He turned and walked to the gangplank. “Tie her next to him.”
Someone grabbed her arms and dragged her next to Christian. When the huge hands released their grip, her legs gave out and she sagged against him. The giant lashed her wrists to the foremast.
One by one, the pirates left theRaven. The gangplanks were removed and ropes untied. A group of the giants climbed up into the frigate’s rigging.
Once the last line had been cut, Thorne strode to the railing and faced Christian. “Don’t look so angry, boy. I’ll at least give you the pleasure of something I never had. Dying at your lover’s side.”
Before she could ponder what he meant, the world exploded. The cannons fired in perfect harmony, blasting through theRaven’shull.
“No.” Samantha choked the word out as her beloved ship shuddered beneath the onslaught. She struggled to take her next breath and slumped forward while everything spun around her in a blur.
“Red.” Christian’s voice cut through the haze surrounding her. “Stay with me.”
His elbow nudged her side and she leaned into his steady weight. Another round of cannon fire brought splashing crashes below. Theywere firing below the waterline.
No.
She thrashed against her bonds, rubbing the skin at her wrists raw.
Christian braced his leg against hers, the solid touch bringing her back. Ceasing her struggle, she took a deep breath. And another. The movements of the ship were foreign to her. TheRavenlisted to her port and Samantha imagined the cargo holds filling with water below.
The grind of cannon wheels snapped her attention to Thorne’s deck, where a group of giants pushed a gun to the railing. Once in place, they swung the barrel to point at the group of captives. Sweat beaded on Samantha’s brow.
Thorne patted one of the men’s shoulders. “He’s an expert marksman.” His gaze narrowed on Christian. “I do say, Lieutenant, I wish we could have met under better circumstances.”
He flipped open the compass and strode to the quarterdeck while the man at the cannon grinned at their group. After several tense moments passed, he shrugged and swiveled the barrel toward the mainmast.
Her heart calmed, but only a little. If he took the mainmast down, he could still kill them all. Between the mast itself and the yards, sails, and rigging, it could be as deadly—or worse—as a shot taken directly at them. Christian had gone stiff at her side, angling himself between her and the mast.
As if he could save her from a thousand-pound piece of wood.
Her eyes alternated between the man at the gun and the mast. He took his time, sighting down the iron barrel and making minute corrections to his aim. Without moving, he gave the order to light and the man behind him struck a flint next to the fuse. The giant made one final adjustment and stepped away.
Boom!
A crack accompanied the thunderous blast and Samantha flinched. The impact traveled up her legs but not as violently as it should have.Her eyes flew to the mast, where a deep scar furrowed its side. It stood.
For now.
The cannonball had gouged itself nearly halfway through the mast. A few inches farther and it would have been brought down. The giant already fiddled with the smoking barrel and her heart clenched. Even if he didn’t hit it square on, the next shot would take it down.
Thorne set a hand on the man’s shoulder. “No need to waste any more lead. They’ll go down quickly. Set the sails.”
At his shout, the men up in the yards unfurled sails and the white canvas billowed out. Thorne stared straight ahead as his ship crawled forward, content to let the sea finish his job.
“Coward,” she whispered beneath her breath.
As soon as theReckoningturned away from them, Christian began struggling. TheRavenslanted hard now, and Samantha had to lean far back to stay upright.
“If anyone has a knife hidden on them, now’s the time to share.” Griff shot her a look and her eyes widened.
Of course.
“I have one.”
Christian jerked around to face her and she nodded toward the deck. “In my boot.”
She lifted her foot as the ship tilted even further. Balancing on one foot became impossible and she slipped. The ropes around her wrists yanked tight and she cried out at the wrenching pain in her shoulders as the weight of her body threatened to dislocate them.
