A/N: Big things happening! There is no turning back... how are things gonna end up? :) xx Mariah
Thunder clapped overhead as they made it to the port, the crew moving quickly to moor the ship to the docks as rain pelted down. Melinda breathed a sigh of relief when Daniel informed them that they were secure, knowing they didn't have to worry about the ship. Despite Jim's reassurances, the vision that had been delivered in her dream still haunted her, even in the week it took them to arrive at the port.
She glanced over at her husband, who was completely soaked, seeing his worry etched on his face. "What now?" she asked.
He released a heavy breath. "We take cover. It won't be as bad on the ship, since we're now secured to the dock, but we can always find somewhere in town."
She saw the wary look he cast towards the bustling ship port, knowing full well he didn't want to be there and decided against it. "We'll stay here for now," she told him. "You just said it, we're secure, and we can keep an eye out this way to make sure nothing happens."
He looked at her, clearly accepting her reasoning. He nodded. "Yeah."
They went down below into their cabin after the crew dispersed, some retreating below deck while others fled toward the town to seek drink, all wanting to take cover from the storm.
Melinda removed her cloak, shaking out her hair around her as she took a towel to her hair, trying to rid it of the water that was clinging to it. The cold permeated through her thin dress, making her wish to grab one of the blankets from the bed and bundle up with it. She did just that, drawing her feet beneath her as she chaffed her arms, trying to fight the cold.
Glancing up, she saw that Jim's coat had protected much of his body from the dampness, only his head and legs subject to the cold rain. He looked back down at her, a defeated look in his eyes. "Well, this storm is going to last us for a while," he told her.
She nodded. "So now what?"
"We wait," he replied.
Rising, she waved him towards her. "Fine, but come lay with me." She said and when he settled beside her, wrapped the blankets around them.
"Bloody hell. You're freezing," he murmured, drawing his arms around her to hold her close to him, trying to warm her.
"Yeah, it's cold and raining outside," she said in an obvious tone, teasing.
"You know," he replied, looking at her and raising an eyebrow suggestively, "there are other ways to warm you up."
She responded by smacking his chest, earning a chuckle from him, but then pulled his lips down to hers. That certainly was a bright idea on his part.
Melinda hummed sleepily, the feel of a warm, calloused hand slipping along the length of her thigh rousing her slowly. At some point she'd wrapped herself around Jim in her sleep, one hand tucked under her where her head had decided his chest would suffice as a pillow, her other arm and her leg thrown across his body, palm flat against his ribs, leg stretched across his waist. She smiled, eyes blinking open, her hand now creeping across his chest to trace the raised skin of each scar he had.
His hand did not cease its activity, his palm stroking ever more lengthy circuits from the back of her knee to the highest point of her upper thigh. She wanted to squirm after a few moments, the sensation too firm to be ticklish and too soft to be demanding, but it would take a mere shift of her hips to push herself against him, to grind the growing wetness his touch seemed constantly capable of creating against his hip.
It would be easy to seize on this sleepy haze of desire and quickly let it grow into something fast and burning and consuming again, but Melinda would exercise patience this morning.
Her husband was certainly something that could be enjoyed quickly, and often. And she had done both throughout their marriage, discovering that below his quiet, somber exterior was a man whose appetite matched her own, his need for her the same constant pulse beneath his skin as hers was for him. But in moments like this, when things were quiet, she had found it equally satisfying to take her time, to feel every plane and muscle and tendon of him, to savor the beautiful precise rightness of his skin against hers, the achingly slow drag and thrust of him inside her when they took their time.
Jim seemed to have, in a short time, grown very proficient in the language of her, cataloging each moan and keen and cry and whimper, each arch and press and slide of her skin, knowing when to give her more, or less, when she wanted him faster, or harder, or when to linger and draw out his ministrations without a single word required. It was remarkable to be so known, so intimately familiar with someone in this way, realizing she had acquired the same knowledge of him.
He was a bit shy about asking for what he wanted, but it had become obvious to her now, almost a reflex to see the look in his eyes, or the flex of his hips, to hear her name panted against his skin or groaned so slowly it seemed to hang in the air around them for ages; she could hear and see in all these things what he wanted from her, and it was easy to give him any of it, all of it.
