The Bear King's Captive: Curvy Paranormal Shape Shifter Romance (10 page)

SEVENTEEN

Smoke from spent casings wafted above the top deck. Wind blew the gaseous ash from the burning speedboats. Blood and bodies littered the lounge area. Splayed appendages made the bodies look like they were catching a few rays, except they were completely covered, exposing no skin.

After tripping over a body, Leah rolled against a stairwell. Otso and several guys plowed through the doorway vacated by the unwanted visitors. Ivan and Maricio rushed to her.

“Maricio, what’s happening? Who were those men?”

Maricio glanced over his shoulder at the deck. “Those men are pirates. We hear rumors, but this is first time I see them.”

She closed her eyes and rubbed her temples. “I must’ve hit my head too hard. For a minute, I thought you said pirates.”

“Sί, señorita. They kill and take everything. Sometimes they keep crew for money. This ship is very lucky we here.”

Leah sat up. “Are you joking? The only pirates are on the other side of Africa—thousands of miles from here.”

Maricio saw the red stain on Leah’s shoulder. “Aye! You need medic room.”

Leah glanced at her injury. Compared to the adrenaline and fear, the gash caused little pain. “It just needs a bandage. The material’s stopped the bleeding. I’m fine for now.” She raised her good arm to Ivan. “Help me up.”

“No, señorita. You need medicine.”

“Maricio, there’re two mad men running wild, armed with guns. Ivan and I are going to our cabins until this is over.”

Ivan stomped his foot. “I want to help. I have--”

Automatic rifle noise thundered from above. The five-foot windows exploded directly over their heads. Leah grabbed Ivan’s arm and launched them forward into the sun. She passed prone bodies and ran for the nearest door.

Leah stared at the endless white halls and bulkheads. She remembered coming up at least two sets of steps, maybe three.

Ivan stood on the bottom step below the hatch. “Where are we going?”

“They’re in the back part of the ship, so we’re going forward to the laundry room on this side.” After two sets of stairs and several long running hallways, she stopped and leaned against the wall. “Dammit. I’m lost. But we have to be close.” What was she supposed to do? Dad told her to run and hide. That’s what she’d always done. She didn’t know how to fight. But she refused to give up on the only person who ever needed her, trusted her. Determination filled her heart. She wouldn’t fail the boy.

Ivan had been unusually quiet. “Shouldn’t we be worried about the pirate?”

She turned down another hall. “One’s on the bridge and the other is probably trashing the engine or radio room. They’re not worried if the clothes are clean.”

“Bear King probably has them already, right?”

“Just to be safe, we’re staying in the laundry room until we hear the all-clear.” Leah opened a steel door blocking the hallway and stepped onto a platform overlooking a wide abyss.

Metal stairs and catwalks led to different machines and equipment. She heard waves slap against the vessel’s hull. The seaweed-choked anchor chain hung from a porthole high on the wall. Damn! They were at the bow. The laundry room was half a ship behind them.

She sighed and turned to the door. Movement in the dark expanse caught her attention. Several levels down, two men stood on a platform, guns pointed at each other. One was the commander. Her heart leaped into her throat. “Otso!” She slapped a hand over her mouth.

Both men glanced at her. Otso grabbed the pirate’s arm and slammed the hand holding the gun onto the railing. The pirate threw his body against Otso and shoved him down a flight of stairs. The man leapt over the railing and disappeared into the dark.

“Hannes!” Leah sprinted to the closest aisle. Ivan remained at the door, staring into the blackness. “Ivan, come on!” She lunged down steps toward the landing. In her mind, Otso’s twisted body laid in a bloody mass--dead because of her. Her fault.

The chalk-outlined body in her childhood home’s hallway flashed in her mind, leaving a burnt negative image to fade away. Her father’s death bed.

Skidding to a stop on the platform, she stared at the bottom steps. Nothing. “I saw him fall…Ivan, do you see him?” She searched the shadows. Where did Otso go? She wiped her hand across her forehead. Ivan hadn’t answered. “Ivan, do you see--” She turned to the platform.

