Brenna backed up slowly until she could go no further. The privy door was behind her and the Captain was advancing at her front. Her heavy skirts, something she rarely wore, were in the way of her reaching her dagger.
"Ye've nowhere t' go, luv."
Brenna looked frantically for a weapon, but there was none to be had. She raised her hands up in front of her to ward him off. "You're not going to..."
His grin deepened. "Aye, that I am." He grabbed for her and she swung her fist, barely missing his jaw.
Her heart was pounding. She'd heard stories of what happened to women captured by pirates. She wasn't going to allow that to happen. "Stay away from me."
"Can't do that, luv." His large hand wrapped around her wrist and she was pulled against him, her arm twisted behind her back.
She slapped him hard with her free hand.
He grabbed that wrist as well and held her hands behind her in one hand, while producing a knife from the mysterious interior of his knee-length coat. He sliced through the bodice of her dress in one swipe, leaving it to tangle between them.
Brenna gasped and fought against him, trying to jerk her hands free of his.
Next went the skirt, as he cut through the fabric until it puddled around her feet.
Brenna was fighting tears, refusing to humiliate herself anymore.
He pressed her back from him a little, still holding her hands and pointed the knife in the direction of her corset.
Brenna gave a hard yank on her hands, to no avail, then tried kicking his shins.
He growled in frustration and yanked the sheet from the bed. He began to twist it up, holding one end in his teeth while turning the other.
Brenna cried out in anger. "No!" Surely he didn't mean to bind her.
He wound the sheet around her hands and tied it in a tight knot, then he swiftly cut the lacings on her corset, leaving her to stand shivering in only her chemise and booties.
"I hate you." Brenna could feel her bottom lip quivering. "You're a scoundrel."
He looked amused. "Sticks an' stones, darling."
"My father will kill you for this."
"Don't think so." He perused her body readily, stopping on her chest and lingering.
Mortification caused a blush to creep over her as she felt the tips of her breasts tighten into points beneath his scrutiny.
His gaze met hers as a smirk spread over his handsome face. He turned abruptly, cutting the bonds from her wrists and going to the door. "Anamaria will bring you a change of clothes." Then he was gone, locking the door behind him.
Brenna sat on the edge of the bed and quickly worked one boot off her foot. She flipped one over and the tip of the chunky heel slid away to reveal a hollow compartment containing four rubies the size of the tip of her thumb. She sighed in relief. She checked the other one, glad to see that it, too, was intact.
She slid her hand down inside her shoe and pulled the velvet pouch out of the toe, feeling for the correct amount. When she was satisfied, she put her shoes on and went to inspect her clothing, or what remained of it.
She sighed, sitting on the floor beside the pile of discarded garments. The bum roll in her skirt had the rich red gems stuffed between the layers of padding, but there would be no way she could hide it.
She jumped as the room was once again invaded by the Captain and another person. The dark-skinned woman set a stack of clothing and a pair of boots on the bed then exited swiftly, casting a wary glance at Jack.
Brenna looked down at the garment in her hands and gasped, knowing she was caught red-handed, as a handful of the gems fell from the waist of the skirt and skittered to the floor.
Jack staggered over and looked down. "Well, well."
"Ye've nowhere t' go, luv."
Brenna looked frantically for a weapon, but there was none to be had. She raised her hands up in front of her to ward him off. "You're not going to..."
His grin deepened. "Aye, that I am." He grabbed for her and she swung her fist, barely missing his jaw.
Her heart was pounding. She'd heard stories of what happened to women captured by pirates. She wasn't going to allow that to happen. "Stay away from me."
"Can't do that, luv." His large hand wrapped around her wrist and she was pulled against him, her arm twisted behind her back.
She slapped him hard with her free hand.
He grabbed that wrist as well and held her hands behind her in one hand, while producing a knife from the mysterious interior of his knee-length coat. He sliced through the bodice of her dress in one swipe, leaving it to tangle between them.
Brenna gasped and fought against him, trying to jerk her hands free of his.
Next went the skirt, as he cut through the fabric until it puddled around her feet.
Brenna was fighting tears, refusing to humiliate herself anymore.
He pressed her back from him a little, still holding her hands and pointed the knife in the direction of her corset.
Brenna gave a hard yank on her hands, to no avail, then tried kicking his shins.
He growled in frustration and yanked the sheet from the bed. He began to twist it up, holding one end in his teeth while turning the other.
Brenna cried out in anger. "No!" Surely he didn't mean to bind her.
He wound the sheet around her hands and tied it in a tight knot, then he swiftly cut the lacings on her corset, leaving her to stand shivering in only her chemise and booties.
"I hate you." Brenna could feel her bottom lip quivering. "You're a scoundrel."
He looked amused. "Sticks an' stones, darling."
"My father will kill you for this."
"Don't think so." He perused her body readily, stopping on her chest and lingering.
Mortification caused a blush to creep over her as she felt the tips of her breasts tighten into points beneath his scrutiny.
His gaze met hers as a smirk spread over his handsome face. He turned abruptly, cutting the bonds from her wrists and going to the door. "Anamaria will bring you a change of clothes." Then he was gone, locking the door behind him.
Brenna sat on the edge of the bed and quickly worked one boot off her foot. She flipped one over and the tip of the chunky heel slid away to reveal a hollow compartment containing four rubies the size of the tip of her thumb. She sighed in relief. She checked the other one, glad to see that it, too, was intact.
She slid her hand down inside her shoe and pulled the velvet pouch out of the toe, feeling for the correct amount. When she was satisfied, she put her shoes on and went to inspect her clothing, or what remained of it.
She sighed, sitting on the floor beside the pile of discarded garments. The bum roll in her skirt had the rich red gems stuffed between the layers of padding, but there would be no way she could hide it.
She jumped as the room was once again invaded by the Captain and another person. The dark-skinned woman set a stack of clothing and a pair of boots on the bed then exited swiftly, casting a wary glance at Jack.
Brenna looked down at the garment in her hands and gasped, knowing she was caught red-handed, as a handful of the gems fell from the waist of the skirt and skittered to the floor.
Jack staggered over and looked down. "Well, well."