by S. M. Welles
The touch of a hand on her personal space sent the lady into a frenzy. She yanked both wrists out of my grasp and kicked me in the groin. I dropped, clutching my crotch, and she pounded on me as I lay on the floor. Her punches stung enough to know I’d be sporting a bunch of bruises later. I rolled onto my back and hoped she’d go for more than my face. To my great luck, she punched me in the cheek with one hand, then right where my gun was with the other. She let out a cry of pain, then clamped her hand and sucked on her knuckles. After the initial sting subsided she pulled open my coat and barely stopped herself in time from touching my gun. She let go as if my coat burned her hand and backed into the far side of the wheelhouse, her dark eyes quite wide open.
“You… why? Why do you?” She pointed to where my gun was concealed and sank to the floor.
With one hand still over my crotch, I sat up and dragged myself over to the door, closed and leaned against it. Where the heck did she learn to be such a ruthless fighter? “I’m the captain of this ship. I’ll be the one asking questions. Start explaining yourself.”
Chapter 3
Amphitrite
The woman stared at my trench coat, clutching her knuckles as she caught her breath. I waited for her to say something intelligent but she began to take on the demeanor of a rodent caught in a trap and going into shock. “What are you doing on my ship, lady?”
The words snapped her out of her increasingly catatonic state. Her dark eyes regained their fiery glare. “I already told you I don’t want to be here!”
“That doesn’t answer my question.”
“Getting away from Tethys. Got a problem with that?”
Well that explained why there’d been a grappling hook so far away from the fighting. I’d noticed it when running from Tethys but hadn’t given it any thought until just now. “Definitely not. I hope he drowns one day.”
The lady, whatever her name was, gave me one of those smiles that conveyed she was in accord, that she might even have started liking me a little. “Good.” I didn’t care if she liked me. She needed to be deposited in Port Chesapeake so she could find a real chauffeur.
“So what were you doing on his ship?”
She unconsciously covered her chest and curled into a ball, her chin pinned to her sternum. “It doesn’t matter anymore. I’m never going back.” Her voice had gotten all tight when she spoke, which clued me in on the fact that her stay hadn’t been a pleasant one.
“That doesn’t answer my second question.”
Her sharp gaze melted into a red, watery-eyed one. “He’s a pig and I’m a thing with a hole. Use your imagination.” She tightened her body into a more compact ball, her jaw muscles flexing hard as she fought back tears.
For half a second I felt bad for having grabbed her breast, but remembered my hand over my crotch, pain still aplenty. Sure, feeling her up didn’t make me much better than Tethys. But still, I’d never forced myself on a woman. I never would. That’s one thing men should never do. If I ever came across Tethys again, I’d personally drown him without his dick attached.
It was only half surprising that someone like Tethys would resort to rape to get some action. Despite my subpar, scruffy appearance, brothels were full of women eager to brag about having slept with a captain of a steam frigate. We were a rare breed of macho man. I passed a hand over the stubble of my beard as I looked over my strewn charts. Heck, even crew members were brag-worthy, but slightly less. Steam frigate crews had to be tough and strong. So many pirates and black market mercenaries. That and we were the only people keeping international trade alive, even Tethys. I guess people could call us heroes, if they were into that kind of fantastical sappy crap.
My dick didn’t feel particularly attached as I stood and limped over to the wheel. I gingerly stepped on a few charts. I’d pick them up once I could use both hands. My ship was still heading due west, towards New York City. What could she possibly want in New York? The Big Apple was now the Big Core.
I swung my ship back south. I wasn’t anybody’s chauffeur, not even hers. Besides, Tethys was enough trouble for one day. He’d come back for me eventually. He always did. He was stupid like that.
I wedged my auto pilot wood back on either side of the joystick and began cleaning up my nautical charts. Two of them were ripped but I resisted the urge to strangle the lady. It wouldn’t make the rips go away anyway. The top half of my fifty charts had fanned out like a deck of cards on the floor. I collected and realigned them facedown on the counter, then began sorting the other half, which was splayed out like someone had thrown a handful of confetti. The task took intense concentration in order to not rip any more sheets, and to recall the order of their placement.
