Roman made his way up the stairs to his bedchamber.

Cries and screams escaped from his room. He recognized Melissa screaming for someone to stop, he picked up his pace taking a two steps at a time to get to his wife.

He pushed the bedchamber door open and ran in ready to fight, his hand on his dagger in his pocket. He spotted his wife tossing and turning on their bed, her hands fisting the counterpane, her eyes squeezed shut and her mouth twisted in pain.

She cried out for help, cried out that someone was hurting her and cried out for them to stop. Her cries filled with pain as Roman ran to her aid realizing she was having a nightmare, another nightmare just a few in a couple days.

Melissa hadn't been sleeping well at night because her dreams haunted her, she was afraid to sleep because each time she slept she relived her painful past.

"Melissa, wake up," he said as he gently shook her.

"Wake up, it's just a dream," he said.

He shook her gently until her blue eyes were linked with his grey orbs.

Melissa was perspiring profusely and the tears were streaming down her face. Roman wrapped her up in his arms and held her as she cried.

He kissed the top of her head reminding her everything was okay.

"It's over now. No one will ever hurt you again. I will never allow anyone to hurt my girl," he promised as he rocked her and comforted her.

"It was horrible," she cried into his chest.

"He hurt me so much," she declared.

"No one will ever hurt you again," he promised,

"do you want to talk about it?"

"I can't," she said,

"I'm too ashamed."

"You never have to be too ashamed to tell me anything, Melissa. I'm your husband, nothing is going to change my opinion of you. I had a rough life before you came into my life, and you still love me the same. Nothing that happened to you before me will ever make me feel less than what I do about you, Melissa. Sometimes it helps to talk."

"He was just so rough," she said in a whisper.

Melissa swallowed past the lump in her throat, tears burned her eyes and her heart was racing out of her chest. She clung to Roman, fisting his shirt sleeves in her small hand.

His grip tightened on her as he felt her shake beneath him. He kissed the top of her damp hair trying to calm her from her deepest fears.

"My papa," she began.

"He had a debt with a band of gypsy men. It was a big debt," she said.

"It was after he had destroyed me, took my virtue, destroyed my innocence. I was so young," she cried as she choked on her words breaking Roman's heart.

"My father sold me to the men to pay his debt. He let them do what they wished to me. My Papa tied me to the bed by my wrists and stripped me naked," she said, seeing the painful memories in her mind.

Her body shook more violently thinking of what came next.

"Every man took their turn with me there were 7 of them, 7 men."

Roman's body filled with anger, rage, he wanted to kill Bohemas sooner than later. He needed that deed out of the way before he could truly be happy with his wife.

Seth was a different story. He would keep an eye on him but wouldn't hurt him unless he got in his way or put Melissa in some type of danger. He almost expected to see his brother sooner rather than later, Seth didn't stay away for long.

Melissa began to sob in his arms as she felt every touch of the men that raped her over and over again, she heard their laughs and smelled their scent.

"Melissa" he comforted her.

"It's okay, they can't hurt you anymore, you don't have to tell me anymore if you don't wish to," he said as he wiped the tears streaming from her eyes.

"Everything is okay now, I'm here and I will not allow anyone to ever hurt you again."

"No," she said through her tears.

"I want to finish. For hours they laughed at me as they forced themselves on me. Their dirty hands felt like sandpaper on my skin, their callouses brushing and bruising me. Their teeth were biting my flesh, leaving marks as if they were a dog marking their territory, the smell of bourbon on their breath, the taste of it on their tongues as they forced their tongues down my throat. Their coarse chest hair against my body as they forced themselves inside of me, my papa watched and laughed at me. The other men laughed at me as another man rutted me and spilled his seed on me and in me however, whenever and how he wished. Their deep evil laughs haunt me to this day, the feel of them haunt me and the smell of them is unforgettable. The final man, the biggest of the 7 was the roughest. His touch bruised me as he dug his palms into my flesh, his tongue all over my body, his beard scraping against me, his teeth dug deep into my flesh once drawing blood. He mounted me and forced himself inside of me, rutting me rough and hard, tearing whatever flesh may have been left, bruising my vaginal area. I cried and begged him to stop but he liked the fight, he liked to make me cry. He went harder and was rougher with me. I cried for help but the men surrounded me laughing at me, stroking themselves getting their pleasure from my pain. My own Papa sat watching, cheering him on, saying 'go Peppeto' cheering him on watching his daughter cry out in pain, watching his daughter be beaten, raped, tortured and all he could do was cheer him on. I didn't think it was ever going to stop. He finally poured his seed in me, filling me with his cum till I couldn't hold it anymore before he was finished. I cried all night, cried all day the next day. My life was changed, I was changed and my father found joy in it."

Roman's chest tightened with his grip on his wife, he wanted to change everything, make her forget her past, take away her pain.

He wanted what was supposed to be his, her innocence. He was supposed to take her virginity not her father, not any many before him but him as her husband it was his duty, his job and his right to take her virtue.

Roman filled with a rage he had never felt before, his urge to kill Bohemas growing stronger, more violent.

"I will kill him," he said.

