“I haven’t been looking for you,” I replied defiantly, hoping to wipe the arrogant expression off his face.
“Oh, I ken that weel enough. It’s Sebastian Gage and Mean Maclean who been askin’ for me, causin’ no small bit o’ ruction. Ye should hear the number o’ runners who come beatin’ on my door t’night to warn me.” He’d crossed his arms over his chest and now tilted his head to the side to scrutinize me. “But yer Gage’s partner, noo ain’t ya?”
“Yes,” I bit out, realizing it would do no good to deny it. Especially when all I wanted to know was whether he’d harmed Gage or the Sergeant.
“Ye seemed an odd choice, but noo that I seen ye, I can imagine the . . . partnership has its compensations.”
I narrowed my eyes at his insinuation. “I see. Well, now that you’ve solved that quandary, you can go.” I lifted my pistol and cocked the hammer for good measure to be sure he knew I was serious.
However, far from being shocked or frightened, Bonnie Brock’s lips only curled upward in a smile. “Oh, I wouldna do that if I were you.”
I was beginning to hate that sentence, especially delivered from his arrogant lips.
“And why is that?”
“Because if my men ridin’ up top wi’ your coachman and footman hear a gunshot go off inside, there’s no tellin’ what they might do.”
I wavered, not wishing for Philip’s coachman or footman to be injured, but also not wanting to lose my upper hand. Taking a deep breath, I steadied my grip. “But that won’t matter much to you, will it, when you’re dead.”
A chill ran down my back as Bonnie Brock’s eyes began to harden. They were not the eyes of a man who took threats lightly. I could see now that he had a ridge of scar tissue running along his nose, for its white stood out sharply against the angry red flush of his face.
But I swallowed my trepidation and firmed my resolve. If I’d learned nothing from my last two confrontations with dangerous men, it was to take advantage of the opportunities that were presented to me. If I backed down now, it was unlikely I would get another chance to defend myself, and I had no way of knowing just what he intended for me. I prayed I wouldn’t have to shoot him, especially with Philip’s servants in danger, but I would if I had to.
Bonnie Brock’s tense shoulders slowly began to loosen, and the mottled shade of his skin lightened. A new light entered his eyes, one that was less stomach quavering than the glare he’d fixed on me a moment before.
“True,” he reluctantly admitted. “So why dinna you and I make a deal, hmm? I promise to let you and your brother-in-law’s servants return to his town house unscathed—you’ll walk right through the door just like I watched Cromarty and your sister do earlier this evenin’.”
Something tight wrapped around my rib cage and squeezed at the thought of this man anywhere near my sister and her family, let alone watching them.
“If you’ll put doon the pistol,” he finished, arching his eyebrows.
The carriage shuddered and rocked as we sped over a portion of rough road and then around another corner, forcing me to press my other hand against the wall of the coach to steady myself. Even so, my gun hand wavered.
Bonnie Brock glared up at the ceiling with a fierce scowl. “Slow down,” he snarled.
I stiffened at the sound, but was grateful when the coachman obeyed.
Brock’s gaze returned to me, still tight with anger as he waited for my answer.
There was no way of knowing if I could trust him. I could just as easily set aside my gun and then he would attack me. He could clearly read my hesitation.
“I’ve ne’er given a man a reason to doubt my word, and skewered many a man for questioning it,” he warned me. “But yer no’ from my world, so I’ll make allowances. Given ye dinna realize I could have that gun oot o’ yer hand and ye doon on your back afore ye could even think o’ pullin’ the trigger.”
I truly didn’t like the look he fastened on me now, and my hand began to shake. I forced myself to take a deep breath to calm my nerves.
Was he telling the truth? Could he really do that? Even if he couldn’t, was I really certain my shot would kill him? What if it hit his shoulder instead, or his side? The man could still tackle me and choke the life out of me while his men killed Philip’s servants.
I realized I couldn’t chance it. But that didn’t mean I had to admit defeat.
I locked eyes with him, hard as that was to do, and nodded before uncocking my pistol and resting it across my lap.
He lifted his hand palm up, asking for it.
But I simply lowered my hands to my sides. “If your word is true, then you’re as safe with it lying here as you are with it in your possession.”
I knew I was testing him, tempting the snake to strike, but there was no way I was going to hand over my only weapon without a fight.