Enslaved By The Ocean (21 page)

“Please,” Eric whispers. “Stop.”
 

“Fucking bitch,” Kane bellows, driving his foot into my ribs. “I’ll fucking kill you for everything you put me through.”
 

He storms towards me, but I roll at the last minute. It takes all my strength to move, because I’m in so much pain, but I won’t die like this. I won’t let him kill me. He spins when I roll, and I drive my fist up into his groin, bringing him to his knees with a pained roar. The gun topples from his hand. I lunge at him, driving my fist into his face, sending his head swinging to the side. He roars in pain, and grips my wrists, bringing a fist across my cheek. My world spins and I blink rapidly, trying to focus. Eric cries out a few times, but not once does he try to help.
 

I turn my eyes to the gun as Kane drives another fist into my face. I spit the blood from my mouth, and I twist away, my wrist burning, and I lunge for the gun. Kane moves at the same time, but it’s Eric who grabs the gun before we do. His face is pale and he stares down at the cold metal object in his hand like it’s something he’s never seen before. It’s terrifying him, I know it is, even the thought that he might have to use it would be making him question everything he is.
 

Kane leaps at me, landing on my back and flattening me into the carpet. My face crushes against it, and I feel blood begin to trickle from my nose. I scream and try to scurry forward, but he has me pinned. “I’ll fucking kill you, you fucking whore!” he roars. I see the glimmer of a knife, and I know I have a split second before Kane drives it into my back and ends me.
 

“Eric, shoot him!” I scream.
 

The next moment of my life happens in slow motion. The knife Kane has obviously pulled out is plunged toward me just as Eric pulls the trigger. The loud crack fills the motel room. Kane jerks, his body rolls off mine, and I hear his bellows of pain. I slump in shock, unable to move, unable to escape it. Eric rushes over, dropping to his knees beside me.
 

“Indigo, are you okay?” he frantically cries.
 

Aside from the burning pain in my leg, I’m okay.
 

“You need to go and get help, Eric. Now.”
 

“I…”
 

“Eric, get it before he stops screaming and decides to make me pay for you shooting him.”
 

“I just want to make sure you’re ok.”
 

I close my eyes, feeling them burn. I open them after a moment, and reach out, gripping Eric’s hand. I know this is the last time I’ll see him, even if he doesn’t. “I love you Eric, ok? You’re so brave. Go and get help, I’ll be ok.”
 

Eric nods frantically, and shoves the gun into my hands as I push to my feet. Then he turns and bolts out the door. I have minutes. I stare down at Kane, and anger swells in my chest. He came in here, knowing full well one of us wouldn’t come out alive. I know it too, and I decided the moment that bullet hit my leg that it wouldn’t be me. I watch as he lifts his head. Blood pours from his neck, and when he smiles that sick, evil smile, his teeth are covered in blood.
 

“You couldn’t do it,” he snarls. “You’d never live with yourself.”
 

“See,” I snap, pointing the gun at him. “That’s where you’ve always been wrong about me. When it comes to monsters, there is no hesitation.”
 

“But you have to live with it,” he rasps. “Seeing my dead face in your mind every time you sleep.”
 

“I wouldn’t consider that a nightmare, instead a pleasant dream.”
 

“You deserved everything you got, Indigo! You’re useless. Not even your own father wanted you.”
 

I know what he’s trying to do, but it won’t work.
 

“Your words, they mean nothing to me anymore, Kane.”
 

“You’re a fucking weak who…”
 

His voice is cut off when I pull the trigger. The bullet hits him right between the eyes, and his body slumps to the ground. I stand there a moment, in complete shock.
 

I’m not sure what I expected to feel when I ended Kane’s life. I’m not even sure I know what I feel right now. I’m too frightened, and I know I have only minutes, so I quickly drop the gun and turn, rushing toward the motel door. I reach it and open it, peering out quickly. The guards are grouped off toward the front of the hotel, and Eric is frantically yelling at them.
 

I look to my left, and see the thick trees. I have to go towards those; it’s my only hope. I have to figure out a plan, but I need to be away from here to do it. I can’t think about my actions. If I do, I’ll panic.
 

