“Get up,” he growls, his voice rugged and rough.

I do as he asks. There is no point in arguing. I need to be sassy and strong, to make sure that he doesn’t break me, but at the same time I’m not making him angrier. At least, I’d like to think that’s the case. As soon as I am on my feet, his hand lashes out and grips my arm. His fingers bite into my skin and I smother my wince.

“Where are you taking me?” I ask in a small, scratchy voice. It’s the first time I’ve heard my voice in days.

“None of your business.”

Damned pirates. They give nothing away.

“Is this your ship?” I push as he undoes my chains and tugs me toward the door.

“Don’t fuckin’ insult me.”

Insult him? Why would that insult him? I shuffle my feet as best I can as he pulls me out of the door. His tugging becomes more persistent, and the frustration at trying to keep up becomes overwhelming. When I stumble and struggle to catch my footing for the fourth time, I finally snap.

“Stop tugging me so hard, pirate,” I growl under my breath.

Before I can say another word, he has spun around, gripped my shoulders, and slammed me up against the nearest wall. When he’s up close like this, I can see the jagged scar to the left of his lip. I can also see how stunning his eyes truly are. They’re not just blue, they have little speckles of aqua through them, giving them that unique color all their own. I squirm as his fingers dig into my shoulders, but I keep my face emotionless.

“You ever insult me like that again, I’ll make it hurt . . .” he growls, shaking me a little.

“How did I insult you?” I gasp, squirming again.

“I might be a lot of things, but I’m not a fuckin’ pirate, and if I so much as hear that word leave your lips again, I’ll make you wish it didn’t. I’m not scum, not like that piece of shit pirate I took you from.”

“Funny that,” I growl. “Because you’re the one who stole and starved an innocent girl.”

He leans in close, letting his eyes burn into mine. “There ain’t no innocence in anything that comes from hell, girl.”

He thinks I’m a pirate, and for some reason I don’t want to correct him. Maybe it’s a good thing he thinks he’s gotten something that is important to Hendrix. If I tell him I’m just a stray, who really, in the big scheme of things, isn’t that important, then he’ll likely kill me. If I need to play along for now, so be it. I don’t correct him.

Instead I narrow my eyes. “What are you expecting to get out of this?”

He smiles, and it’s cold and empty. “One word: revenge.”

CHAPTER TWO

Jess

I have to blink, at least four times. I can’t be seeing this right. We’re . . . we’re . . . on land. At a wharf, with a lineup of SUVs waiting for us. I felt the ship rocking a few times, but I didn’t think it was because we were coming in to land. I thought Dimitri was a pirate, I thought this battle would happen on the ocean, but I’ve just learned how very wrong I was. My heart seizes. How is Hendrix supposed to know I’m on land? How is he supposed to find me here? I let my eyes dart around, trying to take in my surroundings.

We’re in America somewhere, that much I know. The scenery is very familiar and the SUV license plates indicate so. I’m too far away to see which state is stamped on them. My legs wobble as Dimitri pulls me down the ramps and leads me directly to the large vehicles. He opens the door of one and shoves me inside. I land on my face, hands tangled beneath me. I squeak and try to roll, but it’s not easy when you can’t use your own hands to push yourself up. Mine are handcuffed and moving is next to impossible without them.

I manage to shove myself up to my knees just as Dimitri gets into the front seat of the SUV. Two large men join us. One, who is bald and absolutely huge, gets in the front seat, lifting a gun and placing it on his lap. A silent threat. The other is darker-skinned, and has a more gentle face. He climbs in the back beside me when I finally get myself onto my bottom.

The SUV surges forward and I find my breath hitching. I won’t lie and say fear isn’t washing through me right now, because it is. When we were on the water, it was easy enough to hope and assume that Hendrix would find me. He knows the ocean. The land, however, it’s . . . it’s a lot harder. What if he doesn’t even know I’m here? Miles and miles of ocean he could be wasting his time on.

I swallow and close my eyes, calming myself. The good thing about land is that I have more chance of escape. That’s a plus. I can escape out here if given the right moment. I will hope for that moment, because it might be the only chance. I might be my only chance. I open my eyes and peer out of the window. Tall trees, wide roads, and people on bicycles whizz past. A strange feeling swells in my chest, and it takes me a moment to recognize it.

I’m on land again.

It’s been over two years since I’ve been in civilization, and it’s quite an overwhelming feeling. People chatter, cars pass by noisily. My head feels clogged. I’m so used to nothing but the sound of crashing waves that I wonder how I ever felt at peace in this place. On water is the only place I have ever felt serene. Tranquil.

I turn and stare at the front of the car to catch Dimitri watching me in the rearview mirror. I narrow my eyes and glare at him. He returns the glare and turns his eyes back to the road. “Where are you taking me?” I ask, tugging on my chains.