Where Loyalties Lie (Best Laid Plans Book 1)

by Rob J. Hayes

  “That’s shit,” Blu said. “Ya just don’t want us to…”

  “It’s a good plan,” Tanner interrupted. “Only you won’t be there, daughter.”

  “What?” Elaina all but shouted. She needed to be there to make sure Keelin played his part and didn’t try to protect Drake. Now she’d decided not to have him killed right along with Morrass, it dawned on her that she didn’t want him killed. “I brought this to you, Da.”

  “Aye, ya did, and I’m thankful. But I’ve a need to send someone on an errand, and I reckon I’m choosing you. Ya don’t think straight where Stillwater is concerned, daughter, and it might just be we need to deal with him and Morrass together.”

  “But, Da…”

  “Quiet,” Tanner roared, and the whole brothel silenced. “Decision’s made.” With that Tanner stood and walked away with a gesture towards his court that brought men scurrying after him. It was only then Elaina realised she hadn’t even had a chance to ask after Corin.

  “Don’t worry, El,” Blu said with a smile that almost bordered on genuine. “I’ll make sure we bring back Stillwater’s cock for ya. Reckon I’ll nail it to his ship’s figurehead along with his shrivelled up stones.” He laughed and walked away, leaving Elaina to wonder if it was too late to warn Keelin about what was coming.

  Chapter 46 - The Phoenix

  Ten ships occupied the docks of Cinto Cena, a small fleet, and they all floated leisurely in the calm waters. Not all of them were properly manned – they simply didn’t have enough pirates to fill them all – but five were fighting fit: Fortune, The Phoenix, Mary’s Virtue, North Gale, and Rheel Toa.

  Deun Burn, captain of Rheel Toa, had broken his rule of never bringing his ship into port, because the Riverlander had realised – as had they all – that the folk of the isles were in trouble, and a ship alone was asking for that trouble. It was a small fleet so far, but Drake insisted more ships were coming and more pirates with them.

  Keelin didn’t need to stay aboard his ship; he now had a small house in New Sev’relain. But the house was bare and unoccupied, and had been since its construction. Keelin preferred the ship. Preferred to feel the sea beneath him in its gentle sway and tilt. He also didn’t trust Smithe to be left alone aboard The Phoenix. The treacherous quartermaster was ever looking to undermine Keelin’s authority with constant threats and insults.

  There was one other reason Keelin stayed aboard his ship, and that was Aimi. Even floating at leisure, there were still more jobs aboard ship than they had enough men for, which was made even worse by half of the crew being ashore. Some of the men were visiting taverns or the brothels, and some had even found a woman and a house to call their own. The jobs were mostly maintenance, from tending to rope to leaning the ship and scraping the hull. Aimi, as the lowest-ranked crew member aboard, tended to find herself on the business end of many of those jobs. Keelin could have used his authority to spare her from them, but she’d have seethed at the special treatment, and they were getting on so well he was loathe to do anything that might jeopardise the growing fondness.

  Without fail, come the end of Aimi’s shift she would knock at the door to Keelin’s cabin and they would spend hours talking, sharing a drink, or even just enjoying each other’s company. She’d listen, offer advice for his problems, and tell stories from her past. He’d do the same, though his stories never touched on his time before taking residence on The Black Death. After the incident with his father’s old steward aboard the carrack, Keelin knew some of the crew had suspicions. He wouldn’t risk his true past coming out even with Aimi. He knew he’d lose the crew’s respect if they found out about his noble birth.

  There was a soft knock at the door and Keelin felt his stomach flutter. “Come in,” he said eagerly.

  The door opened, and Feather stood at the threshold, looking in.

  “Oh,” Keelin said, feeling his spirits drop. “What do you want, lad?”

  Feather looked uncomfortable. “Sorry, Cap’n,” he said as he turned and walked away, exposing a giggling Aimi standing behind him.

  “Damnit, woman, you’re a menace,” Keelin said with a grin. “Get in here.”

  Aimi stepped inside, closing the door behind her, and sauntered over to Keelin’s chest. “I figured it’s about time you treated me to the good stuff instead of that swill you like to drink.” She smiled mischieviously.

