“
Mmmmm
.”
She checks my temp and frowns.
“High fever, really high.
You aren’t cold?”
“A little.”
“Ok, take some pain killers and this mixture for your chest. Then sleep, sleep, sleep…”
“What no sex?”
Mack chokes and Jax snorts.
“That is what I call revenge.” I smile, weakly.
“Bad girl.”
Jax grins.
“I think I may have had a heart attack.” Mack mutters.
“Good, serves you right you old fool.”
Sam laughs now. “Old fool, I suppose he is, isn’t he?”
“He might look young, but he is really just old and decrepit.”
Mack laughs. “Charming women you lot.”
“I would like if you had a cool shower.” Margy says, still fluttering around like the nurse she is.
“Only if my husband takes me.”
I sigh, putting my hand on my head with a fake whine.
“Yeah, not going to happen.”
Jax says, stepping back.
“Bad husband.”
I chastise.
“Definitely.”
Margy agrees.
“Go easy, he is just a man.” Mack defends him.
“A sexy man.”
I purr.
“There goes my heart again.”
I laugh and then begin coughing wildly.
“Oh, that is a nasty one.” Margy says, serious now.
“Yeah, that sounds bad.” Jax agrees, concerned.
“I’m fine.” I whisper between coughs.
Mack puts his hand on my head and I slap it away.
“Now
now
, stop doing that. You are really hot, a cool shower…now.”
“Come on honey, I will help.” Sam offers.
“I got it, thanks.” I murmur, standing and dragging my weary body towards the shower.
I shower, and then sleep some more. When evening comes around, I am alone once more and decide to go and see what everyone is up to. I don’t want to lie in bed; half an hour out won't hurt. I stand and groan, then tuck my dagger into my belt. I plod across deck, and a familiar sense of De
ja
vu hits me, I peer over the side of the ship. You are being stupid. Calm down.
The feeling is there though, heavy, warning me.
I peer over one side of the ship again, it is dark,
it
is fine. Then, I hear the thump of boots. I spin around and see Ben, standing and grinning at me. My blood runs cold. My mind is throbbing and I can’t think. What do I do? I turn to run, but he holds a gun up. Keep calm, keep cool,
let
him believe you are not afraid.
“What the hell do you want Ben?”
“Aw, now that isn’t nice. Speak to me nicely, go on.” He urges, shoving the gun up higher to aim better…at my head.
“Go to hell.”
“You really do have bad manners don’t you? Didn’t your mother teach you better, oh wait, she is dead.
Bad me.”
I tremble and rage flares through me.
“I will kill you for that, I swear to God, you piece of shit.”
“Hmmm, yes but…who has the gun in this situation?”
“How tough of you, hiding behind your gun.”
“Your taunts won’t work little princess, now be nice and call your Captain for me.”
“We are all immortal
now
, you won’t get anywhere.
You are signing your death warrant.
”
“Bullshit.”
He grins.
As if to test my theory, he aims the gun down and shoots my leg, I scream.
Dammit
, why did I throw that one out there? When the wound doesn’t heal, he laughs, loud and boisterous.
“Stupid girl, now why did you do that?”
“You will die, they will kill you.”
I hiss.
“Not when I am holding a gun to your head they won’t.”
Before I can think, he has my body slammed against his. I kick and squirm but the pain in my leg is far too intense. He presses the gun to my temple.
As if on cue, Jax and the crew come roaring up the stairs, guns drawn. They stop dead when they see Ben with me. He is leaning against the railing, so they can’t surprise an attack on him from behind.
“How the fuck did you get here?” Jax asks, calm and scary.
“You are stupid aren’t you? I knew you would fall for it, knew you would believe I was on shore. I disabled your stupid radar system when you stopped in Russia you idiotic pirate.
Didn’t even know.
I came onto your ship when it was parked up and could have planted a bomb and you wouldn’t have known.”
I can see in Jax’s face, that he is shocked.
“Let her go, and you can have the
Damn
treasure.”
“No son, it won't work like that.”
My eyes meet Jack
’
s, then Mack’s and both men are terrified, I can see it. The entire
crew are
standing, guns cocked, one shot and he would be down.
“If any one of you even
flinch
, I will send this gun off, and if you manage to get me, my crew will finish the job, they are all aiming for her.”
I am trembling, and I can’t think. My head is pounding. I remember my dagger, and for a moment, I wonder if I can get it out of my pants. If I move really slowly, Ben won't notice. His hands are around the top half of my body.
One around my neck, the other holding a gun to my head.
“Let her go.”
“Hand over the treasure, and I will let her go.”
“Bullshit.”
Jax growls.
“I will, just hand it over.”
“You let her go first.”
“Really?
You are going to risk your wife for that treasure? I thought you loved her more than that.”
I am staring at Jax, my eyes are pleading with him to look at me. He will know what I am doing if he looks. I slowly inch my hand up, so slowly it is nerve racking. Jax finally clues on and keeps talking.
“Fine, I hand it to you and someone takes her at the same time.”
“Then your crew will blow my brains out, I am not stupid.”
“Likely.”
“Here’s how it will go. I am going to take her back onto my ship, when the treasure is tossed over, I will throw her over.”
