“If you were truly sorry you would—”
“What are you talking about?”Leif demandedas he came down the ladder.He glanced from Alina to Roark andlaughed.“The princess doesn’t look too happy with you,” he said intheir Green Isles tongue.“Too bad.The way you two were going atit, she would’ve spread her legs for you in no time had we notshown up.”He laughed at his own crude humor.“I think your chancesof swiving her now are slim to none.”
“Shut up, Leif.”
“Why?The bitch can’t understand a word ofwhat I’m saying.”
“She may not,” Roark said.“But I do.Don’ttalk about her that way.”
Leif sauntered over to Alina and her eyesnarrowed to slits of green ice.
“How about if I take what she was about togive you?”Leif asked.
Roark fisted his hands to keep from wrappingthem around Leif’s neck.“Your father wants her whole and in onepiece,” he reminded Leif.“If her father pays the ransom anddiscovers her sullied, who knows how he would exact hisrevenge?”
Leif shrugged.“It would almost be worth it,”he said, grinning salaciously at Alina, who had the good sense notto react.“Still, you’re right, my father wouldn’t be pleased if Itook her before he had a chance to.”He chucked Alina under thechin, jerking his hand back as she snapped at his fingers.“Oh,she’ll be a fun one to break.”He met Roark’s scowl and laughed.“Don’t worry, she’s yours to protect until we get home, then she’smy father’s to do with as he will.”
Leif climbed up the ladder and Roark metAlina’s icy glare.
“Congratulations on a plan well executed,”she told him.“I know it was your plan, your trap.Leif doesn’thave the brains or the cunning.Well done, you.I’m sure your lairdwill reward you generously.”
“Alina.”
“Don’t Alina me.We are not lovers, not evenclose, despite what Leif thinks, despite whatever you thought.”Shechuffed.“Nice touch, asking me to marry you.It certainly kept meoff guard.Too bad we were interrupted before I could give you myanswer, which would be a big, fat no.”
She was lying.Roark knew it.She knew heknew it.Her eyes, her smile, her kiss had already answered himbefore she’d started to say yes, before Leif had grabbed her andher eyes had filled with Roark’s betrayal.
“I can only say I’m sorry for my part in thisso many times,” he told her, leaving the rest of what she’d saidalone.“I can’t make you believe me.Still, Leif’s right.You’remine to protect while we sail, and I will.I swear it.”
“Was Leif right about his father doing whathe will with me once you’re home?”
“Roger knows you’re worth more to him aliveand intact,” Roark said.“Leif was trying to scare you.”Andme.He lowered his voice to a whisper and spoke to her in hisGreen Isles tongue.“Nobody except me knows you speak our language.It would be wise to keep it our secret.”
Alina eyed him warily.“Unless this is partof your trap too.You’ll forgive me if I don’t believe you, oranything you and your cohorts say in front of me, supposedlythinking I don’t understand.”
“I could forgive you anything, my lady owl,”he said.
Embarrassed by his admission and the startledexpression on her face, he turned and climbed up to the deck.
***
The muted voices of the crew floated downinto the hold and Alina heard the sounds of an anchor being hauledup and sails being hoisted followed by the snap of sails fillingwith wind.The ship groaned and lurched forward.They were settingsail under the light of the moon and, if the wind held up, would beout of the bay and out of sight by dawn.
From what she knew, it took three days tosail from the east coast of the Green Isles to Sea Ridge, as thewind typically blew eastward, which meant it would take twice aslong to sail back.She pulled her lips back in a feral grin.Onceher father figured out who’d taken her, he would be on his swiftestwarship and fast on their stern.Longboats didn’t depend on wind.They sailed when it was convenient.Otherwise, they were powered byoars pulled by ten and two big strong, heavily armed Northmen.Sixdays would be plenty of time for a longboat to catch up to theheavier, slower trade ship.
Giving in to the exhaustion of the day andthe rolling, lolling motion of the ship, she removed her boots andlay down on the pelts, making plans for any number of scenarios,determined to be ready for whatever came and refusing to evenconsider that she might never see her home again.
When she woke, she was still alone in thehold, which was dimly lit by the gray of dawn filtering downthrough the open hatch to the deck.She used the chamber pot nextto her pile of pelts, grateful her moon-flow had ended three daysago, one less thing she’d have to deal with during this ordeal.
Roark came down the ladder and gave her aquick half-smile, which she returned with a hostile glare.
“Have you used the chamber pot yet?”heasked.
“I have.Perhaps you’d like to carry it upand empty it,” she said, and then added in her mother’s Rus tongue,“Perhaps the gods will be vengeful and spill it all over you.”
Roark quirked his brows but didn’t ask her totranslate.He didn’t have to.
“Perhaps you’d like to carry it up to thedeck and empty it,” he said.“Get some time top side in the freshair.”
