The Pirate's Heart

by Bethany M. Sefchick

  “And he approves?” How could that possibly be? The man Daniel had described to her long ago was a brute who ruled his sons with an iron fist and had sent Daniel off to die in the wilds of the West Indies. He would surely never consent to one of them becoming a pirate!

  “As a matter of fact, he does not. Or rather he didn’t at first, but he, too, has changed. Adapted. As have we all.” Daniel shrugged as if all of that was inconsequential. “Understand, Duchess, that for the first three years of my life as a pirate, I could not return to England, at least not without fear of losing my head had I traveled there under my real name. Midnight Jack was ‘born’ so to speak, shortly after the pirates decided not to kill me. And not long after that, I had a price placed on my head. Then, for a time, I had no wish to see my father or England, heir or not. There are some benefits to being a pirate, such as not having anyone to order you about, even if the consequences likely mean death.”

  To a large degree, that sounded exactly like the Daniel that Katherine remembered. “And then?”

  She asked because she had to know. She was still angry with the man, of course. Only not so much as before. Because the more he spoke, the more he sounded like the Daniel she remembered. The Daniel she had once loved to distraction.

  “Then, the memory of who I was and what sort of man I was came back to me. I’d never really lost that knowledge, you understand. Merely pushed it aside for a time. Pretended that I had been born Midnight Jack and not Daniel Montgomery. So I returned to England in disguise and quietly made peace with my father. It was not easy, as you might imagine, but we moved past our troubles, even if I refused to wed the simpering miss he had picked out for me. The woman intended to become Andrew’s bride all those years ago.”

  “How…fortuitous.” What else was there for her to say?

  And really, Katherine didn’t much care for the idea of Daniel with another woman, even though she knew he likely had bedded at least one woman somewhere along the way. Likely far more than one. He was a pirate captain, after all.

  “Indeed.” Just then, Daniel raised a single eyebrow and the old scar near his eye puckered, making him look just a little bit more like the boy he no longer was. “I made it clear to my father that there was only one woman I would accept as my wife and, when the time came, as my duchess.” He paused. “You. It has only ever been you, Katherine. There has never been another.”

  Now it was her turn to raise an incredulous eyebrow. “Truly? You expect me to believe all of that false flattery?” Given the way he was still staring at her breasts, he expected her to believe that it had only ever been her?

  “Oh, I’ve not been a monk, if that is what you are asking. As I said, I am very much what I have become.” Much as the news hurt, Katherine hadn’t really believed otherwise. “But there was only one woman I could ever take to wife. I think you know that. Or you did, once. I thought that you did.”

  “Then why not come back for me as yourself?” she demanded, not understanding the need for this charade. Or for putting both of their lives at risk.

  Daniel sighed and ran his hand through his hair again. “I had planned to do just that. Very soon, actually. I was going to sell The Darkness back in England and then sail for Barbados as the Duke of Morton’s heir to claim you for my bride. Except that a year ago, my father received word from his associates that a Lord Wilds had set his sights on you and your inheritance, even though your uncle was already beginning to make plans to wed you to another back in England. Between the two of them they were, shall we say, very threatening to anyone who even thought about paying you court.”

  Which explained her lack of suitors, Katherine supposed, though not Daniel’s reluctance to come for her anyway.

  “But you are the son of a duke,” she argued.

  “And I bleed the same as a man of the docks,” he countered. “If I marched into Barbados as myself, after the shock of my return from the dead had worn off, I would have been killed, either by your uncle’s hand or Wilds’. Make no mistake, as I am a threat to their plans. Given the power they wield, they are not afraid of anyone save for one man. A man who obeys no laws, not even their unspoken ones.”

  “Midnight Jack.” That was easy enough to guess.

