Heroes & Thieves

by Heather C. Myers

  No, that wasn't true. In all honesty, Brylee had never cared that much before…

  But no more.

  The guard mistook Brylee's look of utter surprise for one of disgust. He walked around his desk so that he could stand beside her and regard Belle himself.

  "That, my dear, is the rumored female associate of the pirate Aaron Donovan," the guard informed her. Brylee's surprise was even greater upon hearing they harmed her in such a way with no knowledge that she was the exact female they were looking for (even though she was, of course). "Whore is my guess," he continued, not noticing the expression on Brylee's face. "You know that we have questioned her for hours and she has said absolutely nothing regarding his whereabouts? Oh, but do not worry. We will get the pirate and hang him for all the crimes he has committed."

  "I have no doubt," Brylee forced herself to say, turning her head so it faced the guard's profile. "I really must get going, however. I would like to see you again."

  "I would like that as well," the guard said with an arrogant smile. He walked her over to the beginning of the staircase, his arm casually placed on the small of her back. "So I know it is you, will you knock three times on the door?"

  Brylee nodded once. "Of course," she murmured.

  Once she exited the jail, she and Rick quickly made their way back to the ship. When Aaron saw them, his whole body tensed at he looked at Brylee expectantly.

  "She's there," Brylee informed him. She wanted to speak as quickly as she could so that he would leave and get Belle back and everything could possibly go back to normal. "She's in the third cell. It's on the left. I cannot tell if she is sleeping or unconscious." Aaron's eyes narrowed upon hearing this, but Brylee wasn't quite finished yet. "He told me to knock three times so he would know it was me." Here, Brylee winced as she watched Aaron slip his cutlass, a dagger, and his pistol in the confines of his belt. "Aaron," she said, catching his attention. "She looked pretty beaten up."

  That seemed to have pushed Aaron over the edge, and in a blink of an eye, he had disappeared. The only way she could be beaten was if she didn't give those interrogating her the information they wanted. She either didn't admit that she was this person they thought she was or she would say nothing concerning him. Maybe she did both. It didn't matter, either way. He had to get her out of there no matter what.

  When he reached the door, he curled his fingers into a fist and banged three times on the door. Quickly after that, he placed his ear upon the wooden entrance so he could hear the guard inside approaching. If he was successful, he would time everything perfectly… The guard seemed to be unlocking the door, and when he began to pull it open, Aaron raised his foot and slammed it on the door, causing the guard to roll down the steps and the door to open wide.

  Aaron wasted no time. His pulled out his pistol and aimed it at the still-recovering guard, his chocolate brown eyes hard and cold, nearly black if one looked at them.

  "Release her," Aaron demanding, tilting his head in the cage Belle was placed in. Though he didn't full on look at her, he could clearly make out her form.

  "Fuck you," the guard said in a cryptic voice.

  Aaron couldn't waste any time. Without warning, he reached over and slapped the guard across the face with the butt of the pistol. "Don't think I won't take your life right now," Aaron said through clenched teeth as he pointed the pistol at the guard once again.

  With shaky hands, the guard handed Aaron the keys.

  "Don't try anything either," Aaron warned in an ominous tone. "I am a good shot and would like nothing more than to prove myself on you."

  Within moments, Aaron was in the cell. He gently picked up Belle and found that she was only sleeping. He let a sigh of relief out when he realized she didn't look as bad as he thought she would, but the fact remained that she was still beaten up. His eyes flashed at the guard, a scowl touching his face.

  "What?" Aaron asked as he walked out of the cell. "Do you get off on beating up women?"

  The guard merely sneered. "Only pirates' whores," he snapped.

  Aaron pressed his lips firmly together. It only took a moment, but he shifted Belle's weight, picked up his pistol once again, and shot the guard in the knee. The guard screamed out in pain, cursing Aaron and Belle with every insult he could think of.

  The noise seemed to have woken up Belle because she began to stir in his arms. "Aaron?" she murmured, her voice laced with sleep.

