The Tiger's Lady (70 page)

Barrett ran forward, blanching when she saw the blood gushing from his hand. She started to bend down but was jerked back roughly.

“Not yet, sweet one. Not until you give me that little bauble of yours.”

Pagan thrashed vainly at the leather thongs. “Don’t do it,
Angrezi!
Don’t tell the bastard anything.”

Rand kicked Pagan savagely in the side. “Shut up,” he snarled. “It’s the lady’s turn to talk now.”

Barrett shivered as she saw for the first time the hideous eye-less socket and the scars radiating around his eye. She knew she couldn’t turn over the ruby or all would be lost. “I—I have it, of course, but I’m not such a fool as to bring it with me. I want my cut, you know. I haven’t come all this way for nothing.”

Rand’s mouth tightened. “But for that, you must have something to bargain with. And the way I see it, my lovely,
I
hold all the cards.”

“Not quite. Not the ruby. But you might find it,” Barrett said silkily. “Unbutton my bodice for me and you might just find what you’re looking for.”

The man behind her frowned, his face twisting as desire warred with suspicion and greed. He came closer and cut her bonds, a revolver trained on her chest. “I’m taking no chances, bitch.
You
do the unbuttoning. And make it slow and careful. Remember, your lover gets the first shot if you try anything stupid.”

Barrett bit back her fear and moved her hands slowly to the top button of her gown. As Rand stared, she eased it open. The second button followed. Slowly she eased the fabric lower.

She wore nothing beneath, neither corset nor chemise. Only rich, pink skin.

The shadowed valley and warm swell of her breasts was nearly visible now.

The man shifted restlessly, a bulge growing visible at his groin. And then, with a curse, he grabbed her. He thrust his tongue inside her mouth and dug his fingers into her hips, jerking her hard against his thighs.

She felt the growing hardness of his desire and fought to keep from flinching, from trying to wrench away, knowing this was the best way to help Pagan now.

Rough fingers probed between her legs and she caught back a moan.

“Like that, do you? Trust Pagan to choose ‘em good. Ever had an eye for a whore, even back in Cawnpore. Aye, even when the whore was his own mother!” His laughter rose harsh through the stone cavern, drowning out Pagan’s angry curses.

A sharp call from the opening of the cavern silenced his laughter. Swiftly Rand shoved Barrett aside and tied her hands together again, enjoying how it forced her breasts together above the parted cloth.

“Enjoy yourselves,” he snarled. “It will be the last minutes together you’ll ever have.” He turned and threw his weapon to the brawny Indian standing by the wall. “Guard them well,” he growled, then disappeared into the tunnel.

Barrett struggled over to Pagan. While the guard watched impassively, revolver clenched in tense fingers, she pressed her cheek to Pagan’s face, fighting back tears. “You’re alive! But oh, my love, your—your finger!”

“Cut, but not deep. The bastards wouldn’t risk my bleeding to death—not till they get their cursed ruby, at least. They took some other poor beggar’s finger thinking it would persuade you to act faster.”

With a whisper of fabric, he strained upward. “Come closer, Cinnamon. I’ve got to get that chain.”

Barrett edged forward, trying to ignore the pain of the leather bonds at her back.

“Kiss me, falcon. And make it damned convincing, so that bloody fellow doesn’t come to investigate.”

It wasn’t hard for her to bend close, to press hungrily against him and kiss him. To let her love spill from her eyes. It was the easiest thing in the world, in fact.

The native watched in silence, eyes narrowed.

Pagan’s heart thundered beneath her ear. “Please heaven
,
not quite so well or I’ll
never
be able to concentrate!”

Barrett bit back a watery laugh and studied him, her eyes radiant. He was alive. That was all that mattered.

“We’ll get out of here, I promise you,” Pagan whispered. He leaned closer. “Your skirts—raise them. I need to get at that chain.” His face darkened for a moment. “You didn’t take it off, did you?”

“I would have, but I never could find the wretched clasp.”

“Thank the fates for that.”

With a rustle of silk, Barrett inched higher, until his fingers were at the waist of her pantalets.

Her eyes closed when the callused pads swept her navel and she felt the rush of cool air at her ribs.

Even now her breath caught as she thought of how he had touched her and kindled a wild, molten hunger in the little glade.

Pagan brushed a kiss across her neck. “That’s right, think of that,
Angrezi.
Think of all the pleasure I’m going to give you when we get out of here. For we’ll not die in this cave tonight, I promise you.”

And then Pagan’s breath caught with a low hiss. “Done. Now all I need is to…”

From the tunnel came the sound of muffled footsteps.

“Damn! Rand’s coming back.” The planter studied her urgently. “I need your help, Cinnamon, your total cooperation.”

She nodded instantly.

“Come here.” In one swift thrust his bound fingers gripped her bodice and wrenched the remaining buttons open. As Pagan stared down at his handiwork, his jaw locked. “I wish there were another way, Cinnamon, but I need a distraction. And sweet lord, no one can distract a man like you can.”

The next minute he wrenched the dress from her shoulders. He hesitated then, his onyx eyes burning over her silken skin.

Barrett shifted, fighting down her fear. “Go on, my love. Just—just do it.”

With a low curse Pagan shoved at the dress, then stopped. “I—I don’t know if I can.”

“Well I can.” Seizing a jerky breath, Barrett twisted to the right and left until the fabric slid away with a soft hiss and pooled about her waist. Her breasts lay in ivory splendor, lush pink nipples furled tight in the chill air.

Pagan’s eyes went dark and bottomless. “I always knew you were remarkable
.
Now come here to me.” And then he kissed her, bound as he was, and the heat of his love blotted out the cave, the night, and time itself, until fire swirled through Barrett and she barely heard the crunch of pebbles behind her.

