Her hot-blooded temper flooded through her. “I’m hungry for something more than just berries and fruit.”
Dulac crossed his arms. “I’m sure he’s combing his island for us. Let’s hope it takes him a long time before he realizes we’re not there.”
She frowned at him, fighting the fact that he was right. “Let him come. I’ll finish the job I started.”
Dulac snorted. “Yeah, right. I’m sorry to say it, Jess, but—”
She pointed at him. “Don’t say it.”
“You’re just a boy.”
Anger slammed into her, and she hit him hard as she could. As before, it didn’t phase him. He merely frowned at her. “You’re becoming abusive.”
She snarled angrily and left him standing in the waves.
* * * *
Jesse grumbled to herself as she plowed through the jungle in search of more fruit. “Don’t make a fire. Don’t go on the beach in the middle of the day. Don’t leave tracks.”
She sighed contemptuously. “Don’t be anything but a woman.”
Depressed, she took her frustration out on the vegetation around her. She hacked at the green foliage as if it were LeBlanc himself. She so wanted to envision Dulac under the blade, but somehow, she just couldn’t.
Sweat dripped into her eye, and she paused to wipe it off. Looking to her right, she stared idly into the jungle. It suddenly occurred to her the darkness of the foliage went deeper than normal. On a whim, she slung her blade at it and was surprised when, after a few hacks, there was empty space where there shouldn’t be. Cool air rushed at her as well, and it dawned on her what she had found.
A cave.
Excitement coursed through her. A cave would keep them safe from the elements and provide a hiding spot when Rod came looking for them. They could store the boat in there as well. She turned to go find Dulac, only to see he stood an arm’s length away. Anger creased the lines in his forehead, and she sneered at him.
“What did I do now?”
“You have to stop making paths.”
“I’m not—” She stopped as she realized she had. “Oh. Well, I found a cave.”
“Good. Maybe they’ll think we’re in it.” He looked over his shoulder, then motioned for her to follow him. “C’mon. We have to go.”
“What’s the rush, and where are we going?”
“They’re here.”
Her mouth dropped, and a hard cold fear settled in her chest. “Already? It’s only been a few days. They couldn’t have searched all of that island already.”
He lowered his voice. “Well, there’s a handful of pirates landing on the beach as we speak. And I’m sure they’ll find this new path you just made...”
Guiltily, she glanced at it. “I wasn’t thinking.”
“That seems to be standard for you.”
She glared at him. “You make it awfully hard to like you.”
He studied her momentarily. “You don’t have to like me.”
Emotions caught in her throat. She did like him. She’d rather be caught dead, though, than let him know it.
“Oh, that’s not a problem,” she responded icily. Shoulders back and head held high, she sauntered past him into the wild jungle. “Most assuredly not a problem.”
* * * *
Jesse peered through the foliage, trying to see the ruffians as they stood before the cave. Dulac knelt beside her. Too close, in fact. He was too intent on listening to their enemy to notice his leg touched hers intimately. It was all she could do to ignore the feelings it induced. She swallowed and shifted on her knees. The weight of the pistol bounced between her breasts, and the ribbon that held it around her neck irritated her burnt skin.
Dulac elbowed her gently, and when she looked at him, he had his fingers to his lips in a “shh” gesture. She narrowed her eyes and stuck her tongue out at him. Then she stuck her nose in the air and concentrated on the muted voices.
“I think, mates, that we’ve been looking on the wrong island,” said a gruff one.
Her heart sped up as a chorus of agreement arose.
“Spread out and start looking. Petey, you take one of the boats and go tell the cap’n. One Eye, you come with me and get the loot out of the cave, if it’s still there. The vines around the entrance have been cut, that’s fer sure, but the ones on the bottom don’t look disturbed at all.”
A light tap on her shoulder made her jump. She looked incredulously at Dulac for startling her. Ignoring her jumpiness, he indicated with his head they needed to go. In total agreement, she willingly crawled behind him as they quietly distanced themselves from LeBlanc’s men.
