Pirate Princess (29 page)

“Carlos has agreed to give us guests’ rights while visiting this island,” Finn explained.

“Aye, Finn and I have an understanding and I’m sure you’ll abide by the rules since you’re sailing with him. Plus, I’ve grown weary of fighting so much. It takes a lot out of an old man to crush people.”

And yet, I was sure he would do it just for the fun and joy he felt when he did it. “Thank you for your hospitality,” I said, bowing my head to him.

“Just as polite and well-spoken as your dad. Enjoy your time here and watch out for the animals. They’re a wild bunch and like hunting humans.” He said with a smile.

I wondered who had taught them to hunt humans. Most likely him. Finn stood and I followed him outside and towards a set of small buildings on the beach on the other side of town. “Finn, are you sure it’s okay to trust him?”

He smiled and took my hand. “Don’t worry, I’ve stayed here several times before and he has been nothing but hospitable. I don’t think he gets many visitors anymore.”

“Which could mean he is bored and wants some entertainment,” I commented.

He stopped next to one of the buildings and pushed open the door. I walked in and realized it was a small house. “I will protect you,” he assured me.

“Finn,” I started, but then I saw the smirk on his face.

He pulled my mask off and shoved me against the wall of the house as he kissed me. “You want to go for a swim?” he asked when he finally pulled back.

“I need something to swim in,” I said.

“Hm, we could wait until dark and go without clothes.”

I blushed and he smiled happily. “You’re a fiend,” I told him.

He crushed his mouth to mine and all thoughts left me except enjoying his lips on mine. He reached down and gripped one of my butt cheeks in his hand. I gasped and he thrust his tongue into my mouth to stroke mine. The sensation was incredible and he tasted like fruit and Finn. I kissed him back and somehow ended up on my back on the bed with him on top of me. He gripped my hip bone and I slid my hands up his shirt, running my hands along his back muscles and then over his shoulders and down his chest to his chiseled stomach. He kissed me faster and deeper and I responded just as eagerly. He slid his hand up from my hip to my stomach, underneath my shirt and continued moving upward. His thumb brushed the bottom of my chest and I gasped, pulling back. “Finn,” I gasped.

He brushed his thumb across the bottom again and looked at me with a hunger that frightened me a little. “I had you naked in my cabin and yet I still wasn’t able to truly see you because I was too worried about you and just wanted to get you into warm clothes.” He moved his hand higher so that he could stroke his finger down the side of my chest. “Now all I can think about is seeing you again so that I can enjoy the view.”

“Finn,” I whispered, my pulse hammering my throat. “I can’t. I’m not.”

He kissed my lips sweetly and said, “I know, sweetheart.”

He started to pull away and I grabbed his wrist, pulled his arm up until his hand covered my chest and kissed him. His hand squeezed gently and the sensation was almost too much for me. He stroked his fingers over me and I shuddered beneath him. “Soon, I will make your head explode as you shudder like that,” he whispered. He pressed himself against me and I blushed instantly feeling him against my hip. “Tonight is not that night.” He brushed his fingers over my chest once more and then disappeared, the door slamming shut behind him.

I put a pillow over my face and screamed into it. I was a special kind of stupid. I felt more embarrassed than ever before in my life. The more I stayed there with the pillow over my face the angrier at myself that I grew. I walked outside and found some of the crew drinking whiskey. I took a bottle from Bernard’s hand and chugged it, the liquor burned down my throat as if I had swallowed lava. The crew cheered and when I finally gave the bottle back to Bernard they clapped me on the back and made room for me on the log to sit around the fire they had made.

“Where did Finn go?” Bernard asked.

I shrugged. “He didn’t say.”

“He was running pretty fast,” Paul commented.

“You better change the subject before I stab you in the leg,” I growled.

“Here, I think you need more of this,” Bernard said, handing me the whiskey back. I took three long gulps and then wiped my mouth with the back of my hand. My embarrassment and anger disappeared, replaced by sorrow. Maybe I wasn’t good enough for him. Maybe he only said those things to make me think I was good enough. I mentally slapped myself. Finn cared for me and risked his life for me. He wouldn’t let me sail on his ship or share his cabin if he didn’t care for me. Plus, I had seen the look of hunger on his face when he told me about seeing me. He wanted me as badly as I wanted him and that was why he had left, so we wouldn’t make that leap too soon.

