Gunpowder & Gold (Justified Treason, Book 4): Endless Horizon Pirate Stories

by Cristi Taijeron

  We moved to a table where Charlie spent the next hour teaching him everything she knew about every game she knew. As the day went on he proved to be a natural, and his good luck kept up long after a few other men joined their game.

  The one named Smith, like me, had no interest in the game, so we drank and talked as they played. Buzzing from my rum, I was enjoying myself rather well, until the dark haired mess of a man sitting across from Toby started annoying me. Drunk as could be, he belched and slurred, and cursed throughout their games.

  Eventually, Smith warned me that Flappy tended to get irrational when drunk, and not long after those words were spoken, Flappy proved his point. Wiping the sweat from his dirty forehead, Flappy barked at Charlie, “What’s a woman doing playing at the card table anyhow? You ought to be on my lap or serving me drinks.”

  Without thinking it through, I backhanded him. As his pox-ridden face whipped back from the blow, I grabbed the hilt of my cutlass and snarled, “Speak another foul word to my woman and I’ll cut your slimy tongue out and feed it to your mate over here.”

  Smith bit in the air like he was hungry for the treat and Flappy grumbled under his breath while rubbing his cheek, but the irrational drunkard resumed his game with a quiet mouth.

  Humored by the way Flappy carried on without retaliating, I winked at Charlie to assure her I’d take care of her. She blew me a kiss before dealing the next round of cards.

  Filling another mug of ale, I continued with Smith—all the while listening in to be sure Flappy kept his mouth shut. Throughout the next game, he was quiet. The one following, he took to grumbling again, but by the fifth hand, he had become drunk enough to forget my warning. Hearing him raise his voice, I grabbed my dagger, but I paused for a moment when I realized he was yelling at Toby this time, “You’re cheating. I know it!”

  “I swear I’m not, sir.” Toby held his hands up. “I only learned to play today and I’m just lucky, I guess.”

  “Lucky, my fat white arse.” Flappy pointed as he shouted, “No new fella’s going to play that good. I call you out for a duel.”

  Flappy’s overdramatized squeal was almost humorous, but knowing Toby was nowhere near tough enough to duel anyone, I stood up to takeover. “I’ve had enough of you, Flappy. If you want to fight somebody, you can fight—”

  My words were interrupted when Smith shoved me. Drunk as I was, I fell back from the blow. As I caught my footing, I saw Flappy brush all of Toby’s fair earned loot into his duffle. When Charlie tried to stop him, he slapped her hand. I grabbed my knife to end this for good but someone suddenly reached in my pocket. It was Smith! He had snatched a bag of my gold and was now running for the door. Not having time for such petty thievery, I shot him on the spot. Returning my attention to Charlie, I watched her whip a knife from her belt and chuck it at Flappy—who was running away with Toby’s loot. The blade passed by Toby and plunged into Flappy’s back. As I darted in that direction, I saw Flappy rip the blade out of his back and turn to face Toby with it.

  Before I could reach them, that clapper-clawed dog ran his blade into Toby’s arm, and then his side. As Flappy tore his dagger out of my youngest crewman’s body, I shoved him. His greasy black hair flew around as he stumbled backwards. I punched him before he could catch his footing. He tried to stab me. I hopped out of the way in time to miss his blade, but he quickly swung again.

  Brandishing my cutlass, I deflected the blow of his bloodstained dagger. My forceful parry knocked him over and he fell onto a tabletop. I didn’t want to have to kill the ol’ drunkard, but the sight of him cocking back in an attempt to stab me, and the sound of him shouting that Charlie and Toby would be next, left me no choice. I went after him with all my might and thrust my blade into his side. Twisting the metal amidst his organs, I heard him screaming and watched him gurgle up blood until he had no more breath to do so.

  Realizing that the room was silent around me, and that I was breathing up a gale, I wiped the sweat off of my forehead and stood up straight. Grabbing the hair of the thieving bastard who’d insulted my woman and tried to kill my friend, I lifted his lifeless body before the crowd. “Let this visual be a reminder to anyone who thinks about speaking foul to my woman or robbing my mates.”

