"Don't worry about Dag—I tied rope around his bunk so he wouldn't fall out!" she cried above the wind, sputtering as a surging wave plastered her from head to toe with icy spray. "Oh, Jared, will we be able to outrun them?" If he hadn't been so angered that she'd defied his order, he might have stopped stock still to gape at her. We? Not liking how much her unexpected choice of words had pleased him, he grabbed her arm and hauled her alongside him toward the hold. "Get back below! It's not safe—" "No, I want to stay up here with you! If I've outwitted armed excisemen, surely a few British ships won't frighten me." "Frighten you, woman? Blow you to bits is more likely! Now go!" The stubborn shake of her head only vexing him further, he drew her against the capstan and out of the worst of the wind, his patience at an end. "Blast it, Lindsay, I've no time to quarrel with you—" "So let's not quarrel. I promise I'll stay out of the way." Clenching his teeth, Jared glanced past the stern at the four vessels hot in pursuit, then back to her determined face.
