Black Heart Rae Chapter 1

Author's Note: Many of the places mentioned in this story did not actually exist. Some, however did and have been changed to my fancy. Names of pirates and ships did not actually exist - to my knowledge - and if they did, they were simply picked by chance.



Chapter 1

"Haddow…" a cold voice hissed from behind. His hand tightened on the pewter mug of rum sitting on the bar before him. His dark eyes had widened, realization all over his face. He knew the voice, knew it all too well. He'd actually missed the voice. However, he knew, should he turn around and acknowledge the presence of the person behind him, all hell would break loose. No, Captain Kade Haddow, known simply as Crimson Kade, would remain facing this way, toward the bottles of alcohol lining and covering the shelves in front of the grimy mirror. He recognized the soft black hat peaking just over the bottles of rum. It was her, then.

He felt a feminine hand on his shoulder, gripping unmercifully, nails digging through his linen shirt. The hat had barely shifted. She'd been standing close then. He winced slightly as the grip grew tighter. But he refused to even look at the delicate hand. That would be fatal.

"I know you heard me," she continued, her voice even deadlier this time. It was obvious she was displeased she was being ignored. Her glare was so intense, he could feel it on the back of his neck, burning skin and not in a good way. She was furious.

He raised his mug, noting the slight tremble to his hand. But his voice was strong as he called to the bartender for another round. "Carver, I'll have another rum here!"

"Scratch that, Carver. Haddow here won't be having any more tonight. He's going for a wee trip."

Suddenly, he wasn't on his stool anymore. He was on his back on the floor, staring up at the face of the woman he'd been dying to see. Captain 'Black Heart' Raven Defoe. "Oh hello lass! What are you doing up there? Mind helping ol' Kade up—?" He was cut short at the appearance of a wickedly sharp cutlass at his throat. He could have sworn they'd parted on good terms months ago. Then he noticed something else about the appearance of the beautiful pirate. Something was missing. Something that was now burning on his chest.

Rae, as he preferred to call her, always wore her dark brown hair in a long braid, always had her hat in her possession and generally wore the same outfit: corset, shirt, trews, sashes and belts. Today she also had on her coat. But something she always wore was missing. A golden locket she wore around her neck. He'd never been able to figure out what was inside – and trust that he'd tried, several times, to pop open the little locket. Each time, he had failed. The missing locket in question was burning his skin guiltily. She could more than likely see the gleaming medallion against his sun-kissed skin, since his shirt was gaping open. He gave her a sheepish grin.

Her eyes just narrowed even more. "Which of you lot would help me drag this mangy dog out of the Bride?" she called, garnering quite a bit of attention. A few men, including some of his own, rose from their tables and stools and lumbered forward. Kade jumped to his feet, knocking the blade away from his person as he did so. "I, m'lady, am capable of dragging myself out. Lead the way." He bowed a bit, motioning for Raven to do just that.

She made a sound of disgust and turned on her heal. Boots clomped off toward the door. When Kade made no move to follow her, the men that had gotten up pressed in around him, suggesting they would drag him out if he didn't follow Captain Defoe. "Carver, add that to my tab," he called to the bartender before following after her, feeling quite a bit of dread well up in his stomach for the coming confrontation.

He found her leaning back against the well just outside. She'd tipped the brim of her hat so he couldn't see her eyes, heavy shadows on her face due to the late hour and lack of light. She looked grim, but he could hear a woman laughing. That was when he noticed Raven wasn't alone. There was a woman sitting on the stone lip beside her, her head thrown back as she laughed. Amee Broder, captain of the Lady Luck, bane of his existence. What was she doing here? The only times the Crimson Demon and the Lady Luck shared the same harbor was when they had both had a good haul or one captain needed the other's help.

"Good to see you too, Amee," Kade said, approaching the duo. It had been almost year since he'd seen Amee. Only three months since he'd seen Raven last. He'd only missed one of them.

"That's Captain Amee to you, Haddow," the blond woman hissed. She'd instantly sobered when he'd addressed her, smoothing her hair back over the bandanna that was attempting to tame the waving mess. "Get what ye came for, Raven," she prompted, nudging her companion's shoulder with her elbow. Amee had never been the most gentle of women, after all.

Raven winced, allowing herself to be jostled before her grip tightened on her sword, which she'd sheathed once again. But, instantly, it was hovering within a hair's breadth of Kade's throat. He could see her eyes again and there was a mixture of anger and betrayal mixing there in their green depths.

