Reed made it to the ship with his men right behind him. He looked over his shoulder once more, wondering why Rowen and Rook weren’t on his tail. It was obvious they’d let him escape. Possibly because he had Maggie with him. He still didn’t understand why she asked to come along.
He dismounted and lifted Maggie off the horse. It had been such a long time since he’d seen his childhood sweetheart. They’d grown up together and had pledged their love for each other when she was nine and he was twelve. They’d agreed to be married someday. That would have most likely happened if they hadn’t been separated the night of Burnt Candlemas.
“I thought ye were dead,” he said, taking a moment to run his hand over her hair before the rest of his raiders approached. “Where have ye been all this time, Maggie?”
“I escaped Scotland the night of Burnt Candlemas with my brother, Duff. Reed, he’s in the cart under the hay.” She pointed to the cart as Lucky stopped the horse and hopped off the driver’s bench.
“Get the things onto the ship, quickly,” instructed Muck, getting out of the wagon. Then the boy poked his head out of the hay and Muck grabbed him by the collar and yanked him off the cart. “Looks like we’ve got a stowaway.” Muck laid the edge of his dagger at the boy’s throat.
“Duff!” Maggie cried out. “Please. Don’t hurt him.” She tried to run to him, but Reed held her back.
“Stay here, lassie. I’ll take care of this.” He hurried over to the cart. “Let him go, Muck.”
“Nay.” Muck spit onto the ground.
“I willna let ye hurt a laddie.”
“You’re right.” Muck lowered his sword but did not let go of Duff. “I could use a boy for a lookout aboard the Sea Mirage. I’ll raise him the way my brother raised Rowen the night we raided Scotland on Burnt Candlemas.”
“Nay!” shouted Maggie, running over anyway. “Let my brother go. He doesna mean any harm.” She reached out for him but, once again, Reed held her back.
“They’re comin’,” shouted one of the Scots from the boarding plank as they loaded what little booty they were able to take onto the ship.
Sure enough, Reed looked over in the distance to see an army of men on their tails.
“Get to the ship now,” Reed called out. “Cast off! This is our last chance.”
When he turned back around, he saw Muck pulling the boy along with him as he boarded the Sea Mirage.
“Get to safety, Maggie,” he told her, heading for the ship at a run. But when his crew was aboard and he went to pull up the boarding plank, Maggie darted up the plank and onto the ship. “Nay. Ye canna stay.”
“I’ll no’ be left behind when my brathair has been taken captive by a cutthroat.” She was cute when she got upset and slipped back into her native way of speaking.
He looked up and shook his head. His brothers and their men were closing in on them.
“Then get aboard, but dinna leave my side unless ye want to be rogered at the rail.”
“What does that mean?”
“Ye dinna want to find out.”
Maggie held onto the side of the ship as it left the dock. The baron and a lot of soldiers rode up and stopped at the shore. Reed saw her eyes open wide and realized an archer was raising his bow. He pulled her aside as an arrow whizzed past her head.
“There’s a lassie aboard ye fools,” Reed called out as his brothers rode up to join the rest of the soldiers. He saw Rowen say something to all of them and the archer put down his bow. Then they turned and rode away.
Maggie let out a breath of relief and turned around to come face to face with Old Man Muck. Reed stepped in front of her to protect her.
“You fool! You brought a girl aboard, and now we’re cursed,” spat Muck. “Just like we were when your addlepated brother brought Cordelia onto the ship.”
“Ye touch a hair on her head and ye’ll be dead by my own hand,” Reed warned him.
“Maggie!” Duff ran to Maggie and fell into her arms.
“Don’t worry, Duff. I’m here now,” the girl told him.
Reed shook his head and rolled his eyes. Aye, they had just courted trouble. “If ye’d have left the lad on the shore, the lassie wouldna be here,” he told Muck.
“Well, mayhap we should just kill them both and be done with it.” Muck reached for his sword while Maggie pulled her brother closer into her embrace.
Reed’s foot shot upward and he kicked the sword out of Muck’s hand. It went sliding across the wooden deck. The crew rushed over to watch the fight.
“I’m startin’ to think I made a mistake by settin’ ye free,” said Reed. “I didna realize ye’d be this much trouble.” His hand shot out and he gripped Muck’s wrist as the pirate drew his dagger next. Reed squeezed hard, causing Muck to drop the dagger. Then Reed kicked it away.
