“Well, then, I guess you won’t mind if I take what’s rightfully mine.”
That’s when she realized he was naked, and she panicked. She fought like a wildcat, figuring if she was going down, she was going to cause a few injuries of her own. With all the energy she had left, she bucked and scratched and bit. But as he had proven in the past, she was no match for his strength. He laughed in her face and let her wear herself out. Only when she laid still and panting beneath him did he relax his hold on her arms.
She had drawn more blood than the kitten, but he didn’t seem to mind. In fact, the proof of his arousal stood between them like a mast. He leaned down and licked her cheek. “Thank you, my darling. I always like a little tickle and play before the meal.”
At last, she managed to gather some moisture in her mouth. It landed on his lip in her final display of resistance. He grinned and merely licked it off.
“I will never love you,” she managed to whisper. Her lips were cracked and puffy, and it was a wonder she could speak at all. “Like I love Dulac.”
This time, his fist sent her into the relief of darkness.
* * * *
Dulac eyes remained closed as he pretended it was Jesse he kissed. However, the sound of a door slamming shut made his eyes pop open. Bonny lay on top of him, and agitated, she pushed herself off him to see who disrupted their playtime. Cool air rushed over his naked body, and he pulled the towel over himself before sitting up.
Dulac’s heart stopped at the sight of an unconscious Jesse in LeBlanc’s arms. The man closed the space between them in seconds and dropped her at Dulac’s feet. Her naked body was bruised and bloodied from LeBlanc’s obvious abuse, and a protectiveness flooded over him. He jumped to his feet, not caring the towel dropped to the floor. He lunged at LeBlanc with fists flying. The man fought back, but Dulac was much bigger and much stronger.
Unfortunately, LeBlanc had help, and Dulac’s arms were grabbed by not two but three of LeBlanc’s men. Taking advantage of having the upper hand, LeBlanc took a few punches at Dulac’s jaw until his fist hurt too much. Undaunted, Dulac just grinned at him.
“What’s wrong, LeBlanc? You know, I’m not a woman. I don’t go down that easily.” He spit the pool of blood that had gathered in his mouth. It landed on LeBlanc’s shoe. “Oops.”
LeBlanc pointed at Jesse. “You took her virginity.”
Dulac smiled devilishly. “Oops again.”
LeBlanc looked at Bonny before stomping over to the bed. He knelt and reached under it, then pulled out the set of white sheets hidden. He marched over to Bonny and shook them in her face. “Your plaything has escaped his cage, Bonny. Since you can’t keep him in it, he’s my prisoner now.”
“But—”
LeBlanc’s hand lashed out, catching Bonny in the mouth. Her hands instantly covered her lips, and she took a step back. LeBlanc threw the sheets at her feet and went back to standing in front of Dulac. He glared at the man, trying to decide what to do with him. Jesse groaned, and he spared her one glance.
“I should kill you for this,” LeBlanc snarled. “She was mine. You didn’t even like her. You thought she was a boy. You don’t deserve her.”
“Oh, and you do?”
That earned Dulac another punch in the jaw. It stung, but he stood his ground. LeBlanc pointed at him. “Okay, Dulac, I have an idea. You play me in a game of poker. If you win, I let you go free. If I win, you get auctioned to the highest bidder.”
Dulac’s left eye twitched as he warily studied the man. He glanced down at Jesse and saw she had one eye open. He longed to cover her nakedness and flexed his muscles under the grip of his captors. The fingers tightened around his flesh. He gritted his teeth, knowing LeBlanc lied. He’d never agree to set him free. He had no choice, however, and he’d take whatever opportunity he could get.
“Let’s play.”
Chapter 19
July 18, 1900 – A few hours after Midnight
Dulac stared at the cards in his hand. They had been playing for three hours, and they both still had the same amount of chips. He knew LeBlanc was cheating, but Dulac had always been lucky at cards. The royal flush in his hands proved it.
Keeping his mouth in a grim line, he let his hand ever so slightly flop against the table, as if he were mad at the cards he held. He sighed just a tad bit too heavy and looked at LeBlanc with what he hoped was a ‘please don’t have a good hand’ look. “Well? You gonna place your bet?” And hurry up. Jesse and I have our freedom to enjoy.
