“Ah, I am sure you only resist because hating me will not get you to Port Royal. But I shall sleep with one eye open, every night thereafter.” He kissed my forehead.
It didn’t matter that he was covered in blood and sweat and fish guts, and there was no shame in the fact that I had vomited all over the filthy and smelly clothes I was wearing; this was heaven. Right here in his arms, surrounded by dark and dreadful, shark infested waters, I had found a piece of heaven, and in the safety of his embrace, I finally drifted to sleep.
X
Waking to the sound of the men debating over what sounded like health and freedom, I realized I was lying face down in the boat—right next to the bloodstains from yesterday’s attack. Lifting my head, I saw sails on the horizon. Unsure if the English flag flapping in the misty morning air signified salvation or doom, I shot to my feet and asked Cardozo, “Who is she? What do you think she wants?”
Gazing upon her through his glass, he answered, “Her name is Iris and only—”
“Iris!” I yanked the glass from his hand and scrutinized her details. My heart plummeted into my gut as I took in the sight of the familiar ship. Dropping the glass, I grabbed his shoulders. “We have to run.”
“Run?” He laughed. “Why is that?”
Pulling him close, I whispered in his ear, “Iris belongs to my father’s lifelong friend, Captain Raymond Kirkland. He’s known me since I was a babe and he’ll see right through my disguise. He will send me home, Miguel, and you know I can’t have that.”
Gazing around the great big sea, Cardozo huffed, “As you can see, my darling, there is nowhere to run and nowhere to hide. If she wants us, she will have us.”
“And we want her!” Dusty wailed, patting at the blinded eyes on his sunburned face.
They all groaned in discomfort, begging for the food and shade they might find aboard that massive ship.
Looking at the sunburned, blistered, and just plain filthy men, I sighed. Of course they wanted to flag her down. They were in terrible shape. We had reached more than the halfway point in our destination, but to bear another day with the sharks and the sun sounded like sheer and utter hell. But I would rather face hell at sea alongside Miguel Cardozo, than to ever again put my fate in the hands of those narrow-minded Englishmen. “Can’t we just hand the men over and head on our way? I want to stay with you, on this little boat, and continue on to Port Royal.”
Taking in a deep breath, Cardozo stroked his beard, then turned his back on the men and whispered to me, “We could do that. You know I would rather be king of this goddamned longboat than be a peasant on another man’s floating paradise. I understand your worries entirely, but I want you to consider both options before you make up your mind. The choice is yours, Rory. You have until she comes alongside us to decide.”
Apparently the choice was not truly mine to make, for when Iris came alongside us, Captain Kirkland let us know that Miguel Cardozo and Rory Bentley were wanted for piracy on the high seas.
I’d been in Captain Kirkland’s cabin a million times as a child, but I never imagined I’d end up sitting in there handcuffed and tied to a chair next to the Portuguese pirate captain I’d been having an unmarried sex affair with. Oh, how my life had changed since I’d last stepped foot on the lovely Iris.
Hoping and praying that Captain Kirkland would not recognize me, I held my head low as he paced between us and his many guards. But it was hard not to look up when he rolled out our wanted poster. “Miguel Cardozo and Rory Bentley, you two are wanted for seizing the merchant ship Seraph, and for robbing the property of Lord Vernon Wellington.”
“The third,” Cardozo whispered to me.
I tried so hard not to laugh, but a hog-like little snort escaped me. Which made Cardozo laugh, as well.
Annoyed as could be by our humor, Captain Kirkland continued with a huff. “And though matters of Portugal are not mine to bother with, I will have you know I am well aware of your seizing of the Portuguese merchant sloop, Zerena.”
Cardozo smirked. “I can only imagine that my little friend Vernon let you know about the trade he and I made, but I am quite curious about how you came upon this so- stated seizing of Zerena?”
