A Pirate's Bounty (11 page)

“What is it?” The king’s voice was gentle, as he must have had an idea of what she would say, since he knew from her introduction upon entering who she was.

“The ring… ’Tis my father’s.” There, she’d said it. Lightning had not struck her. She hadn’t vomited. But beside her an angry warmth raged from Wraith like fire. His hands were fisted at his sides.

“Yes, my lady,” the king said. “Had you any knowledge of his part in the crimes he committed against Lord de Gothie?”

“No.” She shook her head vehemently. “I only knew when I saw the ring.”

The king nodded, satisfied, but Wraith still stood beside her, deadly silent.

“There you have it, my boy, and I do believe you. The Vicomte de Bèziers will be arrested, his titles and lands forfeited. I shall have my men investigate the matter to see you are cleared of the crimes.”

Faryn’s head nearly burst. So quick it was, and just like that the king had said he would arrest the vicomte, he would look into clearing Wraith’s name.

Her heart burst with pleasure and pride for Wraith. He must be so relieved! All of his hard work, all his suffering was nearly to an end.

She caught his gaze and her smile faltered. What she saw in front of her was the true Captain Wraith Noir. The one who did battle, the one who kidnapped innocents and murdered for riches. The dangerous pirate. His eyes were filled with rage when they met hers, and if looks could kill, she would be a pile of bones, muscle and flesh on the floor.

She’d known he would be upset with her, that he would see her as having lied to him, kept things from him, but she had not thought he would show her this level of outrage, this level of hatred.

“Tell the king when you did first see the ring,” he demanded.

She glanced with a jerk at the king. “Upon my father’s finger, Captain.”

The king’s eyes widened at this but he remained silent, seeing the struggle going on between Wraith and herself.

“You lied to me. You deliberately kept the truth from me. Why do such a thing unless you were a part of it? Unless you sought from the very beginning to reel me into your family’s web of treachery? Tell me, had your father heard that I’d be anchoring that night you walked on the beach? Did he tell you to spread your legs for me?”

The king blanched, as did Faryn.

Her stomach plummeted and her mouth went dry. Before Wraith could say another word to mortify her further, she fled from the room.

Chapter Nine

Faryn thought for sure her heart would burst within her chest. The pain seared through her with rising agony. She’d thought she’d prepared herself for his belief in her betrayal, even though it was furthest from the truth, but even that had not truly prepared her for how it felt to see the anger in his eyes.

Where once affection, desire and respect had filled his gaze, now it was replaced with something more sinister, a feeling she’d hoped to never experience but in the end had some inkling was coming. It felt as though he’d taken one of his blades and thrust it through her heart.

She ran blindly as tears filled her eyes and managed with awkward shaking hands to lift her skirts enough so that she didn’t trip on their length.

“Oof!” With a thud, her flight halted against a body and strong arms held her from falling onto the ground.

Through hazy eyes she made out a figure—an all too familiar figure.

“Daughter!” Her father’s growl cut through the racing thoughts in her mind.

She opened her mouth but no sound came out. She didn’t know whether to scream or act as though she knew nothing, and her head swam and threatened to make her faint dead away.

“What are you doing in Carcassonne? Where have you been? We have been looking for you! Lord Menteur has taken to the sea fearing you were stolen by pirates.”

He shook her like a rag doll, her head flopping back and forth, her teeth clicking together, when she did not speak to answer him.

“Do you defy me? Have you run away from your duty?” Spittle flew onto her face as he bellowed at her.

A crowd gathered around them, none too discreetly.

“How could you?” The words slipped from her mouth before she could rein them in.

He narrowed his eyes at her, his grip on her arms tightening.

“You defy me and then dare to question me?”

She shook her head and bit her lip hard to keep from saying anything else.

“Answer me!” he bellowed again.

“No,” she whispered. She tried not to look around as she sensed more people coming to watch their spectacle. Good God, she prayed Wraith did not see this!

* * * * *

Shouting from whence Lady Faryn had fled drew Wraith’s and King Louis’ attention.

“What is this?” the king asked, irritation marring his features.

Wraith didn’t wait to find out. For as much as he believed Faryn had betrayed him, he couldn’t see her come to harm—at least by anyone other than himself.

He led the way from the king’s presence chamber through a series of doors until they came to a large crowd. In the center a man held a woman by her arms as he bellowed in her face.

“Answer me!”

“Father, you are a murderer! How could you be so cruel, so evil!”

The vicomte’s face blanched white, and even from this distance Wraith watched Faryn’s shoulders shake on her lithe frame.

Her father growled something under his breath and then yanked her with him, clearly intending to leave the area.

“Halt!” shouted the king.

The vicomte continued to try to drag his daughter away but several of the nosy courtiers blocked his escape.

“The king has ordered you to stay where you are,” Wraith said, his voice deadly calm.

Slowly the Vicomte de Bèziers turned, recognition plain in his eyes as he viewed Wraith.

“No,” he whispered, shaking his head as if he’d seen a ghost.

“Let the lady go,” Wraith demanded. He avoided Faryn’s gaze even though he could feel her eyes penetrating his soul.

“She is not just a lady but my daughter. She ran away from home and her marriage, and I must see that she is guarded. This is no concern of yours.” De Bèziers’ meager attempt at playing nonchalant was not lost on Wraith.

“But it is my concern. She did not run but was taken. By me. She is mine.”

If possible, de Bèziers’ face paled even further.

“By you? How?”

“Let her go. You and I have business of our own to attend to.”

“No!” de Bèziers shouted. “You’re dead! Your whole family is dead! I saw to it myself!”

“I assure you, I am here in the flesh.”

