Her Wicked Proposal novel Chapter 74

"I'm surprised you do not remember me, Lady Sheridan." Samir Al Zahrani took a seat in the spacious cabin's only chair.

Anne was seated in the corner by the narrow bed, watching him the way she would a venomous snake. She clutched the tattered pieces of her dress to cover her undergarments. She'd been roughly handled, her gown ripped, but so far no one had touched her other than dragging her to this cabin.

"Remember you? Of course I do. You nearly ran me over in Brighton a few days ago." It had shocked her when she'd woken in the cabin and seen him.

Samir shook his head, leaning back in his chair. Dark eyes like polished onyx, without any warmth, stared back at her. "No. We met before that."

Anne searched her memory frantically, trying to recall what he meant.

"I tried to steal you away on your estate, but it didn't work. I struck you hard enough that you must have forgotten me. If I had had the chance, I would have taken you then, and enjoyed knowing Sheridan was robbed of his bride. But waiting has turned out so much better. I have you both, and the punishment will be much more satisfying than I could have envisioned."

Anne closed her eyes, trying remember that awful night when she'd fallen down that hill onto the rocky bank of Cedric's lake, wounded by a blow to the head. She'd believed she'd stumbled and struck her head. But it had been him. Opening her eyes, she raised her gaze to meet his. She knew what sort of man he was from Cedric's story, a slave trader. Anne had lived her life bottling up emotions, and now she was ready to unleash them upon this soulless creature that did not deserve the life he'd been given.

Samir didn't miss her changing attitude.

"I always believed fine English ladies were gently bred. Too sweet and weak. Yet there is fire in your eyes." He laughed softly and clapped his hands together. "It will be a great joy to break you. And even more rewarding to do so in front of your husband."

It took every ounce of her self-control not to lash out at him. She wouldn't win in a direct struggle. Surprise was her only ally. The question was how to accomplish a distraction so surprise would be available to her.

"You are the man he bested at cards. The slave trader. A beast among men." That story she'd been told at Emily's house seemed so long ago. So much had happened since then. So much had changed.

Samir stood and struck her across the face. Pain exploded where his palm connected. She flinched back, expecting him to come at her again. She wiped a hand over her mouth and tasted the tangy acidic taste of blood. Samir paced away from her, then turned back, his eyes twin burning coals.

"You are testing me, trying to provoke me to kill you. It will not work. I mean to enjoy this." His smile cut to the bone. "I mean to enjoy you."

The taste of blood lingered in her mouth, a hint of the torture she knew that was to come if she couldn't buy herself time.

"You do not know much about my husband, do you?" she asked. "If you did, you would not be so confident right now. You'd be looking out that window, worrying."

That caught Samir's attention, but he said nothing.

"My husband is a member of the League of Rogues."

Samir seemed a little confused. "Rogues? Does that not mean criminal?"

The sailor squinted and apologized. "A ship, sir. Captain says it's bearing down on us and you are to stay in the cabin in case we come under fire."

A ship? Anne was too afraid to hope. It wasn't possible that Ashton had been able to catch up with them, let alone find them. Samir grabbed her and thrust her into the sailor's hands.

"Tie her to the bed," Samir ordered before he stormed from the room.

The man turned Anne around, meaning to force her down onto the bed as ordered, but Anne dropped her ripped gown to the floor and lifted her petticoats high enough to knee the man in the bollocks.

The man crumpled to the floor with a piteous moan.

Anne gave him a second blow while he was down, then leapt over his prone form and into the narrow passageway of the ship. Sailors were scrambling to man positions, others shouted out orders about prepping the cannons. No one paid her any attention as she dodged the chaos on the deck. In the distance a ship was quickly gaining and would soon be upon them.

Was it someone who would help them? How could she find Cedric and escape?

Cedric, where are you? Fear sliced through her as she dashed back toward the lower decks. She had to find him.