“Trade?” Captain Kirkland shook his head in irritation. “When we came across the missing Seraph, the captain at the time, let us know how you two brutal savages took him and his men at gunpoint and forced them to take you to the jungles of Panama. Wanting nothing more than to return to the family you forced him away from, he stole the ship you stole and headed home. We offered him freedom if he shared with us your whereabouts, and Lord Wellington was more than happy to sponsor the hunt. He said he’d see to it that you two parasites would be hanged, and it looks like his promise has come to fruition.”
“Hanged?” Cardozo and I both gasped.
“Of course,” Captain Kirkland coolly responded. “As pirates of the high seas, you both will be sentenced to death.”
“I understand,” Cardozo said sullenly. “I have lived this way knowing that I may sooner or later meet the noose, but this one, she does not deserve to hang.”
“She?” Kirkland and I both shrieked in unison.
“Yes, she is a woman and, in fact, I think you may know her better by her true name.”
“No,” I whispered, hoping he would stop.
He didn’t. “This fine young lady you have cuffed to the chair beside me is none other than Remington Rain Wilshire.”
“Remington?” Captain Kirkland darted his gaze in my direction. Slapping my hat off, he lifted my chin and forced me to look at him. It took him a moment to find the girl he once knew beneath the filth and the burns, but soon enough he sighed, “By God, it is you. How in the world have you ended up in this terrible mess?”
Having not planned on forfeiting my identity, I knew not how to respond, but that backstabbing Cardozo sure had a mouth full of shit to say. “As you may know, she was taken from her husband, Joel Addison. She told me the men who seized her killed that ol’ bloke right there on his lawn at Addison Arbors. Hell, she was still shook up about it once I stole her from the men who had kidnapped her from him. But having no time to return her, I dressed her as a man and coerced her on account. All of the crimes she’s committed were because she was forced to engage in them. Therefore, I take the blame and hope that you will agree to set her free, and to hang me and me alone.”
Having no idea how I felt about this honorable act of betrayal, I simply stared at the man I loved with my jaw agape.
Quickly untying my binds, Captain Kirkland blustered, “Yes. I will be sure to relay this message, and I will see to it that you, Miss Wilshire, are not held accountable for these acts of piracy.” Floating on a cloud of shock, I hardly felt it when he unlocked my cuffs. “You can walk free, my dear.”
“Free?” I squinted. I’d never felt more trapped in my life. Though I was certain Cardozo’s intentions were good, his exposing my secrets could bring me nothing of promise. I would have rather hanged beside him for the crimes I committed as a free woman, than return to the bird cage I’d worked so hard to escape.
Looking me over with glassy eyes, Captain Kirkland sighed, “This is the least I can do to honor your father’s wishes for you. The pour old soul died with hope in his heart that you would one day be found.”
“Died?!” I shot to my feet.
“Remington.” Captain Kirkland grabbed my sunburned shoulders. “You didn’t hear? Oh, you’ve been gone so long, why would you have? I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but your father…” he closed his eyes and muttered, “he was…murdered.”
“No. No!” Hunching over in pain, I wailed, “What happened? Who did it?”
“We don’t know, sweetheart. It happened years ago and no one ever found out who it was. But now, being how he and your husband are no longer with us, I will take you to your Uncle Lloyd on Barbados. Your mother is with him now and—”
“No!” I screamed. “Lloyd probably killed him so he could have my mot
her and his company! You can’t send me there!”
“That is crazy talk, my dear. You have been at sea too long.” Kirkland walked towards me slowly.
“I am married,” I crazily shrieked. “You can take me to my husband in Port Royal. I married Jackson Hawke, the blacksmith, last time I was in town and—”
Captain Kirkland shook his head. “Sweetheart, I was just at Black Hawke Forge last week and he didn’t say a thing about remarrying. I’m sorry, but it is my duty to take you to your Uncle Lloyd, and he will figure it out from there.”
“Damn you, Miguel Cardozo!” I kicked the chair he was tied to. “Do you see what you have done? You have not freed me with this treacherous use of my truths, but have instead sentenced me to a death much worse than the one you have been doomed to.” Unable to contain my rage, I kicked over the chair I’d been sitting in.
