Her Pirate Master (Entwined Fates)

by Michaels, Trista Ann

“I saw you, sweetheart,” the man she assumed was Haydrien called. “No point hiding from me. We’ll find you eventually, just like we have the rest of your crew.”

  She glanced down and spotted a long metal pole. It wasn’t much, but it could do some damage. Maybe enough to allow her to escape. Although, escape to where was the question. She very slowly wrapped her fingers around the handle, determined to not give in without a fight. Her crew depended on her. She had to do something.

  “Don’t,” Agnus shouted.

  The distinctive sound of someone getting slapped, and then a soft groan made Jack’s stomach knot in terror and guilt. She would die if anything happened to Agnus. Footsteps moved closer, and she tightened her grip around the pole. She raised it shoulder height, holding it like a bat. Taking a slow, deep breath, she prepared to swing with all her might.

  Arms wrapped around her from behind. She gasped in surprise and struggled against the hold around her upper arms. “Drop the pipe,” her attacker growled.

  Jack shifted her weight instead and moved slightly to the right. She bent her elbows, then swung her lower arm down. Her fist made contact with his groin, and the man grunted, loosening his hold on her arms. She shoved out of his hold and turned to face him. Swinging as hard as she could, she hit him in the side of the head with the metal pipe she still gripped tightly.

  The man staggered sideways. As she was preparing to hit him again, someone grabbed her arm. He slung her around, forcing her hard against the column. Her back hit metal, and air whooshed from her lungs. The metal pole fell from her hands to clang against the floor.

  Jack brought her hands upward, hoping to catch him under the chin, but he anticipated her move and blocked it. He wrapped his fingers around her wrists in a punishing grip and shoved them over her head, pinning them against the column. He lifted her up, forcing her onto her toes, and Jack winced at the pain in her shoulders.

  “Enough,” the man called Haydrien snarled.

  Jack glared at him in hatred. Stunning whiskey-colored eyes stared back, but instead of anger, Jack saw amusement and a spark of interest. She lifted her chin in defiance. “Who the hell are you?” she demanded.

  “Captain Haydrien Victis,” he replied. “And who might you be?”

  Jack licked her lips, suddenly very aware of how helpless she was, but she refused to show fear. Stiffening her spine, she opened her mouth to answer, but Agnus cut her off.

  “She’s my daughter.”

  Jack froze and watched him warily. Haydrien’s gaze slowly slid down her body, pausing at her breasts before sliding back up to her face. She narrowed her eyes, hoping he got the message she was off-limits.

  Full lips tilted upward on one side as though he found her defiance amusing. He raised one hand and rubbed them over the whiskers covering his strong jaw and chin. If not for the fact that he held her captive, she would definitely find him attractive. Hell, he was gorgeous.

  “Somehow I doubt this beauty is your daughter, old man, but I’ll give you the benefit of the doubt if you give me her name,” Haydrien said as he kept his gaze on hers.

  “Her name is Jacquelyn. She was named after my captain, Jack Marcone.”

  Jack swallowed. Haydrien’s eyes narrowed. This was not a stupid man. Would he believe Agnus’s lie? If he didn’t, then Agnus believed this man would do her harm.

  “Where is Jack?” he asked, still staring at her.

  “He’s on his way to Tilarus. A family emergency,” she replied.

  “You expect me to believe he left you on this ship? A crew without a captain?”

  Jack nodded. “Yes.”

  “I’m a very capable first officer,” Agnus said as he took a step forward. “It was a simple delivery. I’m sure you’ve run a life scan. I’m sure you know exactly how many people are on this ship, and as you can see, you have them all.”

  Haydrien watched her thoughtfully.

  “They are most likely telling the truth, my lord,” one of Haydrien’s men replied. “Marcone men have white hair and gray eyes. All of these men have dark hair. Marcone is not among them.”

  Haydrien snorted softly. “Then we’ll bring him to us.”

  “And how do you plan to do that?” his man asked.

  “Her.”

