by Lora Thomas
“Angelica,” the boy blurted out.
“What was that?” Max questioned as he leaned closer to the boy.
“Angelica. She told the capt’n. Apparently the little Spaniard made her mad.”
Max allowed the name to sink in. Angelica? Surely she wouldn’t be so vindictive? Although, he had never seen Angelica so unnerved as the day at the docks when Kristina attacked her. Max pulled the boy’s body back over the railing and tossed him at Slim. He marched over to Hawkins.
“Slim!”
“Aye, Capt’n.”
“Did you make the offer to the prisoners?”
“Aye.”
“Any takers?”
“Aye, all of da younger ones and a few of da older ones,” Slim replied
“Take the younger prisoners to the brig, but leave the older ones tied here on deck.”
“Aye, aye, Capt’n,” Slim replied as he began heading towards Hawkins to place him with the older crewmembers.
Max stopped Slim. “Not him. Leave him where he is.”
Slim nodded his head. Max watched as the prisoners were marched one-by-one over the connecting plank. Several fell overboard, but no attempt was made to rescue them.
Once the young captives were off The Revenge, Max turned towards Hawkins. “I’m going to make sure you, along with your crew, suffer miserable deaths.”
Hawkins eyes grew wide. “What are you planning on doing? Keelhauling us?”
Max didn’t answer. His face was face expressionless. He picked up Hawkins’s sword from the deck and ran it threw his abdomen, anchoring Hawkins to his current position on the main mast. Hawkins let out a scream of pain. A heartless sneer crossed Max’s face as he turned and left. Max quickly boarded The Abyss leaving Hawkins skewered to the main mast and his crew bound to each other on the deck. Max ordered the release of The Revenge.
“Mr. Smitty!” Max yelled.
Several seconds later, the old pirate emerged from his post. “Yeah.”
“Load the rear cannons. One with an explosive shell and another with a hot iron shot.”
“Yes, sir,” Smitty reluctantly replied. Smitty didn’t mind loading the explosive shell. He could manipulate the fuse for whatever timing he needed before the projectile exploded. But the hot iron shot was dangerous. Heating the cannonball before loading it into the cannon was almost suicidal, especially if the heat from the cannonball caused the gun powder to explode before it was fired. The hot iron shot would catch the enemy vessel on fire. Alex refused to use this method because the danger it put the crew in, so it had been well over ten years since Smitty had used this type of projectile. A dark look crossed Smitty’s face as he realized what Max had planned.
Max could hear Hawkins yell, but the words fell on deaf ears. “When the cannons are loaded, fire immediately.”
“Yes, sir,” the old pirate answered as he headed below deck.
“Fire a shot at the center belly and one at the stern,” Max yelled to Smitty’s departing figure.
Smitty proceeded below deck. Several minutes later, the echoing sound of the cannon fire traveled over the deck. There was a loud detonation as the explosive shell erupted, splintering the side of the ship more than a regular cannonball would, allowing air into the hull to fuel the fire of the hot iron shot.
“You bastards!” Max could hear Hawkins yell.
The Abyss quickly pulled away from The Revenge as it slowly took on water. Max stayed on deck for several minutes watching the ship sink lower and lower. He could see the smoke billowing from the stern and the flicker of the flames as they made their way to the deck. He turned towards Slim. “Let me know when she’s either under or completely on fire.”
Slim nodded his head as he watched Max walk below deck.
Kristina sat nervously on the bed in Max’s quarters. She heard the two cannon shots, followed by an explosion, and wondered what was going on. Standing, she walked over to the small dresser with the washbasin and mindlessly splashed cold water on her face. She raised her head up and turned around quickly when she heard the cabin door open.
A relieved expression came over her face as Max entered. He crossed the room quickly to her and took her in his arms. The embrace he gave her melted her heart. She could feel the tension release from his body.
“You’re safe now,” she heard him whisper. “I’ll never let anyone harm you, Kristina, I promise.”