The kid was gone.

“Ivan!” Leah shoved open another steel door and ran down a corridor, into the ship’s belly. Why did he leave? Was he too scared to stay with her? “Ivan!” Apprehension edged more to panic with each empty room and passageway she left behind.

Maybe he was going to his cabin or looking for the laundry room. It didn’t make sense that he’d go without her, but it was the only hope she could conjure. “Ivan! Where are you?” Cargo hold after hold, vacant room after room, quiet hall after hall—no sign of him.

After turning the next corner, Leah stopped. Halfway down the aisle, the laundry door stood open. She heard a voice floating in the passage. Her brows raised high; he found the room by himself. Her arched brow lowered into a scowl. She squeezed her fists and pursed her lips. When she got her hands on him, she’d kill him.

Her fingers rubbed the stitch in her side from running, slowing her progress. “Ivan, you’re so dead right now!” She raised her voice making sure he heard her coming.

Stepping into a hallway juncture, a dark figure charged from the side aisle. He smacked into her, knocking her to the floor. Leah’s head slammed into his knee, sending her reeling. 

The dark blur scrambled behind her. A warm pressure encircled her neck, smashing her throat as he pulled her to her feet. His foreign words jumbled in her head like baby talk, but the hard, cold object against her temple said everything. Her vision focused on Otso, ten feet away with a pistol pointed at her.

The pirate stepped back, forcing Leah along. Otso slid forward. The chokehold tightened. “Put gun down, or I kill her.” The pirate’s deep, hoarse voice frightened her. The gunman jabbed Leah in the head with the gun. A sharp pain raced over her skull. She winced and gritted her teeth.

This was the end. Otso had no reason to save her. He was probably sighing a relief for the ship raider to take care of her. If not, he’d have to do something before they reached Spain, anyway.

“Put gun down.” Her captor’s body trembled against Leah’s back.

Otso’s eyes moved and he spread his arms. “Okay, take it easy.”

Her eyes bugged. What the hell was he doing? Otso lowered his hands to the floor and released the weapon. “Now, let her go.” He spoke perfect American dialect.

Chaos filled Leah’s head. Why would he bargain for her life? He had to get rid of her eventually.

The man laughed. “Stupid American. I kill her and you.” A touch of humor sounded in his voice. He pointed the gun at Otso. “Who first?” The barrel snapped back to Leah’s head. Her body trembled also. The man waved his gun back and forth as if playing Eeny Meeny Miny Moe. His arm stopped. “You first.”

A blast echoed off the walls, drowning Leah’s scream. The man violently jerked forward, bouncing his chin off her head. Another bout of pain cascaded down the back of her cranium. A heavy weight pressed on her shoulders. The lifeless body crumpled on top of her, pinning her to the deck.

She shoved the sagging corpse, but even in death he refused to let go. She pushed and kicked. Any bravery dissolved into sobs. “Get it off!” Hands gripped under her arms. Who had her now?

Down on one knee, Hannes lifted her shoulders and pulled her free. Terror gave way to relief and exhaustion. She was tired of being manhandled, tired of fighting for her life, tired of her mind in hysterics. Her drained body crawled into his waiting arms.

“It’s okay,” he murmured into her hair. “I got you. I won’t let anyone hurt you.” His hold felt so secure, so safe. He whispered calming words while he cradled her head against his shoulder. She melted into him. All she sensed was the man wrapped around her: his powerful body, the scent of his musky skin, his gentle touch. Her soul wanted--needed--this second to last forever.

Icy chills shattered the serenity. Korhonen stood in the hall intersection with his gun aimed above their heads. His twisted, snarling face froze her in place. Realizing she owed her life to that monster for shooting the pirate, her heart skipped a beat. Would he want something in return?

Hannes’ body stiffened. He wrapped his hands around her arms and held her away from him. “Sober up. We have another situation to deal with.”

