Read Destiny of the Heart (Viking Destiny) for Free Online Page B

expecting the worse, but to her utter
surprise, he winced at the voice that followed the light.
“Peevely, do reassure me that I didn't just see you
manhandle a lady. Please tell me that's an urchin cabin boy
who has lost his way.”
Kristen slumped back against the cave wall in relief.
She had no idea what Derrick was doing in the cave, but she
was grateful for his arrival. The man still hovering over her,
was not. She took his preoccupation with Derrick as an
opportunity to collect herself. The knife she didn't have the
chance to use lay on the floor not far from her, so she scooted
over and quickly picked it up. Kristen stood and dusted her
skirts, certain that, for the moment, the large man wouldn't be
attempting to hit her again. But then Derrick spoke once more,
and despite Kristen's best efforts to ignore it, chills ran down
her spine. She couldn't help it, she was utterly mesmerized by
that man.
"I'm waiting." Derrick said impatiently as he crossed his
arms over his broad chest and gave the man a most
frightening glare.
Kristen noticed with some fascination that Derrick's
eyes had lit up again. She stared at them, certain that she
could lose herself in those eyes and not minding in the least,
which was a strange sensation for her. She wasn't entirely
sure what was getting into her, but she had the strangest urge
to run to him, and let him hold and protect her. Kristen's
mother would roll over in her grave if she knew of the thoughts
running through Kristen's mind, so she looked away from
Derrick's eyes before she did anything foolish.
“Ah, sorry sir...the wench, ye see, she's rather difficult.”
The man called Peevely finally answered. His fear was
palatable as the sweat beaded on his forehead.
“Such a shame. I had hoped you would tell me that was
merely a cabin boy you slammed your fist into, a fist I might
add that has killed men before. But, since it was a lady -"
Derrick stopped and looked at the lady in question.
And, his heart dropped to the floor. An intense anger,
the likes of which he had never felt before, filled every fiber of
his being. He felt the angry flame crawl up his body and into
his face as his chest constricted at the sight of Kristen
standing there, her face battered and already beginning to
swell. Derrick's lips tightened, and he dropped his hands from
his chest and clenched them at his sides.
Jack didn't think the situation was very funny anymore.
He hadn't expected Peevely to harm the girl, though he did
have to hand it to her, she was certainly taking it far better
than most women of her ilk. Hell, even tavern wenches used
to such treatment didn't take it as well as Kristen had. Still, the
dangerous glow to Derrick's eyes did not bode well for
Peevely, and despite his lack of thought in striking a lady,
Peevely was a damn fine man to have on board. Jack stepped
forward and put a hand on Derrick's shoulder.
"Derrick, he didn't know. We didn't know. He was
following orders." Jack whispered quietly so that only Derrick
could hear.
Derrick swallowed his anger as best he could because
he knew Jack was right. If it had been anyone other than
Kristen, he wouldn't lose control, so he had to get a handle on
his anger before he did something he would later regret. Still,
seeing her there made all of the guilt from earlier return with a
vengeance, and he wanted to protect her in any way he could.
He gave himself a good five count before speaking. When he
returned his gaze to Peevley, the man nearly wet himself with
fear.
"Your actions will be dealt with accordingly. Jack,
twenty lashes and a week in the brig should do for now. Get
him out of my sight."
“Aye, cap'n.” Jack replied, signaling another swarthy
man to assist in Peevely's removal.
Peevely bowed his head, ready to accept his
punishment, but shot Kristen a look of pure hatred before
leaving the cave. Very aware of her precarious situation,
Kristen hadn't moved. She glanced nervously at the four men
remaining in