"Did I wake you?" He asked.
Melinda might have looked up, then, at his rough whisper, but instead, she shifted her eyes down, to where her thigh was still draped across his abdomen under the blankets. She pressed her lips to the muscle beneath her cheek, smiling against his skin as she slid her leg lower, just enough to brush against the insistent hardness of him and hearing his breath catch slightly.
"I certainly hope you meant to," she replied and felt the small laugh before she heard it, his chest shaking beneath her.
His hand stilled its motions, tightening on her upper thigh and kneading the flesh slightly. It took all the will she could muster not to press herself flush against him, the ache for his touch in several places growing as his fingers gripped her leg tightly. "I would never do such a thing, my love," he said.
"Yes, you would." She gave in to the urge, finally, her stomach and breasts pressed into his chest and side as she leaned up to see his face. "I do it all the time."
Jim's eyes narrowed at her, but Melinda could not find it in her to take the expression seriously as his hand began its slow slide along her thigh once more. "I'm quite aware," he said, pressing a kiss to her thigh too.
"You are so very aggravating, you know that?" He smirked at her stern words, the hand that had been wrapped around her back now tracing the line of her spine. The feel of his hands on her, that constant motion against her thigh and back, coupled with the persistent hardness that she was finding hard to ignore now gave her no choice in the matter, and she shifted against his side to bring her wet, aching center against the hard ridge of his hip bone.
There was something about this specifically that she found addicting; every time he felt the proof of how much she wanted him, how much she desired his touch, he seemed so amazed, as if each time he was as surprised and aroused as the first time. The sight of his eyes slamming shut against the sensation, coupled with the curse that escaped from those wonderful soft lips; it was all she needed to grow slicker still, her hips twisting and seeking the firm press of him, whatever part of him she could get in that instant.
Melinda felt his hips thrust up, his cock sliding against her, just barely, and she thought he'd given in, that he was going to give her what he'd woken her up for. But Jim could still surprise her, she found, and he cleared his throat and spoke as if they were at a meeting with his brother. "Have you considered that perhaps you are just extraordinarily irritating?" He teased her.
"Is that so?" She could play innocent as well as he could, better even, and she met those dark hungry eyes with as blank an expression as she could manage.
His gaze focused on her lips, and she slowly wet her lower lip with her tongue when his hand was hot on her lower back, pressing against her suddenly to slide her hips against him again. She cried out, her mouth falling open at the friction he gave her as he ground her into him slowly.
She stared at him for a moment, a slight smile on her lips.
"I must not have realized yet that stubbornness and irritation were things I would find necessary to consider marrying someone." He said, his eyes growing a bit softer then, and she could do nothing besides place a gentle kiss in the center of his chest, the sweetness of it belying her next words.
"You are very lucky that I find aggravating and willfully reckless to be so delightful. Now come here." Melinda said as she claimed his lips hungrily and his mouth opened almost immediately to hers. Her hands couldn't seem to stay still, nails raking through the short, bristling hair that lined his jaw only to slide to the back of his head.
Jim seemed to be under the impression that she would fight fairly. But as she flung the blankets from them, and made sure he watched her hand as it trailed down his muscled abdomen, over her thigh, and to that thick, hard cock that felt as if it had been made to fit with her every time he was inside her; then, he realized his error.
"Are you quite done with all your wicked teasing?" She smirked as he nodded once, his mouth still open and his eyes dropping from hers to wander across her breasts until she squeezed and he nodded. "Good. So am I. Now take me how you want me. However, you pictured having your lovely wife before you so rudely woke her up."
He grinned in a positively feral manner, eyes predatory and watchful and a thrilling excitement rushing through her as he nipped roughly at her throat and wrapped his hands around her thighs, raising them around his hips. She locked her ankles around him, using the leverage to try to align their bodies, to take him into her.
But then her husband pulled back, issuing a demand of his own. "Hold on," he told her as he brought her arms to his shoulders and slid his hands under her, lifting her suddenly, crossing the room, and she anchored herself to him, thighs squeezing his hips.
Then Jim backed her into the wall, a hand leaving her back to position himself against her, and Melinda keened at the feel of him there, so close, pressing her back into the wood grain of the wall tightly as he finally thrust inside of her, a stroke so sure and hard and smooth that she choked out his name, a cry following as he buried himself in her completely, and he stilled.