With de Bèziers’ last comment, Wraith saw from the corner of his eye the king wave to his men. Several guards surrounded the vicomte, who was forced to release his daughter.

He shoved her away and the force of the move sent Faryn sprawling forward and knocked a couple of his guards off their steady feet. Wraith lunged to grab Faryn before she hit the floor but at the same time the vicomte pulled a dagger from some part of his person. He waved his arm in an arc, the blade aimed at his daughter. Wraith changed his angle and nearly missed the downward plunge of de Bèziers’ dagger. Faryn fell to the floor in a pile of skirts and wriggled away from the fray. Wraith clicked his ring, flicking his hand in time to leave a gash along the vicomte’s arm.

The older man screeched in pain and dropped his dagger, reaching instead for his bleeding limb. The king’s men took the opportunity to grab de Bèziers and drag him away.

Wraith stood and held out his hand to Faryn. She stared up at him, confusion in her eyes.

“Forgive me?” he asked.

She nodded silently and took his hand.

“You are not your father. I know you. I know you for the innocent and kind-hearted woman you are. I spoke out of anger.” He pulled her into an embrace, not caring that they had an audience. She sagged against him and the gentle shaking of her shoulders told him she was crying. He had never wanted to hurt her, nor see tears in her eyes, and yet here she was sobbing quietly against his shoulder. He leaned down and kissed her atop her head and then whispered in her ear.

“Hush now, love. Don’t cry. All will be well. We shall be together just as we dreamed of.”

She looked up at him, her eyes watery, her lips red where she’d bitten them. He bent down and pressed his lips to hers, savoring her taste and her affection.

Against her lips he whispered, “I love you, Faryn.”

Her voice cracked on a sob with her reply. “I love you too.”

“’Lo there.” The king’s voice cut through their reverie. “Etienne, cease manhandling the maiden.”

“Etienne?” Faryn asked, pulling away to glance at him quizzically.

He shrugged, a wicked grin curving his lips. He realized they’d never gotten around to him telling her his true name. “’Tis not so dreadful and mysterious as Wraith.”

She chuckled at this. “No, but suits you all the same.”

“Majesty,” he said, turning to face the king, their hands gripped tightly together. “Might I have your permission to marry this fair maiden?”

The king’s eyes sparkled. “You may inquire, Lord de Gothie, and I am happy to give you my blessing.”

“Lord de Gothie…” Wraith’s voice trailed off.

“
Oui
, you have proven your innocence, and I have waited these past years for you to return to your rightful place. However, there is one condition of my gift.”

Wraith stiffened, lowered his eyes. What could the king ask? “Yes, Majesty.”

The king lifted his chin in challenge. “You have pirated our shores and taken the innocent from France. If you wish to fully receive a pardon, your title, your lands, you must first retrieve the French citizens you kidnapped.”

The king’s demand would be a daunting task. But it was one Wraith was eager to complete, and with Faryn by his side. Orelia kept good records of her human booty, and once he had a hold of where each one was finally taken he could easily begin retrieving them—which he would relish as he’d never wanted to be a party to such a thing, but his safety had required he be the delivery man.

“Majesty, as you wish.” He bowed before the king and when he rose addressed him once more. “A boon, Majesty?”

The king nodded.

“Might I marry first, so my lady can accompany me on the seas?”

The king grinned knowingly. “
Mais oui
, as soon as possible.”

Wraith too broke out into a grin. Excitement coursed through his veins, for together he and Faryn would travel the world kidnapping those he’d enslaved to others and pirating pirates who would seek their fortunes on the Mediterranean Sea.

Epilogue

Six Months Later

Wraith wrapped one strong arm beneath Faryn’s knees and another behind her back and lifted her into the air. He carried her through the door of their cabin aboard
The Avenger
and toward the bed, where he gently laid her down before covering her with his body.

“We did it, my love,” he whispered, nipping at her lips with his teeth.

Faryn wrapped her arms around him and pulled him closer for a kiss. Their mouths connected in an arousing melding of tongue and lips.

“And now we shall sail back to France?” she asked, panting from how his kisses always seemed to take her breath away, make her blood pump hard through her veins and send her body singing.

“Perhaps.”

“Perhaps not?”

He chuckled and buried his face in the crook of her neck. Faryn arched her back and tilted her head to the side, allowing him a greater expanse of her flesh to kiss and suck.

“’Tis true we have recaptured the innocent. Thank ye Gods Queen Orelia sold all of them to only a select few. But I thought for us to drop them on a French beach before sailing to a remote island, where I might enjoy your body for days on end, until we can both no longer stand, without taking on any further responsibilities.”

His hands traveled over her ribs, down her hips and to her thighs, where he gripped her behind the knees and pulled them up around his waist so he might settle between her legs. His rigid cock pressed against her cunny, which was already wet with wanting.

He rocked back and forth against her, sending frissons of desire and need sparkling through her limbs.

“Mmm…yes…” she moaned, arching her back and undulating her hips in time with his.

“Not so fast, love. I want to make love to you all night.”

He stood abruptly and pulled her up with him. The light faded through the porthole, bathing them in an ethereal tranquility. The ship swayed back and forth against the dock. Save for a few men on watch, the rest of the crew were in port, no doubt at a tavern or whorehouse, as the captain had given them the night off as thanks for all their hard work.

“I love you with a fierceness that grips me right here.” He tapped his chest.

Faryn reached up and pressed the palm to his chest, then trailed her hand lower to pull the linen shirt from his breeches. She trailed her hand beneath the fabric up his smooth stomach to his chest and again flattened her hand over his heart. She could feel the strong, steady beat of that organ beneath her fingertips. Wraith placed his hand over hers and threaded his other hand through her hair.