  Chapter Three

  Haydrien watched the pretty eyes of the woman in front of him widen in surprise. She was stunning with golden-blonde hair and unusual blue-gray eyes. He could get lost in those eyes way too easily.

  She was tall for a woman, probably very close to six feet. She’d pulled her hair back, but the severe style did nothing to detract from her beauty. If anything, it enhanced it, calling to attention her high cheekbones and long, graceful neck.

  “What makes you think he’ll come for me?” she whispered.

  “I would,” Haydrien replied, then smiled. “Oh, I definitely would.”

  She struggled against his hold, and he tightened his fingers around her wrists. She winced, then tried to kick out with her knee. Haydrien moved forward and pinned her hips against the column with his lower body. Stomach to stomach and thigh to thigh, they stared at each other. She had spunk. He liked women with spunk.

  “Get off me,” she snarled.

  “Not yet,” Haydrien murmured.

  Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Agnus try to approach, but one of his men held him back. He certainly acted like a father.

  “It’s been a long time since I’ve had such a beautiful submissive,” Haydrien said.

  Her pupils dilated, and Haydrien smiled slightly. Was it possible the old man’s daughter was a submissive at heart? Would claiming her bring this Captain Marcone to his door, where he could finally take his anger out on the man’s hide? That captain had cost him lives, lives that could’ve been saved if they’d had the medicine they’d needed.

  “I’m no man’s submissive,” she growled.

  “No man’s?” he asked with amusement. “A woman’s, then?”

  “Screw you,” she snapped.

  He let go of her wrists and stepped back. “Oh, you will.”

  She dropped her hands and rubbed at her wrists. He had a pang of regret, for he was sure his hold would leave bruises, but she hadn’t given him much choice attacking him with the pipe like she had. She was strong too, and he’d had to hold her much tighter than he’d intended.

  When he’d pinned her against the column with his body, he could feel the firmness in her muscles. He dropped his gaze and admired the way the material of her pants clung to her thighs.

  “I most certainly will not,” she argued, and Haydrien couldn’t help but admire her spirit as well.

  “Really?” He pulled his gun and pointed it at the man who claimed to be her father. “How about now?”

  He clicked the safety off, allowing the gun to power up. Her eyes widened, and she rushed forward, grabbing his arm. “No!”

  “You and your crew are outnumbered, sweetheart, three to one. If I were you, I would think very carefully about my next actions.”

  She looked up at him with moisture-filled eyes. “Please.”

  She was worried about the old man. That much was obvious. “You will go willingly, without a fight?”

  She swallowed, then nodded, albeit reluctantly.

  “Say it.”

  Her eyes narrowed slightly. “I will go willingly, without a fight.”

  “No!” Agnus snapped. “Jacquelyn, no.”

  “I’ll be fine.” She dropped her hands from Haydrien’s arm. “You must allow me to say good-bye.”

  “No.”

  Her jaw went slack, and he turned away from her to address his crew. “Jacquelyn, Lear, and I will take this ship and her supplies back to our planet. The rest of you take the others to the Vorgan station and gather supplies. Take Marcone’s crew with you and drop them off there.”

  “That’s two weeks one way,” one of his men said.

  “Yes, it is. Keep them locked up. I don’t want them to get any opportunity to signal Marcon
e until you get there. Two weeks in my care should be plenty of time to make Marcone angry enough to come to me this time.”

  Agnus and the two others rushed toward Haydrien. Jack moved to intercept. Throwing up her hands, she shouted, “No! Just get Marcone. I’ll be fine.”

  Her two younger crew members backed down, but Agnus continued to glare challengingly at Haydrien.

  Haydrien snorted in amusement. “Quite brave for an old man. You must love your daughter very much.”

  “If you kill her…” Agnus growled.

  “I don’t think killing her is what you have to worry about.”

  “When this ship doesn’t arrive on time, they’ll look for it,” Jacquelyn said with menace, trying to divert Haydrien’s attention from Agnus.

  “Yes. Good thing you’re not scheduled to arrive there for another two weeks.” He turned to fully face her. “And if you’re plotting a way of escape, you might want to think again. One wrong move from you, I alert my crew, and your father dies.”

