Taken By Storm Part 31

Storm noticed that Burke had remained silent listening to the exchange. His eyes narrowed and he

appeared to drift off in thought. Something weighed on his mind, and she couldn't help but wonder what it was.

"When do we meet this man?" Storm asked, her question bringing Burke out of his musing.

"Tomorrow at dawn at the fork in the river," Philip said.

"A safe place?" Storm asked.

"Secure enough," Philip said. "William and I have already found the vantage points. I thought it best if William and Burke take points while you and I speak with the man."

"I want to be there," Burke insisted.

"I think you should," Storm said to everyone's surprise. "This man sells information for a price. If he meets with me and recognizes my ident.i.ty, then he will certainly tell, for a goodly sum, my general

location. Burke offers no such appeal to him, so therefore Burke and Philip would be the logical men to meet with him. William and I will take the points."

"You are a wise leader," Burke said with a smile.

"You're just discovering that, Mr. Longton?"

"Admitting it, Storm, for all to know."

Storm ordered that they make camp near the meeting place. She wanted to be sure that the fellow

arrived alone. It took a couple of hours to cover the area and make certain all was in readiness for

tomorrow's meeting.

Food taken from the ship provided supper for the evening. Storm wanted no campfire or scents to drift in the air and attract unwanted visitors or alert anyone to their location.

It would be a cold night for the four, but tomorrow they would have what they had come for and be on their way home.

As usual, Storm took the first watch, and Burke joined her. "You should get some sleep. Your watch will come fast enough," Storm warned when he plopped down beside her on the ground. It wasn't that she didn't want his company. It was just that she didn't favor discussing their relationship right now, and that was all he seemed to want to talk about when they were alone.

"Don't worry, I'm not going to mention us. I just want to spend some time with you.""We've spent a lot of time together of late."He shrugged. "Somehow it never seems enough.""Are you being romantic, Mr. Longton?" she asked with a smile.

"You know..." He paused and nodded slowly. "I think I might be."She laughed softly. "You can be amusing.""You find my efforts at romance amusing?" He shook his head. "That's not a good sign.""At least you try," she encouraged. "And I do appreciate the effort."He leaned over and stole a quick kiss. "I'm glad to hear that, but it's no effort. I simply speak the truth."He stunned her silent.He kissed her again, only this time his kiss was filled with pa.s.sion. It consumed her much too quickly and just as quickly heightened her desire for him. It had to stop, but she didn't want it to; Lord, she didn't

want it to.

"I'll leave you now," he said after releasing her lips. "Reluctantly."She watched the darkness swallow him and raised her fingers to faintly touch her pulsating lips. She hadn't really wanted their kiss to end and hadn't wanted him to leave.

If she chose to have an interlude with him, would she be able to release him easily or would her heart ache?

She seriously needed to consider the question, or perhaps it was the answer that disturbed her.

Chapter 24.

T he skinny little fellow reminded Burke of a weasel. He didn't trust him from when first he laid eyes on him. He had dark, beady eyes and barely any hair, and he acted as if he expected someone to pounce on the scene at any moment.

"What are you afraid of?" Burke asked after being in his company for only a few minutes.

"Nothing, nothing," the man said quickly, and kept turning his head from Burke to Philip.

"You have a name?"

"Names aren't necessary," the man said.

"But the coins are," Burke confirmed.

"No coins, no information," the man said with quivering bravery.

Burke withdrew several gold coins from his pocket and held them out in his palm.

The man went to grab them with thin, grimy fingers; Burke was faster and closed his fist.

"First the information and then you get paid. The prisoner's name."

"Cullen, a big fool of a man."

"Why do you say that?" Burke asked.

The man gave a gruff laugh. "He was stupid to think that Lady Alaina could love him. He's nothing but a peasant, not fit to be in her presence."

"Lady Alaina didn't return his love?" Burke asked, curious, since the tears that had welled in Lady Alaina's eyes had told Burke a different story."Of course not. The earl has special plans for his daughter and it don't involve the likes of a peasant.""So the reason this Cullen has been imprisoned is because he fell in love with the earl's daughter?"

