Monk, the bald-headed Irishman who’d won the tavern in a crooked game of cards, usually sat beside Caine at the close of each evening. Monk was the only one who knew about the deception. He was in wholehearted agreement with Caine’s plan, too, as he’d heard all about Pagan’s atrocity to Caine’s family. Just as significant, business had picked up considerably since the deception had begun. Everyone, it seemed, wanted to get a good look at the pirate, and Monk, a man who put profit above all other matters, charged exorbitant prices for his watered-down ale.
The tavernkeeper had lost his hair years before, but his bright orange-colored eyebrows more than made up for any lack. They were thick, curly, and crept like determined vines of ivy halfway up his freckled forehead. Monk rubbed his brow now in true frustration for the Marquess. It was almost three o’clock in the morning, an hour past time to shut down the tavern for the evening. Only two paying customers were lingering over their drinks now. When they’d belched out their sleepy farewells and taken their leave, Monk turned to Caine.
“You’ve got more patience than a flea waiting on a mangy dog, coming here night after night. I’m praying you don’t get too discouraged,” he added. He paused to pour a full goblet of brandy for the Marquess, then swallowed a hefty portion directly from the bottle. “You’ll flush him out, Caine. I’m sure of it. The way I see it, he’ll send a couple of his men first to try to waylay you. That’s why I’m always warning you to protect your back when you leave each night.”
Monk took another drink, and snickered. “Pagan’s a mite protective of his reputation. Your pretense must be turning his hair gray. He’ll show himself soon enough. Why, I’ll wager that tomorrow will be the night.”
Caine nodded agreement. Monk, his gaze piercing with promise, always ended his nightly speech with the prediction that tomorrow the prey would show himself.
“You’ll pounce on him then, Caine, like a duck on a bug.”
Caine swallowed a long drink, his first of the evening, then tilted his chair back so he could rest his shoulders against the wall. “I’ll get him.”
The harshness in Caine’s tone sent a shiver down Monk’s spine. He was about to give hasty agreement when the door suddenly flew open, drawing his attention. Monk half turned in his chair to call out that the tavern was closed for the night, but the sight standing in the center of the doorway so stunned him, he could only gape in astonishment. When he was finally able to regain his voice, he whispered, “Holy Mother of God, has an angel come calling on us?”
From his position against the wall, Caine faced the entrance and had a clear view. Though he didn’t move or show any outward reaction, in truth, his surprise was just as great as Monk’s. His heart started slamming a wild beat and he couldn’t seem to catch his breath.
She did look like an angel. Caine didn’t want to blink, certain his vision would vanish into the night if he closed his eyes for just a second or two.
She was an incredibly beautiful woman. Her eyes captivated him. They were the most magnificent shade of green. The green of his valley, he thought to himself, on a clear, moonlit night.
She was staring at him. Caine stared back.
Several long minutes passed while they studied each other. Then she started walking toward him. As soon as she moved, the hood of her black cape fell to her shoulders. Caine quit breathing. The muscles in his chest constricted painfully. His vision was blessed with lush, auburn-colored hair. In the candlelight, the color was as brilliant as fire.
Caine noticed the pitiful condition of her clothing when she neared the table. The quality of her cloak indicated wealth, yet the expensive material had been shredded halfway up one side. It looked as though someone had taken a knife to it. Part of the green satin lining hung in tatters around her hem. Caine’s curiosity intensified. He looked back up at her face, saw the faint bruises on her right cheekbone, the small cut below her full lower lip, and the splotch of dirt marring her forehead.
If his vision was an angel, she’d just been forced to pay purgatory a visit, Caine decided. Yet even though she looked like she’d just lost the battle with Satan, she was still very appealing, too appealing in fact for his peace of mind. He grew tense as he waited for her to speak.
She stopped when she reached the other side of the round table. Her gaze was now directed on the rose pinned to his lapel.
His angel was obviously frightened. Her hands were shaking. She clutched a small white bag to her bodice and he noticed several faded scars on her fingers.
He didn’t know what to make of her. Caine didn’t want her to be afraid of him, though. That admission made his frown intensify.
“You’re all alone?” he asked, his tone as brisk as the rising wind.
“I am.”
“At this time of night, in this section of the city?”
“Yes,” she answered. “Are you Pagan?”
Her voice, he noticed, was husky, whisper soft.
“Look at me when you ask your questions.”
She wouldn’t comply with his command but stubbornly continued to stare at the rose. “Pray, answer me, sir,” she returned. “Are you Pagan? I have need to speak with the pirate. It is a terribly important matter.”
“I am Pagan,” Caine said.
She nodded. “It’s said that you’ll do any task if the price be enough. Is that true, sir?”
“It is,” Caine acknowledged. “What is it you want from me?”
In answer to his question, she dropped the bag onto the center of the table. The drawstring tore open and several coins spilled out. Monk let out a low whistle.
“There are thirty pieces in all,” she said, her gaze still downcast.
Caine raised an eyebrow in reaction to that statement. “Thirty pieces of silver?”
She timidly nodded. “Is that enough? It’s all I have.”
“Who is it you wish to betray?”
