Chapter Twenty-Two
“Let go of me!” Josephine struggled against the hands gripping her arms as the two pirates dragged her across the deck.
Her pulse slammed through her, the thunder of cannons still ringing in her ears.
After Thorne had locked her in his cabin, she’d been hopeful for rescue.
But when the boards shook beneath her and the sound of splintering wood filled the cabin, that hope quickly turned to a grim fear—even if the opponents won, she could very well be blown to bits in the process.
So much for rescue. Thorne’s men had quickly overtaken the other ship.
As the pirates guided her toward the rail, her heart sank.
The smaller ship had been gravely damaged with its main mast cracked in half.
Its surviving crew had been rounded up in a small circle near a mess of rigging and fallen sails.
Bodies lined the deck, pools of blood glistening in the sunlight.
Her stomach heaved as she averted her gaze. Thorne stood at the helm, his dark coat whipping in the wind, like a fallen angel lording over the ruin before him. He held a crimson stained sword at the ready, vaguely pointed toward the man standing next to him.
Blue eyes locked with hers and she let out a strangled cry. Isaac. He stared at her, jaw clenched and hands curled into fists. He was alive.
For now.
He took a step toward her and the pirate swung his sword up to his throat before shouting across the water separating the ships. “Bring her over.”
The men pushed her onto the gangplank. This one didn’t have any rope guidelines.
Just a narrow board with nothing between it and the rolling swells below.
She swallowed, her throat thick. One foot edged forward.
As soon as her fingers left the rail, her body pitched, swaying precariously over the water.
The pirates behind her laughed and she pulled her shoulders back.
Breathe. She bent her knees like Isaac had shown her and stepped farther out.
Better. Her gaze flitted up to him, and her heart stuttered.
His eyes had not left her, and concern filled them.
She took another steadying breath and started across, rising and falling with the pitch of the waves.
Once her feet hit the solid planks of the ship, she nearly collapsed at the steady comfort. But she didn’t have time to savor the feeling. One of the brutes had followed her across and grabbed her arm again. He gave her a shove toward the captive crew and a glint of copper caught her eye.
“Samantha!” Relief crashed through her as she rushed to her friend’s side and pulled her into a hug.
Samantha’s hands were bound, but a rueful smile touched her lips. “Sorry we were unsuccessful in rescuing you.”
“Tie her up.” Thorne’s cold voice sliced through the air, jerking Josephine’s attention back to the reality ahead. They were all at the pirate’s mercy—which she knew didn’t stretch any further than the edge of his blade.
Rough cords bound her wrists, pulling them tight together in front of her. Thorne watched until the last knot had been tied, then jabbed his blade between Isaac’s shoulders. “Go join your crew, Lieutenant.”
Isaac kept his gaze on her as he descended the steps. He walked past the group, his eyes searching, counting. When he finished, he pressed them shut. Her own heart squeezed as the weight of his losses hit him. Squaring his shoulders, he turned and strode to the front of the group.
Captain Thorne made his way down to the main deck. His steps echoed across the ship, deliberate and slow. Josephine slid her gaze to Samantha. “What happens now?”
Samantha didn’t look at her. “Now is when he kills us.”
Josephine’s heart pounded at the words, spoken so matter-of-factly. A chill slid through her as the pirate paused at the gangplank, then turned to face the captives.
Isaac stood perfectly still, his fists clenched at his sides. “Spare them.”
Green eyes flashed. “And why would I do that?”
“If you do, I will join you.”
“Isaac, no!” Josephine snapped her mouth shut. Too late. The name was already out—desperate and unmistakably intimate.
Thorne’s eyes gleamed as a smile played at the corners of his mouth. A shiver trembled down her spine as his gaze traveled up and down her length, and she fought the urge to step back.
Isaac stepped forward and went down on one knee. “Their safety, for my allegiance.”
Josephine’s hands balled into fists at her sides as her heart twisted at Isaac’s rough voice.
Thorne’s laugh came cold and calculated as his gaze never left Josephine. “I got what I needed. I’ve no need for your help anymore, boy.”
“You’ve got one name. What about the rest?”
Thorne swung to face him. He ran a thumb over his blade, his grin growing wider. “Ross will squeal like a pig by the time I’m done with him. He’ll give me all that I need.”
“And if he doesn’t?”
The question hung in the air. For the first time, a sliver of hesitation slid across Thorne’s expression. Those green eyes sharpened, but the pirate didn’t answer.
