His to Have Page 5

  But she shouted when he pulled a pistol from beneath his coat, pointed and fired. The bullet struck Michael in his shoulder causing him to turn with its force. Bright yellow eyes met hers momentarily before he faced forward again. Instantly, McKenzie threw the gun aside and drew the sword at his hip. The end sliced at Michael’s arm when he neared but Michael moved with the glide of the blade so that he only took a slight graze. In the next moment, his arm connected against McKenzie’s chest and sent the man sailing backwards and out of his way.

  Elle stared at the strength Michael showed, instantly remembered her fight against him. He could have hurt her easily with little effort. But Michael Ashton didn’t hurt women, she reminded herself. He protected them. It’s why he was here tonight.

  “You little bitch!” A hand jerked her backwards and around so that she was facing a familiar face. “What have you been up to?” Lewis’s eyes glittered and behind him Pent stood next to the constable. A moment later Lewis’s fist connected with her cheek.

  Chapter Six

  Michael closed the distance between himself and Hurst in moments, and revelling in the horrified realisation he saw in Hurst’s eyes that death was finally upon him. He had no time to run, no one to save him. The sound of the strike sounded like a cannon in his ears followed by Elle’s cry. He stopped, turning. Behind him two men stood watching, one of them Pent, while Lewis bent over Elle and raised his fist again.

  His head snapped around when Hurst realised his hesitation and made a run for the plank that led to his ship. Michael’s blood drummed with need to follow the man, to make certain he would never threaten anyone in his family again. But it wasn’t as strong as the anger that welled within him when he heard Elle cry out again.

  He whirled in time to see her kick at Lewis, managing a successful blow to the man’s stomach. She struggled to her feet only to have the man Michael didn’t recognise grab her by the hair of the head and drag her backwards.

  “You think to blackmail me? To threaten me? I am a constable and you are just a slave whore.” He snarled as Lewis straightened. “You’ll learn your lesson today.”

  It was Pent who saw Michael coming and called out to the others and Michael stopped in his tracks when the constable produced a blade and pressed it to Elle’s neck. “This is not your concern, Ashton. I don’t know what lies she’s told you but she belongs to this man. By law he can do what he wishes with her.”

  Lewis glanced at Michael and then smirked. “You think you are the first she’s used? There have been many. Did she tell you she’d do anything you wanted? Do you know why? Because she’ll always do whatever any man wants of her for the right price. Won’t you, Elle?” He looked at her and shook his head. “Until now, I’ve been lenient with you. This time you’ve gone too far.”

  “I fucked him for free.” She hissed, eyes flashing. “Again and again and again. I liked it. I chose him because I liked it and not because you sold me off for the night. Free.”

  “Elle, don’t.” Michael warned but she didn’t even flinch. She wielded her words and drove them straight at her mark.

  “Nothing you do now will change that I chose him.” She smiled triumphantly. “Nothing. I kissed him freely, fucked him because I wanted to. And that’s something you can never have.”

  Behind him, he heard the crew of the ship working to get it moving and stepped forward. The knife glittered threatening.

  “No, Michael.” Elle looked at him. “Go after him. Kill him.”

  “I’ll slit the whore’s throat if you take another step closer,” the constable called and Pent backed away, clearly not liking what was happening.

  “You do that, sir, and I’ll blow a hole through the back of your head.”

  Michael grunted at the look of shock and then horror on the constable’s face as the driver pressed the barrel of the weapon against his head. Instantly, he lifted his hands, letting the knife fall from his fingers.

  Michael moved forward and his gaze first rested on the constable, then dragged to Lewis. He held out his hand for Elle and she slipped her trembling fingers into his. He pulled her to him and then pushed her behind him.

  “You,” he pointed at Pent. “Have you a parchment and quill?”

  “In my carriage.” The man’s voice shook slightly.

  “Get it. And if you try to leave, I won’t give you the chance later,” Michael warned. He saw the man’s eyes lower to the bullet wound on his shoulder before nodding and turning to hurry back to the carriage. He returned and held out the parchment, quill, and inkwell.

  “Give them to him.” Michael nodded at Lewis. “Now you write out that you free Elle from slavery.”

  Lewis’s head snapped up. “She is mine.”

  “Do it or I will kill you right here and she will be free anyway,” Michael vowed. Lewis’s gaze lowered to his arm.

  “What are you?”

  Michael took a step forward. “I am the last thing you want to cross. Start writing.”

  Lewis motioned to Pent to turn and placed the parchment against the man’s back. He wrote quickly and then held out the parchment.

  “Now sign over everything you own to her,” Michael told him. “She has earned it.”

  “I will not!” Lewis threw down the quill. “You will have to kill me.”

  “If that’s what you choose but I promise you it will not be quickly.” Michael let the heat of the wolf begin to fill him, just enough that he knew by the look of horror on Lewis’s narrow face that he saw the change in his eyes.

  “Mary, mother of God,” the constable whispered as Lewis swiped up the quill, dipped it in the well that Pent held, and began writing frantically. His hand shook when he finished and held the parchment out.

  “Sign as witnesses, both of you.” Michael instructed the constable and Pent. They both did so without hesitation.

  “This is your chance to leave, Pent. I know where you live but I’m certain you won’t give me cause to ever come to your home,” Michael said as he took the parchment and passed it back to Elle. Pent nodded and turned, running to his carriage, and calling out to the driver. Michael’s gaze swung to Lewis.

