If he would not stand up for our love, I would. With my pistol at the ready, I busted in the door.
And there, I laid eyes on the most horrifying sight I had ever witnessed. Her lips were pressed firm against his. Her hand was squeezing tight to his bare arm. Oh, my God, her tongue was in his mouth and his hand was on her cheek!
He jumped up so quickly, I was not sure who had started this heinous act of treason. But as far as I was concerned, this would be the last thing either of them ever started again. She would go first, and he, oh, he would suffer.
As she leapt up with her hands held in surrender, I pulled the trigger.
The damned thing misfired.
Recovering from the mortified scream she had released, Shannyn begged me to leave her be, but that was simply not an option. I threw my worthless gun at her face. As the heavy piece of wood and metal bashed against her nose, I heard Sterling shouting at me to leave her alone. That only angered me more. My world spiraled out of control as I charged towards the home-wrecking harlot who was holding her bleeding nose. I felt Sterling grab my arm, but I easily broke loose of his grip. Grabbing her by the throat, I shoved her against the wall. After smashing her head against it a few times, I slammed her to the ground. I was so enraged I couldn’t tell if she was fighting back as I punched her face over and over. Blood rushed through my body so quickly I could not hear the words she screamed, but I saw blood flying from her mouth and nose. My mind thought nothing past vengeance. Death was all I could see. Her death.
Just as I grabbed the dagger off my belt, Sterling wrapped his hand around my arm, lifted me off of her, and threw me across the room. I tried to charge at her again, but he jumped in front of me. “Whoa, whoa, whoa. Let her be. It’s not what you think.”
“Are you truly going to side with her right now?” I shouted as I jerked out of his grip.
“I’m not siding with anyone. I just want to explain. There’s no need for bloodshed.”
His betrayal stabbed me in the heart. Backing away from the blow of his words, I asserted, “Let me explain how I have no need for a husband I cannot trust.”
“What? No. I didn’t do anything, she…”
“She? If it was her then let me kill her.” I drew my second pistol.
He stepped to the side to block my aim of her. “Don’t be ridiculous, Charlie. Let her go and we’ll talk. I can explain everything.”
I aimed the gun at him. “I’ve heard all I need to make my decision. Considering the last few weeks of our lives, it is dreadfully apparent that there is nothing sacred about our marriage. I could have walked away from the mess we made if I was indeed the one woman who held your heart, but now…” my voice began to tremble. I didn’t like that. Refusing to sound weak, I cleared my throat and spoke firmly, “But now this bitch has those pieces of your heart I have been trying to pry out of your chest. And I will not share that part of our love.”
Without lowering the gun I backed towards the door.
“Stop it, Charlie. Where are you going?” The worry in his tone made him sound weak, and guilty.
“Where I am going will be of no interest to you. You would be terribly bored and feel utterly trapped there. For in this place I am seeking, I will find peace and quiet. And there will be no sluts there!” I glared at Shannyn, who he was still shielding with the body that had once been my shield. “My plans have not changed, Sterling Bentley. But this horrendous act of betrayal has forever changed my heart.”
He stepped towards me. I pulled the hammer back. “You move, and I will kill her. If this pistol doesn’t fire then I have two daggers to throw and a cutlass to wield. She will die under my hand if you leave me the opportunity.”
He stayed where he was.
“Just as I thought.” I held tight to my gun. “You may as well keep her around because I will have nothing to do with you from here on out.”
Slamming the door behind me, I ran down the stairs—resisting the urge to cry. I would not cry over him. He chose his destiny and I would create mine.
The sun set low as I bolted through town, dipping and dodging the hideous groups of awful men. Reaching Wicked Rose, I scaled the gangway, only to find another crowd of men to shift through. The area reeked of tar and vomit, and beyond the sound of the band’s sloppily played music, I heard the groans of sex. I hated when they brought whores aboard, but who was I to say a thing about what these nasty pirates did? Without Sterling at my side I had no power here, and he would never be next to me again if I could help it.
