* * * *
Cold water showered Dulac’s face and woke him with a start from his giant-induced sleep. He was gagged and tied to the wall beside some of the other men. He was in the room he had passed and suffering their fate. He focused on the masked lady before him.
She kneed him in the groin, and he groaned in agony. His knees buckled, and all his weight sagged against his arms. She poked his bare chest with her long fingernail.
“I thought you said American men don’t treat their women like dirt,” she snarled.
His muffled words irritated her, and she yanked the gag down roughly. “You’re not American.”
She slapped him and would have kneed him again had her brother not grabbed her from behind. He tossed her into the giant’s arms. “Take her home.”
Alam turned to Dulac. “She’ll be mad for days now.”
“You’re welcome,” Dulac said and smirked.
The man shrugged. “I’ll just lock her in her room ’til she calms.”
The Arab replaced his gag and patted his cheek. “Just so you know, you caused me trouble. Do you remember what my sister told you?”
True fear took hold of Dulac as he watched the man’s lips turn up into a cruel smile. He saw the pits of hell in the man’s eyes, and he pulled on the chains holding him.
“Your family is mine.”
Chapter 30
One by one, the new masters came to claim their slaves. Dulac took little notice. His soul was crushed at his inability to protect his family. Alam was going to take them and sell them into slavery, and he was powerless to stop him.
It was one thing for him to be enslaved. He had been through it before, but it would kill Jesse. She was so independent. Her master would probably kill her. At the thought of her even having a master, his insides curled with rage. The corners of his mouth turned down, and his cheek throbbed. Jesse was his. No one else deserved to touch her.
Two cloaked figures suddenly appeared before him. He was released from the hook on the wall, and the taller figure grabbed the rope that ran from one wrist to the other. He was wrenched forward and led out of the warehouse into the pitch black night.
Dulac was shoved into a waiting covered carriage. The two figures climbed in after him and sat across from him. The vehicle began rolling toward his fate.
It seemed like only minutes had passed, and they were stopping. A cloak was thrown over him, and the hood pulled over his head. He was escorted out of the carriage, and the smell of the Mississippi River assailed his nose. He wanted to look around but the hood was so high that it covered his face. All he could see was his feet as they ascended a plank.
Once they boarded the ship, he was hustled below deck and into the captain’s quarters. A lamp was lit, and his cloak removed. He kept his eyes on the ground until one of them stepped in front of him. Then he raised his head and recognized the man from the crowd. It was the quartermaster, Bart.
He immediately looked at the smaller figure, who pushed back the cloak to reveal a face he thought he’d never see again. Indescribable joy filled his soul as Jesse pulled his gag down and then cut the ropes off his wrists. Her honey-brown eyes held love. He wrapped his arms around her in a warm embrace that was quickly becoming something more.
“Thank you,” he whispered huskily.
“For what?”
“As much as I hate to admit it,” he paused as pride tried to quiet his next words, “for saving me from those Arabic slave traders.”
Her smile was purely cocky. “Oh, I didn’t really save you. I simply out-bid them. You’re still a slave, though...my slave.”
He pinched her bottom, and she cried out in protest. He laughed. “We’ll just see who’s a slave to whom.”
He captured her mouth with his, and she melted against him. Seconds later, a throat cleared and broke their concentration. A bit sheepishly, Dulac turned to Bart.
“Thank you.”
“Don’t thank me. Thank her. She’s the one that found me.”
“I was lucky,” Jesse said. “It took me a week to realize you were missing and another week to find Bart. And then one more week to wait for the private auction.”
“I’ve been gone for three weeks?” he asked incredulously. Then Alam’s words rushed through his head. “Where are the girls?”
“At home with the nanny.”
“New Orleans or Baton Rouge?”
“Baton Rouge. Why?”
“Bart, how fast can you get this thing to Baton Rouge?”
“Faster than a firefly can light his butt.”
“Good, because our girls are in danger.”
