Devil of the High Seas, page 21
“Let me ask you something. Why are you so determined to kill Gavin?” she asked, changing the subject. She wanted to get Beauchamp talking. The more he did, the more she would learn about the danger they were in and how she and Sam might survive it.
“Kill him? I aim to erase him from existence. Him and everything he’s touched.”
“What did he do to earn such enmity?”
Beauchamp slammed a fist down on the table. “Because he betrayed me. He betrayed his crew. And a man like that doesn’t deserve to live.”
Knowing it was risky given his temper, she pressed him further. “How did he betray you and the crew?”
He seemed to calm a little, as if remembering he was playing the part of a host, not a deranged madman.
“He’s been hiding his treasure, keeping more than his fair share, which is against our articles,” Beauchamp said simply.
“What proof do you have of that?” Josephine finished her chicken and then took a sip of the Madeira wine. She was desperately thirsty, but at least her hunger had been appeased. She was already feeling less light-headed.
“A man knows when someone is keeping secrets, and Gavin is full of them. His little toad, Ronnie, was helping him to hide how much gold we collected from the prize ships.”
“Ronnie? How so?”
“The quartermaster on any ship is in charge of counting the money, ain’t he? What better way to steal from the rest of us? The pair of them, working together, hiding everything,” Beauchamp sneered. “He took us all for fools.”
Josephine glimpsed a touch of gold madness in someone’s eyes for perhaps the first time in her life. Beauchamp was mad with delusions about treasure. Perhaps she could use that to her advantage.
She pushed her empty plate away. “I would like to see Sam now.”
“No,” Beauchamp replied without emotion.
“Please.” She gritted out the word as politely as she could.
“No,” he replied again, sipping his wine.
“Why not?” Josephine curled her hands into fists underneath the table.
“Because you haven’t earned any privileges. We have three days till we reach the Black Isle. I’m sure in that time you can find a way to tempt me into letting you see the boy.”
He stood and walked around the table toward her. She was on her feet in an instant, backing away from him. He stalked her like prey. She searched the room for anything that could be used to hold him at bay and grabbed the chair she’d been sitting on. But the moment she raised it, her wounded arm seared with pain. She cried out, and the chair clattered to the deck.
Beauchamp lunged and grabbed her by the throat, slamming her back against the cabin wall. He stared at her mouth, then down her body at her breasts, his icy gaze burning through her as she tried to pry his hands off her.
“What makes you special, eh? You’re no different than any other woman who spreads her legs for a man. Has he convinced himself he’s in love with you?” Beauchamp laughed. “If you’re so important to him, perhaps I ought to carve your heart out and give it to him when he comes after you.” He tilted his head, as if considering the violent threat. “Or perhaps when he gives himself up to save you, I’ll rape and torture you in front of him unless he tells me where the gold is.”
“If you harm me, you will lose out on a mountain of gold.” Josephine gasped for breath as she still struggled to escape his chokehold.
“Gavin’s gold? I will have that soon enough.”
“You fool . . . Gavin has no gold. All that he had he spent on his home and the homes on that island you took me from. You asked why I was special? My father is a wealthy earl. My elder brother is a wealthy man in his own right. And the man Gavin stole me from who I was supposed to marry is also wealthy. They are all chasing Gavin to find me and will pay mightily to have me safely returned to them. But they won’t pay for a violated or dead woman.”
His fingers tightened on her throat again. “How do I know you aren’t lying?”
“I have no reason to lie. How do you think that Gavin managed to chase you so quickly after you mutinied and forced him from his own ship? He stole one of my brother’s vessels and a crew. My family has money. He kidnapped me and took that ship, knowing he could ransom me as well as the ship’s return to my family.” She had to think fast and pray Beauchamp would believe her tale.
“Let me and the boy go unharmed and you will be able to collect a king’s ransom for us.”
Beauchamp considered this, then released her. She rubbed her throat, trying to recover her breath.
