Chapter Twenty-One

Jane awoke nearly two hours after Maura and stretched soundly. Last night's activities came to the forefront of her mind and she grunted satisfactorily. Maria was no longer in her bed but her taste and smell remained with Jane and she felt herself heat up. Grabbing a fist full of blanket, she threw it off her naked body and got out of bed. Her clothes lay discarded around the floor and she left them there as she strode gloriously naked and strong into her en suite. She pumped the handle on the old water pump forcefully until it began to splutter and water gushed out into the bathtub. Maria had left two large cast iron buckets boiling on the fire and another two already heated beside it in the dining room. Jane went to fetch them, her impressive biceps bulging as she took them to empty into her bathtub. The bath was steaming and full by the time she had finished and she took a cigar from a box in her room and lit it before stepping into it and plonking down. Water splashed over the sides and she lent back and took a deep inhale of her cigar before blowing smoke rings high into the air.

"God this be fuckin' good."

She took another drag from her cigar and thought about Maria. Jane had found her a year ago on her travels throughout the Caribbean. Her crew and her had anchored off one of the small village islands and had gone ashore with the intentions to trade with the locals and have a good stiff drink. Jane had been sitting at the bar when Maria had come up beside her, boldly sitting right next to her. Jane had glanced over her in appreciation of her beauty, saw the willingness and lust in her young eyes, and knew the woman was keen for sex. Wordlessly Jane had gotten up and looked over her shoulder at Maria and she followed Jane back to Spiritus. No one else was aboard, Jane took Maria into her luxurious cabin, pushed her onto her bed, and they'd had sex repeatedly until Maria was too sore to walk and fell asleep exhausted. When Maria had woken, Jane was long gone from the cabin and Maria dressed and went to find her staring moodily out over the ocean. She had learned very early on Jane was a woman of few words but that did not bother her at first. She had quietly asked Jane to take her away with her, that there was nothing here on this island for her and Jane had glanced at her for long moments before simply nodding and walking away to round up her crew. Maria had sailed back with Jane and her crew to Jane's island Hermes Isle and had been living there ever since.

Jane put her cigar down and grabbed her soap, dunked her head of messy curls and set about roughly and quickly cleaning herself. She left the soap in the tub and resumed her smoking. They had a relationship based purely on sexual gratification, Maria was there for her when she came back from her travels and Jane knew how to please Maria. That was all Jane was after. She knew every which way to please Maria physically but Maria was not permitted to do the same for Jane. It had been a very long time since Jane had let another woman touch her anywhere intimately. She was the one to take control in every sexual encounter, she would dominate her partner and give freely and copiously to them but when they tried to return the favor Jane would push them away roughly and later on satisfy herself with her own hands. Sex was not an emotional activity for Jane, it had been before, but that seemed a lifetime ago. Jane had sex with women merely to satisfy her need to touch and pleasure them and to be in control of them, to dominate them completely she felt no bond; no connection to the woman she bedded and it was the same for them. However, she did suspect Maria felt a little more for her, she was becoming increasingly frustrated when Jane blocked her attempts to touch her anywhere intimately. Truth be told she was beginning to tire of Maria. She was growing angry at the woman's neediness and her pouting fests when she wasn't able to have her way. But Jane was not one to be controlled in any situation, least of all sex. If Maria did not like that then she was free to leave Jane's bed, she would not try to stop her. She had seen the way Maria had looked at the captive the night before, pure jealousy was plastered across her face and Jane had been disgusted by the petty emotion. She did not belong to Maria. She belonged to no one, least of all the prisoner. Jane did not believe in jealousy, it was a useless emotion; there was no need for it.

She stood up and got out of the bathtub as soapy water ran down the hard planes and angles of her tall body. She dried and dressed in fresh clothes quickly and her mind switched gears to her new captive as she shoved her black leather boots on. She strode into her large kitchen behind the dining room and set about preparing herself a sizable breakfast, she was famished from last night. Jane was going to get Vince, Barry and Frankie together for a meeting to decide what to do with the captive before she got her men together, hung over or not to get a start on repairing and fixing up Orpheus.

J&M

Jane, Vince, Barry and Frankie all sat around a large wooden table on Jane's back veranda sipping hot black coffee. All three of them where clean, fed and ready to help Jane in her decision about Maura, as Jane's decision would ultimately affect all of them. It was mid-morning and the day was already starting to warm up nicely. Jane felt relaxed and placed her long strong legs up on the table, crossing them at the ankles. The men were relaxed in the same posture as Jane, minus the boots on the table, no one but Jane put her boots on her table.

"'Tis good t' be home men," She stated in a laid-back tone.

"Yes 'tis." They all agreed unanimously.

"How be yer buxom beauty an' kids Barry?"

"They be all well, th' boys be havin' grown a lot."

"Aye I shall be havin' t' catch up wi' them."

Barry nodded in agreement before they got down to the business at hand.

