“I am so happy for you, Annie. I really am. I…I just hope my time comes soon too.”
They were late arriving and when they got there, Luke mockingly gave Annie a lecture.
“Late to your own party? This won’t fly once we’re married!”
“Once we’re married, I won’t have to dress a queen!” Annika retorted. Instantly, a man flew to Luke’s side.
“Did someone say queen?” he asked, delicately, extending a hand toward Annika. Luke rolled his eyes.
“No one was talking about you, Andrew. This is my fiancée, Annie and her friend, Dickie. He’s the queen we meant…this time. Guys, this is my cousin, Andrew.” Dickie shook his hand and Annika noticed an instant spark between the two.
“Let’s go, wife, before they start redecorating our house,” Luke joked.
“That is ignorant and stereotypical!” Dickie yelled after them.
“It’s not our fault you think garden gnomes are cute!” Andrew screamed simultaneously. Howling with laughter, Luke and Annika ducked into the garden and stole away to Louisa’s swing set.
“I love you, Annika,” Luke told her, looking into her eyes with the same affection and adoration he had from the first day he had seen her. “I love you and our son and I will never let you go.”
“Luke, I have something to tell you.” The look of bliss faded from his face. He squeezed her hands.
“You can tell me anything and I will love you. I promise. Always. What is it?”
“I’m pregnant. We’re going to have another baby.”
Plundering Booty
Chloe Martel
Plundering Booty
Copyright 2016 by Chloe Martel
First electronic publication: August 2016
All rights are reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews. The unauthorized reproduction or distribution of this copyrighted work is illegal.
NOTE FROM THE AUTHOR:
This book is a work of fiction. The names, characters, places, and incidents are products of the writer’s imagination or have been used fictitiously and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to person, living or dead, actual events, locale or organizations is entirely coincidental.
Warning: Due to mature subject matter, such as explicit sexual situations and coarse language, this story is not suitable for anyone under the age of 18. All sexually active characters in this work are 18 years of age or older, and all acts of a sexual nature are consensual.
Plundering Booty
Chapter 1
I couldn’t believe it; the day I was going to become Mrs. Escrow was only a few weeks away. Ever since Johnathan proposed to me it was like I was living in a dream. All my life, all I ever wanted was to be a wife. It was, after all, a custom in Sunhaven. Girls grew up to be women, and women became homemakers and wives; to rich men if they were lucky. I was one of those lucky ones. My father, George Conyers, was not only a wealthy man, but the governor of Sunhaven. So, no matter what, it was unlikely for me to marry in to a common house. I was blessed and very grateful for the life I was granted. That wasn’t to say that somewhere deep inside of me longed for adventure, but I considered myself lucky. My family had started out as one of the greatest merchant families in Sunhaven. My father worked hard and built himself a legacy, eventually creating the first trade agreement between Sunhaven and the rest of the civilized world. After a few years of raising more money for Sunhaven than anyone ever born there, he was elected as governor and ever since has held that position. I must admit, life was much more exciting when he was the owner of his own trading vessel. My mother and I were lucky enough to travel with him to certain locations, but I was very young and don’t remember much of the places we visited. Fortunately, finding the love of my life and planning my wedding had seemed to settle that craving for adventure; at least for the time being. Johnathan was everything I could have asked for in a husband. He was sweet and kind. When he looked at me, I could feel his love. He was the prominent owner of his own set of trading vessels, which he promised to take me on as soon as we were wedded. He spoke much of the world and the culture of places I only learned about in school. Places my father had never been brave enough to travel to. Hearing his stories made me even more excited for the day we would be married and he would sweep me off to faraway lands. Just thinking about it now was making my heart beat faster. The two of us hadn’t made love yet, as it was unaccustomed for a young lady to lose her virginity out of wedlock. A few girls I knew, including my best friend Connie, had had sex with many men. She told me stories and while I admit that those stories made my curiosity grow even stronger, Jonathan and I had pledged ourselves to each other and for him I would willingly wait.