  Nodding again, Daniel sank down onto the bed beside her. “When we learned of the plans, my father helped me obtain a letter of marque from the King. We made repairs to The Darkness so that no ship on earth would be able to outrun her. Armed her to the teeth with weapons, as well as stuffed her full of more riches than anyone could dream of just in case bribes were necessary. And then, when all of that was done, I set sail for the West Indies. I found a partially new crew, made it clear that this was to be my last sail, did some plundering along the way as any good pirate would, and then? Then I came for you. Only to find that the bastard Wilds had moved first and that he had already put a price on your head.”

  “Which you hadn’t anticipated.” Katherine felt a bit sick at the knowledge.

  Reaching out, Daniel ran a single finger down the length of her exposed forearm. She shivered; she couldn’t help herself. “No. It had never occurred to me that Wilds could be so deceptive. I planned only to watch you for a time and then, when the moment was right, snatch you and sail to safety. If only it had been so easy.”

  Katherine opened her mouth to protest, but Daniel laid a finger on her lips. “Enough for now, Duchess. I am aware there is more to tell, and likely far more you wish to know, but now is not the time. I have injured men and a prisoner to deal with. I am still the captain and The Darkness is still my ship. To them?” he nodded towards the door. “I am still Midnight Jack. And you are still my prisoner. Though you look more like my whore at present. And a whore I’d very much like to fuck.”

  “Daniel!” Katherine was shocked by his filthy language. And yet somehow not.

  Quick as a whip, he reached out and pulled her hard against him, so close that she could feel his erection through the thin clothes they wore.

  “I might still be Daniel Montgomery in true name, Duchess, but I am no longer the Daniel you once knew. He died on that ship six years ago. I took his place and I am more Jack now than Daniel. I am this man, this pirate, and I cannot undo that. Nor would I.” He reached inside of her shirt to cup her bare breast and thumb her nipple lightly. “And I do want to fuck you, Duchess. So very badly. In fact, it might shock you to know all of the despicable things I want to do to you. In so very many ways.”

  It was on the tip of Katherine’s tongue to rebuke him, but how could she? For she did look like a whore. Or perhaps a cross between a pirate and a whore, for no respectable lady would wear men’s breeches. Then again, she wasn’t certain she was a lady any longer. She also wasn’t certain she had ever been.

  There was also no doubt in her mind that if this man, whoever he was at heart, pushed her down onto the bed right now, she would willingly spread her legs for him. For she wanted him just as much. She had wanted Daniel in her youth. Now, she wanted Jack. That they were one and the same made this so much easier. Or that much more complicated, depending on how one looked at the situation.

  And it would be so much easier to simply offer herself to him, whatever name he was going by now, and be done with things.

  Perhaps that was why she had been drawn to Daniel in the first place all those years ago, as he was not an average gentleman. In fact, it might be argued that anyone who could live a life of piracy had no right to claim the title of gentleman at all.

  However, all of that was for another time. Daniel was right. He still had a ship to captain. And out there, he was still Jack. As far as those men were concerned, Daniel Montgomery, if they even knew he existed at all, was dead.

  “What would you have me wear then, Jack?” Katherine finally asked, deliberately choosing to use his new name over his old. She hated to admit it but she did rather enjoy the freedom these clothes gave her. She also made it a point to ignore his talk of fucking – for now. She doubted she could avoid the
subject forever, however. Nor did she want to.

  “That, my dear, is entirely your choice. Though the necklace is not. You must continue to wear it for your own safety.” As if something had abruptly changed inside of him, he was completely Jack once again, and languidly, he pulled away from her and rose from the bed. It was only then that Katherine realized his movement had less to do with seduction and more to do with not aggravating his injuries. “While your new gowns, more of which can be found in that trunk by the far wall, are perfect for baring your arse to my crew so that I may punish you as I see fit should the need arise again, the lovely view of your tits at present can’t be discounted. Even though you might be more comfortable with them bound.” Then he sobered. “Though either way, take care, Duchess. My crew now knows you are no simpering miss and they will likely find you a far more tempting morsel than they did at first.”

  Katherine looked down at herself and her nearly naked chest. She should feel shame, she supposed. Proper ladies did not…look like this. But again, was she a proper lady? A voice inside of her head whispered that, given the way she was feeling just then, she most likely was not.

