Romancing the Pirate 01 - Blood and Treasure (19 page)

She pulled away, leaning her forehead against his, just as surprised as he by her gall. So much for feigning. She reached for a shred of prudence. “You should let me dress privately,” she whispered. “’Twould be the gentlemanly thing to do.” She pushed away from his body, his heat.

“Aye, who says I’m a gentleman?”

“I do.”

“So you’ve changed your mind about me, have you?”

“No. I still think you are a miserable pirate.”

He smiled. “We best be getting back, then, before I prove you right.”

Lianna pulled herself from the water and in haste put her clothes back on. Zane, the devil he was, peeked anyway.

*****

Sadie groused with the emergence of Zane and Lianna from the jungle. Lianna’s hair dripped wet, a yellow flower tucked behind her ear. Zane had slowed his usual quick step. Both seemed to be enjoying each other’s company.

This was no good. Sadie couldn’t let Lianna ruin her plan and stand in her way to win over Zane. She didn’t get this far to be subverted by some cheap whore. She had learned a good deal about the tramp from Jason. Henri clammed up about her, but Jason proved all too easy to ply information from. The boy, in his naiveté, gushed on about his sweet new friend. She was the talk among certain circles from the crew, too. But dirty dogs are dirty dogs and they had nothing to contribute other than what they would do with a pretty damsel like Lianna.

That boy, though, he’d also revealed more about that medallion, The Serpent, than he should have. He let on that the two governors, Wilcox and Abbott, were in dire want of it. She now knew Zane had been commissioned by Abbott and Commodore Bennington was out for blood. And she also knew that men had lost their lives over it. But why? What made the necklace so sought after? That she didn’t know.

Never mind.

Sadie bit off a mouthful of salted pork, chewing it in the pocket of her cheek, and she stared at them drying by a campfire. Careful to keep her expression empty, she stewed in her malicious thoughts.

She vowed to put an end to their friendly “business association.”

CHAPTER 10

The rest of the afternoon came and went and Zane found it hard to keep his mind on the mission. Lianna kept invading his thoughts. It had been far too long since he had that kind of sporting horseplay. Having all but forgotten how to be playful, it did him some good. Relentless visions of her wet body assaulted his common sense. The smell of her sun-dried hair as he swept it behind her ear, the taste of her warm kiss, had him thinking of little else than being alone with her again. Nay. He had to stay focused. He was going to have to shake his desire for her for the sake of everyone’s safety.

The
Rissa
was ready to sail, but the tide hadn’t come in and wouldn’t until later in the evening. The task at hand was to have a word with Sadie. An unpleasant job, to be sure. Being boiled in oil held more appeal.

With supper finished, Zane threw back one last bedeviling draw of rum, promising to reward himself later with more for completing the deed. He excused himself from Blade, Lianna and the others and brushed past Sadie. Churlish and callous, he said, “May I have a word with you?” Glancing down over his shoulder he saw Sadie smirk at Lianna across the fire as she rose to follow. Such spite.

He led her out of sight of the others, down the beach lit by the dying sun and past a group of mangroves to the large boulders that made up the side of a rocky cliff jutting out into the sea.

“Would you like me to swab your deck now, Captain Fox?”

Stopping, he inauspiciously glared at her, his jaw working. “’Twould seem you’ve a want for premature death, Sadie. You have quite a nerve defying me then propositioning me. And how is it you think you can come on board my ship and give orders?” He mentally drew himself back in, though he really wanted to give her a terrific tongue-lashing.

Sadie placed her hand to her chest. “I don’t know what you mean. I would never give orders to your men, Zane. Not without your direction.”

“Don’t play innocent with me.” He deliberately backed her up to the stony side of the cliff. “You knew damn well and good what you were doing when you sent a sentry to the bluff this afternoon.” His voice sounded disturbingly terse.

“A captain shouldn’t take on watch. But you weren’t doing that, were you, Zane?” Her mockery tested his restraint. “You were putting us all in danger while her legs were wrapped around you. Is that what a captain does, Zane? Take a whore on watch, bugger her—”

Zane shoved her to the jagged wall, his arm pressed against her collarbone. Unsheathing his gully knife, he pointed it inches from her left eye.

