“Too bad. Wouldn’t have listened anyway.”
He grunted again. “That I know. Probably why I neglected to put it into words.”
She knelt beside him and peered over the edge of the roof. “See anything interesting?”
“Too dark.”
“Hmm,” she acknowledged. When it became apparent he wasn’t budging, she sat on her rump and crossed her legs. Leaning her arms on the ledge of the roof, she tried to see below. The roof reminded her of a castle, and she wondered what this part of the house looked like from the ground.
Time dragged while they waited for a break from the darkness, and just as they feared it wouldn’t happen, the moon broke free. Its luminescent rays outlined not two but three ships waiting on the ocean’s edge.
“Damn it,” Dulac snarled. “I had a feeling the old man was here.”
Dulac jumped to his feet and raced back toward the attic room. Jesse quickly followed him and slipped through the window just as he was opening the door.
“What are you doing?” she cried out.
He hesitated. “Going to find Della.”
She wanted to rail at him for his stupidity but forced herself into nonchalance. She flopped onto the chair and crossed her arms. “Okay, fine, but if you walk out that door, don’t expect me to save you.”
He snorted. “I won’t need saving.”
Dulac stepped into the attic and closed the door after him. She rolled her eyes, thinking he was only headed for trouble.
I swear I am not saving him. He’s an idiot. Jesse crossed her legs and swung one in aggravation.
Minutes later, the door opened, and Dulac halfheartedly trudged back into the room. He sat on the bed and refused to look at her. She smiled and raised an eyebrow.
“Change your mind about rushing into shark infested waters?”
His lip curled up as he started to speak, but he reconsidered. His lips pursed together, and his face clouded with anger. She could tell he was too mad to speak, but the curiosity gnawed at her.
“What is it, Dulac?”
He hesitated before spitting out the words. “The door to the attic is locked.”
* * * *
Jesse spent the night tossing and turning and finally ended up sleeping in the chair. When the door was thrown open, she woke with a start and nearly fell out of it. A quick glance told her Dulac was sound asleep on the bed. She had been too nervous to sleep, or so she had thought. Her muscles ached from her uncomfortable night.
Della entered with a tray of food. She found it strange the woman refused to meet her eyes. She soon realized why as LeBlanc’s frame filled the doorway.
The blood rushed to her face as her heart fought to escape her chest. She jumped to her feet and was out of the window before he could stop her. Panicking, she raced across the roof, forgetting there was no way down. When she could run no more, she turned to her nemesis and prepared to go down fighting. Only, he was nowhere in sight.
Jesse frowned in consternation. Then she came to the conclusion he knew there was nowhere for her to go but back to the room. She hesitated but only for a second before anger flared over her. She fumed at his audacity and became even more determined not to go back. Thus, she began earnestly searching for a way down and was in the midst of studying the various levels of the roof when a hand landed on her shoulder. She almost fell over the side, but strong hands pulled her to safety.
“I thought you weren’t in to saving me anymore?” she snarled at Dulac.
“If you don’t come back to the room, he is going to hurt Della.”
Reluctantly, she followed him back to the attic. LeBlanc still blocked the door, glaring at his sister, who now sat in the chair. His dark mood seemed to darken even more at the sight of Jesse.
“Well, seems you have a penchant for darting off like a rabbit,” he snarled. “Hopefully, you won’t die before the sheik tames you.”
He slowly approached them, and Jesse stopped herself from hiding behind Dulac. However, she couldn’t stop herself from trembling. She wished Dulac was holding her hand, but just his presence behind her gave her strength to stand still as LeBlanc touched her cheek. He laughed coldly.
“Relax, ma chere. You are quite safe from me. I have no desire to risk the wrath of your master.”
Jesse’s knees gave out, and she sank against Dulac. He automatically caught her to his chest, and the feel of his heartbeat on her back distracted her. Her security was short-lived as Dulac pushed her away from him. Her chest felt as if someone had punched it.
“Where’s your father?” Dulac demanded. “I saw his ship.”
