Page 12 of Scourge of the Shores
His body pinned hers, solid, warm—alive. The heat of his breath skimmed her lips. His eyes searched hers. Her pulse slammed against her ribs. Not from fear. Not entirely. She swallowed hard. A man had never been this close to her, nor had one ever lain atop her.
The sea dragon’s head bolted from the ground with a shriek of defeat. A harpoon landed in his neck, and the creature bolted toward the water, swinging the trees as he went. Robert pressed his body into hers as the swooping rush of air sounded over them and bits of bark fell atop them.
In the clear, Robert’s hand swept over her brow. “You well, matey?” he asked her with wide eyes.
Danna breathed in his spiced ocean musk, and for a brief moment, the pain in her body erupted into peace.
His other hand pressed into her grip, which held the blade.
His gaze locked with hers. Only a breath restrained the urge to lift her head and kiss him.
He had saved her life, but in the instant of that realization, she knew Cain still lived.
Cain should be dead.
If Robert hadn’t rolled her to safety, Cain would be dead. Curse him.
The islanders’ blood had bought nothing.
Her stomach twisted. She shoved the thought down and tried to shove Robert off her with it.
“Get off me,” she gritted with a grunt. His weight bore down on her aching body. He rolled off. Danna inched her way up to her elbows next to Robert, who sat beside her.
Cain shrieked, the sound splitting the air like a death knell.
The chains around his neck snapped taut, pulling deep grooves in the sand as he thrashed.
The harpoon embedded in his throat pulsed with blood.
He lurched toward the sea, dragging two palm trees like broken spears.
His final bellow rippled across the night before his serpentine body vanished beneath the water.
The waves lapped the shore, returning to their natural rhythm, gentle as a lullaby, as if Cain had never come. Blood mingled with salt. The night quieted, except for the ragged breath in Danna’s throat—and Robert’s, just beside her.
Her heartbeat settled, and her ears stopped ringing until she noticed Robert lifting the flap on her torn pant leg. She flipped the knife and hit him in the shoulder with the butt of the handle. “What are ye doin’?”
He recoiled. “You’re hurt, and I think you’d be a little nicer to the man who kept you from being Cain’s dinner.”
“I would’ve been his last morsel,” she said, stabbing and slicing the air down to prove her point.
One corner of Robert’s mouth upturned. “I suppose I would expect nothing less of a Chadwick.”
“Go swim the depths,” she said and sheathed her knife. She bent her good leg to stand up, but her knees gave way. The sand caught her kneecaps—soft where everything else had been hard. Robert had reached for her but pulled back, tentative to help. She collapsed to her hands with a groan.
“You’re hurt bad, aye?” Robert asked, his stare intensifying.
“I don’t need ye, Jaymes ,” she said, emphasizing his last name in a successful attempt to keep herself from saying “Robert.”
She narrowed her eyes and stood up with her muscles tight, stopping herself from showing any further pain. Rolling her shoulders down, she walked with a slow, steady gait. Warm blood oozed down her leg, and her side screamed as she continued where the men were gathering on the shore.
“We won!” Lucas said and threw his arms in the air. Blood dripped down his leg and cheek. His shirt had ripped open, revealing a fine hair-covered, sculpted chest and rum-round belly.
A cheer erupted as the pirates surrounded them. Danna lifted her chin on alert. They could shoot all the fighting men and women right then and take the island and all the riches buried there.
She cast a menacing eye toward Robert, who followed her, and threw it to Rosa across the way.
Her two flintlocks were empty, but she hoped they weren’t the wiser and hadn’t seen her shoot Cain.
She could hold two Pirate Kings hostage until the pirates retreated.
A few of the pirates pulled flintlocks from their belts, and with that action, she made her own decision.
She yanked the two flintlocks from her belt and cocked them.
“Ye’ll be two kings down if ye shoot!” she yelled, defeating the roar, and pointed both guns, one at Rosa and the other at Robert. She walked backward until she was part of the ring surrounding the islanders. Her muzzle touched Robert’s temple.
“Put yer guns down, mateys,” she ordered.
Lucas drew his last remaining flintlock, as did a few of the islanders, and pointed it at a nearby pirate.
Rosa began. “There’s been a misunderstandin’, Captain,” he said and rubbed his hands together. A ring for every finger glimmered in the firelight. “Lay yer weapons down.” He motioned to his men.
She was vulnerable. The motion could be to take her out. But Robert spoke before she could respond.
“Put your weapons down,” Robert commanded.
“These are good people protecting their home. We are intruders here.” He glanced at Danna to his side.