  She also risked a glance in the mirror, trying to see herself as this man saw her. She caught the flash of priceless gems at her throat. She saw the curve of her bare breast and the hint of her areola, just barely visible where her shirt lay open at the front. Her hair was unbound, now falling nearly to her waist, making her look perhaps just a little bit dangerous. She also discovered that she looked…enticing, for lack of a better word.

  “For what it is worth, Duchess, you are tempting either way,” Daniel replied, his hand on the doorknob. “But in that outfit? You are magnificent.” He titled his head. “But, as I said, it is your choice. Whatever you want. You must decide. I will not force you. Not in any matter put before you.”

  “I…don’t know what I want,” she finally replied, her voice more breathless than she intended it to be. “I need more time.”

  She hoped that Daniel understood that she was talking about more than simply her clothes. From the glimmer of something hot in his eyes, she had the impression he did.

  “Then emerge when you are ready, Duchess. If you need something, go into the privy and call out for Rupert. He will come and attend to you. Otherwise, I shall come for you when it is time to dine this evening.” He inclined his head. “Your choice. Always.”

  “Thank you.” Katherine licked her lips. She wanted to call him by his given name again, but she didn’t dare. Then again, was he Daniel or was he Jack? She was no longer certain.

  Just then, the weight of the morning began to press in on her and suddenly, Katherine found that she simply wished to lay down and sleep. Preferably with this man beside her. But she could not ask that of him. It was not her place and despite everything, to the men aboard this ship, she was still Midnight Jack’s prisoner. She had better remember that. For everyone’s sake.

  “Until later, Duchess.” He gave her a short, two-fingered salute and was gone, leaving her alone in his cabin.

  Their cabin. Katherine had ceased to think of it as only Jack’s last night.

  Daniel versus Jack. Boy versus man. Third son versus pirate. Two sides of the same coin. Who was he now and, beyond the physical, did they still share the same bond they once had? After all, Jack was a pirate. He had killed people.

  Then again, so had she.

  She had taken a man’s life today and, strangely enough, until this moment, Katherine hadn’t even considered the ramifications of what she had done. Did her actions make her a murderess? Even though she had killed to save Jack’s life? Daniel’s life.

  Inexplicably, Katherine’s body was suddenly wracked with chills and she began to cry. She had no idea why she was crying or where the tears had come from but she could no more stop them than she could turn back time to the days when there had only been her and Daniel – alive, young, and free of the twisted knots that now bound them.

  And when she thought of how tangled her life had become, how difficult Daniel’s had been as Midnight Jack, she cried all the harder.

  She also had no inclination to stop.

  Chapter Twelve

  The sound of Katherine’s tears still haunted Jack as he moved through the injured and dying men in the ship’s infirmary. In his own mind, he was still Jack, at least among these men. Only with her was he Daniel, the young boy he had been. Best he remain Jack as much as possible, then, until he was away from this ship and her crew.

  He would have to talk with Katherine about the matter as well. He couldn’t have her slipping up and referring to him as Daniel. That would never do. She had called him Jack once since the revelation of his identity. He needed her to continue to do so.

  Katherine. The mere thought of her alone in his cabin twisted him up into knots inside for he knew she was crying both for herself and for him.

  He had wanted to comfort her when he heard her crying, but he knew from experience that comfort in a situation like this could only go so far. She would have to deal with this morning’s attack and the knowledge that she had killed someone sooner or later. Better it be sooner than it eat away at her until the knowledge she had taken a life destroyed her.

  The first time Jack had killed a man, he had been physically ill. In that respect, she was dealing with matters far better than he had.

  What would she think if she came here, he wondered, and see the men in the infirmary? See the injured men receiving treatment for their wounds, one more ghastly than the next. See the bodies of the dead on the floor, laid out and ready to be buried at sea. Would she care or would she be as he had been so many years ago, numb and cold, unable to process what he was seeing?

