Independence & Consequences by M J Marlow (top 10 novels .txt) 📖

arriving. He was hoping to find his wife and their niece here when he arrived.” “We’ve been hunting for the girl for the past week,” Dennis told him truthfully. He saw the man transform from a bookworm to a predator at this news. “Every lead we’ve had has turned out to be a dead end.” “Whoever has her is playing a very elaborate game.” He smiled as Ada put a cup of coffee down in front of him. “Thanks, Mom.” “You bet,” Ada smiled. She saw the incredulous expression on Dennis’ face and nearly burst out laughing. It did an old lady’s heart good to know a young man saw her as still attractive. “You all ready to order?” They gave her their orders and she moved away, still smiling. Dennis wondered why they were listening to the scholar still. He had given them the information they needed, surely that was the end of his involvement. Their meals came and they settled down to eat. * Isabel woke up and looked around for Liza. She was hungry and she was angry. Sebastian had told her that she would no longer have the run of the ship. His guards would go with her everywhere, and she would be sedated at night to keep her in place. The door to the connecting stateroom opened and Liza came towards her, looking down at her in apology. There were tears in her eyes. The girl looked at the woman in shock. Something bad had happened to someone she loved. Uncle Gordon? Her husband? “I just received a message from Charles,” Liza told her as she went to get Isabel a glass of water and then poured herself a drink. She sank down into the chair nearby, her face pale. “He’s divorcing me.” “Oh, Liza!” Isabel cried and went to take her in her arms. She held the woman until the tears were spent. “We should have gone to the farm,” Liza said sadly. “We would have been there...” She looked at Isabel in horror. “Now that I am a going to be a divorcee,” she continued the bad news, “Sebastian Guerrero has decided to make me his wife.” “He can’t force you to marry him, Liza,” Isabel told her firmly. “Of course he can,” Liza returned, her voice filled with anguish.” She raised her hand to stroke Isabel’s cheek. “He knows I’ll do whatever he says to keep you safe.” “Then we have to find a way to get off this ship, Liza,” Isabel said tightly. “I am not going to be the reason you are locked into a marriage to that bastard.” “It won’t be so bad,” Liza said softly. “What?” Isabel looked at her as if Liza had just gone nuts. “How can you say that? The man abducted us, Liza. He has used me to get you into his bed…” “And he wants me,” Liza broke in. She shook her head at Isabel’s expression. “You don’t know what it’s been like for me married to Charles. He was more my keeper than my husband. I was a patient, not a wife.” “But, you can’t marry this man,” Isabel protested. “What can I say to convince you to go back to Baltimore? Uncle Gordon can protect us…” “I doubt that, baby,” Liza broke in coldly. “He couldn’t keep you safe 18 years ago. How can we trust him now?” “He’s your big brother,” Isabel reminded her. “That’s his job. Remember?” “It’s too late for that,” Liza replied firmly. “I am going to marry Sebastian Guerrero.” She finished her drink and rose to her feet. “We are going to go to breakfast now, the three of us. Please get dressed.” Liza watched Isabel get up and went to get her own clothes. They went to the Captain’s table where Sebastian took the seat vacated by the first mate’s absence. Near the end of the meal, he took Liza’s hand in his and slipped a ring on her finger. She looked at the beautiful thing, stunned. Then she smiled and held it out for everyone to admire. She hated the look on Isabel’s face, but it was something she had to ignore. This was necessary if the girl was going to remain safe. Sebastian had assured her that once Isabel was their child, he would see to it that no one could ever harm her again. She had to believe he meant it. * Gordon got out his car and walked around to the trunk to get the briefcase. He had just raised the lid when someone came out of hiding and shoved him inside and slammed the lid shut. He heard the engine start and the car started moving. He should have known better than to come to this drop without some kind of backup, Gordon chided himself. Whoever had his niece was no lightweight. They were doing their best to keep him and his men from finding Isabel before the exchange. The car drove for about 20 minutes and then stopped. He was dragged out of the trunk with the briefcase in hand and herded down the pier to a waiting yacht. “Hello, Director Talbot,” Jake smiled coldly as he saw the man coming into the lounge. He lifted the bottle of Scotch. “Join me in a drink, sir?” “Cut the fake hospitality,” Gordon said as he sat down on the couch next to Isabel. “It’s all right, Isabel,” Gordon told her as he took her in his arms. “We’re almost out of this.” “Don’t lie to the girl, Director Talbot,” Jake said coldly as he came to sit on the couch across from theirs. “You don’t seem surprised.” “I knew something was wrong with you,” Gordon told him. “I never expected it to be that you had turned.” “If I were really the man you think me to be,” Jake smiled nastily at his prisoner, “that would be true. But,” he continued as the real Lang