“Listen to me, you little whore. Hendrix is mine. I don’t care what deal you two have going, the next time I come into his room I am going to get what I need.”
Ew.
“If you think I’m going to let you bully me into making the decision to stop cock blocking Hendrix, you will find yourself at a dead end. I won’t be bullied, and I sure as shit won’t sit around and let him fuck your trashy brains out in front of me.”
Her eyes flare, and she raises her fist. I see it coming, and I know how to block it. Call me a seasoned pro, but I’ve learned how to dodge punches. As soon as her fist flies forward, I twist my body from her grips, and swing my head to the side. Her fist hits the wooden wall, and she screams in pain as it splinters and her hand goes right through it. Before I can react any further, the tall, blond man who threw me in the cells originally, Drake, I think, is pulling me back.
“Enough,” he barks.
“Oh God,” the blond girl screams. “Drake, my hand is stuck in the wall.”
“That will teach you for running your mouth off,” he barks.
He’s…defending me? I squirm in his grips, but he doesn’t let me go.
“I said enough, girl. Stop squirming.”
“Then let me go,” I snap.
“No,” he says simply, before reaching over, gripping the blond girls shirt and pulling her so hard her hand comes out of the wall. It’s got blood and splinters all over it.
“Go and see Jess, Senny, and get your hand sorted out.”
Senny is the blond girl’s name. She spins, gripping her hand and glaring at me. “This isn’t over.”
“It is over.”
I hear the booming voice and turn to see Hendrix appear from the shadows of the hall. How long had he been standing there? He walks over to Senny, grips her shoulder and leans in close. “You touch anyone on my ship again, male or female, I will slice you up and toss you overboard. You’re no more than an easy fuck, Sienna. That’s it. I don’t owe you anything, so I suggest you shut your mouth and stay away from Indigo.”
I feel my body tense. It’s the first time I’ve heard him use my name.
Sienna/Senny nods frantically, and turns and rushes off. When she’s gone, Hendrix turns to me. “Cock blocking?”
I bite my lower lip, and look away.
“Where’d you learn to dodge punches like that?” he adds.
I shrug, still staring at the floor. Drake is still holding onto me, saying nothing.
“I just reacted…”
“What did I say about lying?” he growls. “You will learn very quickly that I can tell a liar from a mile away, so don’t bother trying. Now, I ask again, where did you learn to dodge punches like that?”
I’m sick of his arrogant attitude. He’s always so pushy, so dominant, so frustrating. I wiggle from Drake’s grip, and he steps back and lets me go. I cross my arms, and face Hendrix, my eyes wild with adrenalin and rage. “I learned it because my ex-boyfriend used to beat me so much I had to defend myself. One night, I couldn’t defend myself, so I shot him and he went to jail. Now he’s free and looking for me. I had to learn to defend myself otherwise he would have killed me. Does that answer your question?”
Hendrix’s expression is hard to read, but his eyes are intense. They’re focusing on me, and he looks like he’s deep in thought. I shake my head, and turn to Drake. “Thank you, for whatever that was.”
He focuses his blue eyes on me and I see a flash of something else inside them. He looks…lonely. He holds his life in his eyes, and from what I can see it’s a life of bad, painful things. The scar on his face tells only confirms that. I hold his gaze, wondering about the man that is behind the giant. He’s so big, so muscly, so powerful, yet his face…it holds a certain level of gentle. He turns his eyes away from mine, and nods, before turning and walking off.
“Don’t make friends with Drake, he’s not the kind of man you’ll understand,” Hendrix says.
I rip my eyes from Drake, and turn to Hendrix. “You said I could do whatever I wanted on this ship, so long as I took care of myself. That’s what I’m doing.”
I turn and begin walking toward the cells again.
“Is he still after you?” Hendrix yells out.
I stop, and my entire body stiffens. I look over my shoulder and murmur, “It doesn’t matter, because it’s none of your business.”
