Lost Honor

by Loreen Augeri

  She had felt so close to Morgan, and now, an icy cold emanated from him, warning her to stay away. She hated to acknowledge and fought to deny it, but his actions cut her deeply as if he stabbed a sharp knife into her heart. She knew they had to separate at some point—her mission in life not complete—even though her heart cried against it, but the way he had done it… If they had parted as friends, the brutal agony would have invaded her, but in a different way. She could have visited him in the future, and hopefully, he would have welcomed her, but now…

  She pulled her knees to her chest, wrapped her arms around them, and plopped her chin on top. He just stood there, gazing at the sea. He hadn’t looked at her, not even once.

  She fixed on him, her throat tight and burning, as she battled to understand what had happened. Tears formed, and his image wavered. She sniffed them back. She wouldn’t cry over him. If he didn’t want her, fine, but if it was something she had done, something she could fix…

  Harry strode from the tree line, breathing hard after climbing the hill. She jumped up and raced to him at the same time Morgan spotted him and hurried to his side.

  “Did you find them?” they asked in unison.

  Morgan glared at her and then turned back to his brother. “Well?”

  “You didn’t give me a chance to answer. There are six pirates and Shark. They are scouring the woods for us, but right now, they have no idea where we are. We covered our tracks well. I think we are safe for a while, but eventually their search will take them here.”

  She feared he would say that.

  “Unless they give up.”

  A slim hope blossomed.

  “But from what I know of Shark, he doesn’t admit defeat.”

  Morgan concurred. “He was relentless as a privateer.”

  The yearning died.

  “All we can do is wait. Harry, you and I will guard the perimeter of this area in shifts. Every four hours as we do on the ship.”

  As usual he left her out. “I want to be included.”

  “No,” Morgan threw over his shoulder without looking at her. “Now, Harry—”

  “Yes.”

  Morgan’s shoulders stiffened, and he slowly turned toward her, his eyes dark and dangerous. “You are doing it again. Are you part of my crew or not?”

  He no longer scared her, but her heart sank at the frost within his gaze and how he regarded her as if he didn’t know her. “I don’t know. You have changed your mind a number of times. But we are not on your ship. We are discussing whether we live or die, and I have a right to take part.”

  He stared at her, and even though the intensity of feeling, the warmth, and the closeness were absent from his eyes, her body tingled and quickened. She leaned toward him.

  “You can watch with Harry.”

  She jerked back. Apparently, he didn’t want to spend any more time than necessary with her. “I’m capable of doing it on my own. That way we can get more rest.”

  “Four hours is plenty. If that is not enough, you are relieved of the duty. Harry and I can do it.” His frame rigid, his face impassive, he exuded no emotion.

  But it hid in his inner core. She had experienced it and longed to again.

  There was no use arguing with him. “I will take my turn with Harry.”

  “Since Harry tracked them, I’ll go first. Get some sleep.”

  And just like that, he dismissed them. A hot poker seared her stomach as she walked away.

  ****

  Two sets of eyes bored into Morgan, one at his back a distance away and another from his side close enough to touch.

  He struggled to ignore Arianna’s gaze, fought with his body from spinning and gazing at her, if only for a moment. A force greater than his own pulled at him. He had to concentrate on other matters—easier said than done—to keep watch for a group of bloodthirsty pirates that could destroy Arianna. He was strong. He would prevail.

  Morgan glanced at his brother standing by his side. “Go to sleep, Harry.”

  “I’m not tired.”

  He whirled to face him. “Then stop staring at me.”

  One side of Harry’s mouth lifted as he contemplated. “I’m trying to figure out what happened between Arianna and you. Before I left, you were ready to ravish her and finish what you started in the cave.”

  Morgan glared at him.

  Harry laughed. “I come back, and you look as if you are ready to kill her.”

  “It is none of your business. Go to sleep.”

  “Did she turn you down? Is that it? Have you lost your touch?”

