She battled the panic that threatened to consume her. Foolishly, she had left the house without a weapon. She must keep her head. Her gaze darted, searching for the ship. Her muscles tensed in preparation to flee or fight off an attacker.
The steps drew closer.
Moved faster.
Grew more ominous.
She ran.
Arianna didn’t get far. An arm clamped around her middle and lifted her off her feet. She opened her mouth to scream, but a hand prevented the sound from escaping.
Surging waves of fear washed over her. She squirmed and kicked and punched and scratched, but not many of her efforts hit their mark, although her attacker grunted a few times as he dragged her into a littered, dark alley.
He dropped her, whipped her around to face him, and flung her against the side of a building. She struggled to escape, but he shoved her back and laid his forearm across her upper chest. His face hovered inches from hers. Shock sizzled through her.
“Shark,” she whispered, her eyes wide.
“Yes, and you owe me your body and the ransom money from your father.”
“B-but Morgan shot you.” Her parched throat and mouth made speaking difficult. He was dead. How could he be here?
“He did but not fatally, only a shoulder wound. As you can see, I survived and have returned for what is mine.” He squeezed her breast. “And I am going to enjoy every minute of it.”
Her foot shot out but missed his leg.
The arm lying against her chest rose to her throat, cutting off her air. His hard eyes bored into hers. “No more of that, Arianna or I’ll have to punish you, and you won’t like it.”
A ragged gasp slipped from her mouth as she ceased fighting and concentrated on drawing air into her starved lungs.
He relaxed the tension. “That’s a good girl. I don’t want to hurt you, but I will if I have to.” His lips turned up in an evil smile. He leered at her breasts, slid his hand inside her shirt, and plucked her nipple with callused fingers that scratched the tender skin.
Rigid, she glared at him.
“We are going to get along fine together.” Gripping her chin, he ravaged her lips and raped her mouth.
She gagged as his thick, wiggly tongue almost slithered down her throat. Arianna longed to bite the offensive intruder in half, but he would beat her senseless in retaliation, leaving her powerless to free herself.
He lifted his head. “You are so sweet.”
The man was vile. Her heart beat at a frantic pace as she fought not to swipe her forearm across her lips coated with his disgusting saliva. “Morgan is down the street. If I don’t return in a few minutes he will come looking for me.”
“I don’t think so. I’ve been following you for a while. You are alone, and yet I wonder why.” He traced the curve of her cheek with his finger. “Doesn’t your savior want you anymore? And after you traded your life for his. So ungrateful.” His finger slid across her lower lip. “But that’s fine because I’ll take you.” He grasped her upper arm. “Back to my ship.”
She had to do something. She couldn’t go with him. Once they were on his vessel, there would be no chance of escape. “Morgan will pay whatever ransom you are asking.” She hoped. Since she locked him in her room, he probably decided to wash his hands of her.
“No. I want it from your father. I like the idea of sailing from America to England with you beneath me. Now move.” His painful grip tightened as he dragged her from the alley.
Would attracting attention earn her freedom? When they reached the middle of the street, she pulled back and dug in her heels. “I am not going with you. Let me go. Pirate,” she yelled at the top of her lungs.
“When we return to the ship, you will be punished for your disobedience. And I’ll enjoy meting it out.” Before she could avoid him, he bent low and threw her over his shoulder.
“Put me down.” She pounded on his back with her fists and kicked with her feet until he clamped her legs against his chest and a burning slap landed on her backside. She screamed her indignation.
He laughed.
The annoying sound halted abruptly. And so did he.
“Put her down, Turnbull.”
Morgan. She fought to crane her neck around the pirate’s body.
“So if it isn’t Captain Danvers and the lying traitor.”
Harry was here, too.
“And whom might this other man be?”
Who else was with them?
“Put her down.” Morgan’s voice exuded menace and death but didn’t seem to bother Shark.
“Arianna has many admirers.” Shark’s hand caressed her buttocks. “I can see why.”
She punched his back. In one quick, smooth motion, her feet met the ground, her back against his chest, and a knife teased her throat. Her head spun, and she fought to gain her equilibrium and senses.
“Put down the pistols or she dies.”
A stinging prick pierced the skin of her neck. She tensed, afraid to move a muscle. Her gaze darted to Morgan who stood with a pistol pointed at Shark, his eyes dark and hard, his face impassive. He would terrify her if she didn’t know how loving, tender, and kind he was. How honorable and brave.
“Now.” Pain blossomed, and a wetness dribbled down her neck. Would he slit her throat?
Morgan placed his pistol on the ground, but his eyes promised retribution.
“All of you.”
Harry and then Andrew followed suit.
Morgan’s gaze captured hers, and his eyes exuded love and reassurance. He wouldn’t allow Shark to hurt her. Somehow, someway, he would save her.
But right now there was nothing he could do. Her pulse raced in cold fear. She refused to set one foot aboard Shark’s ship. She wouldn’t permit this pirate to bed her night after night. She had been willing to do it once in exchange for Morgan’s life. She’d perform any act to save him. But not when there was nothing at stake.
“Turn around and start walking. Don’t stop until you reach home. If one of you decides to come back, looking for her, she dies.” Shark kissed her cheek. “And that would be such a waste.”
Morgan’s hands clenched into fists, but remained at his sides, his arms rigid. She imagined the frustration rolling through him and knew he wanted to attack, but his immense willpower would stop him.
“Get moving.”
With measured, mincing steps, all three inched away from her and Shark.
Shark shuffled backward, dragging her with him.