LeBlanc ignored him as he studied his own cards. Then he looked at the grandfather clock on the mantle before looking at Dulac. He smiled like a sneaky cat while he pushed all of his chips into the middle of the table.
“I’m tired of playing. Let’s end this so I can make arrangements for your sale into slavery.”
LeBlanc laid each card onto the table one by one: King, Queen, Jack, ten and nine of diamonds. He had a straight flush, which was a rather nice hand to have, but it didn’t beat what Dulac had.
Dulac squelched the hope that surged into his chest. He splayed his cards on the table: an Ace, King, Queen, Jack and a ten that gave him a royal flush. The red hearts on the cards reminded him of his newly realized love for Jesse.
He kept his eyes on LeBlanc’s face and enjoyed the fireworks going off in LeBlanc’s eyes. He also enjoyed the temper tantrum that followed as LeBlanc took the card table and flipped it. Cards and chips scattered everywhere.
Dulac remained calmly seated, thankful he’d scooted his chair back before the table was upturned. He crossed his arms and waited as LeBlanc cursed and kicked the scattered items around the room. The man ended up in front of the fireplace with his hands on his hips. LeBlanc took a deep breath before turning around, and Dulac didn’t trust the devilish smile on LeBlanc’s face.
“Okay, Dulac. You did it. You won, but what have you really won?”
Here it comes, Dulac thought. The snake in the haystack reveals himself.
LeBlanc crossed his arms and stared him in the eye. “You’ve won your freedom...roam the island all you want. Watch out for the natives on the other side. I’ve made friends with them, but they don’t play friendly with others.”
Dulac’s left eye twitched. “I want off this island.”
“And you are free to do just that...if you can swim. For if you dare step one foot on any of my ships, it’ll be back in chains you go and then to the slaves block.”
“Slavery is illegal.”
“Not on the other side of the ocean,” LeBlanc smirked. He turned to one of the men standing at the door. “Take Jesse to my ship... The Devil’s Lair...and tie her to the mast.”
Anger and disbelief flared over Dulac, and he jumped to his feet. “Wait, you said we were free.”
LeBlanc held up his finger and wiggled it at him. “No, I said you would be free, not you and her.”
“I’m not leaving without Jesse,” Dulac snarled. “One more hand of cards. I win, she goes with me. You win...she doesn’t.”
LeBlanc gave him a go-to-hell look. “I don’t think so. She belongs to me.”
“She’s not cattle, LeBlanc. She’s a human being. Jesse doesn’t belong to anyone.”
LeBlanc looked at his men, who were still standing at the door. “What are you doing? I gave you orders. I expect you to obey them.”
“Aye, aye, cap’n,” they said in unison and left to get Jesse from Bonny’s room.
Dulac took a step toward LeBlanc, but the man pulled out his pistol and aimed it at Dulac’s stomach. Dulac stopped and glared at him.
“Now I know you don’t want to run around the island with a bullet in your belly. How would you save Jesse then?” LeBlanc crooned. “I suggest you get the hell out of my house before I change my mind.”
Dulac hesitated, weighing his options. In the end, he had to give up. He was no match for a pistol. Reluctantly, he slowly backed up to the open French doors. He kept his hands up and his eyes on LeBlanc the entire time.
&
nbsp; His nemesis didn’t move until Dulac stepped onto the porch. LeBlanc cocked the pistol, and at the sound, Dulac jumped to his right and out of view just as the pistol went off. The bullet embedded itself into the wood of the banister.
Wasting no time, Dulac took off at a run. He jumped the railing at the end of the porch and made a beeline for the jungle. His haste was unnecessary as no further shots rang through the air.
He ran on in an effort to put as much distance as possible between himself and LeBlanc. He would go back for Jesse. Dulac knew Jesse’s guards would eventually grow lax and give him the opportunity to rescue her. Until then, he had to bide his time, but therein lay the problem. He wasn’t a patient man.
