“You … you should dress,” he said.
Bea realized her breasts were crushed indecently to Colin’s chest. Only her shift and his shirt protected her modesty. Slowly, she pulled back. The warm air beaded her nipples against the soft material. She didn’t care. Dear God, she didn’t care about propriety. All she cared about was the fact that she could breathe again!
Colin nudged her back and cupped the sides of her face with his rough hands. She was surprised to see concern in his gaze. The emotion set her negative opinion of the man hanging precariously by a thread. “Are you all right?”
Disconcerted, she could merely nod. Gently, he rested her against the wall and pulled her bodice together, working the buttons up her chest. “It won’t fit without the corset.”
“Leave it open,” she said.
She didn’t care that her collar hung indecently wide, revealing the tops of her pale breasts. And she didn’t care that Colin was watching her, his intense gaze moving from her chest to her eyes, where they held. She certainly didn’t care that her heart was pounding so hard, that Colin could probably hear the unsteady beat.
She didn’t care because Colin had saved her life and was watching her with the oddest look in his eyes. An unidentifiable look that sent her already racing heart spinning. Something had changed between the two of them … something she couldn’t quite identify …
“Colin?” Leo called out, his voice piercing the darkness.
There was one long moment before Colin answered.
“Coming,” he finally replied.
Without a word, without another look, he latched on to Bea’s hand and jerked her down the alley. She glanced back, her fear forgotten. Her corset lay pristine white against the brown dirt. This morning she would have never gone without a corset. She was leaving behind a part of her in Delhi, a part she never wanted back.
Her corset gone, she felt a renewed burst of energy. She hiked up her skirts until her white stockings showed. Her bonnet thumped annoyingly against her head as she kept pace with Colin, but she didn’t pause to fix it—they didn’t have time for such nonsense.
Stucco and stone homes gave way to shacks, and dirt gave way to soft mud. The land sloped into stiff brush that poked through her stockings and scratched her legs. Bea dropped her skirts, the hem dragging through the mud.
Like a group of soldiers defeating the enemy, they crushed down the stiff reeds lining the river. Under the pressure of her boots, mud slurped and gurgled. Not only would her shoes be ruined, but her dress as well. Grandmother would have an apoplexy. For once in her life, Bea didn’t give a fig.
Leo shouted in Hindi and Bea tore her gaze from her ruined shoes. Barely visible in the deepening dusk, a tiny vessel rocked on waves of inky water. This was the boat that would take them to safety? The thing barely looked buoyant. Bea glanced to her cousin for confirmation, but over the maddening thump of her heart, she couldn’t understand what Leo was saying.
All she could seem to focus on was the murmured cry of the rioters in the background.
“They’re not coming this way,” Colin said, as if sensing her thoughts. “They’re headed in the opposite direction.”
She managed to nod, but how could he be sure? She turned. In the distance, she could see the wavering torchlight of protesters. She jerked her attention back toward the water.
The river was wide, a mirror of darkness. Lights fromhomes lined the water, glowing eerily, like demon eyes in the night. An old man shuffled forward, the boat rocking with his movement. His back was hunched, his face so wrinkled one could barely make out his eyes from his nose, from his mouth. An apple left in the sun too long. He glanced at them; at least she thought he did.
“Nahee.” He shook his head, holding up his hands. “Nahee.”
“What’s he saying?” Bea whispered.
Colin didn’t bother to look at her. “No. He’s saying no.”
Shock replaced her fear. Bea’s legs threatened to give out. Leo was speaking rapidly to the man, his body fierce, tight. He pulled out a pouch and jiggled it, the coins clanking together. The man paused only a moment, then lured by the promise of gold, he nodded. Relieved, Bea could breathe again. Leo wasted no time and helped Ella into the tiny boat.
Then, he turned to Bea.
“Doh!” the old man said, holding up two fingers.
Leo paused, his hands fisting with momentary annoyance.
“Chaar.”
The man shook his head, his expression mulish.
“What is it?” Colin demanded.