I flinched when the lady asked me my name. I’d forgotten she was there, despite the ache in my crotch. “Doesn’t matter. We’re not friends and you’re not staying on my ship, lady.”
“My name is Jessie. Stop calling me ‘lady.’” She stood, pushed her hair out of her face and stared at me with her fists just above her hips.
At least she had the intellect to not lay another fist on me. I really didn’t want to put her in a headlock. “Whatever. It’s Dyne. You can call me that or Captain.”
“Dyne? Is that a nickname?” Her fists lowered but she remained plastered to the wall.
“Yes and no. No one but me knows my real name anymore.” Why did I let that bit of trivia slip? This lady was nothing to me. I went back to straightening my nautical charts now that I’d removed all of them from the floor. The fog bank outside was half gone with sunlight brightening up a lousy day that’d included two instances of foiling my attempt to eat a cheeseburger in peace.
“Jessie is just a nickname for me. My real name is Amphitrite.”
I accidentally ripped the three charts in my hand as I whipped around. I couldn’t have heard her right. My heart began to pound and my palms got sweaty.
Jessie—or Amphitrite—dropped her tough girl act as I stared at her. She clasped an elbow. “My dad said it comes from Greek mythology. He named me that because of my temper. I picked up the name Jessie so Tethys and his crew would stop calling me ‘Mammy’. They were too stupid to get my real name right.”
“So why Jessie?” I tried to sound casual. She didn’t seem to catch the tension in my voice.
“It’s the name of my favorite American singer. Ever heard of Red Fern?”
Okay, I needed to treat her with utmost care and respect from now on, and make sure she stayed on my ship. She was a double-edged sword to me, almost not worth keeping around. “Were you born in the Mediterranean?”
Jessie furrowed her brows. “Cyprus. Why does it matter?”
I turned back to my charts in hopes of not making her feel any more uncomfortable. If she was the real deal, then I and my entire crew had to be careful. That bitch who’d cursed me would be expecting a visit from me sometime soon, and those trips never ended well. And with Jessie’s accompaniment, it was even more dangerous, yet held greater odds for me. I was desperate enough to believe there was still hope for me and ending my curse. So many people coveted immortality before the Purge. Maybe if this world were more of a utopia, it wouldn’t be so bad. This world was still trying to find its feet again.
I reached for the handle to pretend to be steering the ship, then let go when I made a clang against the auto pilot wood. So much for looking nonchalant. “Where were you hoping to run off to when you escaped Tethys’s ship?”
“A friend who can get my back home.”
“Where’s home?”
“Cyprus, duh.”
“Of course.” I clasped the accelerator for comfort. I didn’t want to be stuck as some nobody in his forties anymore. I wouldn’t die, unless I figured out how to lift my curse, something I was losing hope would ever happen. A visit to a certain cave was in order sometime in the near future. Hoo boy, my crew would like that trip as much as getting a gun for a birthday present. “I’ll see about getting you home. No joke,” I added when she raised her fists and gav
e me a suspicious glare.
“Tethys promised me the same thing,” Jessie said sourly. “It took me a month of getting to know him, then getting raped the first time to figure out that he’d lied to me. Why should I trust or believe you?”
“I’m not Tethys.” I thought of apologizing for grabbing her breast but I couldn’t bring myself to do it. “That, and I’ll throw in a pair of your very own steel-toe boots before our next stop. Sound good?” That was about the last thing I wanted her to wear, but it was better than knee spikes.
A trace of a smile crossed her lips before she resumed her hard gaze. “Words are nothing. I’ll believe you when I’ve got them on my feet.”
“Fair enough. Now let’s get below deck and eat.” I crossed to the door and held it open for her—not out of courtesy. Not a chance. I didn’t want another scuffle over which way my ship was headed. My groin had only just stopped hurting.
Jessie looked at the wheel, then at me and backed up a step.
“I’m on a shipment schedule, lady. I’ve already lost a week thanks to Tethys.”
“Amphitrite or Jessie. Pick one.”
