Don't miss the first in a Brand New Series....Rogues Redeemed!
ONCE A SOLDIER
Rogues Redeemed #1
Mary Jo Putney
Releasing June 28th, 2016
Zebra
ROGUES
REDEEMED
As heir to a title and great wealth,
Will Masterson should have stayed home and tended his responsibilities. Instead
he went to war. Now, after perilous years fighting the French, he intends his
current mission to be his last. But all his plans are forgotten when he arrives
in the small mountain stronghold of San Gabriel and meets her.
Knowing herself to be too tall,
strong, and unconventional to appeal to a man, Athena Markham has always
gloried in her independence. But for the first time in her life, she finds a
man who might be her match.
Two of a kind, too brave for their
own good, Athena and Will vow to do whatever it takes to vanquish San Gabriel’s
enemies. For neither will back down from death, and only together can they find
happiness and a love deeper than any they'd dared imagine...
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Excerpt:
Excerpt:
The tunnel was lined with damp stones
and the part Will could see in the dim light slanted upward with horizontal
grooves on the bottom to provide traction to anyone crawling through. His eyes
narrowed as he evaluated it. An average-sized man could fit in there, but Will
was broader than average. Keeping that thought to himself, he said, “Now it’s
time to discover if this goes all the way to the surface.”
“And if there are rats, scorpions, or
dead bodies,” Duval said dryly. “I’ll go first. I’m not so large as you great
hulking Englishmen, plus I speak the French of a native if I emerge outside and
encounter a soldier.”
“Those are good reasons.” Will gestured
at the tunnel. “Good luck!”
“I don’t envy you going blind into that
tunnel,” Gordon said as he offered the Frenchman a curved, broken piece of
pottery. “This isn’t much, but it might be useful against those rats or
guards.”
Duval accepted the impromptu weapon
with a nod of thanks. “I shall return to tell you what I find.”
Will was sure that he wasn’t the only
one praying for success as Duval climbed into the tunnel and began to crawl
forward on his belly. The four remaining men waited in silence, listening to
the faint sounds of Duval inching upward. He muttered a French curse or two at
different times, and then the sounds faded away completely.
“It must be a long tunnel,” Gordon
said. His gaze was on the floor, concealing his expression.
“The longer it is, the better chance we
have of leaving safely.” Chantry rubbed at his side. “I’ve cracked a rib or
two. I didn’t think it was worth binding them when I was going to be shot, but
I’d better do something or I won’t be able to crawl.”
Gordon stripped off the shabby
greatcoat he was wearing. “I’ll cut this up for the binding.” He used another
piece of broken pottery to saw the heavy fabric into strips.
They all worked together to bind
Chantry’s ribs, the activity a welcome distraction. Will had just tied off the
last bandage when they heard sounds in the tunnel.
A few moments later, Duval’s head
emerged. “We are saved!” he said jubilantly. “The tunnel ends in an old stone
shed that is one of a cluster of outbuildings. When I looked out, I saw no
soldiers near. It is raining, so wise men stay inside.”
As Will helped the muddy Frenchman get
his feet safely on the ground, Hawkins said tersely, “Then it’s time we made
our escape. Chantry, will you be able to make it up there with your cracked
ribs?”
“What’s a little pain compared to
fast-approaching dawn?” Chantry replied with a twisted smile. “I’ll make it.”
“The rest of you go first,” Will said.
“If the tunnel is too narrow for me, I don’t want to block anyone else from
getting away.”
Duval frowned as he studied the width
of Will’s shoulders. “It will be difficult but not, I think, impossible.
Perhaps you should remove your coat and shirt. A small difference might be
enough. I will carry your garments up the tunnel for you.”
“Good idea.” By the time Will had
removed his coat and shirt, Gordon, Chantry, and Hawkins were crawling toward
escape. Chantry gasped with pain as Hawkins helped him up into the tunnel, but
he didn’t complain, just started inching doggedly upward.
Duval wrapped Will’s garments in a
tight, flat bundle, then used his cravat to tie them to his lower back. “The
tunnel is tight and somewhat damaged in places, but I do think you will be able
to get through. I will not be far ahead. If you get into trouble, call. We will
find a way to bring you to freedom.”
Will had his doubts that would be
possible, but he appreciated the sentiment. “If I become impossibly stuck, for
God’s sake, get away! There’s no point in all of us dying.”
“I am not so easily dismissed, Masterson,”
Duval retorted. “I shall see you on the surface.” He climbed into the tunnel
and began working his way up again.
Will took a deep breath, then followed.
He was not fond of confined spaces at the best of times, and the climb out
through stifling blackness would haunt his dreams for years, assuming he made
it out. Even without his coat and with his bare torso slick with water and mud
from the damp, there were times he thought he was lethally stuck. He learned
how tightly his shoulders and chest could be compressed, and it was barely
enough.