* * * *
Night had fallen by the time they reached the other side of the island. She collapsed onto the cool sand and watched the twinkling stars. She tried not to think. It simply scared her too much.
Dulac sat beside her. They didn’t talk, and the sound of the roaring waves lulled her into sleep. When she woke in the middle of the night, it was to find herself under his scrutiny. The moon bathed his face, and she was surprised the malice in his eyes was gone.
“Go back to sleep. I’m watching.”
Weary to the bone, she nodded sleepily. Hours later, she grumbled as she was gently shaken awake. Sleepily, she opened her eyes and saw his sky-blue eyes. Her heart swelled with an unfamiliar feeling. She smiled, completely forgetting she was aggravated with him.
“Thought you didn’t like me,” he whispered tiredly.
Reality crashed back with a finality that crushed her. She didn’t answer him, deciding instead to simply put space between them. Her lower lip protruded in a pout. “I’m hungry.”
Dulac rose, swiping the sand off his legs. “I’ll get us some fruit. Wait here.”
The minute he entered the jungle, three men exited further down the beach. She froze in mid-stretch as she made eye contact with them. She cursed, turned on her heel and took off in the opposite direction. Normally, she was quick and nimble, but the sand hampered her drastically. So she veered closer to the water where the sand was smoother, and she soon outran them. She forced herself to keep going even when she thought it would kill her.
A mile later, she allowed herself the luxury of stopping. She looked back at the empty beach and smiled. She sank to her knees as she tried to catch her breath. She hoped Dulac had heard the pirates shouting and stayed safely in the jungle.
“Well, well, lookee here.”
Her head snapped in the direction of the jungle, and she paled at the sight of a big, burly pirate. She stumbled to her feet but knew it was hopeless. He cocked the pistol and aimed at her leg.
“Go ahead. Let me pay you back for the pain you put me mate in.”
She gulped and forced herself to stay put. He closed the space between them and grabbed a fistful of her hair. He forced her to her knees.
“There’s something funny about you,” he growled between gritted teeth. “Too purty to be a man.”
He leaned so close she could smell the rot from his beard. Or maybe it was from his mouth. She couldn’t tell which. She cringed as he licked her cheek.
“No stubble on that skin yet,” he whispered against her ear. Then he hauled her roughly to her feet. “Too bad I can’t touch ya, either. This is one time I curse myself for being so loyal to the cap’n.”
They walked down the beach, and he tightly held a fistful of her hair. She had to force herself not to reach up and try to pry his fat fingers loose. She had no desire to be hit, and she knew he wouldn’t hesitate to do so.
They were headed in the direction she had just ran from, and before long, they met up with the three men she had outrun. All of them lay spent on the sand, still gasping for breath.
“Get yer lazy arses up,” rumbled the one holding her.
He didn’t stop to wait on them but continued down the beach. He paused at the site where she and Dulac had spent the night. He narrowed his eyes at her. “Did he touch you?”
“Who?”
She grimaced
as he shook her head. A dull ache began to thud against her skull, and she hoped she didn’t get a headache.
“Don’t play dumb,” he snarled angrily. “Cap’n will be mighty mad if’n he took yer virginity.”
A devilishness arose in her. “Oh, that. Yeah, well, too late.”
“What?” he bellowed.
He balled up his free hand to hit her, and she cringed. The blow never came as he obviously considered the consequences of his actions. She was sure he didn’t want to make the captain any angrier than he was going to be. The news she was now soiled goods would take care of that.
All of a sudden, something flew from out of nowhere and hit the burly pirate square in the forehead. Jesse stifled a spurt of laughter as bits and pieces of a mango slid down his face. He instantly let go of her and used both hands to wipe it off. His brows furrowed in consternation, but before he had time to move, a coconut sailed out of the jungle and hit him in the left temple. He sank unconscious to the sand.
Dulac’s smiling face appeared from within the foliage. “Went down like Goliath.”
