Raven Quest by Jo Ann Ferguson Read Free Book Online Page A

boy?” demanded her captor.
    She choked as the odor of stale rum and onions washed over her.
    â€œAnswer me, boy!”
    â€œRory.”
    â€œYou work here?”
    â€œYes.”
    â€œWhere have you been?” Each word was punctuated by another jolt.
    â€œI was attacked last night. On the beach.”
    His laugh resonated through her, and she was dropped to the floor. Pain scored her shin as she collapsed.
    She stared at the huge man striding to the bar. Other men filled the tavern. All of them were strangers. She had thought she knew every sailor who came here.
    Looking back at the man who had hefted her so easily, she saw he had his arm around Caroline. The black-haired whore was smiling and stroking him eagerly.
    When a finger tapped her arm, Rory’s hand went for her knife. She did not draw it as Olive signaled for her to get up. Rory gasped. The whole right side of Olive’s face bore a scarlet handprint.
    Rory asked, “Who—?”
    â€œHush,” Olive whispered. Pulling her toward the shadows at the back, she wiped tears away.
    â€œWhy did you let them in here? You know the rules.”
    â€œRules?” She laughed without humor. “Don’t you realize? You are no longer in charge here, Rory.” Her finger trembled as she pointed to the massive man kissing Caroline. “Yellow Hal is back.”

Four
    Yellow Hal’s bellow shook Rory out of her horror. “Ruth? Woman, where are you?”
    She stared at him. His faded yellow hair should have identified him immediately, but she had come to believe her hopes that he was dead. She took a deep breath. “Ruth Mullins is dead. She was my aunt. Since she died, I’ve been running your place, Captain Warwick.”
    He laughed. “A boy like you? That’s a good joke.” His hand rose and slammed into the side of her head. With a cry, she fell to her knees. She could barely hear his words through the ringing in her ears. “Let that remind you, Rory, my lad, that I’m the boss here. Get to work. Finish cleaning this place before the customers come in for their grog.”
    She struggled to her feet as he pushed Caroline toward the brothel. She stared after them, then glanced at the door. Should she flee? Where? The Blindman had said enough over the years for her to know he and Yellow Hal had been enemies. She could not risk Yellow Hal discovering that the Blindman was still alive. Should she go to the Vengeance ?
    As if she had voiced her thoughts, one of Yellow Hal’s men pulled the door shut. The bar slid into place, warning her that she was a prisoner.
    Edging toward the stairs, she gasped when a sailor held out a cutlass to block her path. In a raspy voice, he sneered, “The cap’n said you’re to work, boy. Work!”
    â€œI must—”
    â€œWork!”
    Rory reached for a broom. She must be patient. Eventually, she would find a way to slip out of here. When the tavern was full and the patrons drunk, no one would notice that she had vanished. Again, she glanced toward the harbor. She had bragged to Nathan that she could take care of herself. Now she must prove that.
    The crowd inside Yellow Hal’s place was raucous as they celebrated their host’s return. At midnight exactly, as he had told Rory he would, Nathan walked in. He did not look in her direction.
    Her hands fisted on the bar when Yellow Hal strode toward him. Should I have sent Nathan a warning? No! He is no better than Yellow Hal. Even as she thought that, she knew it was not so. Nathan might be a pirate, but he had not tried to knock her senseless.
    She strained to hear over the noise in the tavern as Yellow Hal announced, “I’m Yellow Hal Warwick, captain of The Scourge of Spain. ”
    â€œNathan Lawler, captain of the Vengeance. You’ve a fine place here, Yellow Hal.”
    â€œAye, ’tis a good little place.” To Olive, he snarled, “Don’t just stand there,