Taking a deep breath of the clean sea air, Cookie scratched feeling back into his rear end and looked to the sky. Clouds were building upon the horizon. Rain would be arriving by midday. He gave his bearded chin a good rub and turned back to his post.
A sudden movement off to his right caught his attention an instant before something hard struck the side of his head. Lights burst behind his eyes but were quickly extinguished.
Blackness was the last thing Samuel Cookie Burrows was ever to see.
CHAPTER 32
Wolfsan stood over the grizzled pirate and dropped the bloodied rock. He poked at the body with his toe and debated slitting the man’s throat to make certain he was dead. Such a messy business, slitting a throat.
The crashing of the waves below gave him a better idea. Dead or not, he’d just push him over the edge. If he weren’t already dead, the fall would finish the job quite nicely.
It had been such an exhausting night. He easily tracked the two from the governor’s house up here, but the night’s darkness made it almost impossible to see where he was going. The decision to wait out the night had been the best plan, though he didn’t get a wink of sleep knowing Annalise was within his reach. He’d dreamed of this day for weeks.
One more kill before he could claim his prize. The loathsome Captain Steele would be the sweetest one yet. He’d enjoy killing the bastard who’d defiled his Annalise. Soon. Very soon. He pushed at the body with his toe and yawned. This one had been almost too easy. The bumbling fool. Wolfsan pulled out his knife. A slice or two of leather, then a hearty shove and the job was done.
He didn’t even watch to see the body crash to the rocks below. How nice, the idiot left a perfectly good pistol. That, too, would come in handy. Now he’d wait for the light to brighten enough to find his love within her hideaway. He lifted his mirror from his pocket and checked his reflection. “We must look our best.”
Peering into the cave, the dim space was not as deep as he’d thought. As the light reached farther into the shadows, Annalise lay wrapped in a blanket, sleeping along the back wall. He shifted the gun from hand to hand. The pistol would make this child’s play. He couldn’t wait to roust his captive beauty and bid her, “Good Morning.”
“My darling,” he sang. “Annalise, precious one, time to rise and greet the day.”
* * * *
Annalise awoke staring into the barrel of a pistol. She shrank back against the hard wall of the cave as realization washed over her. Even without his flamboyant wig or garish clothing, she could never mistake the dark evil of his soulless eyes. “Wolfsan.” Bile rose in the back of her throat.
“Please, my pet, we’ve been over this before. You must call me Benedict.”
“I’ll call you the devil,” she spat.
“Now, is that how a lady behaves? We will have to do something about that willful spirit of yours. It will never do for a duchess.”
Annalise scanned the opening of the cave, searching for Cookie. Fear and dread filled her. “Where’s Cookie? What have you done to him?”
“He had a splitting headache. He went for a short walk down by the water.”
“You killed him.” She shivered. Icy cold reached down to claw at her bones.
“I’m not sure. I could have. I suppose, but I rather imagine the rocks below did the actual killing. I just offered a bit of encouragement. He wasn’t in a position to argue, but he was kind enough to leave me his pistol.”
Annalise swallowed as sickness closed upon her. Herbert, Alice, Nell, and now Cookie, all dead at this monster’s hand. Anna reached for her throat. She struggled to keep from gagging. “You’re heinous. You’ll pay for the lives you’ve ruined. When my husband sends your soul into the fires of hell, I’ll personally dance upon your grave.”
“I shouldn’t count on that dance, my darling. I would count on the fact that you are now mine, and mine you shall remain. That man you believe is your husband is no match for me. He’ll die as easily as the rest. Although, I can’t promise you a swift death for him. I rather hate doing things in a rush. One should take his time with the things he enjoys, don’t you agree?” He shrugged and leveled the pistol at her face. “Now, please stand up.”
“No.”
“I suggest you do as I say.” He narrowed his eyes. “Stand. Up.”
“No.” She crossed her arms. “You’ll never lay a finger on Jaxon. He’s fought ships full of men fiercer than you and always won. You? You’re nothing. He’ll crush you like the pompous, loathsome, vile insect you are.”