Slowly, Leo turned toward them. “The river is low because of the dry season. He says his boat can only carry two, at the most. The weight …”
They all fell silent.
In the background the rioters’ angry shouts seemed to be growing closer. A rustle drew Bea’s attention downriver. A white crane stood on the edge of the water, so serene amid the turmoil.
“Bea?” Leo held out his hand.
“No!” Ella cried, desperation in her voice. Reaching out, she latched on to Leo’s shirt. The boat tipped precariously with her movement, but Ella didn’t seem to notice. “We’ll stay here with you. We’ll hide. We’ll be fine.”
Tears stung Bea’s eyes, the fear on Ella’s face almost her undoing. Fear not for herself, but for the man she loved. Fear for her unborn child.
Leo pulled Ella up against him, holding her tight. “Ella, I can’t let you stay here.”
“Leo.” Colin rested his hand on Leo’s shoulder. “They can’t go alone, two women. It’s not safe.”
Room for two. Only two. She’d die if she stayed here, Bea had no doubt. But if Leo stayed, he might die and never see Ella again, never see his unborn child …
“We’ll find another boat,” Ella insisted, tears trailing down her face and glistening like trails of ice in moonlight.
Leo shook his head. “We don’t have time. You must leave now.”
Bea knew what she needed to do. She tucked the netting atop her bonnet, resolve settling around her, calm and serene. “Go, Leo.”
He didn’t even glance at her. “No.”
She latched on to his arm. It was the first time since they’d met that she’d touched him intimately and the muscle she felt reassured her. Leo would protect Ella. They’d make it to safety. She had to believe that. “You must.”
“Bea,” Ella called out, reaching for her.
Bea glanced at the crane one more time. He stood there, still at ease, still serene in the midst of turmoil. She could be that crane. Bea stepped back, out of arm’s length, afraid if Ella comforted her at all, she’d break down and beg them to take her with them.
Colin raked his hands through his hair, the curls ruffling with the soft breeze. “Leo, we can’t open the map without you.”
“Without my family blood,” Leo interjected.
“Which means …” Every set of eyes turned toward Bea. She didn’t understand what was happening, but she knew suddenly she was involved. Frankly, at the moment, she didn’t care. She only wanted to find somewhere safe where they could wait out the riots and hopefully survive.
“It’s best if we divide up anyway. I’ll protect her,” Colin said, resting his hand on the small of her back.
As surprised as she was at his touch, Bea couldn’t deny that the pressure of Colin’s fingers made her feel better … momentarily. Last night’s misadventure still rang in her mind. Colin had been a coward, leaving Ella and Leo to protect his home. How could he possibly keep her safe?
“Bea,” Ella whispered, her lips quivering.
“Go, Leo,” Bea demanded. “Protect Ella and your baby.”
Leo looked at Bea, truly looked at her, and she saw the emotions in his gaze … appreciation, respect, and worry. Her heart clenched. For the first time in a long while, someone actually cared about her. “The boy will take you home. He’ll help you.”
Bea nodded, fighting her tears.
Leo’s gaze shifted to Colin. “If you don’t catch u
p to us soon, then meet near Bombay. You know where.”
Without waiting for a response, Leo waded into the murky water and jumped atop the tiny vessel, the boat rocking under his weight.
Ella wrapped her arms around her husband’s waist, holding him close. Before they disappeared, Leo tugged the ring from his finger. “It’s yours now.”
He tossed it toward them. The green emerald glistened and flashed in the rising moon. Colin reached out, snatching it from the air. Bea thought he was talking to Colin, but he was looking at her. She didn’t understand. Why was he giving her his ring? But she didn’t have time to ask.
The current took the boat downriver, and darkness swallowed Leo and Ella.
Chapter 6
“We go?” Raj asked, his large eyes oceans of inkiness in the moonlight.
Colin grasped on to Bea’s arm and yanked her up the bank as if she weighed little more than a ragdoll. His tight grip stung, but she knew better than to protest. Her feet slipped on the wet grass, her fear mounting the farther they traveled from the water … farther from Leo and Ella.