The tightest place was the very end,
where the tunnel opened into the shed. After two attempts, Will grimly accepted
his fate. “I can’t make it,” he said flatly. “Leave without me.”
“You damn well will make it!” Gordon
retorted. “Back up a couple of yards and cover your head while we widen this
hole.”
Will summoned enough strength to back
down a few feet and wrap his arms over his head before debris began falling on
him. It took only minutes before Gordon said, “All clear!” Then he extended a
hand into the tunnel.
Grateful for the help, Will managed to
crawl the short distance out onto a cold, muddy floor. He lurched to his feet,
then pulled on the shirt and coat Duval had carried for him, grateful for any
slight warmth.
“Quickly now,” Chantry said. “The night
is almost over and we must get away. We’re in luck. The building to our right
is a stable and Hawkins has liberated five horses. I know roughly where we are
and can lead us to open country. As soon as we step outside, we must be swift
and silent. Ready, Masterson?”
After Will nodded, Chantry opened the
door of the shed. The heavy rain made the darkness almost impenetrable, but
Will could make out the shapes of the horses just outside. Hawkins had managed
to bridle and saddle the animals, after stealing them.
The men swiftly mounted, Hawkins
helping the injured Chantry into his saddle. They saved the largest horse for
Will. Chantry led and set the pace, a slow walk so as not to attract attention.
Will was sure the other men shared his desire to gallop away at full speed, but
he knew Chantry was right to be cautious.
Occasional lights started showing in
windows as people rose to begin morning chores. But the houses thinned until
finally they were out of the city. Chantry increased their pace to a trot, then
a canter. Cold, wet, and uncomfortable as the ride was, Will much preferred it
to the escape from the cellar. If he was shot now, at least he’d die free.
By the time they’d put several miles
between themselves and Gaia, the sun had risen and the rain had ended, though
it was still heavily overcast. Chantry led them into a protected thicket and
came to a halt. With effort, he dismounted, one hand rubbing his ribs. “Time
for us to go our separate ways, gentlemen.”
The other riders also dismounted,
gathering in a circle as they held their horses. Looking up at the sky, Gordon
murmured, “I never thought a wet, cold day could be so beautiful. Knowing I
should be dead adds savor to the morning.”
“We all contributed to our successful
escape,” Duval said pensively. “Facing death creates an interesting bond of
brotherhood, does it not?”
Indeed it did. As Will looked at the
faces of his companions, he realized how unselfishly they’d worked together. He
knew almost nothing of any of them, yet he truly did feel a sense of connection
from shared danger. “Though we may be self-proclaimed rogues, you’re all men
I’d like at my side in any future tight places.”
“Rogues may be more useful in tight
places than honorable men,” Hawkins said, amused. His voice turned serious.
“Facing death was simple, but now we face hard reality again. How many of us
will attempt the redemption we discussed? I intend to.”
Gordon gave a twisted smile. “I’ll make
a start at it.”
Chantry looked gray-faced from pain,
but his voice was firm. “I said I would take up my long-neglected
responsibilities, and I like to think I’m a man of my word.”
Duval sighed. “What is done can’t be
undone. Perhaps there can be reconciliation, if not redemption. I should make
the attempt.”
After they had shared a dark night and
imminent death, it was strange to think Will would not see any of these men
again. Strange and wrong. “If this war ever ends,” he said tentatively,
“perhaps those of us who survive may meet again in London and
exchange lies about our heroic deeds and redemptions.”
“The Brotherhood of Rogues Redeemed!”
Duval said grandly. “I like the idea, but we shall need a point of contact in London for
sending messages so we might find each other.”
Will thought a moment. “Hatchard’s
bookstore in Piccadilly. I know the owner.” In fact, Will was a major customer.
“I’ll ask him to keep any letters he receives that are addressed to the Rogues
Redeemed, and that they can be read by any of us that call at the store. I’ll
give him the names we’re all using tonight.”
Chantry grinned. “Because we might be
lying about our identities? I like your suspicious mind.” Wincing from pain, he
stretched a hand into the center of the close circle of riders. “May we meet
again in more auspicious times!”
Will clasped Chantry’s hand. The others
did the same in a five-way handshake that made their agreement somehow more
real. When they released their grips, Will swung back into his saddle, thinking
he was grateful to have met these men in these circumstances.
He
hoped they all survived to meet again someday
Mary Jo
Putney is a New York Times and USA Today bestselling
author who has written over 60 novels and novellas. A ten-time finalist for the
Romance Writers of America RITA, she has won the honor twice and is on the RWA
Honor Roll for bestselling authors. In 2013 she was awarded the RWA Nora
Roberts Lifetime Achievement Award. Though most of her books have been
historical romance, she has also published contemporary romances, historical
fantasy, and young adult paranormal historicals. She lives in Maryland with her
nearest and dearest, both two and four footed.
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