He makes a growling sound as I disappear into the dark.
What does it matter to him anyway?
Yo ho, haul together, hoist the colors high!
“You what?” Eric rasps, widening his eyes.
I wrap my fingers around the cell bars, and peer in at him. “It was the only way to keep you safe, Eric.”
“You basically sold yourself to him,” he yells.
“I had no choice.”
“You knew he wouldn’t have hurt you, you didn’t have to make that deal.”
“He might not have hurt me,” I cry, “but he would have hurt you.”
“Indi…”
“I’ll get us out of this mess, I just needed some time. For the moment, he thinks I am not going to do anything because I want to protect you. If I can get you out . . . ”
“Even if you can, how do we escape?” he whispers, letting his eyes dart around the small space as if double-checking no one is around.
“If I can get the key we can sneak out really late at night when Hendrix is asleep. There’s a lifeboat at the back of the ship. I might be able to start hiding some water in there…it might give us a few days…”
“As soon as he knows you’re gone he will come looking, he will find us out there…”
“Do you just want me to give up?” I snap. “Lay down and let my life be sold?”
“No, but we need a more solid plan.”
“We’re in the middle of the ocean, Eric. There’s nothing more solid than that.”
“We can’t just jump overboard, Indi. It doesn’t work like that.”
“Well when you figure out a better plan,” I bark, “do share.”
Then I spin around and storm toward the door.
“Indi!” Eric yells. “Don’t start acting stupid.”
Acting stupid?
Is he serious?
I am laying my freedom down for him, and he thinks I’m acting stupid.
I don’t look back at him, nor do I stop. I walk up the stairs, slamming the door behind me, only to run right into Jess. She squeaks and jumps backwards, her big eyes wide. “I’m sorry, I didn’t realize you were there.”
I shake my head, putting my hands up. “It’s fine, I’m fine.”
“Are you okay?” she asks softly.
I feel my body relax a little, and I exhale a loud breath. “I’m fine, thank you.”
“I’m Jess. We haven’t been formally introduced.”
She extends her hand to me, and I wearily take it. “I’m Indigo.”
“That’s a pretty name.” She smiles.
I smile back. “Thank you. Is Hendrix around?”
“He will be in the dining room at this time of the day.”
I smile again. “Thank you.”
She nods, and then shrugs. “Anytime, that’s what I’m here for.”
I so desperately want to ask her why she’s on this ship, but I can’t. If she’s working closely with Hendrix then she is likely to tell him everything I say or do.
“Thank you,” I say once more, before turning and heading up toward the deck.
I need fresh air.
I need to think.
When I reach the deck, I see a group of pirates near the navigation cabin. They are all smoking and talking amongst themselves. I don’t meet any of their gazes as I walk past them to the edge of the old yet beautiful ship. I peer overboard, and see a sculpture of a mermaid soaring off the front. I smile, and I realize it’s the first real smile I’ve given in days.
I can hear the faint chatter of the pirates behind me, and I zone out, forgetting where I am for just a mom
ent. I close my eyes and let the sea breeze tickle my face. I take a deep breath and fill my lungs, enjoying the slight burn as they expand.
“Best not get too close to the edge.” I hear a raspy voice behind me. “There’s a lot of sharks down there, but I’m sure the cap’n has already told you that.”
I spin around to see three pirates standing, staring over at me. They’re all older, and they look kind of mean. One of them laughs at the nervous expression on my face, but the laugh isn’t gentle or kind. It frightens me. I step back against the side, gripping on.
“Oh now, don’t be scared, lassie. We ain’t gonna hurt ya’.”
Why don’t I believe him?
“Just leave me alone…”
The pirate standing in the middle takes a step forward, and my entire body stiffens. “Just warnin’ you about them there sharks. Why if you fall overboard, you’re toast.”
“I know,” I say, trying to keep my voice steady.
