Destiny's Captive (26 page)

N
oah's crew set the anchor and he rowed to the island alone. He thought back to his first sighting of the place all those many years ago and how scared he'd been about what he'd find there, especially when he and Kingston were met by the armed soldiers. Now, as he rowed closer, he saw no evidence of the dock he and the other prisoners had worked so tirelessly on. In fact, as he waded in and pushed the dinghy onto the beach he saw no evidence of human life at all. The silence echoed eerily. Armed with a machete and a pistol, he walked inland. By his estimation it would take him about an hour to reach the prison.

The open expanses of felled trees were now filled with waist-high brush, and for a short period of time, he lost his way. Using the machete to hack his way through the thick vegetation, he finally reached his goal. He stopped and stared. The gates that the guards once locked the men behind at night were still there but the rest was rubble. Piles of tumbledown stones were everywhere. He wondered if the place had been felled by an earthquake. He made his way around the pillars holding the gates and into what was left of the interior. Looking around he tried to get his bearings to gauge where he and King were once housed and when he did he moved in that direction, careful not to turn his ankle or trip on the varying sizes and shapes of the piles of stones. Along the way the memories returned and for the first time he didn't fight them; he let them all rush back, and as they did he heard the ghostly voices, the screams, saw the rats and the fires. And although he didn't want to, he let himself relive those first three nights with the hope that by facing it, the horror would somehow lose its power over him. So he sat, let his mind go back and as it did, he began to weep for the man-child he'd once been and his brutal initiation into a terrible world he never knew existed. He sat for a long time, remembering how he'd prayed to be found, only to give up when he decided God wasn't listening. But something moved him now to pray for all the men who'd lost their lives to the senseless violence of the place; for Pilar and his family, who continued to love him in spite of his moments of madness. He prayed for his father and Walt Douglas and all the other men who'd touched his life and had moved on. Lastly, he prayed for himself and recited a string of prayers he'd learned at church and from his mother that he didn't realize he remembered. Prayers of forgiveness, contrition, and thanks. Prayers for strength, healing, and grace. And when they finally came to an end, a profound sense of peace washed over him and he exhaled a shaky breath. He had no idea if God had answered, but he felt as if his soul was no longer in hell.

He wiped his eyes and stood. Glancing around, he froze at the sight of the tiger standing no more than ten feet away. By its size, he knew it was a big male. He thought about the pistol in his pack and whether he could get to it quickly enough should the cat decide to attack. It didn't. Instead it stood there and eyed Noah for a second or two longer, then turned and slowly went on its way. When it disappeared, Noah left the ruins and did the same.

S
ix months pregnant but still feeling good, Pilar stood on a cinder block to give Titan his daily currying. A few days ago, Dr. Lloyd had forbidden her to ride anymore until after the baby arrived and the ban weighed on her sorely. The willful parts of herself wanted to eschew the advice and take one last glorious ride but should something happen to the baby she knew she'd never forgive herself. Titan now depended on Alanza to get his exercise as she was the only other person he'd allow on his back. Logan said the horse was spoiled. She and Alanza explained Titan simply had discriminating taste. Logan didn't buy it.

Pilar hadn't heard anything from Noah. She tried not to be anxious because it wasn't good for her or the baby, but she missed him terribly and prayed every night that he'd return to her safely and soon. She was convinced that once he did return, the issues they had could be worked out, and just like in the love novels Doneta had taken to sending her while he was away, she and Noah would live happily ever after.

Pilar looked up to see Alanza walking in her direction. She was carrying her youngest grandchild, Billie and Drew's son Logan Abraham. He'd been nicknamed Abe to differentiate him from his proud-as-punch uncle.

“I have a surprise for you, Pilar.”

Pilar rolled her eyes. “What is it with you Yateses and surprises? I suppose I should close my eyes?”

“Please, and turn your back.”

Pilar blew out a breath and complied.

A few seconds later she heard a familiar male voice say, “
Buenos días, mi pequeño pirata
.”