"I will kill your papa."

"That is the plan," she reminded him as she held onto her husband.

"But how are we going to kill my Papa. He is a fighter, he has survived numerous attacks from groups of men, I don't see what we can do to take his life."

"Poison is one way," he said.

"Poison? I was thinking of something a little more violent, a little more torturous. He put me through years of torture and found joy in my pain, I want to do the same for him. I want to see him suffer."

"I have been known to make men suffer," he said proudly.

"I have made examples of men through torture not to cross me. I want your Papa dead. I want him to suffer as much as you do. The life he gave you, the things he put you through were terrible as your husband your virtue should have been my gift but he took that from me, he filled you with fear. He ruined you before you had a chance to live."

"You did not care that I was ruined," she reminded him.

"You didn't even care for me until I began increasing. You didn't care for me I was just to bear your children."

"Words I didn't mean, Melissa. Yes, that was your purpose to bear my children but I see so much more with you. I see a future with you, with us, our family," he said placing his hand on her stomach.

"I see more with you. I want to spend the rest of my life with you, raising a family with you. I never dreamed I would say those words or dream that I would want to settle down. I never thought I would give up my life as a pirate for a family. I never thought I would be loved," he said honestly.

"But you are loved," she said giving him a joyful smile.

Talking to Roman and being in his arms was the safest place she could ever be.

She loved her husband at first she didn't believe she would be able to but as she began to see who he was behind his façade of debauchery and mischief there was a beautiful soul that was capable of being loved and loving.

It was like her soul was the other part of his. Their souls drawn to each other, finding one another,

"I love you."

"Melissa," he shuttered.

He wasn't sure if he would ever get used to hearing those three little words that meant so much to him.

"I know," she said with a soft smile, knowing his true feelings his deepest secret he had yet to say aloud.

"What else do you see of our future?" She took his hand into hers lacing their fingers together.

"I see us having a lot of children, growing old together. I see you as my wife the rest of my life. I see us having many little girls that look as beautiful as you and a couple little boys that are as mischievous as I am," he said with a smile.

"Am I in a lot of trouble if I should give you a son?"

"A lifetime of trouble," he said with a smile.

"What do you wish for? A son or a daughter?"

"A daughter," he said with a smile picturing their dirty blonde haired child with her beautiful blue eyes and olive skin.

She would be perfect beyond words.

"A beautiful daughter."

"I thought you wished for a son?"

"Next time," he said with a smile,

"This time I wish for a girl."

"Do you have any names for this baby girl?" she asked.

"Giselle," he said quickly,

"Giselle is one of the most beautiful names."

"Giselle is a beautiful name," she smiled.

"Giselle, I love that name."

"Me too," he said with a smile, "and of course for a boy Roman."

"I think I like that," she smiled.

"I want our children to have a better life than we did."

"Me too," he said softly,

"Me too. I'm afraid of this father life but I'm ready to give it a try. After we take care of your Papa I think it's time for me to settle down, take residence here raise our family together what do you think?"

"I can't ask you to give up your life for me," she said.

"You didn't ask, I told you I was giving up my life for you, to be with you, raise a family to be happy and stay out of trouble".

"I'm not going anywhere, I'm going to be here forever," he promised.

"And I will stop at nothing to protect you the rest of my life"

"Roman," she smiled.

"You're the sweetest man I have ever met in my life."

"I'm a notorious pirate," he reminded her,

"I have killed men with my bare hands. You still think I am the sweetest man you have ever met."

"Truly," she said.

"Truly."

He kissed the top of her head softly.

"Do you remember my sister?"

"Remember her?"

"Yes, was she happy? I don't much remember her," she said,

"It has been so long I don't remember her."

"She was happy with Seth until I came in and destroyed that happiness. Seth is a lot of terrible things and he is not my favorite person but he loved Michelle very much. Michelle was his life which is why I chose to come between them, take her to my bed, I wanted to hurt him not her. It was never my intention to hurt Michelle when she killed herself I was devastated. I know you said I cannot blame myself but I have no other choice if it weren't for me being selfish she would still be here, you could meet her, be reunited with her."

"I dreamed of being reunited with her sharing those times together that were over way too quickly but sometimes I ask myself if she had never left with Seth would my father had hurt me the way he did after she had gone?"

"There's no telling," he said honestly.

"I believe he would have started whether Michelle had gone or not. You're a beautiful woman, Melissa. He was using your beauty to pay his debts and pay for his crimes."

"I miss Michelle I wish she had never gone but she left because she had to, she left because before me it was her."

"I'm sorry, Love," he said comforting her.

"I'm glad you rescued me," she said.

"My true knight in shining armor even if it was in your brutish way you still rescued me and I love you for that."

"Melissa, I …." He started to say before there was a knock on their chamber door.

"Come in," he called out roughly but his voice shaking at how close he had come to saying the three words she longed to hear.

Dean entered their chamber and saw the two of them in bed together.

"I beg your pardon, Captain," he said.

"What is it Ambrose, you know the time with my wife is precious, so make this quick."

"It's about Seth, Sir," he said nervously.