“Amphitrite. Whatever.” I meant to say her nickname, but her given name slipped out. My stomach did a little butterfly flutter inside, persuading me a little more that the next few months were going to be interesting. “Now move.”
Jessie gave the wheel a baleful look, then straightened up and slipped out of the wheelhouse without giving her back to me. I locked the door behind us and checked to make sure none of the windows were open. Everything was satisfactory. I caught up with Jessie at the bottom of the stairs and led her down to the galley, anticipating the drama that was about to unfold.
Chapter 4
No Touchie
Only Scully and Mido were in the galley when I returned, along with my cheeseburger on the table. It had to be cold by now, meaning it wouldn’t be as enjoyable to eat as it would have ten minutes ago. Darn woman! She really was bad luck. What am I doing?
I tried to put on a friendly face to cover my glare, and placed a hand on the small of Jessie’s back. She gasped and shied away. I put my hand down. “Scully, I believe I have apprehended your assailant.”
Bag of ice still on the back of his head, Scully looked at Jessie, then at me. “Don’t look much apprehended. You sure you have the right person? That’s a woman.”
“By the looks of those welts on his face, I think he does,” Mido said, smirking. “She do that to you, Captain?”
I opened my mouth as Jessie said, “You bet I did. I’ll do the same to you if you try to touch me.”
My three men guffawed. Yeah, yeah. Laugh it up. “If you’re so tough, you go ahead and take her on.” And right on cue, just because I consciously registered my injuries, they started hurting.
Mido snickered behind a fist. “I don’t fight women.”
“She’s not any woman.”
Jessie got into her street fighting stance, fists up and knees slightly bent, ready to cripple another crotch. “I can take you on. Try me.”
Mido smiled broadly as he got to his feet. “Alright, miss, if you wish.” He cracked his knuckles and his neck, then drew closer to Jessie. She went for the crotch first. Mido twisted his body and took the blow in his thigh. His eyes widened and he reached for his leg.
“You got lucky,” Jessie said, and swung for Mido’s face.
Mido shrugged off the blow and put his smile back on. He caught Jessie’s right hook with his left hand, then blocked her other swing with his right forearm, a combination of moves that felt strongly of deja vu. “If you say so.” Mido twisted his arm and seized Jessie’s left wrist, then slid his grip on Jessie’s right so he was holding her fingers. He twisted his body again when Jessie tried to knee him, it glancing off his glute. She tried to free her hands, but Mido’s chick-magnet arms were easily twice as thick as hers. He effortlessly brought her hand to his mouth and kissed her knuckles. “What’s your name, miss?”
Jessie stood still as the tension eased out her limbs, unable to take her eyes off of Mido’s, who was gazing at her over her knuckles. She and my cook looked like tango partners waiting for the music to start.
“My name is Amphi—”
“Jessie! Her name is Jessie.” I reached to cover her mouth but retracted my hand as soon as I neared her shoulder.
Mido let go of Jessie and gave me a puzzled look.
“Doesn’t sound like they were trying to say the same thing,” Scully said.
“I—” Jessie began.
“You will go by your nickname,” I said firmly.
Jessie wheeled on me and the fire returned to her dark eyes. “No! You’re not my captain.”
“You wanna stay in the cargo hold until I get you home? It’s pretty dark and musty in there.” Musty, yes, but not entirely dark. O’Toole didn’t mind it in there, but she might.
“No.”
“Then you will obey my orders while you’re on my ship.” I held her smoldering gaze as we glared at each other like two dogs ready to rip each other apart. Whoever looked away first lost the contest of wills. I was tempted to glance at my three men to see what they were making of this. They knew better than to challenge my orders. They had to be getting a real kick out of this, but at least they had the brains not to laugh right then.
Jessie’s glare lowered to where my gun was concealed. Her eyes dropped to the floor. “Aye, aye, Captain.”
My men guffawed again.
“Sailors don’t say ‘aye, aye’ anymore, Jessie,” Mido said. “It’s ‘yes, sir’ or ‘yes, Captain’. Been that way for centuries now.”