Tears were already in her eyes when she turned and he took her in his arms. So happy to see him, she wept copiously, to the point of embarrassment, but they were tears of joy. His eyes were wet as well. “You're home,” she said looking up into his handsome scarred face. Alanza had magically disappeared.

“I am and with no plans to ever leave you again.”

“Good. I missed you terribly.”

“I missed you, too. How's our baby?”

“Doing well, according to Dr. Lloyd, and as you can see, I am no longer
pequeño.
”

He moved a caressing hand over her round stomach, then eased her against him again. “But you're still beautiful.”

“Bless you.”

He leaned back and asked, “So do you want the baby born here at Destino or in our house on the Bay?”

She stared with wide eyes. “You bought the house?”

“I did. Drew took care of the details in my absence and Max handled all the repairs. It's ready whenever we are.”

“Oh my goodness.” Pilar quickly did the logistics in her head. “How about we move in but come back here for my appointments to see Dr. Lloyd and for the birth?”

“Agreed.”

“So your mother knows we're moving?”

“Yes. Drew had Max break the news to her. He figured she wouldn't kill her own husband.”

Pilar felt all her worries drop away and her world tilt back into its proper place. “Just hold me, so I know you aren't a mirage.”

“No mirage,
querida
.”

“Are you better?” she asked seriously.

He nodded. “Yes.”

“You owe me so many kisses,
Americano
.”

She heard the rumble of his chuckle in her ear against his chest.

“Then how about we go in, go up to our room and I begin my penance? After that we can talk about my trip.”

“Agreed, they can only be kisses though.”

“Understood, but I'm sure I can come up with some scandalous ways to comply within those boundaries.”

“I can't wait.”

And afterwards, I'll play for you the beginning of the concerto I composed for you.”

“For me?”

“Yes. For you and only for you.”

As they headed to the house, Titan reared and bellowed.

Noah yelled back, “Sorry horse, I'm home and she's mine. You'll have to get your own woman.”

A laughing Pilar punched him in the arm and basked in the knowledge that he was indeed home and that he was her love and she was his.

I
n Pilar's eighth month, she and Noah were stunned to learn from Dr. Lloyd that she wasn't carrying one baby, but two! The twins were born in early June, six minutes apart. First came Desa Alanza, followed by Javier Maxwell. The attending grandmothers cried. The boy was named to honor Pilar's father and to honor Max for the bang-up job he'd done on their house. To everyone's surprise Max cried as well.

Later, after the rigors of birth, Pilar looked down with love-filled eyes at the healthy twin babies in her arms, then up at their proud father. “Do they make rapiers for babies?”

He threw back his head and laughed loud and long. “I hope not.” Once he gained control of himself again, he said, “Thank you for our beautiful children.”

“You're welcome.”

“Do you want me to take them and put them in the bassinets so you can sleep?”

She yawned, “Yes, please. And when you're done, tell Max to get started on a new Baby Jail. I think we may need it.”

He kissed her gently, took each baby in turn and once they were sleeping as soundly as their mama, the very grateful Noah thanked God for his blessings and tiptoed out.

Getting to know the Yates family has been a pleasure, and I hope you enjoyed this final book in the series. The research tied to Pilar was very eye-opening. I had no idea of the role played by General Maceo, the Mambis, or the Afro-Cubans in the country's history. The freedom Pilar and the rebels worked so diligently to obtain finally came to fruition in 1898, but it was a bittersweet victory. The Cuban people were not allowed to participate in the negotiated settlement hammered out between the United States and Spain.

Here are some of the resources I used to bring
Destiny's Captive
to life:

In closing, I wish to thank my readers for their continued prayers, love, and support. It means the world to me.

See you next time,

B

BEVERLY JENKINS
has received numerous awards, including five Waldenbooks/Borders Group Best Sellers Awards, two Career Achievement Awards from
Romantic Times
Magazine, and a Golden Pen Award from the Black Writer's Guild. Ms. Jenkins was named one of the Top Fifty Favorite African-American writers of the 20th century by AABLC, the nation's largest on-line African-American book club. She was recently nominated for the NAACP Image Award in Literature.

To read more about Beverly, visit her at
www.beverlyjenkins.net.

www.avonromance.com
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