Part 12 – Dark promises

Every step Jack advanced towards her, Irina took backwards, until she felt the wall at her back.

"Fortunately, your maid gave away that you were planning to meet your sister halfway to London. I happened to remember that little detail. So, I just went the way I would have gone, if I had wanted to meet someone halfway to London, as measured from your house. As I passed by this village, I saw the horse on the field by chance."

Jack slammed his hands left and right of her shoulders against the wall, imprisoning her in between his arms. Irina laid her head against the wall, and he could see the uncertainty in her eyes. He had caught her totally by surprise, and she was struggling to regain control over herself now. She seemed close to panicking.

"I understand you are a little outraged..." she started, obviously an attempt to calm him down. He played with some of her hair, his face completely neutral without showing any emotion – only his eyes gave away the immense fury that was raging inside him.

"A little outraged..." He repeated her words. "...is what I was after you had beaten me down. Now I'm so furious, I could just kill you right here. You tricked me!"

"What is going on here?" A sharp voice asked from the door, and Jack turned around. Irina took advantage of his attention being pulled away to flee over the bed to the other side of the room until she was standing next to her sister.

"I assume you're the third one of the Derevko sisters." Jack said amicably, but coldly. "I'm pleased to meet you. I just wish it were under friendlier conditions. I'm afraid I have to tell you that your sister has been arrested."

"Irina, who is that man?" Katya asked, not letting Jack out of her eyes and looking him up and down.

"That's.. um..." Irina cleared her throat. "That's Jack... Bristow. I mean Lord Bristow." She hurried to add, when she became aware of the personal address she had used.

"Oh..." Katya simply said, her behavior not changing. If she was shocked by the unexpected presence of their enemy, she could hide her emotions excellently. "Well... in that case... I think any show of manners by an appropriate introduction is superfluous, since you know you're not welcome here."

Irina stared at her sister, then at Jack. The man didn't even pay attention to the woman with the dark brown hair, but instead, took a step towards Irina.

"I am sorry, Lady Derevko, but your sister is under arrest and will be charged with treason and spying in connection with several attempts to flee the law." He wanted to grab Irina, but Katya stepped in front of her, pushing Jack away.

"Don't you dare touch her, you son of a bitch."

"Katya!" Irina shoved her sister aside softly. "Could you leave us alone for just two minutes? Please..."

"Irushka, I will not leave you here with that bastard." Katya said, talking as if Jack was not in the room. "Who knows what he will do to you?"

Jack didn't pay attention to Katya anymore, and neither did Irina. She looked at Jack. "Let's talk... reasonably."

He laughed at her suggestion. "Well, the last time I talked reasonably to you, you promised me to not run away if I took you to London. I did.. well, I was trying to. I didn't even lock you up or shackle you, because I trusted you to be an honorable woman whose word could be relied on. Obviously I was wrong..."

"You are my enemy! Nobody trusts the word of his enemy."

"Well, I did..." he replied. "Because I never considered you to be my enemy! Until now."

For a moment she couldn't think of anything appropriate to reply. Something inside her seemed to be torn apart, and she struggled against the bad conscience that slowly awoke inside her.

"Jack, I..." she started, wanting to apologize, but he didn't let her finish.

"Get your things. We will leave in two hours. I will take you to prison... where I should have already brought you four days ago, you traitorous bitch." He grabbed Irina's wrists. The woman started to struggle against him, at first pleading with him to listen, then cursing him and trying to kick him. When Katya understood what was about to happen, she tried to help Irina, supporting her attempts to get free by her own blows and curses against Jack.

"Jack wait... let's work out a solution... I swear to you, I'm not going to run away again..." Irina tried to calm him down in an almost panicked voice, but the two just locked their eyes furiously.

"And there is absolutely no reason for me to mistrust your words..." His voice was dripping with sarcasm.

"Lord Bristow, I swear to you, she's going to keep her word..." Katya explained sharply, still trying to loosen Jack's grip around her sister's arms.

"Jack..." Irina suddenly surrendered to him and allowed him to cuff her hands. "Please..."

The man looked at her for a long time. "Irina, I did everything to find a solution to keep you out of this. I risked my own position... I saved your life. Have you ever thought about what is going to happen to me if the queen finds out that I kept your name in the dark? That I shielded you from law? That I'm even married to you?"