Startled by their sudden movement, the crane cried out and took flight, his huge wings swooshing through the air. Bea watched the bird, watched him even as Colin pulled her onto the dirt path they’d followed to get to the river. Never had she wished to be a bird more than she did at the moment. When the crane disappeared into the night, she felt bereft, as if she’d lost the last link to her sanity … her soul.
“Bea, damn it, hurry.”
She reluctantly focused her attention forward, forced back into the turmoil that had become her life. “Heavens, Colin, where are we going?”
“My home.” He pulled her behind a row of mud huts, the occupants either fast asleep or participating in the riots, Bea didn’t want to know which. Following Raj, they leapt over clay pots and cow droppings that had been left to dry in the heat.
“But the rioters,” Bea said, pressing her bonnet to her head as the speed of their pace threatened to tear it from her scalp. Faster Colin went, so fast it was impossible for Bea to keep pace. Her skirts twisted around her legs, making her stumble.
“My money, more weapons, they’re all there.” He paused only a moment to jerk the netting down over her face. Then he was off again, running through the streets, darting from shadowy corner to shadowy corner, dragging her behind like a mutt on a rope.
Even though her corset was gone, the intense activity had her gasping only moments later. She couldn’t keep running like this; she wasn’t dressed for the exercise. Needing air, Bea sucked in another breath. The sensitive skin of her throat stung. Her nostrils flared as an acidic scent assaulted her senses. “I smell something.”
“Yeah, that’s the muck stuck to your boots, darlin’.”
“No,” she snapped, hitting his shoulder to gain his attention. “I smell smoke.”
He paused and she ran into his back, her face flattening against his hard shoulder. “You’re right.” He shrugged, sending her stumbling to the side. “Well, I suppose it’s not a real riot unless there’s fire.”
Bea didn’t have time to respond to his ridiculous words. He took her hand and jerked her forward again. Through one narrow alley after another, he forced her to run. “Colin, I … I … can’t go much further.”
“It’s here.” They turned down a corridor lined with narrow stone homes molded side by side. Colin didn’t bother to unlock his door but, with a low growl, kicked it open. Shattering wood was barely audible against the racket of rioting out front.
“I watch,” Raj said over his shoulder as he sprinted to the end of the alley.
Colin rushed inside without a word. Bea hesitated only a moment. Not wanting to be left alone, she followed. In the sitting room memories flitted through her mind.
Just hours ago, they’d all been here, in this plain room, planning their next course of action. Just hours ago, she’d been oblivious to the real reason as to why they were here. Now … now the only two people she knew were gone and she was at the mercy of a man she’d just met and didn’t fully trust. This was what her life had become?
Colin disappeared into the kitchen, but she was too depressed to follow. She pulled her gloves from her hands and let them fall to the ground, useless pieces of protection from the elements. When they’d first arrived, she’d been shocked at how tiny the house was. Now, the place was a heaven within hell. But she knew that sense of comfort was only a façade. They were no safer here than they were in the streets. She pressed her hand to her heart, the thump so loud she feared it would burst from her chest. How had she gotten to this point?
The shatter of breaking glass came from the kitchen. On numb legs, Bea made her way toward Colin. He was shuffling through cupboards, tossing objects aside as if they meant nothing. A glass jar lay in pieces on the floorboards. Dishes lay haphazard across the table.
“Where the hell is it?” He slammed his fists against the wall, making Bea jump.
“Ah!” He pulled out another jar and unscrewed the lid. Without thought or hesitation, he poured dry beans upon the floor. They skittered and danced like rain across the reed mats. With a grin, Colin pulled free a thick wad of bills and stuffed them into his pockets.
“Here.” He extended his arm, the paper money he’d clutched in his fist fluttering with the movement.
“What?”
He grabbed her hand and curled her fingers around a wad of cash. “In case we get separated or something happens to me, that should be enough to get you to Bombay.”
