Wrong Kind of Paradise (3 page)

Men burst into activity all at once. The shade of the trees kept the blaring sun off her but the heat

continued to baste her under the canopy of foliage. A tiny rivulet of sweat rolled down the side of her face

to drip off her chin onto her shoulder. She glanced at Rigo. He ignored her and proceeded to carve a

piece of wood.

Maybe she could just slip away when he wasn’t paying attention.

“Don’t even think about it, Angel. I am quicker than you,
cara mia
, and I will catch you before you

get ten feet.”

Angel frowned.
Blasted Spaniard, how can he read my thoughts
?

Several hours later, twelve men from her father’s crew had been found. Some of them had been

injured and were brought in on makeshift stretchers. Among them, her father’s first mate, Bruno, limped

across white sands as blood dribbled down his leg. They filed through the palms one-by-one and joined

Blac’s men on the shore.

But none of them were her father.

Her chest grew heavy and she squeezed her eyes closed.
Please, let Papa be safe
.

The Serpent was finally set in the water and loaded with supplies. Smoke billowed above the

treetops to the north of them; its acrid scent hung in the air as a reminder. She couldn’t stand being here

idle while her father was possibly fighting for his life. She should be right there beside him.

Angel wiped a bead of perspiration from her brow, her eyes on Blac. One of his men ran toward

him from the direction of the village. His gestures as he spoke were urgent. Seconds later, Blac took off

through the meandering path in the woods.

Had the crewman found her father? Had he been captured?

Her heart skipped a beat. Her gaze swung to Rigo, asleep now beside her. She held her breath and

moved. The Spaniard gave no indication of waking and she stood, glancing around. Everyone appeared

too busy loading the ship to notice her, so she faded into the jungle foliage.

Her heart pounded inside her chest, anticipating the sound of an alarm. When no such warning came,

Angel whirled and headed back to the village.

Palms moist, breath broken and muted, Angel broke through the trees on the path and headed

northeast for the village. No one knew this island like she did. It’d been her home since she was born. She

knew every square inch, every path, every nook and cranny.

Darting across the path, she cut through the bamboo and ferns. She’d make it to the village at about

the same time as Blac did. Several moments later, she knelt and parted the limbs of a Hibiscus bush.

Silence reigned — an eerie, foreboding silence.

She slipped her way into a back alley, headed for the docks. Unease slid along the back of her spine

and every hair rose on end. Dread kept her feet moving and her mind frozen. Angel peered around the

corner of the last building. Fear made her hesitate. A sixth sense told her she wouldn’t like what she saw.

Papa, I hope you’re safe
.

She took a deep breath and forced herself look. With her back to the wall, she slid down the side

until she reached the front of the building. Her eyes widened.

Most of the men on the isle had been taken prisoner, lined up along the beach, waiting to be loaded

onto the ships. She searched each face, every feature, looking for her father. Where was he? Had he been

captured too, or had Blac already found him?

Her gaze swung from the unfolding scene before her to the direction she’d just come from. Should

she return to the beach just in case?

Her heart beat faster, but the heavy thumping seemed almost in slow motion. She inched closer to

the edge, hoping to see something. Anything.

She must have made some noise for one of the soldiers turned to look in her exact direction. She

jerked back. Her chest heaved. Motionless, she jammed her eyes closed.
Just breathe
.
No one saw me.

No one saw me
.

Minutes passed and no alarm sounded. Flattening her palms against the cold wood of the building to

cool them, panic welled inside her.

Just one more look and then I’ll go back
. She nodded to herself. Blac would never even know

she’d left. Surely, he’d found her father by now and they would both be safe on the other side of the

island. But just in case… She needed one more look.

Angel sighed.
Everything will be all right. I’m just being silly
. Still, she peered around the corner

once more.

Her heart plummeted. Her mind screamed.

Battered and beaten, her father stood in a single-file line before several soldiers. Somehow she’d

missed him in her first search but there he was…Chains shackled his wrists and ankles, while blood

dripped from his wounds. She wanted to run to him. She must have screamed in reality rather than in her

mind, for several people turned to gape at her. Including her father.

His eyes widened. “Run! Angel, run now! Find Blac!”

She shook her head. Three soldiers sprinted toward her. She wanted to stay to fight, but her feet

only moved back.

Her heart leapt and she whipped around to flee. Stumbling, both hands reached out to right her, and

she dashed back the way she’d come. She weaved her tracks hoping to confuse any would-be trackers.

Her lungs burned inside her chest and she clutched at her stomach as its contents roiled within.

Oh, please don’t get sick now.

Angel glanced quickly over one shoulder to see if she could glimpse the soldiers and smacked right

into something hard. Arms reached around her, clasped her, and pulled her behind the tree.

Blac. She didn’t need to see him; she could smell him. She trembled in his arms and his large hand

cradled her head. He pulled her close until they stood chest to chest.

“Always into something.” His tone soothed her fears.

She relaxed almost immediately. Blac had always saved her from one instance or another. This time

would be no different. It was why she loved him. It was why she knew he loved her as well.

“Shhh,” he whispered.

Forcing herself to calm her ragged breaths, she nodded. He held her close and an odd sensation

cascaded through her body. A trickle of awareness that seemed to radiate from her very center made her

pulse leap in response to his touch.

Blac let go and moved her behind him. Bereft of his warmth, she shivered. He indicated silence

with a finger to his lips and for her to stay put. She nodded, too afraid to move.

He crouched low and moved away. Angel pressed as much of her body against the tree as she could

and tried to peer around it. But apprehension kept her from moving any further.