  Her lips thinned into a tight, angry line.

  “Are we clear?” he asked.

  “Crystal,” she sneered.

  “Good.”

  * * * *

  Jack fought hard to keep the tears at bay. She never cried, and she’d be damned if she’d start now. Haydrien had assured her the men would arrive at their destination safely, but she still couldn’t stop chiding herself over being stubborn and not listening to Agnus. She hadn’t even gotten to tell them good-bye.

  She’d let her arrogance get in the way. She was a good captain, and she knew it. Infallible she was not. Agnus tried to tell her this guy was looking for her, but she stupidly believed she would be fine.

  This was all her fault.

  Agnus would let her family know what happened. Jonah would hit the roof. Her father probably would too, and it would take both her uncles to keep her father from losing his temper and killing Haydrien. Not that she wouldn’t mind seeing Haydrien die slowly.

  She glared at Haydrien as he walked past her to the column where she’d been working on the wire connections.

  “I see you were trying to fix your problem,” he said as he opened the panel and slipped his hand inside. “You were close. Fortunately for me, you missed it.”

  The lights in the room came on, and the roar of the engine restarting shook the entire ship. She had been close. If only she’d had a few more minutes, she might’ve found the problem. Would that have made any difference? She doubted it.

  “Lear,” Haydrien said.

  Lear leaned casually against the wall. “Yes.”

  “I need you to find that package. It will have to be off-loaded the second we arrive.”

  Lear nodded in agreement. “Gora will want that right away.”

  “What package?” Jack asked.

  “That’s above your pay grade, sweetheart,” Haydrien replied.

  “It’s my ship.”

  Haydrien’s head tilted. “Is it?”

  He waited for her to answer. Anger welled up inside her. He was right. It wasn’t her ship, not anymore. If she wanted to hold to the lie that she was Agnus’s daughter and Captain Marcone was on his way to Tilarus, then the ship was never hers. She needed to remember that. She had no idea what this pirate had in mind for Captain Marcone, but until she found out, she needed to keep up the ruse. She just hoped he continued to believe it.

  “That’s what I thought,” he murmured as he pushed away from the column and closed the panel. “I’m going to head to the bridge and get this beast pointed toward home.”

  “What about her?” Lear asked.

  “She’ll go with me.” Haydrien turned his firm stare toward her. “And if she knows what’s good for her, she’ll behave herself.”

  Jack crossed her arms.

  Haydrien walked toward her and waved his hand. “Lead the way, sub. I want you where I can see you. Especially your ass.”

  He grinned wickedly, and despite Jack’s anger, her heart skipped a beat at the wicked gleam in his whiskey-colored eyes. That thought made her frown all the harder at him.

  “Go,” he commanded with a nod. When she didn’t move right away, he slapped her behind. She gasped, startled at the sting from his hand, but even more startled by the wave of heat that snaked up her spine. “Now.”

  She turned to head down the hall toward the bridge. “Slap me on the ass again, you prick, and—”

  Haydrien grabbed the back of her shirt collar and tugged her to a stop. Jack sucked in a breath, then held it as he moved in close behind her and placed his lips at her ear. “Careful, sub. I will inflict punishment for a smart mouth.”

  Jack couldn’t stop the shiver that ran just under her flesh. She hadn’t experienced being a sexual submissive much, but when she had, she’d enjoyed it immensely. All her life had been about being in control, making all the decisions. She enjoyed letting someone else be in control for a change.

  Just not this man. At least that’s what her head said. Her body said something else entirely.

  “You’d like that, wouldn’t you?” she snarled.

  “Definitely,” he whispered.

  He wrapped one arm around her midsection. “I like punishment,” he said very softly.

  His breath was warm against her neck, his lips soft as they brushed over her pounding pulse. And it was definitely pounding. She hated the fact that her body reacted so strongly to his dom personality. She just hoped she could keep that hidden from him, but she had a feeling she’d failed miserably. A good, experienced Dom would be able to read her.

  “And so will you.”