* * * *
It took everything Dulac had to remain hidden in the jungle. He was in a tree next to the beach where LeBlanc’s ship, The Devil’s Lair, had been beached. The crew made repairs to the hull, but the activity on deck is what had Dulac’s attention.
For the past four hours, he had watched LeBlanc administer one lash per hour onto Jesse’s back. Then he would yell for Dulac to show his face and save her. It only served to drive the desire to kill the man deeper into Dulac’s soul.
The beginning of the fifth hour was almost upon them, and Dulac knew he couldn’t bear to hear Jesse scream again. He had no weapons, and no one to help him.
Dulac squinted, trying to see if there was any movement from Jesse. The poor girl must surely have passed out by now. Being powerless to help her wore thin on his resolve.
He looked at the sky, wishing the sun would hurry up and set. He surmised it would be about an hour until it did. Would the mad man stop his abuse then? He doubted it.
“Are you ready to hear her screams again, Dulac?” LeBlanc hollered. “Or will you be the hero and take her place? Come on, Dulac. Show yourself.”
Dulac closed his eyes and leaned his forehead against the tree. I wonder if I could hit him with a coconut from here.
Determined, he got out of the tree, found the biggest coconut he could find, and did exactly what LeBlanc wanted him to do: showed himself. He took his time stepping onto the beach, and with the coconut in hand got as close to the ship as possible. The crew on the beach simply stared at him. Dulac looked back at them, daring them to make a move. He saw pity and anger in their faces and began to wonder if they were tiring of the tyrant captain.
“Well, well, well, ’tis about time,” LeBlanc crooned. He placed his hands on the rail and looked down on Dulac as if he were royalty on a balcony. “Come to take her place?”
Dulac looked at the pirate closest to him, then let the coconut fly. It hit LeBlanc in the middle of the forehead, and he went down like a sack of potatoes. Dulac waited for the crew to knock him to the ground, but when that didn’t happen, he looked around in curiosity. The crew had maintained their positions.
“’Tis a fine day for a mutiny, don’t you think, mates?” Dulac suggested to the nearest pirate.
LeBlanc’s second in command appeared at the rail, and Dulac faltered. He waited in dread for the order to have him captured, and he knew he’d be overtaken within minutes. There were a lot of men on the beach.
“Come get her,” said the quartermaster before disappearing from view.
Dulac didn’t need a second offer. In minutes, he was on deck. He practically ran to the mast, only to find the crew on board had already released Jesse. She laid face down on the deck, unconscious. Her back was red with welts and blood. The quartermaster stood beside her. Dulac looked for LeBlanc, who was nowhere to be seen.
“You are correct,” the quartermaster said. “It’s past time for a new captain to command The Devil’s Lair. Believe it or not, Dulac, we pirates do have a code of our own, and LeBlanc has overstepped those boundaries more than you know.”
“What will you do with him?” Dulac hoped they’d let him put a bullet in his head.
“I don’t rightly know yet, as we’ll have to vote on it.”
Dulac studied the man of color before him, whom he’d always liked and respected. He was a hard worker. “Why the change of heart?”
The quartermaster crossed his arms as he thought about his answer. “The men like Jesse...even before they knew he was a she...and especially now they know she’s a she. But the most important thing is that LeBlanc thinks the world revolves around him, and we aim to take him down a notch or two.”
“Can I watch?” The words escaped Dulac’s lips before he could stop them.
The quartermaster hesitated, then nodded. “I don’t see why not.”
Dulac dropped to his knees beside Jesse to examine her back. The shirt she wore covered her front, but the back was shredded. Her head was turned sideways, giving him a view of her peaceful face. He blinked back the water flooding his eyes and gritted his teeth. His left eye twitched in anger.
Sweeping her up in his arms, Dulac stood. She mewled softly in pain, and he held her close to his chest. His heart hurt knowing how much pain she was in. He couldn’t take his eyes off her face. “Where can I take her?”
“Take her to the captain’s quarters for now. I’ll send the Doc with salves and bandages. I’m sure he’ll have something to help her sleep.”
“Thank you.” Dulac threw the words over his shoulder as he hustled to get Jesse comfortable.
