Enslaved By The Ocean (Criminals Of The Ocean #1) Read online

  “You’re beautiful, do you know that? Oh yes you ARRRRRRR,” I slur, squinting my eyes and taking him in. “Ohhh, so beautiful.”

  He shakes his head and leans down, wrapping his fingers around my arms and pulling me up with one quick movement.

  “You’re drunk, come on, before you hurt yourself.”

  “Would you save me, c…c…c…cap’n?” I chuckle.

  “Unlikely, you’re a messy drunk.”

  “Dance with me, buccaneer?” I giggle, spinning and wrapping my arms around him. He stiffens, and reaches back, gripping my hands and leaning down close.

  “No, now come on, quit while you’re ahead.”

  “Fun spoiler.”

  He gives me a look, and then turns us both and leads me out of the dining room. I can’t lie and say I don’t enjoy the feeling of having his arms around me, drunk or not. When we get to his room, he walks me in and takes me over to the sofa, gently dropping me down. I flop back, giggling.

  “Were you impressed by my pirate jokes?” I grin.

  He grins at me. “You should have been a comedian, now go to bed.”

  “I don’t want to. This might be the last night of fun I’ll ever have.”

  His eyes grow serious, and he stares down at me. “Sleep, inocencia.”

  I shake my head, and lean back, staring up at him. “How did you become a pirate?”

  He tilts his head to the side, and watches me for a moment, before pulling out a flask and taking a swig.

  “I got tangled up in some bullshit when I was fifteen, I had some things go down and eventually, when I was about twenty-five, I started forming a crew. Being out on the ocean away from it all, it made me feel free. I also realized running illegal stuff was easier out here, and so here we are.”

  “And it’s okay with you, to live a life on a ship?”

  “A life is only as good as you make it.”

  “So wise.” I giggle.

  He shakes his head, digging around in his pockets until he finds a cigarette. He lights it, bringing it to his lips and inhaling. Why does he look so good when he does that?

  “You need to get some rest,” he says when he lowers it.

  He stubs it out on the ashtray sitting on the coffee table, and then he turns and goes to walk out.

  “The scars are from him,” I blurt out.

  He stops and turns, staring down at me.

  “How long?”

  I know what he’s asking. How long was he beating me?

  “Over two years.”

  “He got charged?”

  “Yes,” I hiccup. “After I shot him. He threatened me when he got out, so I got on a yacht and ran…and here I am.”

  Hendrix stares at me, his eyes holding an expression my drunken mind can’t read. “And he’s after you?”

  I shrug. “I don’t know. If he is, he won’t find me here.”

  He makes a grunting sound, and then goes to turn again.

  “Hendrix?” I call, my voice loud and high-pitched.

  He turns again.

  “I don’t think you’re as bad as you think you are.”

  His eyes search my face, and his jaw flexes. “You don’t know me.”

  “Would you let me know you?”

  He studies my face, and then turns and walks to the door. Just before he gets to it, he murmurs, “No,” and then he steps out and closes it behind him.

  Well, he can “no” me all he likes.

  I’m not giving up.

  Shiver me timbers!

  I blink, and my head spins. It’s dark and I can’t see a thing. I need to pee, but the idea of getting off this sofa is really not appealing. I manage to struggle up into a sitting position, and I try to reach forward for the coffee table. I reach too far in the wrong direction, and end up crashing onto the ground with a loud squeal. I fumble around on the floor. Goddammit, I can’t see. My head is still spinning and I am disorientated. I pat the ground, trying to find something to give me an indication of where I am.

  I touch a set of feet.

  Oh.

  Hendrix.

  If I wasn’t drunk, I’m sure I wouldn’t have done what I do next, but I am drunk, so I blame that. I reach up, as if going for his hand, only to grab his cock. I literally grip hold of it, and wrap my fingers around it. He hisses, I realize what I’ve done and squeal, and I launch myself backwards, landing against the coffee table with a cry. Hendrix is there in a second, lifting me into the air. I lose my footing and fall into him, wrapping my fingers around his arms.

