by Dawn Brower
Devere lead Pia into her grandpere’s drawing room where she found him lounging in a chair nursing a glass of brandy. He jumped up as she marched into the room and hugged her tightly in his arms. Pia felt safe snuggled deep in her grandpere’s burly arms. She heard Captain Devere shut the door as he left the room.
Comte Dubois took a step back and looked at Pia. “Thank the Lord they were able to save you from that demon’s clutches.”
“Grandpere, did you really try to kill him?”
“Don’t be ridiculous, Pieretta. I never tried to kill him. He was like the son I never had, and his father was one of my dear friends.”
“Then why does he think you tried to murder him?”
“It is a misunderstanding, I assure you. I loved the boy. I would not have killed him. It is sad what he has turned into. I cannot abide the life he has chosen to live. I was trying to save him, as I tried to explain on the ship. Perhaps, if I had gotten to him sooner—he is just not the same man I knew. He is dangerous, and you should not have married him. I’m sorry, my dear, but that was very reckless of you. We will have it annulled as soon as possible.”
“That would be difficult to get, considering the marriage was consummated,” Thor said with a drawl as he sauntered into the room.
Pia gasped. How did he get to Grandpere’s estate so fast? She was sure he had been fast asleep when she left the ship. She assumed she would have more time to get answers. Why couldn’t he have been a little slower in coming after me?
Comte Dubois took one look at Thor and then shouted for Captain Devere to come back into the drawing room.
“If you are looking for the captain, he is indisposed at the moment,” Thor said as he made his way over to Pia.
“Damn you, Torrington. You cannot have my granddaughter.”
Thor ignored the comte and continued walking toward Pia.
“Why are you here, Thor?” Pia asked him.
“I thought that was clear, love. I missed my wife. I came to find her, because clearly she’s lost. Wives are supposed to remain naked in bed next to their husbands awaiting another round of loving. We clearly have some miscommunication going on between us. You know where you belong, Pia. Get ready to leave now.”
Pia looked at him with barely restrained belligerence. “No.”
The shock and anger on Thor’s face was palpable. His steely blue gaze was glued to her face as the lines of his mouth became tight from clenching his jaw. The muscles in his cheeks twitched, his face flushed with anger. He glared at Pia. “I must have heard you wrong, dear. You are my wife, and you will leave with me now. Did you forget our agreement?”
“No. I remember it quite clearly, and I want to make a new agreement.”
“I must admit you have piqued my interest. What changes did you want to make, love?”
“I will not remain with a man that clearly does not love me and has no respect for my wishes. I want to be able to visit my family. My grandpere is all I have left.”
Thor scoffed at her statement, his eyebrow raised with derision. His gaze locked with hers. “Your grandpere is a murderous villain, Pia. I will not tolerate you being in his presence. We will work through the rest of our issues once we take leave of this wretched place.”
“Well that’s too damn bad, because I will spend time with him.”
“Enough,” the comte shouted.
Pia and Thor turned to look at Comte Dubois. He was holding a pistol, and it was aimed at the both of them. Her grandpere had been lying to her. He had always meant for Thor to die. Her husband had been right for the pistol was clearly aimed at him.
“If the marriage can’t be annulled, clearly Pieretta, dear, you need to be made a widow.”
“But Grandpere you said you didn’t try to kill him!”
“I lied. It’s what I do. I couldn’t afford for him to see that I was pocketing some of the funds from the company. I wasn’t solvent and needed them to get by. The dowry I gave your mother was all I had left. It took me years to build my fortune back. I will not let this pirate take away everything I have built.”
“You built it using my money, Renny. You had no right to help yourself to my funds. My life has been turned upside down by your greed, and I’ll make sure you pay for that,” Thor said.
Thor pushed Pia aside, diving for the gun. He struggled with Renny to gain control over the pistol, each trying to get a firm grasp on it. The two of them fell to the floor, rolling around. They wrestled for control of the pistol, trying to get it away from one another. As they struggled to gain control, the gun went off.
