Cutlass Anne

Cutlass Anne - Chapter Twenty

Chapter Twenty

"I have to find Jane."

"Well, you do know you're fucked now, right?"

I nodded, tears sliding down my cheek.

"I'll protect you as much as I can."

"Who are you?" I looked into his kind, ocean-green eyes.

"Christopher Pembrook."

"Pembrook? Of the Charleston . . ."

"Shh. Yes."

"What are you doing on a pirate ship?" I asked, astounded that such a well-educated, wealthy man would become a pirate.

"I'm not in the Navy."

"Obviously," I said.

"I work for the men who are trying to kick the British out of our country."

I pursed my lips and examined his face. "Sneaking on board a pirate ship helps how?"

"Captain John Jacks tends to attack English frigates. When we raid everything, I make sure I take their correspondences. When we land back in the colonies, I send word and someone meets me to pick up what I've collected."

I sat on the floor. Anger began to replace fear. I wanted to kill John Jacks. I wanted to destroy him. Who did he think he was to hold me captive?

"I'll be back with some food and proper clothing so the men don't mistake you for a common pub whore again."

My cheeks started to burn. What was left of the red dress did little to cover me. I wanted to wear a proper gown again. As much as I hated the bodice and heavy material, it would be nice to look like Lady Anne for a bit and not Thomas the cabin boy. Before he left, he pulled a flask from behind his back. The shirt he wore stretched tightly over his muscular chest with each move. He tossed the drink to me and left the room. Fire raged in my belly. I twisted the cap off and sniffed. Apparently the only thing seafaring men drank was liquor. I held my nose and tipped my head back, drinking most of the liquid.

I threw the flask to the ground and looked around John Jacks' room. A large trunk was at the end of his bed. I grabbed one of the candlesticks off his table and knelt down in front of the chest. I brought the candlestick down hard on the lock a few times until it broke. Taking it off, I threw it across the room. I tore out clothes and blankets, strewing them about without a care. Resting beneath was a photo of Flynn, a young girl, and a woman who appeared about my mother's age when she passed away. I grabbed hold of the books and threw them at the door with all my might, each one hitting the door with a thwack and landing with a thud. Every few seconds it was thwack, thud. Thwack, thud.

"Stop with the bloody racket!" someone shouted from the other side of the door.

"Then let me out of this room immediately!" I shouted back, pounding on the door as hard as I could.

"Ha! No chance of that."

I picked up another picture. It was of a smiling John Jacks with the same woman from the first picture. I threw it against a wall and watched as the shattered glass rained to the floor. The door creaked open, and Christopher walked in wide-eyed.

"What happened in here?"

"I want out of here," I demanded.

He put food on the table along with a dress that was deemed appropriate for a governor's daughter. "Well, destroying everything is not going to work."

"We'll see about that." I grabbed a candlestick and threw it at the giant portrait of the captain that rested along one wall. A hole was left in his forehead as the object fell to the floor.

"Anne, I'm on your side," he stressed, rubbing his temples.

"It sure as hell doesn't seem like that!" I shouted at him, hurling the plate of meat at him.

He ducked out of the way, sighed, and locked the door behind him.

"You cannot keep me in here! Let me out!" I screamed, throwing the second candlestick at the door.

"Blasted woman," he shouted back.

I grabbed the dress off the table, ready to tear it to shreds, but decided that something with more hooks, ribbon, and fabric would provide better protection for a woman on a pirate ship. I took the torn red dress off, glancing at the dagger still resting in my garter belt. I traced my fingers along it, deciding if I should take it out now or wait.

"Hmm, I see why all the men in the colonies were disappointed when you became engaged," a velvety, soft voice said behind me.

Gripping the dress to my body, I spun around and faced Captain John Jacks. "It is not polite to intrude on a lady while she is dressing."

"From the looks of my room, you were doing everything but dressing. Was it necessary to destroy the picture of myself and my late wife?"

"Yes," I muttered, pulling the dress on over my head, not caring in the least that he was still staring at me. The cold steel that rested on my inner thigh felt like fire. I wanted to pull it out and shove it into the man's heart.

He stalked toward me, his eyes never leaving mine. He grabbed my hand and stopped me from fastening the rest of my dress. I reached up to smack him in the face, but he grabbed me before I had time to finish what I wanted to do. He shoved me up against the closest wall, holding my hands above my head. His breathing was steady and fast. There was not a trace of anger in his face, only sheer amusement. Mine, on the other hand, I knew were burning. I wanted to set him on fire with my mind.

"You are such an intense woman," he said, his breath brushing my lips as he leaned into me. With his free hand, he picked up and smelled the one curl that rested on my shoulder.

I would not show that man fear; there would be no submission. It was my goal to make his life as difficult and miserable as possible until he was dead. I wriggled around trying to break free, but that just caused him to press his weight into my body. He dropped the loose hair and let his hand travel down my body. He picked up the skirt of the dress and slid his hand between my legs. My breath hitched in my throat and my knees went weak. About halfway up he found what he wanted and my heart sunk. I let my head fall against the wall as he removed the dagger from its hiding place.

"I think I need to have a talk with my men about searching people better when they're brought on board," his wry smile burned into me. He nuzzled my mussed hair and let my skirt fall, "Don't worry. I'm not taking your right now. But with that fire in you, it will be an unforgettable night."