Convict Blood

by Ward, Vivian

  My heart begins pounding in my chest. I have to get these meds. I could kill him and take what I want but that won’t do any good and could end up putting all of us in grave danger later if we don’t have a doctor on the ship. I’ll have to steal them if he won’t give them to me.

  Eying the room, I notice all of the bottles locked in a glass cabinet hanging on the far wall. The only thing out in the open is wooden sticks so he can shove them down our throat, cotton balls, and some bandages.

  “Surely, you have some to spare for a Marine,” I say. It’s not a question.

  His glum face stares at me. “‘Fraid not. Our supply is dwindling and when you really need them, I’ll be glad to give them to you, Officer Kent.” His dark, beady eyes stare straight into mine. “But not a moment before then.”

  “Thanks anyway,” I say, pulling my jacket on. “Maybe I’ll get lucky and it’ll pass.”

  Leaving his office, I take one last look around to memorize where everything is and head out onto the deck. I have to see if I can find Victoria to see how she and the baby are doing. I find her hanging the last of the wet clothes on the line while a wheezing, coughing Lizzy is strapped to the front of her. There are only a few pieces of laundry left when I approach her.

  “Come to my room after you’re done,” I whisper to her, trying to keep my distance in case my superior is keeping an eye on me.

  Her gaunt eyes cut up to mine. They look so sunken and hollow, surrounded by dark circles. The glimmer that was once in her emerald eyes has been robbed by sickness.

  “Did you get the medicine?” She quickly asks, coughing into her arm as she tries to shield the baby from more germs.

  I don’t have the heart to tell her as she and the baby stand on deck, freezing, while hanging wet clothes. “Come to my room. I can’t talk now,” I say, and quickly make my way toward my cabin.

  Lighting a few extra candles to help keep my small sleeping space warm, I also begin to boil some water so that the two of them can take a warm bath.

  Almost as soon as the water is done, there’s a light knock at the door and I’m sure it’s her. Jumping to my feet, I quickly pull her and the baby out of the wind and bring them inside.

  “What’s going on?” She asks, clinging to Lizzy.

  “Here,” I say, taking the baby from her arms. “I’ve got some water warmed up so the two of you can bathe.”

  Her eyes grow wide as saucers and light up for the first time in a long time. “A bath? For us?” She gasps.

  I nod, watching her as she walks toward the water. I wish I could give her a tub but our rooms are only so big; the small bowl of hot water will have to suffice. It’s something to warm them up so they can get clean.

  “Matthew,” she whispers. “Thank you!” Her eyes well up as she dips her hands in the water. “It’s been ages since either of us has had a proper washing. It’s more than I could ever ask for.”

  She begins to strip out of her clothes but then remembers that I’m still standing here, watching her every move. With rosy cheeks, she turns bashful for a moment.

  “Go on,” I encourage her. “It’s not like I haven’t seen you naked before.”

  Hesitantly, she lets her dress fall to the floor. Every bone in her body still protrudes from her thin, pale frame and I can see her skin sinking into her ribs with every breath she sucks in as her lungs rattle. I can’t bear to look at her like this so I turn my attention to Lizzy. Her puffy cheeks have thinned quite a bit, too, and is wheezing louder than her mother.

  “For fuck’s sake,” I whisper as she lathers her upper body. “The two of you are so bloody sick!”

  She nods. “Were you able to get the medicine?”

  I shake my head. “Not yet,” and I hear a sad sigh escape her dry, cracking lips. “But I will. The doctor wouldn’t give it to me. I went to see him, pretending to be sick, but I think he knew better.”

  “I was afraid of that,” she says, dipping her hair into the water before lathering it.

  When she’s done washing, I offer her a towel to wrap herself in and then hand her one of my t-shirts to put on. “You’re not going back down there tonight,” I say to her.

  “We can’t stay here!” She protests. “What if we get caught?”

  I pull her next to me, inhaling her clean scent. “I’d die a thousand times before I sent you back down to the frigid hulks to sleep among the diseased tonight. I’ll figure something out before I send you back down there.”