  “What makes you think I keep any good booze in there?” Keelin asked innocently.

  Aimi sighed, popped the latch on the chest, and opened the lid. It took her only a moment of rummaging to pull out the bottle of Bolera two-year brandy he’d taken from the captain’s cabin on the carrack.

  “How did you know?” he said, but Aimi only smiled by way of reply. She placed the bottle on Keelin’s desk and collapsed into the chair behind it. It was his own chair she lounged in, and had it been anyone else he’d have given them a beating and launched them over the side of his ship, but with Aimi he could only smile and allow her the impropriety.

  Keelin sat down in the chair in front of his desk, put his feet up, and pulled the cork from the bottle before taking a healthy swig and sliding the brandy towards Aimi. She put her own feet up on the desk, mimicking Keelin’s position, and took an equally healthy swig. She winced.

  “This is the good stuff?”

  Keelin grinned. “It’s the strong stuff.”

  “That makes it good?”

  Keelin shrugged; he honestly couldn’t tell the difference himself. “What has Morley had you doing today?”

  Aimi grimaced. “I don’t think your first mate likes me much.” Keelin suspected it was her familiarity with the captain that Morley didn’t like. “First I had to scrub down the poop deck, then he hung me over the side of the ship to wash the shit off. Have you ever had to clean shit off the side of a ship, Keelin?”

  “More times than I care to remember, thanks, and I’m more than glad those days are over.”

  “I know we all have to shit over the side, but that doesn’t make cleaning it any better.” Aimi took another swig of brandy as if to wash away the thought. “I had to jump into the bay to wash the smell off afterwards. Morley caught me and decided I needed another job. So for the past…” She paused. “Well, I don’t even know how long I was down there, but I’ve been below decks hunting the rat carcasses left by the mangy, flea-ridden hissing ball of death you call a ship’s pet.”

  Keelin grinned at her. “All jobs that need doing, and there’s not a man aboard this ship who hasn’t done them a hundred times before. I bet Feather loves having you aboard. Those jobs always used to fall to him.”

  “Well, he can have them back.” Aimi scowled, but it only made her more beautiful to Keelin. He’d never been interested in women who powdered themselves and doused themselves in strange scents. He liked women who smelled of the sea and weren’t afraid to be smudged with dirt, and Aimi was both of those things and more.

  He looked at her now and felt an almost overwhelming urge to leap across the desk. Her mousy brown hair had largely escaped its tie and was in complete disarray, her freckled face was dusty and sun beaten – though that only made her dark eyes seem even darker – and her breasts, though she strapped them, were large enough to be apparent through her shirt. Keelin longed to know them and every other curve, contour, and dimple of her body.

  “Thanks for the attention there, Captain,” Aimi said, and Keelin realised she’d caught him staring at her chest. “And yes, it is uncomfortable strapping them down. No, it’s not more comfortable to not strap them down. And yes, it’s hard work stopping your crew from catching an eyeful every morning while I do strap them down.” Aimi paused. “Which is why I think you’re the only member of the crew who hasn’t already seen my tits. If you’d like to give me my own cabin to stop the puss-brained maggots from ogling me every morning, I would not say no.”

  Keelin wasn’t sure how to deal with Aimi’s outburst; he wasn’t even sure if she was joking or not, so he just took the brandy
bottle and drank while she laughed.

  “So, when do we sail?” Aimi said.

  “Soon. No more than a few days, I reckon. We should get there on time, but…” Keelin sighed. “Weather permitting, of course.”

  “You trust her?”

  Keelin looked up to find Aimi staring intently at the brandy bottle, and he slid it her way; even once she had it she didn’t look at him.

  “No.” Keelin stood and started pacing in front of the desk. “No, I don’t trust Elaina. I don’t trust Tanner. I’m not even sure I trust Drake.”

  “Why not?”

  “I don’t know. Because he’s a pirate,” Keelin growled. “Hells, I’m a pirate. We’re all bloody pirates, and as a rule, pirates aren’t exactly to be trusted.” He turned to resume his pacing and found Aimi in front of him. He hadn’t even noticed her move from behind the desk.