“A king’s ransom,” he murmured, greed glowing in his eyes. He turned toward her and struck her hard across the face before she could react. She stumbled, colliding with the table, but didn’t fall.
“You’re a strong one, aren’t you?” he muttered, then bellowed for Billy to come in.
“Take the girl to the hold and toss her in the cell with the boy. She is not to be touched by you or any of the crew. I will hear of it if she is harmed. She is worth a fortune in trade, and you and the others can have every whore in Sugar Cove with the money we’ll get for her.”
Billy narrowed his eyes at Josephine. He grunted and grabbed her by the hair, dragging her out of the captain’s cabin. She stumbled behind him as he forced her down the corridor. The man clearly had an unusual definition of harm.
They reached the hold, and she saw Sam in a cell behind iron bars. He watched with wide, terrified eyes as the pirate shoved her into his cell. Her scalp screamed at having her hair pulled, but she didn’t make a sound until she and Sam were alone.
“Are you all right?” she asked the child.
“Y—yes,” the boy said, his lips quivering.
“My brave Sam. Come here.” She held out her uninjured arm, and the boy cuddled up to her like a frightened puppy. He would never admit to being afraid, but she would still comfort him as best she could.
“Are we going to die?” he asked in a small voice.
She squeezed his shoulders. “Do you think Gavin would allow that to happen?”
“No,” Sam snorted confidently. “He’ll kill these bloody pirates.”
“Yes, he will. He’ll come for us. We just have to keep calm.”
Sam let out a shaky sigh. “I’m glad you’re here, Josie.”
“Me too, Sam. Me too.” She stroked his hair and held him in the darkness of the hold. She had bought them some time, but she wasn’t sure how long she could keep Beauchamp and his men at bay.
Gavin . . . Hurry . . .
CHAPTER 16
The Black Isle was three days away, and every minute of that short voyage was torture for Gavin. He barely slept or ate and snapped at anyone who dared question him. He had but one driving purpose that kept him on his feet. He had to save Josephine and Sam. It was his fault they were in danger.
All of the women who had traveled from England on the Sea Serpent had chosen to remain on the Isle of Song, except for Brianna who needed to be ready to captain the Serpent if they encountered danger. No one could match her in quick wit and sailing ability and that would be important if they faced Beauchamp in a sea battle. Gavin had felt a twist in his gut as he’d watched her kiss the forehead of her sleeping infant son as she said goodbye. There was every chance she and Nicholas would perish in the coming fight, and that thought churned through Gavin with a ferocity he’d never experienced, not before he’d met Josephine. He kept thinking of the possibility of children with her and the thought of their baby alone in the world chilled him to the core of his soul.
Adrian had remained behind on the island as well, and had been given command of the Pixie and a decent crew to sail the ship. Griffin had expected Dominic to stay behind, but when the man had pulled him aside, he’d said that he was needed every man able to fight that they could spare. Adrian and the Pixie’s crew he’d been given would provide everyone on the island a means of escape should they be attacked again. Gavin knew all of this heartbreak, all of the danger was because of him and choices he’d made.
“Gavin.”
He jerked at the sound of his brother’s voice, then glanced at Griffin as he stepped up next to him and caught his arm.
“Is that it?” Griffin asked, pointing toward the mist-shrouded island that slowly materialized on the horizon.
The twist in his gut tightened. “Yes,” he growled.
Another man might flinch, but his brother merely tightened his hold on his arm. “We will save them both. But,” he continued, a dip in his voice, “if you aren’t careful, you could get them or yourself killed.”
Griffin’s care infiltrated Gavin’s skin, sinking beneath his bones to awaken some of the affection he’d long buried.
“That’s what this Beauchamp fellow wants, isn’t it? He wants you to react rashly.” Griffin continued, each word deliberate and measured. “If you are unbalanced, it will give him an advantage we cannot afford.”
“We will save Josephine and Sam. But if you aren’t careful, you could get them killed, or yourself killed. That’s what this Beauchamp fellow wants. If you are unbalanced, he has the advantage.”