The sound of the gun echoed throughout the room. Everything started to move in slow motion. Pia’s scream rattled the windows. Nothing was clear, and no one was moving quickly enough for her to know if either one of them had been hurt. With her heart pumping wildly in her chest, she ran over and fell beside the two motionless bodies. What should I do? Please let them be okay. Grandpere was a bad man, but she still didn’t want him to die. Thor meant more to her than she wanted to admit.
A small movement caught her attention out of the corner of her eye, and she turned her head to see if it was real or not. Thor slowly turned over, and Pia immediately noticed a spot of blood near the top of his white shirt.
“Thor?” Pia asked hesitantly. Was he okay? In that moment, Pia realized how much he had come to mean to her. Without realizing it, the damned pirate had found a way into her heart.
“I’m okay, Pia. Your grandpere is bleeding all over me though. Send someone for a physician.”
Pia ran out the door calling for a servant to come quickly. The butler arrived in response to her deafening screams for help. Pia grabbed his jacket, telling him to send for a physician. He pulled himself out of her grasp and retreated to find help.
Pia’s attention immediately returned to her grandpere. She felt faint. The comte’s face was as white as a ghost, and Pia scrambled over to his side. She had to do something to help him. She looked across the room. Thor stood in the corner watching her.
“Don’t just stand there, go get me something to hold on his wound. He’s bleeding all over the carpet. Help me please, Thor. I know he is your enemy, but he will always be my grandpere.”
Thor nodded at her and pulled a handkerchief from his pocket, handing it to her.
“It won’t help, Pia, but it is yours to use as you wish.”
“Thank you, Thor, I appreciate your help. I have to do everything possible to help him.”
Pia knelt next to her grandpere, placing the handkerchief on the wound. His color wasn’t improving. She turned his face in her hands and leaned over to see if he was still breathing. His breaths were shallow. Pia feared he wouldn’t survive long enough for a physician to help, and tears welled in her eyes and rolled down her cheeks. She silently begged the Lord to save him.
As she wordlessly prayed, Tully ran into the room.
“Miss Pieretta, I heard you scream. Oh dear,” Tully said, as her face grew pale at the sight of the comte bleeding all over her charge. “Is he dead?”
“Not yet, you fool. Don’t just stand there, go in the hall and wait for the physician. Bring him in here immediately upon his arrival.” Pia scolded her.
Tully ran out of the room. At least that was one less thing she had to worry about, she knew for sure Tully was well.
Pia watched as her grandpere opened his eyes. The pain glazed his expression. His voice broke with each word he tried speak, begging for her to understand.
“I’m sorry, Pia. Wanted what was best for you. I love you...” Those were the comte’s final words as his last breath drifted away. Pia screamed in agony.
Chapter Twelve
Life was full of decisions, and Pia had to make plenty in her lifetime. She knew there were certain things thrust upon a person in their lifetime which they had no control over. Love and death were prominent reminders of this. Pia’s experience with love had been very limited. She knew one thing for certain: love could bring her joy or unimagin
able sorrow, even if that love happened to be reciprocated. Death on the other hand had its own judgment and resolution. Her grandfather had paid for his actions with his life.
Pia prepared to bury her grandpere and say her final goodbye. Several important thoughts floated through her mind as the final preparations were made. Was Grandpere really gone forever? What was going to happen with Thor, now that he finally had his revenge? How can I forgive him? Does he even care about me?
With the help of Grandpere’s solicitor, she was able to get through all of the funeral arrangements. Pia buried her grandpere at his estate in Bordeaux. It was a small service. The only people in attendance were a few of her grandpere’s servants, Tully, Pia, and of course, her husband. Thor stayed by her side through it all, offering what little comfort she would allow.
