He ran his hand down his face and reached into his vest to pull out another tissue to clean his sword off with. “There’s no need to get pissed off. I’m simply making sure you are safe. He shouldn’t have touched you.” Aiden reached out to touch the red mark on my face, and I slapped his hand away.
“If you hadn’t left me alone—” I started accusingly but then stopped. He wasn’t going to understand.
“I needed a moment away from you. You are incredibly infuriating.”
“You are too, Aiden. If you would just talk to me instead of hiding all your feelings all the time, maybe we could figure something out!” My eyes flew open in shock that I actually said the words and told him how I felt.
“Feelings have nothing to do with this, love.”
I balled my fists up at my sides and stepped up to him. “Really?” I wanted to reach out and touch him, but I couldn’t get myself to close the distance. Fear still flowed through me, but it was fed with irritation at his insistence that there were no feelings involved. If he didn’t care about me, he would have let the man have his way with me. “You don’t feel anything when we are close?”
Aiden reached out to brush my hair out of my face, but I recoiled from him. I could see the hurt in his eyes. He didn’t even attempt to hide it this time. He opened his mouth once to speak, unable to find the words, and then ran his hand down his face in defeat. Still, he avoided the question. “We need to get you ready to go ashore.”
He turned to walk away but I grabbed his jacket. The truth I demanded from him dimmed beneath the weight of his words. “Wait, we’re going ashore?”
I let go of his as soon as I realized I touched him and wrapped my arms around myself. The sudden fear of going ashore with other humans worried me. I didn’t need to be around so many men in a tavern for one; they would all be drawn to me and it wouldn’t end well. Second of all, I was accustomed to walking on the ship, but I wasn’t sure how I would fare on land.
“Yes, I suppose you missed the part where I mentioned it earlier,” he said, irritation seeping in his voice. I could see the immediate regret in his face though, even though he masked it soon after.
“When will we arrive?”
“Tomorrow just before sundown. You can see it from here if you look out that way.” He pointed out toward the shore. I could see it now, the faint glow of brown sand. Establishments lined against the green grass further ahead. My better judgment begged me not to go. It wasn’t a good idea.
“Can I stay aboard the ship?”
“No.” He turned to walk away from me and toward his cabin, but I was quick to follow.
“Why not?”
“Why don’t you want to go? There will be drinking, dancing, and stories. All your favorite things.”
“I don’t like drinking…”
Aiden laughed. “Whatever you say, lass.”
“Well, I don’t do well with strangers,” I lied.
He stopped moving and turned to me with a thousand questions on his face. It was as if he were flipping through them to decide which one to ask. “You’re on a ship full of strangers.”
“And I don’t like it.”
“You took up well with me, didn’t you? And not Hayes? The cabin boy? It’s never seemed to bother you before…”
“Don’t you remember how hard it was for me to open up and come out of your cabin?”
He paused, considering my words, and crossed his arms. “Aye.”
“Do you want me sitting in the corner by myself?”
“You will be with me. You will sit with me. This is non-negotiable, Rae. There’s lost treasure in this land, and I intend to retrieve it.”
There had to be a way to get the upper hand. I was probably safest with him, but there were too many other factors to go very wrong in a second. There wasn’t much longer before I gained my freedom, and I didn’t want to lose the battle before them.
“I’m not going with you unless you promise to stop the violence. You don’t always have to hit someone or kill them. You want your treasure? Then you need to calm down.” There, he wouldn’t agree to that. There was no way he would.
“I do what I need to protect what’s mine.”
“I don’t care,” I insisted, pretending he didn’t just call me his because he didn’t mean it the way I hoped he did. “Do it or I’m sleeping up here tonight. On the deck. Alone.”
Aiden frowned and shook his head in disagreement. He took a few angry steps away from me and then came back to stand before me. “Fine, I promise to do my best. Now come along.” There was a twinkle in his eye, one that made me wonder if he was being honest.
He spun around and walked off.
