In the Arms of a Pirate (A Sam Steele Romance Book 2) (24 page)

“Sarah.” Gently Aidan guided her to Captain’s cot. Once she was seated he searched through the crates and shelves until he found an empty bottle. He held it up to the flickering lamp, deemed it clean enough and filled it from one of the barrels in the room.

Sitting next to her, he took her hands and placed the bottle within them. “Drink,” he ordered when she made no move to.

But she simply stared at it as she had her cup. “You were right. Everything you and your men said about him was the truth.”

Well, he was hardly going to gloat about it. He put his hand over hers and lifted the bottle to her lips. “Take a little, Sarah. It’ll help.”

“I had to know.” Her solemn eyes met his. “You understand, don’t you? Hearing it from you and your men wasn’t enough. I needed to hear it from him.”

“You promised to stay close,” he reminded her, though he didn’t put any heat in his words.

She’d been through enough. She was safe and Roche hadn’t recognized her. In truth, it had worked well she’d disobeyed him. She’d wanted to hear the truth from Roche himself and now she had. There could be no doubt.

A glimmer of smile tugged at her lips. “I may have failed to mention that I would only do so if I had no other option. When another presented itself, I took it.”

Finally she drank, at first a small swallow and then a longer gulp. When she sputtered and choked, wheezed at the burn she no doubt felt down the length of her throat and into her belly, he took the bottle from her hands. He’d wanted something that would shake her out of her shock, not knock her unconscious.

The moment she caught her breath she lunged to her feet, swiped at her arms as though they were suddenly covered in fleas.

“I know it wouldn’t change a thing but I would give my soul to have a bath. I’ve never felt so soiled in my life.” She shuddered. “He thought I was a boy.”

Aidan shot to his feet. “He saw you?”

“Not my face. As it happened I walked in immediately after he did.”

Aidan hissed through his teeth.

“I had no idea he was even there until I was hurrying away and one of them yelled my last name.”

Holy hell. Aidan raised the bottle and took his own long swallow. “But it wasn’t me they were speaking to, they were talking to him.”

“He didn’t recognize you?”

“No. His men made lewd comments about him and me.” She held out her hand for the bottle and Aidan passed it to her. “But he said he liked his meat fresher.” Sarah took a mouthful and though her eyes watered, she didn’t sputter. “Then, he shoved me away and one of his men grumbled that I could have been of further use.”

She pressed a hand to her stomach as though she was going to be ill. Aidan looked about for a vessel and quickly grabbed a pitcher, handed it to her. She shook her head.

“Are you sure?”

She nodded, lowered her hand. He set the jug back down on a pile that looked as though it would topple over if someone sneezed.

“As I walked away, my father told me I was welcome to come back and—” She looked down, wrung her hands. “I don’t know what it means, exactly, but he said I could come back and ‘suck him dry’.”

Roche, you filthy bastard
. Aidan had no doubt more than one lad had likely been forced to do just that at one time or another.

From behind the adjoining door to the tavern, the jovial music was being smothered by the increasingly loud conversations, the thumping of boots on the floor, and the occasional crash of glass. It would only get worse as the night wore on. Hopefully, Captain wouldn’t be much longer.

Sarah looked up. “What did he mean by that?”

Oh, no. He wasn’t going to be the one to tell her. He shook his head.

“You promised never to lie to me,” she accused.

Bloody hell, him and his damn promises. Aidan rubbed the back of his neck, heaved a sigh. Like ripping out a splinter, he decided to just say it fast and get it over with.

He thought she’d be sick. “That’s disgusting!”

He couldn’t help but chuckle. “Well, under those circumstances yes. But when it’s between a man and a woman and both are willing…”

Her eyes nearly burst from her head. Then as the idea seemed to take root, her cheeks flushed. Feeling the stirrings of desire, Aidan quickly shifted the conversation to safer topics.

“Did they say anything of significance about me or my family?”

She took the bottle from his fingers, drank. “He spoke of Grace. How he was only going to keep her alive until the child was born. How that child wouldn’t be of the quality as the one which had come from his Evangeline but that it nonetheless belonged to him.”

“He’ll never get that child.” Aidan thought of Grace and Cale and how much he knew the man loved her. How they’d all come to care for her. “Of that you can be sure.”