“It’s Amphi—”
“Hey!” I yelled. That was enough syllables to give them a heavy clue. However, my curse didn’t weigh on their thoughts as much as it did mine. Hopefully they wouldn’t put two and two together for three more days. I didn’t need them being afraid of my gun and her at the same time. “That’s it. Mido, take her to the cargo hold.”
Mido looked at Jessie and huffed a disappointed sigh. “This way,” he said, reaching an arm around Jessie’s waist. She shoved Mido and almost backed into me. My cook grabbed one of Jessie’s wrists and forcibly spun her around and pinned her arms to her chest with one of his. She lifted her legs and tried to drop out of Mido’s grip. When that failed and he began carrying her off, Jessie began hysterically shouting apologies and pleading to me to not lock her up. Mido stopped and looked to me for a change in orders.
Having visions of being just like Tethys if I stuffed her in the cargo hold, I said, “Put her down.” Mido gently set Jessie back on her feet and she pressed her back to the wall. “But you listen to me, lady,” I said as Mido sat down. Good god, Jessie’s face was all red with fresh tears already. What the heck did that bastard do to her?
“It’s Jessie. Please.” She sniffed.
I glared and pointed a finger at her. She cowed and mumbled another apology.
“Now you listen to me, Jessie. That’s two strikes. One more and no amount of apologizing will get you out of the cargo hold until it’s time to drop you off. Got it?”
“Yes, sir.”
“Now, you look like you’ve been underfed. Do you want some food?” She looked at me. then at my burger. She shuffled around Mido, even though he wasn’t in the way, and reached for it. “That’s mine.” I slid the plate out of her reach. “Mido, put some food in her.” I got a hint of a glare out of her. Good. She needed her fiery side to stay sane on my ship. I really didn’t feel like assigning bodyguard duty to her bunk.
Mido put on a broad grin and he heaved himself upright. “Alright, Jessie. My name is Mido and I’m the ship’s cook.”
“Okay.”
Mido grabbed Jessie’s rear as he crossed to the griddle.
Jessie punched Mido in the back of his head, then pushed him. He fell to his hands and knees, then scrambled to his feet and backed towards the oven, his arms up. Jessie chased him with her fists leading the way.
“Jessie, stop!�
�� I lunged the few steps to the oven and yelled her name again. Jessie backed off, panting hard and her fists still in the air. She stared at us both with wild eyes. Mido gave me a look of utter bafflement. “Okay. Just… no one touch her. No boobs, no ass, no nothing. Got it?” My men said “yes, sir” in unison, the two words coming out fast and full of shock. “Jessie. Sit down. Get fed. No more beating up my crew.”
Sanity slowly crept over her expression. Her breathing slowed and the whites around her irises disappeared behind eyelids. She took a deep breath and returned to the table but didn’t sit. Scully scooted a little farther into the semicircle seat and readjusted his cold pack.
Scully’s fearful gesture gave me an idea. Jessie would make an excellent bodyguard. A woman protecting men seemed odd but she’d already done a number on me, Scully and Mido, along with caught all of us off guard in the process. Now, if I could just make her indispensable in my crew’s eyes before they figured out she wasn’t disembarking anytime soon, and the real reason behind it, it’d make things smoother in the long run.
“Mido, you feeling whole enough to cook?”
“Yes, sir,” he said, eyeing Jessie with one hand cupping his jaw. “Man, she hits hard.” He turned to the ice box.
The ice box looked like a typical refrigerator before the Purge, but now it ran without electricity, meaning it was caked in ice to keep food fresh, and had a big tray underneath to catch the melt off. The thing would stay frozen for about two months at a time. Humanity had re-figured out insulation rather quick. We’d needed it…
“What do you like to eat?” Mido asked.
“Chicken, if you have it.” Jessie tucked her dark hair behind her ears.
“That we do.”
I took a seat on the edge of the table, near Scully, who was looking a bit pale, and pulled my brunch over. Sauna finally returned to his plate at the other side of the table. The bun felt room temperature in my hands, the meat itself lukewarm in my mouth. Bah. The window of burger bliss had gone cold. I ate it anyway, half enjoying it, half wishing microwaves still existed.