Kade wondered how long it had taken her to notice that her locket had been replaced by a ruby of the same size and weight? Of course Kade hadn't taken something so precious from her without giving her something of equal value. He frowned a little to himself when he recalled she hadn't been wearing it either.

"Give me back my locket," she hissed vehemently. Her arm had started to quiver as if she was struggling with the urge to run him straight through. That did not bode well for Kade.

He nodded wordlessly and reached around his neck to draw the necklace off. He held it out to her, a peace offering if anything else.

The blade dropped and she stepped forward to snatch her necklace from him. With his free hand, he stopped her before she could move away again. His palm flattened on her stomach. "Where's the ruby?" he asked softly so Amee couldn't hear him.

Raven refused to look up at him, but it was obvious she was still angry. "Bottom of the ocean," she hissed and pulled away from his touch as if it burned. It may have. Her skin had felt cold beneath the laced vest she'd been wearing. She turned back to Amee, motioning for her to follow. "Come on, let's go to the King's Arm. Haddow, you are not invited."

Amee slipped off of the stones, giving Kade an immature face, sticking her tongue out at him.

Invited or not, he followed. "Tell me why the Demon and the Lady are both in the harbor. You two never set foot on Tortuga together unless there's something big to bring in." That was generally what either captain would use the other for, despite being the best of friends as pirates could be. They never just met on Tortuga to share a mug of rum and tell tales.

"Wouldn't you like to know," Raven responded, shooting a glare at the pirate. She didn't like he was trailing after them either.

"Whatever it is, I could help," he offered, his greedy streak shining through. He tugged at the dark green vest he was wearing, his pride also peeking through as he picked fluff from the gold embroidery. "I am a good pirate, after all."

"Aye, we know." The girls shared a look, Raven rolling her eyes in response. "Go away, Kade."

"Nay, not until ye tell me what you're up to." Stubbornness was another of his personality traits that many did not find quite so attractive as his roguish good looks.

"It isn't any of your business, Haddow. Go back to the Bride," Amee replied, giving him a dark look with her chocolate brown eyes. She had never liked him and it was evident that the sentiment hadn't changed as the months had passed.

"I'll make it my business if I damn well please, Amee," Kade grumbled. "You girls can use my help and ye know it." He was frustrated with the pair of them and wasn't afraid to show it. They were pirates. They weren't as delicate as their noble counterparts and could thus handle a bit of cursing and roughness.

The pair stopped and turned to look at him. "It sounds as if you're worried, Kade." There was an unspoken 'about me' there. But it was obvious to the man, especially as she tilted her head to the side curiously, the very first measure of softness leaking into her expression she'd seen all night.

His face felt hot as he crossed his arms over his chest to conceal the discomfort he suddenly felt. Was he worried about her? Unfortunately, yes. But he'd never admit that in a million years. He shook his head. "No, not worried. Just wanting in on the gold." There, now it would be all about his greed.

Raven looked away, sadness suddenly radiating from her. "Go back to the Bride, Kade. I don't want your help. Nor do you want in on this, as there is no gold involved." She turned back around and walked away.

For good measure, Amee kicked him square in the shin. Kade hissed in a breath, but didn't retaliate. He just let the women continue on through the moonlight in the wee hours of the morning. He wasn't at all worried for their safety. They could take care of themselves as they always had.

Of course, being kicked in the shin didn't slow him down for long. His worry had only grown after what she had said. If there wasn't gold involved, they weren't going after treasure. They were going after something completely different and he couldn't bear to think about what it might be. He had to find out, plain and simple. So, he headed to the tavern, intending to play a bit of poker, win a bit of gold and find out just what Amee and Raven were after.

~*~

"I'll raise four," he mumbled, tossing gold toward the pot. He had a winning hand, three aces, a king and a queen. He was sure to win. All the others had folded, leaving Kade and one other man. The challenger, a man with a beard, but not a wisp of hair on the top of his head, raised.

Kade lifted his brow as he raised again. Well, he could at least milk the fool for all he was worth. He hadn't been able to do much else. Amee and Raven had chosen a table far away from the games, forcing the pirate to sit across the room from them. He was unable to eavesdrop like this.  The betting continued, reaching well over fifty pieces of eight before the man finally checked – and lost.