* * * *
Four days later, Dulac stood on the bow of the ship and watched LeBlanc rant and rave on the beach. The crew had elected to maroon him along with Bonny, and the quartermaster had known of an island not too far away. Hence, it had only taken them three days to get there.
He grinned and waved at LeBlanc. “Au revoir!”
LeBlanc stopped kicking the sand and held his middle finger up in a rude jester. The quartermaster stood beside Dulac, and he laughed out loud. “Why, Dulac, I believe he is giving you the big bird.”
Dulac laughed. “Aye, Bart,’twould seem so.”
They stood side by side until the island faded from sight. “I have to go check on Jesse.”
“How is she?” Bart asked.
“Better, but not by much. I fear it’s going to take her a long time to heal. She’s never had to endure the Cat o’nine before.”
Both men fell into a moment of silence as each thought of his first time with the lash. Dulac shook himself free of the horrid memory. “Well, see you in a bit.”
He rushed back to Jesse’s side, only to find her still sleeping. Kneeling beside the bed, he brushed a lock of hair away from her face before lightly rubbing her high cheekbone. His fingertip traced her mouth, and he couldn’t take his eyes off her.
Thank you, God, for turning these men’s hearts against LeBlanc. Although I’d have rather seen him dead...but marooning comes a close second.
Jesse stirred, moaning softly in her sleep. Dulac placed his hand on her cheek. “Shh, honey, shh.”
A tear slipped down her cheek. “Hurts.”
He swallowed over the lump in his throat. “I know, but it’ll get better soon. I promise.”
And to seal it, he kissed her cheek. His lips lingered on her skin, and he marveled at its silkiness. When he pulled back, he licked his lips, tasting the salt of her tears. He noticed she was watching him. He smiled.
“LeBlanc and Bonny have been marooned.”
“Good. I hope he’s attacked by a wild animal and dies.” They stared at each other for a second before she said, “On second thought, I hope he has to live on that island for at least fifty years before Satan takes him to Hell.”
Dulac smiled softly. “Been thinking of vengeance a lot, have we?”
Jesse’s return smile was weak. “A little.”
“Rest assured, my dear, LeBlanc is out of our lives for good.” He ran his hand over her hair. “I can’t wait to get home to New Orleans. Then things will hopefully get back to normal.”
Her eyes closed, and she whispered, “So tired.”
Dulac kissed her forehead. “Rest, and I’ll bring you broth later.”
* * * *
Jesse popped open her eyes and watched Dulac leave. Her heart felt as heavy as the wounds on her back. He had at last stated his true intent. He was going home...without her. The fact he hadn’t even asked stung her the most, not that she would go with him. She tried to imagine fitting in to his polite society and cringed.
No, New Orleans would merely be a stepping stone to find her father. She’d find work on a ship going to Yorktown, Virginia. Then she’d start the search for her father.
Jesse moved her head, and fire raced down her back. She bit her lip to keep from screaming, releasing a moan instead. She rode the wave of pain until it felt more like needles in her back instead of fire.
Exhaustion had her slipping in and out of consciousness. Her thoughts of Dulac’s abandonment in New Orleans played in her head and induced dreamlike scenarios. She felt as if she were viewing nonsensical plays on a stage, recalling the many times her parents had taken her.
In fact, her father sat on a bench before her now, reciting Shakespeare. She sat beside him and looked up into his weathered face. In mid-sentence, he stopped and looked at her pointedly.
“May I help you, Miss?”
“Father, it’s me, Jessamine.”
He inspected her closer, checking the pupils of her eyes as a doctor would, then forcing her to open her mouth so he could look at her teeth. He sat back and shook his head. “Nope. Not my Jessamine. She’s only eight, and you...why, you’re eighteen...and a pirate to boot. So get off my stage and let me finish my performance.”
At that point, a ripe tomato landed against her arm. She looked out into the audience to see only LeBlanc. He raised his arm, and another vegetable slammed against her thigh. This one hurt, and she picked up the cucumber off the stage floor. She inspected it briefly before hauling her arm back and slinging it at LeBlanc. It slammed against his head, effectively knocking him out.
“Serves you right, you coward,” she yelled. “Stay the hell away from me.”
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