by A. E. Murphy
The next thirty minutes of fast sailing are tense.
It’s a race we’re not prepared for.
Calder bites on his tongue hard as he navigates our little vessel to the east. Those boats that are coming for us are gaining on us far faster than we’re moving.
“Can’t the ship come closer?” River asks, referring to the ship.
Calder raises a brow at him, reminding me of how handsome he is. He’s got one of those faces that looks amazing no matter the emotion displayed, no matter how he sets his features, which right now are hardened from the determination. “That’s not how ships work. They’ve dropped anchor. If they move, they keep moving. They can’t risk passing into territorial waters.” Calder looks at Larry and something passes between them. “Call them.”
Larry nods.
“Hold tight,” Calder tells me and pushes a handle that makes us go even faster.
I’ve already asked him why we don’t just pick up speed and he said it’s because we’re low on fuel and that’s one way to run out faster, leaving us stranded with nothing but the wind to pull us. I guess he hoped if we kept a steady pace, the wind would boost us while pushing against them. So far, no such luck, or if that has happened, it hasn’t happened enough for us to escape.
“What happens if they get to us?”
“Then we all go back to prison,” River replies, and Calder shoots him an annoyed glare.
He barks at my brother, “We’re going to be fine.” Then looks at me with gentle eyes. “I promise.”
Larry is speaking in code to somebody using a chunky-looking radio. I know it’s code because I’ve heard it before, back when I was on the ship. It’s a mixture of languages, some words backwards. Keywords. Calder said it’d take hours or longer to unscramble a single sentence of their code. But they’re all trained to know most of it by heart. So if the ships catching us do hear their conversation, they won’t have a clue what is being said until it is too late.
“It’s done,” Larry announces, ducking into the cabin. “River, get your shit and your sister’s.”
“Why?”
“We’re going overboard.”
“What?” both River and I choke together, looking at each other in horror and shock.
“I can’t swim like this,” I snap, pointing to my own anchor, aka the baby in my stomach. “What about sharks? What about the cold? Oh my God, I’m going to die.”
“Captain,” Larry calls from in the cabin. “We’ve got to decide now.”
Calder kneels in front of me and cups my face in his hands. “Do you trust me?”
I look at the water, then to his green eyes, then to the water again. I can’t see a thing below the surface. I’m going to hyperventilate. It’s reminding me too much of that sick fuck and when he pulled me into the sea with him.
“Captain,” Larry shouts, grabbing River. “Get your shit now.”
Larry inflates something, a small round raft. Not big enough to hold more than one person.
“Do you trust me?”
I nod, because I do trust him. I have to. This is why I made this choice, because I trust him.
“Yes. I trust you.”
“Good.” He kisses me briefly and helps River with our things. Our bags go into the middle of the small inflatable raft and then Larry covers it with the dark fleece blanket.
Captain pulls on the cord by my chest and I exhale sharply when the vest inflates.
Larry pulls on River’s and then pushes my brother off the back of the boat before jumping in after him. They both hold onto the raft tightly.
“What if they don’t come for us,” I whimper, trembling with fear as Calder guides me to the place my brother is loudly cursing at Larry from.
“They will. I swear.”
“What if we get eaten by a shark.”
“We won’t,” he implores, kissing me again. “Please, Rain. Get in the water.”
“Come on, lass,” Larry tells me and I sit on the dropped rear of the boat before sliding in. The water is cold but not freezing. Luckily my head doesn’t go under, the life jacket is too powerful. Larry grabs me and drags me toward the raft which I cling onto for dear life.
My heart hammers rapidly as I panic about what’s below so I keep my eyes on Calder as he locks the wheel and the sails. He’s quick, tying it down and pointing it directly at the boats in the distance. I can’t see them because of the sailboat obscuring my view, which means they can’t see us. Not yet anyway.
Calder raises a flag, a white one, one of surrender and pins it to the mast. He waves his arms, honks his horn three times and puts the telescope back to his eye. Meanwhile he drifts further and further away from us.
“Calder,” I cry, trying to hurry him.
This plan is pure madness, yet bloody brilliant too. Though not so brilliant if the sailboat takes him too far for us to reach.
Finally he turns, and with a move so graceful and remarkably sexy, he swan dives into the water and swims for us, battling the choppy waves that we’re bobbing up and down on. His powerful arms and legs break through the surface with little to no splashing.
“Why the fleece?” River asks, his lip trembling.
“Camouflage.” I rest my head on the slowly soddening blanket and smile at Calder as he joins me and kisses my cheek. “They won’t notice a dark spot on the water.”
“They’d notice a bright orange one though.” Calder grins, wrapping his arm around my waist and pulling my body to his. “I’m sorry it had to come to this, it’s the only way.”
“How long will we be in the water for?”
“Not long,” he promises. “It’ll take our men less than half an hour to reach us and the tide is pulling us that way so maybe even sooner.”
We watch our little vessel float further and further away.
“I can’t believe this is happening,” I whisper through chattering teeth.
“By the time those fuckers chasing us know what we’ve done, it’ll be too late.” Larry looks at my brother. “Staying warm is key right now, as impossible as that seems. Get close to your sister, keep her warm.”
