Chapter 22

CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO

“ D o you want to tell the story, or shall I?” Jerrik asked me.

I appreciated being given the choice because something told me that if Jerrik were to tell the story, Crosby would suffer a fate worse than drowning.

“We caught some fish, but it wasn’t much,” I started. Twelve, to be exact, including the few Jerrik had brought back with him when he heard the screaming. None were particularly big, but it should be enough for the next two days. “Jerrik swam a little away from us to see if we would have better luck with the fish there.”

“I understand why Jerrik’s clothes are soaked through, but why are yours, my siren?” Viktor asked, and even though his tone was annoyed, his arms around me were warm and homely, holding me like I was the most precious thing in the world.

“I’m getting there,” I chuckled at his impatience, but the sound was heavy. “Crosby was very upset with me for various reasons. I won’t get into it now, but I wouldn’t say what he wanted to hear…”

“Okay, and?”

“He kind of pushed me off the boat,” I blurted out, unable to think of a better way to say it. “I’m not a very good swimmer and struggled to stay afloat. I was asking Crosby for help, but he didn’t move. I don’t know if he mentally clocked out or what, but he hasn’t said anything since. Thankfully, Jerrik heard me screaming and came over to save me from drowning. If it weren’t for Jerrik, I don’t know what would have happened to me.”

Gasps of shock and growls of anger sounded from the crew, who were all listening despite how quietly I had spoken. Viktor, however, didn’t move nor say a thing. I didn’t know which was worse.

“Viktor,” I whispered, digging my fingers into his tunic to get his attention. “Can you hear me, my pirate?”

Instead of answering, Viktor clenched his jaw and bowed his head, pressing his mouth to my ear.

“What else?” He whispered. His warm breath fanned over my neck, making goosebumps rise on my skin. My breath hitched when he dipped his head to press his lips behind my ear, and a shiver ran down my spine. “I know there’s something else, Astrid,” he whispered in a husky tone, rubbing a gentle, comforting hand up and down my back. “Whatever it is, you can tell me. You can tell me anything. You know that.”

I did know that. With others, I would fear that they would blame me for Crosby’s advances, but not Viktor. I never worried or feared that he would find a way to blame me for what Crosby had tried to do.

“He kissed me,” I whispered quietly so only he would hear. “And then he tried putting his hand up my skirt. When I pushed him away, he pushed me into the water. I saw the look in his eyes,” I gulped, forcing myself to continue speaking despite how bitter the words tasted in my mouth. “He wanted me to drown.”

I was thankful Viktor sensed there was more because I couldn’t say it in front of everyone. Narrating Crosby’s attempted assault made me feel disgusting, and the last thing I wanted was for everyone to look at me with pity.

“I owe Jerrik my life for saving you, my siren.” Viktor pressed his face into the crook of my neck, his arms tightening around me despite my soaked dress getting him all wet. “I don’t know what I would have done if something happened to you. I wouldn’t be able to go on without you.” His words wounded me, thinking of what would have become of him if something had happened to me today, but I felt the same way. If something were to happen to Viktor, I wouldn’t be able to go on either.

The mere thought of something happening to Viktor had the air escaping my lungs. I wouldn’t be able to breathe if my love wasn’t breathing the same air as me.

When I felt him press a kiss to my forehead and begin to pull away, I tightened my arms around him, refusing to let go. I needed another moment.

“Don’t be too mad at him, okay?” I mumbled into his chest. “I know what Crosby did was terrible, and I could have died today–” I felt his heart skip a beat under my cheek. “–but there’s something wrong with him. He’s not in the right state of mind, and we’ll only make things worse if you hurt him.”

“I don’t care,” Viktor grumbled, a dark look in his eyes as he glared at Crosby from over my head. “Not only did he touch you against your will, but he also tried to drown you.”

“I don’t think that was his intent,” I tried to reason, but my argument wasn’t very strong. Even I wasn’t convinced.

“Did he help you out of the water when you asked for help?” He asked sharply, turning his dark, questioning gaze on me. His eyes softened, and I could sense he was trying to calm himself down for my sake, but the rage still lingered.

“No.” I shook my head. “No, he didn’t.”

“How can you expect me to let him off after what he did?”

Truthfully, I couldn’t.

Giving in with a sigh, I rose on my tiptoes and brushed my lips against the underside of his chin. Hopefully, after what Viktor had planned for him, Crosby would come out of it still able to walk and talk.