She looked startled by that assumption. “Oh, no, you misunderstand. I don’t want to betray anyone. I’m not a Judas, sir.”
He thought she looked insulted by his comment. “It was an honest mistake to make.”
Her frown indicated she didn’t agree. Caine vowed he wasn’t going to let her get his temper riled. “Then what is it you ask from me?”
“I would like you to kill someone, please.”
“Ah,” he drawled out. His disappointment was almost painful. She looked so damned innocent, so pitifully vulnerable, yet sweetly asked him to murder someone for her.
“And who is this victim? Your husband, perchance?” The cynicism in his voice was as grating as a nail scraping down a chalkboard.
She didn’t seem to mind his biting tone. “No,” she answered.
“No? You’re not married then?”
“Does it matter?”
“Oh, yes,” he countered in a whisper to match hers. “It matters.”
“No, I’m not married.”
“Then who is it you want killed? Your father? Your brother?”
She shook her head again.
Caine slowly leaned forward. His patience was wearing as thin as the ale Monk watered down. “I tire of having to question you. Tell me.”
He’d forced a belligerent tone, certain he’d intimidate her into blurting out her full explanation. He knew he’d failed in that endeavor, however, when he caught the mutinous expression on her face. If he hadn’t been watching her so intently, he knew he would have missed the flash of anger. The frightened little kitten had a little spirit inside her, after all.
“I would like you to accept this task before I explain,” she said.
“Task? You call hiring me to kill someone a task?” he asked, his voice incredulous.
“I do,” she announced with a nod.
She still refused to look him in the eye. That fact irritated him. “All right,” he lied. “I accept.”
Her shoulders sagged in what Caine surmised was acute relief. “Tell me who my victim is,” he instructed once again.
She s
lowly lifted her gaze to look at him then. The torment Caine saw in her eyes made his chest ache. The urge to reach out, to take her into his arms, to offer her comfort very nearly overwhelmed him. He suddenly felt outraged on her behalf, then had to shake his head over such a ludicrous, fanciful notion.
Hell, the woman was contracting him to murder someone.
Their gazes held a long while before Caine asked again, “Well? Who is it you want killed?”
She took a deep breath before answering.
“Me.”
Chapter Two
“Holy Mother of God,” Monk whispered. “You cannot be serious, dear lady.”
She didn’t take her gaze away from Caine when she answered the tavernkeeper. “I’m very serious, my good man. Do you think I would have ventured out into this part of town in the middle of the night if I weren’t serious?”
Caine answered her question. “I think you’ve lost your mind.”
“No,” she replied. “It would be much easier if I had.”
“I see,” Caine said. He was trying to keep his temper controlled, but the urge to shout at her made his throat ache. “When would you like this . . . this . . .”
“Task?”
“Yes, task,” Caine asked. “When would you like this task done?”
“Now.”
“Now?”
“If it’s convenient, mi’lord.”
“If it’s convenient?”
“Oh, dear, I’m so sorry,” she whispered. “I didn’t mean to upset you.”
“Why do you think you’ve upset me?”
“Because you’re shouting at me.”
He realized she was right. He had been shouting. Caine let out a long sigh. For the first time in a good long while, his composure was completely shattered. He excused his shameful condition by telling himself that anyone with half a mind would have been caught off guard by such an outrageous request. She looked so sincere and appeared to be terribly fragile, too. Hell, the woman had freckles on the bridge of her nose, for God’s sake. She should be home under lock and key with her loving family protecting her, not standing in this seedy tavern calmly discussing her own murder.
“I can see how distressed I’ve made you,” she said. “I really do apologize, Pagan. Have you never killed a woman before?” she asked. Her voice was filled with sympathy.
She looked as if she felt sorry for him now. “No, I’ve never killed a woman before,” he grated out. “But there’s always a first time for everything, now isn’t there?”
He’d meant the comment to be sarcastic. She took it to heart. “That’s the spirit,” she rushed out. She actually smiled at him then. “It really shouldn’t be too difficult for you. I’ll help, of course.”
He wanted to throw his head down on the table. “You’re willing to help?” he strangled out.
“Certainly.”
“You have lost your mind.”
“No, I haven’t,” she countered. “But I’m very desperate. This task must be done as soon as possible. Do you think you could hurry and finish your drink?”
“Why must it be done so soon?” he asked.
“Because they’re going to come for me sometime soon, perhaps even yet tonight. I’m going to die, Pagan, by their hand or yours, and I’d really rather determine my own end. Surely you can understand that.”
“Then why don’t you just kill yourself?” Monk blurted out. “Wouldn’t that be much easier than hiring someone else?”
“For God’s sake, Monk, don’t encourage her.”
“I’m not trying to encourage her,” Monk rushed out. “I’m just trying to understand why such a pretty would want to die.”
“Oh, I could never kill myself,” she explained. “It would be a sin. Someone else has to do it. Don’t you see?”
Caine had taken about all he could handle for one evening. He bounded to his feet, upsetting the chair in his haste, then planted the palms of his big hands on the tabletop. “No, I don’t see, but I promise you I’m going to before this night is over. We’re going to start at the beginning. First you’ll begin by telling me your name.”