“Don’t think for one moment that I won’t gouge that eye of yours right out of its socket.” He sneered, wanting badly to cut her pretty face. She showed no fear in her dark eyes, not a single crack in her flawless olive complexion. This but angered him further. Only a hair thin shred of honor stopped him.

She stared at the tip of the blade. Her eyes flickered and she took a deep breath. “I’m sorry, Zane. Truly I am. I guess I’m just not used to having another woman around. You understand.” Her voice held a faint waver as she continued. “I know I need to control my tongue. I was wrong to say those things.”

Taking a step back, Zane withdrew his knife. Disfiguring her would only be temporarily satisfying, and then he would feel guilty. He couldn’t blind her for having so much more to learn.

“Zane, I love you,” she continued. “You must know that. And I think you still love me.”

“You say you’ve changed, but I only see hate and abominable spite.”

“Isn’t that what a pirate does, hate and destroy?”

Zane shook his head. “Is that what you think? Life is about laying waste to all around you? That is far from what I tried to teach you.”

Poor girl. So coiled in vengeance, she couldn’t see beyond it. He felt partly responsible. Maybe he should’ve tried harder to steer her away from her revenge. Or perhaps he should’ve let her go in the beginning, set her loose at the next port they sailed into, instead of trying to tame her. He could see clearly now. He’d wanted to call her his own, mold her, and shape her into his creation. Fool. She was too far gone. Her papa’s blood ran verily deep and her heart had putrefied.

“You have mistaken making profit off of opportunity for rifling souls.” He was careful not to let his tone sound piteous. He didn’t want her to think she’d edged in on him or that he belittled her.

“I need your guidance. ’Tis true.”

“No. You have no need for me other than as a spur for your own designs. Come now, Sadie. I’m not one to easily dupe. Tell me why you are really here.” She had been trying too hard to net him. Something else was about and he felt close to knowing the truth.

“I told you. I want your forgiveness. I’m nothing without that, your trust. Surely I can regain that from you.”

Again, Zane saw a glimmer of vulnerability. Was that possible?

“Remember all the good times we used to have?” She pushed off the wall. “I was so young. You used to enjoy showing me everything in every trivial detail. All the things you thought were beautiful, important. Remember all the places you took me?”

“Of course, Sadie. I wanted you to be happy.”

“Nay. ’Twas you who wanted to be happy. I just pretended to enjoy myself for your sake.” She placed her hand on his chest, stepping in closer, so close he smelled the liquor upon her breath. “Do you want me to be happy now?”

“I want what’s best for you, but no longer at my expense.” He did not move and kept his demeanor apathetic. She must not misinterpret his meaning. He wished her well. Well away from him.

She rubbed her hand up to his shoulder. “Can’t you see it in your heart to give me one last chance?”

Zane took hold of her arms. They were slender but strong. “If only it were that easy. But things are very different now.”

Sadie could hardly contain her building excitement. Zane,
her
Zane, let his hostility take hold. Like glowing hot steel from a blacksmith’s fire, he became malleable as she hammered him to her will.

Over his shoulder, movement just beyond the mangroves caught Sadie’s attention.
Perfect.
She smiled at her fortune. “I’m willing to do whatever it takes, Zane.” She planted her lips on his mouth, grabbing his face to keep him from pulling away too soon. ’Twould take time to persuade him sexually. But she had no time for patience. She would settle for something better.

Sadie opened one eye to see the shock play out across Lianna’s face, the instant hurt and betrayal, before the pathetic creature disappeared behind the trees. Zane shoved her away but the damage was already done.

“Make no mistake, Sadie.” He was angry again, the taut workings of the disapproving lines on his face deepening. “You are not a part of my crew. Do not assume otherwise. You will execute the duties given to you for the rest of the journey or you will be chained in the bilge. Either way, you will be dropped at the next port.”

He circled her, a predator ready for the kill. She loved that about him. She loved him best as a beast.

“And you don’t have a prayer in bedding me. So wipe that grin from your face. As far as you and I are concerned, well, let’s leave it at scarcely amicable. Don’t ask for more.

“Oh.” He moved in close, hulking over her. “And you’d be wise to keep your distance from Miss Whitney. I would hate to have you drawn and quartered for bringing her harm.”