The soothing words were gone. What happened to the sensitive, caring man here seconds ago? She looked into his cold eyes. Her overloaded mind played a cruel trick on her.

He turned her around. Glancing at the back of the pirate’s pulverized head, she cringed. Back of the head? Korhonen was in front of the body.

Leah searched the shadows behind the cadaver. Ivan stood like a stone statue holding a smoking gun pointed at Korhonen.                           

EIGHTEEN

Leah forced air into her lungs. Her ears still rang from the gun’s explosion contained in the narrow hallway. Viscous red liquid dripped from the pirate’s open skull next to her foot. The figure in the shadows alarmed her. No emotion flowed from Ivan’s wide, blank eyes. The gun wobbled in his shaking hand. Korhonen didn’t need a reason to kill her or the boy, but this would be justification. Leah twisted away from Otso and rose to her feet. “Ivan, sweetie . . .”

The robotic arm pivoted the gun at her. Movement back in the hallway drew the weapon’s aim away. She stepped forward. “Ivan, honey. It’s Leah. Remember me?”

The boy’s face softened and his arm lowered.

“That’s it, sweetie. Put the gun down.”

Tears welled in his glazed eyes, and the weapon fell from his hand. She dashed to him and wrapped her arms around him, cradling his head against her uninjured shoulder. “It’s over. We’re safe. Everything’s okay.” Her body rocked him while she patted his back.

A brush of cool air tickled Leah’s ankle. Otso stood and tucked the discarded weapon behind his back. He sucked in a quick breath, frightening her. She pulled away from Ivan, expecting something horrific. “What now?!”

Otso stood, staring down on her blood soaked shoulder. She smirked. “You’re just now noticing that?” With adrenaline draining away, she felt the dull pain.             

“Forgive me, Princess. I’ve been a little preoccupied recently.”

Leah stepped away from Ivan, rolling her eyes. “It’s not nearly as bad as it looks. Don’t call me princess.”

Otso slapped his hand onto Ivan’s shoulder and gripped it. “You okay, kid?”

Ivan’s eyes darted between Otso’s and the dead body. “I-I killed him.”

Leah recognized the damaging effects that would haunt the young boy. Her promise to protect him burned fiercely. He would not suffer like she did.

Otso turned the boy’s shoulders to face him. “Listen to me, son. What you did was save two people’s lives. That bastard was going to kill both Leah and me. You did the right thing. You’re a hero.”

“I’m a-a hero?” The tears slowed and a smile inched onto his face.

Otso winked at Leah and slapped Ivan on the back. “Absolutely.” They headed toward the end of the hall. “Now, let’s get your girlfriend fixed up.”

Ivan squished against the wall when he passed the body on the floor. “What girlfriend? I don’t have a girlfriend.”

Leah slowly inhaled deeply. The last time a gun touched her, she stared down double-barrels, one brown eye, one blue eye. With her back against the wall and eyes on the dripping gore, she shuffled to catch up with the commander and Ivan. In her peripheral vision, Korhonen’s dark form stepped closer. Leah whipped her head around as Ivan turned the corner, leaving her and the monster alone. 

Korhonen advanced toward her; she hadn’t forgotten their previous encounter in the medical room. She stumbled back along the path she’d just taken. He reached out and grabbed her under the jaw. “I’m glad you’re still alive, angel. In case you’re getting sentimental over Otso, him giving up his gun for you, don’t. He knew the boy was there and depended on him to save you. Our commander is weak, no longer deserving of his men—”

Ivan poked his head around the corner. “Hey! Leave her alone.”

Korhonen released her chin and laughed. “Until we meet again.” He knelt in front of the dead pirate, and she ran.

Leah squirmed between Otso’s legs. The cabin’s desk chair she sat in hurt her bruised bottom. Ivan sat on the sofa, watching Otso treat her shoulder wound. She clenched a water bottle in her hand and squeezed her eyes shut. The prickly feeling of her skin tearing away from the dried, blood-soaked material almost made her sick.

