Chapter 17

Leo was startled by the intensity of the relief he felt at seeing Ruby unharmed. He was so relieved, in fact, that he didn't see the frying pan come swinging at his kneecap until it was too late.

"Mother fu - " His curses dissolved into Italian, into the phrases his father used to shout at Luigi the cat whenever he got underfoot. He sank down onto the deck, clutching his knee as searing pain shot up his leg.

The girl was quick. She was up the ladder and shoving past him while the pain was still blinding him, but he reached out instinctively, grabbing for her. He managed to catch her by the ankle as she tried to run past, and she fell onto the deck next to him.

He only just managed to get his arm up in time to block the pan as it swung at his head. Another jolt of pain rattled through him, this time aggravating the healing bullet wound in his upper arm. He bit back another string of curses.

"Damn it, woman, I'm trying to rescue you!"

"I don't know what you people want with me, but