My brother shifts closer and hugs me from behind. “I’ve got you, sis. It’s all good.”
“I’m okay, just panicking.”
Calder directs my eyes to his by dipping his head. “Why don’t we talk about something else. Names. What do you want to call him?”
“What do you want to call him?” I retort and he smiles and looks up at the sky for a moment in thought.
“Ocean,” he replies, grinning mischievously.
“Mum would have approved,” my brother mutters and we both laugh at that because it’s true.
Calder looks saddened for a moment. “I’m sorry I wasn’t there for you when your mum passed. I should have been.”
We share a sad smile until Larry puts in, “Ocean is decent though. I like that name.”
“I was just being funny.”
I smile at the man I chose and then frown when I notice his lack of life jacket. I know him well enough now though to know he can handle the sea for the most part, so I don’t comment on it, I just hold him a little tighter.
“River, Rain, Calder, and Ocean.” I giggle to myself. “They all mean water in some way. Maybe we should name our baby after fire, even things out a bit.”
“Call him tree,” River jokes, making me laugh harder.
“I still like Larry.”
I look at Larry and flick water at him, for a moment then I almost forgot about the thousands of fish beneath my feet. I wrap my legs around Calder’s waist who nods for me to look towards our ship. Sure enough, in the distance I can see something speeding towards us at a much faster speed than the three ships heading towards our vessel of surrender.
We’re going to make it.
Less than twenty minutes later, Calder is pulling me up onto a powerful-looking speedboat that is being controlled by a man I’ve seen but don’t remember the name of.
The man immediate
ly wraps me in a foil blanket and hands over the reins to Calder who takes point, waits for us all to sit, and shoots off towards the ship.
We’re going home.
River holds me and we tremble together. Larry doesn’t seem bothered by any of it at all. I wonder if you get used to it eventually. I bet they’ve swam in colder oceans.
“That was fucking insane,” River mumbles and kisses my temple. “Let’s not do that again for a while.”
“Or never. I’m good with never,” I reply and then look at the man who Larry introduced as Hunter. He’s handsome, much like Calder but not as handsome as Calder. He has a thick beard that’s at least three inches long, shadowing full lips and perfect teeth which are holding onto his bottom lip. His eyes are golden almost, like caramel in the light. He has a scar on his neck, from his ear to his collarbone and I wonder what the story behind that is.
There’s a ghost in his eyes that speaks of so many stories, likely tragedies.
“Thank you for coming for us,” I say to Hunter.
He smiles but doesn’t speak. He just looks down at his feet, a forlorn expression on his face.
Calder smiles at me again as though he can’t believe I’m here and I return the sentiment when I blow him a kiss from my lips.
“I love you,” he mouths, and I return it.
Entering the ship this time is a lot like the last, except this time I’m not a kidnapped victim and won’t be ever again. To say there is an uproar of cheers upon our return would be an understatement. My ears are ringing.
Calder smiles down at me and wraps his arm around my shoulders.
“Kidnapped again, aye, Rain?” somebody calls from the crowds, there are too many people to look at, I can’t find the source of the voice.
“Not this time,” Calder answers for me, smiling from ear to ear.
He opens the foil blanket and shows them all my stomach and dripping wet pyjama-clad body.
“Seriously?” I hiss, yanking it closed again.
“Nah, he trapped her with his seed instead,” a gorgeous man with sable skin yells and they all laugh. We’re patted and squeezed as we move through the crowd towards the bridge which luckily isn’t too far. My pyjamas are starting to chafe my skin.
“Larry,” Calder calls. “The newbie is on you.”
“River.” I turn, looking for my brother but he gives me a reassuring smile.
“I’ll be fine. Need to nap, I’m exhausted.”
I hug him, just because, and then return to Calder who guides me through the crowd under his arm and we are greeted with so much enthusiasm as we pass everyone, my entire body is shaking with the noise. I can only imagine how the baby is feeling. All this racket.
Larry takes my brother to the birthing quarters to get dried and rested, and I follow Calder of course, who leads me to the bridge so he can become reacquainted with his ship and call out his arrival on the speaker before yelling, “ANCHORS AWAY!”
I snuggle into his side, still trembling with cold.
“This won’t take long,” he promises quietly. “I just need to get us moving again.”
I look at Smeg whose pretty face doesn’t suit his unfortunate name. “Hey.”
He grins wryly. “Hey, pretty lady, it’s good to see your face again.”
“First Mate,” Calder calls and for a moment Smeg doesn’t realise he’s talking to him.
“Me?” Smeg looks astonished.
“You,” Calder replies and they shake hands. “Didn’t know you had it in you to command a ship like you have. Tis all in one piece anyway from what I can see.”
“Aye, Captain. I did my best.”
“Don’t let me down like my last.”
They hug briefly and Calder looks at me as Smeg beams with so much pride. “Keep us on route to the set coordinates, I’m going to get the pretty lady to our quarters for some much-needed sleep.”
“Amongst other things,” Smeg comments under his breath making those around us laugh.
I glare at them, ready to give them a piece of my mind but what’s the point? They’re probably right.
