“Thank you,” she said, her voice quiet in hopes that Johnny wouldn’t hear the unsure shakiness.
When she was safely back in the room, she slipped out of the dress and into the clothing she grabbed. For whatever reason, the clothes seemed to fit her quite beautifully. The black pants clung to her legs, stopping just where her knees began. The tunic she was wearing was a sage green color, and was a bit looser on her frame than the pants. She wished she had some sort of bra to hold up her breasts, but instead there were supportive undershirts. She took a moment to make sure that every bit was securely in place in hopes to avoid a wardrobe malfunction. When she finished, she searched around for some socks but only found white stockings. After slipping them on, she put on brown boots that molded to her feet perfectly, as though someone knew she was coming to this time, this ship, at this moment. The last thing she did was untie her hair from the tight bun, and rake her fingers through the locks as best as she could.
“Finally,” she heard Johnny mutter as soon as she stepped out of the cabin. His eyes lit up when he took her in, however, and he threw her a roguish smile. “Well, look at you, love. Every inch the pirate, if you ask me. Everything fit all right?” he asked, arching a brow, though his eyes knew perfectly well that it did. In fact, he wasn’t so sure he wanted her to be introduced to the crew in such fitted pants. Even the tunic that was loose on her frame still revealed she had an admirable body…. Maybe she should wait in his cabin while he met the crew by himself.
“Actually, yes,” Izzy said, smiling in return. “I feel really comfortable.”
“Oh,” Johnny said, cocking his head to the side. “Well, good. I suppose you want to meet everybody then?”
Izzy furrowed her brow. “Yeah…” She let her voice trail off, confused at the obvious doubt in his face. “Why?”
“Just stay close to me, all right?” Johnny said, his voice laced with firmness Izzy hadn’t heard before. Her eyes caught hold of his and there was a seriousness buried deep down in his dark orbs that she had not seen before. “The pirates in your movies are far different than the pirates I know. I don’t want you harmed in any way.”
Izzy said nothing, and instead nodded. She followed closely behind Johnny as he confidently strode over to the helm of the ship. As the two made their way, Izzy noticed an array of various frames occupying the ship. They began to look over at her and Johnny with confusion, maybe even curiosity as they watched the two step onto the helm.
“Gents!” Johnny announced, looking over every pirate he could see. His face was completely serious, unwavering, and Izzy couldn’t help but stare. His presence, when he wanted it to be, was simply amazing. For someone who had said he had never had a crew before, he certainly knew how to act the role of the captain. “It would seem that I am captain of this vessel and you are all part of my crew.” He paused, hoping the men listening to him knew the grave situation they had gotten themselves into. “If you are here, I am sure you know what we are about to embark on. Some of you may not return. To be honest, I have never had a crew before, although I have sailed numerous ships across the Seven Seas by myself. I would like to thank you in advance for your sacrifice, but before we continue on about our day, we should probably introduce ourselves and lay down some rules.”
“We know who ye be,” a voice in the back called. “You’re Johnny Clover, a clever pirate, but a coward nonetheless. You ran away.”
“Why did you come back, anyways?” another voice asked.
“And who is she?” yet another asked, indicating Izzy.
“Her name is Isabelle,” Johnny told the crew, “and she is not to be harmed, touched, nothing. If I find out any of you do such things to her, I will drop you off on a godforsaken spit of land with naught but a pistol and water. Do you hear me?” He paused, waiting for the affirmative before continuing. “I understand why you may not take me seriously as your captain, but I hope that soon I will earn your trust. We are about to embark on the adventure of our lives, and without trust, we may not survive it.”
24
By the time the ship reached the docks of Tortuga, the sun had just set on the horizon. During that time, Izzy had taken the opportunity to get to know each member of the crew, their names, and some of their backstories. Johnny was firmly at the helm, his eyes primarily focused on the direction the ship was heading in. Of course, as Izzy always managed to do, the only times his eyes left his focus were when he managed to catch sight of her. She always managed to make him smile in some way without even trying, and even now, he could tell she was currently charming the members of his crew. And she didn’t even know it.