She glanced at Goliath’s companions. They had just realized he was down on the ground and were rapidly closing the distance. She quickly knelt and pulled her pistol from around Goliath’s neck. She aimed and fired but nothing discharged from the gun. It flitted through her mind that LeBlanc had somehow known there was only one bullet.
She reached into her boot and pulled out the knife hidden there. She flung it through the air with deadly accuracy. It hit the pirate right between the eyes. One man was down, and the other two were charging at her. She had never taken life before, but there was no time for remorse.
Meanwhile, fruit continued to fly past her as she struggled to get Goliath’s own pistol. He was laying on it, and she got it free just in time. She prayed it had a bullet as she cocked and aimed it. The force of the shot knocked her on her butt. Unfortunately, the pirate suddenly appeared above her with a malicious grin.
“Missed.”
She gulped as she stared down the barrel of his pistol. “Damn.”
The next thing she saw was Dulac charging out of the jungle. He tackled the pirate, and a struggle ensued between them. She was jerked to her feet by the other pirate. One Eye dragged her down the beach away from the fight. She struggled all the way.
Her heart froze at the sound of a pistol going off. Adrenaline rushed through her, and she hit One Eye hard enough to get free. She focused on Dulac’s body lying still on the beach. His foe gleefully trudged toward her as she found her voice to scream.
“No,” she cried, trying to get to Dulac.
Both pirates grabbed hold of her and kept her from going to his aide. She fought with all she had until the end of a pistol slammed against her temple.
Chapter 7
Jesse stared forlornly out of the open window. She had woken up gagged and bound securely to a chair. She was in a lady’s bedroom. A breeze blew over her, but while it cooled her skin, it did nothing to ease the heated pain within her chest.
He’s dead.
The words tore through her head like a hurricane, and the image of his still body tormented her. A tear escaped and slid coldly down her face. She sniffed several times, trying to hold back the storm threatening to break over her.
She growled. Why bother? You didn’t like him anyway. Don’t forget, he tied you to the mast.
She argued with herself. He was only doing what any captain would to punish insubordination.
Her dark side snorted. He called you names.
He thinks I’m a boy. There was a blissful moment of silence in her head. Anything else?
Yeah, he was going to see you hang for piracy.
Sadness darkened her heart as she came to a realization. In truth, pirates were nothing more than thieving, murderous dogs of the sea. Jesse had a sudden stabbing longing to go home to her father. She wondered where he was and how he fared.
What would he think of how I turned out?
Her mother had been beautiful and graceful. They had not been society mongers but had still participated in certain expected social gatherings. Her father had been well off, and she thought he had sold fine jewelry.
No doubt he would turn you away. Her dark side sneered. You could never be the daughter you were supposed to have become.
If she could, Jesse would have punched her darker self. Instead, she forced her thoughts away and stared dully at the blue sky. She wished she were on deck, basking in the glory of the sun without a care in the world. Now she was stained with a murder.
Self defense, her soul cried.
She shook her head. I’m a murderer. I deserve whatever fate Rod decrees for me.
* * * *
The rage in his eyes belied the calmness on his face. Rod knelt before her. His hands tenderly pulled down the gag, and he gave her a sip of water. Then he stared intently into her eyes.
“Tell me the truth, Jesse. Did Dulac touch you—and I’ll know if you’re lying.”
Grief smothered her usual defiance. She swallowed over a lump in her throat and reluctantly answered him. “No.”
She watched the relief shower over his face. The anger in his eyes was replaced with a calculating twinkle. He clapped his hands together and smiled like a giddy school lad.
“So he still thinks you’re a boy. That’s wonderful. Perfect. Thank you greatly, ma chere.”
There was a sudden rapping on the door, and he grumbled in annoyance. “What?”
The door creaked open. “Sir, there’s a ship in the cove.”
“Ah, perfect timing. I’ll be down momentarily.” The excitement in LeBlanc’s eyes intensified. “I’m sending my house maid up here to help you dress. Please don’t hit, bite or hurt her in anyway.”