“It can’t hurt to have a naval lieutenant working for you.” Isaac’s voice had lowered, sliding the offer out like a dare.
Thorne ignored him and walked past him to the group, each footstep reverberating through the deck. He stopped in front of Samantha and grinned. “I hear congratulations are in order.”
She set her jaw, staring straight ahead, her eyes fixed on the sea beyond the pirate’s shoulder.
“Come now, is that any way to greet your father-in-law?”
Josephine’s mouth dropped. Father-in-law? The words echoed, hollow at first—then struck their mark. Her mind flashed back to the orders she and Isaac had found. Mrs. Thompson. Captain Thompson. The truth aligned, sharp and merciless, knocking the air from her lungs. Thorne was Christian’s father.
Samantha’s gaze flitted to her for a brief second before returning to the captain. “You’ll never be family to me.” The words ground out through clenched teeth.
Thorne chuckled. “I see you’re feisty as ever.”
His gaze leveled on Josephine for a moment, before he turned to Isaac with pursed lips. “Alright, Lieutenant. I accept your offer.”
Josephine didn’t miss the way Isaac’s shoulders curved inward.
Offering to work alongside the very enemy whose capture his entire career hinged on…
Her heart squeezed. For someone who had fought so hard—had made it his goal to take the pirate down—the sacrifice would cut him deeper than any wound, something akin to a preacher selling his soul to the very devil he sought redemption from.
Thorne nodded toward the gangplank. “After you.”
Isaac turned to Josephine. “Are you alright?”
She nodded, tears pricking her eyes. “Don’t do this.”
He glanced behind him, then leaned in, voice low. “This is the only way. It’s not his nature to leave survivors.” His fingers lifted, brushing a wet drop from her cheek.
Thorne cleared his throat behind them. “Go, boy. Before I change my mind.”
A muscle ticced in the lieutenant’s jaw, but he dropped his hand and turned. Once he made it to the pirate ship, two men took him by the arms. They tried to drag him from the railing, but he dug his feet in, twisting to face Josephine and his surviving crew.
They stood silent as the pirates combed the bloodstained deck, picking up fallen weapons. Josephine dropped her eyes to her feet as they tossed the bodies overboard, each heavy splash making her flinch. Once satisfied, the men filed onto the frigate.
Captain Thorne waited for the last of his crew to file across before he lifted a foot to the gangplank. He paused midstep, turning back to Josephine and Samantha, his lips twisting into a grin. “I’ve changed my mind after all.”
Isaac surged forward, but the two brutes grabbed his shoulders, holding him back. “Don’t you go back on your word!”
A hollow laugh rang out between the two ships. “You should know better than most, a pirate’s word is good for nothing.” He started toward the bound crew and Josephine shrank back.
Isaac thrashed against his captors, muscles straining as they struggled to hold him tight. “Don’t you dare hurt them.”
“I wonder…” Thorne slid his sword free and pointed it between the two women. “Which one you care the most about?”
The pirate set the blade below Samantha’s chin. “This is awfully familiar, don’t you agree? Really, we need to stop meeting this way.”
“Go on.” Her eyes narrowed and she leaned into the steel at her throat. His brows lifted as he adjusted his stance, his arm easing back to keep his sword from piercing her. “Why don’t you finish the job you started? Lucky you, your son’s not here to stop you this time.”
His gaze darkened, blade steady in his hand. “Don’t worry, daughter, I’ll have my pound of flesh yet.”
Thorne glanced behind him at Isaac’s stoic form and raised his voice. “You’re not making this game very fun, Lieutenant.” Isaac didn’t answer and stood straight, his face like stone.
The pirate frowned. “What do you think, ladies? If he had to choose, would it be the wife of his best friend?” He reached out and ran the back of his knuckles over Samantha’s cheek before swinging his weapon toward Josephine. “Or his new lover?”
Her pulse roared in her ears as the tip of the blade settled against her neck. The metallic tang of drying blood filled her nose and she swayed, the deck spinning around her. A hand closed around hers with a reassuring squeeze. Samantha.
Her breath shuddered as she focused on the planks beneath her feet, the hum of the wind in the rigging—anything but the man in front of her.
The moment seemed to stretch into eternity, the steady thump of her pulse slowly bringing her back.
Finally, Thorne shrugged and flicked the blade down, the razor-sharp edge slicing through the bindings at her wrists.
She glanced at him, brows twisted as the ropes fell to the deck.
He waved her forward. “I think your dear lieutenant would enjoy some company during our trip.”