  If only that were the problem. If only she would push him away. If only she wasn’t so passionate and fiery. He ached for her. “I decided we are not suited.”

  Harry spun and ran his eager gaze up and down her delicious figure with a quick flick. “She would suit me fine.”

  “Don’t look at her like that. She is not that type of woman. I thought you were madly in love with Mary.”

  Harry waved his hand. “I am over Mary. She was only a momentary infatuation.”

  “All your liaisons are momentary. Stay away from Arianna.”

  “You’re not free to court her, and I am.” Harry’s brows knit together. “What type of woman is she?”

  “A stubborn, determined, infuriating, courageous, loving, kind, warm—”

  “I see.” Harry grinned.

  “What do you see?” He was too young to know about anything of that sort.

  “You’re in love with her.”

  “I am not.” He couldn’t be. He didn’t have time for love. He was promised to Susan. “What do you know about love?” Disgust at himself and his brother rang in his words.

  Harry straightened in supposed superiority and knowledge. “I have been in love many times.”

  “Exactly my point. They were infatuations. If you had truly been in love, you wouldn’t have broken off with them so fast.” He returned to searching the woods, his gaze sweeping over them in long, full sweeps.

  “It was the women,” Harry defended himself. “They told me what I wanted to hear and flirted outrageously until I fell in love with them, and then they showed their true selves.” He scrunched his face. “And it wasn’t pretty.”

  Arianna had showed her true self from the beginning, and he liked and desired all she displayed from the top of her lovely blonde head to the tip of her dainty toes, inside and out. Morgan sighed. “Stay away from Arianna.”

  Who was he to tell Harry that?

  An older brother to the younger. The head of the family to those he protected.

  He had no right. He had bedded Susan and promised to marry her and that is where his future lay.

  He had a responsibility to protect Arianna.

  His brother would never hurt her, physically.

  But he might emotionally. He knew the feeling of that agony. He was enmeshed in the middle of that torment now.

  Unable to fight it any longer, he peered at Arianna. At her bent head, rounded shoulders, and slumped body. He had caused her great pain. Remorse erupted within him, and he wished to mirror her position.

  ****

  Arianna paced the perimeter of their hideaway. The sun low on the horizon, her burning eyes strained to see threatening movements while her alert ears listened for sounds that didn’t belong.

  “Arianna.”

  She jumped and spun as fingers landed on her shoulder.

  “I didn’t mean to frighten you,” Harry apologized.

  Attempting to calm the hammering of her heart, Arianna dropped to her sides the hands that had flown to her chest. “I’m a little nervous.”

  “You have a reason to be, but you will wear yourself out if you continue with that pace. There are two of us. We’ll see them if they attack.”

  “Do you think they’ll find us?” The pirates scared her, but it took on a new intensity after Morgan spurned her and brutally brushed her away without warning. Now her emotions jumbled together, and she had trouble separating one
from the other.

  “They are crafty and Shark is smart, but there are three of us. I’m sure we can evade them until they give up and leave the island.”

  Harry was trying to make her feel better, but at this point nothing could.

  “Why don’t you watch that side.” Harry pointed to her right. “And I’ll watch this one. Since Morgan doesn’t trust either of us to do the job alone, we may as well split it up.”

  A ball of lead settled in her stomach. “It’s not you he has a problem with. Because I’m a woman, he thinks I am incapable of doing anything right.” Although, he did praise her for stealing the key and finding the cave. Then he told her he felt deeply for her. Of course, that was before he wanted nothing to do with her.

  “Morgan has been like that his entire life. He thinks only he can accomplish a task. According to him, I am incompetent, also.” He paused. “But he did save us from starvation when my father left.” Harry shifted his weight from his right foot to his left and regarded her with curiosity. “When I talked to him after the pirates kidnapped him and up until recently, he seemed changed. More willing to allow someone to help him. His eyes were lighter, his manner freer, his voice warmer, and his posture less stiff. But now he has reverted back to his demanding, emotionless self.”