  “What are you…” he started, but stopped as she slid her hands down his trousers and grabbed hold of his cock. “Oh.”

  It didn’t take long for Keelin to forget what he was saying, about as long as it took his cock to get hard. Which, given Aimi’s stroking, rubbing, and staring up into his eyes, wasn’t long at all. Aimi dropped to her knees in front of him, pulling his trousers down as she did, and Keelin wondered how she’d undone his belt buckle without him noticing. Of course, that thought was soon purged from his head as well as she slid her lips down his cock and started sucking. Keelin gasped and gripped hold of the desk behind him, before relaxing into the pleasuring. He looked down to find Aimi staring up at him with dark, playful eyes as she moved back and forth.

  Keelin didn’t last long, and as she swallowed his seed and washed it down with brandy, he attempted to remember how to form words.

  “So why don’t you trust Drake?” Aimi asked again between sips.

  Keelin said the first thing that came into his head. “Because everybody knows Drake Morrass is only out for himself.”

  “Figured that might clear your head. Aren’t we all out for ourselves?” Aimi stepped close and placed the brandy bottle back on the desk.

  Keelin looked down into her eyes. She was close, close enough to smell, and she smelled of the sea and brandy – but mostly of the sea, and Keelin felt himself going hard again.

  “Do you believe the things we want,” Aimi continued, her body leaning against his, “are always bad for others?”

  Keelin scooped her up, struggled out of the trousers that were still caught around his ankles, and carried Aimi over to his cot.

  Chapter 47 - Fortune

  Drake was calling the little beasty Rag, and it was as vicious a little hunter as the giant spider, Rhi, had ever been. Already it was a foot long with razor-sharp scythe-like pincers and a venomous bite that caused intense pain and mild paralysis, as two of the crew could attest to. Rag wasn’t just dealing with the rat population on board the ship, but had also proved to be an excellent fisher. The giant centipede would crawl onto the outside hull and dangle with its head just above the water’s surface, its body bent like a reed under pressure. Then it would strike, darting its head into the water and, more often than not, pulling back with a fish skewered between its mandibles. It was an impressive sight to behold, and one member of the crew had already learned the hard way not to attempt to take the fish away from Rag. The poor bastard had spent the better part of three days unable to move his arms or legs.

  The armour plating protecting Rag’s body segments was already as hard as iron, and Drake had been assured that once the little monster reached its full maturity – and its full six feet in length – the armour would harden even further, and the beast’s venom would become lethal. Thankfully, its voracious appetite would lessen. The creature had already explored the ship from top to bottom, giving Luter a shock up in the nest, and had decided, much to Drake’s approval, to call the captain’s cabin its home. The closer the beasty got to him the better. He wanted it as loyal as Rhi had been, and as dangerous too. Already Rag had taken to using Drake’s body as a climbing frame. It wasn’t entirely comfortable, having a foot-long monster wrapped around his body, but he appreciated the protection having a creature like that at striking distance of his enemies might provide.

  For now, Rag was curled up in the corner of his cabin, wrapped around itself, and Drake couldn’t be sure whether it was sleeping or watching the door with its pitch-black eyes. He wasn’t even sure if the little monster did sleep.

  A knock sounded on the door and Rag chittered, its legs tapping against its armour, but the creature didn’t move. Drake rolled out of his bed, wondering how it had been so long since the sheets had smelled of a woman. He crossed to the door, still fully naked, and pulled it open, only to be reminded just why it had been so long. Arbiter Beck stood on the other side of the door with an apprehensive look on her face.

  “Is it still in there?” she asked, her eyes fixed on his face. She didn’t get on too well with Rag, though the centipede seemed to like Beck well enough.

  “Aye,” Drake said, purposefully scratching at his stones in an attempt to draw Beck’s gaze downwards. “Seems to enjoy being near me.”

  Beck grimaced. “Captain Khan is here to see you.” She turned away, never having reacted at all to Drake’s lack of clothing.

