The Buccaneer Belle by Vanessa K. Eccles

Author:Vanessa K. Eccles [Eccles, Vanessa K.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Vanessa Eccles

Chapter 6

The rest of the night went on in a blur. I couldn’t get my hands to stop shaking. One thing was clear—being a witness to murder would forever change me. Jeremiah and I were escorted back to the ship and locked in our cell. He stayed close to me, his warmth shielding me from the cold, wet walls and the terrifying truth. I hardly noticed the musty smell anymore. I nuzzled my face into his arm, pleasantly wrapped in his sweet aroma.

Words didn’t pass between us. I was thankful to have the illusion of his protection, even though I knew he couldn’t save me. What could he possibly do to protect me? If the captain wanted something, he would have it. Including me.

Midmorning, we awoke to the sound of someone outside the cell. Two men scowled at us. One kept his eyes on me, licking his chapped lips.

“Don’t you look safe there all locked up, wrapped in the good doctor’s arms?” one of them said to me. I tried not to look at them, hoping that if I refused to recognize his words or even his existence that he’d go away. No such luck.

“Nothing can keep you safe,” the other added.

Jeremiah’s face tightened, his jaw clenched. He hugged me tighter.

The two men stood there like hungry dogs for minutes. It wasn’t until I heard the click of the door lock that I finally turned to them. They forced themselves into the door, and I clung to Jeremiah—my only hope. But the men scooped me up, one on either arm and before Jeremiah could stand, one had kicked him while the other punched him in the face. He fell on the filthy floor, and they forced me toward the door. The lock secured, bars between Jeremiah and I. I grabbed for them, clung for dear life, but the two men were too strong. Finger by finger, they pulled me away from the bars. There wasn’t room in the narrow corridor for all three of us to be side by side, so one grabbed my legs, and the other looped his arms under mine. I tried not to notice when their hands grazed over secret places I’d reserved for marriage.

Jeremiah screamed, echoes of his resistance following us all the way down the hall and to a cell deep within the ship.

I knew what the men wanted to do. What I didn’t understand was why they’d be willing to break the pirate’s code and risk their lives for a few minutes of pleasure.

Before they could make their move, though, a voice boomed in the distance, “Don’t even think about it.” A distinguished warning rang out that made every muscle in my body relax.

The men looked up, recognition in their eyes, and something else—fear. They pulled away from me and tidied up their clothing. They stood side by side against the iron bars while I was left in the muck. I curled my knees to my chest and braced for whatever would come next.

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