* * * *
They walked from the banks of the Mississippi River toward their house, and Dulac was glad they had bought this one instead of the one in the middle of downtown Baton Rouge. It was close to the river and surrounded by woods. The privacy was welcomed, but it was quite different from the bustling streets of New Orleans. Jesse seemed to have blossomed away from the crowds.
It was right before dawn, and the three of them cautiously approached the house. Upon reaching the girls’ room, they all let go of the breath they had been holding. The nanny was asleep in her bed, and the babies were snug in their cribs. Dulac, Jesse and Bart stepped back into the hallway where they could talk quietly.
“We might have beat him here,” Dulac whispered. “But you can be sure he’s not far behind us.”
“Let’s take the babies and leave,” Jesse suggested.
Dulac shook his head. “No. I want this finished. I want him out of our lives for good.”
“No,” Jesse breathed. “No killing.”
Dulac ignored her. “Bart, stay here while I go change.”
Jesse followed him to their bedroom, arguing to a wall the entire time. He made no response to her pleas to not kill Alam. After he had changed clothes, he threw the pajama bottoms into the fireplace. Then he grabbed Jesse by the shoulders and forced her to sit down on the edge of the bed.
“Hush, woman,” he growled. “This man is dangerous. I can’t make a promise that I can’t keep. I have to protect my family, and simply chasing him off will not do. He would return with reinforcements. So, please, do me a huge favor, and stop nagging me about it.”
Dulac went to the closet, found his knife and stuck it in the side of his boot. Then he put on his revolver and left her sitting on the bed, rigid with anger. He joined Bart in the nursery, and they waited.
* * * *
“You can’t stay locked up in here for the rest of your life,” Jesse stated. “And neither can the girls.”
She stared at Dulac from the doorway. If the situation hadn’t been dire, it would’ve been comical. He rocked Roberta while Bart fed Rebecca. He was sure they were quite a sight. Two men armed to the teeth feeding babies. He had laughed out loud when he first saw Bart holding a baby because it was the farthest thing anyone would even imagine the man doing.
“Did you stop to think that maybe, just maybe, Alam was just toying with you? That he’s not coming after us?”
“It’s only been two days. He’ll come.”
She crossed her arms and tapped her foot. “All right, I understand your concern but must one of Bart’s men follow me everywhere? I find it a little embarrassing when I have to go to the lavatory.”
Both he and Bart said “yes” at the same time.
She sighed through her nose. “Fine.”
“Fine?”
Jesse gave him an evil glare. “Fine.”
She looked pointedly at Bart. “So how do your men like being monkeys?”
“Why are you so mad?” Dulac asked.
She ignored him. “Do they have any problems getting up into the trees to keep watch?”
“No, they’re good. Don’t worry so much,” Bart assured her.
She tossed her head and put her hands on her hips. She glared at him, and he ducked his head, pretending to be consumed with feeding Rebecca. Dulac watched his wife with a smile.
“Why
don’t you take a nap?” he suggested.
Jesse raised her left eyebrow at him. “I’m too wound up.”
He nodded knowingly. “Ready for some action, huh? Me, too.”
She dropped her hands from her waist. “I’m anxious. I want this over.”
“I think that’s a mutual feeling, honey.” His stomach grumbled, and he tried to give her an angelic look. “Would you mind seeing if supper is ready? Please?”
She rolled her eyes before walking off. He was just glad that she didn’t throw anything at him.
* * * *
Rain beat against the cloth of Dulac’s cloak. He tugged at the hood to ensure his head stayed dry. Water splashed against his boots as they hit mud puddles. His gait was fast, and he almost ran into the cloaked figure on the path. The woods seemed to close in as he hesitated. “I thought you were in the barn.”
“You were taking too long.”
“Always the impatient one,” Dulac grumbled. He glanced behind him. “It isn’t safe out in the open.”
He stepped off the path and into the woods, and the figure followed. He didn’t go far, just enough to stay hidden from prying eyes. Although, the rain did a good job of limiting visibility. Dulac stepped close so he could converse without screaming.