A melancholy expression crossed her face. If only it were true. How was he going to protect her when they would be divorced soon? She wanted to scream, she wanted to cry, she wanted to beg him not to leave her. Her emotions were torn into a million different directions.
Kristina allowed her emotions to get the best of her. All her trials and tribulations of the past week came out in her tears. Clinging to him, she allowed him to absorb her misery. His strong hands gently stroked her hair. She cried for several minutes into his chest, until there were no tears left to shed. She felt all the energy drain from her body and she grew weak.
Max sensed her weakness and gently picked her up, carrying her over to the bed. He laid her down and tenderly kissed her again. He placed his forehead against hers. “Rest now, love. I’ll check on you shortly. I just needed to see you. I’ll have a bath drawn for you in Alex’s quarters.”
A puzzled look crossed Kristina’s face. “Won’t he mind?”
A devilish smile appeared on Max’s face. “Not if he doesn’t know.”
“But it’s his ship.”
“True, but he isn’t here,” Max replied. He could see the question in her mind, and before she could ask, he responded, “There was no time to retrieve him from Governor’s Harbour, so I commandeered The Abyss without his knowledge.” A sheepish look crossed his face. “What he doesn’t know won’t hurt him. Rest now, love,” he told her again as he kissed her cheek and left the room.
Kristina watched as her husband left the room. She wondered if he even realized he called her “love”. She closed her eyes and allowed her body to relax. She was safe now. A feeling of safety and relief came over her, and before she knew it, she was fast asleep.
Max crossed the deck of The Abyss just in time to watch the smoldering Revenge dip below the surface of the ocean. A feeling of satisfaction entered him. He didn’t even turn as he felt a hand on his shoulder.
“That bastard got what he deserved,” Max heard Smitty say.
“Have James take some hot water to the captain’s quarters. I promised Kristina a bath,” Max said, still looking at where The Revenge sank.
“Yes, Capt’n,” Smitty said as he turned. He slowly shook his head as he walked towards James. Max had become too protective of the stowaway and this worried Smitty. Smitty knew that Max was cold and calculating, but Alex kept him in check, never allowing Max to use the full extent of his anger. But today it was different. Today, proved just how dangerous Max could be. When Smitty saw Max threaten to toss that boy over, he knew for certain how dangerous Max was. If it weren’t for Alex, Smitty knew that Max’s reputation would have been far worse than Charles Vane’s and Blackbeard’s combined.
Smitty drew his brow together at that thought. No Edward Teach—Blackbeard—was not a good comparison. Blackbeard had a fierce reputation, but during his years at sea, Smitty had never heard of Blackbeard actually killing anyone. Bartholomew Roberts, or better known as Black Bart, on the other hand had murdered too many people to count, but his reputation wasn’t near that of Edward Teach’s. Whichever combination he chose, Max would have been far worse.
Smitty placed his hand on Slim. “Keep an eye on him until he fully cools down,” he said as he nodded his head in Max’s direction. The tall Jamaican gave a quick nod, knowing what Smitty was hinting at.
Slim had been with The Abyss for nearly nine years, but he had never witnessed the kind of darkness that Max presented today. Kristina was the reason. This was the second time Max had killed for her, but Slim never dreamed he would murder an entire crew for her. Slim knew that Max would give
his own life to protect his wife. The kind of emotions she stirred in Max was unprecedented. Love would cause one to act this way. Slim looked at his dark friend and wondered if he had admitted it to himself that he loved the woman.
“We need ta make port soon, Capt’n,” Slim said as he approached Max. “Da rations we haf are about ta run dry.”
“Tortuga is the closest port,” Max replied. “We should reach it early tomorrow morning. Inform the crew to ration out the remaining supplies to last us until then.” Slim nodded his head, but did not go. Max tilted his head in Slim’s direction. “Is there something you need, Slim?”
Slim shook his head. “No, just wonderin’… would ya haf actually tossed da boy over?”
Max said nothing as he contemplated what his friend asked. “No. He reminded me too much of Samuel. Samuel is intimidated by me, so I figured this boy would be as well.” Max looked at Slim and could see the doubt in his eye. “I’m not that cold-hearted.”
