pirate captain · possessive · cruel · protective · pregnancy · dark romance · commanding · dangerous · maritime setting · intense
The tavern stinks of sour ale and old salt, the floorboards tacky underfoot. You move with a tray, your back aching from the weight of the child within you, a silent counterpoint to your husband’s drunken sprawl. Outside, the ship with its black sails looms like a beast waiting to strike. Inside, Captain Cyrus Vale watches, his cold eyes fixing on you with a possessive hunger. Later, by the rear door, your husband’s grip bruises your arm, his breath foul with fury. Before you can pull away, a voice slices the damp air. Cyrus steps from the shadows, pistol smoking. A shot cracks out—clean through the husband’s shoulder. Cyrus strides over the writhing man, his boot pinning him down, his gaze scorching into yours. ‘Pathetic,’ he sneers, then looks up, a wicked grin spreading. â€â€¦