I was shocked he agreed to it. He was so stubborn and rarely gave in to anything I asked of him. The words he spoke were exactly what I wanted to hear. I didn’t want him to feel like he needed to keep killing or hurting people. There were other ways of keeping me safe and showing he was a capable captain. He just didn’t agree with that. Even though I didn’t want to follow him, I did. It was better than being left behind with his crewmen.
Chapter Fifteen
I managed to delay the inevitable for a few days, offering to stay behind and clean the ship. Aiden and his crew left to search for the treasure, leaving me with Hayes and Casey. It wasn’t the best of guards but it was better than nothing. I kept myself out of view from the land so I suppose no one even knew I was there. Casey taught me some of the songs the pirates sang while doing their duties, and I felt like one of the crew. It was a nice change, to feel somewhat at home, even if it was among one of the less piratey member of the crew. At night, Aiden would come back to the ship while the rest of the men went out to the taverns.
The look on his face tonight showed me he might be more disagreeable.
“I don’t like you being here, lass. I want you to come have fun and enjoy the night.”
“I would rather stay here.”
“You can’t possibly be having fun…”
“Casey is wonderful, really—”
He gripped my arm and pulled me up from the ground. I slammed against him, and his lips formed into a tight smile. “It’s not a question. You’re coming with me. Go put on your dress.”
I jerked my arm from him. “I’m not wearing that flimsy thing out there. Do you really want me tugging at it all night?”
He frowned. “I want you to listen to me for once but if you insist on wearing that, I don’t suppose I can force you to change.”
“Thank you.” I smiled triumphantly. My pirate clothing would help me blend in. That stupid blue dress would only make me stand out.
“You need to take this.” Aiden reached into his pocket and retrieved a small dagger. He handed it to me with a shake of his head. “All you have to do is tuck it into your pocket. Please do be careful with it.”
Placing my hands on his shoulders, I kissed him quickly on the cheek. “I will do my best not to get into any trouble.”
“Splendid. I would like to be able to get sloshed and have a good time without worrying about you. I’m tired of staying behind.”
He took my hand and led me to the tavern, and I pushed down my worry. With his hand in mine, I could stand firmly on the solid earth without a problem. We could conquer this night together.
I hoped.
When we got inside, the atmosphere was as I expected, loud and full of men. The few women there were dressed in their most revealing clothing, and I was glad I fought to wear my pirate clothing. I didn’t want to be mistaken for some bar wench.
Aiden led us to the back of the tavern where his crew sat and let go of my hand. I stopped at the end of the table. My gaze was drawn to the dance floor, the only uncrowded part in the whole place. The people there danced, including some of the pirates from The Devil’s Pearl.
I turned back to Aiden, who already had a mug of grog in his hand. “You wanna dance?”
His eyes stared into mine as he cocked his eyebrow and took a long drink. The
intensity in his stare made me squirm, but I didn’t back down.
“No, lass.”
“I wanna dance.”
Hayes stood up and saluted me. “I will dance with you, miss.”
Before Aiden could object, I grabbed the man’s hand and drug him onto the dance floor, giggling as I did so. After his attempt to keep me safe, I decided I could trust the odd little man. Hayes wasn’t the best dancer, but I figured he was the safest one to dance with. He wouldn’t betray his beloved captain by making any moves on me, and I didn’t want any fighting tonight.
The music filled my ears, and dancing around with Hayes made me feel free. I caught on quickly to the human dance, moving as I would back home, and I could feel Aiden’s gaze on my every move. I made sure to add a little pep in my step but pretended I didn’t know he was watching me like a hawk.
I laughed as I spun Hayes around in a circle; all the other men in line spun their women around. My eyes crinkled in delight as he tried not to fall over. I was pleased Aiden introduced him to me; he made life a little more fun, even if he wanted me off the ship. My eyes trailed over to where Aiden sat sipping on his mug. His eyes were set on me, unmoving. His face was stoic. I smiled at him, which made him tip his head in acknowledgement. Although he was on edge, he was having as much fun watching me as I was dancing, even if he wanted to pretend otherwise.