"Married?" Katya cried out, and both Jack and Irina turned their eyes on her.

"Seems somebody has not told her sister the entire story," Jack murmured ironically. Irina pulled at the metal chains angrily, but he held her firmly.

"Irina, did you marry this man?" Katya's voice was sharp, as she pierced her sister with her eyes.

"It's not what it sounds like," Irina started, "Yes, we married.. we had to, or Gerard would have had us both killed. But we... Jack wants to get an annulment as soon as he reaches a larger city. The marriage doesn't mean anything."

"You know what?" Jack suddenly said, "I don't agree here..."

"What?" Irina and Katya asked in unison and stared at him.

"Jack, you... you promised me to..." Irina started, immediately being interrupted by the man.

"Yes, I promised you to get the annulment. You promised me to not run away. You didn't keep your promise, so why should I keep mine? Why should I lie again to shield you from anything? The marriage was consummated and is therefore valid under every existing law."

"Consummated?" Katya asked, her voice getting louder and almost hysterical. Irina lifted her hands.

"Katya, could you just stay out of this for a few moments?"

"Irina, you married the counselor of the queen, and you even consummated the marriage? I think there's no reason for me to stay out of this, since I'm as involved as you are. How could you do that? You know that a marriage can only be annulled under certain circumstances – the most important being that you did not consummate it!"

"Obviously, your sister thought it easier to manipulate me if she slept with me." Jack threw in bitterly, and Irina turned to him to contradict.

"I did not..." she started almost softly, trying to touch his hand, but the cuffs didn't allow her to move her hands. "I didn't try to manipulate you. That was not why I..."

"Why else did you do it?" Jack asked coldly. "Explain it to me?"

She just stared at him. The answer seemed to be so easy in her heart – but it was so hard to form into words. How should she tell him that he awoke feelings inside her that no other men before had ever been able to make her even think of? That, in a weird sort of way, she felt safe when she was close to him, but that, on the other hand, she hated him?

It was too complicated to explain – too illogical.

"Okay..." Katya stated, realizing the awkwardness of the situation, lifted her hands and sat down on the bed. "Maybe we should all sit down for a moment and talk about the issue like mature adults."

Irina's eyes were still locked on Jack's. She did not even comprehend the words her sister said. "Jack... you can't reproach me for that... or take it as a reason to keep the marriage up!"

Jack pulled her closer, ignoring her attempts to free herself. "I'm a rude bastard without manners. Isn't that what you believe? An English soldier, who would take advantage of everything."

"I..." Irina started, shocked by his icy voice, which showed her that he was raging with fury. "I... did never... I..."

"Well..." Jack stated. "I will fulfill all your expectations, lady. And since I don't know any manners or honor, why should I get an annulment when I'm married to such a sexy, breathtakingly beautiful woman. I'd be a fool to do so." His face was close to hers now. "No, being the 'rude English bastard' I am, I will keep you as my wife, and when I have enough of you, take a mistress... or two."

"Jack!" Irina felt as if she was in a nightmare. Panic started to rise in her. "Let go of me... you're hurting me!" He became aware that his grip around her was indeed a little too harsh and let go of her. Shackled as she was, she couldn't go anywhere anyway.

Katya had still not recovered from her shock. She ran her hands over her forehead nervously and finally got up.

"Okay, Lord Bristow, I am making you an offer... which you will hopefully take." She started. When she had his full attention, she took a deep breath. "I know that all you want is to bring down the terrorist ring. I have no idea what happened that you and my sister... well... have this kind of relationship and obviously loathe each other now. However, I promise you, I am going to spy for you. I'm going to get you every name of every weapons trader, smuggler and assassin who is or was ever involved with our group. I have to admit that this might take time. I have to get the trust of some higher ranking men first, but that shouldn't be a problem. Still, you have to give me at least three months. In return you will leave our family out of this and get the annulment for the marriage with my sister."

Jack gave a short, ironic laugh. "Give me one reason why I should trust you more than your traitorous sister here?"

Irina shot him an angry look at this comment, but kept silent.

"Because..." Katya took a deep breath. "As it is tradition in groups of criminals: ware first, then payment. I will hand you a detailed list including names, places and actions in about three months. Only then will I get my sister back in return – with her marriage annulled."

"Katya!" Irina cried outraged. "I'm not some kind of ware you can deal with!"