  “You will leave London now. You won’t come back. You won’t have anything else to do with Elle, ever. Do you understand what I’m saying?”

  “You won’t get away with this,” Lewis shook a finger at Elle. “You ungrateful bitch.”

  Michael struck him hard, hard enough to knock him to the ground. “Now do you understand?” Lewis clapped a hand over his jaw and stared up at him. Then slowly, he rose to his feet, turned, and strode away.

  Finally, Michael faced the constable. “You can lower your weapon, Jasper.” The barrel fell away and the constable breathed out with relief. “You are going to go home and if asked will say that Lewis freed Elle of his own will and signed everything he had over to her. You will publicly announce that the rumours about my family are untrue and remind everyone that we have always been respected in London and will continue to be respected by you personally. You will do this or this woman will provide witnesses of your under-handed dealings— some which are real and some which are made up for my own amusement.”

  The constable nodded quickly. “Of course, I understand.”

  “Leave.”

  The constable turned, his short legs working quickly to escape. Michael stood watching until his carriage too disappeared from the street. Then he gave the driver a nod and faced Elle.

  “Hurst lives,” she whispered. Michael frowned at the bruises colouring her face.

  “His days are numbered and when the constable makes his public recommendation, he will have nothing else to threaten us with.” He crossed his arms. “You are free.”

  “And you,” she smiled. “Where will you go now?”

  “India. I’ve been away too long.” He reached out and stroked her hair, brushing it down. “And you?”

  “I’ve always wanted to go to France.” She laughed when he wrinkled his nose then stepped forward
and leant up to kiss his cheek. “Thank you.” He started to turn but she grasped his hands, her eyes glittering with tears when she looked up at him.

  “Thank you,” she repeated. He nodded and watched her turn. She disappeared into the night and for a moment, he almost went after her. But she deserved her freedom.

  “Shall we go home now, sir?” the driver asked.

  “Yes.”

  Seven months later

  Miles off a coast in India

  “It’s Hurst’s!” The man in the eagle’s nest called down. Michael strode across the upper deck and watched the ship that neared. Good God, the bastard was coming to him. A white cloth waved from the deck.

  “He’s surrendering!” the crewman called down.

  “Well, that’s disappointing.” Michael glanced at his first mate who laughed. “Weapons at the ready. If anyone even looks like they mean to fire on us, blow the bastard out of the water.” His men moved in unison, readying for a fray. The ship neared. No shots fired.

  Closer.

  Nothing.

  Michael lifted a spyglass and peered at the ship. No one aimed a weapon. The cannon panels were closed. And that white cloth remained lifted…by a slender arm attached to a head of honey blonde hair and a dress. He leant back and then looked again in disbelief. Elle stood on the deck and waved the cloth, a huge grin spread across her face.

  “What in hell…” he lowered the spyglass. “Lower your weapons!” He waited for the ship to sail alongside his, heart thumping, until he was staring down at Elle, her hair whipping about in the wind. What was she doing here? How had she found him? Why had she found him? Hope filled his chest but he could not embrace it completely.

  “Michael!” she called as one of the crew of her ship helped her up and reached for a rope connected to the main mast.

  “What in hell are you doing?” He called back.

  “Say hello to my French crew,” she waved back at her men who cheered. “I bribed them to sail this ship right out of the dock.” She reached up and grasped the rope while the one who assisted her wrapped the end around her leg. Good God, she was coming aboard. Again his chest tightened. He’d though of nothing but her since he’d left London. She’d haunted his nights and made his days too long. He’d found no peace on land or water.

  “It was just sitting there and I recognised the flag. It belongs to Josiah Hurst.” She pushed off and swung across the water and above them. When she was nearly within reach, she released the rope and he had to lunge to catch her around the waist.

  “So I stole it.” She beamed up at him when her feet met the deck.

  “You what?” He stared at her. She was here, beneath his hands. At long last.

  “I thought you might want it.”

  “You are giving me a bloody ship?” He laughed.

  “Well, I’ll give it to you…if.” Her eyes glittered up at him.

  “What in hell do you want now?” His fingers tightened on her waist and he waited.

  “You.”

  He let joy fill him. She’d come to him. It had been a selfish longing he never thought would actually happen. She had chosen him, freely. His mouth covered hers and she slipped her arms around his neck. A chorus of whoops sounded from both ships and she laughed against his lips.

  About the Author

  Sable Grey resides in the deep south of the United States with her wonderful husband, three very spoiled dogs, and three crazy cats. She spends her time writing, designing cover art, watching moves, and reading.

  With favourite authors like Stephen King, Piers Anthony, and Iris Johansen, it’s no mystery where the inspiration to write tales of love, adventure, and mystery come from. An avid reader and storyteller at a young age, Sable began writing small stories as a child for her mother. However, it wasn’t until she was well in to her twenties that she realised that her calling was sharing her stories with a larger audience than just family members and friends.

  Now, Sable is dedicated to her craft and to bringing her readers quality fiction with unforgettable characters. For her, writing a story means writing a story meant to touch the mind, body, heart, and soul.

  Email: sablegrey@gmail.com

  Sable Grey loves to hear from readers. You can find her contact information, website and author biography at http://www.total-e-bound.com.

  Also by Sable Grey

  Heart of the Wolf: His to Want

  Shadow Wolf

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