Chapter 29

A tug in the chains holding him up rattled Adrian out of his slumber. The irons around his wrists seared his skin, but he ignored the torment and strained his ears. Not much more than the creaking of wood reached him down in the Ranger's lower holds, but another tug in the deck beneath his feet confirmed his suspicions—the ship was moving.

That meant only one thing. Governor Bertrand had negotiated with Ashcroft, and they were sailing to Barbados.

Bertrand had proven to be a man who swayed with the prevailing winds. Surrendering Adrian to Ashcroft must have granted him substantial benefits.

And where the hell was Avaline?

Nobody had seen or heard her leave the Ranger . By all accounts, she had left voluntarily. At first, he'd been convinced she had forsaken him, but three long, lonely days in the brig provided plenty of time to debate what had happened after he left Avaline on the Ranger .

She had no motive to betray him for the sake of her freedom. He had already promised to let her go as soon as possible.

Neither did the thought of her taking off and revealing his whereabouts to punish him sit well with him. She had proven her loyalty, over and over, by being there for Elias and risking her life by defying the Prince George —hell, she had even given her virtue to him.

She had said she believed him.

And where did Scott and Morris fit into that theory? The answer was they didn't. Avaline would never collude with Morris, not after the bastard tried to rape her.

A betrayal from Avaline didn't make sense.

The other option was that Avaline had fallen victim to Scott and Morris's plans.

He could understand Morris's motive for revenge, but Scott? Adrian hadn't seen that coming. And why would they involve Avaline in their conspiracy? Did they use her as bait or as leverage to get something more? Had they known about her dowry? She had been close to Scott. She might have told him. Or were they trying their luck, betting on Lord Hawthorn paying up? Was she in danger?

Was she alive?

He yanked at the chains in frustration, with the result that the iron bars dug deeper into his flesh.

He constantly shifted his weight to relieve the strain of the chains in the rough sea. Still, with every surge and subtle motion, metal gnawed open his skin, drawing blood and adding to the agony as if he were a human anchor scraping along the sea bottom.

When the Ranger's rocking finally subdued and her anchor dropped, Adrian's head spun as if his body were tossed around the waves like a child's bark boat on a spuming river. A splitting headache added to the torment, and his insides growled, but he felt no hunger. Instead, a dull queasiness churned in his stomach. Despite not being offered anything to drink, Adrian couldn't hold back anymore and relieved himself. Tears pricked behind his eyelids, but he fought them back.

Ashcroft might have taken much from him, but he wouldn't take Adrian's dignity and pride. He wasn't going to break Adrian's spirit.

He couldn't tell how long he had been hanging alone in the darkness when steps echoed from the companionway. A key rattled in the lock, and seconds later, the door opened. Adrian squinted toward the torch, but the sudden light stabbed his eyes, and he pinched them close.

"Stay here."

The voice was familiar, but in his daze of pain, Adrian couldn't place it. The torch remained in the companionway, and a shadow stepped out from the blinding halo.

Captain Rogers.

"Captain Hainsworth." His voice boomed between the panels. "You're under arrest for piracy of the high seas and treason against King George."

Captain Rogers's gaze scanned him, revealing no sign of the repulsion Adrian had expected. Instead, sadness graced Rogers's face.

"I'm sorry to see you like this," Rogers said, this time so only Adrian could hear him. "I wish things had ended differently. You were the best captain I have ever had the pleasure of serving. You would have reached far in the navy."

Adrian remained quiet. Those days were over. His days were over.

"Do you know where you are?" When Adrian didn't answer, Rogers continued. "We are docked in Bridgetown. You will be taken to the garrison to await your sentencing."

"My crew?" Adrian rasped.

"Your crew will face trials of piracy."

"The boy?"

Rogers swallowed and looked at his shiny boots, but he met Adrian's eyes before he answered. "The boy as well."

Adrian's fist curled in the air above the irons. His crew were not pirates, and most certainly not Elias.

"Where is Miss Hawthorn?"

"She is here in Bridgetown, staying in the governor's residence. She is well."

As they escorted him from the ship to the garrison, Adrian contemplated why Avaline had united with Ashcroft in Barbados, but none of the explanations appeased him.

He was confined in the cellar, away from the rest of his crew. The putrid smell invaded his nose, adding to his queasiness, and the moisture from the earthen floor irritated his lungs. He groaned quietly under the burden of the chains, his legs spread wide and his arms forced above his head, restricting his movements to a bare minimum.

Darkness enveloped him, resonating with the unsettling sounds of rodents squeaking and crawling.

He must have dozed off because a clamor at the far end of the cellar jerked him awake. Flashbacks to his time in Newgate haunted him, and his muscles tensed as he saw the shine of a torch approaching.

He knew it in his bones before the shadow materialized into a man. Recognized his gait.

Ashcroft.

The Judas swaggered up to Adrian's cell, a fancy walking cane in hand, dressed in a green waistcoat with a frock so screaming blue it made him resemble a blue-headed hummingbird. Golden trim adorned his black bicorn, with a red feather plume on the side. The white cockade indicating Ashcroft's allegiance to the House of Hanover seared in Adrian's eyes.