Bea shook her head, wanting to drop the money as if it were poison. “No. No, don’t say that. Nothing can happen to you.” As much as she disliked Colin, the thought of being alone here, in this upheaval, was too much even to contemplate.
“Just in case.”
“No!”
He grasped her shoulders, looking directly into her eyes, his gaze so intense, she couldn’t look away. “Bea, you’ve had to put up with your damn, insane family. Cousins and grandfathers wanting to kill each other. You and your grandmother banished to Scotland. You must have some strength in you. You can do this.”
His words chipped through the fear. The moment was oddly intimate. Yet he was right. She’d dealt with a ridiculous amount in her life. But that didn’t mean she’d be able to travel through India alone. She looked reluctantly down at the money. Merely for safety’s sake and to appease the man, she stuffed the bills into her skirt pocket. “Don’t you dare leave me here alone.”
He flashed her that angelic grin. “I won’t. I meant it—”
The sound of breaking glass interrupted whatever it was Colin was about to say. Bea screamed. Colin started through the doorway, realized she wasn’t with him, and paused. “Damn it. Come on.” He grabbed her hand and pulled her into the sitting room.
The windows were broken, the curtains engulfed in flames that licked and danced their way up the drapes. Whether it had been done intentionally or by accident didn’t matter. Bea could merely stand there staring.
Colin didn’t pause to look back, nor try to put out the fire. He jerked Bea through the back door and into the alley. They had to leave. But go where? Frantic, Bea searched for Raj. The boy was gone.
“You think to escape with my money?” a deep voice rumbled.
Bea stiffened, her grasp on Colin’s fingers tightening so hard that surely it hurt. Yet he didn’t flinch. Slowly, they turned as one. Three fierce giants stood not fifteen feet from them. Their features were barely visible in the darkness, but she didn’t need a lantern to know they were angry. Danger pulsed from them in waves that had her stomach knotting.
“Colin, who are they?” she asked in a low, quivering whisper.
“Damn it all to hell,” Colin snapped, not exactly answering her question.
The leader, the tallest of the three, braced his legs apart and crossed his arms over his massive chest like a pirate at the helm of a ship. He looked like a pirate. His bald head gleamed in the moonlight and she could just barely
make out intricate, dark brown drawings that swirled across the dome of his pale head.
“Marco?” Bea whispered.
Colin let go of her hands and stepped in front of her. “Yep.”
Bea stood on the tips of her toes to look over Colin’s shoulder. Marco had moved closer and the two cads behind him followed, fanning out to block the alley. Fear pulsed beneath her skin, urging her to run. Bea glanced behind them. They could make a dash for it, but most likely the pistols would stop them dead … literally.
Anger replaced fear. This was all Colin’s fault. Blast him! If he wasn’t such a rake, they wouldn’t be in this predicament.
Marco flashed a wicked grin, dark spaces where his front teeth should have been. “Well, my friend, we meet again.”
By the sound of his accent, another American. Bea wasn’t surprised. Apparently, all Americans were cads. With an angry nudge, Bea attempted to make Colin step aside so she could get a better view. The man didn’t move. In fact, he looked rather calm for someone who was about to be killed. Did he not take anything seriously?
Outraged, she was just about to tell him exactly what she thought, when she noticed the way his gaze flickered. In his eyes she could see his mind working, no doubt attempting to find a solution to their sudden problem. He’d better find a solution, damn him. What had Leo been thinking to leave her with him?
Could Colin fight as well as her cousin? Colin was as large, and the muscle in his body was evident through the fine linen of his shirt. Yes, she’d felt the state of his body when he’d landed on top of her the other night. But so far she’d barely seen him lift a finger.
A smile tilted the corner of Colin’s mouth, those dimples flashing. “Come, can’t we let go of the past? I gave you the money.”
Marco lifted a dark brow. “Not enough.” The two cads behind him didn’t say a bloody word. But they didn’t need to. Their threat was evident in the glare of their gazes.
Colin shrugged. “Yes, well, the money was enough before you changed the rules, after the game was over, I might add.”