“Will that be all, Madame Conyers?”
I had been so lost in thought I forgot that I was ordering flower arrangements for my wedding. The florist smiled at me as I started slightly.
“Forgive me.” I said politely.
“Oh, of course!” The young lady replied. “I understand. I see hundreds of ladies come through here with the same look in their eyes. None as well-known as yourself, of course.”
I smiled lightly at her. I was used to receiving kind words from the people of Sunhaven. Even if not all of them were honest about what they said. I removed the money from my side purse and handed it to the woman. She took it and glanced at the bill for a moment.
“Is everything alright?” I wondered.
The florist looked at the money for one more moment and handed it back to me. I looked at her for a moment, confused as to what the issue was.
“Everything is wonderful.” She replied. “I wish to do something nice for you, Madame. Your father has been very kind to the citizens of Sunhaven. My family has had the ability to make quite a living because of your family. The least I can do is return the favor in the only way I am able… your flowers for your wedding are free.”
“That is very kind of you, but I must insist-
“Nonsense.” The woman replied. “There will be no insisting on your part. I wish to do this for you.”
I looked at the woman for a moment more. Once I knew she was fully serious, the smile that broke my face was impossible to hide. My cheeks grew rosy and I looked down at the counter, barely able to contain my excitement.
“I-I don’t know what to say. Thank you. Thank you so very much! You are a kind and generous woman.”
“It is my pleasure, dearie. Anything to see a magnificent young lady such as yourself smile.”
“I promise; my father will hear of this.”
I left the store, still half expecting to wake up and realize this was all a dream. As I walked out in to the beaming warmth of the sun, I glanced around the Sunhaven market place. Everything was aglow with a beauty I hadn’t seen before. I smiled as I walked past waving vendors. I listened to the children laughing and running, while their parents called after them. I heard the birds cawing above me and the far off sound of the waves crashing against the shore. I breathed in the fresh air and allowed it to fill my lungs with the crisp smell of summer. I still couldn’t believe how wonderful everything was… how wonderful everything was going to be. I had been excited about my wedding before, but after today I was ecstatic. I needed to tell Johnathan the wonderful news!
As I made my way up the sloping path to the Escrow plantation I still had a skip in my step and a happiness in my heart. I waved to and smiled at the plantation workers and farmers as I passed. They nodded and waved back to me, astounded that I was paying them any mind. Usually I made my way shyly onto the plantation, noticing them but never being outgoing enough to say hello. I made my way up to the door and knocked a few times. I waited, but nobody answered. I found this odd, so I knocked a couple more times. After nobody answered this time, I figured I would let myself in. This was my future husbands abode anyhow; I figured he wouldn’t mind. Stepping
inside, I closed the door lightly behind me. Johnathan’s plantation was one of the largest in Sunhaven. His family had owned it for generations, and it was handed down to him from his parents after they were lost in a ship wreck. I hadn’t known Johnathan at this point, I was only a teenager, but word spread quickly. My father and mother attended the funeral, being close friends of the Escrows. Shortly after is when I met Johnathan. My father knew that he would grow up alone, with only servants and butlers to raise him, so he allowed him to spend as much time as he wanted around the Governor’s Mansion. Johnathan learned a lot from my father and eventually became seaworthy enough to take charge of the Sunhaven Trading Company. I didn’t like him at first. He was a snotty kid who would often times pick on me. I told my mother this once and she laughed lightly, telling me that was a younger males way of showing affection. Once I heard this, I began to look at Johnathan a little differently and knew my mother had been right. Johnathan did in fact fancy me. From then on, our relationship began. It was only a matter of time before he confessed his love to me and even shorter of a time before he proposed. I would never forget that moment! He had been away on a trading expedition for a little over two months and I had missed him dearly. He was set to arrive on the Sunday before the last of the month, but instead surprised me by arriving at my door in the middle of the night three days early.