Fucking traitor.

A smug smile tugged at Ashcroft's lips as if he himself had outsmarted Adrian in the battle and brought him to Bridgetown.

Adrian lowered his gaze to the volume Ashcroft had gathered around his waist.

Life has treated him in abundance these last few years.

His jaws tightened.

"Well, well, well," Ashcroft crowed. "We meet one last time."

The gleeful voice set Adrian's nerves on edge, but he remained motionless. "What makes you think this is the last time? Planning on dying any time soon?"

Ashcroft squinted into the darkness and wrinkled his nose at the fetid stench. "This time, I'll see that your sentence is executed until no breath is left in you."

"I'm sure you will." Adrian yanked at the chains, and though he remained anchored to his spot behind the iron bars, Ashcroft retreated a faltering step. "After all, I took a great deal from you. Your money, your weapons, your betrothed."

"There is no reason for you to concern yourself with my betrothed anymore. Avaline and I will wed on the forthcoming Saturday."

Avaline. Not Miss Hawthorn.

Adrian's fists balled, and he focused on the burning in his wrists.

Why would she marry him after all that had happened? Was Ashcroft forcing her into wedlock? He was desperate for her dowry, and he had already proven capable of doing anything to save himself and his privileges. But the Avaline Adrian knew wouldn't be coerced into marriage with somebody like Ashcroft.

I believe you, Adrian.

"You can't force her to marry you."

Ashcroft chuckled, then paused for a moment. Adrian felt the scoundrel's gaze on his flesh, calculating, complacent.

"You understand why you got caught by the French, don't you?"

What the hell? Adrian stiffened, but he forced himself to suppress his reaction. When he didn't respond, Ashcroft continued.

"You were fooled all along, Hainsworth. You didn't cross paths with My Lady by coincidence, and the note you found in Captain Spence's logbook was planted there. Why do you think I would reveal the details about the journey of Lord Hawthorn's daughter to a pirate? It was all a set-up to make you fall for the temptation to chase her down. Both Avaline and Lord Hawthorn worked with me the entire time with the purpose of taking you down once and for all. She even paid Scott and Morris to betray you."

Ashcroft's words hit him like a rogue tidal wave, sweeping away the last shred of faith in her and leaving behind a churning hole of hurt and anger. His stomach tangled in a double fisherman's bend, and his heart pounded in his ears.

Adrian took a deep breath and steadied his pulse before he spoke. "I know it was a trap. I knew it the moment I saw your letter to Captain Spence. Not even you would be stupid enough to make such a mistake."

The only sign Adrian's words got to Ashcroft was a brow furrowing. "And yet, here you are, counting your final hours."

"I have known since I escaped from Newgate that I have no future. I nursed no expectations or hopes of any kind, but I promised myself I'd ruin you at whatever cost before I depart this world."

"You are running a little low on options."

"And you have yet to learn not to underestimate me. I know you have a bunch of creditors breathing down your neck, and the only way to control them is a royal payout, more than you will ever get from stripping the British of their weapons. The only way you'll get enough funds to convince your creditors to let you live is through Avaline's dowry, but wait—that isn't enough. You'll need her inheritance as well. Tell me, did you plan on killing Lord Hawthorn as well?"

"This is ridiculous! And even if it were true, you can do nothing about it. It will all be mine in less than a week, and you will forever rest six feet under."

"You are forgetting something."

Ashcroft's smug smile stiffened.

"Why do you think I decided to take Avaline onto the Ranger when I knew the risk?" Adrian asked.

Ashcroft watched him through suspicious eyes. "Please enlighten me."

"I used her. I used her to my advantage in my quest to ruin you. As we both know, the fate of your marriage lies in her hands. I fed her the story you don't want her to know. I wooed her, and I played her. She willingly spread her legs for me, thinking I loved her. I made her a pirate whore and fucked her until she screamed my name and begged for more, making sure she would never agree to your proposal."

Ashcroft bashed his cane against the iron bars. "Silence! I'll personally kill you myself." His voice boomed between the stone walls. He caught a couple of breaths and continued. "You might have won the battle, but I won the war."

Adrian was silent for a beat, then slowly shook his head. "Never was a competition, Ashcroft. You may get the benefit of seeing me suspended by the neck, but your time will come, too, and soon. You just don't know it yet."

Ashcroft chuckled, but a faint widening of his eyes betrayed his fear as if Adrian had set in motion a scheme that would haunt Francis from beyond the grave. "And pray, how is it you reckon that?"

"That is for me to know and for you to find out. When you least expect it. Mark my words."

"You hound and scoundrel!" Ashcroft smashed his cane into the iron bars again, then pivoted and marched off, throwing a last punch over his shoulder. "I shall look forward to the execution of your sentence, and both Avaline and I will witness your end from the first row."

Adrian stared at the spot where Ashcroft had stood. A heavy weight struck him and coiled around his heart. He had told her the truth about Ashcroft's treachery. She had claimed to believe him, to have no desire to wed Ashcroft.

It had all been a lie.