“You seen them, then?” He grins. “Well you wouldn’t want to trip…”
He steps forward quickly, and I scurry backwards, slipping and gripping onto the railings to stop myself falling over the side. All three of them roar with laughter, and my entire body tingles with fear. They’re trying to bait me, trying to tease and taunt me. They would find it absolutely hilarious if I was to fall over the side right now. I feel my eyes burning, and I turn away, trying to steady my wobbling legs.
“Aw, now, don’t go gettin’ all upset, why . . . we’re only havin’ fun.”
Assholes.
“Yeah,” one says. “We wouldn’t want you to die on us now…”
“Leave her alone.”
I hear the voice, and turn my head to see Drake standing behind the group of guys.
“Now, Drakey-boy, ain’t no one doin’ anything wrong.”
“Leave. Her. Alone.”
His voice is like razor blades, and the pirates seem to get their backs up over it. The oldest of the group steps forward, pulling out a rusty knife. My stomach coils. Am I about to be caught in the middle of a fight? I wrap my arms around myself, stepping back further and watching with wide eyes. The older pirate steps forward, still pointing the knife at Drake.
“What did you say, Drake?” he hisses.
“You heard me,” Drake says, “I said leave her alone.”
“Since when did you become her body guard?”
“My business, Jekyll, is none of yours. Now, I will ask once more. Leave her alone and walk away.”
The pirate, Jekyll, roars with laughter and lunges forward. I watch with a horrified expression as he drives his knife towards Drake’s stomach. Just before it touches the skin, Drake’s arm lashes out and his fist drives upwards, smashing the pirate’s nose. Blood spurts from his face as he stumbles backwards. It takes only three seconds or so after that, for Drake to drop him onto the ground and press his boot to his throat. The pirate struggles beneath Drake’s boot, gasping for air.
“Do I need to kill you now?” he hisses.
“It was a joke, just a joke!” the pirate cries.
“Get out of my sight, before I make you wish you weren’t born.”
He removes his boot, and the pirate gets to his feet, coughing and spluttering, before storming off. The other two pirates back away slowly. My entire body slumps with relief. Thank God. I never realized how powerful Drake was until that very moment. I lift my eyes to meet his, and he stares at me for a second before starting to turn away. I can’t let him leave without a thank you; he just rescued saved me, yet again.
“You like saving me?” I say timidly.
He stops turning, and looks back at me. “Just doing my job.”
“Your job is to save the captives?”
His lip twitches. Oh my, does Drake smile?
“It is my job to make sure you don’t get hurt.”
“So he can sell me in one fine piece? Right?”
He shrugs. “Something like that.”
“So you don’t do it because you’re a nice person, then? That’s a real shame,” I say, finding an old bench and sitting on it. “Because I kind of liked you.”
His eyes fall on me, and he looks confused, like he can’t possibly believe I could like him or even contemplate liking him. Then he does something that surprises me; he walks over and sits down beside me. Compared to my small frame, he’s massive. I still can’t wrap my mind around the sheer size of him. We both stare out at the ocean for a moment, just sitting in silence, and then I turn to him.
“How come you’re so big?” I ask.
He shrugs, and I can see the muscles in his arms move as he does. “I used to play a lot of football back in school, but I was always a big kid. I did some security work for a large bar chain in the United States for a while. That took a lot of work, because I had to be big to be able to throw the drunken idiots out. I worked out hard, and got bigger. Then I met Hendrix and joined the crew, becoming his main security man. I am always with him when he goes to shore, and I keep this ship in line when he can’t.”
“So you don’t work out now?” I say, shocked.
He shakes his head. “Not all the time, but I do lift a lot.”
“You’re kind of…scary.”
His lips twitch again. “That’s kind of the point.”
“I guess it is.”
He turns his face, and looks down at me. “But you’re not scared of me.”
“No,” I say, shaking my head. “I’m not.”
“Why?”
I shrug. “I don’t know, I guess I see something that maybe you don’t.”
“And that is?”