  After throwing Flappy out the door, I expected the ruckus of the room to resume like it normally did after a fight broke out, but that was not the case. Rather, the entire crowd of people had their eyes on Edward. Aye, the gigantic African man—who never spoke a word and scared the hell out of everyone who laid eyes on him—was on his knees, holding his bleeding son in his arms, crying his eyes out.

  “It’s all right, Edward,” Charlie said as she poured rum over Toby’s wound. “He’s going to be all right.”

  “I’ll be fine, Pa,” Toby assured as he winced in pain.

  Edward squeezed Toby tighter but didn’t say a word.

  “That’s enough gawking, folks.” Shannyn started shooing the crowd away.

  Bit by bit they filtered out, but an inquisitive few remained. I glowered at them. “Let the man be.”

  Considering that my blade—covered in the blood of the man I’d killed before their eyes—was still in my hand, they easily assented to my orders.

  “Thank you for making that quick.” Shannyn smiled at me. “Those two have caused problems in here a few times and I’m glad to know they won’t be coming back.”

  “‘Tis always a pleasure to clean the earth of such scum.” I wiped my blade clean.

  She patted my back, then looked towards Smith who was lying dead on the floor. “I’ll clean up the blood, you make sure your friends are all right.”

  With the room once again bustling around us, I knelt down beside Toby. Glad to see that Charlie had Toby’s wounds wrapped well enough to stop the bleeding, and that Edward had stopped crying, I patted Toby’s good arm. “If it makes you feel any better, mate, I know you weren’t cheating.”

  He and Charlie laughed, but to my surprise, Edward looked at me with his watery eyes, and spoke to me for the first time, “He don’t cheat. His heart is golden. As good as they come, just like his mother.” Surprised by how well he spoke English, I listened closely as he went on. “I thought that being forced into slavery alongside my wife was the worst thing that could ever have happened to me, until the day she died. Now, I know the only thing worse than that would be losing all that I have left of her. Our son. You saved him from the senseless rage of that stupid man. Not only have you given us a place to belong where we are equal and free, but you saved my son’s life, and I will forever be indebted to you for this, Sterling Bentley.”

  X

  Once our absurdly fancy room was ready, and all of our goods—new and old—had been delivered, we took a moment to get acquainted with our personal servant, Grace. Shannyn had sent her, plainly stating that she was the best girl in the house, and assured us that she would grant all of our favors with the best manners and efficiency. With fair skin, brunette curls, and light brown eyes, she was pretty, too.

  With everything settled, and everyone out of our way, Charlie and I took a moment to look around. The walls of the large room were lined with gold and red striped wallpaper, and the silk curtains framing the massive bay window were gold. There was a long dining table decorated with fanciful candle holders and bowls of fruit, along with a few bottles of wine. Under the glow of the candles lighting the room, I saw that the dark leather sofas and the canopy bed were all accented by red, gold, and copper colored pillows. The bed looked extra inviting to my tired body. Stretching out my aching arms, I yawned. “I’m ready for a nap.”

  “Oh, me too.” Charlie mirrored my gesture. “As if battling and sailing are not enough work, that damn bar fight sucked the last bits of life right out of me.”

  Eyeing the gold and jewels bulging out of the chest next to the fancy bed, I said, “I suppose that load of wealth makes it worthwhile, eh?”

  “Yes it does!” She darted for the chest. “Oh, Sterling, this makes The Lovers
’ Treasure look like beggar’s change.”

  Carelessly, she sifted through the beautiful pieces, adorning her dirty body with the jewelry she liked and tossing the other items onto the bed.

  I dug my hand into the pile of treasure. “Now you see why I honor the title of buccaneer?”

  “Yes, I see why. But not me, no. Pirate suits me just fine. That shit was too gruesome for me.” She took another shot of rum.

  “Well, look at this, my ferocious little pirate, I have a surprise for you.” I took her by the hand, and led her towards the washroom.

  Pulling back the lacy curtain hanging in the doorway, I set sight on the candlelit washroom. Everything was much nicer than I thought it was going to be. In the center of the room there was a bathtub filled with steaming water. The table near it was adorned with different size candles, a bar of fragrant soap, neatly folded towels, and there was even a vase full of flowers.