Griffin was right. Gavin drew in a deep breath and stared at the distant shape of the dark island. The skies were black and the scent of approaching storms filled the air. Whatever sea winds swept across this part of the ocean also stirred up frequent storms around the Black Isle. Soon a blanket of mist would shroud their ship just as it cloaked the island. Dominic and Lord Camden joined them at the railing.
“What’s our plan when we reach the island?” Dominic asked. “You know Beauchamp better than any of us.”
Gavin continued to stare at the isle. “Brianna and Nicholas need to keep most of the crew here. If we need to beat a hasty retreat, I want the Serpent ready to sail.”
“Fair enough,” Dominic agreed. “And the rest of us?”
“We hunt Beauchamp and his men down and kill every last one of them. No mercy,” Gavin said, his voice hard enough that it hid his fear for Josephine and Sam.
As the Serpent sailed into the mist and drew closer to the pirate haven that also housed the Brethren’s shadow court, a hush descended on the Serpent’s crew. Orders were given as hastily and quietly as possible. Each creak of wood, every splashing wave could signal their arrival to their enemies. When they entered the cove, they glimpsed only one ship floating there. His ship. But seeing the Siren didn’t bring a rush of joy with it. It was too still, too eerily quiet in the pale, cold sunlight that bathed the Black Isle when the mists cleared. Three other ships in the cove had been sunk, their wreckage nearly swallowed by the sea. Only the tips of their masts stuck up from the water.
“I’ve never been to a pirate haven before, but I imagine those ships shouldn’t be sunk like that, should they?” Griffin asked.
Gavin stared at the remnants of the ships. There was no sign of dead bodies or the crews that would have been left to tend to the ships while the others were ashore. What the devil had Beauchamp done? Had he sailed into the harbor and opened fire on the ships docked here? That was what it looked like.
“No, they shouldn’t be. Someone attacked these ships.”
The Siren appeared entirely devoid of life, which meant Beauchamp and his men were somewhere on the island . . . possibly lying in wait.
“Send a small armed crew to the Siren. Search it for men.”
Lord Camden scowled. “Do you think they want to draw us into a trap?”
“Most likely,” Gavin said. He checked his pair of pistols and the sharp blade that was tucked through the belt around his waist. “Be ready.”
As the landing party boarded the longboat, Gavin pulled Brianna aside. Her sharp eyes saw straight into his soul, the way they always had. The years between them and their friendship had created trust and had been transformed into an understanding between peers.
“Be ready,” he whispered. “I don’t trust any of this.”
“Aye, we will be.” Brianna nodded solemnly, a fierceness to the tilt of her chin. “Gavin,” she added as he turned away from her. Her eyes softened on his face, and then she pressed a kiss to his cheek. It was a soft, quick kiss between old friends. “Be safe. Bring Josephine back.”
It made him so very grateful to have these people who were willing to risk their lives and their families for the sake of the woman he loved and a small boy.
“You risked everything to be here, to help me, but if something goes wrong, you and Nicholas must leave the island. Your son needs you.” He held on to her shoulders, his gaze locked to hers.
She swallowed hard and nodded, pulling herself away from him.
“Thank you.” The words came out ragged as he fought off another wave of emotion.
“Go. Save Josie and the boy,” Brianna urged and returned to the helm to take charge of her ship. Nicholas gave Gavin a nod of silent farewell before Gavin jumped in the longboat as it was lowered into the water.
They wrapped cloth around the oarlocks to muffle the sound of their rowing as much as possible. Everyone almost held their breath and tried to soften their grunts as they rowed. Damp cool air settled around them, addinf to the nervousness each man felt the closer they got to shore. Once they reached land and stepped onto the beach, they kept a wary eye out for Beauchamp and his men. The heavy jungle that covered much of the island was unusually silent. No calls of birds, no howling monkeys. The island felt . . . dead, and a chill raked down Gavin’s spine. No one said anything as they used their blades to hack their way through the underbrush to reach the heart of the island.