“Kindness.”
He flinches, and turns his face away from mine, but not before I see a moment of pain in his eyes.
“You’ve been hurt really badly, haven’t you?”
He stands suddenly. “I shouldn’t be talking to you, Hendrix wouldn’t agree.”
“Hendrix doesn’t own me,” I protest.
He looks down at me once more then reaches out, lifts my hand and turns it over so he can see the faint red line from where Hendrix sliced me when we made our deal.
“But you’re wrong,” he says. “He does own you.”
Then he drops my hand and walks off.
There’s something very deep about Drake.
And I have a feeling he might be one of the only friends I’ll make on this ship.
Work like a captain–play like a pirate.
The first few nights in Hendrix’s room go reasonably well. He’s not here very often, so I spend my evenings alone on the sofa, or down with Eric. I have been trying to make small talk with Hendrix, but most of the time I fail. I so desperately want to see if there’s a chance of any kind of connection between us. It’s a far off dream, I do know this, but it’s worth a try. If Hendrix likes me, even a little, he might reconsider. That’s what I’m hoping for, at least. It’s got to be better than living in fear. I’ve figured out that my life is safe for the moment, at least until Hendrix sells me.
I’m making the most of that moment.
My dinner tonight is bland, boring and simple, but it’s food, and I’m not going to turn anything down. I eat as slowly as possible, trying to ease my stomach back into taking food. The past few days have been all about experimentation with food and water. The simple mashed potatoes are heavy and filling, but they’re bland, and I’ve worked out bland works. When I finish up my dinner, I have another shower and find myself a long daggy shirt in the small pile of clothes Jess gave me. I slide it on and find myself a comb before heading out to the sofa.
Hendrix is at his desk when I step out, and he looks up when he hears the door creak. We might not have a personal connection, but there’s certainly a sexual connection. It’s hard not to create something sexual when the air crackles every time he walks into the room. It’s strong, and intense, and so alluring. I watch as he lets his eyes travel down my body, before lifting back up to my face. He looks like he’s satisfied. “You’re lo
oking healthier, it’s good.”
I cross my arms and walk over to the sofa, sitting down and running the comb through my damp hair. “I don’t feel all that much better.”
“Has your leg healed?”
I shift uncomfortably, and stare down at the small purple scar on my leg where he shot me—well, where he grazed me. “It’s fine,” I mutter.
Hendrix is flicking through some papers on his desk, and I notice his eyes are narrowed like he’s deep in thought. He reaches down and opens a drawer, and pulls out a phone. My eyes widen, and I try to smother the gasp that escapes my lips. Hendrix has a phone that’s not just a ship line? Oh God. He lifts the tiny device up and punches in a number before bringing it to his ear. He waits a moment, not looking at me, probably not even thinking about the fact that he just showed me a way out.
“JR, yeah, it’s me. You got his location yet?”
I watch him nod.
“Fuck. Yeah. Let me know when you do.”
He brings the phone down, and growls a curse. He’s obviously having a bad night. He turns and storms toward the bathroom, muttering something about incompetent idiots. He slams the door, and I leap to my feet. I don’t think, I don’t hesitate, I just run toward the phone on the desk. I flip it open, darting my gaze to the bathroom door. Oh God, I have seconds, maybe minutes, if I’m lucky. He could walk back out at any moment.
Adrenalin fills my veins, and I begin to shake as I fumble with the keys, punching in Eric’s mother’s number. I know it by heart, because we’ve been close for so many years. My heart is thumping, and my head is spinning as I struggle to catch my breath. Come on. Come on. I bring the phone to my ear when a hand lashes out and thumps my wrist, sending the phone flying. I spin around, crying out as I lunge towards it, landing on my knees and wincing in pain.
Hendrix is on me in seconds, flattening his body over mine. He lashes out and grips my wrist as I attempt to reach out for the phone. His hard body is crushing me into to the floor, but I still squirm, desperation taking over.