Hart's Reward (Pirates & Petticoats #3) by Chloe Flowers

dress, dock workers, sat at the other end of the bar sharing a platter filled with chunks of meat, cheese and bannocks but by the angle of their bodies, had been listening intently to the conversation.
    Landon leaned forward. “There was talk down at the wharf about a fire-haired woman with a steep price on her head.” The bar keep paused for the briefest second before continuing to polish the glass in his hand. “Do you know of whom I speak?”
    The closer man of the two shifted his gaze to Landon, then to Willy, who caught the man’s stare and raised a brow. The dock worker gave him a slight shrug.  
    “Well, yes sir, I think I might know who they were talking about.” He scratched the bristles on his cheek. “Her name is Keelan Grey, and she was last seen with a merchant captain named Landon Hart.”
    Landon leaned back, raised his brows and said, “So, it’s true. What crime has she committed?”
    A low gravely voice responded, “Murder.”
    Murder! Landon turned his very real expression of shock to the dockworker who’d been eavesdropping. “The sheriff must have a hefty reward for her capture, if she’s wanted for murder.” Sometimes playing a bit at being naive made people drop their guard a little.
    Landon’s tactic worked and the dockworker snorted in derision before he answered. “Ain’t the sheriff who’s wanting her. It’s a personal vendetta. She killed a man’s first mate and cousin—a man whose ire you don’t want to stir even the tiniest bit.”
    His friend added, “Word is that she’s back in town. The Desire made port less than a day ago.” He took a long swallow of his ale. “And we knows now that she disguises herself by wearing britches instead of skirts.”
    All eyes were on Landon, now. A sick feeling of dread seeped into his stomach.  
    This was trouble.

    Landon entered the Whistling Pig and nodded to Fritz, who handed him a key.
    “My wife has a message,” he said. “If you knock on der kitchen door, she vill give it to you.”
    “Thank you.” Landon did as instructed and Mrs. Schoen gestured him into the kitchen.
    “We have Simon hidden upstairs,” she said, wringing her apron. “Mr. Pratt somehow found out dat he vas moving your cargo and tried to trap him. Tankfully, he vas warned in time to run.” She let out a heady breath. “He worries for his wife und boy.”
    Landon clenched his jaw. Simon, had been a house slave at Twin Pines, which was now, according to Annette, owned by Keelan. Interesting how Keelan hadn’t mentioned to him that she was a slave owner. What if she worked for Pratt? Could she be trying to infiltrate Fynn’s alliance as well as spy for the British? If she was, then this mission was in even greater danger.
    “I’ll take care of Simon’s passage north,” Landon said.
    Mrs Schoen pressed her lips into a thin line. “He may not go without his family.”
    “I’ll talk to him.” What kind of sop had he been to marry a woman like Keelan Grey? How had she blinded him so completely? He glanced at the stair leading to the upper floors of the tavern. Now, she was in their midst and the one place Simon should be safe had become perilous.  
    “Which room have you placed Keelan and her manservant?”
    Mrs. Schoen’s worry lines smoothed somewhat, although she still seemed confused by his question. “She iss in der last room on der right. Mr. Hunter iss in der first room on der right.”
    Two separate rooms? Landon nodded and bounded up the stairs, two at a time. He wasn’t fooled. Because they each had a room didn’t mean they were separated. He strode to the end of the hall and knocked sharply on the door. He heard the scraping of a chair, then the door opened a crack and Daniel’s face appeared.  
    He was right. He shoved the door wide, unable to contain his anger as he stared at the man. “What are you doing in here?” It took every ounce of control to keep his voice flat.
    Mr. Hunter had the good grace to look somewhat