“You were my prisoner.”
“I was no more your prisoner than you were mine. Do you honestly think after the first day I couldn’t have broken Zara’s neck? Couldn’t have taken Roman’s cutlass and carved him in half and escaped? The only person in your command who’d have stood a chance against me would have been Green, and I was given ample opportunity to run when he was nowhere in sight. And don’t forget about that butter knife at your throat. Had you been any other man, I’d have pushed that knife so deeply into you it would have taken ten Greens to retrieve it.” Ivory shook free of his clutch and pushed him back a foot. “Now, who’s the fool, Maddox? Certainly not you and your bloody broken heart. When you told me about the bounty, I believed if I could get you into bed that I might stand a chance of escaping into the night, saving myself from what I already knew was happening to me. But no, I was the fool who fell asleep in your arms and believed you when you told me to kill you if you ever told me no.”
“Stop. Please, just stop. I can’t listen to any more of this. You pushed me away, remember?”
“I’m not Green, or any of your other subjects, Maddox. I’ve never allowed myself to be caught in such a predicament. Believe me when I tell you I am only here, locked in this tomb with you now, because I wished it to be so. Deny me if you will, but I’ll still have the satisfaction of knowing that beneath that chest, your heart beats for me as mine does for you, and at least I’m not a coward anymore.”
Ivory stood and walked around Carbonale to the door. “Three times, I’m sure,” she said raising her hand to knock, when it was snatched from the air and pulled back, knocking her off balance into him. He reached down and seized her other arm and tied her tightly up against him.
“Why must you vex me so?”
“I haven’t vexed you, Maddox Carbonale. I’ve brought you back to life,” Ivory growled as he spun her around and ripped the robe from her shoulders, roughly pressing his mouth to her throat with angry, impassioned kisses.
“Damn you,” he shouted into her skin, as he gripped her hard, jerking her back and forth in an all-out assault on her body with his mouth, against every inch of skin he encountered. He lifted her by the waist, dropping her against him. She wrapped her legs tightly around him and held on, pulling at his hair and jerking his head upwards to taste his mouth. He walked backwards until he felt the cot against the backs of his legs and then spun her around to lay her down, still ensnared between her thighs.
He freed his hands and reached down, struggling to remove his pants, when Ivory pushed her feet down inside of the waist and peeled them off. She quickly swung her legs again back up over his hips. He entered her hard and fast, causing her to cry out. Her nails dug into his thick triceps, which only served to push him deeper into her. He leaned back and pulled her hands from his bleeding arms and pushed them over her head with one hand, while he leaned the other against the wall above her to balance himself.
He stared down into her blue eyes and watched in awe as he believed he was witnessing the light within them grow until they seared into him. He froze for a moment, trembling, and then sat up and closed his eyes. Ivory lay motionless, watching him as he breathed deeply. She lowered her arms, and slid her hands over his chest, resting them flat against him as the breath filled his lungs and then escaped his lips with a sigh. Finally, she reached down and took his hands in hers and placed them above his heart.
“What do you feel, Maddox?”
He shook his head and then tossed it back.
“Do you feel it? It’s your heart. Tell me, what do you feel?” Ivory pressed.
“You,” he sighed, pulling her onto him, as he kissed her into silence.
Chapter Seventeen
On Friday morning, the sea was calm, and those things which were unsettled the night before had been mostly put to rest. Except, as with all unsettled things, they were only resolved for those who’d gotten what they wanted. Miranda had swept Sandy off within the allotted time she’d requested, and her contentment gave her a clarity that allowed her to continue her duty with a renewed outlook on both the task at hand, as well as what came after—at least for a while. Unfortunately, Tommy Boston had been searching for her near the storm’s end, and when he was unable to locate her, he went looking for Sandy. He was no genius, but in the absence of them both, he didn’t need to be.
“You there! I believe you and I should have words!”