If he only knew, Sadie relished.

*****

Lianna turned away from the mangroves with a smattering of emotions. Her vision misted as the image of Zane sharing a kiss with Sadie burned through her. A weighty rock lodged itself in her stomach. Anguish petrified her heart.

How could he? The bastard!
No, no, no, I refuse to cry.

Tears streamed down her cheeks. All the pain from her crumbling heart doubled in shame. He had led her to believe he cared for her, wanted to be with her. Now it was apparent that what he really wanted to do was get her into his bed. How could she have been so naive? The snake was no different from the vile sots back at the tavern.

She looked to the sun nestling behind the horizon. Rays of pink and orange shot upward through heavy, building gray clouds. Several bright stars dotted the darkening skies. ’Twas still too early for the moon. She would have to go it alone, this dejection.

The breeze brushed the warmth of the day with cool strokes and the rolling surf crept in. Swiping away the tears, she walked back to the crackling campfires. So busy berating herself and all men of the world, she hadn’t noticed how quick her step, hadn’t noticed she had walked straight past the campsite down the other side of the beach. She didn’t even notice Bull before she collided into him.

“If it ain’t the bitch.”

“Move it, ya big baboon.” She snapped at the monster without thinking. Yes sir, no room for common sense here. She was vexed off in a royal degree.

“Whaddya call me?”

He stood with his feet apart, ready, she thought, to knock her out and drag her off into the nearby brush. He reminded her of a giant oafish troll with his menacing scowl. His odor wafted up, a poisonous mixture of sweat, urine, and decay. The stench alone was enough to render her unconscious.

“For the love of George, don’t you ever bathe? Couldn’t you at least get rinsed off in the waves? Dousing yourself with liquor would probably kill off whatever ’tis you got growing on you. Criminy, you’ve even got flies swarming you.”

Bull growled and bowed up. Lianna tensed as he grew wider, the muscles in his thick neck protruding outward. Any moment now and Lianna would be pounded into a messy pulp. But in her present mood, she didn’t care. She braced herself, ready to go down fighting. Bull lunged forward but Lianna hit the ground, knocked out of the way before he reached her.

“Ah, ah, ah,” Blade sing-songed. He held Bull at bay with his sword angled to his throat. “It’s not polite to attack a lady.”

The two men stared hard at one another. Bull narrowed his eyes as he considered the odds. He outweighed Blade easily but the quartermaster proved quick and surefooted. Blade’s confidence in his skill was evident in his arrogant leer.

“She insulted me.” Bull snorted.

Blade nodded, “Aye, the lass has a way with words, doesn’t she?”

“She needs t’ be taught manners.”

“All the same, she is the Captain’s guest. No harm is to come to her. I think it best you return to the camp,” Blade jerked his head back toward the others, “lest you do something that’ll get you another round with the cat.” He removed the sword from Bull’s throat. “Go on.”

Bull shot Lianna a sneer. “Capt’n’s guest.” He scoffed, and then lumbered away.

Lianna picked herself off the ground, dusting the sand from her bottom. “That wasn’t necessary,” she snipped.

“Oh?”

“I can take care of myself.”

“I’m sure you can,” Blade said. A pitch of hilarity lined his words. “But, and I hate to admit this, even I can’t fight off Bull.”

“Don’t mock me. I didn’t ask for your help.” She clenched her fists, popping her knuckles.

“Ho there, Lianna. What’s going on?” Blade bent his head down to see her eyes, almost certainly puffy and red. “Have you been crying? Darling, what’s wrong?” He took her hands into his.

With all the resentment she had built up against all men, she still didn’t pull away from Blade. He had a gentle touch, a welcome comfort. And, straightway, she needed a caring friend.

“How can you be so insensitive? Why do you insist on treating me like some sort of plaything?”

“I’m afraid I don’t understand.”

“I’m a human being with feelings capable of more than just, than just, your amusement.” She freed her hands and waved them erratically about. “What? I have opinions? I can be assertive? I may even be a worthy opponent. So you use me then do away with me? Well, I won’t stand for it. Do you hear me?” She pointed at him, at his nose. “I won’t stand for it.” She neared hysterics.