  Knowing Katherine as he did, she would likely be far stronger than he had ever been. It was simply in her nature.

  “Oy, Cap’n. This here is the man what the bit ‘o skirt killed, ain’t it?” Jack looked up to where Jennings stood leaning over the body of a pirate with one of Katherine’s arrows still lodged in his throat. “Cor, she’s a dead shot.”

  There were times when Jack couldn’t tell if Jennings was Irish, Welsh, Scottish, English or some sort of indeterminate mix of just about everything, given his odd speech patterns. In the past, he hadn’t cared but now with Katherine aboard the ship, until they were safely away from Tortuga, every tidbit about his crew needed to be filed away for future reference. Just in case.

  “First, her name is Lady Katherine,” Jack corrected, “but yes, you are, indeed correct. She is, indeed, a crack shot.” He couldn’t help but grin a little himself.

  After all, he had been the one to teach Katherine how to use a bow. He had always wondered if she continued her lessons after he was gone. Now he had his answer.

  “How’d you know to give her a bow?” As expected, that question came from Goddard who had made no effort to hide both his distaste for having Katherine aboard and Jack’s unwillingness to share her.

  For effect, Jack rolled his eyes, his black headscarf back in place once more, so that there would be fewer annoying questions from his crew. “Because she threatened to shoot me with one the first night I fucked her, you fool!” Jack snapped. “When a lady threatens to kill me as I’m plunging my cock into her cunt, however delightful the experience, I do tend to take note as that might be valuable information in the future.”

  “Besides, have you met those English women on Barbados?” asked Davis, one of the few men who still held a good portion of Jack’s loyalty. “They’d cut your balls off, soon as not!”

  “Have some experience in that department, eh, Davis?” asked Dr. Wells, the ship’s surgeon. He was just finishing patching up Ramsey who had sustained a saber wound to the shoulder during the skirmish. “I have as well. Met a lady there several years ago, all prim and proper. A right English rose. But I took her to bed with one eye open when she told me she had taken up dagger throwing as a hobby! I was worried she might take off more than my balls!”

  At that, everyo
ne laughed, and Jack relaxed a bit. The crew was in mixed spirits after having defeated Boucher’s men. They had only lost two men, which was, in Jack’s opinion two men too many, but there was little to be done for it. They had taken some injuries as well, including Jack’s own wounds, and the crew was a bit somber about that. After all, an infection could set in and take a man’s life at any time.

  However, they had managed to repel Boucher’s attack, killing eight of his men, taking one prisoner who was currently in the brig and busy jabbering away to Harcourt even now. They had also collected a bit of booty that had been left behind on the skiffs, likely by accident. Overall, things were not as dire as they could have been. Which wasn’t to say that there weren’t still problems – some of them larger than others.

  The biggest issue, of course, was that Katherine had actually been responsible for killing two of Boucher’s men, not one as she and the others believed. Therefore, some of the crew likely thought her dangerous, mostly to them. They might try to “tame” her by various means, which would never do. So how to fix the problem, other than getting her off the ship right now? Well, Jack had some ideas, though none of them particularly good.

  “Eh, she could be brought to heel easily enough,” Goddard replied before Jack could. “With the proper training, of course.” He reached down and grabbed his crotch with a wink. “Give her a bit of cock in her arse, along with a firm hand at her throat, and she’ll be tame in no time. No more chance she’ll murder us in our sleep! Mouthy little wench, she is, too! I don’t hold with a lady killin’ a man, even if it ‘twere an accident.”

  Except, Jack thought, Katherine had killed two men. And she had done so deliberately. It hadn’t been an accident, or at least not the second time. The first time? Perhaps.

  The first of Boucher’s men to fall had been a man she had caught in the heart with a dagger she had thrown, though Jack had a suspicion that she had simply thrown blindly. After all, the Katherine he remembered likely had no wish to kill and the man had only been chasing her. She hadn’t yet been fighting for her life.