“Enough.” Spittle flew from his mouth. “You’ll hold your tongue or I’ll cut it from you. I am out of patience, my love. So, unless you’d like to feel my wrath sooner than later…”
“Make it sooner.” She flung her arms wide. “Shoot me.” She tipped her head back and to the side. “Or perhaps you’d rather slit my throat.” She leveled a glare at him. “Either way, be done with it. I’ll never go willingly with you. You’ll never have me. I’d rather be dead.”
“Stand up.” His scream echoed off the stone walls and clawed into her skin. “Or I promise you, I shall torture your dear husband while you watch, killing him in the slowest, most painful way I can conjure. Then I’ll beat you into submission and chain you in my cellar until you learn to behave. Now stand.” Veins stood out on his throat. Black eyes turned feral.
Her mind scrambled for a way out. There had to be some way to stop him, fight him. She didn’t care about her own fate, but hearing what he’d do to Jaxon… Wolfsan’s threats weren’t idle. She’d witnessed the twisted evil he was capable of inflicting. Sliding her back up the cold stone of the wall, she stood.
Wolfsan’s expressions turned like pages of a book. Vicious rage to smug satisfaction to utter shock. “Good Lord. Why in heaven’s name are you dressed in a man’s breeches? You look ghastly. Horrible. I see we have much to do to return you to the proper lady you once were. And for heaven’s sake, release your hair from those disgusting rags.”
Before she could answer, he leveled the gun in her face once more.
She reached up and pulled the cloth from her head.
“Good, now move toward the front of the cave.” He glared at her and raised one perfectly shaped eyebrow. “I warn you, if you try to run, I shall shoot your legs from under you.”
Annalise moved to the mouth of the cave, searching for any sign of Cookie. There was none. Wolfsan stopped her by one of the tall stones. He demanded she put her hands behind her and tied her to the rock. The stone pressed tight against her spine. Her arms bent at odd angles. If she tried to move, sharp pain shot through her back and shoulders.
Wolfsan stood in front of her with an evil smirk. He lifted a single curl from her shoulder and brought it to his lips. “Did I ever tell you, my mother had hair just this color? Such a vain, heartless creature. She stared into her mirror, admiring herself for hours, brushing her hair until it shone like a precious gem.” Wolfsan rubbed the curl over his cheek and smelled it.
Annalise jerked, trying to pull away from him.
He grabbed a fistful of hair and yanked her face back to his. He glared at her, fury blazing in his eyes. His breath was hot and foul in her face. “I will rip every strand from your head.” His lips curled. “You will not defy me again. I don’t wish to mar your lovely face, but I will if you continue to fight me.”
“You’re already a dead man. Jaxon will kill you.” She glared at him. His eyes were like black ice. She couldn’t stop the shiver that shook her to the bottom of her soul.
He smiled while sliding the cold barrel of Cookie’s pistol down her cheek. “We shall soon see who survives, my darling. Won’t we?” The hand holding the gun ran over the shape of her body. His touch made her skin stand on edge, and she pulled against her restraints to escape the vile stroke of his fingers, only to gasp in pain. His laughter echoed in the cave and filled her with a sickening dread.
“We’re going to have such fun. I’m
off to deliver an invitation to your savage pirate husband to join our little party. Don’t miss me too much while I’m gone, my pet.” His lips grazed her ear. “Wait right here.” He threw his head back and laughed again.
Annalise watched him leave and began to count. How long before he was far enough away. Two minutes? Five? She struggled against her bindings and screamed with frustration and pain. She began shouting for help with all the air in her lungs. She screwed her eyes shut against the sounds of the surf crashing. The roaring bounced off the stone walls to combine with her shrill screams into some hellish swell of sound.
A sudden blow to her face caused her head to snap back and strike the rock. Lights burst behind her eyes. The taste of blood flooded her mouth. Her jaw felt shattered.
“Stupid bitch. Look what you’ve made me do. I knew I couldn’t trust you. You’re determined to fight me.” He fashioned a gag from the bindings she used for her hair and shoved it into her mouth. “You can’t win. Not this time.”
Tears stung her eyes as she struggled not to choke against the cloth in her mouth. Her face began swelling where Wolfsan had struck her. He left again, and she prayed Jaxon wouldn’t fall into his hands. He was smart and knew how to battle the worst of men. But Wolfsan was depraved and twisted, it was impossible to guess what plans he formed in the darkness of his mind.