"Nice doing business with you, lads," Kade declared, scooping the large pile toward him and into his purse. Everyone else was grumbling at their loss, especially the man with the beard.

"I say ye cheated, Haddow!" he cried, growling at him.

Apparently his reputation had preceded him as he had never given his name, nor did he recognize the man from his crew. He was quite certain he would remember a man such as this. "And I say I didn't," Jack replied, tying his purse neatly before rising from the table, intending to leave.

"And I says ye did!" Baldy cried, heaving himself from his chair. He was about to move toward Kade, raising his fist as he did so, when cold metal was pressed to his gullet. Once again, there was that familiar cutlass, aiding him this time instead of holding Kade at bay.

"He didn't cheat. I was watching him. Now sit down, Mr. Silward, or I will run you through." Raven growled, glaring at Baldy.

"Right, miss, right." Silward said, easing back down to his chair. Strange that Raven knew the man, but he apparently did not know her. All became clear when Amee smacked the back of his head and had a few heated words with him. Silward was left behind, cowering. Captain Amee was apparently very scary to her crewmen.

Raven sheathed her weapon and snatched Kade's tricorn off his head. "Come on, Kade. I know why you're really here."

"Rae! My hat!" He jumped over a bench to follow her, demanding his hat to be returned at once. She was decidedly keeping the hat out of reach. Amee was waiting for them outside. "What's all this about?" he demanded.

"We should be asking you the same, Haddow!" Amee replied, annoyance clear as day. "We didn't get to discuss a damn thing because you were causing such a ruckus."

"Aye. When did ye get so good at poker, Kade?" Raven asked, casting a sideways glance at him as they headed back toward the inn in town. The Kings Arm wasn't actually in the town, but much closer to the beach. It was usually hit first when crews landed after weeks or months at sea. Those that were hankering for something a wee bit stronger or sophisticated headed on up to the Faithful Bride, the best tavern in town. However, the Kings Arm was usually better for gambling since the men were fresh from sea, lots of gold in their pockets and ready to lose it.  

"Been practicing," Kade replied with a boyish grin. "I've been winning quite a bit lately." And that was nothing but the truth.

"Right," Raven rolled her eyes. "So ye followed us despite the fact I told ye you were not invited." Now, she was glaring at him, angry once again at the pirate. It was only to be expected, after all.

"I didn't follow you. I just didn't want to play black jack at the Bride, Rae." Kade wouldn't look at her. But he did smile as he recalled the weight of the purse he'd collected. "Besides, poker was obviously the right choice."

"True. I should've jumped in when the luck was still good," Amee muttered, sounding regretful that she hadn't. "Oh well."

Raven suddenly deviated from their course, heading down an ill-used jungle trail. The mist thickened as they continued down the sandy path.

"Where are we going?" Kade asked, unease pooling in his stomach. All the little hairs on the back of his neck were standing up. He had a horrible feeling he knew exactly where they were heading and he did not want to go there.

"You'll see when we get there," Raven replied with a smirk, as if she knew exactly what he was thinking and just how uncomfortable he was at the mere thought.

After a few more minutes of walking in silence, they arrived in a wide open field, ringed with tropical plants. In a small area though, there were rocks jutting out of the ground and wooden crosses staked between them. Joy of joys, they were exactly where he'd dreaded they were heading. They were in the graveyard.

Kade groaned. He hated graveyards. Not that he was afraid of ghosts or of death. He just didn't like the thought of his friends underfoot.

Raven turned on him, arms crossed over her considerable chest, giving more depth to her cleavage, though he was sure that was not what she had intended. Kade somehow managed to keep his eyes on her face – a nearly impossible feat. Raven remained silent though. So, it was up to Kade to press her into speech.

"So, what is it that you're after if it isn't gold?" he asked, already not looking forward to the answer she had to give him.

Raven looked to Amee, then nodded. She refused to look at Kade again.

"Well, it's rather simple," Amee began, crossing to stand in front of Kade. "And this will explain why she didn't want your help as well. She's going to rescue her lover." She watched Kade closely for his reaction.

