Kira's face flushed brightly and she scurried to
the edge of the bed, still keeping distance between them. “I...”
Kira broke off. She didn't know what to say. Did he expect her to
apologize?
He seemed to realize her mortification and his
mouth tightened tersely. “It's fine.” He looked around the room, as
if at a loss, glanced once more at her and then walked out the
door. “Malcolm will give you your orders.” And then he was
gone.
~~~~~~~~~
The next few days brought Kira slowly out of her
cabin. The realization that she had been sleeping in his bed
covered her with a dark feeling of shame.
She felt cheap and wanton. And then she felt
ridiculous for even thinking those thoughts since she'd had no
choice in the matter.
Soon, she learned that Malcolm was the ship's cook,
and probably the least threatening sailor aboard. He was rotund and
aging, with a matter-of-fact way of speaking and spectacles tilted
on the edge of his nose.
Malcolm instructed her regarding basic chores that
were to be hers. She peeled potatoes below deck and sometimes
cleaned the deck floor.
For the most part, she was able to avoid the prying
eyes of the other sailors, but occasionally a curious face would
poke itself into the galley while she was at work. Her saving grace
was Malcolm's constant presence, which seemed to keep the sailors
from making any advances.
Kira's thoughts were like a runaway train. She
could not imagine how someone like Malcolm could work for the
sailor. Maybe she had Malcolm all wrong. She knew that a gentle
exterior could often bely a more dangerous soul. Yet, she felt at
ease in his presence.
He had a fatherly grace about him that made her
miss her papa bitterly. She went over that day on the docks
repeatedly in her mind, peeling potatoes and trying to convince
herself that her father hadn't been lying there dead when they'd
dragged her away.
Had he been? Was he gone? Forever removed from her
life without even a kiss goodbye? It was almost too much for Kira
to bear. She thought of her own safety, feeling on guard at all
hours of the day, while trying to ignore the stabbing ache in her
gut when she thought of her papa's bloodied body.
The exhaustion of it all made her want to weep,
which she did as quietly as possible at night. She could not show
weakness. They already knew they could take what they wanted from
her body and she would have no defense.
“
Hello in there...” Malcolm's
voice came through the fog of Kira's whirling thoughts. She looked
up to realize the potato she was peeling had been whittled down to
almost nothing. “Ohh...I'm sorry,” Kira offered hastily.
“
Something on your
mind?”
“
No...” Kira lied, uncertain if
she could trust him.
Malcolm smiled. “Could have fooled me. I must be
losing my head in my old age.”
Kira smiled tersely, realizing the sailor was
trying to set her at ease.
“
How long have you been on the
ship?”
Malcolm's eyes showed a slight
look of amusement. “Well, they do let us on land occasionally, but
I've been sailing with the
Reliance
for 8 years.”
Kira nodded, focusing her eyes on an unruly
potato.
Suddenly, Marcus' low voice broke through. “I see
we've got ourselves another hand.”
Kira jumped, visibly nervous at Marcus' presence.
She turned to see the gorgeous blonde sailor smiling in her
direction. His smile unnerved her completely.
The scariest thing about him was the natural allure
he had. He could have been the most evil man on the planet and
still, she felt sure he could have charmed the pants off most
anyone.
“
Has she been behaving,
Malcolm?”
Malcolm nodded, uninterested in the tense dynamics
in the room. “Yes, Captain. A good little worker.”
Kira felt herself blushing. She couldn't understand
the situation. She didn't know where she stood or what this man
expected from his “purchase.” What she did know was that his
strong, muscular body sent fear through her. She was no match for
him. Not for any of them.
Marcus noted the fearful look in her eyes and tried
to make sense of it. He had rescued her, hadn't he? Still, she
looked like a frightened animal, terrified for its life.
Slipping around the large table in the galley, he
took a step towards her. She turned her big blue eyes on him,
paralyzed with fear. Marcus felt a knot tighten in his gut at the
panic he saw written on her face.
