“I know the truth, my sweet girl.”
“I can... explain––”
“Shh. None needed.”
“Yes, yes there is.” Quinn struggled to get up, but Fiona held her down easily with one hand. “Shea explained everything, and I completely understand. I am not now, nor have I ever been angry with you.”
“No. No, she didn’t. She couldn’t have. She... she doesn’t know the whole... ” she shook her head. “Never mind.”
“Doesn’t know what?”
Quinn turned her face toward the window. It was dusk... or dawn... she couldn’t tell which. “That I’m in love with you. That I have been in love with you since the moment we met.”
Fiona smiled, her hand still stroking Quinn’s head. “Shea might not know, but I do. I have always known.”
“But I’m... ” Quinn swallowed her trepidation. “I’m a––”
“A beautiful woman who’s a loyal friend, a fabulous pirate, and a gentle soul? I know, Callaghan, and I simply do not care.”
Quinn blinked her disbelief. “My real name is––”
“You will always be my Callaghan.” Taking Quinn’s hand, Fiona kissed the back of it. “My Callaghan. My beautiful, beautiful poet, nobleman, pirate, and lover. And though I am betrothed to another, you will always be my Callaghan.” Fiona leaned down to kiss Quinn, who turned away.
“I don’t want to infect you.”
“You cannot infect me, Callaghan, my sweet, and if you could, it would be too late.” Fiona lightly kissed Quinn on the lips and then helped her drink more water. “You managed to beat the illness back, but you will still need to stay here and rest for a few more days.”
“But Captain O’Malley––”
“Has sent messengers several times. She’s made it quite clear that you are expected back to the ship when you are well.”
“Back to the ship... but... but I––”
“It is where you belong. Shea and I have had plenty of time to get to know each other and we both agree, my love, that you are a pirate at heart. The sea is your mistress, adventure your drug. You thrive on it. There is no reason for you to anchor yourself to the land.”
“Sure there is. You. You are––”
“I am, unfortunately, getting married. Nothing can stop that, I’m afraid. Besides, one woman isn’t enough to replace a crew that has become your family, a captain who relies on you, or a ship that has become your home. I will be here for you, Callaghan. Always. And when you come home and need the arms of a woman who loves you, I’ll be here.”
“You... you love me?”
“Oh, Callaghan, I love you very much.” Fiona kissed her again. “Very much, indeed.”
Quinn reached up and gently stroked Fiona’s cheek with her fingertips. “Then I shall stay.”
“No ya won’t, Callaghan.” The harshness of the voice startled Quinn, who looked up at the tall redhead filling the doorway.
“Captain O’Malley––”
“Aye. Yer captain, and I’ve come because Shea sent a message back that ya might be thinking about makin’ the greatest mistake a’ yer life. I am here ta ensure ya do not make it.”
“But––”
Fiona touched her fingers to Quinn’s lips. “Love is not enough, and the love of a woman who cannot publicly love you back is far less than enough.”
Grace O’Malley stepped up to the bed and gazed down at Quinn. “Whether ya want ta admit it or not, Callaghan, yer a pirate aboard one a’ the best ships ever ta sail the seas. Those seas have their hooks in ya now. The seas are where ya belong. Listen ta Fiona, ta Shea. Don’t make the choice ta live life accordin’ ta society’s expectations. Live life by yer own method, by yer own means. Learn from me, Callaghan. Live the life ya want ta live.”
Quinn could see Fiona nodding out of the corner of her eye even as Shea walked through the door.
“But I have to live a lie, Captain. I have to worry day in and day out about being discovered.”
“Ya let me worry about all a’ that.” Grace squatted next to the bed. “I need ya, Callaghan. The men need ya. But more importantly, ya need us.”
Both Shea and Fiona kept nodding.
“Yer a natural, Callaghan. As a man, as a woman, as a pirate, ya are most at home on the deck a’ our ship. Come home after this, Callaghan. Come home where ya belong.”
“Home,” Quinn whispered. “I never expected to feel that way about a ship.”
“Well, start.” As Grace rose, her knees popped and cracked loudly. “Because everraone needs a home, even if it’s on the deck of a bloody ship.” As Grace turned, she whispered something to Fiona before stopping at the door. “Sayyida has left a message fer ya on the ship. Ya want it, ya best get yer arse back ta it.”
***
It took a couple more days for Quinn to finally find the strength to sit up and eat solid foods. With all of the women clucking around her and forcing her to eat, she managed to recover fairly quickly.
Fiona had tried prying information out of her about “the Moroccan,” but Quinn remained mute about her experience with Sayyida.
Her goodbyes were bittersweet. Shea cried and cried, hugging Quinn so tightly she could barely breathe. The harder goodbye came when Fiona took Quinn’s hands in hers, look deeply into her eyes and told her that she loved her and always would. As much as Quinn understood why Fiona needed to marry, it didn’t make it any easier to turn and walk away from her.
And she did.
Two weeks later, with the salt air caressing her face and her feet planted firmly on the bow deck of the Malendroke, Quinn Gallagher may have been missing lover, family, and friends, but the truth was, she was home.
She was finally home.
And there was no place she’d rather be.
Pick up with Book II in the Plundered Chronicles coming soon to an eReader near you!
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More from Alex Westmore
The Silver Legacy
Darkness Descends
The Demon Within
Blood of the Demon
Parts IV-VI coming soon!
***
The Plundered Chronicles
The Pirate’s Booty
Shiver Her Timbers
Fire in the Hole
***
The Timeless Love Saga
Together in Time
The Future of Yesterday
Back to You
***
The Umbra Mortis Saga
The Handler
Dead Again
About the Author
Alex Westmore has lived in a haunted house, has a raging empath for a best friend, and eats up paranormal experiences with a huge supernatural spoon. To get closer to the action, she has spent time with Voodun in New Orleans, medicine men in the Southwest, and a Shaman in the Amazon.
Alex is a five-time award winning author of several series, from zombies to demons to empaths, oh my! When she isn’t writing, she’s thinking about writing and imagining where her next great adventure will take her.
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The Pirate's Booty (The Plundered Chronicles Book 1) Page 31