  I stop breathing.

  I’m almost sure he does, too.

  His body is pressed against mine, and I force myself to take one little moment to feel every inch of it. His hard, bare chest is warm against my cheek, and he smells divine. His abs are pressing against my belly, and I can feel them flexing. His arms are firm and strong beneath my fingers and his…oh…oh, my…his cock is hard. My head spins, and my body heats all over as I feel him pressing against my pelvis, and when he pulses, my world spins. Shit. Fuck.

  I want him.

  I lift my head, and turn it, before lowering back down and pressing my lips to his chest. I don’t know why I do it. I know I shouldn’t. I should be pretending to seduce him, not actually enjoying it. He tenses all over. His skin is so goddamned hot, and I can’t resist the urge so I slide my tongue out and taste the flesh there. Oh. Lovely. Hendrix has his hand on my hip. I didn’t even notice until now, but that hand moves down until he’s gripping my ass. His fingers bite into my skin as he jerks me forward, lowering his body just enough so that my pussy rides against his erection.

  I groan.

  He snarls.

  And then he begins to grind.

  Everything in my world stops. My head is spinning, my body is tingling all over, and my pussy is so damned wet I can feel my arousal dampening my panties. Hendrix grips my ass harder, and he rubs his erection up and down the thin layer of cotton over my sex. All I’m wearing is a long shirt and panties. I must have managed to change myself during the evening some time. I spread my legs a little, and my core begins to heat with each grind of his hips.

  “I can feel you, you’re so fucking wet,” he whispers. I just barely hear him.

  I whimper, and he rubs harder, faster, his hips gyrating against mine, and his cock sliding up and down my slit, causing the perfect friction. I want to come; I need to come. My nails grip his arms so tightly I feel the skin break, which only makes him wilder. He makes a throaty, hissing sound and I drop my head back. I’m close, so damned close. I can’t think of anything but the heat pooling low in my belly. I want to go over that edge…

  Hendrix rotates his hips, and then presses them so close, forcing his erection to press against my clit, hard. I come, shamefully loud. I cry out, and my body shakes as I begin convulsing. Each shudder goes through my body and causes it to jerk. It feels so good, God, it feels so fucking good.

  Hendrix pulls back, and I hear him shuffling. He grips my hand, and suddenly my fingers are wrapped around a hard very large cock. He curls his hand around mine, and he makes us stroke together.

  Five solid pumps later, he lets out a guttural moan, and I feel the hot spurts of come hit my hand and roll down my wrist. I whimper, and my pussy clenches knowing he got so aroused. I lift my head, and my knees threaten to give way. I can smell the alcohol on my breath, or is it his? I don’t know. We have both had too much. He steps back, curses loudly, and then I can’t feel him anymore. I stand in the darkness, trembling and alone.

  “H…H…Hendrix?” I whisper.

  I hear the door slam.

  And I know he’s gone.

  Well shit.

  What does that mean?

  I am fairly sure my head has never hurt so much in my life. When I wake in the morning, it’s pounding. I go to sit up, and it spins angrily, causing me to drop back down with a groan. Jesus, why the hell did I drink so much? Whose genius idea was that? I rub my temples, and try to give myself an encouragement talk to
hype myself for the idea of getting up. I need water, and I need aspirin. I am pretty sure both are equally as important as the other.

  I hear the sound of a glass being placed on the coffee table beside me, and I turn my head to see Drake staring down at me. He raises his brows when I groan and clench my eyes shut. “Hendrix said you might need these.”

  Hendrix.

  Oh.

  God.

  We fooled around last night. Shit, that sounds so childish. Fooled around. It wasn’t even serious, it was just a drunken bump and grind. We both wanted it, though, that was clear. Did my attempt at seduction work? Do I actually have a chance to seduce Hendrix and make him reconsider his decision to sell me? My heart swells with hope, but quickly crashes. He did rush out, and he’s not here this morning. I pout, and open my eyes to stare up at Drake who is still watching me.

  “Where is he?”

  He gives me a confused look. “Hendrix?”

