Enslaved By The Ocean (Criminals Of The Ocean #1)

  “Because you have the right to know.”

  “To know what? That every image of my father has just been shattered?”

  “Indi…”

  “Let me take her,” Jess says softly. “I’ll talk to her.”

  Hendrix’s eyes are pleading with me, but I don’t understand. I don’t. He nods, and Jess wraps an arm around my shoulder and turns me around, leading me out into the hall. She walks me slowly to her room, and opens the door, encouraging me in. We sit on her bed, and she turns to me.

  “I don’t think he’s lying, honey. Hendrix doesn’t say things unless he knows.”

  “It can’t be true, Jess,” I whisper, feeling my lip quiver.

  “It might not be how you think it is. Maybe your dad isn’t so bad.”

  “He was going to sell me to him as a sex slave,” I cry, shaking. “It doesn’t get much worse.”

  “Maybe he doesn’t sell them, or…”

  “Jess, just stop. I love you for caring, but you can’t take away the reality of this situation.”

  “I know, honey…”

  “I just don’t want to see it, even if he is right. My dad was everything to me, and even after he left me I still loved him so much. I don’t want that image shattered, I don’t want to see him the way Hendrix has described him. I can’t…”

  “Until you do see him, you’re not going to know what is real and what isn’t.”

  “I know,” I whisper. “I just feel numb right now. This is all too much to take in. My life has never been easy, but I dealt with it, and I made the most of it…then I came here, and everything I believed in has been stomped on. I killed someone, Jess…”

  She lifts her gaze to mine, and nods. “I know honey.”

  “I’m a murderer,” I whisper.

  “No, you’re a woman protecting herself.”

  A tear slides down my cheek, and I struggle to keep my composure. “I love him, Jess.”

  “I know you do, baby.”

  “I don’t know what to do…”

  “I know what you have to do,” she murmurs. “You have to keep on surviving, and take each day as it comes.”

  If only it were that easy.

  Jack Ketch

  A warm hard body slides into the bed beside me and I shudder before pressing myself into it. I’m hurt by what Hendrix told me earlier, but my need for him is so strong. I feel him run his big hand up my side and then he grips the back of my head, pulling my lips down on his.

  I wonder if kissing him will ever get old? The feeling that’s flooding my body right now seems like it couldn’t possibly fade. It gets stronger each time he lays his hands on me.

  His lips are warm, and he tastes like rum. The burn of the alcohol as I open my mouth and let our tongues dance is quite enjoyable. I lift my hands, wrapping them in his hair, and tugging him closer. He makes a growling sound, and his hand slides back down my body until he grips my backside, pulling me to him. I throw one leg over his hips, and our bodies touch. His cock presses against my pussy, and the friction of his jeans does wonderful things to me.

  I never thought it possible to want someone so much, until him. I can’t get enough of what he has to offer. He gives it, and I can’t stop taking. He pulls his lips from mine, and I can feel his warm breath tickling my cheek as he moves down to my ear. “I’ve fucked you, inocencia, and I’ve made your body come alive, but I haven’t given you the one thing I know you need.”

  What do I need?

  “And that is?” I pant.

  “I haven’t made love to you.”

  Oh.

  Sweet.

  Jesus.

  I’ve seen Hendrix’s tough side, I’ve seen him kill in cold blood, I’ve seen the monster that lies within, but the other side to him almost easily outweighs it. He has this gentle side, a side that is so sweet, and yet he makes it so damned masculine.

  “Y…y…you…want to make love to me?”

  “I want nothing more,” he murmurs, and then moves his lips down my neck.

  No one has ever made love to me.

  They say it’s different, that when someone makes love to you it truly defines sex and what it’s about. I’ve been fucked by Hendrix, and it was mind-blowing—I really couldn’t imagine it getting any better. Yet something inside me is telling me that I’m about to find out I’m very wrong about that. When Hendrix runs his fingers up the side of my body, so slowly, so gently, I know for a fact that I’m wrong. I know without a doubt in my heart…

  That this will change something inside me.