She was a weapon in its deadliest form, and the only reason Johnny felt his whole belief system shaken to its core.
But he didn’t want to think about that just then.
When the ship sailed smoothly into the west docks, Johnny glanced over at his crew. “Gents,” he said, giving the group that had gathered around him a respectful nod. “As you can see, we are in Tortuga.” He paused, his lips curling into a frown, his eyes searching the wooden deck for what he should say next. After a moment, he continued. “As I’m sure you’re all aware, I’ve never actually had a crew before, so being a captain is still a new experience for me. However, I can assure you that if anything, I try to be fair. As long as you can assure me that the ship will be properly stocked before we leave tomorrow morning, and that when we do, you will all be of sound mind, you may disperse freely for the evening.”
The crew seemed pleased by this, and each murmured or nodded their assurances to their new captain before walking off the ship. When Johnny caught Izzy’s eyes, he waved her over before coiling his arm around her shoulder and pulling her tightly against him. “Now, darling,” he murmured lowly, so that only she could hear, “it is imperative that you listen to me closely.” He started to lead her off of the ship, but kept her body close to his. “Tortuga is a wonderful town, a blessed place for beings like me—pirates, scallywags, buccaneers, thieves—”
“Ladies of the night?” Izzy asked with a teasing smile before arching her brow. “Yes, I know, Johnny. I’ve seen Pirates of the Caribbean.”
“Because that movie captured Tortuga’s essence perfectly,” Johnny mumbled dryly under his breath. “Yes, well, Tortuga seems to be charming and alluring and whatnot, but believe me when I say it is probably one of the most dangerous places for those who are daft and those who are new visitors. You must promise me when I ask you to stay close to me, and…” He paused, hesitating a bit. “Don’t take this the wrong way, love, but women from your time and women from my time are quite different. I know you are strong, opinionated, and quite the wit, but please…watch your tongue around the lads here. They tend to take things personally. Trust me; I know from experience.” He gazed back down at her, his eyes serious as they bore down into his. “Especially since you are a member of the fairer sex, their pride might be wounded and, to put it frankly, they would have no problem wounding you, no matter how charming or beautiful you are.”
Izzy tried to read his eyes at that moment, almost forgetting to walk due to the surprise at Johnny’s words. “You think I am beautiful?” she asked softly, furrowing her brow.
“My opinion of you doesn’t matter at this juncture, darling,” Johnny said, easily evading the question. “What I need from you now before we get off these docks is your word you’ll watch your tongue and stay close.”
“I promise,” she told him, and she meant it.
For the next hour, Johnny led her down the streets of Tortuga, pointing out the pubs he was personally familiar with and enjoyed, while pointing out the ones that didn’t particularly like his company and the ones she had to stay away from, either due to service or bad alcohol.
Izzy was probably as captivated by the scenery as Johnny was when he walked down a street in Balboa Island. The people were so different here; their clothes and the styles they wore. But what struck Izzy the most was how forward they were. Men leered at her with blata
nt obviousness, and she was glad for Johnny’s arm wrapped tightly around her. Women, dressed up in bawdy-colored clothing with their breasts all but hanging out and their faces painted much like a clown’s, whistled or catcalled in any man’s direction, hoping to get lucky that evening. She saw men sleeping off their drunkenness, while others seemed to have made a home on the dirty streets of the town. Though the night was thick, merchants were still selling odd things, and Johnny pointed out who to buy from and who to stay away from. He seemed very proud of the town, and especially excited to be the person to show her around.
“It’s more than I ever expected,” she told him after the quick tour, gazing up at him with honesty clearly written in her eyes. “The movie… It couldn’t capture the essence that is Tortuga.”