  "Hush now, love," Aaron said as he began to climb the stairs out of the jailhouse. "I'm getting you out of here."

  It didn't take long before she fell back asleep in his arms.

  Chapter XXXIV

  It didn't take long for Aaron to reach his ship, and his heart stopped beating as rapidly as it had once been. He had her back, and that was all that mattered. When he was on deck, he shouted to Rick to start getting the ship set for sailing. Despite the fact Aaron had received momentary satisfaction in shooting the nameless guard in the knee, he knew that somebody would most likely have heard the commotion and soon, there would be a cavalcade of Navy men surrounding the tiny port in search of them. He wouldn't risk losing Belle once more over misguided arrogance.

  Brylee, who had been having an intimate conversation with Rick, quickly led Aaron to the bedroom she shared with her sister. She threw open the door and stepped to the side while motioning to the cot Belle slept on. Aaron knelt down and gently set Belle on the bed. Though he was accustomed to Belle being a rather light sleeper, she seemed deeply embedded in her slumber.

  When Aaron stepped back, Brylee grabbed the necessary materials in order to clean the cuts and decrease the swelling on her sister's face. "She didn't say anything," Brylee murmured, throwing a glance over her shoulder at Aaron. "They kept her from eating and sleeping. They tortured her. But she did not say anything." She paused, and Aaron felt as though he should say something, but he wasn't quite sure what to say, so he remained quiet. "You should go to bed," she told him quietly, sweeping a stray strand of hair from her sister's face. "She needs rest, and so do you."

  Aaron wanted nothing more than to stay there that evening, even ready to offer his room to Brylee for the night, but he refrained from doing so. She was right. Belle needed rest and so did he.

  It wasn't until the ship set sail did Aaron finally feel himself get lulled to sleep.

  ---

  The first thing Belle noticed upon opening her eyes was how much her head hurt. And was it her, or did the sun shine exceedingly bright today? However, she continued on, throwing her legs over her bed, pushing herself up, and changing. Once everything was settled she walked out, and even though she had prepared herself for the bright sun, it still caught her off-guard, and she placed her throbbing head into her hands, emitting a low groan.

  Aaron would never admit that he had been waiting for Belle to emerge from her bedroom, but he was utterly delighted to see her up and about. Her bruises were quite bountiful, but they didn't look as bad as he had expected, although by the way she was cradling her head in her hands, he assumed she was suffering from a terrible headache. He frowned, wondering if there was any way for him to remedy that. When he got his idea, he called over to a couple of his crew members and instructed them to put his thoughts into actions. They agreed and disappeared.

  "Hello," Belle said through a yawn, giving Aaron a fond look with her murky green eyes. Though her pain had not yet subsided, she smiled warmly at him. She couldn't exactly remember what had happened last night, but she knew that she had been freed from the confines of the prison cell because of actions taken by the pirate captain.

  Aaron smiled his greeting to her, though his eyes sparkled a bit more than they did usually. "I'm glad to see you up," he told her seriously, though there was an underlying gladness laced in his tone. "I am drawing you a bath as we speak. I hope you do not think me too presumptuous, but I thought you might like an opportunity to relax and clean everything that needs to be washed." He cleared his throat; Aaron was never uncomfortable concerning an
y topic to be discussed, but Belle managed to bring that out in him, whether he liked it or not.

  "You did not have to do that," she told him, though he could tell she was utterly delighted at the prospect of bathing.

  Aaron's lips quirked up, as his eyes studied her facial features with obvious adoration. After everything she had done for him? "Yes I did," he told her in a husky murmur.

  Without another word, Aaron wrapped his arm around her waist so his palm was placed on the small of her back and began to head down to the cellar. It would take a while for the rum to heat up, but the two amused themselves with conversation. They were never at a standstill for conversation, almost as though they had known each other longer than they really had. There was a comfort level neither of them had experienced with anybody else.