She nodded glumly. Her eyes remained on the floor as despair ensnared her in its trap. LeBlanc’s fingers touched her chin and forced her to look up.
“Cheer up, ma chere. ’Tis your husband-to-be on that ship.”
* * * *
Jesse followed the housemaid through LeBlanc’s plantation. The house was huge, and even if she tried to escape, she’d probably get caught before ever finding a way out.
A crazy man must have designed it. Wait. A crazy man did build it—LeBlanc.
She had been allowed to wear britches and a loose, white sailor’s top. Her hair had been trimmed, and she had been doused with manly-cologne. She wondered why she was being presented as a boy to her future husband.
The maid paused before a door. She turned to Jesse and hesitated before holding up a piece of thin material. Jesse could tell she was reluctant.
“Master says ye must wear this.”
Jesse sneered. “What is it?”
“A veil for yer face.”
“What?” she exclaimed. “I don’t believe so.”
Seconds later, the door swung open, and LeBlanc stepped into the hall. He closed the door behind him and grabbed her upper arm. His face held a deadly warning.
“You’d best keep your voice down if you want to keep your tongue. This man who seeks you has little tolerance for insubordination.” His whiskers brushed her cheek, and his breath fouled her nose. “And I fear you’ll find your time on the mast pleasurable in comparison to what he will do.”
She paled and nodded. Fear of the unknown filled her, and she considered bolting. She winced as his grip on her arm tightened.
“Della, put the veil on.”
Jesse stooped for the shorter woman, and when the task was done, LeBlanc ushered her into the room. To her dismay, he forced her to kneel at the stranger’s feet. Her cheeks flamed hotly, but his hand on her shoulder kept her firmly in place. The man reached out and ran his hand through her natural curls.
With a heavy, middle eastern accent, he said, “Such a strange color. It rivals the silver of the moonlight.”
Jesse resisted the urge to bite his hand. Instead, she boldly studied his features. His nose was sharp as a hawk’s, and his eyes were as black as tar. His
skin was tanned but not from the sun, and white robes covered his entire body. She wondered if he was strong as an ox or soft as a pig.
He scowled. “She is uppity, this one.”
LeBlanc nudged her. “Keep your eyes down, Jesse.”
Fury rolled over her, but she did as she was told. The man pulled the veil down and gasped in delight. He rubbed his hands together gleefully.
“Yes, yes, I see what you mean. She is quite beautiful.”
He gestured for her to stand, and LeBlanc helped her up, forcing her to turn around. A hand squeezed her buttocks, and she yelped. LeBlanc held both her arms when she tried to turn around swinging.
The stranger laughed. “I shall enjoy taming that wild spirit. I’ll pay your asking price for her.”
* * * *
“You son of a slug,” Jesse yelled once they were alone. If he hadn’t tied her hands behind her back, she’d have hit him. “You sold me. You had no right. I’m not a piece of property, and if you haven’t noticed, slavery is no longer legal.”
LeBlanc crossed his arms and leaned against the open French door. “Well, it is legal in the Middle East, and you might as well get used to it. You have no choice.”
She gritted her teeth. “You self-serving, arrogant sea slug. I swear, one day I will see you dead.”
He rolled his eyes at her. “Do you really think you could handle the guilt of taking another life?”
She snapped her jaw shut as the truth of it hit home. Jesse doubted she could ever do that again, even in self-defense. It had affected her so much she swore she’d never touch a knife again.
“I should have known you were only doing this for you. I thought I was going to be his wife, not his concubine. You’re a big, fat liar.”
He shrugged. “I didn’t lie. I just forgot to add the word hopefully.”
LeBlanc looked out the open French doors just as a cool breeze swept through the room. It did little to ease her mood. She watched his head tilt to the side as he stared at something in the distance. Curious, she stepped closer to see what it was.
The house had been built on the highest part of the island. It allowed an uninterrupted view of the ocean. This side faced the east, and while the sun was on the other side, night fall was still hours away.
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