Johnny seemed delighted at such an observation, and curled his lips up to show his approval. “Aye,” he agreed, nodding once. “I’ve been trying to tell you that, you know.” He glanced away, and continued to head to his favorite pub on Tortuga. “Now, love, you are in for quite a treat. The Siren’s Song has the best rum in all of the Caribbean.”
“I thought you preferred wine,” Izzy pointed out as she walked through the door Johnny was holding open for her. For a moment, the two were silent. Johnny led her over to a far corner of the room and to his usual place, and the two sat down.
“I do,” he told her, following her inside, “but beggars can’t be choosers when it comes to Tortuga. Only in brothels do they serve wine here, and I don’t think you would appreciate it very much if I took you to one of those.”
“Like it would matter,” Izzy muttered under her breath as she noticed women in revealing dresses immediately start to eye Johnny like a hungry dog might eye a piece of meat. Apparently they didn’t seem to notice Izzy’s presence because three of them started to head over to the couple.
“Is that jealousy I’m detecting in your tone, darling?” he asked her, his eyes sparkling to emphasize his point.
“Why would I be jealous of them?” Izzy asked, scoffing as she did so. “They’re—”
Johnny finally noticed that the women were heading towards them at that moment because his lips curled down, and for a minute, he was unsure of what to do. Before he could think of anything, however, they stood before them.
“Johnny!” they all seemed too coo at exactly the same time, interrupting Izzy. She frowned at this, her brow descending so low that it nearly overlapped her eyes.
Why would she be jealous of whores? They were whores, for goodness’ sake; there was no reason for her to be jealous of them. Okay, now her mind was babbling and becoming repetitive, which was definitely not a good sign. As Izzy watched the scene unfold in front of her, she noticed that two of the whores had managed to weasel their way onto his lap while one chose to remain behind him in order to properly massage his back. She didn’t know why, but she forced herself to look away, and instead, tried to focus on the fascinating scene before her of two drunken men about to get into some sort of brawl. However, though she tried not to think about it, the women currently decorating Johnny’s lap were certainly making it hard as they spoke about how much they missed him and what they longed to do with him if only he would spare a moment of his time, and blah, blah, blah.
Oddly enough, Johnny had no interest in the three women vying for his attention. Of course, that didn’t stop him from not getting rid of them immediately, but he knew he wasn’t going anywhere that evening in their company. His eyes managed to seek out Izzy’s face, but after studying it, found the expression to be highly enigmatic. A feeling he was beginning to get familiar with seeped through his body. He recognized it from before, and pursed his lips when he realized it was guilt.
But he had done nothing wrong….
And yet, the look on her face…
“Ladies, ladies,” Johnny said, tearing his gaze away from Izzy to look back at the women sitting on him. “If you had not noticed, I am actually here with somebody, so your services will not be needed tonight. Thank you, though.”
“Are you sure we cannot sway you?” the woman in red purred, offering him an alluring smile.
“I’m afraid not,” Johnny said, “but thank you for asking. Now, if you please…” He let his voice trail off, raising his brow at them expectantly. The women didn’t need to be told twice. Even though they knew Johnny Clover was an admirable lover, they weren’t going to tempt him when he couldn’t be tempted. Instead, they sought out other men who could guarantee them a sale.
“Aren’t you the popular one,” Izzy murmured, looking over at Johnny. She seemed relieved to see that he had sent them away.
“It’s to be expected when it comes to the fairer sex,” he said with an arrogant grin. He glanced over his shoulder at a nearby bar wench. “Oy, lass!” he called. “Can I get two rums here?”
“Two?” Izzy asked, furrowing her brow. “But I don’t drink, Johnny!”
“You’re in Tortuga, love!” he exclaimed, as though it was the most obvious thing in the world. “Live a little, hmm?”
25
“I hate rum.”