“
You ever peel potatoes at home?”
He asked softly, trying to ease her anxiety.
Kira blinked slowly, wondering what he was
doing.
“
I...sometimes...”
“
On the docks,” Marcus said,
looking at her intently. “I saw you there.”
Yes, you did
, Kira thought. Mortification overtook her at the way she'd
romanticized him. She had no idea she'd end up
belonging
to him.
Marcus felt frustration at the way she ignored him.
He studied her beautiful profile, now turned away from him.
“
Malcolm, give us a moment.” He
just wanted to make her see.
He
was the good guy. He couldn't stand that look of
horror that she threw in his direction every time he walked in the
room.
“
Look at me.”
Kira felt tension flooding her muscles. Malcolm was
gone. He'd been the only thing keeping her from a total meltdown.
Now, she felt her hand shaking softly as she stared at the
wall.
“
Look
at
me.” His voice was dark, threatening. Kira tried to force herself
to look up at him, but her body was shaking and she couldn't
move.
Suddenly, his rough hands were gripping her
shoulders, turning her in his direction. Kira let out a scream,
squeezing her eyes closed and thrusting her bent arms between them.
Kira waited for what seemed like an eternity, but nothing
happened.
Slowly, she opened her eyes to see his masculine
face studying her intently. Kira breathed heavily, watching his
green eyes rove over her face. She felt like helpless prey in the
sight line of a powerful predator. Why couldn't she look away?
“
Why are you scared?” he said
lowly, his voice raw.
It seemed so obvious. Was he playing a trick on
her? Kira felt embarrassment well up. She could hardly get the
words out.
“
I know what kind of men buy and
sell women on the open sea,” Kira breathed, her eyebrows tightening
with emotion. “I know what to expect.” She gulped slowly, her arms
starting to hurt from his grip. For a moment, Kira felt anger push
down the fear and she looked him squarely in the eye.
“
The kind of man you are doesn't
deserve to exist!
You're
evil
. Pure evil!” She cocked her head with
a furious, proud tilt and watched as his face turned bright with
rage. He released her arms, his greens eyes spitting
fire.
“
You ungrateful little...” his
angry face was just inches from hers now, his jaw jutting harshly
in her direction.
“
You don't know a thing about me!”
he growled. “You think just 'cause you're young and beautiful every
man wants you?! Think again, sweetie!”
He practically bellowed in her face, then turned
and disappeared down the hall. Kira stared after him in shock, her
eyes full of confusion. This man was insane!
~~~~~~~~~~~
Kira woke early to get started on
the deck. She tried her best to avoid the galley during meal times,
for fear she would be noticed. She was also terrified she would
see
him
.
She felt the strangest mix of
emotions: guilt, terror, hatred and
desire
. How could she loathe someone
so much, yet alternate between wanting him close and fearing his
presence? She felt mortified that this might show on her face when
he was near, so she tried her hardest to stay out of
sight.
As it were, it happened to be fairly simple to do
so. He never sought her out and she hardly ever ran into him during
her duties. Kira began to wonder if she could relax. Was she wrong
to imagine so much danger nearby?
She took her bucket and rags to the deck, ready to
clean with haste. She never felt totally safe out there alone,
unsure who might walk up behind her.
Kira worked steadily away, glancing over her
shoulder frequently. She tried to keep her dress from getting too
dirty, but she was on her knees on a deck that was walked day and
night.
“
I wondered when you was comin' up
to see me...” Kira heard a dull voice with a slow drawl from
behind. Kira was on her feet in a flash, her hands crossed over her
body. She found herself face to face with an ugly sailor wearing a
large scar that was etched into his cheek.
He was hardly taller than she was, but his thick
arms and beefy body were intimidating enough. He was balding and
smelled as if he hadn't ever bathed. “Don't touch me,” Kira
sputtered, stepping backwards towards the hull.