"And pay he will for his foolishness," the man said with a sharp nod.

"And what price will that be?" Burke asked, intending full well that his brother would not suffer simply because he had fallen in love.

The man turned his head, his beady eyes searching the area, then whispered, "He's being sent to

Weighton."

"That's a harsh punishment for simply falling in love," Philip said. "Why not just send him away or sell him into slavery in a far-off port?"

The man shrugged. "Don't know. Only know that the earl is furious and intends for the man to pay forwhat he's done."

"Make him pay for falling in love?" Philip said with a shake of his head. "Makes no sense."

The man shoved his hand out, palm open. "Don't care if it does or it doesn't. I told you what I know and now I want my money."

"Is Cullen in Weighton now?" Burke asked.

"Arrived yesterday," the man confirmed.

"How did you learn all this information?" Burke asked.

The man turned defensive. "What difference does that make?"

"Curious." Burke shrugged.

"Curious can get you killed," the man snapped.

"Not answering my question could get you penniless," Burke said sternly.

The man kicked at the ground and answered reluctantly. "Me sister works at the earl's manor house and

accidentally overheard the earl talking with a man."

"What man?" Burke asked.

He shook his head. "She don't know, never saw him before, but soon after, the fellow Cullen was

thrown in the earl's prison. That's it, that's all I know. Now me coins."

Burke held his closed hand over the man's open palm. "One more thing. What does this Cullen looklike?"The man stared at him for a minute. "Like you, a lot like you."Burke dumped the coins into the man's hand, and he greedily swallowed them up with a taut fist.Burke watched the skinny man sprint off into the woods. He had a feeling the fellow wouldn't stop running until he reached his destination.

"This isn't good," Philip said, shaking his head. "Come on, we need to meet up with Storm and Williamas planned.Burke followed Philip and silently agreed it wasn't good. Not if what he had been told about Weighton was true. If it was impregnable, then what chance did he have of getting his brother out of there?

He'd be d.a.m.ned if he had come this far to see his brother rot in a prison for the rest of his life. There had

to be something he could do, and he had a feeling that buying his brother's freedom was the only optionleft to him.It didn't take long for them to meet up with Storm and William."We need to keep moving," Storm advised. "We don't want to take any chances. We'll talk when we stop for the night."

All agreed with a nod and set a good pace through the woods. Burke was growing familiar with the area and knew that by tomorrow midday they'd reach the camp.

He would do anything to free Cullen. He had made a promise to his father, and he intended to keep it no

matter what it took. He often wondered if his father had ama.s.sed his wealth just in case he would need it

someday to help Cullen. And if that was necessary, he'd spend his last coin to see his brother free.

They found shelter for the night behind a large rock formation, and Storm deemed it safe for a small fire.

William and Philip went to see if they could catch a fish or two from the nearby creek while dusk still provided a trace of light, and Burke and Storm got the fire going.

The dry, broken twigs had the fire burning fast enough, and it wasn't long before Burke and Storm satbeside it warming their hands."The air holds an extra crispness tonight," Storm said.Burke nodded and rubbed his hands. "Don't avoid it, Storm, tell me about Weighton."

"It's not penetrable," she said.He didn't like the sound of defeat in her voice and he wasn't ready to accept defeat. "There must beanother way."

"Possibly, but we'll have to give it thought.""I've given it thought and look where it's gotten my brother," he argued and released a gruff sigh. "I wantCullen safe and in front of me. I want to claim him as my brother and tell him all about our father and how hard he had searched for him all these years. I want him to know he has a home in America and moneyenough to ease his life. I want-" He shook his head. "I want this all to be done with."Storm reached out and covered his hand with hers. "I know how you feel."He was about to snap that she didn't, how could she? Then he remembered her husband and knew that she understood exactly how he felt. Suddenly he was grateful she sat beside him.

"What do I do?" he asked, not only needing her help but wanting her help as well.

"I don't know, but we'll find a way to get Cullen out. I promise."