The distance between Morgan and her grew until the darkness swallowed him. She strained to pierce the black fog without success. Her heart sank, and loneliness filled her. She was left alone with Shark.
She would not give in to the despair threatening to overwhelm her. She’d save herself. One plan after another popped into her head in quick succession.
“Now that they are no longer a problem, we can have our fun.”
The knife disappeared from her throat.
Arianna elbowed him in the chest and stomped on his foot. His hands loosened and she broke free.
And ran. Fast. Toward Morgan.
Recovering quickly, he chased after her.
Three shapes rushed at him. One from each side and another at the back.
The new development spurred him to increase his speed. Racing wildly, she stumbled but caught herself. The misstep gave him time to catch up. He flung one arm around her waist and hauled her up, tucking her against his side. He turned and headed away from her rescuers.
She kicked her legs, squirmed in his hold, and punched his side in a desperate attempt to slow him. Bile rose in her throat as her head bobbed up and down. She struggled to hold it back.
Morgan, Harry, and Andrew gained on him, hemming him in, forcing him toward the ocean between the ships.
Then he had nowhere to go unless he desired a cold swim. He darted first one way and then the other. He was caught.
“This isn’t over between us,” Shark growled. Then he threw her.
She felt herself falling, nothing beneath her, nothing to grab on to. Her arms and legs flailed.
She landed with a jarring blow into the icy water of the Atlantic. And sank.
Chapter Twenty-Five
Morgan’s breath deserted his lungs, and his eyes widened. “Arianna!”
They had Shark surrounded but Morgan didn’t care about him. Arianna needed his help. Shark turned and started back toward him. Morgan ignored him as he shot to the end of the dock and jumped in.
“Morgan! The fool doesn’t know how to swim.” Andrew leaped in after him.
Harry shrugged his shoulders and followed.
The icy cold sank deep into Morgan’s bones, paralyzing his muscles, and Arianna was just as slip of a girl. But courageous.
“Hold on, Arianna.” He couldn’t lose her.
His stomach tied in knots, his pulse racing, he dove under and searched the murky water. Too dark. He popped up, inhaled a deeper breath, and plunged back in, sweeping with his hands while kicking his legs until his lungs threatened to burst.
She couldn’t die. He couldn’t live without her. He loved her.
Black spots flashed before his eyes. He surfaced and drew another full breath ready to try again.
“Morgan.”
He spun and there she was, coughing and choking while water dripped from her blonde, ragged hair, her soaked clothes stuck to her skin. A lovely vision. His relieved muscles relaxed, and he almost sank, forgetting to tread water like Arianna taught him.
He started toward her.
Andrew grabbed his arm, confusion marking his face. “I thought you couldn’t swim.”
“Arianna taught me on the island.” He was no longer embarrassed and not surprised Andrew knew he had never learned.
Then she was beside him, her soft, shivering body pressed against his. One of her arms looped around his neck and one of his circled her waist before his lips devoured her cold, wet ones.
With regret, he lifted his mouth. “I thought I had lost you.”
“N-never.” Her teeth chattered.
“We need to get out of this freezing water,” Harry interrupted.
For the first time, Morgan noticed his brother. One eyebrow arched in a mute question.
Harry shrugged. “You jumped in to save Arianna. Andrew jumped in to save you. I figured I may as well join in the fun and help out where I could.”
****
Men on the docks helped them all from the water. As soon as Morgan’s feet touched dry land, he gathered Arianna in his embrace, determined to never let go.
“When Shark held a knife to your throat and then threw you in…” He hugged her tighter. “I thought I would go mad.”
“I-I’m f-fine now.”
“Arianna, what are we going to do? I can’t stand the thought of you living in England with another man touching you as I have.”
She buried her face in his shoulder. “I don’t know.” Tears swam in her voice, and she trembled.
He cleared his throat. “You’re freezing.” He ran his hands vigorously up and down her arms. “We need to warm you. The
Sea Dragon
isn’t far.”
They parted as Harry and Andrew surrounded them. “Arianna, how are you?” they asked in unison.
She pasted a watery smile on her face. “I’m fine. Shark didn’t hurt me.” She scanned the dock. “Where is he?”
“He escaped,” Morgan answered as he wrapped his arm around her waist. “When I saw him hurl you in the water, my first thought was to save you. He probably figured it was the only way he could get away. And he was right. We had him trapped.”
Arianna grabbed his arm. “He said it wasn’t over between us.”
“That settles it. I’m not leaving your side.” He turned to his friend. “Andrew—”
Arianna closed her cold, shivering hand over his. “Let’s talk about this later when we are all warm and have had time to think on it.”
As soon as they boarded the ship, empty except for the few seamen who guarded it, Morgan guided Arianna to his cabin while Harry and Andrew hurried to Andrew’s to change. “Take your clothes off and wrap yourself in the blankets on my bed while I heat water for your bath.”
“What about you?”
“I’ll take care of myself after I’ve seen to you.”
Arianna followed his suggestion and before long wisps of heat swirled from a hip bath he had filled with hot water.
“My lady, your bath awaits.” He bowed low and swept his hand before him.
She shot him a grateful smile, crossed to the hip bath, and dropped the blanket on the floor. Her full, naked beauty rose before him. He gathered his willpower to control the urgent demand to toss her on the bed and thrust into her until she screamed her release. She lifted her dainty feet over the rim and then lowered herself into the steaming liquid.
Morgan cleared his throat. “We need to talk.” He strode to her, knelt beside the hip bath, and trailed his hand in the water.
“Yes, we do, but not until you are also warm.”
“But—”
“Take off your clothes and climb in here with me.”