“Oh, how I’ve missed you!” He said as he embraced me.
Soon after he dropped to one knee and spoke about how he never wanted to be apart from me again. He spoke about how he knew he would need to sail on more expeditions, but as long as our souls were tied together, he would never feel alone. My heart melted and my eyes filled with tears as I said yes! That was a few years ago. Now, the time was drawing near and even though I was nervous, I couldn’t wait to become Mrs. Escrow.
“Jonathan?” I called out.
My voice echoed throughout the marble foyer. It was oddly silent. Usually a few butlers were bustling about, but today I could find no sign of life anywhere in the house. I slowly began making my way throughout the bottom floor, stopping in every room I supposed Jonathan would be in. After failing to find him downstairs I began to make my way upstairs. My footsteps echoed off of the marble stairs with each step I took. Once I made my way to the top platform I stopped and listened. I thought I could hear something toward the back of the hallway where Jonathan’s room was. I smiled, thinking about seeing my loves face, and made my way toward his chamber. As I grew closer I could hear the sound of light moaning. This was strange to me. I thought somebody might be in trouble, so I quickened my pace. I opened the door and stood in the doorway, shocked at what my eyes were seeing. Johnathan, the love of my life and my future husband, was having sex with another woman! Not just another woman, but my best friend Connie. Her moans of pleasure stopped as her eyes fell upon me and widened in horror.
“I thought I told all of you to leave!” Johnathan said as he noticed Connie’s eyes fall upon someone at the door.
He must have thought I was one of his servants or something. His eyes also widened in horror as he turned his head and spotted me. He immediately jumped out of bed, his penis still erect. I couldn’t do anything but stare at the both of them. I was in shock. This wasn’t supposed to be happening. This day had been going so well. I was so happy. I was getting married. I was going to be Mrs. Escrow!
“Helena.” Jonathan said as he made his way toward me.
“Don’t!” I said, tears beginning to fill my eyes. I looked at him and Connie both. “How could you?!” I tried to be strong, but my emotions got the best of me.
I broke down and began to uncontrollably cry. I ran from the house. I thought I heard Jonathan calling to me as I fled, but I was so distraught and broken that I couldn’t pay attention to anything. I’m sure people watched me as I passed, crying and sobbing, makeup running down my face. I believe my mother and father were in the dining area when they heard me run inside, slam the door and bawl my way upstairs to my room. I slammed my door shut and locked it. My parents banged on it a few times and I believe my mother even tried to comfort me through the wooden door, but I don’t remember much of what she said. I didn’t know this was possible… to have your entire world ruined by the opening of one door. I was a fool! I should have never trusted Johnathan. How many women had he slept with on his voyages? How many times had him and my “best friend” slept with each other? How long was this going on? Was it my fault because I wanted to wait until marriage? So many thoughts were running through my head and none of them made sense. I was lost and broken. I stayed hidden away in my room for three days straight, crying whenever tears would come to my eyes. I contemplated running away, I really wanted to. I needed to go somewhere I could start over. No one would ever take me on one of their ships without my father’s permission. The kidnapping of the governor’s daughter was punishable by death. Nobody would risk that! I prayed in hopes that an answer would arrive or that something would happen to make this all go away. Just when I thought I was getting better, Johnathan knocked on my door and I heard his voice. That night I cried myself to sleep harder than any time before. It was really over, and deep down, I knew I would never feel the same way about relationships ever again. Then, one night, I awoke to the sounds of cannon fire in the distance. I heard voices shouting and footsteps pounding the pavement outside. I thought I was dreaming, but when I walked to the window I saw a foreign ship, flying a pirate’s flag. It had sailed in to the harbor. I knew my prayers had been answered.
