms around him, hugging him to her ample bosom.

“It’s good to see you again too, Alice.” Nathan kissed her cheek, and she flushed even a brighter shade of scarlet. “You’re looking bonny as ever.”

“Oh, you are a scalawag with the words, my boy, but do not stop.”

“I won’t.”

Alice pulled away from Nathan and turned to Rose. She held out her hands. “My dear, you look exhausted.”

Rose’s lips curved ever so slightly. “A little,” she said with honesty, glancing at Nathan. Actually, she was more than exhausted. Nathan, to her chagrin, had been right. They needed to rest, then they would be the hunters! “We’ve had a rather rough twenty-four hours or so, Alice, and your stew smells delicious.”

Alice bustled to the fire. “Sit ye both down, and I’ll dish up a bowl. Then I expect a bath would be what ye both want.”

A bath. Rose’s eyes shuttered. Warm water, soaking her aching muscles. Relaxing. Such bliss.

“By the look of my partner in adventure,” Nathan chuckled, “I would say bathing would be a temptation she cannot deny.”

Rose’s eyes flashed open, only to witness Nathan’s humor-filled ones staring down at her. She turned to Alice. “I must admit, the chance to bathe would be wonderful.”

Alice placed bowls in front of them both, and Harry returned with two tankards of ale for them also. “Take a seat, miss, before you fall down.”

“My name is Rose.”

Alice rested a gentle hand on Rose’s shoulder in a motherly gesture, “Well, Rose, sit and eat your fill while I get the water heated for your bath.” She waved at her husband. “Harry, get the tin tub out in the spare room upstairs, and let’s leave these two in peace.”

“Aye, aye, Captain,” he responded with a wink and a salute. “Best thing for a marriage is to do what you’re told. Much more peaceful that way.”

Alice shooed him away with a flutter of her apron. “Be off with you, then, before I take the broom to your backside.” She hustled her husband out of the room, leaving Rose and Nathan alone.

Silence suddenly superseded everything as exhaustion took hold and Rose found she could do no more than stare at the delicious beef stew in the wooden bowl.

“Eat up. You need your strength.”

But she couldn’t. She had so many questions still unanswered. She lifted her gaze to Nathan. “You promised to tell me the truth.”

“I will.”

“When?”

“When you’ve eaten and bathed and rested. Only then.”

“You promise.”

“I do.”

* * * * *

Nathan didn’t want to tell Rose anything, especially not the truth. What would she think of him then?

Does it matter?

Actually, and oddly so, it did matter to him. A lot.

What he also wanted was to sleep. And find the bloody diamond and Alex Valetta. He had to do that. There was no other option but success.

“Come on.” He urged Rose to eat, picking up his spoon himself and tearing some bread he began to eat. He knew it to be delicious, but in truth, he was so tired he could barely function, let alone taste the food in front of him.

Rose speared him with her violet gaze. “Who’s the bossy boots now?” Suddenly she offered a tiny smile, and Nathan exhaled a soft pent-up breath.

It would be all right. Rose not smiling and not countering his comments with wit of her own worried him. But now, as he watched her pick up her spoon and ladle her first mouthful, he breathed his relief. It would be all right—he hoped.