Pirate's Ransom

Chapter 21

The chatter stopped. The music stopped.  A few of the wenches gasped. Darius set down his mug on the counter and turned to follow the gazes entrapped by something. But, when he turned, he couldn't see what it was they were all looking at. 

"Captain!" He hear a shout and he moved to follow the familiar voice. Glancing around he spotted Charlie's blond head. Charlie was looking down at something near the stairs. Had one of his men collapsed drunk? 

He shoved through the crowd until he spotted Isabella on her knees staring at her hands. Charlie knelt saying something softly to Isabella but she wasn't responding, her head remained tilted downward. 

Darius began to plow through the crowd knocking over a few men, and tossing one woman to the side. When he reached Isabella his view improved. She was painted red. Was that her blood? He dropped to his knees and felt around her body. "Where are you hurt, love?" 

Whoever did this to her wouldn't feel his next breath after Darius ripped out his lungs. A silent rage flooded his veins and he held on to his calm like a life raft.  Black dots speckled his vision. "Darling, speak to me."

He felt a feint tremble in her body but she still remained unresponsive. He looked up at all the faces staring, some for the sake of staring, some with concern. He needed to get her away from all the eyes directed her way. Carefully he tilted her face upward and had to suck in a breath. Blood coated her cheeks and ran down her neck, but he didn't see any lacerations. Please God, he prayed, something he'd not done since he was a child, let her be okay. He'd only left her about ten minutes ago. 

He slid his arm under her legs and one woven under her arms and scooped her to his chest before standing. There were whispers now. 

"If she's a pirate why is she acting like this at the sight of blood?"

"What happened to her?"

"Does anyone know who she is?"

He wanted to scream at the patrons of the inn. He wanted to shout at them to get back to what they were doing but with Isa so close he feared he would only frighten her more. Instead he made his way up the narrow steps two at a time. 

Charlie scrambled behind him. "Cap! What happened? Is she okay?"

"I don't know." Was all he could say. 

When he kicked through their cracked door he saw the carnage on the floor. A large man lie on his back, eyes open, with a pool of blood under him. Twin daggers were embedded deeply into his neck probably severing his spine. He couldn't see the blades, only the hilt sticking out. The man's pants were untied. Quickly his gaze went to Isabella's pants. They were also untied and he growled harshly in his chest to keep from screaming. 

Her face buried into the crook of his neck and he felt her little body quake in his arms. He tightened his grip. "Keep your face there, Angel."

How stupid had he been? He should have protected her. He should have been in that room. He'd thought to give her privacy, but instead she'd nearly been raped. How idiotic he'd been to think his only concern was that she'd try and run. 

"Charlie." He said trying to keep a collected tone. "I need you to grab one of the guys and have this body removed. I also need one of you to clean up the blood once the body is gone. I am going to try and talk to her."

"Aye, Cap. I'll grab Big Ben. He'd just come through the door when ye headed upstairs."

"Thank you," he managed. 

The boy ran off. He heard his boots hit the staircase at a rapid rate. Good. The sooner the body was gone and the blood was cleared, the sooner she'd snap out of this. She'd been raised so gently, he was sure this was a shock to her system but he couldn't help but feel a sense of pride in her. His Isabella fought. Kept her wits enough to kill the man attacking her, just as they'd taught her.