All she saw when she looked at him was his chest covered in her grandpere’s blood. She didn’t know if she could stay with him. She still didn’t believe he loved her. It was clear her feelings for him had changed during the time she had been his prisoner. She never believed she would ever fall in love.
When he kidnapped her, she had been so very afraid of what he would do to her, but, in the end, she had begun to trust him. At the very least she had come to believe he wouldn’t truly harm her. It helped to see the evidence that he wasn’t as dastardly as she’d believed. Tully alive and pestering her on a daily basis was enough of a reminder.
Pia was acquainted with all of Thor’s faults and well aware he was capable of almost anything. After all, he did orchestrate her abduction. Pia knew she was a fool for letting herself fall in love with him. No matter how much she tried, she couldn’t stop her foolish heart’s devotion to him. How is it possible to fall in love so fast? She wanted him to return her love, and she desired him with an intense passion. But nothing would torture her more than staying in a loveless marriage. If he wasn’t capable of caring for her, let alone loving her, she wouldn’t stay with him. She needed more. If she couldn’t have it, she would seek out someone to file for a divorce herself.
Still lost in her own thoughts, she didn’t hear Thor walk into her grandpere’s study. Pia had enclosed herself in the room, sitting on a comfortable divan to wallow in her misery. When she looked up and saw him standing so close, her heart skipped a beat.
He looked down at her with sympathy in the depths of his blue eyes. “Pia, the ship is ready to set sail whenever you’re ready.” His voice was interwoven with understanding.
With a petulant look firmly fixed on her face, she looked up at him. “I am not sailing away with you, Thor.”
“Like hell you’re not. You’re my wife, and you belong with me.”
“Do you honestly think I want to live like a pirate? What kind of life is that? What if we have children? Will they join the crew and plunder ships for bounty alongside you?”
“No. We will go back to England. I have responsibilities there that have neglected for far too long. I am a viscount, and I have an estate to reclaim. Your grandfather had me declared dead, so I will have to fight to regain my title. I don’t want to be a pirate, Pia. Please come with me so we can build a life together.”
Pia nodded. She could see he needed to do that. He did not need her with him to accomplish it. There was no give and take. He took it all and gave nothing in return. He said nothing about loving and needing her. Once again, he selfishly planned on using her to gain something he felt was his due. The sad thing was he didn’t even need her to reclaim his title. He could go back and live his life without ever seeing her again if he wished.
“You do not need me, Thor. You don’t require me for anything. You should go back and claim your title. While you are there, file for divorce. I don’t care on what grounds. We are better off without each other.”
“No,” Thor said with belligerence in his voice. “I will never be better off without you. How could I be? Please, Pia, don’t fight me on this. You are my wife, and I want you to board the Sea Rover with me today.”
“I’m not going to fight with you, Thor. I am not going with you, and I will not remain with a man who doesn’t love and respect me.”
“Who the hell told you I don’t love or respect you?”
“Well you haven’t exactly told me that you do. You fail to take my desires into consideration. You dictate to me and never ask if I am okay with your orders. I am not going to live with someone who is going to take me for granted. No, I would rather die. Because you no longer have anything to hold over me, that is the only option left.”
Pia turned her back to him, deciding the conversation was over. She leaned her head against the back of the couch and closed her eyes. She assumed he had left because he ceased speaking. Pia’s eyelids fluttered open, and she saw Thor’s blue eyes staring directly into hers.
Thor cleared his throat and spoke, his voice shaking, overflowing with emotion. “Pia, I have loved you from the moment I saw you. I never intended to actually marry you. My original plan involved pretending to do it and then using you, but meeting you changed everything. No one ever plans to find love, and I certainly never planned on finding it with you. The thought of you leaving scares me more than anything. I cannot imagine a life without your fire to warm me each night. From the instant I met you, I planned on keeping you. I know I’ve blundered with everything I’ve done. Not respecting your wishes was only to protect you. Your grandpere was an evil man, and you didn’t see it. With every part of my soul, I swear I never meant to make you feel less than you are. I could never hurt you.”