“Why?”
“It’s a little rule I have,” he snapped. “I don’t kill anyone I don’t know. Now tell me your name.”
“It’s a stupid rule.”
“Answer me.”
“Jade.”
“Damn it, I want your real name!” he commanded in a near roar.
“Damn it, that is my real name,” she replied. She had a thoroughly disgruntled look on her face.
“You’re serious, aren’t you?”
“Of course, I’m serious. Jade is my name,” she added with a shrug.
“Jade’s an unusual name,” he said. “Fitting, though. You’re proving to be a rather unusual woman.”
“Your opinion of me isn’t at all relevant, sir. I hired you to complete an assignment and that is all. Is it customary for you to interview your victims before you do them in?”
He ignored her glare. “Tell me the rest of your name, or I may strangle you.”
“No, you mustn’t strangle me,” she replied. “I don’t want to die that way and I am the one doing the hiring, if you’ll remember.”
“What way did you have in mind?” he asked. “Oh, hell, never mind. I don’t want to know.”
“But you have to know,” she argued. “How can you kill me if you don’t know how I want it done?”
“Later,” he interjected. “You may instruct me in the method you’ve chosen later. First things first, Jade. Are your parents waiting at home for you?”
“It’s doubtful.”
“Why?”
“They’re both dead.”
He closed his eyes and counted to ten. “So you’re all alone?”
“No.”
“No?”
It was her turn to sigh. “I have a brother. I’m not going to tell you anything more, Pagan. It’s too much of a risk, you see.”
“Why is it a risk, miss?” Monk asked.
“The more he knows about me, the more difficult the task will become. I believe it would be very upsetting to kill someone you liked. Don’t you, sir?”
“I ain’t never had to kill someone I liked,” Monk admitted. “As to that, I ain’t never killed anyone. Still, your theory makes sense to me.”
It took all Caine had not to start bellowing. “Jade, I assure you that won’t be a problem. At this moment, I don’t like you at all.”
She took a step back. “Well, why not?” she asked. “I haven’t been half as insulting as you have. Are you just a cranky person by nature, Pagan?”
“Don’t call me Pagan.”
“Why not?”
“It’s a danger, miss, if anyone overhears,” Monk blurted out when he saw how infuriated Caine was becoming. The muscle in the side of his jaw had started flexing. Caine had a fierce temper and she was innocently shaking him into a real froth. Why if he let loose, he might very well give her her wish and frighten her to death.
“What should I call him then?” she asked the tavernkeeper.
“Caine,” Monk answered with a nod. “You can call him Caine.”
She let out an inelegant snort. “And he thinks I have an unusual name?”
Caine reached out and grabbed hold of her chin. He forced her to look at him again. “What is your brother’s name?”
“Nathan.”
“Where is Nathan now?”
“He’s away on pressing business matters.”
“What business?”
She slapped his hand away before answering. “Shipping business.”
“When will he be back?”
Her glare could melt a lesser man. “Two weeks,” she snapped. “There, I’ve answered all your questions. Now will you please quit pestering me and get on with your assignment?”
“Where do you live, Jade?”
“Sir, your endless questions are giving me a pounding headache. I’m not at all used to having men scream at me.”
Caine glanced down at Monk and let him see his exasperation. “The daft woman wants me to kill her, yet now complains about a headache.”
She suddenly reached out, grabbed hold of his chin, and nudged him back to look at her. It was a deliberate imitation of his earlier action. Caine was so surprised by her boldness, he let her have her way.
“Now it’s my turn,” she announced. “I’ll ask you my questions and you will answer them. I’m the one giving you the silver coins, sir. First, and most important, I want to know if you’re really going to kill me. Your hesitation alarms me. That and this endless inquisition.”
“You’re going to have to satisfy my curiosity before I decide,” he told her.
“No.”
“Then I won’t kill you.”
“You scoundrel!” she cried out. “You promised me before you knew who your victim was. You gave me your word!”
“I lied.”
Her gasp of outrage nearly knocked her over. “You are a real disappointment to me. A man of honor wouldn’t so easily break his word. You should be ashamed of yourself.”
“Jade,” he answered. “I never said I was a man of honor.”
“Nay, miss, he didn’t,” Monk interjected.
Her eyes turned the color of green fire. She was apparently furious with him. Her hands joined his on the tabletop. She leaned forward and whispered, “I was told Pagan never, ever breaks his word.”
“You were misinformed.”
They were almost nose to nose now. Caine tried to concentrate on their conversation, but her wonderful scent, so clean, so fresh, so utterly feminine, kept getting in the way.
She was shaking her head at him now. Caine was literally at a loss for words. He’d never had a woman stand up to him before. No, the ladies of the ton usually cowered when he showed the least amount of displeasure. This one was different, however. She wasn’t just standing up to him either. She was actually matching him glare for glare. He suddenly felt like laughing and didn’t have the faintest idea why.
Her insanity was obviously the catching kind.
“You really should be hanged,” she said. “You certainly had me fooled. You don’t look like the sort to act so dastardly.”