Tommy walked up to Sandy as he was securing the barrels he’d repaired in the hold. “No, lad, I don’t believe we have anythin’ ta’ talk about,” Sandy answered, turning around only long enough to address Tommy. Then, he went back to his work.
“But I will speak to you,” Tommy demanded, pulling Sandy around by the shoulder.
“I want no quarrel with ye, lad. I’m sorry, but ye’ll just have ta’ accept the fact that the better man won.” The condescending words sent Tommy into a rage, and he shoved Sandy hard at the chest. The older man barely moved. Again, Tommy thumped him, hard. Again, Sandy stood his ground. Tommy was long and lean with well-muscled arms and a broad chest from both carpentry and pulling line, but Sandy was thick and compact, and built like a Brahma bull.
“I don’t wanna hurt ye, lad. Now take it like a man and let it go. There’s plenty o’ fish in the sea.”
Tommy would not relent and rushed Sandy with everything he had. He finally knocked him off balance, and he tied his arms around Sandy’s mid-section. Sandy slammed down hard on Tommy’s back with his fists to bust loose, but Tommy held on until he lifted Sandy off his feet and dropped him hard on the boards. A group of sailors was beginning to gather, most of whom cheered Tommy on, but Sandy rolled him over and delivered several pounding blows to Tommy’s right cheek before finally grabbing a thick piece of scrap wood and pressing it tightly down on Tommy’ throat.
“I don’t wish ta’ kill ye, boy!” Sandy grunted, pressing experience against youth and holding fast.
Tommy continued to struggle against him, writhing and kicking his legs as he fought to shake Sandy off, but the bull didn’t budge. When Tommy was nearly choked out, Sandy lifted the board, climbed to his feet, and stood back. “I told ye I have no quarrel with ye. Part a’ bein’ a man is knowin’ sometimes ye win… and sometimes ye lose,” Sandy growled.
“It’s not over until I say it’s over,” Tommy said hoarsely, as two of his mates helped him to his feet.
“What the hell is going on down here?” Keara shouted when she walked upon the fray.
“Yer boy Tommy here has some misunderstanding is all, Cap’n,” Sandy spoke, blotting a bit of blood from his forehead.
“Who won?”
“Well, I suppose I did, Cap’n,” Sandy said, turning aside.
“Tommy Boston, this ends now. If you want to take this up on land, be my guest, but I won’t be having any more of this shit aboard ship!” Keara ordered, pulling a dagger from her belt and pointing it under Tommy’s chin until he stood down. Tommy didn’t budge except to rub the rising bruise on his neck. “Yes, Captain,” he scowled.
“The rest of you lot, back to work!” she shouted at them, as she turned and pointed the dagger in every direction. “I knew you were going to be nothing but trouble,” she leaned in and whispered at Sandy through her teeth.
“With all due respect, Cap’n, yer boy there’s had his pride wounded, and that’s a hard thing ta’ take. He’ll come ‘round with the first plump ass he finds ashore—uh, no disrespect.”
“Disrespect my ass, sailor. Keep yer dick in yer knickers the rest of this mission, or I’ll remove it from you so quick you’ll be pissin’ out your own plump ass.”
Keara sheathed her blade and stormed off, looking for Miranda. She found her sitting at the desk in the Captain’s cabin, keeping the log. She stepped into the room, held the door in her hand for a moment, and then slammed it hard, again nearly shaking the quill from Miranda’s hand.
“Ke, I already know what you’re about to say…”
“Oh, you do?
Isn’t it enough that we’re losing the wind? Now I have this nonsense to endure,” Keara said as she sauntered towards Miranda with her hands planted deeply into her hips.
“I know I should have waited, but…”
“But as usual you just couldn’t, right?” Keara sighed, sitting back against the desk right under Miranda’s nose.
“I had to settle things.”
“Oh, you settled things alright. While you’re up here tucked away in your books, I was down below settling things myself. Soon these men will be calling me Madame instead of Captain, thanks to you.”
“What?”