Half leaning against the desk, Otso scowled and lifted the tweezers from her shoulder. “Stop moving, Princess. I barely touched it.”

“It feels like you ripped it off. Don’t call me princess.”

Ivan laughed. “You’re such a baby.”

Leah glared across the room at him. “Try ripping off your shoulder with a claw hook and see how it feels.” Carefully, she twisted off the lid of a water bottle.

Otso sat back on the desktop, arms crossed. “I can already tell how this is going to end.”

She grimaced. “What’s that supposed to mean? Just put a bandage on it.”

“I would if you’d stop wiggling.”

“I’m not wiggling. I’m shifting my weight. This chair is hard.”

Ivan groaned. “You guys are killing me.”

Otso scooted onto the desktop and dragged his backpack from the far corner. He dug around and pulled out a plastic pill bottle. He shook out two tablets and dropped them on the desk in front of him. They stopped rolling before reaching his thigh. He twisted back around and unzipped another pocket.

Imagining the coming pain, Leah snatched up both pills and downed them in one swallow. Otso pulled a small knife from a pocket and looked down at the desktop.

“Where’re the pills.”

“I swallowed them already.” She gulped another swig of water.

Otso’s eyes widened. “Both?”

“Well, yeah. You put down two.”

He grinned and shook his head. “Those were painkillers for a high tolerance level. Only a half was for you.” He stuffed the knife back into the bag.

“You should’ve said something before you set them down.”

With a raised brow and smirk, he said, “I didn’t think you’d be so quick to grab something between my legs.”

Embarrassed horror flooded her face with burning coals. Ivan rolled on the sofa, laughing. She sprang from her chair and stomped toward the door. “I don’t have to put up . . .”

Otso grabbed her elbow from behind. She jerked it away and kept walking. A hand slid around her waist and lifted her off the floor. She crossed her arms, winced from pulling the wound, and pressed her lips together.

The commander sat her on the chair. Both he and Ivan still laughed. Leah stared straight ahead, stoic. Otso mussed her hair and headed for the bathroom.

Ivan sat up on the sofa, now somber. “Sorry I left. I thought you’d stay there ‘til someone came to get you.”

She straightened in her chair. “Where did you get the gun?”

“You knocked it out of a pirate’s hand. My friends have guns.”

Leah wanted to scream at the top of her lungs. She’d had enough of his new group. “Those friends will get you into nothing but trouble, maybe even killed. My dad was a detective with the Chicago PD. He had to shoot kids in self-defense. Some not much older than you. It tore him up. Stay away from that.”

Her father’s image, proudly displaying a shiny gold star over his heart, flashed in her mind. She remembered Mom always ‘polishing’ the emblem with her fingers when Dad kissed her before leaving for work. Leah shook her head and slammed the memory behind a door.

“No problem. I’m never touching another gun.”

Guns turned her life upside down. Winchester and Gatlin should have been shot for their deadly inventions.

Leah slumped against the chair’s back, and then her stomach lurched. Magazines slid across tables and a cup tipped and rolled to the floor. She jumped to her feet only to lose her balance. Her arms pinwheeled then she found herself yanked sideways.

She wrapped her arms around Hannes’ waist as his hand gripped the bathroom doorframe, keeping him from sliding with the ship’s steep slope. Once again, his arm was around her. Her hands clasped behind his jacket, pressing against his stashed weapon. Heavily breathing, she laid her head against his chest. For a brief second, she felt both safe and in danger. The boat evened out, but neither loosed their hold on the other. She’d forgotten how good it felt to be held.

She looked up at his sly grin. Just like in the storage room, he enjoyed playing her to the fullest. He looked at her like a damn filet mignon. “Get off me, jerk.” She pushed him against the wall.

“You’re the one clinging on to me like you can’t get enough, Princess.”

“Don’t call me princess.”

Warning sirens erupted. She and Hannes shared a worried look then sprinted for the door. Ivan rolled to his feet. “Hey! Wait for me!”