“It was a mistake to let Muck take control of the ship,” said Big Garth, the ship’s cook.
“You like raiding, so don’t complain,” spat Muck, pulling out of Reed’s hold.
“Muck, mayhap it was a bad idea,” said Lucky, running his fingers over his throat. “We’ve managed to anger not only Rowen but Reed and a baron as well.”
“They’ll all be after us now,” said Reed’s best friend, Gair.
“And they ken where to find us,” added Murray.
“No more talk,” said Reed, not wanting trouble at sea. “Everyone tend to yer posts and let’s get the Sea Mirage back to Scotland.”
“You’re not bringing her,” Muck said, glaring at Maggie.
“She doesna belong in Scotland,” said one of the Scots.
“I am bringin’ her as well as the boy,” Reed told them. “If anyone doesn’t like it, ye can deal with me. And dinna say she doesna belong in Scotland because she does. This is Maggie and her brathair, Duff, of Clan Gordon. They are Scots, no’ English. They are goin’ to return with us because I’m bringin’ them home.”
* * *
Home. The word sounded foreign to Maggie’s ears. It comforted and terrified her at the same time. She hadn’t been back to Scotland since the night she witnessed the death of her parents, two of her siblings, and most of her clan. The ground had run red with blood that night and it was a vision she would never be able to shake from her mind.
She stood at the rail of the Sea Mirage, watching the shores of Whitehaven getting smaller as they left England behind. Somehow, she’d felt safe living with Summer, her sisters, and her mother. England had become her home over the past ten years and it was the only home Duff ever knew. Even with the wiry Lord Granville insisting she be treated more like a servant than a noble, she hadn’t minded all that much. It had kept her from being married off to a man she didn’t love. And it had kept her close to her brother.
“Things will be fine once we get back to Scotland,” said Reed, coming to her side.
Maggie was well aware of the Scots as well as the pirates aboard the ship. She was now part of the Demon Thief’s ploy whether she liked it or not. Reed and his brothers had raided the king for years now, forming the legendary Demon Thief. But now Reed was the only one left to carry out the infamous legend.
“You have it all figured out, don’t you?” Her eyes remained on the disappearing shoreline rather than looking at Reed. She was angry with him and also confused. She wasn’t sure what she felt.
“Duff, why dinna ye go help Gair with the riggin’,” said Reed. “I’d like to talk to Maggie alone if ye dinna mind.”
Duff looked up at Maggie with frightened eyes and she couldn’t blame him. She had no idea if they were safe around so many cutthroat men.
“I willna let anythin’ happen to either of ye,” Reed said softly. He covered her hand with his. “I promise ye that, Maggie.”
Maggie let out a breath and nodded her head slowly. “Go on, Duff. You’ll be safe with Gair.”
“All right. I would like to see more of the ship,” said Duff, letting go of Maggie. “I can’t believe I’m on a real pirate ship.”
“Dinna become too used to it,” Reed called out as the boy headed away.
“You won’t let that awful man keep my brother, will you?” asked Maggie, looking up into Reed’s eyes. “He’s the only real family I have. I can’t let anything happen to him.”
“I gave ye my word, lassie.” Reed slipped an arm around her waist. It felt good and reminded her of the times they’d spent together as youths. Reed was a tall, burly, handsome man with big muscles. His red hair and blue eyes made him unique. He had a small braid of hair that hung down from the left side of his head. To her, he was the most handsome of the triplet brothers. She remembered kissing him when she was only nine. His lips had been firm and strong then, and she longed to find out if they still were. But as much as she liked being touched by him, she felt uncomfortable with him putting his arm around her in front of Duff and all the men on the ship.
“I don’t think it’s proper for you to be touching me so familiar at a time like this.” She stepped out of his embrace.
“Proper? Maggie, what happened to ye? Ye were the one to push me down in the hay in the stables and kiss me that first time if I’m no’ mistaken.”
“That’s not the way I remember it. Besides, it was a long time ago, Reed. I’m not that person anymore. Neither are you the boy I remember.”
“What is that supposed to mean? I’m no different than I ever was.”
“You’re still as reckless as you ever were if that’s what you mean.” She glanced over to Duff to see him talking with Gair and smiling.
“Of course I’m reckless. That’s how I got my name Reed the Reckless. Ye ken that.” He put his hand on her shoulder this time, but she pushed it away. “Och, wench! What’s the matter with ye? I dinna like this new act of bein’ a stuffy Englishwoman. It doesna fit who ye really are.”