His eyes locked with hers, and he watched her face as he gave another long, slow thrust that made her mouth fall open once more, then pulling back to give another equally drawn-out thrust of his hips that became torturous as he pumped in and out of her, every nerve in her body seeming to blaze with the feel of him, satisfyingly full with the burning, throbbing heat of him filling her, but needing something more.
"Something you need?" He asked, his hands firmly holding her hips against the wall, a broken, needy cry all that she could manage as he dipped his head to take the hard, aching tip of her breast into his mouth, suckling roughly as he kept up the slow maddening snap of his hips against hers. She moaned entirely too loudly as released her, catching the other nipple between his teeth and alternating those gentle nips with the hard suction of his mouth.
This was decidedly unfair, she thought. She was on the verge of a release that was coiling with savage strength within her, and he had far too much control of himself to still think to tease her.
"This is torture, Jim. Please," she didn't say it loudly. She didn't say it firmly. But she looked right into his eyes as she spoke, need and love and unyielding hunger bleeding into her voice, and he stared right back, his reaction immediate as he set his jaw, eyes growing just a bit larger, grip on her a bit tighter now.
And then Melinda was gripping desperately at his shoulders, clinging with strong fingers to his muscled arms as he began slamming his cock into her savagely, each thrust forcing an exhale from her as she cried out his name, even that devolving into harsh, heated wails each time he drove into her. She could feel it, pleasure swirling ever tighter into the sharp ache of a release as he brought his mouth to her neck, licking and biting and sucking mercilessly as she came violently around him, nails digging into his shoulders hips bucking against him as wave after wave of release crashed over her.
She could barely hear his harsh cries as he pounded his hips against hers, each thrust into her gripping and milking him with fierce clasping force. Her name left his lips in a loud, guttural moan as he finally came as well, stilling a moment as her grasping walls drew his seed into her, his voice now choked as he spilled, hips jerking then stilling again as he buried his head into her neck.
Utter perfection.
Rain was still falling heavily when they woke, but not as bad as the previous day. The lightning had subsided in the night, and the sea had begun to calm, waves no longer crashing onto the deck. Melinda hugged her husband closer, not wanting to leave their cabin. She felt a similar sense of unease making her recall the dream she had. And that could not mean anything good.
"Morning," Jim said when he saw she was awake, running his hand along her side.
"Morning," she replied.
"You're feeling anxious," he said. It wasn't a question.
She propped herself up on her arm to look down at him. "Yes. It's like my dream... the same feeling."
He nodded. "And we need to go into town today, too. I need to check the ship first, then I need to round up the crew." He craned his neck to look outside. "I think that the worst is over. The rain may even break up before long."
Melinda released a sigh, collapsing on top of him. "I know. I just hate this." She pressed a kiss to his chest. "Can't we stay in bed forever?"
"I wish we could, lass," he chuckled as his arms encircled around her, his hand threading through her hair. "But as you have told me before, we have responsibilities and have to make appearances. Hopefully, stopping in this port will just give us a lead. My men are good at sniffing out information and I will keep you safe at any cost. I promise."
She could tell from his voice he was trying to convince both of them. "I love you." Sighing, she sat up, pulling him with her as she mournfully left the bed. "But come on. Might as well get ready for the day."
He let her pull him up and stood beside her, pressing a light kiss to her cheek before moving to grab his clothes. Melinda reached to grab the dress she had worn the previous day when his voice stopped her.
"Leather would be warmer," he told her. "It will still be cold, but a pair of pants and a vest would make you warmer."
She nodded, abandoning the dress to rifle through her trunk of things at the foot of the bed. She pulled out an outfit and quickly undressed, noticing the way Jim slowed his exit from their cabin to watch her. His gaze was warm and full of love. One that she would never object to.
"Or were you just trying to get me to undress?" she asked him, giggling as she pulled on her pants.
He winked at her. "I would never do such a thing," he answered before unlatching the door. She could hear the smile in his voice. "I'll see you above deck, my love."
Melinda quickly finished changing, finding him to be right about the leather being warmer. She went to the mirror, grabbing her comb and a ribbon, taming her hair, and pulling it back. After finishing, she made her way up onto the top deck. Besides being wet, she could not make out any damage.