  “Yeah, Hendrix.”

  “He’s on deck.”

  I nod, and slowly rise off the sofa. Drake leans down and grips the glass, raising it and extending his hand towards me. I take it gratefully, and I reach out for the aspirin, popping it into my mouth and swallowing it with water. God, my stomach is twisting and I feel seedy as hell. I’m never drinking that toxic rum again. I put my head in my hands again. My lord, it’s thumping.

  “A shower and fresh air always help a hangover, maybe some decent food.”

  I lift my head from my hands and stare up at Drake. “Thanks.”

  “Your friend asked for you this morning when I delivered his food; he said it was urgent.”

  I sigh. I know Eric wants to talk to me after our fight, and I know I can’t escape him forever. “I’ll eat, and then I’ll go and see him.”

  “Breakfast is still on in the dining room.”

  I get to my feet, and my knees wobble. My head pounds and my eyes feel as though they’re about to drop out. “Thanks,” I mutter.

  “It’s lethal stuff.”

  I stare at him, and I swear he looks like he wants to smirk. “No shit.”

  He does smirk now, and it transforms his entire face. His eyes change, and he’s got one cute dimple in his cheek. It’s odd; most people have two. I can’t help but return his odd smirk, and, with no words needed, we both turn and walk away. I head to the shower and spend the next half an hour in it, relieving some of the pain in my hungover body. When I’m done, I throw on a pair of jeans and a tank, and head toward the dining room.

  The chef is just clearing up when I come in, but he offers me a bowl of fruit. I take it, grateful, and pick at the juicy green melon as I head down to see Eric. I’m really not looking forward to this confrontation, but I know it has to be done. I can’t imagine he’s doing so well down in the cells, and I know it must be sending him a little crazy. He needs me, regardless of how we’re both feeling, and I won’t leave him in his time of need.

  Midway down the hall a ladder suddenly swings down from the roof, and GG appears. I squeal and leap backwards, then cry out when my head pounds at the quick, jerky movement. GG grins, and tilts his head to this side. “You look like shit, Indi girl.”

  I put my hand to my heart, and peer up at the small hole leading into the roof. “Where the hell did you just come from?”

  GG grins, and slides the ladder back up into the roof. “It’s the fire escape.”

  Fire escape.

  Fire escape.

  My head spins.

  “Where does it go?” I try to ask casually.

  “Up into the navigation office.”

  On the deck. Oh my. When we are close to an island I could get Eric and we could escape through it. We could jump over the side from the navigation office. Could that be our escape? Hope swells in my chest, and I try to nod casually as GG slides a latch across and then crosses his arms and turns to me. “You heading down to see your friend?”

  I nod, picking out another piece of melon even though my stomach is churning. I grip it, and groan lightly. “Yeah, he requested me.”

  “Get some fresh air after, it helps.”

  “You all keep saying that,” I force a smile, stepping past him.

  “We speak from experience.”

  I laugh softly, and continue towards the cell door. I flick it open when I reach it, and head on down. Eric is fresh this morning, like he’s been allowed to shower. He’s sitting on a mattress that wasn’t there before, and he’s got some clean clothes. Hendrix has looked after him. Why? He never promised to do anything but feed him. Did our moment actually pay off? Eric looks up when I step into view, and he seems to sigh with relief.

  “There you are. I was so worried,” he says, standing and walking over to the bars.

  “Drake said you wanted to see me,” I say, popping a piece of pineapple into my mouth.

  “Look, what I said last night, it was wrong. I didn’t mean it, Indi. You know I didn’t. I was angry, and scared, and I took it out on you. I care about you, and I care about what happens to you. I don’t want you to be sold, and the idea of it has my entire body twisting in panic.”

  “I’ve got it covered, I told you that,” I whisper.

  “Do you honestly think your plan of seduction will work?” he almost hisses.

  I wrap a hand around the bars, and lean in close. “It already is. You got extras this morning, didn’t you?”

  All the blood drains from Eric’s face. “You…you…slept with him?!”