“Over my dead, fucking body.”
Jax growls.
“Then it seems we can’t come to an agreement.”
He clicks his gun and I panic. Mack steps forward and someone shoots, hitting him in the leg.
He roars in pain and drops to the ground.
“Stop!”
I scream.
Ben presses the gun so hard into my temple, it burns.
“Three seconds pirate, or I blow her brains all over your ship, and you get to clean them up.”
Jax is panicking, I can see it. I have seconds, if that.
“One.”
I inch my hand up higher.
“Two.”
I pull the dagger from my shorts and plunge it backwards; Ben roars and stumbles, dropping his gun. I turn and
fall on top of
him,
the first shot hit him in the gut. I raise the knife and my hand trembles, I can hear shooting around me, seconds and I am dead. It is only the fact that I am on the
floor, that
I am not already. I can do it, I have to.
“Can’t do it, weak as shit,” Ben rasps.
“Couldn’t do it to save yourself, or your mother.
You should have seen her face when I shot her, poor woman screamed like a…”
I
plung
the knife, right into his heart.
His sickening scream echoes across the water.
“That is for me.”
I plunge again.
“That is for my husband.”
I plunge once more.
“And that is for my mom.”
His face goes blue, and he gurgles, then his e
yes close.
Gunshot explode
around
us, and
Jax is by my side in seconds.
“Don’t move.”
I hear crazy
shooting,
I can feel Ben’s warm blood trickling over to me. The thought repulses me, and I swallow over and over to try and stop the vomit coming up. I hear the sounds of death all around me, and it sickens me. I feel the ship rock as the
crew shoot
cannons.
“Take it
down,
I want no survivor’s men. This ends now.”
The battle rages on, and on. Ben’s crew don’t leave their ship, they know they have no hope of beating an immortal crew. Jax and his crew decide to swing over. I hear men jumping to save themselves, and I peer out the little cannon hole to see violence I never wish to see again. I look back down and focus on breathing. Just breathe.
“Come on.”
I look over and see Mack, his leg is bleeding, but he has managed to make it over to me.
“We need to go.”
He grips me in his arms, and even though he is hobbling, he rushes me downstairs. I can hear the bloody cries of death above, and I cover my ears.
“Mack, oh, what happened?” Sam cries when we enter her room.
“Shot.
Jade is in shock.”
Margy takes me and lies me down, Sam tends to Mack. It seems like hours before I hear the loud boom. We all rush to the window and see Ben’s ship exploding into the air. I gasp and cover my mouth.
“Well shit, they
ain’t
coming back.” Mack mutters.
A moment later, Jax rushes down and into the room. He is panting, bloody and sweating. I know the blood isn’t his.
“You ok?”
“I am ok.” I say, hugging him close, even
through
all the blood.
“It’s over.” He whispers, kissing me furiously.
“Over, all over?”
“All over baby, it’s finished. You did it, I am so proud of you.”
I melt into him, it’s over,
finally
it is all over. I crumble into Jax’s arms, unable to express the relief I feel.
CHAPTER 16
“Order up.”
I turn and see Jax slide a drink down the bar. He looks natural doing it, aside from being a pirate, he is made for this. I sit on a chair, staring at my husband work. He decided to come back for a while and let things settle, deciding to run the bar again for a while before we decided where we wanted to live.
I have sat with him night after night, watching him fend off women with a proud flick of his wedding ring in their faces. He really has turned a corner.
“
A drink please
sir.” I grin.
“Anything for a pretty lady.”
He pours me a drink and hands it over, then leans over the bar and grins at me.
“You know
Watts,
we are right back where we started.”
“So we are. Listen, I have been thinking…I have decided to hand my ship over to Maddox.”
I gasp and reel back, I didn’t see that coming. “What?”
“I know I said a while back, that being a pirate was part of me and it is, but after seeing you in yet
another pirates grips
, I realized it isn’t what I want. I miss my daughter, my wife and being just a man. I have been a pirate, and I will go back out from time to time with the men but…I am done.”
“You are giving it up?” I whisper, shocked.
“Yeah, I am giving it up. I am going to buy a bar, and I am going to run it. I am going to be a dad, and pick my daughter up from school and watch her concerts. I am going to be a husband and kiss my wife each night I go to work and make crazy love to her through the day.”
I smile. “And you will be happy with that?”
“
Damn
happy.”
“Are you sure?”
“Jade, I have never been
more sure
about anything in my life. I made the decision the night you stood with a gun to your
head,
it hit me hard and fast, and made it so clear for me. He could have killed you, then and there, I couldn’t live with that.”
“Why Maddox?
Won’t Rusty want the ship?”
“I asked him, he doesn’t want to be Captain. Maddox is young, he is strong and he fits.”
“You are really giving it all up, for us?”
“Yeah, I really am.”
I feel tears prick my eyes. “Jax, I don’t know what to say.”
“I have one more thing.”
“Oh?”
“I touched the treasure.”
I blink. “You did?”
“Yep, I want to grow old with you, like a normal person. I don’t need immortality, I don’t want it. You don’t want another gift and I accept that, so I gave it up.”