Jim moved around with a more trained eye, inspecting the sails, rigging, everything for even the slightest damage. Satisfied, he nodded. "Everything's in order. We're good to sail."
She grinned. "Good. I don't want to stay here any longer than we have to."
"I don't either," he replied as he moved to stand in front of her. "I'm going to need to tell Daniel to round up the men that have left. I want everyone here on the ship as soon as possible so we can leave with the tide."
Nodding, she grabbed his hand, pulling him to the hatch that led to below deck. "He's probably in the galley, along with some of the others." She said, "Are we going into town or just him?"
"No, just him. It's not safe for you to go into town," he sighed, grinning at first as he let her lead him through the ship, but then pulled her aside. "Is something wrong?"
"Oh, no. Nothing's wrong." She said, but that didn't feel true. Everything was wrong. They shouldn't be here. They should be back home, in Scotland, with their daughter. "I just wanted to post a letter to my sister, and yes there are specific instructions on where to reply for our journey back."
He nodded but also looked worried at the same time. "Of course, but we shouldn't do that here. I wouldn't trust any man here not to read it."
"I doubt anyone here could read anyhow, but if they could it is still unlikely they'd know how to read the language I wrote it in. Most people speak Spanish or Italian around here, and maybe some English." She told him with a shrug. "However, they'd have to be well versed in Latin to understand my letter."
"I believe you, but I think it would be safer to wait until the next port." He chuckled, smiling down at her, but just this once he was pushing her to change her mind. Melinda could tell and reluctantly, she backed down and nodded. "Thank you. I promise we will stop somewhere safe in a few days and I will make it up to you."
She glanced up at him, giving him an amused look. "Oh, will you now..." She teased him, wrapping her arms around his neck. "What exactly are you going to do, my lord?"
"You'll have to wait and see," he said, teasing her right back before pulling away and resuming their trek to the galley. "Now come on. We've got things to do."
After finding Daniel and speaking with some of the crew, Jim sat beside his wife for their morning meal. He could see her worry as Melinda pushed her spoon around her oatmeal, and he reached over to hold her hand.
"We'll be okay," he told her in a low voice.
It wasn't much, but she smiled at him for a moment and nodded, just enough for him to see. "I hope so." She looked around at the crew as they ate, seeing that they were all tense. "Is it normal for them all to be this on edge?" she asked quietly, leaning close to him. "I mean, is it the storm, or this place?"
"I think it's this place," he responded. "They're all used to storms. We've been out at sea before in storms worse than the ones we've encountered lately. No, it's got to be this place."
She sighed. "At least I'm not the only one, then."
They quietly finished, then gathering some of the men, left the ship to find the rest of the crew. He had thought leaving her on the ship might've been safer, but he also didn't want to leave her alone.
Melinda held onto him tightly as they moved through the port, finding some of the crew members as they went. They stayed close to the docks, seeing the different ships that had made port and trying to find as much subtle information about Rick and his crew as they possibly could. They grabbed something around midday to eat from the port's market before they continued, enjoying the small break in the rain.
Just as the sun had begun its descent behind the clouds and they moved to turn back, he stopped them, looking at a ship moored to the docks, rain beginning to fall again. "Damn it," he muttered, quickly scanning the area around them. "We need to find Daniel quickly."
She was about to ask him what he saw when she spied the Kotu Kral herself, and it was as though all of the colors had drained from her face. "No. We need to go back," she said, tugging on his hand. "If we are cornered out in the open... in this place."
"Yes, I know," he responded, moving his hand to rest on the hilt of his sword. "For now, we're fine... we just need to act carefully and find my brother. We need to have strength in case anything happens."
Jim led them at a brisk pace, both of them constantly scanning their surroundings as they went. He already knew that was the worst possible scenario. They opted to stay toward areas with more traffic, not wanting to be out in the open unless necessary and found Daniel quick enough. The streets became more deserted as the hour grew later, making them grow more alert. After continuing for a while, his expression shifted to a mix of worry and anger.
"We're being followed." His voice was low, keeping it so only his brother could hear him. He didn't want Melinda to panic. They just needed to get her safely back to the ship and then they could deal with Rick. "Let's pick up the pace."