Kade stood straighter, not showing a bit of emotion, even though that had raised his hackles. Lover? Raven had a lover? And it wasn't him? He was upset with himself for being upset to begin with. They hadn't done anything three months ago save kiss under the stars. But he had thought that had meant at least something. Kade hadn't had a woman since then, appeasing his own needs with a firm hand. But she'd gone and found herself a lover?! He thinned his lips and bit his tongue before he said something he would surely regret. "And where does this lad need rescuing from?" he finally asked, refusing to look at Raven. Though it was obvious he was angry in the undercurrents of his voice.

"Kings," Amee said darkly. She spit out the word as if it were the most disgusting thing on the face of the planet. And rightly so. Kingshead, as the navy stronghold was called, was a deathtrap for pirates.

He looked at Raven, who wasn't even facing them now. Kade wondered what sort of man he was to have been caught by the navy and taken to Kings of all places. A coward, he suspected. A proper pirate would have escaped or died trying. He wouldn't be waiting for his woman to come but him out. He shook his head. "If he's fool enough to get caught, he can't be much of a pirate," he scowled.

"Shut your mouth, Haddow." Raven hissed, wheeling around again. "He's a wonderful ma- er, pirate!"

Kade grimaced. She'd caught her real meaning then. He'd been insinuating that her lover wasn't much of a man either.

"If you don't want to help now, you can go on back to the inn!" Raven cried. Tears were sparkling in her eyes. She was hurting.

Kade felt a rush of need to comfort her. He had to hold her and make her feel better. Damn that Amee for being there with them! "No, I'll help you." It was the least he could do, after all. Much as he hated the idea that he was going to rescue the man that she loved – and that that man was not him. "But don't you think our ships would be a bit suspicious?" Raven's Demon and his own Scarlet Tide boasted red sails.

"That's where the Lady Luck comes in," Amee butted in. "With her white sails, it would be easy to fly English merchant colors and sail in close. After we get near, we'll sneak in under the cover of darkness."

Raven nodded. "Aye. I know exactly where the jail is."

Kade quirked a brow. She did? Since when had she been to Kings and survived? "And how is that you know that?" he asked, curious as to what her answer might be.

"I'm in no mood to explain such a thing," she answered quickly with a growl. "All ye need to know is that I've been there and know how to get there." Raven sighed loudly, annoyance masking her earlier pain. "We're shoving off at dawn, Kade. So inform your crew ye'll be missing for a few days."

"Right. I'll tell my crew," Kade muttered in reply, looking away once again.

"We'll explain more once we're at sea," Amee informed him as she started back down the path. Raven was quick to follow, obviously not wanting to be alone with Crimson Kade this evening. "See ye in the morn, Haddow."

~*~

"It's not even dawn," Kade complained as he was more or less dragged to the docks where a long boat awaited them. Less than half an hour before, he'd been roused from his bed by that horrible Broder woman banging away with her sabre and a camber pot. Now he was dressed and here, the salty early morning breeze filling his lungs. Part of him was excited that he was going back to sea. The sea was his mistress, after all. Dawn was fast approaching, no trace of red in the skies above. This boded well for the journey ahead, but didn't lessen Kade's annoyance with Amee.

"Quit you're crying or I'll leave you on some godforsaken spit of land!" Amee cried, clearly frustrated with her fellow pirate captain. "My ship, my rules, got that?"

"Aye," Kade replied dryly. He rolled his eyes and turned his gaze elsewhere as Amee's men pulled on the oars, rowing them out to the Lady Luck. Raven was nowhere to be seen. He supposed she was already on the ship. He grimaced. This journey was not going to be a pleasant one for Kade. He was anxious to know if he had indeed lost her after that wonderful night of kissing. Or if he'd tempted her away from her lover, even if for one night. The first would crush him. The latter… he wasn't sure how he should feel if that were the case. However, for the first time in his life, it actually mattered that a woman had chosen another. It actually hurt him. Maybe it was the fact that she was willing to risk her neck to save this man that made Kade so melancholy. He wasn't at all sure that she would do the same for him if he was the one trapped in Kings. It struck a never, that was for sure. If it wasn't Raven, there wasn't a woman in the world that would be willing to risk their neck to save him. This notion made him melancholy. He had a great love of women, but it did not seem to run the opposite way for him. Kade suddenly felt very lonely in the world.

~*~

An hour after sunrise, they were well on their way to Kingshead. Heading due east-southeast, they were making excellent time, despite the wind not being entirely on their sides. The Lady Luck was flying English merchant colors. No navy vessel would suspect a thing. They could probably land on Kings itself and not face any rancor until the navymen spotted a few stray brands on the crewmen's skin, courtesy of the East India Trading Company.