“How would you know who I really am when you don’t even know yourself?”
“I ken who I am. Ye’re the one who is confused. Ye dress and talk and even act like a stinkin’ Sassenach. Maggie, what is the matter with ye? Ye are Scottish and should be proud of it.”
“You are English, yet you talk, dress and act like a Scot. So what is the difference?” she retorted.
“I’m bringin’ ye home, lass. Plus I’m savin’ ye from marryin’ an Englishman. Ye should be thankful.”
“I dinna want to be saved, so stop messin’ up my life.”
“Ah, so ye still remember how to talk like a Scot after all.” Reed grinned, making her want to slap the grin right off his face.
“Of course I remember,” she spat. “But that’s the problem. I don’t want to remember. I’ve been through too much, and all I want is a new life. But you’ve ruined that for me now. I was supposed to marry a baron! I would have been wealthy and he would have taken care of me as well as my brother. Now, I’m with a bunch of cutthroats and bandits. I’ll be lucky to convince the baron or any respectable man to want me now!”
“Is that what ye think of me? That I’m no’ respectable?” He frowned and stepped away from her. She could tell she she’d hurt him, and a part of her felt like reaching out and hugging him – but she couldn’t. “I’m sorry ye got into this mess, Maggie. It wasna my intention. But dinna forget that ye were the one who asked to come with me and then snuck onto the ship. I didna take ye by force like my bastard pirate brother did to Lady Cordelia.”
“He’s your brother and yet you speak of him as if you despise him.”
“I do. I despise both Rowen and Rook right now for betrayin’ me.”
“They’re your family! Family needs to stick together. Or isn’t family important to you, Reed? Because it’s the most important thing in the world to me.”
Reed didn’t know how to answer that question. At one time, family had meant the world to him as well. When he and his brothers thought Ross and Annalyse were their parents, and that Summer, Autumn, and Winter, were their sisters, they were very happy and content. But things were different now. Forces beyond his control were at play and he didn’t like it at all. He’d always been in control of his life, but now he felt like life was controlling him.
“I dinna need ye to judge me, Maggie. I’ve lived through Burnt Candlemas the same as ye. I’ve lost my family the same as ye when I discovered I was naught more than a bastard triplet of the king – a man who ordered our deaths at birth. I’ve lived through just as much turmoil, so dinna think ye are the only one.”
“I – I didn’t mean it that way.” She reached out for him but, this time, he stepped away. “I just meant – you shun your brothers when you should be working with them. It’s not right. They’re of the same blood.”
“And so is Edward of the same blood, but we both ken the horrible things he’s done.”
“But it’s different with Rowen and Rook. They don’t mean you any harm.”
“They turned against me. Isna that harmful? We were always a team, but no’ anymore.”
“Don’t make them your enemies, Reed. They are your brothers. I’m sure it wasn’t easy for them to make the decision to pay allegiance to Edward.”
“They dinna seem to have a problem with it.” He snorted and folded his arms across his chest.
“It wasn’t all about them. I only know what I’ve heard, but Summer told me they made those decisions because of their love for the women who are now their wives.”
“Edward tricked them into it.” Reed felt the blood rush through his veins. “My brathairs were weak or they would never have aligned with the man who wanted us dead.”
“Your brothers are not weak,” she told him. “The way I see it they were stronger than you to make the decisions they made.”
“Are ye sayin’ I’m weak now? I dinna need to hear this from ye.”
“Nay, that’s not what I meant. I only meant that they knew exactly what they wanted and they went for it, even if they had to make sacrifices to get it.”
“I’ll hear no more about this. I ken what I want, too, and I’ll get it. I want to raid my brathairs to show them they canna treat me this way.”
“And what about me? And Duff?” she asked.
“I’ve decided ye are both comin’ back to Scotland, and that’s the way it’s goin’ to be. Ye’ll no’ be marryin’ an English baron. Ye’ll be marryin’ me like we promised so many years ago. So dinna even think of betrayin’ me the way my brathairs did, Margaret Gordon, because I willna be betrayed again. Do ye hear me? We had a deal and ye are goin’ to keep it.” He stormed away from her, already cursing himself for running off at the mouth like he had a habit of doing. What had he said? He didn’t want to get married to anyone. He’d been angry and didn’t want her telling him about family and betrayals. He’d only said it to make a point, but now he wondered if he’d gone too far.