  The crack of a stick shot through the air. “Did you hear that?” Arianna whispered.

  Harry nodded. He leaned close to her ear. “Wake Morgan. I’ll check it out.”

  She grabbed his arm. “Maybe you should wait.”

  “It’s probably an animal.”

  “Some animals are dangerous, especially the two-legged kind.”

  He tugged his arm from her grasp and pulled his cutlass from the sheath at his side. “I’ll be fine. Go tell Morgan.”

  She stood, watching him. Before he slipped into the dark world of the trees, he turned to her and mouthed the word “go” as he flicked his hand. Jolted with urgency, she dashed to the cave. “Morgan, wake up.”

  He jerked to a sitting position, alert and ready to face any situation.

  “We heard a crack like when a person steps on a stick.”

  He grabbed her upper arms. “Where is Harry?”

  “He went to investigate. He thinks it may be an animal.”

  “Bloody hell!” He snatched the remaining cutlass, the only other weapon they were able to steal from the pirate ship. “Wait here.”

  “I’m coming with you.”

  He muttered something she was sure was another curse. “Come on, but stay behind me.”

  They sped from the cave and raced across the clearing toward the forest, but before they reached it, pirates poured from between the trees.

  Chapter Sixteen

  “Run.” Morgan charged the attackers, his cutlass raised.

  She refused to leave him alone. Her heart hammering, she bent down and yanked the dagger from the scabbard tied to her calf. She spied him fighting off three pirates, metal clashing against metal. As she dashed to help him, one of the cutthroats challenged her. She swung her knife wide, and he jumped back.

  “Shark said not to hurt ye, so throw the knife down, boy.”

  “Not until you leave the island.” He stepped forward, and she retreated.

  He lunged at her, and in desperation, she slashed at him, slicing his arm. Satisfaction, fear, and bile rose to choke her.

  He stared at his bleeding arm in disbelief. His face turned ugly and mean. More ugly and more mean than it already was. “You cut me. You shouldn’t have done that, boy.”

  “You left me no choice.”

  Another pirate joined him, and terror deepened in her chest. Her gaze darted between the two as they split and stalked her from each side. She couldn’t fight off both at the same time. She spun and raced for the cave. If she could reach it in time, she might be able to disappear into the black unknown to escape them.

  A vise clamped around her legs. The ground came up to meet her. Her teeth rattled, and her breath erupted from her lungs with a whoosh. As she fought to breathe, she twisted, wrenched one leg from the powerful grip, yanked it back, and thrust it forward repeatedly until the hold loosened.

  Crawling, attempting to gain her feet, a weight crashed into her back and sent her sprawling again. Her face collided with the rocky ground. Rough hands flung her onto her back. A fist flew toward her. With no time to avoid it, her head jerked to the side with the force of the blow. Agony exploded in her jaw and radiated through her face.

  “Get off him,” a deep voice commanded.

  Opening eyes awash with tears, Arianna spied leather boots spread wide beside her. She followed the legs up to Shark’s face.

  Her attacker jumped to his feet, and Shark pointed at her. “Get up.”

  “Leave him alone. It is me you want.” Morgan’s rage-filled roar rang out.

  Her arms trembling, her body aching, she wobbled to a sitting position. Dizziness swamped her, and she struggled to remain upright.

  Shark reached down, and grabbing her arm, he hauled her to her feet. “I share my rum with you and this is how you repay me?” Arianna stumbled along behind him as he dragged her to where Morgan fought to free himself from the two men who held him captive.

  Shark nodded to one of his men. With an evil smile on his face, the pirate smashed his huge fist into Morgan’s stomach.

  Raw torment like sharp talons clawing her nerve-endings tore through her. Her only thought at that moment was to protect Morgan from the savagery inflicted on him. “Leave him alone.” She ripped her arm from Shark’s grip and leaped on the back of Morgan’s assailant, hitting him with her fists as he prepared to punch Morgan again.

