Time to act

Brenan moved with a swiftness that was unusual for a man of his size. He dove to his right lifting his arms to protect his **** head and throat. Just as he hit the sand he heard the action of the trigger and the zip of the bolt as it passed uncomfortably close to his ear. Rolling to his feet he saw the look of surprise and fear on the blonde woman's face, instead of turning for the tangle of undergrowth like he expected she dropped into a crouch and her hand deftly slipped under the hem of her skirt and drew an all purpose blade common among sailors.

The knife was intended more for cutting tangled rigging or opening oysters than for fighting, but Brenan had seen plenty of men cut open by similar blades. He closed with the girl carefully, noting as the gap between the two was reduced to just over a meter, that the woman held her knife low and loose in her hand in the preferred style of most island sailors. This was no panicked maiden grasping her blade in a white knuckled grip, her foot work and the determined look in her eye indicated that the girl had at least as much basic training as the new recruits were given on the Kranderkill.

He smiled as he remembered Red's surprise during his initial training when she realized that his time in the Veer army had taught him more about knife fighting than most pirates could even imagine.

"Stay back Red. It's a trap!" He yelled to his former officer "and watch for Claire." He added as he remembered the blonde's unaccounted for accomplice. A look of confusion crossed his opponent’s face as he yelled his warning and he took advantage of her lapse in concentration to step close to the girl, grab her slender wrist just above the knife and twist her into his arms and wrapping his knife hand around her bare waist and between the two soft breasts with the blade extending to the base of her tanned throat. The young woman froze as the tip of his blade rested against a pulsing vein just above her clavicle. Using the woman's body as a partial shield, Brenan's eyes searched the overgrowth for Claire and he listened as well for the sounds of flight once the other woman realized that their plan had been foiled.

He could hear Red as she approached cautiously from behind him, as he waited for her to reach him he became more and more aware of the curves of the woman that he held in his arms. Her wrist was much thinner than his, but was well muscled and her shoulders too he noticed were broad and strong, but as well as noting the woman's athletic frame Brenan was also aware of the swell of her breasts where his knife hand rested and the curve of her ass pressed against his thighs.

In a different time or situation, Brenan realized this woman might have been someone that he took the time to get to know. But anyone sneaking up on Red's cottage would have no sympathy from him no matter how shapely her body might be or attractively smooth her skin might be. Brenan could hear Red right behind him now and was just about to turn his head to greet her when he felt an arm circle his neck and grab him by the chin lifting his head back and exposing his neck to the blade that rested at his throat.

Confused by the sudden change of events Brenan almost missed Red's words.