Johnny smirked at the deadpan tone laced in Izzy’s voice, and her eyes flashed gold, emphasizing her seriousness. He had talked her into drinking a few sips, promising it took a while to get used the beverage. Six sips later and a glare that seemed to deepen after every one, he finally relented and promised he believed the fact that she may not be quite as fond of the drink as he was. Johnny was on his second glass, and although it wasn’t his choice of drink, he was fond of the amber liquid, reveling in the way the warm liquid heated his mouth and trailed down his throat.
“What would you like to drink in its stead then, darling?” Johnny asked, perking his brow up as he looked at her over the rim of his mug.
“Water,” Izzy said with a firm nod. “Do you think they have water?”
“’Course they have water,” he told her before glancing around. When he caught sight of the same bar wench, he whistled sharply to catch her attention. “Oy, lass!” he called. “Could I trouble you for a glass of water?”
“Water?” the wench asked, pushing her brows up in disbelief.
“For the lady,” Johnny explained, raising his palm horizontally so it indicated Izzy’s presence.
“Water,” the wench muttered under her breath, rolling her eyes and heading over to the bar.
“You know,” Izzy began, finally taking her eyes off of the retreating figure to look into Johnny’s brown eyes, “it seems that my presence is ignored whenever you are speaking to somebody, like I’m invisible or something.” She paused for a moment, tilting her head slightly to the side. An unreadable smile began to curve her lips upward and Johnny easily detected the curious sparkle in her eyes. “Why would you ever want to run away from here, Johnny? You seem to be one of the most popular pirates here. Men and women alike look at you with admiration, hookers can’t wait to sink their nails into you, as though you’re the greatest lover they’ve ever experienced—”
“I am the greatest lover they have ever experienced,” Johnny said, cutting her off. He didn’t speak for a moment, but instead leaned further over the table in order to reach out and curl an errant strand of golden hair behind her ear. “You know, love, I could give you the greatest pleasure you have ever imagined. I could do things to your body Zach would never even think to do you.” His voice had lowered substantially, becoming silky and husky, causing Izzy’s skin to break out in goose bumps.
Izzy made sure to maintain eye contact with the pirate in front of her, though she knew if she wanted to look away, she wouldn’t be able to. He had captivated her underneath his spell, and she highly doubted it was because his finger was still touching her cheek. How she longed to take him up on his offer, how she longed to feel him connect to her in such a way… She felt herself becoming flushed and she pulled away as she cleared her throat.
“That very well may be true,” she said, and frowned when she realized her voice came out shakier than she origi
nally intended, “but…that was not my question.” Johnny threw her a charming smile, knowing full well how he was affecting her, and tilted his head to the side so shaggy dark hair fell into his face. Though the sight was heart-stopping, Izzy forced herself to go on. “Why would you want to give all of that up? What are you running away from?”
The question caught Johnny off-guard, and he wasn’t sure how—if at all—he was going to answer it. To be honest, he had never really thought about it, but now that she was forcing himself to, he began to try and figure out why. It took a good five minutes before Johnny finally responded. “I don’t like responsibility,” he told her. “I don’t like people depending on me.”
“But what are you running away from?” Izzy asked, not yet understanding. “What are people depending on you for?”
“A battle is about to play out, darling,” he told her, his tone serious, his brown eyes burning into hers. “Pirates and the Royal Navy have been enemies since the dawn of time, and will continue to be as such. A war between them is supposed to happen in a matter of weeks.”
“And you’re supposed to lead the pirates into battle?” Izzy guessed. When Johnny nodded, she frowned. “But why? Why you?”
“It is as they say,” Johnny said, shrugging his shoulders and giving her a somewhat lazy look. “Some people are born into greatness, while others have greatness thrust upon them. I happen to fall in the latter category.”
The bar wench came back with a mug of water and set it down for Izzy before walking away. “Just because greatness is thrust upon you,” Izzy told him, “doesn’t mean you’re not great.” She gave him a smile. “I have faith in you. I know that whatever you need to accomplish, you can.”
To Believe a Buccaneer: A Scandalous Adventure at Seas Series Page 12