"Okay ye be all aware o' th' captive I be havin' wi' me an' th' sizable amount o' wealth both th' lass' an' her father be havin'. They be rich, and she be th' richest lass we be havin' ever kidnapped. Th' decision I will make be nay a light one men, so I would like yer opinions as t' what ye think I ortin' ta do?"

They were all quiet for some time as they considered what their captain had said and Jane watched them leisurely with her hands behind her head. Vince was first to speak up and he stroked his freshly trimmed beard thoughtfully, "I think 't would look good fer us if we be t' keep this lass Maura in good condition. She needs t' be fed well an' clean an' healthy so she dasn't catch any illness or disease. When th' time comes fer ransom, if th' lass' father be seein' she be well looked after he be more grateful t' us." Jane nodded seriously and waited for Barry and Frankie's opinions. Frankie spoke up next.

"I spoke t' th' lass' a wee bit aboard Spiritus," He ignored his sister's dark glare as he spoke, "And she seems rather smart. Maybe if she has some books t' read, or some paintin' or whatere 'tis ladies uh do, then 't could help her stay healthy, ye know like in her head?"

Barry and Vince tried unsuccessfully to hide their mirth at Frankie's choice of words and he glared at them frostily, "Shut up ye two," This only made them chuckle more. Jane however was not so happy. She was angry her brother had tried to engage with her prisoner, but us much as it pained her to admit, her brother did have a point. Instead of telling him this she glared daggers at them all instead.

"Enough th' lot o' ye. Barry what do ye say?"

Barry smiled at an annoyed Frankie before he spoke up, "It jus' so happens I agree wi' ye Frankie e'en if ye canna speak properly, I think she be smart an' will get bored easily. Maybe one o' us can escort th' lass' around th' village an' on walks. If she looked after 't be much in our favor."

"How long be we goin' t' keep th' lass' here on Hermes? I need some time t' plan how t' approach th' lass' father wi' how much we want an' get 't before we give th' lass back."

Again, Vince spoke up, "I think th' longer we keep th' lass' th' better. Her father an' whoereis in her family will think she be gone fer good. 'T will only make them more desperate t' get th' lass' back any way they can once they know she be alive an' well."

Frankie and Barry were in agreement with what Vince said and Jane lent back further and pondered what had been said so far.

"Frankie, Barry I need yer help o'er th' months fixin' up Orpheus an' careenin' both o' them. I dasn't trust Tommy t' keep his dick in his britches around th' lass, an' none o' me men either fer that matter. Vince, that leaves ye t' help th' lass do god knows whatever woman like her do, wi' in reason o' course. I won`t be havin' her takin' o'er th' whole island."

"Aye I can do that Jane."

"Good. Give her some books an' writin' paper, escort her around th' village an' beach but that`s 't. If she wants t' do anythin' else ye need t' come an' ask me. An' nay one an' I mean nay one tells th' lass' anythin' about us, anythin' she can use against us. Ye be nay t' trust her."

Jane did not want the woman around for months but she had to agree what Vince had said, in the end, it would benefit her and her men. She wanted nothing to do with the woman unless absolutely necessary and she was confident Vince along with Maria would be able to look after her until the time came to sail her back to Boston. But unfortunately, for now she would remain on the island for a couple of months at least. Jane was going to be careful and smart about this and take her time to choose the best moment to return the woman; she was not going to blow the opportunity to become considerably wealthier than she currently was. She stood up and began to pace back and forth along the veranda in long strides. The men watched her back and forth a few times before Barry piped up, "So she be here a couple o' months?"

Jane turned to him and stopped pacing, "Aye 't looks as tho she will. 'T seems th' smartest move an' we all agree on 't, even if I dislike th' woman."

They all shared a chuckle and Jane glared at them, "What?"
"'Tis obvious ye dasn't like th' lass." Barry laughed.

"Have I liked any o' th' lasses we be havin' kidnapped?" She glared at all of them.

"That be true Jane but ye seem t' dislike this lass th' most." Barry quipped.

"Well thar`s a first time fer everything." She growled at Barry before walking back to the table and sitting back down.

"She has a fiance, man by th' name o' Garrett Fairfield. He be considerably wealthier then th' both o' them but 'tisn`t wise t' go after th' lad as well. He be much more powerful an' I dasn't want t' risk 't right now; nay when everythin' be goin' smoothly, we stick t' th' Isles family only. This be all right wi' ye all?"

Vince replied to Jane seriously, "Whatereyou say basically goes Jane, we will follow yer lead, right men?" He glanced pointedly at both Barry and Frankie and they nodded their confirmations.

Jane sculled the rest of her warm coffee before making to stand up, "Thank ye. Is thar anythin' else ye knuckle heads would like t' say before I haul yer arses t' work?"

They laughed and finished their coffees before rising also.

"Vince th' lass be up at th' cottage but before ye go thar go an' find Maria an' let her know ye be lookin' after th' prisoner until night. Barry, Frankie yer comin' wi' me t' round up all me hung o'er bastards t' start work."