meant he didn’t trust himself to speak.
On-duty and in the sight of the crew be damned. Yasmeen took his hand.
“Zenobia’s clever,” she reassured him. “And she’s practical.”
“Yes.” But he did not sound persuaded.
“She is so practical, in fact, that she will probably begin arranging her own kidnappings, and splitting the ransom we pay with her associates.”
And there was his beautiful grin. “Do not give her that idea.”
“I should, though. It would likely end up in her next Lady Lynx adventure.” Yasmeen took the cigarillo from him, was thoughtful as she inhaled. “The solution, of course, is not to pay the next one who kidnaps her. We’ll just kill him.”
“Or teach her to do it. Then she will have a reputation of her own.”
Oh, and that was why she loved this man. That was the perfect solution. “We should begin her lessons upon our return—and start by kidnapping an earl, to show her how a proper abduction is done.”
“And soon she will be off on her own adventures. Zenobia Fox, the Practical Pirate.”
Yasmeen laughed. “Every crew upon the seas will tremble with fear.”
As they once had when faced with New Eden. Yasmeen looked to the gangway, where Vashon stood, overseeing the first of the passengers as they climbed aboard.
“Mademoiselle Vashon!”
The quartermaster immediately faced her, back straight and expression blank.
“The probation period of your contract has almost ended, mademoiselle, and you have seen the sort of ship that my lady is,” Yasmeen said. “Will you be staying on?”
Somehow, the other woman’s shoulders became even straighter. “Will you have me, ma’am?”
“I will.”
Vashon gave a sharp nod. “Then you will find it difficult to get rid of me.”
“We will see. Carry on.” When the other woman turned, Yasmeen glanced to Archimedes and said quietly, “All of the best ones are difficult to get rid of.”
His gaze fell to her lips. “You will find it impossible to get rid of me.”
Yasmeen would never want to. But she would be happy to test his claim.
“Come, Mr. Fox. A mountain of work awaits us at our desk. And I swear that I will tie you to your chair until it is finished.”
“Tie me?” With a low groan, he closed his eyes. “You tell me this here? Good God, Yasmeen. You will kill me.”
That would be impossible. Nothing would kill Archimedes Fox. But a little torture never hurt anyone. Yasmeen started toward her cabin—and was pleased when Archimedes didn’t follow her. Instead, he walked by her side.
Right where he’d always be.
* * *
Brighton, England
December 3
Miss Zenobia Fox,
I have reconsidered my position regarding Lady Lynx and her heart of steel. Perhaps a love interest would not be unacceptable—particularly if you put himin danger, and let the villainous bastards reap the consequences.
The first story will open with a call for help from a duplicitous bastard. In the end, Lady Lynx and her suitor will have so many passengers desperate to escape a floating city, that there simply isn’t room for the bastard on the return trip. But they’ll promise to send a rescue…eventually.
Yours,
Yasmeen Fox
P.S. You ought to call it Lady Lynx and Her Fifty Percent Royalties. Then perhaps I’ll finally tell you why I have tufts at the tips of my ears.
Read more for a special preview of the triumphant conclusion to Meljean Brook’s epic Guardian series
GUARDIAN DEMON
Coming from Berkley Sensation in August 2013.
Detective Andromeda Taylor’s life had ended with a kiss.
As dying went, a kiss wasn’t the worst way to go out. It sucked that she’d been shot first, though. The lead slugs ripping through her chest had hurt like a son of a bitch. But throwing herself in front of bullets aimed at her partner wasn’t a bad way to go, either—and during her career she’d investigated most of the bad ways, had seen all of the pointless ways. Saving Joe at least gave her death some meaning.
Now Taylor was in Hell, her pistol in hand and a wary eye turned toward the crimson sky. A wasteland stretched around her. Tall, jagged boulders littered the barren sands. As far as she could see, nothing moved. Nothing flew overhead. No sun or moon brightened the endless, bloody bruise of the sky. She didn’t know where the reddish glow that illuminated the realm came from. She didn’t want to know where the rotten stench came from. Something—or a lot of things—had died down here, and she didn’t want to meet whatever had killed them. Not everything in Hell was dead, including Taylor.
The bullets should have killed her. But after she’d