Chapter 2
I snuck out and began making my way toward the harbor. All of the guards had left their posts in order to fight the force that was invading Sunhaven. I almost ran in to my parents, who were watching the attack from the front porch of our mansion. They had banged on my door and demanded that I open it earlier in the night, but I refused and told them to leave me be. My mother pleaded with me, but I told her I was safe inside my room and to leave me alone. She eventually left me alone, reluctantly. Lucky for me, the house was extremely large and I made my way out through the back. The back gate was locked, so I climbed over it. My dress had gotten snagged and I had to tear it, leaving a strand of it flapping in the light summer night breeze.
As I grew closer to the docks, I could see that the streets were flushed with chaos. Buildings were on fire, smoke was billowing in to the sky, cannon fire was exploding all around like fireworks in the silent night sky. Everyone was running away from the pandemonium while I was running toward it. I had yet to see any combat up close, but once I drew within a block of the harbor I watched as pirate and soldier struggled a like. Sunhaven’s cannons were firing back in response to the one lonely ship in the bay. How the ship was still standing I don’t know, but I had always heard of pirates and how crafty and deadly they were. I had heard stories of pirate ships with steel hulls; maybe this was one such ship. As I drew near to the docks I was caught off guard by a crew of soldiers trying to stop the pirates raid. I watched as the pirates massacred the soldiers, some of the pirates dying in the process. The blood was splattered everywhere. I tried to take my eyes off of the carnage, but I couldn’t. I had never seen anyone die in such a gruesome way before. I was standing in an alleyway, watching the blood run from the dead bodies, when I heard one of the pirates.
“Aye! Look what we’ve got here!” He said.
My attention was immediately drawn in the direction of the voice, but it was too late for me to run. They had surrounded me.
“Oi! She is a pretty one, isn’t she?!” One of them said, jabbing at my dress with his sword.
“I’d like to see what is underneath that fancy dress!” Another growled. “Is it as fancy as the dress itself?!” The rest of the gang laughed.
One of the pirates moved in to grab me, but I swatted him away.
“Ooh! Looks like the pussy cats got claws!”
I could tell this man was the leader of the small gang of pirates. He was missing an eye and was wearing a bandana around it to cover the w
ound. His teeth were yellow; the ones that remained anyway. He leaned in to me and I could smell the stench of booze and body odor. I backed away from him, but bumped immediately in to another of his gang members. I hadn’t noticed the man standing behind me, which is shocking considering he was a giant. I almost squealed I was so frightened. He grabbed me around the shoulders and held me tightly. I tried to struggle but his grip was too strong. I thrashed and began to scream and before I knew it the smelly pirate with the missing teeth and eyeball was pointing a sword at my throat. I immediately stopped, feeling my anxiety raise. He looked in to my eyes with his one eye, examining me closely.
“Now it’d be a shame if I had to cut your tongue out of your pretty little mouth before we got to see what you can do with it. Wouldn’t it?”
I remained silent. He looked at me one more time and then grinned maniacally.
“Take her to the boat with the rest of them!” He yelled. “Captain Fox will be pleased with this one.”
I began to get tugged away. I tried to fight it, but the giant man overpowered me. There was no use, I was now a prisoner. This isn’t exactly what I wanted when I prayed for an escape.
By the time we reached the pirate ship I knew there was no point in struggling any longer. My captor had a solid grip on me. The whole time back to the ship, the man remained quiet. I found this odd. While all of the other pirates yelled and cheered in joy over the sound of cannon fire, this man remained absolutely quiet. I glanced up at him one time and he glanced down at me. I could tell that there was sympathy in his eyes. Whether it was imagined or not, I found a sense of comfort in this. As we neared the ship, the moon light allowed me to see how monstrous it really was. I watched as cannon balls splintered wood, hearing the crack as it blew open the sides of the ships; yet somehow, the ship remained afloat. The sails reached in to the sky, the black sails disappearing into the dark night. This ship was four times as large as any Sunhaven owned and twice as large as any man-o-war I had ever seen sail in to Sunhaven Harbor. The pirates could tell I was looking at it in awe and the one with the missing eye spoke.
Romance: Pummel Me: A Boxing Romance Page 75