Knowing better than to question his instincts, Daniel nodded minutely and moved to cover the left beside his wife. He released a heavy breath, gently tugging her along when a figure moved out in front of them, blocking them from the docks.
"Ah, at last, we meet again," Rick's voice came from the alley to the left as he came into the dim light, his scarlet coat standing out bright against their dark surroundings. "I did miss you Melinda, but I did not miss you, Jim."
Melinda released his hand to rest her hand over her dagger, exchanging a cautious glance with him. "I'm starting to think you are desperate, Rick," she responded, slipping into the haughty persona that she'd always had with him.
"Well, our little adventure was cut short last time, unfortunately," Rick replied, casting his wife a look that made his anger flare before looking back at him. "I assume that was your doing."
"No, but he's family," he said nonchalantly. "I'm sure you'd understand."
The pirate sauntered closer, making both Jim and Daniel tighten their grips on their swords. He shared a look with his brother, urging wordlessly that he should get Melinda back to the ship. The last thing he wanted was for her to be there if something went wrong. She had to be safe at all costs.
Even if that meant his life, he would gladly give it to make sure she made it back to Scotland safely for their daughter.
"Well, you took the only family I ever had because of some whore," Rick spat, chuckling as more of his crew gathered in the street.
Jim might've argued if he hadn't seen him in the crowd. The face of the pirate so often scribbled furiously onto pages his wife always tried to keep him from seeing, but it was the only way to get it out of her head. The man that had attacked her and then paid her afterward.
He wanted him dead for Melinda's sake, in the way he felt her grab onto him when she saw Lom again and could also see Rick knew that. That posed a problem.
"Our sister is no whore! The lad should've kept his hands to himself and nothing would've happened, aye?" Daniel shouted, his anger was on an even shorter leash than his own. "He threw the first punch when we pulled him off her."
"Keep your brother's mouth shut if he's going to tell lies," Rick sneered, drawing his sword.
Jim drew his own and moved Melinda behind him, but held onto her hand still with his free hand. He wasn't going to let her go until it was time. "No lies were spoken, pirate. Your brother caused his fate and you kidnapped my wife in revenge. That was done and over with, I might've even forgiven you in time if she was unharmed..." He wouldn't speak it out loud. Rick knew. Melinda knew. Daniel knew. That son of a bitch knew too. "But think again if you believe you can claim my wife and child as your own and still live to see another day now."
"I'm counting on it. You don't want to kill me, Jim," Rick chuckled and slashed forward, but Daniel quickly drew his sword and stepped in front of them, blocking the hit. "You Scots are so honorable that you are predictable and dumb, so now I will finally have my revenge and take your brother from you too."
"Melinda, I need you to listen to me and run," he told her, keeping his eyes trained on the pirate as he fought his brother. "Get back to the ship. The men will protect you there."
"No. I won't leave you," she told him, squeezing his hand and fully intending to stay by his side.
"Now isn't that sweet?" Rick mocked as he blocked another of Daniel's blows and landed two more of his own. "How can you love him so fiercely when he won't fight his own battle to defend you?"
They began to circle each other, each looking for an opening to kill the other. Jim knew he might have to step in, but didn't want to leave Melinda vulnerable. She could defend herself to an extent, but she was tiny and could get hurt up against a brutal overpowering force. He had to protect her.
"So now the lordling is showing himself for what he is, a coward," Rick mocked. "You're going to let your brother defend you and possibly die for you?"
Jim didn't respond and instead shifted his gaze quickly to his wife, silently pleading with her to leave him. Seeing this slight shift in focus, one of the many pirates around them struck forward, landing a hit he just barely blocked. Another stuck forward and he kicked him flat on his back, blocking another hit at the same time.
"You promised to listen," he told her. "Just this once. I cannot be worried about you and fighting this battle."
Melinda watched, paralyzed. She saw determination, resolve, and anger igniting in his eyes, the blue turning to resemble a raging sea. He avoided another blow, his blade ringing out against Lom's this time.
That made it a little easier to take a step back and pull out her dagger. She didn't want to be near that man again, especially unarmed, and he didn't blame her.