  "It smells suspiciously like rum," Belle said when the barrel of the amber liquid was nearly ready. She took a step towards it. "And it looks like the vile drink too. Won't your crew be upset with you at wasting a good portion of your supply?"

  Aaron chuckled at her obvious distaste for the drink. "My crew recognizes that water is much more important than rum," he told her. He took a step towards her so they were only an inch apart from each other, his chocolate eyes carefully scrutinizing her delicate face. "They should go away in a few days' time…"

  Belle hoped her cheeks weren't flushing, though an obvious warmth was spreading throughout her body at his concern. "If I had known you were going to offer me a bath, I would have worn something easier to get out of," she said in a low voice. "Would you mind…?" She let her voice trail off, and even though it wasn't her original intention, it almost sounded as though Belle was inviting him to undress her.

  Aaron had no response for that, merely allowing his fingers to carefully and skillfully start to unlace the corset. It wasn't too tight, so the corset began to loosen with relative ease. When he finished, he placed both of his hands on her hips and turned her around, but maintained the close proximity between the two. Belle had to hold up the top of her dress with her forearms.

  "Why did you not say anything to the interrogators when they were questioning you?" he asked her in a low murmur, his eyes pooling into hers.

  "If you are not going to leave, will you please turn around?" Belle asked him, hoping her request came out polite rather than demanding. "I shall answer your question in a moment." Aaron grinned wolfishly and turned, and as Belle slipped out of her dress, she kept her word. "I can only imagine what it is like to be Aaron Donovan," she told him honestly. "But being with you, a part of your missions, I come as close as I can get. And for that reason, I have every intention of prolonging your life as long as I can. Because you are a good man. And because this world needs a man like you in it."

  When Aaron was certain he had heard the young woman slip in the vat of warm alcohol, he turned. "It was a foolish thing for you to do," he told her in a firm tone, though he was momentarily transfixed by the way her hair tumbled down after she had released it from its elastic confines. It was almost like a golden halo was surrounding her, and it took him a while for him to speak again. "Though I have this feeling that saying so would not deter you from doing it again."

  She chuckled at this, pressing her body against the side of the wooden tub. It was quite tall and because the liquid was murky anyways, she had no worry of him seeing anything she did not wish him to see… at least not yet.

  Without another word, Aaron walked up to the vat of liquid and reached out. He wasn't sure what had compelled him to touch her, but at that moment, it felt like the right thing to do. Belle felt her heart quicken, but allowed him to graze her cheek with his rough fingertips before he traced a trail over to her lips.

  "I am still unsure why you consider yourself damaged goods when you are the closest thing to perfection I have ever come across," he murmured, his voice once again husky. There it was again, that painful thud in the crevice of her body, sending rays of pleasure throughout Belle's bloodstream. Before she could dwell on the moment any longer, Aaron quickly pulled his fingers away and took a step back. He forced a smile, suddenly nervous, though he'd be damned if he showed such things. "Right, well take all the time you need."

  "Thank you," Belle said, her eyes locked onto his being, even after he started to head back up the stairs.

  Almost as though it was a second thought, Aaron stopped and looked over his shoulder to look at her. "I'll never walk away from you, Belle," he told her, and his tone contained a seriousness Belle had only heard once before from him. "You have my word."

  And she believed him.

  Chapter XXXV

  It took a week for Aaron Donovan's ship to dock. In that time, both Belle and Brylee practiced their swordsmanship thanks to both Aaron and Rick, and Brylee learned how to cook from Red, the ship's own cook. Belle's bruises were starting to fade, and once the pirates had reached their destination, they were just a memory.

  Despite being quite close to the port, the crew refused to touch land just yet. For supper, they gathered in the galley in their usual places, with Aaron at the head of the wooden table, and Belle and Rick on either side of him. It would be keen to note that when Brylee had first arrived, she would not sit with anyone besides Belle because she refused to interact socially with pirates. But now, Brylee chose to sit on Rick's other side, and the two seemed to be striking up quite a friendship, whether Brylee wanted to admit it or not.