  I lean in closer. “No,” I whisper. “I didn’t, but…I’m creating a connection.”

  “It’s a bad idea, Indi.”

  “It’s the only one I have. I found a way off the ship, but if for some reason that fails, I need a backup plan. Him having feelings for me is my backup plan. I need to be sure if there’s no other way out, that he won’t sell me.”

  “It’s risky,” he murmurs, looking at the floor.

  “Have you got anything better?”

  He shakes his head, and reaches through the bars suddenly, gripping my wrists. “I care about you Indi, you know I do. I don’t like the idea of you…seducing him to keep yourself safe.”

  “He’s not so bad,” I say gently.

  Eric’s eyes widen. “You care about him, don’t you?”

  “I never…”

  “How stupid are you, Indigo? He’s a monster. He’s going to sell you as a sex slave. How the hell can you possibly see him as anything but the revolting pig he is?”

  “He’s got a reason for doing what he’s doing, but he’s not a bad person. I’ve seen it.”

  “You’re just blindfolded because of his good looks, but there’s much more to him than that. He’s not going to soften, and you’re wasting your time.”

  I tug my wrists from his. “You’re my best friend Eric, and I love you, but don’t make me regret my decision to save you.”

  His mouth drops open, and he stumbles backwards. “How could you even say that?”

  “Probably for the same reasons you said awful things to me.”

  “Indi…”

  “I’m going, I don’t want to say anything more. I said I’d get us off here, you need to trust that I can.”

  I turn on my heel and walk off, neither of us say another word. I need some fresh air.

  I need to think.

  Blow me down!

  As soon as the salty wind hits my face, I sigh and close my eyes. Oh, they were right, this is nice. I step up out further onto the deck, and amongst the salty breeze, I smell a touch of rain. I open my eyes and see a puff of dark clouds rolling in from the horizon. Is that a storm? My heart skitters, and I feel a whoosh of wind tickle my face. I hear voices trailing out from the navigation hut, so I walk over.

  “It’s a big one, we need to dock for the night,” I hear Hendrix say.

  “We’re over two hundred miles from the nearest island, Cap,” Drake adds.

  “And we might only have hours before this hits,” Lenny says.

  “We have to he
ad as close to land as possible, incase of capsizing.”

  Capsizing.

  What?

  My heart seizes, and I blink rapidly. Surely not? I mean, they’ve been out here for years and years, we’re not going to capsize…are we? I wrap my arms around myself and rub, suddenly feeling cold. I hear the creak of the door, and turn to see the guys heading out. Hendrix notices me, and his eyes widen for a second, before locking with mine. A lot passes between us, and there’s a long, heated pause before he says, “I guess you heard?”

  I nod.

  “Best you stay below deck.”

  “Are we going to…sink?” I whisper.

  “Not if I have any say in it. We’re heading towards a small island northeast to us. It’s a distance away, but with a good wind, we can make it. Go below deck.”

  “I wanted to speak…”

  “Below deck, Indigo. Now.”

  I feel my eyes widen. He’s become determined. He’s giving me a look that’s telling me not to argue, but more than that, it’s telling me that I best not bring up last night. I nod, and turn, walking toward the door. The wind makes a howling sound, and my skin prickles. I hope he’s right, I hope we can make it to land before this storm hits. The idea of being stuck on a ship in a storm with the chance of capsizing isn’t really something I want in my life right now.

  I head below deck, and think for a moment about going to warn Eric about the storm but decide against it. It’s not that I don’t care about him. It’s just that, right now, I’m confused, and even a little hurt, and it’s easier if I just leave it. He needs space, and the truth is I’m afraid of what this is going to do to our friendship. He’s angry with me, and I’m signing my life over to save his. The sad thing is, even if I was mad at him, and hated him, I could never let his life be taken because of me.

  I run into Jess just outside Hendrix’s room, and she gives me a warm smile. She looks so calm; doesn’t she know about the storm? I must look worse than I realize, because she narrows her eyes and places the sheets she’s carrying on the ground before walking over and gripping my shoulders. “Are you okay?”