No one questioned why I didn’t try to run off. Even I wasn’t sure why I hadn’t made a break for it yet. This was my first chance at freedom, and I didn’t jump at the opportunity, simply went along to the tavern to dance.
Odd.
The time came to switch partners and Hayes grabbed my wrist, his voice worried. “Maybe we shouldn’t switch.”
“It will be fine, Hayes,” I assured him and patted the small dagger at my waist.
His eyes grew wide at my gesture and he shook his head. He wasn’t in agreement with any of it. A pair of rough hands took mine and swept me away from the pirate leaving him objective behind me. My new partner swirled me around so that I no longer saw Hayes.
“What’s a lady like you doing in a place like this?” the man asked as he swirled me around. He was very tall, broad shouldered and handsome, rugged. His eyes were dark brown. His hair was long and shaggy down to his shoulders, townsfolk by the looks of it.
“Oh, I’m not here willingly.” I took ahold of his shoulders as we spun around again.
“Is that so?” His dark eyes settled on me. “I’m Martin.”
“It’s nice to meet you,” I said with a smile, not willing to give the stranger my name.
He frowned and leaned in closer to me to speak softly. “You’re with the pirates and if I may judge you on your dress…appear to be one yourself.”
I had grown fond of my pirate clothing and no longer left the captain’s quarters in anything else. The man looked at me curiously as if he didn’t believe me “Maybe they have you dressed up as one of them to make you blend in…make it harder for anyone to be suspicious.”
It didn’t occur to me human women would dress differently than men. It must have been why Aiden was persistent with me wearing a dress. Too late now.
“Or maybe I’m a pirate,” I replied, my voice flirtatious as I smiled at him.
He laughed. “I don’t think so.”
Martin swirled me around in a circle and I allowed myself a glimpse at Aiden. He watched us closely with a scowl on his face, his fingers tapping on the tabletop.
I turned back to my dance partner. “And why not?”
I stepped back from him, putting my hand up for him to place his against it, following the dance as we spoke.
“Because you’re much too sweet to be hanging around with the likes of Captain Aiden.”
At the mention of his name, the pink tint rose to my cheeks. I was surprised when it happened, and it took me off guard. Just his name made my face flush, but Aiden did that to me. My eyes darted to the ground.
“How would you know if I’m sweet?”
He tilted my face up to look at him. “Because I know a darling lady when I see one.”
“Or perhaps you are very full of yourself.”
Martin shook his head and held my hand up. “There is not one piece of dirt on your hands. They are perfect and smooth, just like a princess.” He planted a kiss on my knuckles, eyes not leaving mine. His other hand tightened on my waist and pulled me to him.
“A what?” I giggled, trying to throw him off the trail. If he found out who I was, Aiden and his men would be in trouble, and I might be taken away with these strangers. I appreciated his concern, and if the circumstances were different I might have taken him up on his offer. He was very attractive.
Just as I smiled sweetly at him and felt the charm flowing through me, a familiar hand appeared on his shoulder. I recognized the rings across the dark fingers. Aiden.
“Care if I cut in, mate?”
Martin frowned and pulled me closer. He shook his head. “I don’t think so, pirate.”
He was trying to protect me.
“That’s close enough,” Aiden growled as he pulled Martin away from me and spun him around.
Before I could object, Aiden’s fist reared back and then forward, slamming into the townsman’s face. Martin tumbled backwards onto the floor and within seconds, Aiden was on top of him, his fist colliding with the man’s face repeatedly.
“Aiden!” I exclaimed as the crowd parted to give the men fighting space.
I ran over to him to try and pull him off Martin. “Stop it, Aiden. You promised, no fighting!”