  Hendrix removes my clothes so slowly, so gently, that I can barely feel his hands on me. When I’m naked, he strips out of his clothes and then flicks the dim lamp on beside the bed. My heart begins to hammer. When he’s looking down at me like that, with those eyes, and that damned stunning face, it’s hard to think of anything else. He leans down, and presses a tiny kiss to my nose. I smile and for the first time since I’ve been here, he smiles too. It’s not a grin, or a smirk; it’s a genuine, heart wrenchingly beautiful smile.

  It just confirms what I’m sure I already figured out.

  Hendrix is everything I need.

  I reach up and cup his face before murmuring, “I need to kiss you again. You starved me for too long.”

  His smile turns lopsided and I nearly sigh with want. “Kiss away, sweetheart.”

  He lowers his mouth, and I capture his lips with mine, kissing him softly. Our lips move in the most sensual way, and every now and then he nips at my bottom lip. I let him push me back into the mattress and press his body over mine. He gently pulls away from my lips and moves his mouth down, sliding his body down mine until he finds my breasts. He captures his nipple in my mouth, and he sucks, drawing it in and out of his mouth and flicking it with his tongue.

  “More,” I whimper, arching up, pushing my nipples further into his mouth.

  His fingers run across the smooth skin on my hip as he devours my nipples, and I bite my lip to stop the desperate moan escaping. His fingers trace little circles on my leg before slowly moving up my thigh, gently caressing, teasing me. He releases my nipple, and lifts his brown eyes to meet mine. His look is questioning, as if asking me if I want more. I make a strangled moaning sound and he grins, slowly lowering his head and trailing kisses down my belly. My skin breaks out in tiny little shivers and my legs become tense. Oh, the anticipation.

  He has my sex aching, desperate for him, and then he moves down past it. The need for him to put his mouth on me is overwhelming. “Please Hendrix,” I mewl.

  “Soon, baby.”

  He slides down to my toes, where he pops one into his mouth. The sudden throaty moan that escapes my lips has him chuckling. He kisses the ball of my foot, and then slowly drags his lips up my legs, kissing, stroking, kneading my skin with his palms. I close my eyes and let my head drop into the pillow. This…it’s different. My heart is aching, my body is aware of his every movement, and the need to devour him is sending me over the edge.

  He moves his lips up the inside of my thigh and inhales. “Fuckin’ perfect.”

  “Please,” I beg, arching my hips off the bed.

  “Hush,” he murmurs, sliding his tongue out, and just touching the skin on the inside of my thigh.

  Everything clenches, and my pussy begins to throb.

  He moves his mouth closer, and I can feel his hot breath against my skin. Then, slowly, he dips his tongue into my exposed flesh and gently slides it up and around my clit. I begin to pant and my fingers grip the sheet, holding it so tightly they ache. I thrash my head from side to side, needing more. Hendrix presses harder, his tongue putting just enough pressure on to cause my clit to send a bolt of pleasure up my spine. I rasp his name and spread my legs wider, thrusting my hips up.

  “Inocencia likes having her sweet pussy licked,” he breathes into my skin.

  “Please,” I beg again. “Hendrix, please…”

  “All in good time, baby.”

  He closes his mouth over
my clit and I jerk wildly, mewling and arching. He sucks it into his mouth, still flicking it with his tongue. Heat fills my body and my pussy begins to tighten and swell. Oh. Yes. When he gently slides his finger inside my no doubt damp entrance, I come. For a moment, I am incoherent as I whimper his name and he continues to draw every last shudder from my body. Then he’s moving up, sliding his hard flesh over mine until he reaches my lips again.

  He dips his head and he slides his tongue into my mouth. I close my lips over it and I suck, tasting myself, tasting what he does to me. He growls, and his hands slide up and cup my head, lifting it slightly so he can deepen the kiss. He might not be able to tell me what I mean to him, but he’s showing me. Every kiss. Every touch. Every stroke of his hand against my skin. He’s showing me that he cares. He’s giving me what he can’t tell me.

  “Make love to me,” I whisper, pulling back and cupping his cheek.

