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“You? What the hell are you going to say to them that won’t make everything ten times worse?”
“Let me try, damn it. And you’re wrong about me making it worse. I can’t do any worse!”
“The answer is still no.”
Suddenly, Jacobs grabbed him from behind in a headlock and three more men piled on. They took Roxbury to the deck and held him down as he cursed and yelled and kicked to get free. I wasn’t sure what to do next, torn, because part of me wanted to help Roxbury, and I was unsure of what was about to happen next. Then Jacobs grabbed my arm. “If you can help, then go ahead. The captain ain’t thinkin’ straight at the moment. Get up there on the railin’ and talk to the man in the other ship.”
“Don’t you dare hurt him!” I warned, and he nodded.
“No one will hurt him. But if you know that other captain over there, then you best be speaking to him before he sinks us and hurts the captain and the rest of us a whole lot worse.”
I nodded quickly and with one last, longing look at my stubborn mate lying on the deck with about five pirates piled on top of him, I climbed up on the railing, clinging to the rigging as I’d seen Roxbury do. “Lexington!” I shouted across the gap between the ships. “Lexington, it’s me! Brandon.”
His head came up from where he’d been bent over toward the deck, speaking to someone, and I saw I’d gotten not only his attention, but that of my cousins Wyatt and Asher, whom I hadn’t seen on the ship before then. They sprang now to the rail, excitedly waving and shouting at me. As glad as I was to see them all, my heart sank a little, because I could already imagine their collective reaction to the news that I’d not only found Roxbury, but I’d mated with him. It wasn’t going to be a good one, and that was the understatement of the year.
“Brandon, are you unharmed?” Lex shouted across to me.
“Yes, I’m fine!” I shouted back. “I’m completely fine. But I need to talk to you. Stop firing on us and making threats, so I can come over there and we can talk this out!”
“Will that blasted pirate captain let you go?”
“Yes, we’re trying to work something out now.”
“Tell them to lower a boat and send you over!”
I turned to look down at Roxbury as he suddenly gave a loud, muffled roar and made a heaving motion to knock a couple of men off him. They quickly piled back on again as more shouts and cursing came from below them. I heard smothered cries of “The hell you say!” coming from him.
“Roxbury, please stop it, or you’ll hurt yourself. Let me go over and talk to them—there’s no other choice. I promise I’ll come back.”
Lex looked confused and glanced down at our cousins next to him. “What are you saying? Who are you talking to, Brandon? Is it that fucking pirate?”
“Yes, but it’s fine. We’re negotiating.”
“Is he threatening you? Are you sure you’re not under duress? Are they forcing you to help them?” He was sounding more and more angry, so I had to act quickly.
“No, Lex. I just need to speak to you. Maybe you can send someone over here to stand hostage for me while I go over there to talk? There’s no other choice—they won’t let me come over there unless you send someone.”
There seemed to be a quick conference and then Lex replied. “What if all three of us come to you instead under a flag of truce? Me, Asher and Wyatt.”
I glanced down at Jacobs, and he nodded, though his face was strained and pale. I didn’t bother to ask my mate as I already knew what he’d say.
“Yes, that’s a good idea. Come on board.”
“Is it safe? Will the captain honor the truce?”
Wyatt yelled over him. “I’ll kill him if he doesn’t!”
“Stop it, Wyatt,” Lex said, but a little, amused smile was playing around his lips.
“You might find that hard to do, Wyatt. He’s as big and tough as you are.” I called back.
Wyatt made a rude noise, and I jumped down off the rail and knelt beside Roxbury, who was seething with anger, while Jacobs shoved the men on top of him off to the side. As soon as he was free, I fell on top of him and wrapped my arms around his neck, holding on. He was so angry, he was shaking, and I knew he wanted to do us all some kind of violence, but he also didn’t want to hurt me.
After I was pretty sure he wouldn’t erupt and kill us all, I grabbed his face with both hands and looked into his eyes. I was sitting on top of him, and I felt the connection even at a moment like this. He was hard as a rock, both from the passion of his anger and his feelings for me.
“Listen to me, please, Rox.” I realized I was using the pet name I sometimes called out during sex. He noticed it too and I saw his nostrils flare a little. I kissed him long and hard, my tongue massaging his lips and then dipping inside his mouth to convince him to settle down and listen. He was breathing hard when I finally pulled away.
“Lex, Asher and Wyatt are on their way over to this ship. I’ll tell them who you are.”
