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The hostages began shuffling toward the ladders as Sam ran to the starboard side of the yacht Hundreds of s warriors dressed in black and armed with rifles and swords On the bow of the frontmost cruiser stood Lucan, his corn-silk riet them out of here" Sam took off at a flat run for the ay between the casino and the old ship
Chris pressed back against the uards walked within inches of her and Werren Although she knew they couldn’t see or hear the do you think it’ll take Sa," Werren said "Dutch ordered all the guards over to the Horde" She hesitated before she asked, "If we live through this, ill happen to us?"
"You won’t be sex slaves anyhtened "We have not lived in the world beyond this ship for centuries When they were mortal, the other women were harlots This is all we know, this life"
"I used to work in the sex trade," Chris told her "I had no family, no education, no skills, and it was the only way I could survive Walking away from that scaredit That’s the first step You’ve got to want a better future for yourself"
"I have no future Yourhis lady" Werren looked miserable "I deserve it"
"Maybe you do, but that’s up to Sam," Chris reminded her "And if she wanted to kill you, you’d already be dead" She saw a blur ofback So"
"Oh, no" Werren looked out at the boats approaching the ship "Yoursound before her expression blanked, and the illusion concealing them abruptly shifted away
"How like women, to hide hores they are" Dutch jumped down fro the blade of his sword in front of her nose "I had such plans for you, Pearl Girl You were to be the first I changed once I had back ed her over to the side of the ship "Now you’ll feed lass slashed down in front of Chris’s face and sments left in her hand "You turn her loose, Dutch you, you old bat, even when you made yourself pretty" He touched the medallion at his throat, and Analise becaain"
The old woman made jerky movements as she clawed at her face, and as Chris shrieked for her to stop, she felt Dutch’s breath on her throat and the agonizing stab of his fangs
Blood poured down her chest when he lifted hissound "Not as sweet as I thought you’d be" He turned his head as Analise collapsed to the deck, and Werren staggered over to hi with her as she reached out and took the sword Dutch held out to her
"Let her go," Chris choked out, but Werren pulled Sam away until they disappeared behind the mainmast
"Lucan," he shouted, and Chris looked down to see her boss standing on the tower of a marlin boat "Tell your men they and your territory are mine now, or my whore will behead yours"
"He’s not here to surrender to you, you fool"
Chris looked over as the two tresori traitors appeared, both pointing guns at Dutch
"What shit do you spe?" Dutch demanded as he jerked Chris around and used her as a body shield "You said if I took his woet her back"
"We told you that so you would bring Alenfar here," one of the traitors sneered "He will be the bait we use to draw out the smith, and find the jewels for our master For that, we need to control him--with his woman"
"You usedto me Your rinned, and then froze as a weapon fired He glanced doith a puzzled expression at the front of his suit, and the gun he held pressed against the wet scarlet stain on his shirt
"Anything gold touches ison your finger"
The tresora shot himself a second time and toppled over
Dutch turned his head toward Werren, as rushing toward him, and she stopped in her tracks As the second tresora saw her lift the sword she still carried, he shot wildly at her She neatly decapitated hied at her and kicked the sword out of her hand They struggled for a moment before Sam slaainst her, Sam hoisted her over her shoulder and started toward Dutch and Chris
"The mortals lied to you, Hollander," a familiar voice said from behind them "Coburn hid the jewels in a secret cache, which I found I have brought theed Chris around to face Jamys, who stood on the other side of the deck Chris shook her head wildly, then screa at her throat and drawing out her blood in huge ss When Jaet no more use out of her, boy She’s done filled ed forward and nearly dropped Werren "You bastard"
"All will be well, ers and dropped the them away To Dutch he said, "Release Lady Saeain" Dutch reached over and shoved Samantha and Werren over the side, and bellowed at the other women to jump
Chris felt cold, but she was too tired to shiver She looked into Jahts entith hers He meant to kill them both to stop Dutch and save the others, but he wasn’t afraid Neither was she, Chris realized, and her heart skipped a beat as she began to droop She used the last of her strength to whisper her agreeolden jeweler’s case on the deck, and shoved it across to Dutch, who pushed Chris away as he bent down to grab it Then Jaainst her brow