  Taking the baby from my arms, she begins bathing her. She’s scared of the water at first, crying, and almost drawing unwanted attention but Victoria quickly soothes her and calms her down. The poor thing, she probably doesn’t remember being bathed as long as it’s been since the two of them have been locked away.

  Once both of them are clean, I offer them my bed. “Come. Get a good night’s rest.”

  Victoria looks at me. “Where will you sleep?”

  “Right beside you,” I answer her.

  Curling up in bed together, the three of us lie in complete silence until Lizzy’s fast asleep under the warm blankets, sucking her thumb for comfort.

  “Thank you for this,” Victoria whispers to me. “You have no idea how much cleaning up and a warm bed means to us.”

  Her eyes are softer in the candlelight and she looks so beautiful holding the baby against her chest. I could watch her for all eternity, and for a moment, I wish she was holding our baby and not another man’s.

  “I have a question for you,” I begin as I drink in her soft features. “What do you want out of life?”

  Her eyebrows contort before her mouth opens; she thinks for a moment. “What do you mean?”

  “If you weren’t here, what would you be doing? What do you want to do once you’re free?” I expand on my question.

  A brief smile flashes across her face. “I’d probably still be an ordinary housewife. Cooking, cleaning, and doing chores around the house.”

  “What about after you’re free to go? What will you do then?” I press.

  Licking her dry lips, she adjusts Lizzy in her arms. “I imagine that once we’re on the island, we won’t have much of a life—even after I’m a free woman. Of course, I’m no fool. I know I’ll have a lot of work ahead of me to provide for Lizzy and myself.”

  She’s not giving me the answers that I want. I want to know her plans for the future. Will she find a new husband? Is she even interested in a relationship with another man? Would she prefer to be a widow for the rest of her life?

  “So you never plan on remarrying?” I ask, a little too blunt.

  “Why do you care?” She retorts. “I hardly know anything about you, so why do you want to know so much about me?”

  That’s a fair observation and question. “What would you like to know?” I ask her.

  Her eyes dart to the right as she thinks of what she’d like to ask me. “Are you married?”

  I almost want to laugh for a moment but the truth of the matter is that a lot of the officers on the ship are married, but that doesn’t stop them from cheating on their wives when they fuck the convicts who are onboard.

  Shaking my head, I answer her as I carefully form my thoughts. “No, I’m not married. I was once upon a time but not all relationships have a happy ending.”

  Her eyes grow wide as she realizes we have more in common than she thinks. “Did she die, too?” She whispers.

  “Nothing like that,” I reply. “We divorced some time ago and I’ve not had any love interests since then.”

  She studies my face for a moment. “Then why did you practically kidnap me and have your way with me?”

  It’s a good question, but one that I’m not ready to answer. Right now, I’m just happy that the two of us are finally communicating, getting somewhere. I could spend the rest of my life lying next to this strong, gorgeous woman.

  He’s gone silent since I asked him why he held me against my will but I’m not letting him off that easy. I want to know more; I h
ave so many questions. I need to understand why he was, and still is, interested in me. I’d like to know more about his ex-wife. Divorce isn’t common and it’s not something that most judges will grant.

  His eyes look so kind in the dim light and I can tell he’s not comfortable talking about things, but I must know. “Matthew,” I whisper. “Tell me more. What do you mean that you used to be married? What happened?”

  Drawing in a long, deep breath, his chest rises with air before he slowly lets it out. “Let’s not talk about that. Let’s talk about you,” he deflects my question.

  Giving him a stern look, I shake my head and refuse. “No, I want to know what happened. I need to know what happened.”

  “It’s ugly,” he says as he looks down at me before glancing away. “My wife couldn’t keep her bloody legs shut. She spent most of our marriage on her back, sleeping with other men. I was the laughing stock of the town and a disgrace to my family. We had several confrontations and, each time, she said she would stop having affairs—but she never did.”