  Grabbing her shirt, Shark tore her from the attacker and backhanded her across her face, first one side and then the other. Intense agony and then nothing, her face numb.

  He shoved her from him, and she staggered back but managed to stay on her feet. Thoughts of Morgan crowding her cloudy mind, she forced her undaunted legs to shuffle toward the brute who harmed Morgan. Silence surrounded her as she wove across the space separating them.

  And then a revelation that turned her blood to ice split the air. “He’s a girl.”

  Cold air assaulted her chest. She glanced down to find her shirt ripped wide open, her breasts exposed for all to see. She forgot to bind them after Morgan pleasured her in the cave.

  Her stomach twisted and her blood surged in fear as she grabbed the fluttering edges and tugged them together. Looking up, she witnessed lust filled hunger all around her in sinister smiles and lascivious eyes. They started toward her. She backed away, staring at them through wide eyes, terrified to turn from the hell pursuing her. Her brain raced to find a solution. Panic rose, threatening to overwhelm. She couldn’t escape them. She had already tried. Bone jarring shudders started at her feet and raced up to her head.

  Would she survive?

  Violent words rained down, and she glanced up at Morgan battling to free himself from the two pirates holding him. Hot, savage rage consumed him, powerful in intensity. His wrath knew no bounds. Death flashed in his eyes. Another man joined the first two, and they dropped Morgan to the ground as they fought to subdue him.

  The other three continued to stalk her. A hard, stone wall impeded her retreat. Arms closed around her from behind.

  “She is mine,” Shark’s voice bellowed, halting the predators in their tracks.

  But one or many, the result was the same. She kicked, scratched, squirmed, and screeched, but he held on tight until she wore herself out. Then he picked her up under his arm, hauled her away from Morgan, and dumped her on the rocky ground.

  The impact jarred her, and her teeth snapped together, but she hurt so badly now, one more bruise wouldn’t make a difference.

  “Turnbull, I will kill you if you don’t let her go.”

  Shark laughed. “I don’t think you are in a position to threaten me.”

  Morgan’s upper lip curled. “I will get free, and when I do, you will rue the day you to
ok her. If you kill me, I will come back from the grave to haunt you,” Morgan spat out between cut, swollen lips.

  “Tie him up and gag him,” Shark commanded.

  He squatted down before her. “So the boy I took under my wing and taught to drink is actually a girl.” He brushed his hand through her filthy, short locks.

  She jerked her head away. Terrified, Arianna vowed to remain brave and refused to show her fear. She would not give them the satisfaction.

  With callused fingers and a rough thumb grasping either side of her chin, he forced her battered face back to him and scrutinized her. “I don’t know how I thought you were a boy. I consider myself a connoisseur of women.” He glanced at her fingers clutching the edges of her shirt together, and a small smile spread across his face. “Although, your breasts are a bit small.”

  Would that repulse him and prevent her rape?

  “I can see how I missed them, but I delight in all sizes.” Staring at her, he ran his fingers along the side of one breast over her shirt.

  She shivered in revulsion. His diabolical grin spreading wider, he repeated the slow caress on the other side.

  On her rear, she scrambled away from him.

  “Halt right there.”

  Her limbs froze.

  “Good. You know how to obey. I like that in a woman.”

  He thought himself all powerful. She would teach him how obedient she was. She raised her chin. “Don’t touch me again.”

  His face darkened, and then he guffawed. “So you have spirit. I also like that in a woman.” He sobered. “But don’t push me too far. Now, we are missing one member of this happy family. Where is that disloyal betrayer Logan?”

  She gazed at him with innocent eyes. “I have no idea who Logan is.”

  “He was a member of my crew until last night.” He stood and strolled around her. “What did you promise him to help you? A sample of your charms?” He dropped on his haunches. “Was it worth his life?”