She set the bottle aside. “Aidan there’s more. He said he’d go after everyone who’d had bested him. That he’d rape the women and children before slitting their throats.”

Aidan’s hands fisted even though it’s what he’d expect from Roche.

“I’ll see him in hell before he touches anyone in my family again.”

“Aidan, I’m so sorry for everything he’s done to you.”

“I don’t hold you responsible.”

She wrung her hands together. “I feel it. He’s my father. It’s my blood that hurt your family.”

He closed the narrow distance between them. “You didn’t know. And even if you had, you wouldn’t have been able to stop him.”

Her chin quivered. “All this time, all those awful things he’s done and I never knew. If you hadn’t come searching for him I would still be living a lie.”

“It’s not your fault, Sarah.”

A tear escaped the pool that had gathered in her eyes. “I’m ashamed to be his daughter. I don’t know how you can stand to look at me.”

There wasn’t much worse, to Aidan’s mind, than a woman’s tears. He wiped away the moisture, cupped her face and kept her from looking away when he knew she wanted to.

“I don’t see him when I look at you. I never have.” He leaned into her. “It would be so much easier if I did.”

She placed her hands on his arms, tipped her face to his.

The door burst open spilling the clamor of the tavern into the quiet room.

“I’ve got what ye wanted, Ai—”

Sarah’s face turned scarlet. She leapt back, would have careened into the unsteady stack if Aidan hadn’t been quick. He clasped her wrist and pulled her his way. Knowing what Captain would assume, Aidan was grinning when he faced his friend.

Sure enough, there stood Captain, his eyes nearly as round as his belly. His pan-like hands hung limp at his sides. His face was red as Sarah’s. Chuckling, Aidan moved around him and closed the door, once again shutting out the bulk of the noise.

Since Captain had yet to move, Aidan slapped the man on the arm. “You have something for me?” he prompted.

He shook his head. “Aye.” It seemed to take all his strength to drag his attention from Sarah. “Roche means to gather an armada. He’s already got himself three other ships.”

“How many is he after?”

“He says he wants at least six besides his own.”

Could be worse, Aidan reasoned. They’d have at least four of their own. The
Revenge
, the
Freedom
, Blake’s
Blue Rose
and he had no doubt Nate would acquire one as well. Since it was Nate’s house Roche had attacked, the man wouldn’t be satisfied to ride along on someone else’s ship. He’d want to command his own.

“Seven?” Sarah gasped. “How are you going to be able to defend yourself against seven ships?”

“He won’t be by himself, lad. He’ll have Steele.” Captain frowned. “Speaking of Steele I didn’t see him out there.”

Aidan grinned, couldn’t help the pride that pushed his chest out a little further. “You’re looking at him.”

Captain’s thick unruly brows shot into his hairline. “Ye did it, lad? Ye finally got it?”

“I did, indeed.”

His cheer shook the walls as he grabbed Aidan in a hug that nearly snapped every one of his ribs before setting him down. “What happened to Cale?” His face turned serious. “He didn’t…”

“Die? No. He found a good woman and decided piracy was no longer for him.”

“Ack,” Captain waved his arm wide, forcing Aidan to duck. “I don’t know why they figure they have to choose. Seems to me a man should be able to have both if he has a mind.” His gaze slid from Aidan to Sarah and back.

Aidan decided to put Captain out of his misery. “Captain, I’d like you to meet Sarah.” While he trusted Captain, Aidan figured it best if he kept her family name to himself until Roche was dead.

Captain let out a long, loud breath. “Blimey, lad, ye had me worried.” He smiled, held out his hand to Sarah. “Pleasure to meet ye, miss.”

“And you,” she answered as she took his hand, returned his smile.

Captain preened like a peacock.

Aidan chuckled. Nothing made Captain happier than talking to a pretty woman. Still, they’d lingered long enough. He thanked the man for his help.

“Ye be careful. Plan or not, Santiago is dangerous.”

“I know that better than most,” Aidan answered.

Captain crossed the room to the back door. “I’ll keep him here as long as I can without arousing his suspicion.”

Aidan nodded, thanked the man again then with Sarah behind him, stepped into the night. Knowing she’d stay close, as she had no reason not to, Aidan cut a fast path back to the beach and their hidden longboat. The advantage of the later hour was those lingering in the streets were more drunk than they’d been before and could barely speak and stand, let alone fight or give chase. With nothing slowing them down, it wasn’t long before they’d reached the boat.

