Page 8 of New Storm Rising
“No need to bow to thank me. After all, you can be considered the apple of my eye.”
“Bleeargh!”
By the time I resurfaced from beyond the railing once again, the ship had already gotten quite close to us. There were people scattered over the deck, some even hanging from the rigging. Dark-skinned people. Everybody was waving wildly, clearly trying to get our attention.
“Do you…still want to try…and avoid them?” I panted, clutching my stomach. I was tempted to ram an elbow into his, just to share some marital burdens—but I could not help notice how one of his arms lay around my shoulders, or how his other hand was holding my hair out of my face. I felt a tug at my heart.
Dammit! If he’s being an arse, why does he have to be a bloodyromanticarse?
“No. Not now.” He shook his head, his expression as cool as a cucumber. “They’re directly in our course now. If we try to avoid them, it would just waste more time than dealing with this. No use crying overspilled milk. With me here, dealing with whatever comes will be aseasy as pie.”
To hell with romance! I was going to get this bastard! Oh yes, I wasreallylooking forward to our honeymoon nights. As soon as he was in my hands, I would…mwahahaha…
Insert cackling villainess rubbing her hands together.
“Ferguson!” Mr Ambrose barked. Apparently, he’d had enough of food metaphors for one day. “Telescope!”
A sailor rushed up to hand him the requested object and, lifting it to his eye, Mr Ambrose swept his gaze over the ship in the distance. His already stiff figure turned into ice on the spot.
“Mr Linton?”
“Yes?”
“Go below deck. Now!”
“And you think that commanding tone of yours is going to work on me why, exactly?”
Without a word, he handed me the telescope.
Raising it to my eye, I shifted the telescope until I’d found the ship, and saw…
Smoke.
Bullet holes.
Blood.
“Is that enough reason?” came his familiar cold voice from beyond my field of vision. “Go. Now!”
“Wait just a moment…” I held up my hand. “There’s been a fight, yes. But it seems to be over. You see there, there, and there?” I pointed at different parts of the ship, where people were milling about. “They’re all helping each other. The only thing they seem to be fighting with is the ship’s rudder.”
“Which is enough for me to send you down below.” His voice came in a growl, like an overprotective lion chasing some dangerous ants away from the cave where his lady lion slept. What was up with him? Turning towards me, he gazed down at me, his eyes almost…desperate. “Just…go?”
How come he suddenly sounded so gentle?
“I’ll take a few steps back,” I agreed. “Just in case.”
“Hm.” He gave me a curt nod. “Adequate.”
“Oh, it is, is it?”
“Indeed. I trust you.”
Then turned his head to glance at Karim, and gave him a meaningful look. Immediately, the massive bodyguard moved to my side, placing his hand on the hilt of his sabre.
Oh yes, he trusted me. He definitely trusted me, the hypocritical bastard.
Yet…