“Seems there was a bit of a brawl going on.”
“Tommy?” Miranda asked softly and leaned back in the chair.
“I’m so happy you think you set something straight, but that pot is still a-boil. I just put a lid on it for now. But what happens when you put a loose lid on a boiling pot?” Keara asked, folding her arms.
“What should I do?”
“Oh, you’ve done enough, and I hope to hell it was worth it!”
Keara walked to the door, then looked back and said, “James and I have been together for almost two years, Miranda. Not once have we ever fucked aboard ship—this one or any other. Do you know how hard it is to keep my knickers up when he’s around? And believe me, I’ve spent weeks at sea, day in and day out, having to stand shoulder to shoulder with him without so much as a pat on the bum.”
“I had no idea, Ke…”
“That’s the point. You want to make excuses for this? You go right ahead. But you keep your legs closed until we’re back in Port Royal or, cousin or not, this will be your last time on my ship.” Keara pulled open the door to find Cassandra standing on the other side. “I suppose you knew all about this?”
“I did. I’ll admit it was poor judgment on my part as well.”
“No fucking aboard ship! It’s that simple. You’re lucky you don’t meet the rope’s end for this one, Mir. It’s taken us years to earn their respect through our blood and half-broken backs—not by laying on our backs— and I’ll not have it all thrown in the drink because one of us can’t control her own crotch. Go put on your slops and cover those damn things before we have a riot on our hands.” Cassandra stood out of Keara’s path, allowing her to exit, and Keara gave Miranda one last look, as if to say you’ve been warned as she slammed the door.
“Well, that was pleasant,” Cassandra remarked dryly.
“I’m sorry, Cass. I should have known better, and I shouldn’t have drawn you into this, either.”
“What’s done is done,” Cassandra said as she flopped into a chair.
“Well, Ke was right about one thing,” Miranda sighed, resting her face on her palm as she leaned on the desk.
“Oh, really? And what might that be?”
“He sure did clean up nicely,” Miranda smiled.
“So your choice has been made?”
“You know me. I like to keep my options open. But for now, I’d say it is.”
“What shall we do with you?” Cassandra chuckled as she stood to leave.
Miranda shrugged and sat up and turned her attention back to the log. “Now I just have to pray they don’t kill each other before we reach Nassau.” Miranda paused a moment and then asked, “Did you know about her and James?”
“Just pray alone, please. We have too much to lose to waste our energy over this. And yes, I’ve known for quite a while.”
“How could you know and not say anything?”
“I saw no point in telling anyone. Their affair hasn’t upset or changed anything, and they seem very content. You worry about your own romantic endeavors,” Cassandra remarked dryly.
“I swear I’ll keep on my best behavior.”
Cassandra headed to the deck to seek out Keara and firm up their plans. Although Cassandra was always pragmatic and was considered the most level-headed of their group, when Keara was in charge, a change always came over her. Her focus never wavered from the task at hand, regardless of any distractions. Cassandra was positive that Keara had already put Miranda’s indiscretion behind her and was now concerned only with rescuing Ivory.
Cassandra came upon Keara near the bow, spyglass in hand, watching for any sign of the Black Cat. Cassandra stopped herself before she told her it was of no use, and she decided to be a cousin and not a crew member. “Anything to see?”
“Nothing. I suppose the storm didn’t slow them at all,” she answered, as she slammed the spyglass closed and continued to stare off at the horizon.
“No matter; we’ll stick with our original plan.”
“I suppose it’s for the best anyway.”
“What’s for the best?”
“Not engaging the Cat in battle. We’ve lost so much and so many over the past few years. Cass, may I ask you a question?” Keara inquired, as she finally turned and looked into Cassandra’s eyes.
“Of course.”
“Are you ever sorry we went along with Ivory that morning?”
