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An Excerpt From: WINDCHANCE
© Copyright CHARLOTTE BOYETT-COMPO, 1999.
All Rights Reserved, Twilight Times Publications
Bridie grunted, bucked in the all-too obvious male arms she thought belonged to her husband for there wasn't another man on Montyne Cay who could lift her so easily. She tried to butt him with her head, but found herself sailing through the air, flung away as easily as though she were a mere babe in arms. As she scrambled to her feet, eyes blazing with self-righteous fury, a tiny squeal of surprise was the only sound she could make as she realized her attacker was Lord Syn-Jern Sorn.
Jenny shot up once she was free of the weight that had been holding her down. She stood there, breasts heaving, glaring at Bridget Roderick. Her heart was thundering in her chest, her face filthy from sweat and the detritus strewn on the jungle floor, and her fists clenched tightly at her side. Instinct told her to jump on the older woman and do her damnedest to claw her eyes out, pull every last strand of ugly red hair out of her head.
"Calm down, Genny," Syn-Jern warned her, reading her thoughts.
"Do you know what those bitches were going to do?" she yelled at him.
"Aye," he answered. He locked his angry attention on Bridie. "And I know they'd damned well better not try it again."
"No, Milord," Bridie managed to croak. She was backing away from the retaliation she saw forming on Genny s face.
"You stay where you are!" he snapped, pointing at Bridget.
"Yes, Milord!" Bridie gasped.
Genny took a step forward, every nerve in her body goading her to attack. Her fists had unclenched and her fingers were drawing into wicked claws.
"Don't," Syn-Jern warned her, swinging his gaze her way and impaling her where she stood. "I'll handle this."
"This is between me and her!" Genny snarled.
Syn-Jern ignored her outburst and walked to the Roderick woman. He stood there, towering over her, and glared down into her frightened face. "Do you know what I did to Kasella?" he grated.
Bridie's face blanched white as snow and she began to tremble so violently her teeth clicked together.
"Do you, woman?" he growled.
Bridget Roderick nodded, too afraid to speak.
"And do you realize that whole incident came about because he made me mad?"
Another nod. A soft whimper.
"That I wasn t even aware I was doing it?"
The whimper became a groan of terror.
Syn-Jern bent over her, almost nose to nose, and fused his gaze with hers. "Can you imagine what I might be capable of if I set my mind to it to someone who makes me really angry, Madame Roderick?"
Bridie thought her knees would buckle, but she managed to hold her ground. Shake her head.
Lord Syn-Jern Sorn straightened up, folded his arms and continued to regard the pirate woman with unwavering intensity. "What I did to Kasella was done to protect myself." He cast a quick glance at Genny, then returned that glower to Bridie. "What I'd do to anyone foolish enough to harm that woman over there doesn't bear thought."
Bridie's eyes flared wide. "She is under your protection, Milord?"she questioned. She looked at Genny with newfound respect.
"Aye, Madame Roderick," he replied, his gaze narrowing dangerously. "She is."
Genny stared at him, her lips parting with shock. His words drove through her lower body like summer lightning and set her belly to quivering. She found herself once more impaled by those blue-black orbs as he turned his head and looked at her.
"Isn't that so, Mam selle?" he asked.
Genny blinked, felt the heavy pounding in her chest, and then nodded slowly. "Aye, Milord Syn-Jern. I suppose it is."
Syn-Jern drew in a long breath, exhaled slowly, then turned his attention once more to Bridie. "You tell your friends, Madame Roderick, that should any one of them ever feel the need to bedevil this lady again, they ll have me to answer to." His brows drew together fiercely. "Is that understood?"
"P...perfectly, Your Lordship," Bridie assured him, dipping a quick curtsy.
"And you tell them for me that since I can't seem to trust them to behave in a civilized manner toward the lady, she will be accompanying us on the voyage."
"I will?" Genny gasped.
He didn't look her way, but kept glaring at Bridie. "You will do that, won't you, Madame Roderick?"
"Aye, Your Lordship," Bridie agreed. "I will tell them what you said!"
He cocked his head to one side. "Then what are you waiting for?"
Bridie curtsied again and then hurried away, her head down and her plump legs pumping as fast as they could under her soiled gown.
Silence settled over the place where Syn-Jern and Genny stood. Even the jungle birds and beasts were still, seeming to hold their breaths for what was to come. When at last Syn-Jern looked at her, Genny saw uncertainty in his gaze.
Gone was the warrior authority he had shown the women. Gone was the deadly glower that had put the fear of the gods in their hearts.
"Did you mean it?" Genny asked.
"About you going with us?"
"Aye."
He thrust his hands into the pockets of his leather breeches, hunched his shoulders. "Do you want to go."
"Very much," she told him.
He shrugged. "Then, you can go."
Genny bit her lip, watched him, surprised that he didn't look away, or that she couldn't. Finally, she made up her mind.
"And the part about me being under your protection?"
His face turned hard. "What of it?"
Blood was pounding in her temples. "Did you mean that, too?"
"What if I did?"
Genny smiled shyly. "It would please me."
"Consider it so, then," he shot back, turned and left her where she stood.
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