“Thank you for responding so quickly to my missive.”
“You’re lucky I was home. Jenny’s been begging to go visit her parents.”
“Well, after all you’ve done for me so far, Trevor, I owe you a lot.”
“Don’t worry about that. We’re family, and family does for family.”
Dulac glanced around anxiously. “Go at once to the authorities, Cousin. Jess and I have discussed this at length, and both of us agree we shall do whatever it takes to keep our girls safe.”
The cloth of Trevor’s hood moved up and down. “And whatever happens, rest assured I will seek and find vengeance for you both.”
“Well, let’s hope it doesn’t come to that.” Dulac thrust out his hand into the cold rain. “Take care, and God speed.”
* * * *
The next day after sunset, they were all in the nursery when they heard the wolf calls. Dulac and Bart instantly pulled their revolvers and took up positions at the door and window. Jesse and the nanny placed the babies in their beds and faced the door. Jesse held a gun, and the nanny had a kitchen knife. They all listened in anticipation.
Their ears were soon rewarded. They heard the faint banging on the front door, and all waited breathlessly. It seemed an eternity later when the maid appeared in the doorway.
“’Tis a lady asking to speak with the mistress of the house.”
“Anyone else?” Dulac asked quietly.
She shook her head. “No, sir.”
“Did she say what she wanted?” he inquired.
“Only that she had news from the master of the house.”
“You didn’t tell her I was here, did you?”
Her eyes were wide with fear. “No, sir.”
“What does she look like?” Bart asked.
“I couldn’t tell. She had on a veil over her mouth and nose.”
Jesse stepped up beside Dulac. “Do you think it’s a trap?”
“Of course it’s a trap,” he snapped. “It’s probably Alam himself dressed as his heathen sister.”
She chewed on her lip. “I have no choice but to go down.”
Dulac didn’t like it but had to agree. “I’ll be right around the corner, out of sight. All you have to do is yell, and I’ll be right there.”
Jesse nodded and pressed her lips against his. “I love you.”
Then she followed the maid, and he, in turn, stealthily followed them. With his back pressed to the wall, he could hear their entire conversation. He wished he could dare a look, but even though the hall was dark, he knew that to be a foolish idea. The voice he heard, however, was not Alam’s but his sister’s.
“Can I help you?” Jesse asked.
“Are you Mrs. Dulac?”
“Aye, and you are?”
“My name is not important.”
“Where’s my husband?”
Silence. “I know where he is being held. I can help you save him.”
A shiver of foreboding raced up his spine, and he said a silent prayer of thanks that Jesse wouldn’t fall for it. Events had worked in his favor, for which he’d be forever grateful to God.
“I’m not going anywhere with you,” Jesse state flatly. “I don’t know you from Adam, but I can send for the authorities. They’ll be glad to go with you on my behalf.”
“No,” she replied a bit too quickly. “No authorities.”
Dulac thought he heard a small click, and the hairs on the back of his neck rose. Silence prevailed, and he held his breath. Then Jesse’s angry voice pierced his fear.
“I’m still not going with you.”
“You would leave your babies without a mother?” the woman threatened. “Or how about a mother who loses her babies?”
“You wouldn’t dare.” Jesse’s voice reverberated with fury.
“You don’t know me, so you don’t know what I’d dare.”
There was more silence before Jesse spoke again. “What is it you really want?”
“I want you to gather your babies and come with me.”
“Ha,” Jesse snorted. “You’re delusional.”
“Yes, he said you would say that.”
“Who?”
Two gun shots popped through the house, and at first, Dulac thought Jesse had taken a bullet. But then it registered that the pops had come from behind him, closer to the nursery. His heart lurched, and he forced himself not to run down the dark hallway.