I run out of the motel, and my leg throbs in pain. It’s not enough to stop me, and adrenalin pumps through my veins as I reach the small, wired fence and leap over it, landing with a thump on the other side. I can hear boots crunching, and voices yelling out, and I know they’re about to discover a dead Kane in my room.
 

I begin to run through the thick of the trees, shoving and pushing branches and twigs to get past as quickly as I can. They’re thick, and the ground is wet, but I keep shoving through it. The trees thicken the further in I get, and it feels like I run for over an hour before they begin to thin out. I squint my eyes through the sweat that’s pouring down my forehead, and see there’s a clearing ahead. Thank God. I shove through the trees further, and when I finally reach the clearing I launch myself out, not even bothering to look first.
 

As soon as I am in view, my eyes fall on a large very familiar ship. Oh. Shit. I frantically let my eyes travel to the deck of that ship, where I see a familiar face. Drake. His eyes widen when he sees me, and he yells something. I can’t go back with them, even though they’re likely the only chance I have at avoiding life in jail. I can’t risk being sold after everything I went through. I just can’t. Panic swells in my chest, and the reality of the situation hits me like a brick. I killed a man.
 

Oh God.
 

I am a murderer.
 

I turn quickly, and I run.
 

“Indi, stop,” Drake yells.
 

I charge back toward the trees, and glance back just as I reach them, only to see Hendrix literally leap over the side of the ship. The bastard lands on his feet, and charges toward me. Oh, fuck. I pick up my pace, shoving back through the thick trees. I reach a giant tree stump on the ground, and I go to leap over it, only to land face-first in a muddy puddle. I cry out, and push myself to my hands and knees, scurrying forward, but moments later, a body flattens me back into that puddle. I squirm and kick, screaming and fighting.
 

“Indigo, stop!” Hendrix yells into my ear as he pins me down.
 

“No, no, no, no,” I cry.
 

“Enough,” he orders, lifting himself off the ground and taking me with him. Then I’m up and over his shoulder before I get the chance to fight harder.
 

I pummel my fists into his back, screaming and squirming, as he carries me back out and toward the trees.
 

“Get the ship out, we move now,” he bellows.
 

“Let me go, no, please, Hendrix, please.”
 

“Hush,” he barks.
 

He carries me to the ladder, and shoves me up. Drake leans down, gripping my shoulders and lifting me effortlessly. He wraps his big arms around me, holding me tight even though I’m screaming and clawing. Hendrix appears moments later, and I clench my eyes shut, refusing to look at him.
 

“She’s bleeding, get her below deck.”
 

“No, please, no!” I scream.
 

Drake literally drags me below deck, kicking and screaming, and when we get into Hendrix’s room, and they’re both in he lets me go. I charge toward the door, but Hendrix has me in a second, pinning me to him. His big arms curl around my body and he holds me so tightly I can hardly breathe. My head spins, and I feel like I’m about to hyperventilate. I am shaking, and my teeth are clattering with shock.
 

“Enough. If you don’t stop I’ll get Jess to sedate you.”
 

“I don’t want to be on here, please don’t do this to me. Please, I have to go. Don’t sell me. Hendrix, please. I don’t want it. I hate you. I fucking hate you, because I love you. I hate you. Let me go. Please. Let me go. I have to run. I killed him. I have to run. Don’t sell me.”
 

My babbling is frantic, my mind is spinning, and I feel like I’m about to explode with emotion. My chest is tight with panic and I can’t breathe.
 

“You…what did you say?” he rasps into my ear.
 

“Cap, she’s in shock. She’s panicking. You need to calm her down.”
 

“Get Jess,” Hendrix orders.
 

Drake leaves the room, and Hendrix wrestles me over to the bed. He drops me down onto it before planting his body over mine.
 

“Look at me, Indigo.”
 

“Let me go,” I wail, shaking my head from side to side. “Let me go, Hendrix please.”
 

“Stop it,” he says calmly. “Baby, stop.”
 

“Let me go. Hate you. Love you. Killed him.”
 