“Is that fog coming in?” Sarah asked of the low cloud hanging over the water.

“No, it’s smoke from the meat-roasting fires.”

“Will it stop Chunk from seeing us? From knowing we’re ready?”

“Highly unlikely,” Aidan answered. “Help me gather some of this driftwood.” Anything that wasn’t damp was piled on the beach. When Aidan deemed they had enough wood, he scoured the underbrush for leaves, small twigs and anything else that burned hot and fast. He tucked that amid the smaller pieces of wood they’d collected before taking one of the grenadoes he’d brought along and carefully removing the slowmatch and cork fuse. He sprinkled some gunpowder onto the pile then capped the iron ball once more.

With the flint he took from his pocket and the dagger from his boot, Aidan lit the kindling. He waited until the twigs started to crackle and snap before adding the thicker logs. Then, satisfied the fire didn’t need any immediate tending, he settled himself at the edge of the trees where he could hide if needed while still having a clear view of the sea.

Until Sarah stood before him.

“That’s it? That’s the signal?”

He leaned back onto his arms. “You were expecting something else?”

“Yes. An explosion or a blaze taller than I am. Not”—she gestured to the small fire behind her—“that.”

“‘That’ will not attract any attention.”

“But isn’t that what you want? To attract your ship’s attention?”

“Aye, but only ours. Nobody else will look twice at this fire. They’ll just assume it’s some drunkard’s.”

“Yet Chunk will know differently?”

“Well, he knows what he’s looking for and this is where I said I’d be. Contrary to what you may have heard, pirates don’t usually camp on beaches. We prefer the shelter of the trees or almost anyplace else we can hide. You’re in my way.” He tugged on her arm and she dropped onto the sand beside him.

“What if someone else comes along?”

Aidan looked at her, grinned. “I’ll encourage them to go elsewhere.”

But nobody else, drunk or sober, wandered to their end of the beach and no new ships sailed in. The more time that passed, the heavier the ball in Aidan’s stomach became. He added wood to the fire, gathered more, and never took his eye off the ocean. Chunk wasn’t late, as they’d had no way of knowing how long Aidan would need in order to learn what he needed to, but he’d been told not to venture far. If he needed to get out of sight he only had to circle the island.

By Aidan’s estimation he’d have had time to do so a few times already.

“Something’s wrong, isn’t it?”

“I don’t know.”

“But you suspect so?”

Aidan kneaded the back of his neck. The muscles beneath his fingers were strung taught and those within his stomach weren’t faring any better. It was time to consider that those uneasy feelings he’d had on the
Revenge
had amounted to what he’d most feared. A mutiny.

Bloody hell.

He pushed to his feet, strode to the water’s edge where the waves folded in. This was the worst of all possibilities. He’d felt a mutiny was a probability but he’d assumed if they attempted one they’d do it when he was aboard. According to Luke, who’d been a part of more than one mutiny over the course of his pirating days, part of the thrill of a mutiny was to take the captain down as much as take over the ship. Apparently the men on his ship had only wanted the
Revenge
.

Damn it, he’d only gotten it back!

“Bastards,” Aidan cursed as he found a conch on the beach and heaved it into sea.

Sarah shuffled up beside him. “They aren’t coming back, are they?”

“I’m not sure.”

“Aidan, you don’t need to lie to protect me. I’d rather know the truth.”

He turned from the ocean. “I’m not lying. The truth is I suspect a mutiny has taken place.”

“But—” Sarah looked all around. “How will we leave without a ship?” She grabbed his arm. “How will we protect your family if we’re trapped here?”

She’d only learned her father was a monster and she had to still be reeling from the truth, yet here she was, concerned about Aidan’s family. How Roche had managed to raise such a warm, giving daughter Aidan had no idea. Clearly, she must take after her mother. Aidan placed his hand over hers.

“Thank you for caring about them, but all is not yet lost. Aye, I suspect a mutiny but not everyone on board will betray me. There are several I trust who will fight to keep the
Revenge
from being taken.”

“Chunk?”

“And Lucky, Jacques, Slim, to name a few.” He squeezed her hand before breaking contact. “I trust they will succeed.”