Free Time for Love by Emma Kaye Page A

hurt instead of being sensible and ignoring the taunts. And she was under no illusion that anyone thought she could win. Mr. Duff was a big man. No one who looked at the two of them would pick Alex to be the winner in a fight. They took her inaction for cowardice, and this was apparently a horrible sin for a man.
    The funny thing was she felt pretty confident she could beat Mr. Duff in a fair fight. He was a brute, but he didn’t have any particular fighting skills. She had a black belt in karate. He wouldn’t know what hit him. But despite her concern about being unmasked, she did believe that fighting should only be a last resort. That concept had been instilled in her for as long as she’d studied martial arts.
    Then one day, Mr. Duff pushed her too far.

Chapter Six
    April 18 (41 Days Remaining)
    Alex watched the sun begin to set while listening to the pleasant sound of Nicholas’s voice as he and Mr. Grayson discussed the progress they’d made that day. They’d only spent a few minutes with her at the rail when a woman’s piercing scream ripped through the air.
    Alex whipped around and ran for the cargo hold, ignoring Nicholas and Mr. Grayson’s startled exclamations. Fear froze the blood in her veins as she ran. Someone had found Evelyn. An ominous silence followed the initial scream, heightening Alex’s fear rather than soothing it.
    The situation was worse than she’d feared when she reached the hold and looked down through the open door. Evelyn struggled on the ground with a man lying on top of her, his one hand covered her mouth while the other groped at her skirts as she kicked and thrashed about wildly.
    As Alex rushed down the ladder, the man reached back and struck Evelyn hard in the face and the young girl went still.
    Fury burst through every pore of Alex’s body as she kicked him in the ass, sending him flying over to the other side of the now still girl. The man looked up in surprise, his hand moving quickly to something at his waist. Alex recognized Mr. Duff with the glint of steel in his hand, and her brain registered the fact he was holding a knife, though she didn’t take her eyes off his.
    He looked at her and sneered, “You! Bugger off, I’m busy. If you’re lucky I won’t tell the captain you’re the one been keeping this little bit o’ fluff down here.” His lip curled in a nasty version of a grin as he stood and tucked the knife back into his belt. “That’s right. I saw you sneaking around here earlier and came to find out what you were up to. Figured I’d have me a bit o’ fun ’fore I go to the captain.” He stretched his arms behind his back, hitting up against the bulkhead, apparently confident Alex wasn’t a threat.
    When Alex spoke, it was in a voice so cold and calm she surprised even herself. “Step away from her, now.”
    The smile on Mr. Duff’s face flickered briefly, and she caught a glimpse of uncertainty in their depths before he recovered. “I ain’t done yet.”
    Before he could turn back toward Evelyn, Alex struck. She punched him hard in the gut. He doubled over, and she grabbed his arm, pulling him forward and using his own momentum to push him toward the ladder. He landed sprawled on his hands and knees, right at the feet of Nicholas and Mr. Grayson.
    Nicholas took in the scene at a glance, and to her surprise he nodded, acknowledging the look in her eyes and her silent plea to deal with Mr. Duff herself.
    “Both of you, topside. You can fight this out above deck. Mr. Grayson, take this girl to my cabin and see to her welfare. Join us when you are through.” Nicholas preceded them out of the hold.
    Mr. Duff staggered up from his position on the floor and followed him. “Captain, he been hidin’ her in here the whole time. Stealin’ food and water from the crew. I was jus’ about to go an’ get you when he attacked me fer no good reason.”
    Nicholas turned and even Alex quailed at the look in his eyes, glad it wasn’t directed at her. “I