Treasures, Romance & in Between

 Chapter 1

            "Move men, push harder!" Riley told the men among his ship. The wind was blowing against them rain and water from the sea were thrashing against his ship and his crew but he pushed them to keep moving. This was something his men and him were used to however every time this happened his ship was damaged even more. There were more holes and chips than he could count but she stayed strong through every blow she was hit with. Finally it was over the storm had gone as fast as it came. His men all gave a sigh and slouched down where they were.

            "Ay men rest easy now for tomorrow we will have a long day, treasure will be found."

            "Ay!" His men said in unison.

            Once they reached port somewhere in Mexico the whole crew went to the cantina where there was beer and women for his men. Riley however just stayed on his boat and relaxed, normally he would join his men and have a harlot for the night but today his ship was in pretty bad shape he wasn't sure how long she was going to last. It's time to for a new one he thought, he's had this ship for about a good five years, longer than any other boat he's had so far. A good ship is a good crew. They feared him but respected him and he was proud of that otherwise he would have no command. However finding a good ship is a challenge but he loved a good challenge, if there weren't any challenge where would the fun in that be after all, he thought.

            "Captain!" Someone yelled. He looked to find it was one of his men running towards him. "It's him again, that bastard Hortario he's stirring up a battle in there, the man needs to get a hold of his alcohol, not the alcohol on him."   

            Hortario was a mean brute when he was drunk he always seemed to get into fights every bar we came into, blood would be spilt and the bar damaged, that's how usually they left their mark on a place, Hortario would start and his crew would finish it, his crew stood up for each other, however they had their own few tussles often. Not tonight, no bled will be shed Riley thought. He got and began to walk to the bar, as soon as he got there, someone was thrown out from the door and it was Hortario.

            "And don't come back you drunken bastard, try messing up my bar and you can kiss those cojones you call your manhood goodbye. You don't deserve them. I'm warning you! Pinche borracho." Surprised it was a woman's voice and at that a woman who threw him out, Riley let out a chuckle. It was too dark to see who the woman that kicked Hortario out was but she had guts and was strong. He went to Hortario he was slurring out a string of curses and threw up on himself and finally passed out.

            "Who do you think did that, it was a woman that be no doubt but what woman could do that?" The young lad asked whose name was Lawrence.

            "I don't know lad but I'm going to find out." Riley answered before walking into the cantina, leaving Hortario where he was.

            When he entered, it was dim and he heard laughter throughout the room, he saw his crew throughout the place with a woman on their lap, there was a small band in the corner playing music and some dancing to it, everything appeared to be in order he thought usually by now his men had already destroyed the place. He was surprised a woman did this not a man although usually the owner of the bar was the first to hit the floor. What happened? He went to one of his men was all over a whore and demanded “Who kicked Hortario out”

            The drunk lad eyes went wide as soon as he saw his captain and pointed to the woman behind the bar pouring a shot of tequila and drank it straight with no chaser. She was a beauty, her hair was black and curly and long to her mid back, her body was voluptuous, her hips were round and an ass to go with it. She had perfect breast that could fit in his hand. Her skin was of caramel and as black as night and her lips were luscious. This woman was a force to be reckoned with. He began to walk towards her, hypnotized. She looks towards him “Que miras eh?”

            He composes himself “Are you the woman who kicked Hortario out of the bar” he demanded

            She looks at him “Si, I kicked him out, the bastard tried to grope me, so le di unas buenas cachetadas y le pegue con una botella. Then he tried to mess up my bar by starting a fight with another man so I kicked him out.” He stares at her, she had a Spanish accent, he couldn’t tear his eyes from that mouth. “Y tu, quien eres? She asks him.

            “I’m the captain of the crew you are serving and the man you happened to kick out was one of them I’m impressed. By this time they would have torn this place apart.” He says.

            “Oh no, I wasn’t going to let that happen captain, I deal with men como ese marano todo los dias, he was no challenge for me.” She’s smug and proud of herself. She smirks at him. “So do you want something to drink or are you just going to stand there” she looks him up and down.

            “I’ll have beer.” He replies.

            “Coming right up captain” she says it with sarcasm in her voice. Oh yes a force to be reckoned with indeed.

            “Here.” She gives him the drink.

            “Have one with me.” He tells her.

            She raises her eyebrow at him and then pours herself a shot. “Cheers.”  They clink glasses.

            “I’m impressed, you took out one of the meanest drunks I know.”

            She smiles. “I eat men like him for breakfast captain.” She looks at him “So does captain have a name?”

            He smiles back “Ay, Riley and yours?”

            “Luna Esmeralda.” She sticks out her hand to him and shakes it.

            “How did a woman like you get to own a bar?” He asks her.

            “It wasn’t my bar it was my fathers but my father disappeared a few years ago.” As she says this her voice cracks a little but there’s anger behind it he noticed. She composes herself “so I took over. What about you? What are you doing here in this part of the world eh?”

            “As any other pirates, we are in search for gold!” he turns to crew when he says gold and they all in unison reply “Ay!”