Reaching my bunkroom, I shut the door behind me and took a moment to catch my breath. What the hell would I do now? I couldn’t stay here with his crew. These were his men, and this was his ship. And he even had my gold, damn it. He had everything. I had nothing…
Pulling back the panel where I had hid a portion of my loot, I stuffed the gold pieces and colorful jewels in my pockets, then opened the small wooden chest I kept in the room and began stashing any of my decorations that held value.
Once the room was nearly bare, I lugged the chest into Sterling’s cabin and began gathering any needed supplies I could find in there. He had my entire chest of wealth in his room at the inn. Him and his whore could have it in exchange for the meager earnings I would pull out of his hiding places.
As I sifted through his belongings, I thought about what these things meant to him, and then remembered all the things I was leaving behind. All of my new clothes, some of the artwork I had collected, and the books I had planned to read. Ugh, what did it matter? None of those things would be worth the pain I’d have to face if I went back for them.
Having gathered what I needed, I closed the lid to my chest. Before picking it up, I realized I had forgotten one thing. It was something of much greater value and I would have to make room for it. Sterling’s rutter.
Pulling the precious piece from the place where he kept it hidden, I eyed the cover and contemplated the notion of taking it. He loved this thing, he did. It meant so much to him, but he could navigate the damn seas of the world with his eyes closed. As for me, I would soon be traveling to faraway places and I would need this information to survive.
Convincing myself that he owed it to me for forcing me out into the world without him, I shoved the precious piece in my chest, quickly followed by his navigation tools.
With everything packed and ready, I picked up the heavy little chest and headed for the door. As I fumbled with the doorknob, the door came flying open. It was Yakob. “Are you all right, Black Rose? You looked worried as you came through.”
“I’m fine, Yakob. Or, at least I will be.” I struggled to catch my breath.
Looking at the load I was straining to carry, Yakob yanked the thing out of my hands. “Let me help you. To your room?”
“No. I, uh, well…”
He frowned. “Do you need someone to talk to?”
His kindness always surprised me. “I don’t need to talk, Yakob. I just need to go.”
“Where are you going? I let you go once today and I worry like an ol’ oma while you were gone. I know you are a strong woman and can fight for yourself, but it is my nature to protect a woman and I cannot let you wander off alone in the night.”
I took a deep breath. “Do you truly want to help me, Yakob?”
He shook his big, bald head to agree.
“Then you have to swear your loyalty to me and promise to never tell what I have planned.”
He squinted doubtfully.
“I will be going on my way if you promise or not, so if you want to know, you must swear it.”
“I swear.” He set the chest down and crossed his arms.
“I am leaving Sterling. I caught him with another woman and I cannot bear the heartache or the shame.”
“Who is this woman?” His face reddened with anger.
“Shannyn Barlow. The bar tramp.”
“I knew she was trouble.” He gritted his teeth and patted his axe.
“I knew it, too, but Sterling refu
sed to see it, or, well, perhaps he denied it because he wanted her all along. Whatever his reasons are, I cannot sail with him anymore.”
“I understand, but what else will you do?”
“Sign on with another crew, I suppose. Royce Freeman, the man I was with today, he is my friend, and he made me a proposition of great promise—one that could grant me the retirement I have been dreaming of. I figure I’ll find him and see what he has in mind.”
Yakob shook his head. “I do not know. It is so hard to trust any soul these days, especially when seeking them out on this awful island.”
“If it eases your mind at all, Sterling trusts Royce. He is a friend of his and I know I will be safe with him. So, unless you have a better plan, that is what I will be doing.”
Yakob rubbed his head. “Perhaps if we bring a few loyal men with us I would feel better about this.”
“Us?” I kinked my head to the side.
“Yes. I am going with you,” he stated like it was an obvious fact.
At first I thought to hug him with all my might, but instead I started pacing in a panic, thinking of who would run to tell Sterling what I was up to if they heard. “Who would join us without questioning our cause?”