“Ya sure?”
“Yes,” Max answered quietly, but he was not entirely certain of his reply. Would he have been so cold-hearted as to kill an innocent boy in order to find out who wanted Kristina harmed? In fact, he was so determined to find out who would have wanted his wife returned to the slave ship that he was numb to all emotions except the consuming rage he felt. The realization shocked him. He walked to the helm and redirected their course to Tortuga.
The next few days were a blur. Max did not dally long at Tortuga, just long enough to gather the supplies needed to get back to Nassau. He had to remind the crew that this was where the slave ship was destined to go with Kristina and that their desire for female company would have to wait until they docked again in Nassau. That coupled with the fact that they did not have permission from Alex to borrow The Abyss made Max even more anxious to leave the dangerous town. Deep down Max knew that Alex would be upset, but not overly so.
He looked across the deck of The Abyss and watched as Kristina appeared from below. God, she was so beautiful! She consumed his thoughts. It seemed like he could not go even a minute without her entering his head. He watched as she approached him and gave him a loving smile.
“How long until we reach Nassau?” she asked.
“Three days,” he replied as he looked at her. Suddenly, he took her hand and escorted her to the center of the ship. He pulled out his cutlass and handed it to her. She gave him a puzzled look. “Defend yourself,” Max ordered as he looked at Kristina.
“What?” she questioned.
He stopped a crewmember and took his cutlass. “Defend yourself,” he instructed Kristina as he took a half-hearted swing at her. She stepped back and blocked his blow with the sword. “Good. Again.”
“Max,” she complained with exasperation.
“Don’t ‘Max’ me. I need to make sure you can defend yourself in case we are attacked. Again,” he said as he took another weak swing in her direction. She easily blocked his blow and returned it with one of her own. She gave a small triumphant giggle at her accomplishment.
“Beware, pirate,” she teased as she swung her sword at him again. “My father made sure I knew how to use a sword with deadly precision. Although that was many years ago. Come to think of it, I haven’t held a sword since then. Not that I had any use of one at the mission. But it would have come in handy when I was stolen. Where is Gato? Did you bring her? She’s just—“
Max grinned at his wife’s rapid talking and changing of subjects. “You’re babbling. Afraid you won’t be able to defend yourself?”
“Hardly,” she replied as she took a swing at her husband.
Unbeknownst to the couple, they had drawn a small audience. Slim and Smitty just rolled their eyes at each other as they joined the crowd. She held her own with Max. Smitty cringed when she took a swing at Max with her sword and turned, accidently hitting Max in the mouth with her free hand.
Her eyes grew wide in disbelief that she had struck her husband. She brought her free hand up to her mouth. “Oh! I’m sooo sorry!” she cried as she looked at her husband.
She watched as Max ran his tongue over his busted lip and spat out the blood. He took the back of his hand and wiped the remainder of the blood from his mouth. Slim and Smitty waited for Max’s rage to appear, knowing from experience that even smaller blows could send Max over the edge. But they both stood in disbelief as they watched him. Max laughed—and not an evil laugh, but a true belly-churning laugh.
“I’ll be damned,” Smitty said as he looked at Slim. “She has tamed the beast.”
Slim had a similar thought. “Either dat or she knows how ta control ‘em,” he countered.
“Did I hurt you?” they heard Kristina ask as she dropped her sword and headed towards Max.
“No I’m fine, wife,” he replied as he wiped his lip again on his sleeve. “Pick back up your weapon and let’s continue.”
She nodded her head and bent over to pick up her cutlass. Smitty chuckled as he watched Max eye his wife’s backside. Never in all his life would he have dreamed that such a tiny little woman could control the dark goliath before him.
Chapter Twenty-Three
Kristina stood on the deck of The Abyss watching the activities on the docks of Nassau. She chuckled as she watched one of the prostitutes smack a sailor over something he said to her. She turned her eyes and looked at Max.