Viktor squeezed my hip and brushed his lips against my forehead before pulling away. He walked past me to join the crew who had formed a circle around Crosby. He was standing in the middle with his head bowed, and I couldn’t see his face.

“What should we do with him, Captain?” Laurence asked, a nasty snarl on his face as he glared at Crosby.

“I think we should make him walk the plank,” Roscoe grinned, looking rather excited at finally using the plank.

“We should drown him like how he tried to drown Astrid,” Jerrik suggested.

“What if we make him walk the plank and then drown him?” Dagfinn said, suggesting the perfect combination of the two.

“I’ve got something better in mind,” Viktor grinned sadistically. “But first…” He clenched his hand tightly into a fist and slammed it into Crosby’s face, striking his left cheek. Crosby fell to the floor, landing between Caspian and Odin, who disdainfully kicked him away.

It was sad that Crosby didn’t try to fight back or defend himself. He just curled himself into the foetal position and patiently awaited his fate.

“Don’t you have anything to say for yourself?” Garth grumbled, his lips pulled down in a deep scowl. When Crosby didn’t say anything, he exhaled in frustration. “Crosby? Crosby! Hello? Can you hear me?”

“I can hear you,” Crosby whimpered. He lay pathetically on the ground until Odin reached down to pull him up into a sitting position, and my lips parted in shock at the sight of blood dripping down his chin. I didn’t realise Viktor could pack such a mean punch.

“What do you have to say for yourself?” Garth asked again.

“Nothing,” Crosby whispered, his head hung low, refusing eye contact with any of us.

“Nothing?” Garth questioned, looking both appalled and disgusted.

Crosby shook his head. “What are you going to do with me?” He asked in a shaky voice.

“I’m so tempted to make you walk the plank and then leave you to drown at sea for what you did to my wife,” Viktor spat, and the way he clenched his jaw told me that he was itching to throw another punch. I feared that if he did, Crosby would suffer so much more than just a bloody mouth and a loose tooth or two.

“I think he deserves more than that,” Gustav said, stepping forward. “The idea of walking the plank doesn’t seem to scare him. It’s like he doesn’t even care.”

“Then what do you suggest we do?” Viktor asked.

“Keep him prisoner on the ship and then when we return to Jorvik, his punishment will be decided and handed out in front of all his friends and family. I’m sure he’ll care then.”

“But it’ll be so much easier to make me walk the plank,” Crosby said quickly, only proving Gustav correct.

“I think that’s a good idea, Gustav,” Viktor voiced aloud. “Until we return to Jorvik, Crosby will be kept as a prisoner on the bottom deck.”

“What? No! You can’t do that!” Crosby whined, but fighting was no use.

Caspian and Hammond stepped forward to grab an arm each, restraining him.

“You should have thought of that before you tried to drown one of our own,” Hammond growled.

“I’m so sorry. Please don’t lock me up. I won’t cause any more trouble,” Crosby begged, kicking and screaming as he was dragged from the top deck to the second and then eventually to the third. We all followed to watch the spectacle.

“You should have thought about that before,” Caspian grinned as he and Hammond dropped Crosby rather unceremoniously, forcing him into a corner. He tried to get up, but they roughly shoved him back, sending his shoulder flying into the wall.

To ensure that he wouldn’t be causing us any more trouble, Viktor retrieved the chains that were kept for rare occasions like this, and they used them to restrict Crosby’s hands. They spared him enough wiggle room to stand up and stretch his legs, but he couldn’t even make it a foot from the wall.

“Astrid, please!” Crosby called out to me, blubbering with tears streaming down his face. “Please don’t leave me here, Astrid. Please don’t let them do this to me. I didn’t mean to hurt you! I wasn’t thinking properly! I’m sorry. I’m so, so sorry!”

I turned my head away from Crosby and squeezed my eyes shut, unable to bring myself to look at him any longer.

I couldn’t deny that I felt a little bad for Crosby, but then all I had to do was remember how I couldn’t breathe under the water and his refusal to help me.

As pathetic as he looked, he didn’t deserve my help.

“Ignore him,” Viktor murmured as he reached for my hand, giving it a gentle squeeze before leading me out of the bottom deck with the rest of the crew.

Even though we closed the door to the bottom deck, we could hear Crosby’s screams from all the way on the top deck.