Seeing me go mad, Captain Kirkland ordered some of his guards to contain me. Hearing him command the others to take Cardozo to the brig, I realized this might be the last time I would see him. The pain of losing him forever cut much deeper than the knife of his betrayal. Breaking away from the swarming guards, I rushed towards Miguel, jumped on his lap, and threw my arms around his neck. “You can’t kill him. You can’t! He saved me. He is a hero and I love him!” Kissing his cheeks, I cried and cried, “I love you, Miguel. I love you. And I don’t care that you don’t love me back. I will never forget the things you taught me and I’ll love you forever and ever.”
Right in front of the guards and my deceased father’s lifelong friend, I kissed that death-sentenced pirate captain on his sunburned lips. Holding him tighter than ever before—our tongues intertwining with the heart-melting rhythm that made me fall in love with him in the first place—I knew it had all been worth it. Loving him was worth the pain, and I would willingly surrender to this memory for all my days to follow.
X
Epilogue
Relentless Storm
Sinking deeper into the tub in my room at the Bayview Inn, I let out a long sigh of relief. The hot, bubbling water surrounded my tired body, massaging my aching muscles and easing my weary soul. The feel of the maid’s little hands rubbing the fragrant soap against my dry, itchy scalp caused my swollen eyes to roll back in my heavy head. I’d dreamt of this moment many, many times, but it was so much better than I ever imagined.
I’d cried my head off throughout most of the sail to Barbados—tears streaming down my cheeks the same way the rain beat against the sea. While weeping over all the painful losses I’d endured, I’d thought of how perfectly the storm mirrored my life. The thrashing tides reflected the turmoil in my heart. The thunder echoed like the hatred raging through my mind. And the lightning struck the seas like the guilt that had struck my heart, over and over. Everyone I loved was missing, dead, or sentenced to death, and I couldn’t help but feel I was somewhat at fault for all of it.
While I hid away from the terrible weather in my tiny bunkroom, the time of mourning—alone and sheltered from the sun—allowed my sunburned skin to heal, but I knew my heart never would. Yet, I was tired of crying. I was tired of hurting. I’d find a way to survive this relentless heartache and somehow, I would carry on. I had to. And a luxurious stay at this fancy inn was the perfect place to start anew.
Unwilling to hand me over to Lord Lloyd Wilshire in the condition I was in, Captain Kirkland brought me here and hired a bevy of maids to clean me up. After the way I behaved with that foreign pirate, he also hired a guard to stand outside my door to make sure I didn’t flee. Honestly, I had no desire to escape the hot water, and I could have stayed in that vanity chair forever with the maids combing—and eventually cutting my tangled hair. But the best thing of all was the sleep I experienced in that soft, warm bed.
Rising to a room full of sunlight, I thought of how I could have slept for two more days, but today was the day I’d reunite with my mother, and that thought alone was enough to guide me to my feet.
Once the maids had me ready for the new, exciting day, I took a moment to look myself over in the mirror. I didn’t even recognize my reflection. I had lost so much weight I looked like a suntanned sack of bones, but the copper colored dress framed my skinny body in a way that made me look much curvier. My hair, which had been cut just above my shoulders, framed my face in a way that made me look more like Mason than ever, but the rouge on my cheeks, the red on my lips, and the dark liner under my eyes added a dainty flare to my otherwise less than feminine features.
Slapping my powdered cheek, I chuckled, “New beginnings and all.”
While the maids were fluttering about, cleaning the room, I heard a knock at the door. Thinking it was still a bit early for Captain Kirkland’s arrival, I grabbed my dagger and went to see who it was.
Slowly opening the door, I was surprised to set my sights on an absurdly well-dressed, dark haired man with his feathered hat held over his heart. With the sunlight from the window behind him making a silhouette of his big body, I was unable to see his face.
“Who goes there?” I held tight to my dagger, ready to slam the door in his face if I had to.
As the man stepped back to allow me to exit, the sunlight lit his face. He smiled at me lustfully. “Um homen que acordou de um pesadelo se achou em um sonho.”
“Miguel!” I leapt out into the hall and threw my arms around his neck. “You’re alive and well. I think I have awoken from a nightmare to find myself in a dream, too.”