“We only came to help when we heard the dragon roar. We’ll return to the east side of the island.
You’ve nothing to fear from us.” He turned to the few of his pirates who had drawn their weapons.
“I’m sure they were only going to shoot in celebration. ”
They nodded and slowly put their pistols back in their belts. He gestured to the men next to Rosa, “The same with your men?”
Rosa grunted. “Aye, Captain Jaymes.”
Rosa eyed Danna like a siren eyed a man. His rugged, handsome face turned menacing. His men returned their weapons to their belts.
Robert told a tall, built sailor, “Frank, take the men back to camp. Captain Rosa and I should discuss some matters with Captain Chadwick.” Robert addressed Lucas with a gentleman’s tip of the head.
“Ervin, was it?” Robert opened his palms to him in a grand gesture.
“Continue celebrating. You did wound Cain and made him retreat. You also weighed him down with iron chains. You should celebrate?—”
Danna cut him off. “No, Captain Ervin. Get these pirates off our shore. See to the wounded. Count the babes, tally the dead and missin’ . . . Make plans to rebuild at first light.”
Lucas nodded. “Aye, Captain. I’ll see it done. I’ll join ye for the talk, too,” he said, eyeing Rosa and Robert. His gut slowly hardened to reveal muscle definition from a decade earlier. He straightened his back and lifted his chin, pointing his pistol at Rosa.
Danna thought about it for a moment. She needed Robert and Rosa to respect her as a man, so she shook her head. “Do as I ordered.”
“Aye, Captain.” He whistled and started giving orders to round up the pirates and herd them back to the path toward the Eastern shore.
Danna motioned with the barrel for Robert and Rosa to walk in front of her.
She hid the pain as she slowly walked inside the main hall and had them sit on some benches.
She stood before them, with guns pointed at their heads, arms slack at her sides.
She firmed her stance under a stone stare, a slight wince the only sign of the pain surging in her leg.
“What needs discussin’?” she asked Robert. “Can’t say I buy the tale of yer men shootin’ off powder in merriment.”
Rosa’s smug lips pursed before he took in a sweeping breath. “We’re pirates, lass, but ye’re quick-witted and prove challengin’.”
Robert laid his hand across Rosa’s chest before he locked eyes with Danna. “Some of our men wanted to take the islanders captive, use them to repair our ships, and go away with the father pirate kings’ treasures, but there would have been little to no blood spilled.”
Rosa slapped his hand away. “What’re ye doin’, matey? Tellin’ our plans?”
Robert stood up. Danna clenched her jaw. She couldn’t show her bluff by shooting blanks. She inched up on the handle and cocked her head. “Sit down unless ye wanna lose yer head.”
Robert stopped and looked at her pistols. He glanced over his shoulder at Rosa. “I told you we would leave the Pirate Kings in their graves. Leave whatever riches they have. Leave the Pirate Kings’ descendants alone. I thought that was the agreement.”
Rosa grunted. “That was yer agreement.”
“Now it is ours,” Robert said. “Let Rosa go, Captain Chadwick, and I will stay here to ensure our men do not return.”
Danna eyed him. “This some trap?” She motioned to Rosa. “Ye think I’ll be fooled that easy? Let him slink back with his horde under yer shadow?”
Robert faced Rosa. His tone changed. “Daniel, me brother, bound by sea and storm—ye who’s shared me cot, me plunder, me joys, and me sorrows—swear it to me now: ye’ll not return, nor send yer crew, to lay claim to this settlement.”
Rosa stood up and squared his shoulders to Robert. “Yer father was Robert ‘ the Ruthless ’ Jaymes,” he muttered. “Be glad he’s not livin’ to see ye leave treasure on an island for fear of a few blood drops and a lass.” Rosa slid his gaze to Danna.
Robert shook his head, drawing Rosa’s attention.
“My father was ruthless, as am I, and like my father, I know where honor and dignity are due. Letting the fathers of the pirate kings lie in their graves with their riches is both honorable and dignified. Leaving their descendants in peace would have been the path he would have taken. My father would be proud.”
Rosa sneered. “Fine, then, brother,” he spat the words like bitter grog. “I give ye me word on me father’s name.” He walked out, eyeing Robert as he went. The doors closed behind him.
When his footsteps were no longer heard, Robert turned around to Danna. “Are you satisfied?”
She gestured with the pistol for him to sit, but instead, Robert stepped closer. Too close. The smell of spice and gunpowder clung to him. He lifted her pistols and pressed them beneath his chin.
“What are ye doin’?” Danna grunted. “I’ll blow yer head off.”
His cobalt eyes held hers, steady as a storm-bound sea.