Amee had left Kade and Raven to their own devices once they were on their way. Amee had her duties to attend to and there hadn't been any jobs to assign the pair. At first, Kade had avoided Raven, joining a handful of Amee's men for a game of dice, of which he'd lost every single round. Dice was clearly not his game. Eventually, he'd grown tired of losing his hard-earned gold and sought out the bird. She was standing against the railing, looking out toward the horizon. She'd removed her hat and had tied it to one of the belts circling her waist, leaving the bandanna covering her head bare. An amused smile crossed his lips as he noticed how annoyed she was getting every time one of the ties to that bandanna would come around and whip her in the face as they danced in the breeze. She grabbed at the fabric, intending to put it behind her ear when the other smacked her in retaliation. She grabbed it too. He stood just behind her now and reached out, putting his heavy, calloused hands over hers. She instantly stilled, taking a moment before she turned to look up at him. Kade saw his reflection in her wide, hazel eyes.

His own hair was dancing around his neck, only slightly tamed because of the scarf on his own head. His dark eyes were soft and caring, a tiny smile quirking his thin lips. He glanced at hers. Thick, lush and kissable, just as he remembered them. Oh, who he would kill to kiss them once more.

"What do you want?" she asked, her voice coming out breathy. She scowled at her own reaction to him.

"Let me tie these back," he said softly, moving his hands so she could slip hers away. He still had a hold of the long strips of cloth that were a part of the wrap she always wore under her hat. The material was extremely soft and died a deep red, to match her ship's sails. "Turn around." Her hands fell away and she did as she was told for once, presenting him with her back and her braid. He wrapped the cloth around her braid loosely so she'd have some slack and retain the ability to turn her head. "There," he said, finished. "All better." Kade shifted to lean on the railing beside her. "Now tell me about your lover." Not that he really wanted to know. Well, in truth, he did. He desperately wanted to know whom he was saving and why he was worth the risk. And also, who was the better man. Kade was having problems admitting it to himself, but there was something more to his feelings about Raven than a certain fondness and affection. But it was obvious. After having known her as long as he had, which had been half their lives, he was finally falling for her.

"Why should I tell you anything?" she asked, giving him an irritated look, even as she felt her braid gratefully.

"Am I not on this ship under the pretense of rescuing him?" Kade asked, raising a brow at her incredulously.

She frowned, causing delicate little creases to form between her brows. "Fine," she finally relented after a stretch of silence and glaring. "He's a pirate. So he's not a 'decent' man by anyone's standards. Though probably better than most. He's rescued me more times than I care to count, though. Mostly from my own stupidity. I think he believes me to be some sort of damsel in constant distress dressed in pirate's clothing. He often doesn't take me seriously – unless I'm giving orders, and then he only pays minimal attention. Though, he is very caring and gentle." She didn't seem very happy about these character traits, since she was frowning very deeply and her tone had turned to annoyance. "I…" her tone softened. "I feel obligated to rescue him." She looked over at him, even into his eyes. Sincerity shown in her own. "Do you understand, Kade? I have to rescue him. To pay him back."

"Aye," he said with a small nod. He closed his eyes to avoid her gaze. He felt depressed now. She must care a great deal about him to want to try to save him. "Aye, I understand." He would do the same for her and he knew it. "Tell me what he's like. Is he a true bred pirate, like myself? A ruffian of sorts?"

Raven laughed. "Ruffian? Him? That is too funny." She offered him a bright grin. "He's too much of a gentleman to really be a true pirate. He treats me like a lady." She spat out the word. It was obvious she hated it and was absolutely disgusted by it. He couldn't really imagine why she found the behavior so repulsive. At least… not until he recalled her upbringing.

"I can't imagine why he'd think I was a lady. Not like I act the bloody part. I don't, do I, Kade?" She looked to him for reassurance now.
He grimaced slightly. "You know I can't tell you ye don't always act the part of the pirate. You're still a lady, deep down, Raven." She frowned at him. "But I can see where you wouldn't want to be treated like one all the time."