* * * *
Clouds moved in to darken the sky by the time a panting Wolfsan returned. “Hello, darling, I’m back. Have you missed me?” He removed the gag and she coughed against the swelling of her tongue. Her jaw throbbed.
Wolfsan brought her water. She gulped it down, while eyeing him over the rim of the tin cup. When she was finished, he ran the back of one knuckle over her wet lip. “You see, I can be quite kind, if you give me the chance. You simply never gave me the opportunity to show you what a fine upstanding husband I could be.” His finger traced over the place where he’d struck her. “Instead, you defied me and ran. You forced me to travel across an entire ocean to find you.”
He began to pace before her. “I should be absolutely furious with you, but now that my long quest to have you is almost over, I find I’m softening my heart and cooling my anger toward you a bit. You may even come to appreciate the kindnesses I can show you. Perhaps you will come to care for me one day.”
“No. N-never.”
“We shall see, my love.” He brushed at his hands and examined his fingernails. “But for now, we wait.” He gave her an oily smile. “I’m positive your husband will be right along. I’m anxious to meet him.”
“What have you done?”
He pulled an ancient mirror from his pocket and smiled at his reflection. “We sent him a gift. Just a small trinket. You know how we enjoy sending presents, don’t you?”
CHAPTER 33
Jaxon and Robbins arrived back at the manor after an entire night of searching for Wolfsan. They passed the word and put the crew on alert, looking for the duke with direct orders to report any information at once.
“Two score saw him show up like he owned the island, and now no one’s seen him?” Jaxon ran a tired hand through his hair. “Maybe he backtracked. We’ll search the grounds.”
“We’ll find him.” Robbins watched him pace the foyer.
“Oh, I can promise you that.”
“I swear on me mother’s eyes, he’ll pay for what he did to Nell.”
Jaxon thumped the boy’s shoulder. “He’s made a long account of what he owes, and I’ll see the bastard keelhauled, flogged, drawn, quartered, and his royal jewels hung out to bake in the sun. Don’t you fret, lad. It’s a small island, and we’ve a great many eyes searching for him. It’s only a matter of time.
“We need some food, and I want to go over the map of the island to see if I’ve forgotten some spider hole where he could be hiding.”
Bates appeared at his shoulder.
“Bates, you’re forever where I need you. Have some food and ale sent to the study.”
“At once. There’s a parcel there for you as well.”
Jaxon frowned. “What kind of parcel?”
“A box, sir. It was at the door early this morning, addressed to you. I put it on the desk.”
The hairs on the back of Jaxon’s neck lifted. He rushed into the study. The simple package wrapped with twine indeed had his name written upon its lid in elegant script.
Jaxon cut the twine and lifted the lid. Bile rose in the back of his throat. His brain screamed, Noooo. He let out a savage howl like some tortured beast.
Robbins was standing next to him. He made a sound like air leaving bellows and crumpled into the closest chair. “Blast me eyes. I ain’t seeing this. Tell me, I ain’t seeing this.” He covered his face with his hands.
In the box was Cookie’s wooden peg leg, its wide leather straps cut at odd angles. Jaxon’s mind raged. “He has her. Cookie is dead and that evil son of a whore killed him. Now he has Annalise.” A tidal wave of fury and terror had him clutching at the doorframe. “Bates. A fresh horse. Now.”
Robbins leapt to his feet and wiped at his eyes. “I’m going with you.”
Jaxon shook his head. Ice-cold determination filled his veins. He wanted the man’s head and he’d be the one killing him. “No, you’re riding back to port. Get Quinn and as many men as you can find, and meet me on the north rim.”
“You ain’t going alone. It’s a trap.”
“I bloody well know it’s a trap. But that bastard has Annalise.”
“But--”
Jaxon gripped the boy’s arms. “I’m not debating this with you. Go. Ride as fast as you can.” He shoved Robbins toward the foyer.
Moments later, Jaxon took off like a ball shot out of a cannon. Pushing the horse, he headed straight for the caves. Wolfsan knew he was coming and Jaxon was riding straight into his snare, but he couldn’t think past the fact he had Annalise. There was no telling what he would do to her.
