Jaime moved further back into the murky shadows of smoke and darkness, twisting her arms around her and struggling to pull Malcolm’s dirk from the inside pocket of the cloak. Finally, pinning the weapon between her hip and the bulkhead, she managed to pull the dagger from its hiding place. The confused shouts of men outside, the sudden, jarring blasts of cannon fire, and the lurching movements of the ship all served to steel her nerve—her survival depended on this, she knew. With fierce, awkward jerks, she cut away at the rope binding her hands.
“The b***h ‘as nowheres to go. Get on wi’ ye.”
Reed’s rough voice by the door filled her with cold dread. With one more desperate yank, the ropes gave way, and Jaime pulled her hands free. Rubbing her wrists in pain, she looked wildly about her i
