She tried to shout for help, but his hand clamped over her mouth. She bit his hand, hard. A string of vile curses sputtered over her head and the next moment he slammed his fist into her jaw. Black spots dotted over her vision and Belle succumbed almost instantly to the darkness, not fighting its pull. Darkness was , better than terror after all.
Awareness returned slowly, reluctantly, and Belle had no clue how long she’d been out. Hours? Days? It was hard to tell. She lay on a cold, hard surface, her jaw throbbing and her muscles an aching mess. She sensed rather than saw she was not alone. Someone was in the room with her. De Roux? One of his minions?
Her lids fluttered open.
It was too much to hope for a knight in shining armor, she supposed. Instead, Mr. Foul Breath stood leaning against the wall in the far corner of the room, lost in thought. He stirred when he noticed she had awakened, regarding her with an easy smile.
Belle wasn’t fooled.
“I had hoped to have more time with you, to truly enjoy your suffering, but you made that impossible when you forced me to knock you out.”
Belle did not move, her gaze watchful and alert. A quick glance at her surroundings confirmed they were on a ship. Well, at least that explained her sudden nausea.
She also noticed she’d been stripped down to her chemise and stockings. Her dress was nowhere to be seen. For once she was grateful she’d worn a thicker, more conservative chemise and not one of her own seductive creations.
A flicker of true unease shuddered through her. What need would he have to remove her clothing? But she’d be damned if she called attention to it.
“Where are you taking me?” A hoarse croak revealed itself as her voice, foreign even to her own ears.
He hunched down, a mocking smile playing across his sinfully handsome face. “Not far. The deep blue ocean, if you will.”
“Why?”
“I cannot ruin the surprise now, can I? Better for you to see my grand plan for yourself.”
Bile rose, but Belled did her best to remain calm. It would do her no good to panic. Not if she wished to survive. How long ago had they set sail? How far away were the others?
“Why would you do this to me?”
“You ruined me, now I will destroy you.”
“I shot you and yet you live, that hardly constitutes ruin.”
“But it’s never that simple, is it?” He glanced at his pocket watch before his gaze flicked back to her. “Time is up, princess. Your friends will be upon us soon and I cannot risk them catching this vessel.”
“Wait,” she croaked as he hauled her to her feet. “Have you not destroyed enough of me?” Damn her words for sounding so pitiful, but she’d do anything to spare her some time.
“Not nearly as much as you destroyed me.”
And with that, he snatched her by the arm and dragged her from the room. She was powerless to stop him, but by the saints, she would not let death take her without a fight.
He led her through a narrow corridor and up a short flight of stairs to the deck.
A few sailors milled about, though not nearly enough to man a ship this size. Some of them had vicious scars marring their faces and arms, some had black designs on their necks, but they all smelled if they were in need of a bath and they all looked as cruel as her captor.
De Roux pushed her into the arms of a short, fat man whose smile revealed his yellow, rotting teeth.
“There, there beautiful, I’ve got ye.”
Belle pushed at his flabby chest, but his arms caged her in like an iron bar.
“Let me go at once! What are planning to do with me?”
They all laughed.
“You haven’t told her, captain?”
Belle stilled. She recognized that voice.