Thunder rumbled overhead. Jaxon put his heels hard to the horse.
* * * *
Heavy rain made the shore path slick as Jaxon crept along. He slipped into the first cave. Fetid water pooled at his feet, but it was dry enough to load his pistols. His pulse surged, resolve turned black and razor sharp. He was close.
Moving with stealth, he slipped into another cave farther up the ridge and hid just inside the opening. Tall rocks stood as sentries. The murkiness of the day made it difficult to see into the cave’s depths. Jaxon pushed the wet hair away from his face and peered into the dim opening.
He saw her. His entire being screamed to rush to her, but instinct held him in check. Wolfsan had stuffed a rag into her mouth and lashed her to a stone. Jaxon strained to hear past the surf, rain, and rush of blood pounding in his ears.
His eyes took a moment to adjust to the gloom before he scanned the rest of the cave. He saw none other than her. Another minute and she’d be safe in his arms again. He glanced back over his shoulder. No one was behind him. It would take him no time to release her and send her off to meet up with Robbins, Quinn, and the rest. They couldn’t be far behind.
Then he would wait for Wolfsan to return.
“Anna?” Jaxon stepped out of hiding.
Annalise shook her head violently. He snatched the gag from her mouth.
She choked. “No. Behind--”
* * * *
The rock that hit the back of Jaxon’s head dropped him to the cave floor. Annalise screamed and struggled against her restraints.
Wolfsan laughed. He kicked Jaxon hard in the ribs.
“Stop.” Her shriek filled the cave.
Wolfsan silenced her with a vicious backhanded slap to her face. She fought to remain conscious as darkness threatened her vision.
“Shut up.” He kicked Jaxon again. “What a stupid fool. That was too easy.”
Wolfsan dragged Jaxon to one side of the cave and removed his weapons. He bound his hands and feet and tossed his pistols and cutlass far away fr
om him. Wolfsan brushed his hands and smiled at Annalise. “How wonderfully this turned out. No struggle, no fuss.”
Annalise’s head swam. She must stay awake. Her face stung where he had hit her.
A trickle of dark blood ran down Jaxon’s face.
“Is he dead?”
“No.” Wolfsan patted her cheek. “Not yet. Soon. Are you that impatient to be a widow?”
Her mind screamed. She shut her eyes tight. The pull of insanity beckoned her into sweet oblivion. No. This wasn’t over. If Jaxon was alive, it wasn’t over. Think, Annalise. Dammit, think of something. The faces of Wolfsan’s victims swam before her mind’s eye. Herbert, Alice, Cookie, Nell. The sharp ache in her chest threatened to consume her. There was only one way to save Jaxon’s life.
She opened her eyes and stared into the eyes of the devil. “I’ve changed my mind.” She swallowed the rising bile in her throat. “You’ve won. You have me. I’m yours. I’ll go with you, if you agree not to harm him. You said you could be kind, but I’d never given you the chance. I’m giving you that chance. Spare him, and I-I’ll marry you.” The words turned bitter in her mouth. “Leave the captain unharmed, untie me, and we can leave for London on the first ship. I’ll be your w-wife.”
A bright smile grew on his foul lips. “Oh, darling, that’s wonderful news. We’ll be married in a grand celebration just as soon as we return to England.” His smile fell away. “But I’m afraid the captain needs to be punished for stealing you away from me. Don’t you see, he spoiled everything? He’s tainted you with his hands, his mouth, his cock.” Wolfsan’s features twisted into a mask of pure hatred. “He must pay dearly for that. Before I kill him, though, you’ll show him how much you’ve come to care for me, my love. All of me. My hands, my mouth, my cock.” He ran sharp fingers down her neck.
Annalise let out a sob.
Wolfsan chuckled. “I’m starving. Did you bring anything to eat on your little adventure?”
Lighting a lantern, he rummaged through Annalise’s belongings and helped himself to some bread and wine. Taking a drink, he grimaced. “Such hideous taste in wine. You have so much to learn. I find torture and killing are far more enjoyable when the wine is good.” He tried another taste and scowled. “This swill isn’t fit for dogs.”
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