Marcus Thorne wears several masks in his life, but the one that would have him hanged is the one he can never reveal. But after he kidnaps his enemy’s daughter, he’s captivated by her beauty and is nearly ready to give her his heart…until he discovers Isabelle is a spy with the power to endanger his life and the lives of his friends.After her release, Isabelle can’t stop thinking about her masked abductor and how he’d stolen her heart before ridding her of his presence. Affianced to a man who strangely reminds her of the man whose kisses set her ablaze, she marries him, only to discover he’s not who he seemed to be. But then…neither is she.****Isabelle spun toward her captor and glared. “What do you want with me? I have done nothing to deserve this punishment.”Captain Hawk grinned. “Punishment? Nay, fair maiden, I’m not punishing you at all. Women consider it a privilege to be in my favor. I have saved you from staying with the rats in a dark, nearly suffocating cellar with your friends.”She tilted her head. “You, sir, have saved me from nothing, for I will be with the biggest rat of them all.”Hawk growled and grasped her shoulders. She stiffened, not daring to release the whimper bubbling up from her throat. Show no fear.“Miss Stanley, this is a warning. Speaking to me in such a tone will only provoke me. I’d hate to harm such a lovely woman, but I won’t tolerate such behavior from a prisoner. You should be grateful I saved you from venturing with the other prisoners. I cannot control my men when I have my back turned. I fear what they might do with you if they wanted a little diversion from today’s activities.”She seethed. He was correct. It was either Hawk or his men. “Where I was raised, I wasn’t used to holding my tongue, sir.”His grip relaxed. “You best learn quickly, Miss Stanley. I don’t want my men thinking I cannot handle such a feisty woman.”She nodded. He stepped back and smiled. His face not looking as hard as it’d been earlier. “I’d like you to dine with me tonight. I’ll feed you the finest food. You can stay in my room until that time, unless of course you would rather remain with the others in the filthy cellar. I assure you, it won’t be as pleasant.”As much as she preferred being with her friends, she might be able to defend herself better with him than his crew of scallywags. “I—I’m most appreciative of your offer, Captain, and I shall count myself privileged to dine with you.” The words were hard to say, and hopefully, Hawk wouldn’t know she had lied through her teeth.“Splendid.” He offered his arm like a gentleman. Suppressing the urge to sneer at the gesture, she slipped her hand around his elbow and allowed him to take her to his horse. He lifted her on top before mounting behind. He tugged at a scarf wrapped around his arm until it fell loose. “Before we go, however, I must blindfold you. I cannot have you or the other prisoners seeing the way to our hideout.”She glanced at the others in the wagon. Hawk’s men were tying their hands behind their backs and blindfolding them as well. Isabelle was grateful he didn’t bind her hands.Nodding, she held herself still. His nearness made her nervous. Was it because of his ruggedly handsome appearance or the fact that he had killed her father? She didn’t know why his deep voice had sent shivers through her more than once. As she gazed on the day-old growth covering his chin and cheeks, she couldn’t help but wonder what he would look like clean-shaven, and without his mask?He placed the scarf over her eyes and tied it in back of her head. A large, muscular arm secured her body against his as he urged the horse to a trot. She had no other choice but to grasp his arm for fear of slipping from off the animal to the ground.Against her ribs, the pressure of the hard dagger gave her some comfort. She would certainly use it if Hawk made any improper advances toward her. Men like Captain Hawk didn’t deserve to live.