Page 62 of The Pirate's Daughter

The sudden shift of the ship sent everyone tripping and as the planks hit the water Jones was left knowing he was trapped, knowing he’d picked an unpopular person as hostage and knowing he could do nothing about either situation. With a growl he shoved away Lady Rose and dropping the knife, put up his hands. Grim was on him faster than Devin could have believed and Mia and Hong were on himnext.

“Who hired you? Tell me the name of the son of the devil who sent you into that harbor,” Mia screamed at Jones. “Tell me and it’ll be a quickdeath.”

“Captain?” Lord Huffington called, and Devin realized he was being less responsive than he needed tobe.

“Mia,” he called as she started pounding at the man, sending her knee up into his groinhard.

“Tell me. I know you know,” she screamed and jabbed her finger into the tattoo. “This says youknow.”

“Mia,” Devin yelled grabbing hold and pulling her back as two of his crew stepped up to hold theman.

“Let me go, Captain, let me go. He’ll tell me who it was.” Mia squirmed free and rushed the man again. Her interference now was putting his crew and everyone else in danger. “Tell me,” she screamed sounding more and more like a madwoman.

Devin reached for her again just as Jones spit in her face. “Mia.” Devin hauled her up and back then struggled to hold on as she kicked and fought to get back to thedog.

“Lose someone there, love? Someone maybe I was able to personally help down to hell? So many sweet souls at that port. Was one of them someone to you?” Jones asked. His tender tone, cruel, only made Mia more frantic in her fight to getaway.

“Claps him in irons and see him to the brig,” Devinordered.

“No, no. He has to tell me. I need to make him tell me. I have to know,” Mia screeched, kicking and pounding at Devin. He lifted her off her feet and against hisside.

“Tell youwhat?”

“Who killed my mother,” Mia yelled, a catch in her voice. “I’ll know who sent them to fire on us. He knows. He knows.” She continued to struggle. Her questions turned to curses as Jones was chained and headed below decks. “No. No, you can’t have him until I’m done. You can’t take this from me. You can’t, Captain. He’s mine. He’smine.”

“Captain, Mia no happy now,” Mr. Hong said, steppingup.

“Thank you, Mr. Hong, for your astute observation,” Devin snapped. Who didn’t know his wife was nearing hysterics over the matter? “Mr. Asher, a hand if youwould.”

Asher stepped up and grabbed Mia’s kicking legs and between them they started towards Devin’s quarters. “Mr. Brinks form a squad, and get over to thePiper, see who else might be part of this conspiracy.” He nodded his head at the lords and ladies standing on deck gaping at the events that unfolded. “Get them back to their ship. Make ready and raise sails. We head to portnow.”

“Captain it’s dark,” Mr. Wilshiresaid.

“So it is, but I’ll not have rubbish like that on my vessel one minute more than need be. Mr. Brinks, thePiper. Mr. Quiggly, get us underway.” Devin called out each order even as he and Asher struggled to hold Mia and carry her below. “Mia, calm down,” Devin ordered as they pushed into the bunk area of his quarters, and Mia’s side hit the frame of the narrow doorway. His request only made her scream and Asher looked at him like he was mad for even asking. “Mia,” he tried again. “Put her down here,” Devin said, indicating a spot by thebulkhead.

“You can’t do this. You can’t take him from me. He has to tell me.” Mia kicked at Devin then made to rush past when he jumped aside. Mr. Asher was quick to block the exit, but Mia turned, lifted a knife from the table and swung at him. He was quick enough to avoid her, or she wasn’t really trying to cut him, but Devin grabbed her up. This time from behind, around the waist. She kicked and flailed sending him backwards to the floor on his ass. Asher knocked the knife from her hand as Devin put all his efforts into stilling herfight.

“Enough Mia,” he ground out as she got in one last bow to his ribs with her elbow. “Enough, haul in your sheets,pirate.”

“Let me have him,” Mia yelled, but this time it was followed by asob.

“Mia, that isn’t how it’ll be done on this ship, by you,” Devin said, though his resolve to follow the laws of the sea was strained. Mia’s mother died in the attack on Hermosa Alma and the man he held in the brig of his ship was possibly behind it. He couldn’t fault Mia’s want to get information out of him. Her desire to hurt and maybe kill Jones wasunderstandable.

“He knows,” she howled and sobbed again. “Heknows.”

“What he knows will be found out when he’s in the custody of the authorities in port,” Devin said with little confidence. The fact Jones had a mark telling of some association didn’t actually convict him of a crime. He wasn’t committing one when they crossed his path and while he gave himself away in his make to flee, Devin knew his actions could be explained away, even bought for the rightprice.

“No, he has to tell me,” sheinsisted.

“So you can do what, Mia? There is nothing you can do even if he gives you a name. Let the authorities handlethis.”

“No. No. Iwon’t.”

“Youwill.”

“You want him to get away with it. You want that don’t you?” Miacharged.

“No,Mia.”

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