But neither of them paid attention to her. Jack nodded, his eyes locked deeply with Katya's.

"I like that deal." He admitted. "So, I will keep your sister as my prisoner until you hand me the intel. How will I know that you won't gather all your terrorist friends and attack my manor to free Irina?"

"Because I know that you would kill her then." Katya replied without turning a hair. "I will be in contact with you all the time. In return, I trust you to not hurt Irina in any way..." Both fell into a long silence, obviously considering the offer. "Do we have a deal?" The woman finally asked and held out her hand to Jack.

Jack looked at Irina, whose eyes clearly showed disbelief, anger and panic. She had challenged him, and now she seemed to lose. With unfair means, she had tried to trick him, so to him it seemed only fair to pay her back. Although he knew, three months with an outraged and furious Irina would not be an easy path to travel. But that would make it even more interesting. He intended to show her that he was not simply a man whom she could manipulate and play her games with.

He turned back to Katya.

"We have a deal." He finally stated and took the woman's hand.

"I can't believe you just did that." Irina stared at her sister. "I can't believe you just... gave me to him."

"Irina, the situation is not my fault!" Katya snapped. "I was not the one who told her name to an enemy, I was not the one who married him and then ran away. And it was especially not me who slept with him! That was you. So don't blame me if you have to take the consequences now."

"I'm going to kill you if I get out of here..." Irina hissed back, and Katya folded her arms.

"Fine... this is certainly going to be interesting. If you would excuse me now, I have to go... to save your butt." She said with a side-glance at Irina.

"Katya! Don't you dare leave!" Irina watched as Katya collected her things. "I'm warning you..." she repeated her threat, but it was useless. Katya left the room and shut the door behind her. Irina stared at the closed door, then pulled again at her shackles.

"So..." Jack gave her one of his cold smiles. "Finally, I got one sister working for me."

"You know what I really wish for right now?" Irina asked, not even trying to hide her anger.

"That you had a knife to stab me." Jack assumed, but the woman shook her head.

"No, to get rid of these chains. I don't need a knife to kill you, my fury is enough."

"Considering that information, I think I will keep you chained until we're in my manor where I can lock you up."

Irina watched him packing her stuff. She was raging with fury. Only half an hour ago she had wished that she would see him only once again in her life to apologize for leaving and to thank him for what he had done. Now all she wanted to do was to kill him – right after she had killed Katya.

"I swear to you... when I get free again, no place will be safe enough to protect you from me." She swore.

"IF you get free again." He commented dryly, leaving her stunned for a moment before she understood what his words implied. She stared at him in total disbelief when he continued. "Technically I have enough information to destroy the terrorist ring... if I do so before she hands me the list, her list is worthless, and the whole deal is invalid."

"Why then did you make a deal with her..." she started and Jack turned to her and lowered his face to hers.

"This is not about your sister or your family – I'm not even interested in them and their involvement with the terrorists. This is just about me and you. You challenged me Irina, and you tried to win by unfair means, like betraying me when I trusted you. If you think I am that easy, you are mistaken. I'm going to give you a really hard time in the prison at my manor – time for you to think about dignity."

"You cannot do that. You can't seriously plan to keep me in a prison cell all the time." she whispered almost soundlessly and got up.

Slowly, Jack walked around her, then, standing behind her back, he bent to her ear.

"Irina, I have never treated you disrespectfully. I've tried to be gentle and kind from the start, yet all you have done from the day we met was judge me although you didn't even know me. You called me rude, unmannered and worse after all I have done for you. I tried to protect you from the law – which put my own position in danger – I followed you and almost lost my life. All because I didn't want to listen to that prejudice inside me that said you were nothing but a cheap criminal. I believed that you were a lady – a loveable, charming, beautiful lady, but all you have done so far was insult me." He touched her cheek in a tender gesture. "I'm tired of being insulted by an unthankful witch, so I am taking my reward. I arrested you and I saved your life, so after every law I know, your life is in my hands now. I wanted to be friends with you, but all you did was try to betray me. You want to hate me... I'm giving you a reason to. Now you have the enemy you have searched for the whole time."

With these words he left her standing in the room while he went to pack the horse. Irina watched him leave, then sank against the wall. Her mind felt paralyzed from shock. She didn't doubt for one split second that he meant what he had said. And she didn't doubt either, that it was all her fault...