LeBlanc curled his lip up in a grim smile. “He sailed on the morning tide. Bye, bye, Hope. But don’t worry, Dulac, I’m sure the sheik will find a place for you in his harem.”
“What the hell do you mean by that?” Dulac’s voice was laced with panic and anger.
“Seems I’ve sold you to the highest bidder as well, my friend.”
Chapter 9
April 29, 1900 - Evening
Thief in the Night (The sheik’s ship)
Jesse tried not to panic. She and Dulac had been put into a secret room on the sheik’s ship. It was hidden behind a wall of spice barrels at the very back of the hold. For the time being, they were allowed light, but it was filtered in through a hole so high up that they could not reach it. Shadows danced over Dulac’s face as he took the only cot.
The only reason she had been locked up with Dulac was because he still thought she was a boy. The sheik knew better, but his other cells were filled with men-slaves. Apparently, he had been appraised of Dulac’s ignorance and was taking advantage of it.
She took a seat in a corner of the room and pulled her knees to her chest. “At least we’re not in chains.”
The stubborn set of his chin put her on edge. His sarcasm bit into her. “Oh, and look, we have a bed as well. This must be the best room on the ship.”
“I’ve slept in worse,” she muttered defensively.
Dulac’s frozen blue eyes bore into the center of her head. “This’ll be a dream come true for you, little brother. The men love little boys where you’re going.”
His words stung her heart. “Yeah, well, I hear they love little men just as well.”
The color drained from his face, and she cringed as he slowly stood. “You gonna hit me, big brother?”
His fists clenched, and his biceps bulged. God help her, but she couldn’t help but be attracted to him even as he was repulsed by her. The thought brought tears to her eyes. He would never, ever have anything to do with her. Especially since in trying to save her, he had gotten caught. Slavery would not sit well with this proud man.
To her surprise, he sat back down and crossed his arms. His dark lashes lay sweetly against his cheeks as she realized he was calming his anger. She made a note to try that technique next time, if she could remember.
“Boredom will be the worst thing on this trip,” he said calmly.
“You hope, anyway.”
“They won’t bother us except to bring us food.”
Her eyes widened in sudden thought. “What if we have to use the privy?”
He pointed at the corner opposite of her. There was a box with a hole in it. She felt the blood drain from her face. She would have to wait until he slept to use it. The lights would be out by then.
“Hopefully there aren’t any rats in there. I wouldn’t try to use it in the dark,” Dulac advised. “One might bite your dong off.”
That was one of the things she hated about being aboard a ship—the rats. She swallowed over a lump in her throat and eyed the box suspiciously. She imagined a tiny head popping out of the hole and beady black eyes staring her down. She shook her head free of the image.
“Don’t like rats, do ya?”
He was nothing if not observant. Too bad he’s not that attentive, or he’d realize I was a female.
“I much prefer kittens.”
Dulac laid back on the bed with his hands under his head.
“I used to have a cat. He lived on my ship. Rough thing but quite affectionate. He used up his ninth life and slipped off the deck into shark infested waters. Poor thing never stood a chance.”
“Did he have a name?”
“Just called him Cat. Not a very imaginative name, but he came running when called.”
Jesse smiled as the image of a scrawny, black cat ran through her head. “My captain had lots of cats on-board. They certainly kept the rats at bay. He let me have one for a pet. Mr. Whiskers ran off one night when we were in some port. Guess he had a hankering for one of the alley cats.”
She blew out a sigh and rubbed her eyes. The small room filled up with silence, and she listened to the creak of the ship’s boards. Even the other slaves were quiet. It seemed everyone was settling down for the night, and Dulac was no exception. She couldn’t believe it when he started snoring. She was too wound up to even think of sleeping. Fear of the unknown would plague her the entire night.
She yawned and crawled close to the cot. On her knees, she stared down at Dulac. His face was relaxed, and the menacing look he continuously wore had faded. She reached to trace his lips only to hesitate with her fingers millimeters above. She wanted to gain his trust. Waking up to find a so-called boy fondling him would not earn it. Reluctantly, she pulled her hand away and curled up on the floor beside him. She stared at the box the rest of the night, waiting for a rat to visit.