“Such a lovely scene. I’m almost sorry to break it up. But I’ve other things on my mind right now, such as the ruby.” Rand’s voice tightened.
“Where is it?”

Barrett froze, her pulse pounding. Slowly she eased away from Pagan, narrowing her eyes calculatingly. “Perhaps I find my loyalties changing after all, Mr. Rand. You see, I’ve discovered I don’t want to die, not while I’ve years of pleasure ahead of me. Let me go and I’ll take you to the jewel. Just think of it, you and I and all the lovely things the ruby can buy.”

Rand’s face hardened. “Now why would I do that?”

Carefully Barrett sat up, away from Pagan, her breasts bared to the lantern’s golden glow.

Rand’s breath caught audibly. He barked an order to his curious assistant, who shrugged and moved off to the mouth of the cavern. Then he seized Barrett and jerked her to her feet, thrusting rough fingers against her naked skin.

Behind them Pagan twisted, raining savage threats, but Rand only laughed, ramming his tongue between her teeth as he squeezed and twisted her tender flesh. Barrett closed her eyes, trying to keep from flinching, trying to remember that this was their one chance at escape.

And then metal and leather tore free and Pagan surged to his feet, leather thongs and stakes still dangling at ankle and wrist. He fell on Rand with unchecked fury, his face a mask of hatred.

Their struggles echoed like dull thunder through the cavern, along with pinging stones and muffled curses.

With a mighty lunge Pagan sent his fists into Rand’s jaw, toppling him onto the cold stone floor. Swiftly he untied Barrett, then seized their captor’s dropped weapon.

Using his own thongs, he wedged Rand against a thick stone column and tied him securely. Barrett heard the clink of metal and saw Pagan twist her golden chain carefully around Rand’s fingers, then draw it through the revolver, which was wedged between two stones at the man’s back.

He began to come around now, hard-faced and snarling.

Pagan stood up, smiling grimly. “I suggest you move very carefully, Rand. You’ve a percussion revolver at your back now, and the next chamber is loaded, I assure you. One move—one hard cough, even—and the trigger will catch. And your brains will be painting that lovely wall of crystal behind you.”

While Rand squirmed, testing his bonds, Pagan pulled Barrett toward the door. A moment later a flood of harsh, filthy curses filled the air.

Pagan turned and put up a warning finger.
“Shhhhhh.
Or you can’t say I didn’t warn you.”

They plunged from the cavern into a narrow tunnel that echoed with the distant sound of dripping water. The air was damp and chill, and Barrett clutched her dress tightly to her chest. “You might have left me one or two buttons at least,” she muttered.

Pagan shot her a wicked look, one dark brow quirked.

“And miss the sight of all that naked skin? Not in your sweet, stubborn life,
Angrezi.”

Her cheeks flamed red for a moment, and then she saw the fear, the worry that lined his face. “Forgive me. I know there was no choice.”

He silenced her then with a hard, drugging kiss that sent heat spiraling through her. She swayed dizzily and had to pull away for air. At the movement her shoulder brushed his arm and his face tensed with pain.

“Oh, Pagan, I’m sorry—”

“Never mind, my heart
.
No time…” Without another word he pulled her forward into the dark tunnel.

The way twisted every few feet and soon Barrett was disoriented, but Pagan seemed to have kept his sense of direction.

Minutes later they saw a larger tunnel stretching before them.

They inched closer. At the same moment hard fingers bit into Barrett’s arm.

“You go or I shoot.” It was the Indian whom Rand had dismissed. He motioned the pair forward warily, a rifle trained on their backs.

Muttering a curse, Pagan squeezed Barrett’s hand and led her into the other tunnel. Soon they came to another cavern, smaller than the first. At the entrance, they stopped, speechless and blinded. The walls before them were imbedded with crystals of every shape, size, and color, all blazing like a thousand tiny suns.

Barrett gasped, captured by the splendor before her. And then she heard a low laugh. A shadow detached from a nearby stalagmite.

The shadow wore a face that made her stomach lurch. Her hands began to tremble.

“So lovely to see you again, my sweet wife. I trust you have brought me my ruby?”

He was as carefully dressed and venal as Barrett remembered. Her face paled as her husband strolled lazily across the cavern, a revolver cradled in one white palm.

“At least Rand is good for something. He found this cavern a year ago and I’ve been keeping it in mind for something special. You eluded him, I see. I’m not terribly surprised. My old friend Pagan has always been very inventive.” Ruxley’s eyes hardened. “And now I believe I want to hear about the ruby.”

Barrett felt her pulse skitter and lifted her chin defiantly. “Not until you let Pagan go.”

“Really, my sweet, I’m disappointed in you. And in you, too, Pagan. But we shall soon loosen your tongues a bit, shan’t we?” He gestured to the Indian, who drove the butt of his revolver down into Pagan’s already bloody temple.

With a raw curse the planter twisted, then toppled slowly to the stone floor, the crack of his body exploding like thunder through the room.

By the time his eyes blinked open, he was securely pinioned with the Indian hovering nearby.

Ruxley eased back against the wall, his weapon trained on Barrett. “I never meant to come, you know. But when Rand bungled things again, I realized I had no choice.”

“Let her go, Ruxley. She has nothing to do with this.” Pagan’s voice was tight with fury. “It’s the ruby you want,

and—”

Ruxley’s shrill laugh cut him off. “Is it? Ah, my poor deluded fool. You still don’t know, do you?” He looked at Barrett, his face hard with hatred. “She’s worth more to me than
ten
of your rubies, you fool.” Slowly he raised his hand and fingered the row of lace that rose and fell over Barrett’s chest. “It took me quite a while to realize that, of course. Such a pity about your grandfather. Everything might have gone so much easier had he not chosen to be so difficult about his secrets. Yes, truly a pity.”