Yakob rested his hand on my shoulder. “Calm yourself, Black Rose. As you may have noticed, I watch people and understand their ways. I know who will follow you.”
Thinking of how much I loved some of my brothers of the black flag, I felt tears of joy filling my eyes. “I would feel better if we brought some of our men along, as well. And that way, if we do not like Royce’s plan, we can find a way to take a ship of our own. One way or another I need to get off this awful island and then off these cursed seas for good.”
“You’re serious about retirement, eh? Where do you wish to settle down?”
“As of yet, I have my mind set on France, but anywhere other than Tortuga will do. I am exhausted and though I am leaving a mass of my loot behind, I have enough in here to get myself established somewhere that I can find peace, and possibly raise a family one day.”
“You want peace and a family?”
“I do. I want it more than anything, but I reckon the Lord has punished me with a barren womb because I do not deserve to have children. Perhaps if I change my ways, He will find favor in me. But either way, I am ready to go ashore and find a new path.”
“In the case of retirement, the number of men we could take just doubled.” He picked up my chest of plundered goods and nodded towards the door. “Now, let me carry this for you and we will get on our way to wherever the hell you want to go.”
Chapter 15
Speed, Strength, & Loyalty
As Told By Charlotte Bentley
Finding Royce to be busy with a whore in his room at The Polished Pearl, we decided to rent the room next door while we waited for him. Feeling lightheaded and nauseous—quite like I’d felt the last few days—I had so far spent the evening sitting in the orange chair I’d bought from Mister Bernard, throwing up my dinner in a bucket.
As I spit up my guts, Yakob sat on the bed sharpening his axe, Relando and Jameson sat at the table playing cards, and Hank was passed out drunk on the floor. For the most part, the mood was relaxed…all besides my violent heaving and the way Rolland was pacing the room like a nervous ol’ nit. “I don’t like this, Charlie. Look at you, you’re sick as hell. You need to be lying in bed at home, not plotting to seize ships and shit.”
After expelling the last of my bile, I looked at him through my watery eyes. “I am plotting to seize ships and shit so I can finally have a home to go to, Joseph Rolland.”
Taking my bucket and dumping my vomit out the window, he said, “I don’t care what you think Bentley did. It isn’t right to runoff without your man.”
Though the things Sterling had said to that home-wrecking slut were far more detrimental than anything he did, no one needed to know that shameful part of this heartbreaking tale. “This is not about what I think he did, I saw it with my own eyes. He is a sexually insatiable whoremonger and I have had enough of his immoral lifestyle.” I wiped my mouth.
The men chuckled at my comments, but while rinsing out the bucket with rum, Rolland mumbled, “As far as I can tell, you’re both as bad as each other, which makes you perfect together.”
“Perfect? Ha! The only thing we would be perfect for is a target for the Hellfire and brimstone the Lord will strike upon the earth when he has had enough of people destroying themselves with such sinful behavior.”
Not the least bit concerned with my preaching, Rolland handed me the clean bucket. “I reckon you ought to let me walk you home to Bentley afore this solvable problem gets out of control.”
Annoyed as much by his words as by the sounds of Royce’s whore howling out in pleasure on the other side of the wall, I pounded on the wall as I snapped at Roland, “I am not going back to him and if you continue to harp at me like this I will send you on your way.”
Yakob stood up, freshly sharpened axe in hand. “Bentley will know nothing of this, so by on your way, she means me throwing your head out the window after I chop it off.”
Tapping Yakob’s arm, I giggled deliriously. “You are a sweetheart, Yakob, but the decapitation of the master sailor’s handsome head will not be necessary at this time. Right, Rolland?”
Annoyed as could be, Rolland ran his hands through his messy hair. “Obviously, Yakob is in full support of this act of treason, but what the hell are the rest of you thinking here?”
Looking up from his hand of cards, Jameson said, “I want to go home to my family in England and Black Rose is heading the way I need to go.”