  Pursing his lips, he grips me tighter as I urge him to continue. Losing Henry was one thing but at least he was always faithful. And even though I don’t have him anymore, I still feel as though I’ve tarnished what we had but, at some point along the way, I’ve come to the horrid understanding that I’m a widow. Lizzy doesn’t have a father and I no longer have a husband. I don’t know what happened or when or how I lost him, but the fact of the matter is that I’m now a single mum with no husband to look after us so I must do what’s best for my daughter and me.

  “I’m sorry she did that,” I say.

  Frowning, he says, “It’s not your fault. We can’t control what others do; no more than you could control me locking you in my room.”

  I’ve always thought of Matthew as a cold, callous man but I can see how badly this has affected him. He’s genuinely hurt; I can see it in his eyes and hear it in his voice. It breaks my heart to see the pain that he feels, even if he won’t admit it to himself that she broke him.

  Seeing him in this new light makes me want to erase all of his pain. Pulling him closer, I move Lizzy to the side and rest my head on his chest as I listen to his beating heart. I can’t imagine what it must’ve sounded like when his heart split in two and shattered to pieces.

  But I’m just a convict. I know our relationship is short-lived and not real, but I have to have something to hold onto right now—even if it’s just for now, on this ship. It’ll all end once we reach Botany Bay. And even though I keep trying to remind myself of that, my mind also tries to forget it. I’d like to have Matthew by my side, someone to protect my daughter and me, and someone to share my evenings with but I have to be realistic and remind myself that it’s all just a fairytale. I must have some hope for humanity and believe that maybe my life can go on as a widow.

  And even though I shouldn’t let it affect me the way it is, I can’t help myself. He really is a kind, caring man underneath his rough exterior. Albeit, he’s damaged and has emotional scars, I’m finally seeing him as someone I could’ve settled down with and married—had I not had Henry. I can only imagine what Matthew was like before his wife became a whore and made him look like a fool.

  “She’s the whole reason why I became a Marine,” he says, almost out of nowhere. I can tell he wants to talk about it and I want to know more, so I listen intently. I want to know everything there is to know about this man. “I had to getaway. The way people snickered when they saw me, talked behind my back, and how even some of my closest friends betrayed me with my wife, I needed to escape.” His hands wrap tighter around me, holding me as close as he can. “But had things been different, I wouldn’t be here. I wouldn’t be with you.”

  Oh. My. God. My heart melts as he stares into my eyes. Leaning up to kiss him, he meets me halfway before his soft, warm mouth crashes against mine. Consuming me like there’s no tomorrow, I lavish in his firm kiss and strong grip.

  Turning to face me, I can feel his hardened length pressing against my stomach as his hands grab onto my flesh. Panting like two animals, neither of us can take each other’s clothes off fast enough.

  “Wait,” I stop him as he tries to remove my shirt. “Let me move Lizzy.”

  As I pick her up, he moves the blankets to the floor, creating a soft pallet for her to sleep on temporarily. “She should be good here,” he says.

  After I place her on the floor, Matthew scoops me up. His strong, aggressive hold on me takes me by surprise and I let out a small shriek. “Shhh,” he warns. “We don’t want to get caught.”

  Nodding, I pretend to zip my lips with my fingers and toss away the key. Setting me on the bed, he quickly undresses me, removing his large, over-sized shirt from my tiny frame. Admiring my body for a moment, he takes notice of my figure. “I see that food’s done you good. You’ve put on a few pounds.”

  Looking down at my belly, it does look a little puffier than normal but we ran out of food just days after I took it down to share it with Lizzy. Lately, all my stomach does is growl and grumble with sharp hunger pains, which causes my distended abdomen to look ‘puffier, but I don’t let him know how hungry I’ve been because I don’t want him to worry. I simply nod. “The food was amazing,” I reply.

  Lying me back on the bed, he quickly darts between my legs, licking and teasing every inch of me. His tongue swirls and flicks against my clit and I try my best not to orgasm, at least not yet. Inserting a finger inside me, he moves it rhythmically, in time with his tongue. It’s sensory overload and I can’t stop myself.

  Grabbing a fistful of bedsheets, I try to muffle my orgasmic outcry as best I can but we’re caught up in ourselves and neither of us seems to care how loud we might sound. Crawling up my torso, his teeth nip and bite my skin as he makes his way to my face. His mouth presses against mine, allowing me to taste myself on his lips.