  He closes his eyes, as if the very thought brings some sort of pain to his heart. He releases my head and slides his hands down my body, gripping my thigh and bringing it up and over his hip. Then he’s pressing against me, ever so gently, just probing my entrance, promising me pleasure but not going over the edge.

  “I’m unprotected, Indigo,” he murmurs.

  “I don’t care, I want you…all of you.”

  He makes a throaty sound, and then he gently slides inside. My body tightens around him as an overwhelming sensation travels through my body. It’s that of something that’s real. Something pure. Something that’s just ours.

  Hendrix drops his lips to mine again and he kisses me deeply as he begins to gently thrust. His body moves in and out of mine, and I can feel every inch of him on my skin. His muscles tense and pull when he does, and a fine layer of sweat breaks out on his skin.

  He runs his hands up my arms, bringing them above my head. I drop my head back, mouth open, little whimpers escaping. I’ve never felt anything like this in my life. It’s not only a feeling that consumes my body, but it’s a feeling that consumes my heart. It’s the perfect balance, the perfect match. It’s a connection.

  “So beautiful,” Hendrix murmurs into my ear as he slides his lips down my neck.

  I cry out when his hands slide down and cup my cheeks. He’s holding onto me, his muscles are straining, his jaw is tight and his eyes are locked on mine. It’s a moment that’s so beautiful, so utterly perfect. He slides his thumb across the skin on my cheek, swiping a piece of damp hair off my forehead. Our eyes remain locked and we share something there in that moment, something uncontaminated by past pains and regrets. I close my eyes as my body swells with warmth and I climb closer to the edge.

  “Eyes, Indigo,” he rasps. “Always on me.”

  I open them and meet his once more, and what I see in them has my womb clenching with need. It’s gentle compassion, a loving glance that no heated look could ever compare to. He leans down, sliding his tongue over my bottom lip as he continues to rock his hips into me. I feel my orgasm nearing closer to the edge, and I know it’s going to be unlike anything I’ve ever felt. There’s added warmth in my body that was never there before.

  “H…Hendrix,” I say gasping. “N…now.”

  He tilts his hips and sends me over the edge. Stars explode in my vision as wave after wave of pleasure travels through my body. I can’t even scream—all I can do is open my mouth and whimper his name over and over again. He is whispering in my ear, and his body is so tense I can feel every muscle against my skin, but he doesn’t pick up the pace and slam into me, he slowly rocks himself until he’s letting off an almost pained yell.

  He drops his head into my shoulder, and together we lay there, panting, both of our bodies on overload from a pleasure I imagine we have both never felt before. I lift my hand, tangling it in his thick, damp hair. His body is hard, and heavy, but the feeling of him laying over me, his chest rising and falling, is wonderful. I slide my hands down his cheeks, and make little circles there with my thumbs.

  He lifts his head and stares down at me, stroking the hair from my forehead. “Here I was thinking I could teach you something, and yet it was the complete opposite. You taught me something tonight, inocencia.”

  “What’s that?” I whisper.

  “You taught me how to open my heart.”

  I swallow and reach up, stroking his face.

  “You know what, pirate?” I murmur, meeting his eyes. “You taught me that too.”

  “I’ve been looking for you.”

  I hear Senny’s voice and turn to see her standing in the hall with her arms crossed. I haven’t had a lot of trouble from Senny since Hendrix threatened her, but I didn’t imagine it would last long. She stalks toward me, her nose scrunched up, her eyes full of hate. What did I ever do to deserve such hatred from her? When she stops in front of me, she looks me up and down as if I’m no more than a piece of trash.

  “Can I help you, Sienna?” I mutter.

  “I want a word.”

  “I don’t believe we have anything to talk about.”

  “We have plenty to talk about.”

  I cross my arms, and lean against the wall. “And what would that be?”

  “I know he’s chosen you and I don’t honestly care. I’ve fucked him enough times to know what he’s offering, and to be honest, I can do better.”

  I snort. She glares.

  “What I am here to do is tell you that you have no idea what you’re getting yourself into with Hendrix.”

  “I think I can figure those things out on my own, thanks.”

