He smiled.“I shall take that as a compliment.”
Gabrielle gestured toward Omphile beside her, though the woman defiantly shook her head.“Now, about the woman.”
Damien sipped his drink.“Non.She stays.If only to keep you compliant.”
Gabrielle squeezed Omphile’s hand.“I will never be compliant.Not ever again.”
“We shall see.But for now, I’ll have her placed comfortably in a cabin.Nate!”His sudden shout started Gabrielle.
Instantly, the door swung open, and a pirate with a purple sash tied about his bald head marched in.
“Take the woman to Sanders’ cabin and lock her inside.”
Nate’s leering grin landed on Omphile.
“And do her no harm, or you’ll answer to me.”
The man frowned but grabbed Omphile by the arm and hoisted her from the seat, ripping their hands apart.
“Nay!”Gabrielle leapt to her feet.“Please no.Let her go, Damien!”
“Tsk-tsk,ma cherie.You have my word she will not be harmed.”
“Your word means naught to me!”She took hold of Omphile’s arm and tugged on it, but the beast continued to drag her away.
Damien’s arms surrounded her and yanked her back.The scent of his lavender musk cologne made her want to vomit.
Naught but peace filled Omphile’s eyes.“It will be all right, Miss.”She attempted a smile before the pirate hauled her out the door and slammed it with a heart-rending thud.
Pushing from Damien’s embrace, Gabrielle slumped to the floor and sobbed.
Arms lifted her from behind.More fury than fear flooded her, and she shoved her elbows into his chest and flailed her legs.If this man would attempt to ravish her again, she’d make it neither easy nor pleasant.
He gave a sordid chuckle.“Ah, my little kitten has become a wildcat.”He shoved her into a chair.
Her back slammed against the hard wood, and she gripped the arms and glared up at him.
Clearly surprised by her actions, he retrieved his drink and sipped it.“So you bore my child?”he said almost nonchalantly as he waved jeweled fingers through the air.
Gabrielle said naught, merely stared out the stern windows.
“I must say, my sweet, I was not so pleased when you tossed him into the sea.”
She lifted her chin, attempting to still the trembling coursing through her.“I would do it again if only to save him from you.”
“From his own father?”He cocked his head, a nondescript emotion scrambling across his blue eyes.“You wound me to think I would do him harm.”
“I do not wish him to grow up and become like you.”
A pinch of pain creased his face for but a moment before he swung his arms around the cabin.“Like me?Wealthy, powerful, successful?”He finished his drink and slammed down the glass.“So you wish him to be like Cadan Hayes, uneducated traitor, prisoner, thief, and all around failure?”
The man did have a point.Though Cadan had misused her and put her and her child in danger, there was something about him, a goodness she sensed.Whereas, with this man, she doubted a single ray of light existed in his black heart.
She glanced over at the four-poster bed against the bulkhead and shivered.“What do you want with me, Damien?”
The tight lines on his face softened.“You are the mother of my child.When I get him back, we will raise him together.”
“I will do no such thing.”
