Wrong Kind of Paradise (11 page)

stronger than what she really was?

Do you really believe there is a happily-ever-after with me?
he’d asked. And yes, she’d believed

just that.

~*~

A single seagull perched on the fore top-sail mast yardarm. It flitted from one end of the pole to the

other, twittering a tiny tune. Angel shaded her eyes from the bright sun and smiled. They were nearing

land. Ocean spray moistened her face as she turned, her gaze drawn to the quarterdeck.

Her heartbeat quickened when she met Blac’s gaze. His massive hands gripped the wheel, his

knuckles white from the strength of his hold.
Was he as distracted by her as she was by him?

Pleasure heated her cheeks as she remembered the feel of his mouth. They’d spoken little, and he’d

avoided her ever since. She’d tried to pretend it didn’t matter to her but it did. She missed him.

But more than that, she still craved his touch. Perhaps more so now.

Wind plastered his white shirt against his form, molding it to the muscles of his chest, and her mouth

grew dry. Her thoughts scattered, and she whirled away from him.

He mustn’t know how much he befuddles me
.

She wet her lips, which had dried from the salty wind. Angel glanced back at him. As if on cue, his

intense gaze returned to her. For a moment everything else faded and she swallowed. Was he still angry

with her? She searched for some sign of affection from him. He nodded in her direction and turned away.

Her shoulders drooped in disappointment.
Did he remember their kiss?
He hadn’t spoken to her

since then, but she’d thought of little else.

The full canvas above her snapped in the wind like a whip. Heat stifled any chance of deep breath

as she ambled across the deck, idle and bored. She wished she had something to do.

Angel settled at the base of the main mast where the only shade could be found. Amid the flurry of

activity around her, she lay back and peered into a cloudless sky. Wiping a sleeve across her sweaty

brow, she sighed.

Blac would have done anything her father asked of him.

She wished Blac would have told her something — a warning of some kind — a hint. Anything that

would have prepared her for the shock of finding out the truth. His willingness to get rid of her so easily

still hurt, but she couldn’t blame him any longer.

What exactly did he plan to do with her? And a better question was where were they headed?

She still planned to escape to free her father. She hadn’t deviated from her original strategy. She

just needed to adjust it a little. It’d better be one hell of a distraction to get away from a man like Blac, but

somehow she’d come up with something. Surely.

But first she needed to learn his plans.

Angel closed her eyes, and the heat of the afternoon sun emanated from the planks of the deck. The

slightest breeze wafted away the moisture from her skin. What a beautiful way to spend an afternoon.

She must have fallen asleep at some point, for she came awake with a start at the bellow. Her gaze

shot across the deck as several crew members scurried to perform their chores. Several shouts ensued as

the crew sprang into action.

What was happening? Angel glanced around.

Sheer limestone cliffs rose out of the water like a giant sea monster. The rugged surface gouged by

wind and water were like its pock-marked face. A hardy tree clung to its surface in the center, marking the

spot where the monster’s nose should have been.

The utter expanse of stone gleamed white under the brilliant rays, and the ship seemed to be sailing

directly into the cliff at several knots. Would they be able to slow in time?

Angel surged to the rail. Her eyes widened as the massive terrain towered before them. She’d

rarely left her tiny island, and she’d never seen anything of such gigantic proportions in her life. Her tiny

isle barely sported a few hills, much less any mountainous landscape.

The closer they got, the more frantic she became. Until she saw the cliff’s secret. A crevice, almost

indiscernible even in the light of day, became larger the closer they sailed. Crewmen reeled in the rigging

and sails, and the ship dropped several notches in speed.

They reached the opening. It was at least eighty feet in width and height, narrowing as it went up to

mere inches wide. The ship sailed right through. The cliffs cut severely away to reveal a tiny secluded

beach within the U-shaped island. Sand gave way to a massive blanket of palms and craggy outcrops to

soaring mountainous cliffs.

Movement caught her eye, and she giggled as two dolphins crisscrossed next to the hull of the ship.

The cerulean sea grew shallow until she could see the sand covered bottom.

“It’s incredible, isn’t it?” Blac spoke at her ear.

She jerked around to stare at him, realizing he must’ve come up behind her some time ago.
How can

he be so silent
?

“It’s beautiful. Even more beautiful than my island.” Peering up at him she asked, “Where are we?”

He leaned his forearms on the rail next to her. “
La isla de la serenidad
.”

Her eyes went back to the beauty of the island. “What does it mean?”

“Isle of serenity.”

She smiled as the wind tossed her hair over her shoulder. “It fits. Did you name it?”

“Aye. It’s my own tiny, little haven. My place to hide when I need to.”

She frowned. “Why do you need to hide?”

He tilted his head, his eyes took on a faraway look, and the tiny creases in the corners of his eyes

deepened. “I’ve been sailing for the English since I was a boy of eight. There are things I’ve seen and

done, that I do not wish on my enemy, Angel.” He straightened and studied her. “Your life has been

sheltered by your father, and now his crewman. You’ve known nothing of hardship and turmoil.”

He raised a warm hand to her cheek, and a tingle shimmied down her spine at his touch. “But you

know it now, don’t you?” His hand dropped to his side. “And I’m afraid it’ll only get worse before it gets

any better.”

Eight

The Serpent’s Revenge rested at anchor in the tiny cove and Angel sat in the rowboat as they

headed for the dock. Seagulls circled and fluttered on the beach like drifting dandelion seeds in summer.

The wind created a hollow whine as it blew through the short tunnel into the cove. One seaman helped her

from the tiny vessel. She glanced back as Blac stepped up behind her. His hand immediately went to the

small of her back and somewhere inside she tingled at the attention. He dwarfed her petite frame and yet

he was still so gentle.