The light from the nursery was bright with no shadows to block it. He approached the door with his gun pointed and ready. He crinkled his face as he entered the haze of acrid gun powder. The nanny was on the ground with a bloody dot on her forehead. He had no time to mourn her loss. He looked further in and saw Bart on the floor by the window. A red stain covered his right shoulder, and his eyes were closed. Dulac didn’t have time to check for life as a robed figure hovered over one of the cribs. He was lucky enough to be able to sneak up and press the gun to the back of the person’s head.
“Your game is over, Alam,” he growled. “You lose. I win.”
“You’re wrong, westerner.”
Dulac’s shoulders slumped as a muzzle pressed to the base of his skull. He reluctantly lowered his gun and slowly held it out to the right. It was instantly taken from him.
“How did you escape?” Alam asked in wonder.
“I’m just lucky like that I guess.”
“Obviously, but not lucky enough. And neither are the men you had hiding in the trees. Good attempt, though. My men are trained at stealth. Yours never stood a chance.”
The person in front of Dulac started talking rapidly in a foreign language and turned around at the same time. It was a woman, and Dulac assumed that she was one of Alam’s harem. She held up the two dolls that Jesse and the nanny had placed in the cribs. He prayed God kept his girls and his mother safe. He had snuck them out of the house and sent them north to St. Francisville. He had an acquaintance there that would hide them for as long as needed.
Alam pushed the muzzle into Dulac’s neck, and while the gun dug into his skin, he tried not to move. Alam’s voice was filled with venom. “Where are they?”
Dulac snorted. “Yeah, I’m going to tell you ... as soon as the Gulf of Mexico turns to fresh water.”
A sharp pain shot through his head as the gun slammed into his skull. He couldn’t help but sink to his knees and bend over. His vision swam, and blood trickled down his collarbone. He fought the nausea rolling over him. He wasn’t allowed to revel in his pain. Alam pulled him to his feet and forced him to turn around. The point of the gun smashed into his cheek, and Dulac remained as still as possible, despite his swimming vision. The cloaked lady bound his hands tightly behind his back.
“I don’t suppose you hav
e a peppermint?” he asked. “I’m feeling a tad woozy.”
“You’re going to feel worse soon,” Alam promised. “Unless you tell me where your daughters are.”
Dulac’s lip curled up into a snarl. “Kill me then, for I’ll die with that secret.”
Alam’s black eyes seemed to get darker. “Many a man has told me just that, but I always seem to convince them otherwise.”
Dulac’s mind flashed back to a memory made long before he met Jesse. He had withstood pirates’ tortures and kept his men safe. He would withstand anything Alam chose to do to him. He would not give up his girls. He smiled as wickedly as he could. “I’m ready when you are.”
Jesse’s form filled the doorway with Alam’s sister right behind her. He saw fear flash across her face but was pleased to see it turn to anger. Her eyes narrowed, yet she kept her mouth shut.
“Yes,” Alam said smoothly. He glanced at Jesse. “I am ready.”
Chapter 31
“I am so glad you chose this plantation.” Alam’s voice was slick as oil. “Its remoteness will allow me the privacy we need to conduct our business.”
Dulac sighed. He was tired of discussing business. He looked at his upturned hands that were tied to the arms of a chair. He wiggled his fingers, feeling awkward and vulnerable with his palms exposed to the world. A rope had been tied around his chest and the chair. He supposed it was to keep him from bucking when they began to torture him. His legs had been tied to the bottom of the chair, and he knew he was about to get the beating of his life. So he steeled himself for the pain and prayed Jesse wasn’t suffering as well.
Alam rifled through the drawers of Dulac’s desk. They were in his office, but everything was locked up in the floor safe. Dulac was more worried about Alam finding his daughters, though, than his fortune. He’d give it all away to keep them safe. “If it’s money you want, I’ll give you all I have to leave us alone.”
Alam kept digging without sparing Dulac even a glance. “I know you would, but I’m not interested in riches. I’m interested in scattering your family to the four corners of the earth, and once I find your daughters, I’ll conduct my own search to find buyers I know will not let any of you go...ever.”
A Pirate's Kiss Page 27