Page 111 of Paid to the Pirate

“I’m never leaving you again,” I said. I brought his hand to my lips and kissed it. “I want to return to your ship and stay. This time, forever.”

A shadow passed over Colt’s face and he shook his head. After a pause, he said, “We can’t return toThe Dread Night.She’s no longer mine. I gave command to Sedge and we don’t have enough men to take her back.”

Searching Colt’s pained face, I saw the truth in his eyes. A captain who lost his ship lost a part of himself. In my stunned silence, it dawned on me that I had something to do with it. That, somehow, he must have given up his vessel to gain me. Colt had enough men to reclaim me, but not enough to retake his ship.

“She’s gone. As is my gold and any hope for the Crimson Eye. I have…” Colt sighed, “nothing of value. And soon, the rest of your townsfolk will come looking for us and we’ll all be hanged, unless we leave now. But, Charlotte,” he said, releasing my hand to grab my biceps, “I have nowhere to go and nothing to provide for you, nothing but the life of a wanted criminal. Worse. The life of a beggar.”

Colt’s voice slowed and deepened with grief by the end of his speech, and I realized he was confessing. This was Colt’s way of offering me a chance to depart, believing he had nothing to give me but empty pockets and a target on our backs.

I was temporarily speechless. More than saddened that he thought I’d leave his side at this moment, I bristled at the insult.

Who was this man before me who let himself be so easily defeated? Had Colt’s love for me caused him to give up, believing it to be for my benefit?

I’d never known Captain Colt to be the self-sacrificing type. At least, not before. But I now understood that was what he did when he tried returning me to my old settlement. He’d wanted to let me go before I remembered.

Too late, my love. I remember and I will never again forget.

A plan began forming in my mind.

“Captain Colt,” I admonished, and my sharp tone snapped the curious crew to attention. Even Colt dropped his hands from my arms, taken aback.

“You have your sword,” I said.

Miguel, Conks, and Johnson glanced down, wondering why that made any difference against the angry mob that would descend upon us by morning’s light.

“You have your wits. You have your courage,” I continued, lifting my chin. Meeting Colt’s eyes, I concluded, “And you have me.”

I marched to Daniel’s body, sprawled on the sodden grass. “Lucky for all of you,” I said, drawing Daniel’s sword from its sheath and not sparing him a moment’s thought, “I too possess all three assets.” Turning to face the men, I announced, “And I intend to use them to our advantage.”

Colt looked at me with a twinkle in his eye and that faith was just one of the thousand reasons why I loved him. With a grin he prompted, “Tell us what we need to do, Lady Charlotte.”

I met his smile with my own and declared, “Daniel’s men are here, slain. His estate is unguarded as he’s sent away his servants for the evening.”

“You propose we rob him.” Colt said, quickly catching on.

“I propose we reclaim what should be yours, by rights,” I amended. “All of Daniel’s worldly possessions were first gained by your bag o’ bits. I stole it from you and he stole it from me the day I washed ashore. That he used his own abilities to grow that small fortune into a larger one doesn’t change the fact that it began from your coin, and it doesn’t change that fact that you can’t rob a man who forsook all rights to his holdings the night he became a monster. Maybe not in the eyes of the king’s law, but I no longer live by that law,” I pointed out. “I live by a pirate’s law. By yours.”

I am yours,I thought, staring up at Colt’s wickedly handsome wet face.Do you believe me now?

“So what say you, men?” I asked, blinking away the rain from my lashes. “Shall we raid the manor and run?”

Colt looked over his shoulder. Conks, Johnson, and Miguel nodded, drawing their swords. Colt grinned back at me.

“Lead the way.”

I started to walk and abruptly halted.

“Wait!” I said, darting back to Daniel’s corpse and fishing around in his pockets. I retrieved my gold locket and handed it to Colt.

“He tried to steal this too,” I said, turning and brushing aside my slick, stringy hair. “Will you put it back on? I vow never to take it off.”

Colt’s fingers grazed the back of my neck as he fastened the chain. His lips tickled my ear and I heard the smile in his voice as he whispered, “I vow to make you beg for mercy if you do.”

Spinning to face Colt, I threw my arms around him, sealing our vows with a long, hungry kiss.

Epilogue

Charlotte

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