Ever since her rescue from that horrid ship he had behaved strangely. He watched her every move constantly, like an overprotective guardian. He did not attempt to touch her, not once. They slept in the same room, but he returned to sleeping on the pallet on the floor. She had tried to make him angry several times, but to no avail. He was in a constant mood of being … happy. Kristina knew why he was in such a good mood; just as soon as they reached Nassau, he would finalize the divorce. A sad expression crossed her face at the thought. Placing her hand on her stomach, she sighed. Closing her eyes, she fought back the tears. She loved him, she loved his child inside her, but her love would never be returned.
“Yer thoughts are not here,” she heard a voice behind her. She turned to find Smitty and gave the old man a caring smile.
“Hello, Mr. Smitty. Are the docking proceedings going as planned?”
Smitty eyed her suspiciously as he watched her hand mindlessly rub her abdomen. “Yeah. Max asked me ta take ya ta Slim. He said he had some business ta attend to, but would catch up ta you two in a little while.”
Kristina nodded her head and followed Smitty. She knew Max’s plan. He was going to the solicitor’s office before returning to Alex’s home. When they reached the docks, Smitty placed a protective hand on Kristina’s back and escorted her to Slim.
“She’s your responsibility until Max joins ya,” Smitty told Slim.
The tall black man nodded his head. “Dis way, Miss,” he said as he walked off the dock.
Kristina wrapped her hand around Slim’s arm. He looked down at her with worry. She grinned toothily up at him. “What?” she asked.
“People will talk.”
“Fooey,” Kristina replied as she grasped his arm tighter. She had to look way up to see his face. Slim was very tall; he even towered over Max and Alex. “Let people talk. If they have an issue with my friend protecting me, then shame on them.”
“It’s no dem I worry about. It’s what will get back ta Max.”
Kristina snorted. “Let it.” She changed the subject quickly. “How tall are you, Slim?”
“I da not know,” he replied as he kept walking towards the shore.
“Well,” Kristina said as she kept looking up at him. “When I was first taken, there was a woman on the ship with me almost as tall as Max. If you are ever at Tortuga, you try to find her. I don’t know who she was sold to, but her name was Montie,”
“She wuz a slave den?”
Kristina nodded her head. “Yes. But she had accepted her fate and was fine with it, which I think strange. Anyway, you would like her.”
Slim ignored Kristina, but she kep
t talking, chattering on about nothing in particular. When they reached the stables, Slim assisted her onto her horse and headed south towards Alex’s house.
“So, how did you become part of The Abyss’s crew?” Kristina asked Slim.
Slim repositioned in the saddle. “I wuz on a slave ship. Da capt’n attacked it and rescued me and da others. He took da others ta some island. I could not stay der. I owed him a life debt.”
“Surely you have repaid your debt to the captain? You have been with him for a while.”
“Nine years. And yes, I haf repaid my debt ta him, mony times.”
“Sooooo, why are you still with him? Do you not have a family who are worried about you?”
“I do not know wot happened ta ma family. I wuz taken away from dem when I wuz a boy, not much older dan Samuel. Ma mother wuz all I had. I stay wit da capt’n because he is ma friend, because he pays me well, because we travel to mony places. I keep hopin’ dat I will see ma mother at one of des places.”
“You stay to look for your mother or you stay out of loyalty?”
“Both. Da capt’n is good ta me. He treats me like family. He knows I’m lookin’ for ma mother. He even had people look for her up in da Carolinas. He knows dat if I eva find her I will leave.”
“I will say a prayer for you, hoping that your mother is being treated well and that you will find her soon.”
“Tank ya, Mrs. Krestena.”
The pair rode in silence after their conversations. Kristina found it hard to believe that she had so much in common with the crew of The Abyss. Like Samuel, her mother was murdered by the Commodore. Like Slim, she had been a slave. Like James, she was a cook—well, actually better than James. She thought of Smitty as a fatherly figure and the captain as a friend. She was lost in her thoughts when Max caught up with them. When she heard her husband approach, anger set in. She had become attached to the crew, her new friends, fallen in love with Max and now he was taking it all away from her. This was all she had and he was ripping it away from her like a thief.
