Bound by Decency Read Free

significant than scrap of trash, Cain disappeared down the deck without a backward glance.
    On the heels of his retreat, one solitary word sank into India ’s head— Drake . She slowly turned to look at the man he left behind. He wore no bandana as Cain had, and long dark hair shadowed hawk-like features. Slightly taller than Cain, yet equally broad of shoulder, his presence would have been just as intimidating as his reputation—were it not for his broad grin.
    Certainly a pirate captain from the legendary Flying Gang wouldn’t grin so. “You aren’t the Dr—”
    “Aye, I am.” He took her by the elbow and ushered her down the forecastle steps to the main deck.
    She ducked under a yard, dodged a burly man who hauled upon the braces. All around, men hustled at the ropes, a coordinated chaos that somehow managed to come together in uniform. Near the main mast , she caught another glimpse of Cain. Not ten feet away, he leaned against the thick timber, arms crossed over his chest once again. He stared straight at her with a self-satisfied smile.
    Pompous ass.
    Barely giving India the time to mind her footing against the rain-slicked planks, Drake guided her through a heavy door and into a secluded hall. He didn’t halt his pace, forbade her the opportunity for conversation. Like the captive she was, he thrust her unceremoniously through a door at the end of the corridor and slammed it shut.
    The lock scraped into place, heavy and foreboding.
    India huddled into her wet blanket to ward off the chill that crept into her bones. Somehow, she’d found herself amids t T he Flying Gang. Prisoner to two of the Caribbean ’s most feared pirates. First Cain, now Drake. What they were doing sailing together, she couldn’t explain. Why they wanted her held almost as many questions. The only error she’d made was to agree to marry Richard Grey, who had refused to help Cain gain a pardon after Cain stole from the Virginia Maiden . Yet even her betrothal she could fault her father for. He hadn’t given her a choice.
    Fear fingered at the base of India ’s spine. She shivered and glanced around. A small lamp atop a well-kept desk lit the spacious cabin with faint yellow. Barely enough light to make out a dining table, a comfortable velvet armchair, and a rather imposing bed. She turned from the pile of colorful heavy quilts, embarrassed to stand in a man’s persona l chambers. What Cain did there…
    She squeezed her eyes shut against the vivid image that surfaced despite her attempts to block it out. Cain’s big, imposing body bare atop the deep crimson quilt. His sun-bronzed skin glistening in the silver moonlight.
    India swore beneath her breath. For heaven’s sake, no proper woman would consider what a man did in his bed, let alone what liaisons Cain engaged in. He had kidnapped her. That act would damn her for eternity. She didn’t need her troublesome mind helping her further into the gutters of London .
    The ship bobbed on a high swell. Muffled shouts poured through the timbers overhead. Planks creaked, and the vessel jerked forward as the wind caught her many sails. On the nearby table, a crystal decanter rattled in its holding box.
    India groaned as the surreal haze of her predicament cleared into hard reality. This wasn’t some dream that would come to an end with morning’s light. Cain, the devil himself, had taken her captive. God only knew how long she might suffer this imprisonment. She could only pray He would see her returned unharmed.
    As a woman aboard a pirate ship, that was as likely as the odds she’d meet a mermaid.
    She dropped onto the edge of the chair and gazed out the elaborate window. Beyond, the dark sky shifted. Moonlight peeked through thick storm clouds to illuminate the scandalously large bed.
    Another sharp dip of the bow, and her stomach rolled. Lord above, not only did ships dictate every aspect of her life, they made her as ill as the plague. She swallowed down the bitter taste of bile