  She grins, and it’s mean. “See here’s the thing, princess…you have no idea what his life is like. Has he even told you how he ended up here, or why he owes your dear daddy money?”

  I flinch at her using the word daddy.

  I haven’t processed that yet.

  “I don’t really care. If you think I’m so naive that I don’t know Hendrix has done bad things, along with my father, then you really don’t know me. Now, I know exactly what you’re doing; you’re trying to make me feel insecure because you lost, but honey, nothing you can say will change my mind about him.”

  Her grin widens, and that almost frightens me.

  “He’s got a kid, you know?”

  And there it goes, that blow to the chest that makes you want to fall onto the ground and never get back up.

  A kid.

  A kid.

  My head spins, but I struggle to keep my face straight and unaffected.

  “Are you done?” I say, glaring at her.

  Her grin drops. The stupid bitch is confused because I’m not on the ground sobbing and crying.

  “There’s more…”

  “More that I really don’t want to hear about. Now, if you’re finished, I would like to go,” I growl, turning and walking off.

  “You’ll regret being with him,” she cries. “You will! Just ask what happened to his ex-wife.”

  Another blow, a big one.

  Bigger than the kid.

  I gasp, but keep walking. When I get around the corner, my legs tremble and I grip the wall for support. A child. A wife. Why didn’t he tell me any of this? How did I not know he was married, and had a child? A child! I close my eyes, trying to gather my calm. Don’t judge until you know the story, don’t judge until you know the story…I repeat this over and over, all while trying to catch my breath and stop the ache in my heart.

  “Indi?”

  I open my eyes to see Hendrix watching me. He looks concerned, his eyebrows are furrowed.

  “You okay?”

  “Is it true?” I whisper. “Do you have a kid?

  His jaw tenses and he sighs loudly, looking down at the floor.

  “Is it?” I say, as calmly as I can.

  “It’s a long story, come on.”

  He grips my arm and tugs me, and I let him. He leads me up onto the deck and barks at everyone to “fuck off” before he takes us over to an old bench that’s bolted to the deck. We sit down, and he turns to face me
.

  “I don’t even know where to start, I haven’t told this story for so many years. I know exactly who told you, and believe me when I say I’m not happy about it. She will get her ass kicked for it later, but you know now, so I guess I need to give you some answers. Firstly, he’s not my kid, not biologically.”

  I’m just confused now. He sees it in my face, and continues.

  “When I was fifteen years old, I was in a bad place. Most fifteen-year-old boys were out with their friends, enjoying life. I was battling to survive. My parents were dead, and I was on the street with no family. One night, I met a girl. She was twenty-one and basically, a prostitute. She took me in one night after seeing me on the street. She must have felt sorry for me, because she let me stay and we got together. She had a five-year-old son. His dad was dead and he had nothing. I fell into a relationship, and eventually, over the years, the boy begun to call me Dad. I was with them until I was twenty-five, so a solid ten years.”

  He takes a deep breath and then continues.

  “I married Lizzie when I was twenty years old. I was just a kid still, but she was all I had. Her and Dimitri. We managed together, but Lizzie was a heavy drug addict, and she got herself tangled into some serious shit. By this stage, I had started sailing and creating myself a crew of pirates to begin dealing with her problems out at sea. It’s easier out here. Less law. The reason I got into it was an old friend of mine had association with some pirates, and he got me involved, promising it would be the best option for Lizzie and Dimitri. He was right; it was easier. So, basically, I got involved in the pirate world to save a woman that really didn’t care about me or her son.”

  “Things got so bad that eventually I realized I couldn’t help her anymore, and I left. I became a full-time pirate. Dimitri thought I was his father, he didn’t know any better, and I loved him. I was selfish, because I left him with no explanation. I kept tabs on him at all times, making sure he was okay, making sure he was protected, but one day when he was fifteen my sources came back to me and told me he was in the hospital. He’d been so badly beaten and…raped…that he was in a coma. I went mad. The woman had tangled herself up so much that her own son had copped it. So, I paid a well-known pirate to put a hit on her.”