The crew teased each other and told stories and I took several more long drinks of whiskey and joined in.

Tom walked over and said, “I think it’s time to officially make her one of us.” The crew cheered and I sat very still while Tom tattooed me with Finn’s symbol, adding it to my father’s. As soon as he was done, the crew cheered again and the drinking resumed. My sadness was gone and replaced by a deep happiness. I finally belonged. Here on a pirate ship, I was welcomed with all my weirdness and they praised me for it.

Finn walked over and asked, “What are we celebrating?”

“The officiality of Jax joining our crew!” Bernard yelled and raised his bottle. The crew cheered and I cheered as well.

Finn walked over and I pulled the top of my shirt down so he could see the new addition to my tattoo. “You made it official?” he asked me. I nodded my head. “So you’re officially mine?” he asked quietly.

I leaned backwards against him and whispered, “Yep.”

He kissed me deeply and I kissed him back. “Let’s celebrate!” he yelled, taking a bottle that someone offered him and drinking from it. We all cheered and someone started playing a banjo. Finn danced with me and spun me around the fire. I kissed him and he whispered, “I’m never letting you go now. You’ll have to stay on my boat forever.”

“Good because I don’t want to leave,” I whispered. He spun me faster around the fire with a look of pure joy, but I suddenly felt very tired. I stumbled and he caught me, setting me down in the sand. “Jax, what’s wrong?” he asked.

The crew around us had stopped cheering and most fell to the sand around the circle while the rest stared at us in fear. Finn fell to his knees, his eyes starting to close and he looked at the bottle of whiskey in his hand. “Drugged,” he whispered and then I passed out.

“Time to wake up, Jax,” a man’s voice said.

I stirred and felt like sand was stuck in my mouth and like a horse had kicked me in the head. “What? Water.”

I tried to sit up, but it hurt and I felt dizzy. “Don’t try to sit up yet. Just relax. The effects will wear off soon.”

I took slow breaths and tried to recall the last thing that had happened. The crew tattooed me and we were celebrating and I fainted. “What was in the alcohol?” I asked.

“Just a sleeping agent,” the man said, “No harmful after affects.”

I opened my eyes and Carlos smiled at me from where he was sitting. “Why?” I asked.

“Your father has always been one ahead of me. He beat me by one treasure in the festival, he convinced your mother to love him instead of me, he became King, and I was left here. Now I will keep you and take you for my wife. Imagine his face when he sees our child for the first time.” He laughed maniacally and I wished Finn were here so I could tell him I had been right.

“Finn?” I asked.

“Oh don’t worry, I had his crew loaded up on their ship and they are sailing safely out of my territory. I know you care for them and what kind of husband would I be if I killed the people you cared about?”

I almost threw up and I knew it had nothing to do with the drugs or whiskey. “What makes you think I’ll be your wife?” I asked him as I sat up. My head had thankfully stopped throbbing and I started to fill a little better.

“Simple my dear, you have no means of escape,” he said smugly.

“I’d rather take my chances swimming in the ocean than be your wife,” I spat at him.

“I do love a fiery spirited woman,” he said and licked his lips. I reached for a dagger and realized I was completely unarmed. “Looking for these?” he asked me, pointing to my pile of weapons behind him on a table.

“I’ll never cooperate,” I told him. “I’ll fight you every day until I escape.”

“You are more than welcome to try,” he said smugly.

I ran across the building, leapt over the top of him and reached for a dagger. Something hard slammed into my back, knocking me to the ground and knocking the wind out of me. I gasped for breath and he pulled me up by my hair. “You’re pretty fast,” he admitted, “But not fast enough.”

I kicked his knee sideways and punched him in the throat. He gasped and released me to reach up to his injured throat. I pulled his dagger from his belt and stabbed it to the hilt in his thigh. He bellowed in rage and pain and I ran, grabbing my sword and a dagger as I went by and burst out of the door. Two men stood at the end of the walkway and drew their swords. I ran at the one on the left, dropped to slide, knocked his legs out from under him, stabbed him in the chest with the sword and spun around, slicing my dagger across the other guard’s throat. I jerked my sword out of the guard and ran towards the beach. Carlos limped out of the building, his face as red as the blood dripping down my sword.

