Page 112 of Ruthless, But for Her

“Not this time.”

Her brows rose.

He'd done it again.

Ashton took a breath. “You may come aboard The Einar. Stay with Leif. You will not come ashore until the Reach is secure.”

He could feel Ryker and Sorren looking at him from the opposite side of the table. He ignored him.

Cassia nodded. “Then we are agreed.”

A simple thing. Yet not so simple at all. He would have preferred to leave her at the Daisy, far away from danger. Certain no one in the room understood their exchange, he forced himself not to care about their opinions on the matter. It would be exceedingly dangerous. They’d already travelled on horseback all day.

But he would not choose for her. Not again.

“I assume asking you to wait until morn is out of the question?” Margot asked. “After travelling all day⁠—”

“We've already given de Grey too many hours,” Ashton said. “If he means to bring more men, I'd rather meet thirty than fifty.”

“I agree,” Sorren said. Ryker was already moving toward the door.

Leif had The Einar nearly ready by the time they reached the docks.

Men were loading shields and bows aboard by torchlight, while another pair carried provisions down the wharf. The sail remained furled. They would travel under oars until they were well away from Mere's End, and even then, Ashton had no intention of raising the black sail unless he had to.

Leif stood at the bow, speaking to two sailors. He dismissed them when Ashton approached.

“How many?”

“Thirty or more.”

Leif looked past him to where Ryker and Sorren were already boarding.

Cassia stepped onto the deck behind them.

Leif looked at her, then at Ashton. “You've brought a lady to battle?”

“She stays with you.”

“I stay aboard,” Cassia corrected. “Whether Leif wishes to remain with me is for him to decide.”

The old Norseman smiled. Ashton did not. Ryker overheard them.

“I like her more each day.”

“You were not asked,” Ashton shot back.

“I rarely am.”

They pushed away from Mere's End while most of the town slept.

Lights disappeared behind them gradually, then completely as Leif kept The Einar away from the coast. Clouds covered the moon, leaving the water nearly black. The men rowed without conversation—the only sound was that of oars dipping into the sea, steady and familiar.

Ashton stood near the bow with Sorren and Cassia.

He knew this coast almost as well as he knew the old Drove Road before it was taken from them. The Reach sat north of Mere's End, protected from the water by the Spit. They'd used the blind side of it during the last attack, putting five men ashore before de Grey's force realized they'd arrived.

“They'll be waiting on the blind side,” he told Sorren.