  Stripping her clothes off, Charlie yelped, “I can’t wait to be clean!”

  In the water we went, and there we stayed—washing each other until the water turned cold. Then we called upon Grace to refill it. So far I liked having a servant of our own.

  Once we were clean as could be, and our tangled hair was combed smooth again, Charlie wrapped up in a towel and stood before the mirror to line her eyes. She babbled on about makeup and nightgowns and all the other things she had bought, but I was too busy dreaming about ripping that towel off of her to hear much of what she said.

  With her eye makeup done, she reached in one of the wooden chests and attempted to grab one of the many nightgowns she now owned. Grabbing her arm, I pulled her towards the bed. “Uh, uh. You won’t be needing clothes tonight, sweetheart.”

  Easily following my lead, she let me lower her to the bed. There, on the red silk sheets, I finally gave her what I hadn’t in far too long. So many days had passed since I’d last had her love that the familiar feel of her velvety lips seemed foreign and new. Damn, she even looked different. Her hair was lighter than it had ever been, her skin was nearly as tan as mine, and the liner she had added under her eyes made them look extra warm and fiery. Plus, she had gained some weight and I liked the feel of her jiggling skin in my hands.

  Wearing nothing but her scars, her rose vine tattoo, and her witch jewelry, she was the perfect mix a power and beauty. As she laid there beneath me—squeezing my arms, arching her back, and pulling my hair—I wondered where the hell this saucy wench came from.

  She couldn’t be real. Hell, this whole night seemed like a dream. And just when I thought things couldn’t possibly get better, she grabbed a handful of gold and sprinkled the pieces all over her chest. Through my drunk and blurry eyes I watched her sweat covered body glistening among the glittering gold pieces in the candlelight—her pretty tits bouncing as I grinded my hips against her, her lips pouting as she cried out in pleasure. Damn. I loved sex and I’d always fancied gold, but making love with my queen on the pile of jewels we’d worked side by side to earn, assured me that she was the best thing that’d ever happened to me.

  The good life got even better when she climbed up on top of me. Swaying and twisting with an angelic rhythm, she looked like a mythical goddess and her skin was soft and smooth like the clouds. Yet her eyes were like fire, and the curves of her beautiful body were like the blazing swirls of the flames. Devil or angel, it was hard to say, but either way, she had claimed my soul entirely.

  She begged me never to stop. I didn’t want to, ever, but she made it hard to hold out. Wanting her to be satisfied before her ride came to its end, I did what she liked best. Ah, watching her go wild made it harder to withstand. It didn’t take long for her to lose all control and watching her do so sent me over the edge. I gave her the last bit of energy I had as she collapsed on my chest.

  Holding her tight as our breathing slowed, I ran my hand through her wet hair and kissed her forehead. The sweat, the gold, the lust, and the fire, all seemed to vanish into the darkness following the final flicker of the last candle. And here, in my arms, was the only thing that truly mattered. My Black Rose.

  X

  Waking up on a comfortable bed, with Charlie’s arms around me and my face shoved against her bare chest, I let out a satisfied breath of air. Sunlight had just begun to light the sky, a light breeze was blowing through the open window and best of all, the wooden chest was full of Spanish gold.

  I started kissing Charlie’s cheek—the one that wasn’t stitched and scarred. “Good morning, my dove.”

  Watching as her eyes fluttered open, revealing her beautiful hazel irises, I kissed her again. “I’ve missed sleeping beside you, beauty. I forgot how pretty you are in the morning light.”

  She smiled for a second, then winced in pain. Framing the gash on her face, she pouted. “I am not pretty anymore. This scar makes me ugly.”

  “Nonsense.” I kissed the area around her wound.

  She slapped me away. Lying back on my pillow, my face landed on an emerald. I chucked it towards the chest of loot.

  Looking in that direction, Charlie gasped, “Oh my, it wasn’t a dream. We are rich, Sterling.”

  “Indeed we are.” Wrapping my arm around her waist, I pulled her closer.

  Tickling across my chest, she giggled, “I counted it all at sea, but looking at it in a room of our own makes it finally seem real.”