  Drake shut the door, disappointed, and started pulling some clothing together. He’d been chasing Beck for too long, and if she wasn’t about to slip into his bed and let him slip into her, then he’d have to find some other release. He briefly considered a visit to the Dragon Empire. The Empress was always wet and willing for Drake, but he doubted Rei would let him leave without a few good months of service.

  Captain Khan was standing at the bow of the ship, staring out at the town of New Sev’relain. Drake stepped up beside the giant pirate and cleared his throat.

  “An impressive feat, building a town from nothing,” Khan rumbled.

  “Ain’t from nothing,” Drake said. “Towns are never built from nothing. They’re built from people. Folk with a will and a need and…”

  “Money.”

  “Aye, that too. Ain’t much gets done without pay or promise.”

  “You are taking Poole and Stillwater to see Captain Black,” Khan said, dispensing with the small talk. “Why not me?”

  “Because I don’t expect a fight, and I reckon that’s where your strengths lie. Look, Captain, I’m taking those two because we all got history with Tanner, some of it good, some bad. But we all know each other. I also need someone trustworthy to stay and look after the town.”

  “I’m not much of a governor.” The giant’s statement came out almost as a growl.

  “No. But you got a code of honour, and that makes me trust you. That, and I know where you come from. Folk north of the Five Kingdoms like you are raiders and devilish in a fight. You’re also protective of what’s yours. Well, New Sev’relain is yours. It’s yours and mine and Stillwater’s and even Tanner’s. It’s also all of theirs.” Drake pointed out to the town. “It belongs to everyone that calls the isles their home, and those bastards from the Five Kingdoms want to burn it down.”

  Drake glanced at the other captain to see his jaw clenched and grating, and he knew he’d hit the right nerve. “I need you to protect it while I’m gone.”

  Khan grunted. “The bastards will not take another home from me.”

  After Khan had gone, Drake called Princess over. “How long ’til we can sail?”

  “Loading supplies now, Cap’n. They ain’t good though. We’ll have just about enough to make it there and back, and we best hope the town gets resupplied whiles we gone.”

  Drake looked upwards; the sky was grey and dark and the season was turning. The Pirate Isles never experienced a true winter, but the temperature would soon start dropping, and with it would come the storms.

  “First light,” Drake said. “We sail tomorrow and hope we arrive at Ash before Tanner.”

  Chapter 48 - North Gale

  T’ruck stretched his big shoulders back an
d squatted down on the railing. Then, holding onto the rigging with one hand and keeping his cock out the way with the other, he pushed, grunted, moaned, and finally relaxed into a contented sigh. Some men preferred to shit on land when they could, enjoying the privacy of a shed with a hole in the ground. T’ruck had no such qualms, and was more than happy to drop his turds over the side of his ship as he always did. He liked to think of it as giving back to the ocean the same way a farmer might spread manure on his field.

  There was a ship sailing into the bay, one T’ruck didn’t recognise, and no doubt the entire crew had a wonderful view of his arse. T’ruck didn’t care; he’d often been complimented on the shape and musculature of his arse.

  Berris Dey was written along the new ship’s side, and it was written in red. T’ruck pulled up his trousers and waved for his crew to lower a boat into the water. Drake had charged him with looking after the town in his absence, and T’ruck took his duties seriously, especially when they involved protecting his home.

  His crew rowed hard and T’ruck was soon standing on the beach, awaiting the arrival of the newest visitors to their little town. Little but growing. T’ruck would be proud once New Sev’relain could call itself the largest town in the isles. Until then he wouldn’t be happy. He was a firm believer in the mantra of bigger being better, and he applied it to all aspects of his life. He liked his meals large, his ships huge, and his women big, although he’d made an exception for the daughter of Tanner Black, and she’d proved to be as wild and forceful as the biggest of women.

  Indeed, T’ruck was of the firm opinion Elaina Black would have made an excellent third wife back home. Her hips were far too small for a first wife; she would never survive that many child births. He doubted she knew how to make a home, so she would never do as a second wife. But the third wives were for fucking and fighting, and Elaina Black could do both. The claw marks T’ruck had proudly worn for days were proof enough of that.