A limb snapped. The soldiers closed in. She leaned her forehead against the tree as the pressure of

its bark imprinted itself into her soft skin.

Please, just make them go away
.

She closed her eyes. Silence made its eerie appearance in the woods and cold chill’s formed across

her flesh. Anxiety tightened her shoulders. A muffled thump came out of nowhere before silence reigned

again.

What was that?

Her eyes shot open and she waited.

Nothing else moved. Where was Blac? Why hadn’t he stayed here with her? What if he’d been

captured, too? What would she do?

Angel jammed her eyelids shut. A single tear slipped from the corner of her eye and slid down her

cheek, streaking its way to her jaw.

Seconds passed and she could no longer just stand here doing nothing. She took a deep breath and

dared a look. Blac! Where did he go?

The jungle didn’t move. It seemed even Mother Nature held her breath. Her eyes darted from left to

right searching the surrounding area. A green monkey suddenly fell into her vision from the limb above

her. She gasped and fell backward on her haunches. She looked up. The monkey hung from its tail upside

down and tilted its head sideways at her. She sighed and got to her knees again. The little monkey swung

its attention to the east and then scampered back up the tree.

She clambered back to her feet and peered around the tree again. Breathing rapidly, the wind

entered her lungs noisily.
Don’t be afraid and soften your breath
!

She could almost hear Blac’s instructions.
You can do this, Angel
.

She took a deep, calming breath and a single step away from the tree. Her head swung from one

direction to another, searching for some clue to Blac’s whereabouts. Where had he gone? Why had he left

her here alone?

Had something happened? Why didn’t he make his presence known so she wouldn’t worry so?

Maybe he’d fallen and was bleeding to death. She searched the ground for any signs of tracks.

Desperate now, she dropped to her hands and knees and whispered, “Blac!”
Please answer me.

She crawled across the sand, its gritty warmth soaking between her fingers. “Blac! Where are you?”

Christ’s bones, why didn’t he answer
?

A sand crab tunneled out of the sand, and she jumped to the side. She gave the crab a wide berth

and kept moving. “Blac! If you’ve left me here alone, I swear I’ll kill you myself.”

Two hands reached around her waist and lifted her to her feet, just as a soft chuckle sounded in her

ear. “Is that right?

A huge breath of relief exploded from her lungs as she broke away from him. “I thought you left.”

She gritted her teeth and poked a finger in his chest.

“Now why would I do that? I’m still waiting on that ride you so sweetly offered, remember?”

“I’m not likely to be so accommodating now. You should’ve taken the offer when I made it, you

arse.”

“I will have to remember that next time.” He gave her a crooked grin. “Come, we have to get back

to the ship.”

He clasped her hand and led her back through the woods. They broke through the brush to see the

Serpent in the water, just off-shore. The beach swarmed with red-coated soldiers. She sucked in air as

Blac and she were surrounded immediately. Instinct made her grasp his hand for comfort. “What’s going

on, Blac?”

He hissed through his teeth, grabbed hold of her wrist. “Just let me do the talking, Angel. I mean it,”

he whispered. “Don’t say a damned word.”

The crowd of men split and a slender, narrow faced man came forward with a tight smile. “Well,

Captain Barclay. I see you and your crew fared the trip well. We had a difficult time keeping up with that

swift little raft you own.”

Blac smiled.

Angel tensed, and some sixth sense told her something huge was about to happen.

“That’s the beauty of the brigantine, Charles. There are few ships that can keep pace with them.”

The man cleared his throat and gave a tight smile. “Lieutenant Worthington,” he corrected. “She

may be fast, but will she hold up under duress?”

“That’s the thing,
Charles
, sometimes brute force doesn’t win the fight. Quite often, it’s the more

strategic man who takes home the spoils of war.”

The lieutenant winced at Blac’s intentional use of his name. “Indeed.” He turned toward Angel.

“Speaking of spoils of war, I see you captured Logan’s little wench.”

Blac’s jaw twitched. “This is his daughter.”

Surprise rounded the lieutenant’s eyes. He waved a hand. “Nevertheless, she’ll be someone’s

wench soon, won’t she?”

Blac’s fists balled up. Suspicion held Angel immobile.
How did these two know each other
?

“Aren’t you a little early? I believe the deal was for two more weeks,” Blac said.

The lieutenant dismissed him with a wave of his hand. “Why wait? I figured we should get it done

and over with. Don’t put off what you can do today.”

Blac’s gaze narrowed on the lieutenant. He held up Angel’s wrist. “I have taken her prisoner. I’ll be

returning to Port Royal with her posthaste.”

Angel swung toward Blac, aghast at his words. “What?” His grip tightened on her wrist and she

struggled to free herself. “What are you doing?” she shrieked.

Lieutenant Worthington glanced from her to Blac and then back again. “I see she is feisty. Perhaps

she will be too much for you to handle, old man.”

Blac returned the half smile. “Ahhh, experience overcomes young energy any day. As you grow

older, you learn exactly how to tame a woman with a gentle hand and less fuss. It saves you the energy of

fighting with her when there are always better things to do with a woman.”

“Indeed.” He smirked at Blac. “Well, I do wish I could allow you to retain your spoils of war, but

the King has ordered me with the current task at hand. You were simply along because you knew where

the island was located. Your services have been very informative and the King, I’m sure, appreciates

such loyalty from his subjects. As do we all. I wish you luck in your next venture, old chap.” Charles

nodded. “Men, seize the chit and let’s get to the ship.”

~*~

Escape!

The word possessed Angel, replaying in her mind until it finally formed a prison all its own. The

sun sank into the horizon, radiating brilliant hues of pink and gold. The path cut sharply down into a steep