Cassandra leaned back against the rail and sighed. “At least once a day I ask myself what we’re all doing here, and I want to run away and forget any of this ever happened. But the rest of the day, I’m grateful to be free. I’m thankful for everything she’s taught us, and most of all, I’m thankful to be in charge of my own life. When I think of how we may have ended up, had we not stood our ground or believed in what Ivory was doing, the thought of being anywhere but here fades quickly.”
“Sometimes I’m afraid we’ll all die young and never have a chance to have a home and a real family. Don’t you want to have a home of your own, and maybe even a child or two?”
“Keara, you do realize you are free to leave this life at any time, right? No one would stop you, least of all Ivory. The only thing holding you back…is you.”
“Perhaps that’s where this conversation is going.”
“It sounds like you have a decision to make, then. I’ll leave you to it,” Cassandra said, placing her hand atop of Keara’s on the rail. Cassandra squeezed her cousin’s hand and turned to leave when Keara spoke one last time, “You do realize those diamonds, in the right hands, of course, could free us all.”
“We are already free.”
“How can you call being thieves and living in a world where we don’t know from one day to the next if we’ll live or die, freedom?”
“How alive did you feel feeding chickens and milking cows from dawn ‘till dusk? Or worrying about pirate raids and fighting off advances from old men who only wanted you to bear their children and cook for them? Here, you live life on your own terms. I don’t understand what’s lacking. Keara, look,” Cassandra said, as she turned her cousin by the shoulders and faced her towards the sea. “Can you see it? This is being alive. This is having something to live for. But more important than that…something worth dying for. If you feel this isn’t the life you wish, then you should, by all means, go and find what you need. Just realize that if you weren’t free right now, you wouldn’t even have that choice.”
“I still believe those diamonds are our only real way to find true freedom.”
“Those diamonds can’t set you free, Ke. They can merely define how you choose to live out that freedom. However, I’d be remiss if I didn’t say you do make one hell of a captain. Although I’m not quite sure how that translates into this other life of which you are dreaming.”
Chapter Eighteen
Just before sunrise, Maddox blinked his blurry eyes and focused them on the warm, naked body pressed closely against him. He believed he had awakened naturally by some stroke of luck, until he heard the light tapping at Ivory’s door. He jerked to move from the bed, which caused her to stir slightly. He slowed his movements and slid quietly away from her to answer the door in the last few moments of candlelight.
He remembered what he’d told Richard and tapped lightly three times, and the door unlocked and creaked open. “Sir, it’s nearly sun up,” Richard whispered through the six inch gap t
he naked Maddox had allowed. He only nodded in reply and pressed the door closed. He turned and pulled on his pants. He took one last look at Ivory’s smooth shoulders and her long, pale hair tossed and tangled against the pillow, before following Richard’s lead back to his cabin in the dark.
Ivory’s eyes were wide open in the darkness, and she clutched the sheet to her body tightly as she, too, stood from the cot. Her steps were soft and light as she crossed to the tea table. She blew out the stub of burning wax and crawled back into her cot, falling fast asleep. A short time later, she awoke to the usual rustling noises of the ship, and a short time thereafter, the eerie silence of still water.
She sprang up and stared out the small window, even though she didn’t have to do so in order to know the ship was not moving. The storm, now hours behind them, had left nothing in its wake but a stifling heat and not a breath of wind. Richard’s familiar knock came with the promise of fresh water and food, and she snatched her robe from the floor, tying it tightly around her.
“Yes, Richard; I’m awake.”
He turned the key in the lock, but when the door opened, Master Green stood before her. He wasn’t carrying anything but the expression of a frustrated and bewildered man. “Richard is sleeping. It appears he was awake most of the night, and the Captain has allowed him a few hours respite…but you already knew that, did you not?”
Ivory turned her back to him, realizing that, in her robe, she might as well be naked. She sat down on the cot and covered herself with the sheet.
“Are you going to answer me, Madame?”
“You know more than I do, sir. I was only hoping for fresh water and something to eat.”
The Blue Diamond (The Razor's Edge Book 1) Page 14