Still he didn’t stop. He wouldn’t listen to me; he was too far gone into his rage. His fist crashing into the Martin’s face repeatedly, but he fought back, slamming his fist into Aiden’s body. I didn’t like that either. It didn’t appear to faze the pirate too bad, but I didn’t want someone hitting him.
“Martin, stop!”
“Not until you are safe, my lady.”
As Aiden frowned, Martin pushed him off and rolled over on top of the pirate. He grabbed him by the shirt. “You need to treat this lady with respect. She deserves more than to be with the likes of you.”
“She’s perfectly content in my quarters, lad.” Aiden grinned devilishly.
Martin cried out and pulled his hand back to punch Aiden in the face, but he had already spent too much time talking. Aiden was prepared and stopped the fist with his palm, the sound resounding with a slap. His boot flew upwards, throwing Martin several feet away. As Aiden stood up, I reached out to put my hand on his shoulders to try again to pull him away from Martin. He was just trying to protect me, nothing else. I didn’t want either of them hurt.
He turned to me angrily. “You stay out of this.”
“No, you stop it!” I cried. “Don’t be so stubborn. He didn’t do anything to me”
“You will do as I say, lass, or you won’t like the outcome.” He held his finger out to me as if to prove his point.
I couldn’t find it in myself to argue back with him, and I couldn’t hide the hurt from my eyes. Had this been last week, I would have pretended not to care, but I had hoped things were different now. I had given myself over to him and our desires, something I told myself I wouldn’t do. When we were alone, he showed me just how caring and gentle he could be, respectful even. His demands in front of the crew were nothing to be taken too seriously, even if they sounded cruel, because that is who Captain Aiden was. However, his eyes on mine now showed no signs of joking, and were too much to bear. I’d been behaving as if I were an obedient captive.
That’s what you are, I reminded myself.
I was a captive of his, not his friend, no one of importance. I was fooling myself. I couldn’t forget what I heard in the washroom. He was only keeping me around for my wishes and riches, even if a part of him enjoyed having me around for his own cheap thrill.
“Are you threatening me?” I hissed, my hand going defensively to the dagger at my side. I wasn’t sure if I would, or could, really us
e it on him. But it was better to be safe than sorry in the world of pirates.
“Threats will be the least of your worries,” he said, eyes boring into mine as turned away from me. He advanced on Martin again. The townsman stood his ground with his fists out in front of him. Something had set Aiden off and angered him to the point where he wasn’t afraid to be ruthless this close to me.
Or…what if he was finally just showing his true colors?
It was suddenly hard to breathe in the room. I had to get out. I turned and slipped through the crowd. No one paid any attention to me because they were focused on the fight. It made me sick to think of exactly what else was going on behind me as I stepped out into the night. I ran to the left and ducked between the buildings to hide. I leaned against a wall to catch my breath. The world swirled around me slightly from the rum, and I suddenly wished I left the rum to the monstrous Captain Aiden. It only made me act like a fool.
I was stupid enough to open up and trust a pirate, and now I didn’t know what to do. I didn’t know where to go. I couldn’t survive swimming down to my home at the bottom of the ocean in human form. How would I survive until the full moon? I couldn’t stop the tears from streaming down my cheeks.
The tavern door slammed shut, and I heard a shuffling coming toward me. I pressed my back against the wall and closed my eyes tight, hoping and praying I could blend into the darkness and escape the pirates. Memories of the large pirate slamming me against the ship and ripping my shirt flashed through my mind. I threw my hand over my mouth to stiffen my cry.
“And where do you think you are going?” Aiden’s voice rang out.
I released my breath, glad that it was him and not another pirate. Opening my eyes, I saw that he was standing directly in front of me with a curious look on his face. He stepped closer to me and pulled the dagger out of his pocket. Uncertain of his intentions, I reached down to do the same but hoped I wouldn’t have to use it. Aiden’s blade shot out to knock the dagger from my hand. It fell to the floor with a deafening crash, and I was trapped.
The Mermaid's Pearl (Tears of the Deep Book 1) Page 12