Pia stared at him. She waited, wondering if she should believe him. There was nothing she wanted more than to believe what he was telling her.
His voice had faltered and became husky with emotion. Thor’s expression showed remorse. His gaze implored hers as if pleading with her.
“If you don’t love me, I will understand,” he said. “Being without you could never make me happy, but I will let you go if that’s what you truly want. I would rather take my dagger and push it through my own heart then ever knowingly hurt you again.”
Pia stared at him in shock. She never expected that he would actually return her feelings. She looked down at her arm and pinched herself to make sure it wasn’t a dream. Ouch, nope this is real. Thor always had a way of stealing her breath, surprising her at every turn. Her lips curled up into a sumptuous smile as happiness overtook her soul. Her heart pounded with excitement when she finally accepted his words.
It was imperative she heard him say it one more time to make sure she’d heard him right. “You really love me?”
“Yes, I love you. Do you love me, even a little? Can you stay with me? Please come back to England with me. I need my viscountess to help me reestablish my holdings, and I need her to hold each night. I want her to be the mother of my children. Without you, my life wouldn’t be worth living. Please, Pia, come home with me.”
“Yes. Yes, Thor, I love you too. I will come home with you. There isn’t any place on this Earth I would rather be.” She stood and rushed over to him, throwing herself into his arms.
Thor gathered her tightly against his chest wrapping his arms around her as he hugged her close. Pia tilted her face up and met his eyes as his lips pressed down on hers. Thor plundered her in all the ways she loved most, and Pia enjoyed every minute of the passion they shared.
Epilogue
In the past, Thor had many demons hiding inside of his soul, and they soured certain aspects of his life. He had something miraculous happen to him that allowed him to exorcise those dark areas. An angel of mercy had taken pity on his possessed black core and helped to bring him back to the light. In those moments, his life changed as his heart started to feel again and the darkness bled from its depths.
When Thor found Pia, his soul was cleansed. She was the angel who showed him how love could change his life. His existence was forever altered when he fell in love with the spirited beauty. If someone had asked him before he met Pia if he believed in love, he would have laug
hed at their audacity. Love? No that was for fools. Well color me a fool because I am blissfully in love with my wife, and I wouldn’t change it for anyone.
If he had never kidnapped her to get revenge on her grandpere, his soul would still be a dark carcass of unhappiness. Thor needed her light to balance the dark shadows that overtook his spirit. They were opposites, put on Earth to balance each other out. To have her love him as much as he loved her was a blessing he didn’t feel he deserved. He would never make the mistake of hurting her again. He had made a promise he would never break. Pia was everything to him.
Sitting in his study on his main English estate, Thor was lost in thought, reminiscing about the day he met the love of his life. She wasn’t perfect. Everyone had flaws. He loved every one of her imperfections, because to him, she was beyond perfection. She was more priceless than the most expensive jewel. Her flaws were what made her unique. Pia was irreplaceable. She was his flawed jewel.
Thor rested his chin in his hands as a contented half smile tugged at his lips. He had a good life with Pia and their two children. It wasn’t long after they returned to England, they got the happy news that Pia was expecting their first child.
As with everything in their lives, it shouldn’t have been a surprise that even their children refused to do things the easy way. Almost exactly nine months after their wedding, Pia gave birth to twins, a girl and a boy. Lilliana Rose was born five minutes before her brother, Liam Robert. Lily had dark hair and cobalt blue eyes similar to her father, where Liam favored his mother with pale blond hair and light blue eyes.
Nothing could make him happier than to spend the rest of his life watching his children grow. Thor wanted all of the experiences fatherhood had to offer. As long as he had Pia and the twins by his side, his happiness was assured.
Thor turned as a little girl with black curls toddled into the room. A short time later, she was followed by a petite blonde woman carrying a small boy in her arms.