* * * *
Jesse’s eyes flew open as a toe dug into her thigh. Her cheek was pressed to the floor as she always slept face down. Then, the whole foot pressed down, effectively pinching her skin to the floor. She yelped and rolled to her right, away from the bed-in-the-wall. Dulac’s other foot started to press down onto her stomach, but he must have realized where he was stepping and tried to correct the situation. He ended up tripping instead.
He fell forward and landed on his right knee. Jesse tried to scramble out of his way, but she only ended up bumping into him. He had been in the middle of turning around, and he grabbed for anything as he fell on his rump. His hands ended up on her hips, and thus, he pulled her on top of him.
Seconds hung in the air like fog in the morning as Jesse lay between his masculine thighs. Her belly pressed against his manhood, which was at full staff. She knew better than to think she had anything to do with it. She’d lived half her life on board ship and was very privy to the fact that most men woke at full mast.
Her body, however, reacted quite naturally to the situation. Heat poured into her belly and sank below to her hold. She closed her eyes, fighting the wave of attraction that would surely sink her ship.
Her desire was instantly squashed when Dulac shoved her away. She winced as her back hit the wooden frame of the bed. Her pride stung as he struggled to get his huge body away from her. He soon stood on the other side of the room and pointed a finger at her.
“Keep your man-loving mitts away from me, ya scurvy rat, or next time, I’ll break you in half and stuff you in the privy.”
Light from the lantern illuminated his face, also indicating morning had arrived. Dulac’s cheeks and ears were red with fury. She couldn’t help but wonder if it was from embarrassment instead. Jesse crawled up on the bed and hugged her knees to her chest. She bit her tongue to keep from crying.
“Son of a dog’s tail,” he cursed and grabbed his ankle. “Ye made me twist my leg, damn it.”
That sparked her ire. “What? I made you? You were the one what stepped on me!”
“Well, if ya hadn’t been laying on the floor like a dog, I wouldn’t have stepped on ya.”
“Well, if ya hadn’t been hogging the bed, I wouldn’t a had to sleep on the floor, ya ass.” She choked on her anger. “And I ain’t no dog.”
Dulac turned his back on her, and her fingers clenched the pillow. She sorely wanted to throw it at the back of his head. She closed her eyes and tried the counting thing she’d seen him do earlier. After counting to fifty, she was still highly ticked. She opened her eyes to find him glaring at her.
“What now?” she barked.
He just grunted and tried the door, banging his fist against it when it wouldn’t open. Jesse rolled her eyes and crossed her arms. “Still locked, huh? Guess they don’t want their slaves wandering the ship.”
His shoulders tensed, and she knew which word had done it—slave. He then attempted to ram the door with his shoulder, to no avail. That’s when he got vocal.
“You son-of-a-bitches better let me out of here,” he yelled. “I am a captain in the Lifesaving Service. Let me out, damn it”
“Uh, Dulac, that’s not a good idea,” Jesse said quietly. She had been around a slave ship a time or two, and she knew they were being treated like gold.
He looked back at her with that finger pointed again. “Shut up.”
Then he went back to banging on the door. “Let me out. I want to talk with the sheik. He can ransom me and be sure to get his money back.”
Seconds later, there were sounds on the other side. Keys jangled in the lock. The door flew open, along with a whip. It snapped against Dulac’s skin, and he looked at it in surprise. The whip sailed through the air again, stinging his flesh. He snarled, grabbed the whip and jerked the man wielding it into the small room. Fists flew, and more men filled the small space. Before Jesse could even think, they hauled Dulac out by his arms and legs. He fought like a wild tiger, and her heart leapt in her chest at the thought of what they were about to do to him. They would seek to crush his spirit, and since she knew that wasn’t going to happen, she prayed they didn’t kill him trying.