"My father once told me that a man who doesn't fight for the woman in his life deserves what he gets." He said as he launched himself toward Lom, who gave him a stunned look, surprised at his sudden fire. "So trust me after everything you've done, I have every intention of fighting and killing you."
Melinda released a shaky laugh as she watched the fighter in him take over, beginning to launch attacks of his own in a fury at her attacker. The fat pirate was quickly growing tired, having used most of his energy on his first attacks that were deflected and now on the defensive. Jim was not only fit but the better swordsman, his attacks more precise and effective.
Lom threw himself forward, a move he easily spun out of the way to avoid. He kept an eye on her the whole time, and she on him. Did she want him dead? He couldn't tell, but that glance cost him a slice on his face. However, his sword luckily pierced the pirate through the belly and out his backside, the tip of the blade coated in blood, and when Jim withdrew it he collapsed into a heap of blood and limbs.
"Go! Now!" He shouted to her and when he glanced back, caught a glimpse of her fleeing down the docks. She was safe now.
He turned his focus back on his brother, moving away from the dead body at his feet, and angrily swiping at Rick. Seeing an opening, he slashed at his arm, dark red blood seeping onto the scarlet fabric of his coat.
Stepping back, Rick flexed his arm, assessing the damage and wincing in pain. "You got me," the pirate captain chuckled as he tightened his grip on his sword before slipping back into a fighting stance.
Jim noticed his eyes flash over to find Melinda gone before settling back on him and now knew what Rick was planning to do. "You can't get to her. You never will," he said, his voice daring him. "Do you want to do this? As you said, the man I wanted dead wasn't you even if you are scum."
"Yes, I think I will." Rick lunged at him but was blocked by Daniel, who used both his sword and arm to deflect the pirate's sword and dagger. He moved forward to cover his brother when the men separated, holding his sword ready to strike. When Rick attacked again, Jim caught one of the blows, Daniel the other, and using their combined strength, pushed him back flawlessly, both knowing how the other moved.
Finding an opening, he struck forward, sending the pirate's cutlass clattering to the ground. A second later, Daniel struck the dagger from him, leaving him without a weapon as they pointed their blades towards him. Rick stumbled back in a hurried move, knocking him against the wall, and hitting his head in the process. His eyes rolled back before he collapsed, unconscious.
Daniel glanced at Jim, silently asking him what he wanted to do. He wanted to kill him, but it wasn't the right thing to do. "Come on. Tie him up and let's get going. We can see how he likes being held captive," he said, sheathing his sword. "And let's go home."
They arrived back at the Jaded Saphire to find the crew in pandemonium. Jim shared a dark look with Daniel just as William spotted them, rushing forward to meet them. He noticed immediately that his sword was drawn and bloody.
"My lord," William said urgently, glancing over Rick's body that was slung over his shoulder. "We encountered some of Rick's men. We got everyone on board and secured the ship, but- it was a fight," he stopped to swallow heavily. "There were some fatalities."
"Who? How many?" He asked in a strained voice.
"Three men. Lady Melinda came aboard to alert us just before they tried to rush us after slitting Francis' throat. Henry and George fell during the fight," William said sadly, leading them towards where most of the crew had converged. "Is that him? Is he dead?"
Daniel, wearing marks of his own, silenced his overeager son. The men parted to allow them through to the center where three bodies laid out on the rain-slicked deck. He stood close by, holding two shrouds to cover the corpses. "And where are is she?" He asked, glancing around to see Melinda nowhere in sight.
"She's safe, Uncle," William told him firmly. "I didn't think she should see the bodies."
"Good. That was smart," he replied, nodding. "Thank you. Cover them." Jim glanced at each of the men before looking out toward the sea. He glanced back at Daniel. "We need to leave. Can we set sail? We can give them a proper burial at seat once we get going and are a distance away from here."
"Aye," his brother responded.
He glanced at William, who stood a short distance away. "Will, are you fit to man the helm? I'd like to go check on my wife." His nephew nodded and turned his eyes back to the crew, raising her voice. "Anyone injured, go down below and patch yourself up! Everyone else, to your positions!"
The crew quickly scrambled at his orders, all moving to get the ship out of port.
"You heard him, prepare to weigh anchor!" Daniel shouted to get them to move faster. "Don't worry. I'll get us out of here. Go put that bastard in the brig and find Melinda."