The sailor with the pungent odor smiled widely,
seemingly delighted by her fear. “Oh, if I want to touch you, I'm
not sure there's a lot you can do about it.” He chuckled to
himself, swirling his doughy palm across his belly. Kira glanced
across the deck, hoping for some sign of another sailor. Anyone
that might intervene. She saw no one.
“
My name's George.” He continued
to grin his self-indulgent, menacing grin into her terrified face.
Kira felt herself backing into the hull, with no where to run. The
thought crossed her mind that screaming would only be helpful if
the sailors had a code of ethics. Did they? She didn't
know.
Kira tried to move around him, but his fleshy hand
dug into her arm and pinned her to the wall. “There, there...not
'til we're done talking.” Kira nearly gagged as his foul breathe
streamed across her face. So this is it, she thought. She'd made it
through so much only to have a lecherous, smelly sailor catch her
alone.
Suddenly, his hands were all over
her, roving up and down her body, pinning her to the wall. He
pushed and prodded and Kira did her best to fight him off.
“
Noooo
!” she
screamed desperately, wishing for a moment that the Nordic sailor
were here.
Would he let this happen? George smacked her hard
across the mouth, then grabbed her firmly around the waist.
She could feel George trying to kiss her neck, when
she saw the blonde sailor fly at him from behind. “Argghhh!” She
heard him bellow. In an instant, George was on the ground and the
sailor had him pinned down, showering him with blows.
A curious group of sailors flew onto the deck, eyes
wide. Some intervened, shouting, “Captain!” and trying to separate
the sailor from his filthy prey.
Kira watched in amazement and horror as they tried
to pry him off. George was a bloody, blubbery mess, trying
pitifully to cover his head with his sausage-like fingers. The
blonde sailor's fervor had not diminished and he continued to try
to batter George as three sailors pulled him off.
Kira felt relief. He would protect her. Was he
saving her for himself? She didn't know, but for now, that was
enough. She fought back tears as the wound on her face started to
sting. The mix of pain, relief and gratitude had her overwhelmed.
She looked up at him, trying not to cry.
Then he pointed at her. “YOU. Downstairs now!”
Some Kind of Rescue
Kira hurried into the bunk, terrified once again.
Was this it? Is this how he chose to claim his prize? Kira
shuddered. She felt so utterly powerless, so helpless. So confused.
She didn't know if she should thank him, kiss him or run as far
away as she could. The truth was, there was no running. Not in
here.
His large body moved through the door with a
powerful ease. And then it was only the two of them. Kira stared
through his heaving chest where the door should be. There was no
way out.
“
What did you do?,” he
boomed.
“
What?” Kira didn't understand.
She felt flustered.
Does he think I did
this? Does he think this is my fault?
Suddenly, she could feel his hands running softly down her
arms, as he hovered over her, breathing heavily. Kira
shuddered.
Her whole body tingled with delight and alarm. Part
of her felt like she could melt into the floor. “I...I didn't do
anything...” She whispered, barely able to speak as his hands
caressed her softly. She stared at the floor, terrified. Should she
want this? She knew she did.
“
Look at me.” His voice was
gentle, soothing. She looked up, into his beautiful eyes. They
seemed to pore into her. She tried to turn her gaze away but she
couldn't. His brow furrowed as he took in her face.
He noted her large blue eyes, looking frightened as
ever, and the perfect line of her aquiline nose. But his eyes
settled gently on her soft, pink lips. She felt self-consciousness
overcome her and blinked rapidly.
He took his rough hand and gently traced the line
of her face, over the place where she had been struck. She felt the
tender pain of bruising, and the sharp ache of an open wound. The
sailor pulled a handkerchief from his pocket and tenderly touched
the wound.
Kira winced. This slight pain was reminding her of
every other ache on her body. The bruises from the pirate's vice
grip, the cringing sensation she felt when she remembered George's
paws all over her.