  She snorted and almost choked. She cleared her throat as she tried to deny the way her body reacted to the vibration of his chuckle against her back. Inwardly her heart sank. How could she possibly have such a reaction to her captor, especially a man who would probably kill her the second he found out who she really was?

  “I will never enjoy a punishment inflicted by you,” she growled.

  He chuckled louder as he moved away from her. The loss of his body heat was like a punch. The air of the ship moved between them, instantly cooling her back, and she shivered. He slapped her right butt cheek, and she jerked forward in surprise both from the sting and the tingling warmth that flooded her ass.

  “Move, sub,” he commanded.

  “I hate you,” she snarled under her breath.

  As she made her way through the halls of the ship, she mentally ran through every possible escape scenario she could think of. Unfortunately, all of them ended in disaster and the death of her crew. With her on a separate ship, there seemed to be no way she could think of to get away without them being hurt in the process.

  What was two weeks with this man going to be like? Agnus thought he was a Dom and played heavily in BDSM. Jack could believe that. His personality thus far and the way he carried himself and spoke about punishment led her to believe that was probably the case. So what did that mean for her?

  Would he be rough? Abusive? Did the submissive aspect carry over to more than just the bedroom? For the first time, real fear for her own safety gripped her chest like a vise.

  She stepped through the doors of the bridge and moved aside, allowing her captor to follow her inside the small room.

  “Where are we going?” she asked.

  Haydrien didn’t answer. Instead, he moved to the control panel. As he studied it, he dropped onto the left seat. Outside the massive window in front of them, Jack could barely see the stars. This part of the shipping lanes was considered dead space. There was no sun to light the stars or give off any warmth. Here they were so far away from anything even resembling a planet, they appeared as though they floated through black velvet.

  “You didn’t answer my question,” she said.

  Haydrien looked at her through the reflection in the glass. “I don’t have to answer your question. I never gave you permission to speak.”

  “You never told me not to speak, either. If I recall,” she countered w
ith more bravery than she really felt.

  He relaxed back in the chair, and Jack could see his expression in the window. His brow wrinkled as though he was thinking hard about something. He turned the chair and faced her head-on. Jack couldn’t stop the little flutter of butterflies in her stomach at just how handsome he was. Eyes so dark and dreamy watched her with interest and just a spark of amusement. In a way he reminded her of her brother, Jonah. They both had that dominant personality and calm exterior.

  “It would seem you are correct,” he said.

  Jack blinked as his deep voice brought her back to the present and away from the wayward track her thoughts were treading down.

  “Here are the rules,” he began. “You do as I say. You may speak and ask questions for now, but if your attitude becomes too rebellious, you will be punished.”

  “Punished how?” she asked.

  “However I see fit.”

  Her eyes narrowed. “Don’t you think I deserve a little more than that?”

  “I’ll give you this.” He shifted slightly in his seat, leaning his elbows on the armrest and tenting his fingers in front of his chin. “I’m not into abusing women, so you can stop worrying that I’ll beat you. I will spank you, flog you, use a whip. All of which I’m sure sounds like abuse, but I can promise you it isn’t.”

  Jack swallowed at the feel of her breasts tightening. “You’re assuming that I get off on all that.”

  His lips twitched. “You might want to, but you’ll only get off when I allow it.”

  Jack snorted and rolled her eyes.

  “I have a feeling that you and I are going to have a lot of fun,” he drawled, then pointed to the seat next to him. “Sit.”

  “What am I? A dog?”

  His eyes narrowed dangerously, and the soft planes of his face suddenly turned hard and menacing. “I said sit, sub. Now.”

  Jack decided that this was probably not the best time to test him. Glaring, she moved to the seat and sat down.

  “Open the navigational maps,” he commanded.

  Jack sat back and crossed her arms over her chest. “I’m just the cook. I don’t know where those are.”

  He turned to her with a look of annoyed disbelief. “You were in engineering trying to get the engines going again. Stop with the petty nonsense and open the navigational maps before I lean over you and do it myself. And trust me,” he said as his eyes narrowed into hard slits. “That’s the last thing you want to happen.”