At the center of the Black Isle two rows of houses formed a small street where the pirates gathered during the large meetings of the captains, or where pirate crews came to rest between long voyages. But now the little village was silent. There were no pirates celebrating the capture of their latest prizes. The small group of men and women who lived permanently on this island were nowhere to be seen. The tavern workers, the innkeepers, even the prostitutes who dwelled here were absent.
“Something isn’t right. This island shouldn’t be . . . empty. There were at least three ships sunk in the cove. Where the devil are the crews for those vessels?” Dominic muttered and glanced at Gavin, who shrugged. He didn’t know the answer either.
“Perhaps they are hiding? Check the tavern,” Gavin suggested.
Dominic crept up to the tavern door and eased it open. He halted abruptly, his body going very still. Then he slowly backed away from the open door, his face pale as he turned toward the group. Gavin had never seen his friend so shaken before.
“I found the villagers . . . and most of the crews from those ships. They’re scattered all over the tavern. Even the children . . .” He choked hollowly on the last word.
“Children?” the vicar, Henry Sheridan, repeated, his look of horror making everyone else flinch.
The children . . . there were always a few children running about the island, usually the offspring of pirates and prostitutes and the occasional lad wanting to become a powder monkey on a ship. They’d always been safe here, looked after by the townsfolk . . . A metallic taste filled Gavin’s mouth, and his stomach clenched as he fought off the need to empty his stomach.
Lord Camden opened the door to an inn across the street and slowly backed up. Just beyond him, Gavin glimpsed bloody corpses strewn all over the floor inside the dwelling.
“I believe these are more of the missing sailors from those ships,” Camden said quietly. Then he closed the door and turned away from the house of death. Beauchamp had broken the rules of this island. He’d broken every code the Brethren had made together.
When Gavin recovered himself, he exchanged a look with his twin. “If we find them, you help get Josie and the boy out. Kill anyone who stands in your way, but Beauchamp is mine.”
They moved beyond the little village that had been so clouded with death and worked their way to the towering cliffs at the far side of the island. As they reached the thinning boundary of the jungle, Gavin spied exactly what he’d feared.
A dozen pirates waited for them at the edge of the cliff. One man held Sam by the throat, pointing the muzzle of a gun at the boy’s head. None of the men were Beauchamp, however, and there was no sign of Josephine. A black pit formed in his gut. Why wasn’t she here, and where was the bastard who’d taken her?
Gavin held up a hand, signaling his party to halt before they left the cover of the jungle and exposed their location to the pirates.
“Where’s Josephine?” Griffin asked in a whisper.
“I don’t know. Everyone, be ready. I’ll go out first. The rest of you remain hidden.” Gavin left the shelter of the trees. The moment he emerged into view, the men by the cliff tensed and faced him.
“Well, well, if it isn’t our old cap’n,” the man holding the gun sneered. “You just cost me a small wager with the new cap’n. I thought you’d have been smart and stayed home.”
“Sorry to disappoint you, Blackspot.” The man’s nickname came from his reputation of delivering black spots to doomed men. Gavin had never liked the man, but Beauchamp had vouched for him when he’d first signed Gavin’s charter. It wasn’t always easy to get the crew you wanted, and often captains were forced to make do with whoever they could find. Gavin now saw that Beauchamp had taken advantage of that fact and filled the ranks of Gavin’s crew with men who could easily be turned against him.
“Where’s my wife, Blackspot?” Gavin demanded.
“Ah-ah! Not one step closer, cap’n. We wouldn’t want anything to happen to the boy here, would we?”
Sam struggled, hands bound behind his back, face marred with bruises. Gavin tightened his hold on his pistol.
Blackspot nodded his head at Gavin’s belt. “Lay your weapons down. All of them.”
Gavin hesitated for a second before he crouched, dropped two pistols and his sword to the ground, then stood back.
“I’ve done what you asked. Release the boy.”