* * * *
Hours crawled by, and her fear for Dulac ate through her bravery. Jesse paced the room until her legs were too tired to carry her anymore. She pressed her ear to the door, hoping to hear anything except the deafening silence.
Tears misted her eyes at the thought of what they were doing to him. She tried the knob even though she knew it wouldn’t give. Jesse closed her eyes, exhausted from worrying and dozed. The next thing she knew, the door opened, and she fell face forward at her jailor’s feet. She wiped the spit from her chin and looked up sleepily.
“Move.”
She scrambled back into the farthest corner and watched as they carried an unconscious Dulac into the room. They dumped him on the bed, and the one with the keys shook them at her.
“Make sure he know next time he cause raucous, he’ll be shoved over side of ship and fed to shark.”
The man slammed and relocked the door. Jesse rushed to Dulac’s side and bit her fist to keep from crying out loud. His back was striped with red, but thankfully, there was no blood. She bent over and brushed a strand of hair out of his face. Both eyes were swollen shut, and his beautiful lips were crusted with blood. Her chest ached at the sight, and a tear slipped out.
Last night, they had been given a jug of water neither of them had touched. She picked up the tail of her shirt and used her teeth to tear off a piece. Then she dipped it in the water and cleaned the blood off Dulac’s face. She hesitated when she looked at his back. There were no cuts or blood to clean, so she decided to leave well enough alone.
She stood back to survey her patient. His right leg hung off the bed, and his left arm was pinned under his body. She dared not turn him over, but she did manage to get his heavy leg onto the bed with him. Had he boots on, she would have attempted to remove them. The sheik’s slaves, however, were not allowed the luxury. Jesse stared at his feet, admiring the soft skin on the bottom of them. Her own feet were rough and dirty as she preferred to remain shoeless on ship. She climbed better without them.
Realizing there was no more to be done for her patient, Jesse took the pillow and curled up beside him. At this point, she didn’t give a damn how he’d react if he woke. She was tired and weary, and the only thing that eased her worry was having him near. She did, however, do her best not to touch him, but when she fell asleep, it was only natural her body sought his warmth.
* * * *
I refuse to give them the satisfaction of seeing me beg for mercy.
The words echoed in Dulac’s head as he stared into the darkness of his mind. He was barely conscious but knew he had to get away from the cat clawing up his back. He reached over his shoulder, but the blasted thing scampered out of reach. His back stung, and he moaned.
Instantly, the scratches eating at his back were doused with cool rags, and he slipped back toward the blissful dark. He did not, however, lose complete consciousness. He looked down at the cat, who was in the process of licking its paw.
“I refuse to give you the satisfaction of seeing me beg for mercy.”
The cat paused and looked at him as if he could care less. “You need to rest, Dulac. You know cats don’t talk. Go lay down.”
The cat pointed its paw at something behind Dulac. “She’s waiting for you. Just go hold her. That’s all she wants.”
Dulac’s brows drew together as he stared at the strange talking cat. Then he turned around slowly and saw a small bed behind him. It looked inviting, especially when he saw it was occupied. The womanly curves were obvious even though her back was to him. With a sly smile, he slipped under the covers and sighed as her soft skin slid against his. He slipped an arm around her waist and spooned her. He knew the woman, but he could not name her. He wanted to see her face but was too tired to make her roll over. So he remained content with merely holding her.
“This feels wonderful,” he said and sighed.
The woman moaned softly in agreement and pressed her bare back against his bare chest. “Mmm.”
He had the urge to explore her body, and his own was definitely in agreement. However, the energy it required was non-existent, so he lay in torture merely thinking of making love to the soft woman in his arms.
“When I get better,” he whispered into her silky, silver hair. “I promise to fulfill your every desire.”
She made no comment, only wiggled her bare bottom against the evidence of his desire. A hot flame shot through his blood, but the second he rocked against her, the cat jumped on his back and dug its claws deep into his skin. He screamed and let go of the woman to fight the little beast. He twisted this way and that, but the claws seemed to only dig in deeper.
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