He led her down the docks and a path cut sharply to the west. “It’s a pretty decent walk, so don’t

dawdle,” he said.

He held a short, curved scimitar and as the terrain steepened, he cut at the overlapping brush and

branches. The sand soon gave way to white rock and it crunched beneath their feet. The cavalcade

traveled up the pathway. The right side cut away to a vertical drop, littered with various sized boulders.

The pathway became so narrow, they were forced to walk in a straight line against the rock wall.

Her hands shook and she squeezed them closed. A small patter of fear slid through her. She’d never

been this high before.
Don’t look down.
As they ascended the cliff, the ship below them in the harbor

grew smaller and smaller.

Terror increased her heart rate until it thundered in her ears. Even the birds ceased to chatter and

the roar of her blood pounded through her veins.

Angel’s sweaty hands brushed against the gritty feel of the rock behind her, and she tried not to look

down. Blac paused and waited for her. He reached out to her and she took his hand, peering up at him.

Her foot slipped on the loose rocks and a cry escaped her.

Blac’s hand clasped her wrist and jerked her to him. Both of her arms went around his neck and she

clutched him closer. She slammed her eyes shut and panted, unable to grasp a full breath. He patted her

back and rested his chin atop her head. “You’re safe,” he whispered against her brow, the brush of breath

tickling the hair at her temple.

I don’t want to let him go
.

One of his crew cleared his throat awkwardly and she nodded her thanks as heat scalded her cheeks

before she continued up the trail. Blac fell into step behind her.

Sweat ran down her face and made her shirt stick to her back. She could use a bath. Hopefully,

there would be a place to bathe here on Blac’s Isle of Serenity.

Would he lock her up so she wouldn’t be able to explore this lush paradise? She certainly hoped

not. She couldn’t wait to see what little treasures she might find.

Stagnant air choked off the passage to her lungs with each step. She heaved in a breath and exhaled.

“How much farther?” she asked.

He grinned and shook his head. “Just like an impatient child. You’ll never change, Angel.” He

nodded to the top of the cliff. “That’s where we’re headed, so it’s not too much further.”

She snorted. “Not too much further...”

The ground changed from a gritty, flat pathway to a rocky incline. Her steps grew larger. She held

onto the side of the cliff and climbed up onto the extended rock. A hand urged her forward and pushed her

up to the next level. When she glanced back, Blac’s gaze was fastened onto her backside. She grinned. He

was still attracted to her, and yet he fought it so hard. If only he’d let go of his reservations and see her as

a woman rather than
Logan’s little girl
.

“Is this the only way up?” she asked him.

He shook his head. “It’s the quickest. There’s another inlet to the north of us where the pathway is

much larger, large enough for wagons, but it’s a good trek around the edge of the isle.”

She couldn’t imagine anything taking longer than this. The isle didn’t look that big, at first glance.

The path expanded into a plateau which crowned a small, bustling village. Angel’s eyes widened as she

took in the scene. It boasted only a single street, lined with several A-framed wooden buildings.

The pathway turned into a cobblestone road. Angel stepped around a man carrying a barrel as a

sudden squeal drew her attention. A woman with dark hair ran toward them. One of Blac’s crewmen

separated from the crowd and lifted the woman clear off her feet in a hug.

Angel found herself staring as the two kissed and whispered to each other. She blushed and looked

away, only to find Blac’s turbulent gaze on her.

“There’s a village up here?” Surprise widened her gaze as she glanced around.

“Yes.” He grinned. “We have a sort of feudal system here. My men each own a plot of land and

work the plantation in exchange for their service on my ship. They also turn over a small percentage of

their profits to me. Everything else they keep, as well as whatever they make aboard the Revenge. Many

of them have grown rather prosperous, taken wives, had children, and live here when not at sea.”

She formed an O with her mouth but no sound came out. A dog barked and chased a young boy

around a corner, and a wagon rolled down the lane. The sound of a blacksmith’s hammer rang in the

afternoon air.

Blac pointed to the building on their left. “That’s old man Furgus’s son. He’s our local blacksmith,

and a damn good one too.” He motioned to the right and said, “Rycliff’s wife and daughters own the

bakery and supply our bread. We have a metal smith, a tavern, general store, and a dairy. We also quarry

our own limestone. It’s run by some of the local tribes with whom we trade.”

Pride emanated from his gaze as he pointed out the different people and buildings. “We could be

self sufficient here if needed. The plantation grows sugar, bananas, and almonds, and we raise cattle and

pigs.”

They neared the livery, and a young boy exited the building holding the reins of a beautiful, black

stallion. Blac rested a hand on the horse’s neck and greeted him. “I’ve missed you, Obsidian. How’ve you

been?”

The horse shook his great head and whinnied in answer. Blac laughed softly. “I promise I will be

here for the next few weeks, and I’ll be sure to take you riding every day. Don’t punish me for negligence

quite yet, old friend.”

Angel laughed when the horse nodded his great head as if in agreement. Blac mounted and held a

hand down to Angel.

The next few weeks
?
But why
?

She didn’t get time to ask as she climbed up behind him and they left the rest of the crew. They

followed a dirt path away from the town headed north. Quaint, little cottages lined the pathway. Children

raced through the yards and waved at them. Angel grinned and fell in love with Blac’s isle.

It wasn’t long before the plantation house came into view. The limestone structure stood two stories

high with a white wraparound porch and veranda. Tall palms and almond trees littered the front yard, and

brightly colored carnations and orchids fronted the porch.

Her heart squeezed at the tranquility here.
It was perfect
.

Dismounting, the front jalousie-shuttered door opened to reveal a young, dark-skinned native