My babbling is out of control, and my head is spinning so much I feel sick. I begin to dry retch, and Hendrix curses. Moments later, I hear more familiar voices.
 

“She’s panicking and rambling, I think she’s in shock.” I hear Hendrix say.
 

“Hold her still, I’ll inject her with this to calm her.”
 

Jess.
 

“Jess!” I cry, feeling my hands grasp at nothing.
 

“I’m here baby, it’s okay, you’re okay. Just hold still for me.”
 

I feel someone grip my arm, and then I feel a sting of pain.
 

A moment later, my world spins, and I’m swallowed back into the darkness.
 

Boatswain!
 

**
 

I flicker my eyes open, and all I see for a moment is blurred light. I blink once, twice, and slowly reality dawns on me. I’m on Hendrix’s ship again. How the hell did I do such a 360 in a few short days? How did he even know I was on that island? Oh, who am I kidding, our faces were plastered all over the news. Kane managed to find me in a day. Thinking of Kane has me shuddering and wrapping my arms around myself.
 

One thing at a time.
 

I can’t stay on this ship. I haven’t fought this hard to go backwards.
 

I slowly rise, and peer around the room. He’s not in here, thank God. I slide my feet off the bed, and my leg aches. I stare down at it to see it’s been bandaged. I bet Jess did that. My mind is hazy about what happened after I found Hendrix. I was so panicked it’s just a blur to me. I lift my fingers to feel my swelling cheek, and sigh. I can’t think about Kane right now. I can’t. I just…can’t. I find myself a pair of clothes and pull them on before walking to the door and peering out.
 

The halls are empty.
 

I step out and walk toward the deck. I’ll take the risk; I’ll get in that damned lifeboat and take the risk. I am beyond pretending, and I won’t let myself be sold. When I step up on the deck I see Hendrix and Drake standing at the end of the ship, talking quietly between themselves. When they notice me, both men stop talking. I back up. Drake looks at Hendrix, but his eyes are burning into mine.
 

“Go below deck, don’t let anyone up here.”
 

Drake nods, and walks off, giving me a quick gentle smile before disappearing. I turn my gaze back to Hendrix, and he slowly begins walking toward me.
 

“Don’t do this,” I whisper. “Just let me go, Hendrix.”
 

“I can’t do that,
inocencia
,” he says in a careful tone.
 

“Just let me go. I will find a way off, I won’t let you hold me here.”
 

He stops in front of me and reaches out, but I shove at him and duck past him. Rushing to the side of the ship.
 

“There is no way off. You know that.”
 

I spin around, shaking with emotion. “I hate you! I fucking hate you. Just let me go, don’t make me become someone’s sex slave. I don’t deserve this.”
 

My entire body begins to tremble, and tears rush down my cheeks. He seems shocked by my crying, and he tilts his head to the side, studying me.
 

“
Inocencia
,” he begins.
 

“Fuck you!” I scream, rushing toward the door. He catches me before I can get to it, and he wraps his big arms around my body and squeezes me close.
 

“Let me go,” I hiss. “Just let me go.”
 

“Listen to me,” he orders.
 

“Fuck you, pirate!”
 

“Indigo…”
 

“No,” I scream, shoving him so hard he takes two steps back. “I won’t listen to you. All you’re going to do is make me feel incomplete. Do you know that you can do that? Make someone feel so utterly worthless? You touched me like I mattered, and yet you look at me like I’m a sale. I won’t do it. I don’t deserve it. I don’t…”
 

He’s moving toward me before I can finish, and before I know what’s happening he grips my shoulder and jerks me forward, crushing his lips down on mine.
 

My world stops.
 

My legs give way.
 

Hendrix wraps his arms around my waist, holding me up before parting my shocked frozen lips with his tongue. It only takes a moment for me to respond. My entire body is tingling with warmth, my heart is thumping, and my stomach is full of butterflies. I open my mouth to him, and I let him slide his tongue inside. I connect my tongue with his, and finally, I get to taste him. It’s been worth the wait. His lips, his tongue, his mouth: it’s like heaven. The feeling of his stubble on my cheeks is exactly as I imagined.