  Feeling something under me, I wiggled around and yanked a string of pearls from under my side. I handed them to her. “It’s as real as can be and we have so much that it’s bothering us in our sleep.”

  She twirled the string around her finger. “It suddenly feels like the world is wide open, again. It has to be.”

  “Soon enough it will be, my little hurricane.” Running my hand down her long, lean side and stopping on her arse, where I grabbed the plump, shapely flesh, I moved myself on top of her and pried her legs apart with my knees.

  In the morning light, I loved her again. After a good night’s rest, and enjoying the space of the big bed, I went for much longer than I did last night. When we were through, I figured I’d fall asleep again simply because I could. Holding her tight, I said, “It’s nice having nowhere to go and nothing to do for once.”

  Before she could respond, someone knocked on the door. Of course they did. “How dare I think I could relax for one whole day.”

  Charlie pulled me up by the arm. “Oh, come now. It’s probably Grace. I requested breakfast at ten, and it is ten. Get up and put some clothes on.”

  “Ah, Grace, the pretty maid.” I was suddenly much more willing to accept the sitting position she forced me into.

  “She is pretty, isn’t she?” Charlie looked at the clock. “And she is bringing me food so I like her even more, now.”

  Opening a massive wooden chest, Charlie sifted through it, then put on a deep red nightgown. Once she was covered, she threw me a pair of breeches. Eyeing the gold embroidery running down the side of the burgundy fabric, I wondered how the hell much money she had spent yesterday.

  Once I had the absurdly fancy breeches on, she opened the door. Along with Grace and the bevy of maids, Shannyn Barlow entered our room. As quick as little bees, Grace and the maids set the table with fancy place settings and colorful trays of food, but Shannyn laid her hand on my arm as she greeted me, “Good morning, Mister Bentley.”

  Charlie slapped her hand off of me. “Good morning, Shannyn Barlow. Can I help you?”

  Looking annoyed as could be, Shannyn said, “Since you’re staying in the best room at my father’s place, it’s my job to see that you’re being well cared for. So, I came to see that you’re good and comfortable and to ask if’n you need anything else.”

  “We don’t need a thing,” Charlie snipped.

  Shannyn rolled her eyes. “Well, that lightens my load for the day. But here, I also came to give you this.” She handed Charlie a note. It was from Remington, addressed to Black Rose.

  Charlie quickly opened the envelope. I peeked over her shoulder to read th
e words.

  Black Rose,

  I’ve come too far on my own to let my brother hinder my freedom, but considering your story I’m sure you will understand my reasons for leaving against his wishes. By the time you get this, I will be well on my way to Port Royal, and I would love for you to look me up the next time you are in port.

  -Remi-

  “How dare you two let this happen!” Charlie barked at Shannyn. “I should have known not to trust you but where the hell is Buckley?”

  Shannyn crossed her arms over her chest. “I didn’t let shit happen. She snuck out in the night and I can only assume Lee went with her, for all I found in the morning was an empty room.”

  “At least she is with Lee.” Charlie rubbed her forehead. “But do you have any idea what she is after in Port Royal?”

  “I don’t know shit,” Shannyn said. “Now, since you don’t need anything from me, I’ll be on my way.”

  I looked at Charlie just in time to see her face lift with a tricky grin. “Oh, well, I just thought of something that would help to make us good and comfortable. I would like more rum, a hookah, and some Moroccan hashish. A servant to rub our feet while we smoke and drink, and I would like for you to get Yin from Dragon Fire to pay us a visit so we can get some new tattoos. But most importantly, I want a harpsichord.”

  Shannyn squinted. “You want me to get you a harpsichord?”

  “Yes. I want to write a song.” Charlie moved her fingers around like she was playing. “And if you are quick about it I may give you a nice tip.”

  I handed Shannyn a heavy purse. “Here. This should cover the cost of my lady’s request. And the tip.”

  “I’ll get everything as soon as I can.” Shannyn smiled sweetly at me and then headed out of the door.

  Once the maids were gone, Charlie and I sat at the candlelit table. As she filled her plate with the tasty food, she said, “I would prefer it if you stay far the hell away from Shannyn Barlow.”