was dragged in and dumped on the deck at Gordon’ feet, “as you can see, your friend’s son has been our ‘guest’ for the past week.” “Lang?” Gordon cried as he saw the condition the boy was in. “Are you all right, boy?” “Been better,” Lang forced out through the damage to his larynx. He looked over at Isabel. “Your niece, sir?” “Save the introductions,” Jake hissed. He waited until Lang had pulled himself up to a seat and then turned his attention back to Gordon. “You’ve been a very bad man, Gordon Talbot. Your niece’s life depended on you turning the files over to us, and you play fast and loose.” He saw Gordon feigning confusion. “Don’t play games with me, sir. I know you made copies of the files. So we have decided to punish you accordingly. Your pretty niece is going to marry Lang Tolliver,” he smiled coldly as his men yanked Isabel away from her uncle and brought her to him. “I shall quite enjoy having her as my property.” “I don’t know who you are,” Gordon snapped, “but you’re not going to get away with this.” “I already have,” Jake laughed at him. “Young Tolliver was forced to sign the marriage license earlier today. Right before we broke the neck of the young woman we threatened if he did not obey. Now,” he continued as a man came into the lounge with the document and set it on the coffee table in front of Gordon, “if you want your pretty niece to remain alive, you will sign as well.” “And leave her in your hands?” Gordon exclaimed. He shook his head. “As much as I love the child, I would not wish such a fate on her.” “Then watch her die,” Jake snarled. He clamped his hands around Isabel’s throat and began to tighten his hold. Isabel began to claw at his hands frantically. Jake laughed and tightened his hold even further. He kept his eyes on Gordon, knowing the man would break. Only a monster would let such a sweet child die. Sure enough Gordon finally picked up the pen and signed the document. “Wise choice,” he laughed and shoved Isabel over to the man standing near the passageway. “Put Mrs. Tolliver in the stateroom, Bellio, and then tell the Captain we’re ready to get underway.” The man carried Isabel away and Jake turned to his other prisoners. “When we reach international waters, you and young Tolliver will be cast adrift.” “Why are you doing this?” Lang demanded. “If I let you live, you could ask your brother,” Jake replied. “This is all because of him.” “Jake Armstrong,” Lang hissed. He saw the man’s head snap in his direction and knew he was right. “You’re the bastard my brother testified against in Bosnia.” “You will take that knowledge with you to your grave, Lang Tolliver,” Jake shot back. “I will take your place and enjoy myself as I take vengeance on him for stealing all those years from me.” “You were raping and mutilating young women,” Lang retorted. “What else could he do?” “Keep his nose out of my business!” Jake snarled. He heard the engines roar and nodded to his other men. “Take them below and secure them.” He looked at Gordon. “It’s time for the honeymoon.” “You keep your filthy hands off of her!” Gordon snapped and rushed at him. Jake laughed as the guard struck Gordon down. “I’ll see you dead if you harm my niece.” Jake laughed and went down the passageway. He entered the stateroom and saw Nell sprawled out on the bed with a hungry smile on her face. “Your ability to convince people you are someone you are not constantly amazes me.” “So I am going to become that worm’s wife?” Nell asked as she ran her hand along his chest with a warm smile on her face. “I don’t deserve such a reward.” “You deserve far more for what I am going to do to you now,” Jake said to her sadly “Are you ready to be beaten?” Nell nodded happily. She screamed and he clamped his mouth over hers, muffling the sound. As she continued to fight, he shoved his tongue into her mouth and she stiffened. She bit him, hard and he pulled away with an oath. He slapped her across the face and then he dragged her off the bed. He yanked her down to the cabin where Lang and her uncle were chained. He cuffed her to a pipe near the hatch and took out a whip. “You are going to learn to obey me, my dear,” he said as he lifted her head with the butt of the whip. “The next time I ask for your obedience, remember this is the punishment for fighting me.” Jake took the whip and approached Lang. He ran the butt of the whip down Lang’s spine and Nell saw the man flinch, as if he knew from experience what he was about to feel. She wondered about the man. It was obvious that he was good at what he had chosen to do with his life; people had gone to a great deal of trouble to get him out of the way. Jake looked at ‘Isabel’ now and she knew he was expecting her to plead for mercy. When she didn’t, he ripped Lang’s shirt open and stepped back to raise his whip. Nell saw Lang’s eyes as the whip rained blows on him. He was looking directly at her and she felt as if he were telling her not to let the bastard win. “No cries for mercy, my love?” Jake said as he looked at her. “You could save him further pain. All you have to do is tell me how much you want me.” “You’ll have to kill me first,” Nell retorted. “I could never want a monster like you!” “You’re saying the words, my dear,” Jake smiled at her nastily, “but your body was saying something