Page 38 of Austen

A scream erupted into the air, and then?—

Gunshots?

Staccato pinged the air, a succession of shots.

More screaming.

Declan had already jerked away from her, turned, and pushed her behind him.

Then he froze as a man appeared around the side of the boat.He wore a pair of faded jeans and a dark T-shirt and held a handgun.

And just like that, she was in a movie, pirates taking over their ship.

“Down!Get down!”An accented voice, a snarl at the end.

Declan put up his hands, knelt on one knee.“What’s going on?”

Then another man appeared, also holding a gun, this one on a strap that hung over his shoulder.He walked right over to Declan.

Cuffed him with his fist.

Declan didn’t go down.Just put his hand out to correct his balance.

The next punch, Declan stopped with his hand.And he might have jumped to his feet and punched back if Pirate One hadn’t shot into the air and shouted, “Stop!”

Then he walked over and grabbed Austen by the arm, yanked her away from Declan.Put the gun to her head, the barrel grinding into her scalp.

“Don’t move or I kill her.”

Okay, she took it back.She very, very much wanted off this yacht and back to her normal, boring life.

* * *

Just breathe.

Think.

He could solve this.

Declan kneeled in front of his hot tub, his hands zip-tied in front of him, his jaw throbbing even as he gritted it, watching the pirates—yes, that’s what he was calling them—handcuff not only his guests but his staff too.

Captain Teresa, Chef Camille, Jermaine, Ivek, Raphael, Tyrone—the deckhand, who couldn’t be more than eighteen and was scared to death, given the look on his face.

Hunter sat next to Elise on the lounger, sporting a darkening bruised eye.Apparently he’d received the same welcome as Declan.

Austen sat beside him, near the hot tub, her hands also secured, wearing her bathrobe, her expression fierce, almost angry.

A vast difference from the look in her eyes earlier, after he’d told her about Farid.Compassion.Maybe even desire?He’d definitely heard ayeswhisper out of her.

He couldn’t catch a break.

“What do they want?”Austen asked, her voice low.

“I don’t know,” Declan said.“Money?Ransom?”

“You think they’re pirates?”

He’d spent some time studying them.There were five total, so it seemed that maybe he, Hunter, Ivek, Tyrone, and even Jermaine might have overpowered them en masse, except they weren’t the ones with guns.So probably not.

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