"What makes me a lady?" she demanded, stomping her foot in annoyance. "I swear and drink and fight like a man. I'm a bloody pirate captain, for St. Peter's sake! I am in no way a damn lady, nor do I want to be one." She turned away from him, leaning both arms on the railing. Her tanned skin was flushed a ruddy color from her anger and frustration. "You're supposed to agree with me, Kade. You remember how I used to be. How I was practically a princess. I hated that. I hated being treated like a delicate lady. I don't want to be treated like that. I want to be treated like a damn equal."

It was true. Kade had first met Raven nearly fifteen years ago and they'd been fast friends. Raven was the daughter of an aristocrat and she despised that life. She constantly ran away, eventually running in to the ship rat that had been Kade in Port Royal. Kade had been hopping ships, working as a cabin boy after being caught stowing away. They met several times over the ensuing years, Raven finally giving up her life and stowing away on a ship with Kade dressed as a boy. She hadn't seen her father since. They'd been lucky enough to stow away on a privateering ship masked as a merchant, bound for Tortuga. It was there their lives as fearsome pirates had begun.

"He doesn't treat you as his equal?" Kade asked incredulously. That was one thing Kade had going for him. While he could play the gentleman, he was known for how he treated women in his life. He gave them the utmost respect and treated them as they should be – as equals.

"Sometimes he does, but not all the time. When I'm giving him orders, he'll usually respect them because I'm captain. But when it's just the pair of us, he treats me like a damn lady. That's what makes me angry. I don't want to be equal on land and then a lady on the sea. This is my damn ocean. I was sailing it long afore he was. If anything, he should be the lady of the waters."

Kade cleared his throat, trying to cover up a laugh. Then he pointed out, "If we're going on sailing experience, I out rank you, regardless." He gave her a playful nudge and a grin. He was almost rewarded with a smile.

"Only by a wee bit," Raven conceded. "And besides, this is serious, Kade. I want to be his equal." She paused. "Maybe… Maybe this rescue will show him. After all, he's only busted me out of Fort Dundee and we both know how lax the guard is there at night. And he had a quarter of the crew with him." True, the duo had first-hand experience with the lax security, having broken themselves out of the jail several times after being 'caught.' They'd mostly done it on purpose to rescue one of their crewmates. The gallows at Dundee were rarely used, mostly due to lack of pirates to hang. "So, nothing big. But Kings… That's a whole different kettle." Life sparkled in her eyes as she looked at him now. She was actually excited to be walking into this deathtrap of an island.

He couldn't help but smile at her. "Tell me though; how do you know where the jail is? Been there before?"

The sparkle died, as well as the smile on her face. She turned away from him. Shame radiated from her. "I don't really want to talk about it," she muttered.

He didn't press her, but put his hand on her shoulder, trying to comfort her. She leaned into the touch absently. "When you're ready to tell the tale, I'm all ears. Until then, I'll just have to trust ye." Patting her shoulder, he changed the topic slightly. "So, as I've been most fortunate to have avoided their lovely jail, I've no idea how to locate it. Where does one find this jail and what is our plan of action, Captain?"

Raven nodded, obviously happy for the change of subject. She pulled a scrap of canvas from under her sash. Unfurling it, she rolled it out on the railing for him to see. A rough map of the fortress was inked on it. She pointed to the place labeled 'dock.' "Here's the dock. However, we'll be landing over here." Her finger slid to the right where there was a small shore. "Amee will stay in the longboat, while you and I climb the wall. It's shortest here and grappling hooks will do the job nicely. From here, we'll head through this field." Her finger traced across a long stretch, which he assumed were the parade grounds. "Then it's a mad dash to the jail over here. If anyone's fool enough to get in our way, the answer's obvious. It's kill or be killed. Once we get in the jail, leave it to me."

He'd followed along with her plan of action, studying the map. "Ye can handle the last bit, I'm sure," he agreed. She'd always been great at picking locks and things of that nature.

"Course I can!" She'd said it proudly and confidently, but she'd turned worried eyes to the sea once she'd put the map back under her sash. "I'm just praying we don't fail."

"We won't," he assured her, putting that comforting hand back on her shoulder. "The pair of us is more than those navy blokes can handle anyway." He smiled softly at her, trying to get her to return it and boost her spirits at the same time. Unfortunately, not even her believed his words. In a navy fortress, it was definitely the navy that had the advantage to them.

"You're welcome, love," he replied softly before leaning over and pressing a soft kiss to her temple. "All will be well soon, I promise." With that said, he walked away from her, and he didn't give her a backward glance.