"Killian… Killian! Wake up!"
Liam shook Killian so hard he was afraid he would snap his neck. It was the only way it could wake him up after a night like they had. Killian always drank too much at their father's parties. Liam couldn't see why he hung out with the more rowdy bunch when there were plenty of beautiful young women falling at his feet. Liam took full advantage of the broken hearted girls and gave them comfort for the night and then sent them on their way.
This morning Killian and Liam were lucky. Their father had some business to attend to, leaving them alone to recuperate from last night's festivities. Normally he would have had them out and about taking care of the stables or running some errand or other for him.
Their father was a very wealthy man. He grew up poor but learned tricks of the trade here and there when he worked various jobs. He started asking direct questions and soon became well known for his knowledge and hard work. He firmly believed that hard work was the only way to do well in life and he instilled that belief into his two sons.
"Killian, get up. We need to get out soon before father comes in and rips our heads off."
"Aye, I heard you, you buffoon. Don't you ever just enjoy sleep?"
"I can't. I have to take care of your sorry ass."
"I see you woke up on the wrong side of the bed. Did your lass not please you last night? Or did you embarrass yourself? It's perfectly ok. I'm sure she was understanding. Next time, just make the foreplay last longer. Wenches love foreplay."
"Killian!" Liam snapped.
"Alright, alright. I'm up! Now what do you want of me."
"Father will be home soon. Try to make yourself presentable. He is bringing over an important colleague. We must make sure that our family looks like we're a good bunch who can handle their own and anything else that may come our way, including rum."
"Aye, aye captain!"
Killian watched as Liam rolled his eyes and left the room. Smiling to himself he thought of the night before. It had been a rather enjoyable evening. Up until the point he saw Milah flirting with another boy.
She said she loved him and all he had asked for was time. Obviously she didn't have a lot of time on her hands and went to the next bloke who would buy her shiny things.
Shaking his head of those thoughts, Killian finished getting ready. He skipped shaving; he looked more grown up anyway and knew it would annoy his military minded brother.
He headed down the stairs as loudly as any teenage boy would and stopped in the hall. He heard hushed whispers around the corner and tried making out what was being said.
"And how do you suppose we stop this?"
"Separate them. It's too dangerous if they travel together. If they travel separately at least one will make it. The less they know the better. I will deal with them when they arrive."
"I don't believe they would survive at all if I separate them. They make quite a team."
Before Killian could hear anymore of the conversation or even try to make sense of it, Liam came up behind him and smacked him on the head.
"Ouch! You oaf!"
"You know we're not supposed to snoop."
"It sounded important. I think it had to do with us."
"Doesn't matter. Let's go in before he becomes cross with us."
The brothers entered the room interrupting the deep conversation. Startled from the somber mood, their father greeted them with a forced smile. "There you are boys! I'm glad you are here. I would like you both to meet Mr. Gold. He will be living in our home while we are attending to business matters. Mr. Gold, I would like you to meet my sons, Liam and Killian. They are a pair of rambunctious teenagers but they can work as hard as any of the men here."
"Nice to meet you both. Now, if you will excuse me, I must attend to other matters."
Slightly bowing to the two brothers, Gold turned to Mr. Jones. "I hope you will seriously consider my offer. I don't think we will find a better option."
"Thank you, Mr. Gold. I will meet with you later to discuss it further."
Killian watched as Mr. Gold left the room. Something felt off about him. Like he was hiding something. What was his offer about and why did it cause his father to be so restless?
"What business do you have with Mr. Gold?"
"Nothing to concern you Liam. Have you boys attended to your 'headaches'?" he asked with a knowing smirk.
Shifting awkwardly, they both answered "Yes, sir."
"Good. We have much to attend to today. Killian, I need you to run to the stables and get our horses ready for today. Liam, go down to the docks and make sure our ship is in condition to sail. We will be leaving town in a couple days."
Father never left town while he was dealing with a business partner. Something was happening and it wasn't good.
For the next couple days, they all prepared for their journey. Their father was very distant, going to more meetings than usual, entertaining more guests, and hiding away in his study
Killian tried talking to Liam about it but he just brushed him off. Whenever he brought up Mr. Gold, the man himself would show up and interrupt anything that Killian might have said.
Something was fishy. He just couldn't figure out what it was.
The night before they left they stayed on the ship so the could leave at daybreak. Mr. Jones stayed on land for a while longer to finish up last minute deals. He came to say good night to his sons late into the night. He knew they would be awake with no one to tell them otherwise. He stayed up with them discussing business matters, where they were going, and who they were meeting. Wishing the boys a good night, Mr. Jones left the boys with a kiss on their heads and a shaky smile.
It felt more like a goodbye than covering information to Killian. Something was going to happen, something that not even his father had control over.
When Killian woke the next morning, his suspicions were confirmed. They had already set off to see and his father was nowhere to be found. He had left them to go on without him, leaving them to face to the mercies of the ocean alone.