The Prince of Pleasure (Notorious 5)

Dare skidded to a halt, gripping his musket, momentarily torn between taking the stone steps he'd just passed or making the ten-foot drop to the lower level. It was too far to shoot accurately without risking hitting Julienne.

The choice was taken from him, however, when Perrine glanced up and spied him. "That is close enough, Wolverton!" he called, dragging Julienne in front of him to use as a shield.

"Let her go, Perrine!" Dare shouted in reply. He heard the desperate edge in his own voice and cursed himself; it was foolish to reveal to his enemy how much he cared.

Aiming the musket, Dare moved closer, till he was almost directly above them, and repeated his demand more calmly. "I said let her go."

"I don't believe I will. She is my security."

"You must realize that you have lost, Perrine. You failed to kill Lord Castlereagh, and you left alive a witness who can identify you as Caliban."

Perrine shook his head sadly. "Alas, that is regrettable. And my career may be at an end. But I have a fortune to last me a lifetime, and I mean to disappear. I warn you, Wolverton, if you try to follow me, I will kill her. You know what I am capable of."

Dare offered him an icy smile. "But you have no notion what I am capable of. If you hurt her, you won't be safe anywhere, I promise you. I will find you wherever you hide, even if it is the ends of the earth."

"You may try. Meanwhile, I hold the upper hand here. Put down your weapon, or I will blow her brains out."

"Dare, don't listen to him!" Julienne exclaimed.

Gritting his teeth, Dare flexed his finger on the trigger of his musket. And yet he knew he couldn't take the chance that Perrine would make good his threat to kill Julienne. Reluctantly he averted the barrel of his gun, but he took a step closer, hoping to draw Perrine's fire.

The ploy worked. Perrine shifted his aim, pointing his pistol directly at Dare's heart.

In that instant, Julienne whirled and attacked her captor, arms flailing, nails raking, trying to scratch his eyes out, diverting his attention.

Seizing the opportunity, Dare leapt the ten feet to the lower quay, just as Perrine struck her a vicious blow. Dare saw Julienne fall back as he landed with a jarring thud and sank to his knees. From the corner of his eye he watched her draw up her skirts and fumble for her knife. Perrine leveled the pistol at him once more.

Dare sprang from his crouch, moving at a dead run.

Julienne was there before him, though. Her knife held out in front of her, she charged Perrine. They collided with a jolt, knocking him to the quay and her falling with him.

Dare's heart stopped when they both remained unmoving.

Reaching them, he clutched Julienne's shoulder just as she drew a shaky breath. When she tried to push herself up, he hauled Julienne to her feet and dragged her behind him. But Perrine lay completely still.

With a foot, Dare cautiously rolled the prone man over onto his back. Perrine stared up at the sky with lifeless eyes. Julienne's knife protruded from his ribs, but it was the blood seeping from his temple that suggested the cause of his demise: his head had cracked open on the stone pavement when he landed.

Dare bent and pressed his fingers against the side of their nemesis's neck.

"He's dead," Dare said very softly.

Julienne shuddered. When Dare straightened and reached for her, she flung herself into his arms. Biting back a sob, she pressed her face into his shoulder and clung as he enfolded her in his embrace.

She was shaking badly, and so was he. She felt his pounding heartbeat as he scattered light, desperate kisses against her hair.

He drew back long enough to kiss her mouth hard, before wrapping his arms tightly around her again, as if afraid to let her go. "Are you all right?"

"No," she whispered in a trembling voice. "I was so terrified. I thought he would kill you."

"You were terrified?" His tone was incredulous. "That devil held a gun to your head and you were afraid for me?"

"Yes."

"You could not have been any more terrified than I was."

For a long moment, they simply held each other, celebrating their deliverance. It was longer still before Julienne began to feel her quakes subside.

She sighed, cherishing the protective circle of Dare's arms. "I'm glad it is finally over."