disappointment, but he gripped the handle of his sword nonetheless as the schooner moved in closer.
“ El Angel! ” A shout from the other ship’s deck could be heard. “I want to speak with the cursed El Angel !”
No. That sounded like his cousin, Miguel. Imposible. He hid his surprise, however, as he made his way port side.
“Cousin Miguel. What brings you into these waters? And firing upon us as though we’re criminals?”
Miguel made a show of spitting toward Raphael’s ship. “You pirate swine,” Miguel shouted back. “You dare hold my fiancée for ransom?”
“Your fiancée?”
“Yes. Lady Elise Clifton is promised to me by her uncle and father both.”
Raphael’s sight went red. Too many variables clicked into place and his knuckles turned white where he gripped his sword. This man was to be the one to take his Elise? Too bad their ships weren’t closer, or he’d kill the bastard where he stood.
“Swine,” Miguel shouted again. “Prepare to be boarded so I can claim what is mine, then I’ll blast you and your wretched ship to the depths of Hell!”
Before he could respond, a dark, feminine voice shouted out from behind him, “ You are Edward M. de Marco?”
“Elise. I told you stay below decks.”
“I know you did, but I had no idea you were meeting with my fiancée. I thought you were about to go into battle. If I’m to be a pirate, I need to learn how to fight.”
Raphael stared at her, not knowing if he should kiss her or scold her. And she had put on the breeches, damn her.
“Lady Elise,” Miguel called out. “I’m here to rescue you. If that fiend has touched you, I’ll skin him alive.”
“And he calls me a pirate,” Raphael muttered. But his gaze swept back to Elise, at the way she now studied his handsome cousin. Could she be having second thoughts? After all they’d shared, could Elise truly want to be with Miguel?
In that moment, Raphael knew what he had to do to. He may not be able to take Miguel’s life this day, but he would definitely take what Miguel thought belonged to him.
Chapter Eight
“Elise,” he whispered. When she turned her head, he pulled her close and laid his lips over hers in a possessive, thorough kiss.
Miguel’s loud cursing washed over him, but he used the insults to feed the growing anger in his kiss. All this time he’d kept away from taking this woman. Why? Because she was to belong to Miguel? Screw the ransom and the pardon.
Miguel would never get Elise.
“You have raped the last woman, cousin. I give you one chance to hand her over before I blow you up.”
Raphael broke the kiss and glanced across the water. “She is mine, Miguel. Go to Hell.” Miguel sputtered his outrage, but Raphael ignored him. He kept a tight hold on Elise at his side and spoke to his first mate. “Reddy, the last act of piracy for Angel’s Light won’t be collecting the ransom for Lady Elise. It will be sending that pendejo to the bottom of the ocean. Once he’s gone, take us to Port Royal.”
Reddy grinned then turned and quietly gave the orders to the crew while Raphael pulled Elise away.
“Where do you think you’re going?” Miguel yelled. Beside him, Elise stiffened and kept darting glances over her shoulder.
“Are you really going to sink his ship?”
What? Was she feeling sympathetic to the ass? After she’d begged him to remove her from the marriage? How dare she.
“Me? No. I have what he wants and he knows that. My crew will sink his ship.”
He led them toward his cabin and locked the door firmly behind him once they were inside. She turned to face him, shock running across her face.
“Raphael? What’s going on? Surely you’re not going to kill him.”
“I am a pirate, not some storybook seafarer. My crew is a pirate crew. Killing is a way of life for us. You want to be a pirate? I should give you a gun and send you up there.”
“What?”
“You have no idea, do you?” he asked, feeling both possessive
“ El Angel! ” A shout from the other ship’s deck could be heard. “I want to speak with the cursed El Angel !”
No. That sounded like his cousin, Miguel. Imposible. He hid his surprise, however, as he made his way port side.
“Cousin Miguel. What brings you into these waters? And firing upon us as though we’re criminals?”
Miguel made a show of spitting toward Raphael’s ship. “You pirate swine,” Miguel shouted back. “You dare hold my fiancée for ransom?”
“Your fiancée?”
“Yes. Lady Elise Clifton is promised to me by her uncle and father both.”
Raphael’s sight went red. Too many variables clicked into place and his knuckles turned white where he gripped his sword. This man was to be the one to take his Elise? Too bad their ships weren’t closer, or he’d kill the bastard where he stood.
“Swine,” Miguel shouted again. “Prepare to be boarded so I can claim what is mine, then I’ll blast you and your wretched ship to the depths of Hell!”
Before he could respond, a dark, feminine voice shouted out from behind him, “ You are Edward M. de Marco?”
“Elise. I told you stay below decks.”
“I know you did, but I had no idea you were meeting with my fiancée. I thought you were about to go into battle. If I’m to be a pirate, I need to learn how to fight.”
Raphael stared at her, not knowing if he should kiss her or scold her. And she had put on the breeches, damn her.
“Lady Elise,” Miguel called out. “I’m here to rescue you. If that fiend has touched you, I’ll skin him alive.”
“And he calls me a pirate,” Raphael muttered. But his gaze swept back to Elise, at the way she now studied his handsome cousin. Could she be having second thoughts? After all they’d shared, could Elise truly want to be with Miguel?
In that moment, Raphael knew what he had to do to. He may not be able to take Miguel’s life this day, but he would definitely take what Miguel thought belonged to him.
Chapter Eight
“Elise,” he whispered. When she turned her head, he pulled her close and laid his lips over hers in a possessive, thorough kiss.
Miguel’s loud cursing washed over him, but he used the insults to feed the growing anger in his kiss. All this time he’d kept away from taking this woman. Why? Because she was to belong to Miguel? Screw the ransom and the pardon.
Miguel would never get Elise.
“You have raped the last woman, cousin. I give you one chance to hand her over before I blow you up.”
Raphael broke the kiss and glanced across the water. “She is mine, Miguel. Go to Hell.” Miguel sputtered his outrage, but Raphael ignored him. He kept a tight hold on Elise at his side and spoke to his first mate. “Reddy, the last act of piracy for Angel’s Light won’t be collecting the ransom for Lady Elise. It will be sending that pendejo to the bottom of the ocean. Once he’s gone, take us to Port Royal.”
Reddy grinned then turned and quietly gave the orders to the crew while Raphael pulled Elise away.
“Where do you think you’re going?” Miguel yelled. Beside him, Elise stiffened and kept darting glances over her shoulder.
“Are you really going to sink his ship?”
What? Was she feeling sympathetic to the ass? After she’d begged him to remove her from the marriage? How dare she.
“Me? No. I have what he wants and he knows that. My crew will sink his ship.”
He led them toward his cabin and locked the door firmly behind him once they were inside. She turned to face him, shock running across her face.
“Raphael? What’s going on? Surely you’re not going to kill him.”
“I am a pirate, not some storybook seafarer. My crew is a pirate crew. Killing is a way of life for us. You want to be a pirate? I should give you a gun and send you up there.”
“What?”
“You have no idea, do you?” he asked, feeling both possessive
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