Picking me up as I held onto him, he spun me around in the hall. “Alive, yes. But I am only well now that I know you are, too.”
Setting me down, he took my hand. Though he appeared to be just as stunned by my image as I was by his, he attempted to maintain his composure as he kissed my knuckles. “You look stunning, meu bem. I figured you’d be beautiful in a dress, but damn, this is almost more than I can bear.”
Eyeing him over in his absurdly fine attire, I playfully patted his clean shaven cheek. “You look exceptionally good yourself. So, what the hell happened? How did you escape?”
Putting his black cavalier hat back on, he chuckled. “Apparently, that loony ol’ governor figured I’d be worth more alive than dead. He said someone told him about all the languages I speak and how exceptional I am at navigation. Oh, and something about me being a good leader. So, rather than hanging me, he has hired me to do some privateer work for him.”
I jumped for joy. “Oh! That is wonderful! I told Captain Kirkland all about you on the sail home hoping to convince him you were too valuable to kill. I am so glad he passed the word on like I begged him to.”
Reaching for my face, Miguel ran his calloused fingertips across my jaw. “You know, I have never had one person save my life so many times.”
My cheeks reddened under his touch. “I can most certainly say the same for you.” Reminiscing over the years we had together, I felt my heart falling for him all over again. Then I thought about Lena. No longer feeling happy, but not wanting to ruin the moment, I added, “This job should be good for your family. An honest trade with good pay.”
“Honest?” he laughed. “But yes, the pay will be good. In fact, I already sent some money to them. Unfortunately, the job will keep me away until after the baby is born, but I will return to them.”
“Of course you will. Because you are a good man and they are lucky to have you.” Suddenly remembering there had once been a guard standing out in this hall, I looked around and asked, “What happened to the guard who was out here?”
“He told me I couldn’t see you so I tied him up. He is bound and gagged in another room where he cannot bother us.”
I laughed. “Dress as fancy as you will, my darling, but you will always be a pirate at heart.”
“As will you.” He growled playfully.
I giggled. “Oh, I don’t know how in the world I am going to return to a life of pomp and circumstance, after living as free as we did.”
He took my hands. “I know you didn’t want this, and I am sorry I tu
rned your truths against you, but I just couldn’t imagine watching you hang beside me. All I could think about was how you’d saved my life in Lisbon, and I figured you would thank me one day for saving yours.”
“I understand. I forgave you when I kissed you on Iris, and then again while indulging in the hot bath I took last night.” I laughed, then looked him in the eyes. “Thank you, Miguel. For everything. I will never forget you.”
“Ah, Remington Rain, I will never forget you, either.” He gazed over me with his eyes like he couldn’t believe what he was seeing. There was an unusual softness in his glare that had me wondering if he hadn’t changed his mind about us. Looking up at him, admiring his features, my stupid mind filled with hope. What would I say if he had…?
No. Closing my eyes, I exhaled the sullen reality. I may have been jealous that Lena got to have him when I felt for him the way I did, but he loved her. Not me. And if their baby survived—which I honestly hoped for her sake as a woman, that it did—that child deserved to know its father. Aye, seeing how much I suffered missing the life I could have had with Mason, the child Miguel created with the woman he loved would need him more than I ever would. I’d be fine on my own just like I always have been.
I kissed his cheek. “I love you in my own way, Miguel, and I always will.”
“All right, well…” In one swift motion, he wrapped his long arm around my back, dipped me down, and kissed me! For a split second I thought of how I shouldn’t let this happen, but falling off balance in his grip—with no choice but to trust in his hold on me—the unexpected rush of passion washed my mind clean of resistance. Drunk and drifting on the light, euphoric sensation swirling through my body, it felt like the kiss went on forever. Twisting and weaving through the warmth of the passion we shared, the emotion burning between us heated my heart, singed my belly, and sent my spirit adrift on a flaming sea of sweet, sweet memories.
Never Surrender (Uncharted Secrets, Book 4): Endless Horizon Pirate Stories Page 16