  Growling into my mouth as he kisses me, our teeth crash against each other. Our kiss is long and hard as though we might be the last people on earth to ever make love again. Breaking away, I slide down his abdomen and stroke his cock before taking it into my mouth.

  Watching me with lustful eyes, his hand grabs hold of my hair, pushing himself deeper down my throat as my tongue manipulates his shaft.

  “Bloody hell, Victoria,” he moans. “I’m going to blow my load soon if you don’t stop.”

  Smiling up at him, I keep going. I like this part of him, when he lets me see his vulnerability. His face looks so relaxed and his body is completely limp. Normally, his back is straight and his posture is perfect. He always speaks with a loud, commanding voice. But here, when we’re together? He’s the complete opposite; he’s at ease and laid-back. Of course, he wasn’t like that before—when he had me locked in his room—but now that we’ve developed a bond, things are much different.

  He only lets me continue for a few more minutes before using his fistful of my hair to guide me back up to his face. I straddle him, my legs spread wide. Waiting, wanting, and needing him inside of me.

  Kissing me, he reaches between my legs as he grabs the base of his cock and inserts himself inside of me. Slowly, I lower myself down onto him, relishing in every glorious inch of his hardened length. Once all the way inside of me, his teeth clamp down on my collarbone, making me squeal.

  “Ahhh, Matthew,” I moan through a whisper.

  His hands firmly grab hold of my hips, moving me up and down at his preference while I ride his thick cock. “That’s it,” he growls as his hips thrust upward to fuck me harder.

  Over and over, my hips slam down on top of him, taking him as hard and deep as I can. His cock is in a perfect position and fills me completely. It doesn’t take long until I start to come.

  “Matthew,” I pant, gripping his strong, muscular arms. “Oh god.”

  Knowing he’s got me right where he wants me, he picks up his pace, making me bounce even harder and faster on top of him. The waves of pleasure won’t stop rolling over my body and there’s so much w
etness that it feels as though we’ve both come, but I know he hasn’t.

  It’s all me.

  “Mmmm,” a low, throaty growl escapes his lips when I open my eyes. “I love watching you fuck me and come on me.”

  Moving my legs, I adjust myself to take him deeper—if that’s even possible—and he lets out a loud gasp. Giving him everything I’ve got, I ride him hard and fast as I lean forward, pushing my breasts in his face. His mouth covers one of my nipples and he begins sucking it, alternating between each breast. Normally, I wouldn’t let him do that because I’ve always been so self-conscious about my milk but it feels so good and I enjoy it. I can feel the milk leaving each breast as he sucks them and it’s clearly visible that he’s getting quite a bit. What used to embarrass me no longer does. It turns me on, and the thought that I’m giving him nourishment makes me feel proud.

  His rough hands dig deeper into my hips and I can feel his entire body beginning to tense up. Fucking him harder, he begins to moan.

  “Fuck,” he cries out, letting go of his sweet release. His thick cock swells before I can feel him pumping his seed deep inside me.

  Collapsing on top of him, we rest our foreheads against one another, looking into each other’s eyes. “Thank you,” I whisper.

  “For what?” He asks, stroking my back. The feeling of his fingertips on my back makes goosebumps erupt all over my skin.

  “Everything. The food, the bath, the clothing. Everything.” I know most of the other convicts don’t have the luxuries that I do, thanks to Matthew. It makes me wonder if Charlotte even has it as good as I do.

  “I wouldn’t do it for just anybody,” he kisses my forehead.

  As we lie in the dark, I can’t help but think of how similar our pasts are, despite some of the stark contrasts. I’d be lying if I said that I didn’t somewhat resent Henry for not being able to find work. I know it wasn’t his fault after the accusations that were made but it didn’t put food in the house. Matthew resented his wife because of her inability to remain faithful, which is something she could control. On the other hand, they say opposites attract. Matthew was trying to escape his problems; I was trying to find a means to solve mine while fighting it head-on.