Page 48 of Enchanted By a Pirate
"You won't rest until you've learned everything, madam."
"It appears so." She needed to know what had happened between the men, what problems there were, and who was in love with whom.
"There was a fight the night the mutineers brought you here on my ship. You fled because the traitor Freddy forced you to do so. Well, we've sorted that out. Anyway, I tried to follow you, but the mutineers blocked my way. Jack fought at my side and I… tried to find you in the dark. I didn't see the blow coming that Jack took for me."
That was the reason? That sounded more like an accident. "That could have happened to anyone."
Chris's expression darkened. "It has happened to me too many times lately."
"What does that mean? He's mad at you because you weren't paying attention for a moment?"
"The entire crew is angry with me because I frequently haven't paid attention over the past few years. They've saved my ass more than once because I thought I saw you, because I believed I had a lead, and because I assumed I had found a scrap of your dress. Heavens, Ani, I was worried sick about you." He ran a hand through his dark hair. He looked harried and tired. How hard had he tried to find her? "Freddy is right. Ever since you disappeared, I haven't been a good captain. When you vanished, you not only took my heart with you but also my mind. My actions were thoughtless and reckless." He looked at his men, who were doing their best to maneuver the Fortuna into calmer waters. "They were loyal companions who didn't abandon me even though they had every reason to. I guess I have myself to blame for what happened to Freddy."
His gaze wandered over his men one last time before he tightened his grip on her hand and walked with her to the tween deck. She understood what he meant. He felt responsible and he was in fact responsible as captain. Still, he was being too hard on himself. When she thought about how quickly he had forgiven Freddy…
She wanted to reassure him, but Chris apparently considered the matter closed and she accepted it. He didn't want to talk about the subject any longer. He purposefully opened a hatch that led below deck and pulled her down a narrow ladder.
"What are we doing here?"
He slowly stroked her hand and grinned suggestively. "What are you going to do with me down here?"
She was getting hot. Stop! She couldn't allow him to fluster her constantly like this. "Tell me. Where are you taking me?"
"I promised I'd take you to see the mutineers."
Right.
The sun was no longer shining on her and she immediately felt uneasy. Although the hatch remained open, there was little daylight filtering into the dark hallway. Chris led her to the pirates who had abducted her and treated her so badly. Even though they were in a magical sleep, Anna's pulse quickened and her palms grew clammy.
Chris pulled her closer and wrapped an arm around her shoulders. “Don’t worry, I’ll take care of you.”
How caring he was toward her, even though he was a feared pirate. Was he really pillaging with his men and attacking other ships? Once they were back outside, she had to ask him about the… role of the pirates. But for now, she enjoyed his comforting closeness and the reassuring safety he radiated as they reached a door that was secured by several locks.
"Are they in there?" Her voice was merely a whisper. She immediately cleared her throat and straightened up. She wanted to show strength — after all, her captors weren't even conscious.
"Aye. I don't know what magic surrounds them, so stay behind me."
Well, that didn't help. Still, she wanted to see the men and reassure herself that they truly weren't a threat.
The locks clicked and Chris pushed open the door. It creaked and scraped across the planks. There was no porthole to let in daylight, and only the dim light from behind them illuminated part of the prison, leaving the rest in shadows. The men were lying on the bare floor, their ankles and wrists bound. Other than their steady breathing, they didn't move. Only when a wave rocked the ship did the limp bodies shift from side to side or the toes of their boots bob up and down.
Anna shivered. It was them — the men who had abducted her from her apartment. She hadn't gotten a good look at them all, but she recognized the supposed leader and the one with the striped shirt straight away. As they lay there motionless,they didn't seem frightening at all. Still, Anna shuddered. She would have preferred for the scoundrels to remain in this state, if possible.
The captain pointed to the five she recognized. "They're part of my crew. The other idiots must have been hired on at some dive because five men alone cannot sail my ship."
"So, not all of them are part of your crew?"
He shook his head.
So, there were more people involved in her abduction? How many on the mainland were also after her? Maybe the men who attacked her in the alley in Linnenberg? Had they recognized her? Did they all work for the Snow Queen? "Do you believe the Snow Queen cast a spell that put them into a magical sleep?"
"Aye. I don't know anyone else with such power."
"Do you think she knows they managed to return me?"
"We must assume that. So, no more going it alone, madam, do you understand?"
The worry in his voice caused her heart to beat faster. She gave the men one last look before turning away. She no longer needed to see them. Now she knew they were tied up and unconscious. Even if they woke up from their sleep, they couldn't attack her. Reassured, she left the room, followed closely by Chris, who conscientiously engaged all the locks.