“Same goes for me,” Relando agreed. “But also, I care for the lass, and whatever her reasons for taking flight, I’ll be helping to see her safely along as I make my way home to my own family.”
From where he lay on the floor, Hank grabbed Yakob’s leg. “And I go where Yaky goes and do what Yaky does. If he wants to protect Black Rose, I’ll do the same.”
Hugging my rum scented bucket, I smiled at Rolland. “I love my friends.”
Rolland laid his sweaty face in his hands. “Well, shit, Charlie, as much as I hate this, I won’t be doing no good for you or Bentley if Yaky chops my head off. I suppose I’ll be going, too. ”
As everyone clapped and cheered to accept the master sailor’s return to our little crew, I felt my eyes filling with tears. Wiping them away, I said, “I can’t thank you all enough. Now, as soon as that man is done fucking that loud arse whore we’ll go over there to see what he has to offer us. If we don’t like it, we’ll go after another ship. But however the hell we end up getting out of here, I would prefer to bring this chair along.”
As soon as the whore silenced, and the headboard was no longer thumping against the wall, I forced myself out of the comfortable chair. Grabbing a rum bottle, I took a shot, swished the flavored liquid around in my mouth, and spit it out the window. “No one will want to do business with me if I smell like regurgitated salmagundi.” I flashed my friends a ridiculous grin. “Now, let’s set out to seek our new heading.”
Together we walked out of the room and gathered before the door of room five. With a deep breath, I knocked. Through the wooden divide I could hear the tramp begging Royce to stay in bed with her. She was speaking French. Just as I thought to myself how helpful it was to now be fluent in multiple languages, Royce opened the door.
Peeking through the narrow crack—shirt off, wild black locks hanging loose over his bare shoulders—he said to me, “Well, aren’t you a lovely little lady of your word.”
Baffled by his flirtatious gaze, and enamored by the way his dimples showed at the edges of his neatly trimmed goatee, I stuttered, “Yes, uh, well…” Rolland slapped my arm to snap me out of my dumbstruck trance. “Yes, Mister Freeman, I told you I was interested in your offer, and I am. Unfortunately, Sterling had other plans for the eve, so I have come with my loyal men, and together we wish to learn more about this proposition.�
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Peering over my shoulder, Royce said, “It’s dark out there, how many men are with you?”
“Six, including myself.”
Looking down at his bare chest—where a bejeweled cross hung from a golden chain—he said, “I am hardly dressed for a party, nor am I foolish enough to allow five armed men who I have never met into my room. You alone, my dear.”
Rolland answered for me, “Her and one other or there’s nothing to discuss.”
Royce looked at me and said, “I see you have a way of surrounding yourself with protective men, Black Rose.” He then peered over at Yakob who had attempted to ward him off of me earlier.
“Part of becoming a powerful woman in a man’s world is knowing which powerful men to befriend.” I winked.
He smiled. “You and one other, Black Rose.”
The men voted that Rolland should be the one to join me.
Royce welcomed us in.
Besides the ruffled sheets, his room was surprisingly clean, and with the few candles lit I plainly saw the face of the blonde whore lying in his bed. I had met the pretty young French girl at the tavern downstairs a few nights ago. She couldn’t speak English but we’d had a jolly time together conversing in her language.
“Bonsoir, Eulalie.” I tipped my hat to her as I sat down at the table.
Twirling one of her curls, she said, “Bonjour, Rose Noire.”
“Alors, qui a fini par gagner ce jeu de cartes?” I inquired about the heated card game we watched together as I removed my hat.
Perking up, she laughed, “Paul a gagné, qui a bouleversé Jacob, alors il l'a giflé, mais ensuite …”
Though we instantly took to conversing, Royce interrupted us, “Il est bon de voir que vous deux vous entendre, mais,” he patted her rosy cheek. “Nous avons entreprise pour soigner, et vous devez être sur votre chemin, Eulalie.”
Gunpowder & Gold (Justified Treason, Book 4): Endless Horizon Pirate Stories Page 24