Calder takes my hand and we head down the stairs and straight to his quarters. It’s odd being back here. So odd.
He seems nervous as I move around the room, touching the furniture as I go before coming to a stop at the dining table.
“I’m here again,” I mumble, more to myself than to him. “And I just realised I don’t know a thing about your world. How do you pay for things, where do you get fuel, food, clothes?”
He doesn’t approach me, simply lets me explore at my own pace while watching from across the room. I push open the bedroom door and look at the bed. It’s an insane thought but my stomach roils with jealousy at the thought of him with other women here. An impossible thing because this is his first time back since we both left that day. Since I left him.
The bed has been made, the bedding is clean. The room smells fresh and wonderful.
I wrap my arms around myself and sit on the side of the bed. This was my choice, this life. I hadn’t put much thought into how much I’d be giving up. I hadn’t put much thought into the baby.
What if there’s another typhoon and he’s flung from his cot?
I stare ahead, suddenly feeling nauseous and unsure on everything. My mind was made up, it was set. So why do I suddenly feel so dreadfully aware of my own choices. Are they regrets or just anxiety’s burden on my soul?
He finally approaches slowly and then crouches in front of me. Reaching up, he catches a teardrop with his thumb and presses it to his lips.
“Shower or bath?” he asks me softly.
I hesitate, staring at the doorway to the wet room that links to his quarters over his shoulder. “Bath.” When he stands and turns, I blurt, “No! Shower. I want a shower.”
I’ve spent enough time submerged in water.
Dipping his head, he enters the bathroom, turning on the light as he goes and I wait until he turns it on before I pull my pyjama top off. My breasts, which are larger now I’m pregnant, ache with relief after I remove the binding sports bra. I drop the plaid bottoms next, no underwear beneath, and pull the braid free from my hair.
I’m not shy, not completely. My body is a lot different to how it was. I have half a beachball on my stomach, but I still love it.
“You’ve never looked more beautiful,” he tells me soothingly.
“You haven’t seen the front yet.”
He laughs under his breath and pads towards me. When I turn, my eyes drift down his naked body to his hard, impressive erection, and then back up and over all of his tattoos. My heart falters when I see my name below the diamond on his left pec.
“That’s new.”
“Got it on the inside,” he mutters as my fingers trail over the letters of my name. A beautiful scrawl. “You’re all I’ve thought about.” His hands cup my stomach and we both smile when our son wriggles inside, pushing his tiny limbs out towards his father’s hands. “Are you having second thoughts about me?”
His eyes, still on my stomach, are so vulnerable. I can see straight into his soul when they finally meet mine and tears form in my cloudy blues. “I’m scared.”
“I’ll not hurt you again—”
“Not because of that, but… well… I’m not smart when it comes to you,” I admit. “My love for you is so intense and I feel it so deep that it clouds my judgment and that terrifies me.” Before he can say anything, I motion to the room. “I’m not sure how I’m going to raise a baby here, Calder. Who will teach him new things, what children will he have to play with? What if there’s another typhoon?”
“We’ll figure it out, our engineers will build him a secure crib. We’ll buy him anything else he needs… I was raised on the sea too, remember?”
I place my fingers over the wound on his side, a place free of tattoos fortunately. It still looks painful but doesn’t look as though it could possibly threaten his life. Then I touch the scar on his face, the one leading from the cor
ner of his eye. “How could I forget?”
“We’ll figure it out. We could bring more women aboard… or… I don’t know. We’ll take it one day at a time. Okay?”
I lace my fingers around the back of his neck. “Okay. One day at a time.”
“Can I kiss you now?”
I smile brightly, feeling a little bit lighter about it all. “You can kiss me now.”
He obliges, crushing his lips to mine as our naked bodies come together, but then he pulls away abruptly and drags me into the shower.
“What’s your deal?” I ask, annoyed that he stopped our kissing. “I was enjoying that.”
“Shower first, you’ve had a rough night. You need to relax.”
“Is that your way of telling me I smell?”
This time he laughs. “You don’t smell. I just don’t want you to exert yourself. This pregnancy thing is new to me. Most of what I’ve learned is from leaflets that the nurses gave me in hospital.”
“Oh. Well… it’s nice that you tried.”
Smiling, he guides me under the hot spray of the shower, and I moan my appreciation. “That feels so nice. It’s been so long since I got to shower.”
“Stop making those moaning noises or we’ll never get out of here.”
I giggle and fill my hands with shampoo before lathering up my hair. He takes over after a moment, while gently rubbing his hot length against my ass. After rinsing off the suds, he works in the conditioner, giving me a head massage that has me almost sleeping. I’m more tired than I thought.
He helps me wash my body, taking too long on my stomach. I think he likes touching it and feeling him kick. Our son obliges, rolling his limbs across my skin, making me look more alien than human.
“He’ll be here soon,” Calder whispers, smiling. “We have so much to get ready.”
“Can it be done?”
“Most definitely.” He lathers up what’s left of his hair as I soap up his muscles. My hands lather the wonderfully scented suds across the contours of his stomach. I count eight abs, solid as rock when he tenses, clearly showing off. They’re still visible when he relaxes.