  "So Aaron," Belle said, after swallowing a bite of her stew. She tilted her head up so she could look at him, her green eyes serious. "What is our next plan of attack?" She had been quite curious to hear the details because in the week they had been sailing, Aaron had not mentioned anything. But now that they were docked, Belle felt it would not be a better time for the pirate to explain what to expect.

  "There's an upscale brothel financially backed by the Duke of Arden, originally from England, on this island," Rick said, answering for Aaron despite the fact that he was still chewing his food when he did so. "He exploits the women he has working for him, pimps them out, forcing them have sex with men they do not want to engage in such acts with."

  "How are we supposed to get him, then?" Brylee asked, furrowing her brows. "I mean, I am sure robbing it would not be a problem since the crew is quite experienced, but how will we stop him, the Duke?"

  "The best way to get the Duke of Arden would be to send somebody in incognito while he attempts to seduce her," Rick answered once again. "This way, he will be distracted enough where the crew can come in an attempt to free the prostitutes from the brothel's confines as well as rob him blind."

  "I do not understand the problem," Belle told him. Even though nobody had yet mentioned some kind of obstacle, Rick's tone exposed some sort of hesitancy to actually engage in the plan.

  "Well, we have some knowledge on the Duke," Rick said, and oddly enough, avoided Belle's eyes. "And it would seem he has quite a preference for women with blonde hair and a body that is quite curvy."

  Belle opened her mouth, as though to say that once again since she didn't see the problem. However, she shut it abruptly and thought about it. She was so deep in thought that she didn't notice Aaron's brown eyes staring at her, as though he, too, was wondering just what she was about to propose.

  "I will volunteer," she said finally. "I will be this seductress if you would like."

  "No." It was the first word Aaron had said all through supper, and instead of it being warm and playful, it was crisp and firm. "No, you will not."

  Belle furrowed her brows at him, slightly offended by his words. "I think that I will," she said. "I cannot let it rest on my conscious that these women are…" She stopped herself short, hoping her voice wouldn't catch. "I am doing this," she continued, "whether you like it or not. You can either figure out some way to ensure my safety as I do so, or not. Of course I would prefer the former, but if your pride gets in the way, I'm sure I can take care of myself."

  Aaron stared at Belle long and hard. He knew she wasn't going to b
ack down, and if she wouldn't he knew that he should. She was right. Her safety was worth more than his pride, so he forced himself to nod once.

  "Fine," he said indifferently. "You can go. But I will be hiding somewhere nearby so that if something does happen and he tries something with you, I will protect you."

  "Fine," Belle agreed.

  "Rick," Brylee said, wiping her mouth with a piece of cloth that she had made into a napkin. "I think that once supper is finished, you and I should go see if a dress shop is open, hmm?"

  Rick immediately caught on to what Brylee was doing. The two could feel the tension between Aaron and Belle, and if they left as fast they could, they might escape being a part of a big fight.

  "Absolutely," he murmured as Aaron got up and headed into his room.

  Brylee gave Belle a sympathetic look, but followed Rick out the door. Belle, in turn, had lost any sort of appetite she might or might not have had. This was silly. Why was Aaron angry with her? Was he even angry with her? She bit the bottom corner of her lip and decided that she was going to find out. She stood up and headed over to the captain's quarters. She quickly knocked, and before waiting for an answer, opened the door and headed into his room, slamming the door behind her.

  "Are you upset with me?" she asked him, her hands on her hips, preparing for an argument.

  However, the candle resting near Aaron's arm flickered and Belle could see that if the pirate was anything, he seemed worried. He stood up from the desk he had been sitting at and walked towards her. When he reached Belle, he placed both of his hands on her shoulders, forcing her to look at him straight in the eye.

  "Promise me," he told her, "that you will be safe."

  "Of course," Belle murmured, nodding. "And if anything does happen, you will be right there to protect me."