“I’m going to kill you instead and send your corpse to your father!” he screamed.

“You have to catch me first you fat, old man!” I taunted. There had to be a way to escape. There had to be something, but I couldn’t see even a single boat or raft anywhere. I ran down the beach, hoping to find something on the other side of the island. I heard something whistling and dropped face down into the sand. A dagger flew by and buried into the tree in front of me.

“Lousy shot!” I screamed at him despite the fear clawing at my throat. I ran into the trees so that I wouldn’t be such an easy target. I leapt over fallen trees and swerved around them in a random pattern and then burst out onto the beach on the side of the island. Empty beach and waves. I cursed and ran along the beach.

“It’s no use!” Carlos yelled.

I stopped to catch my breath and squatted down behind a tree. I couldn’t see him or hear him, but this was his home and he had the advantage and I had no idea what lie ahead. I had to think. If I killed him I could take all the time I needed to make a raft, but he was stronger than me and I didn’t know what his specialties were, but I could guess by his name that I couldn’t let him touch me. I started jogging down the beach again since sitting in one spot was getting me nowhere. Finn had to come back when he woke up. He would come find me.

I didn’t drop fast enough when I heard the whistle. A dagger buried into my shoulder and I stumbled as I screamed out in pain. I kept running, dodging in and out of the trees and fought the tears that wanted to come.

“Just give up and I’ll promise not to kill you,” he called after me.

“There are worse things than death!” I yelled as I ran. I had to be strong or I would break down and give up. I couldn’t give up. I had to find a way to escape.

Something slammed into my side, sending me flying out onto the beach. I gasped in pain as the dagger bent and dug into me as I rolled on top of it and then it was ripped out. I jumped up and a giant wolf growled at me.

“I had him imported from a far away kingdom. They’re very loyal, but only to one master,” he said.

I stepped sideways and the wolf followed me and snapped its teeth at me. Blood dripped down my arm and off my fingertips in a steady stream. “This could have gone easily and pain free for you if you had just consented,” Carlos told me as he limped towards me. I was probably going to die, but I was happy that I had at least hurt him enough to make him limp.

I put my sword down, squatted down onto my knees and looked at the wolf. “You’ll not like my taste as it’s tainted by your master’s drugs.” The wolf stopped snarling as it looked at me.

Carlos laughed maniacally. “You’re talking to the wolf?! You must have drunk more than I thought.”

“I’ll not hurt you,” I whispered to the wolf, “but he won’t hesitate if you displease him.”

“Maybe you’re just crazy and that’s why your dad sent you away,” Carlos sneered. “I don’t care what head damage you have as long as you are capable of bearing me a child.”

The wolf stared at me and I picked my sword up, put it in its sheath and scooted back. The wolf didn’t move. I dipped my head to the wolf and ran down the beach.

“Get her!” Carlos yelled.

I didn’t turn to see if the wolf obeyed. Of course I didn’t have to wait long to find out because it tackled me to the ground and then lay on top of me.

“Off,” Carlos ordered. The wolf got off me and Carlos rolled me over, a dagger in his hand. He placed it against my throat and sneered at me. “You’re the first one to stab me in a very long time. I can’t believe you had the guts to do it.”

“I’ll do it again if you give me that dagger,” I said in a strong voice despite the fear that threatened to transform me into a sniveling girl who begged for her life.

The tip of his dagger dug into my throat, cutting just enough to bleed. He grabbed me by the hair and pulled me up until I was standing in front of him. “I think I will keep you alive and send your dad pieces of you slowly. First we will start with a finger,” he growled.

I saw something moving down the beach incredibly fast. It almost looked like a mirage. I tried to jerk away from Carlos and was getting ready to kick him, but he stabbed his dagger into my leg and continued to hold me up by my hair so I couldn’t drop to the ground. I screamed in pain and tried to reach for the dagger to pull it out, but he would not let me. “That was for stabbing me,” he growled.

The mirage turned into Finn and I knew I was hallucinating. The Finn mirage sped across the sand faster than I could throw a dagger and knocked Carlos away from me. I crumpled to the ground on my side gasping for breath past my pain. Maybe I was already dead and this was a dream. Maybe Carlos had drugged me and this was the hallucination that I produced. That made the most sense because I desperately wished Finn would come rescue me despite knowing that was not possible.