Will You Teach Me…
Finally, chapter 7 is here, and man it's going to be a hell of a ride! It's a tad violent and gory, but I promise you will like it!
Thanks Skylarmikaelson, Carvel2806, supernatural318, NinaBinaBallerina, Rath101, LykkeF, bluecrush611, Imemberrassedthis, Lumi for your reviews!
Skylarmikaelson: Thanks for your reviews! Bree is indeed a smart girl, and she's also stronger than Roger or Jamie (or even herself) thinks! Bonnet has learnt a few things in four years, he knows forcing himself on her violently won't work, but… he'll find other means. lol.
Carvel2806: Thanks for your review! Bree can't keep Bonnet away for too long. She managed to do it for about 2 weeks, and I think that must be Bonnet's personal record in terms of patience. I hope you enjoy this chapter and let me know your thoughts ;)
Supernatural318: Bonnet from the Clover and the Tartan was a bit out of character compared to this one who is literally canon Bonnet. We're definitely not talking about a cute romance in this story, lol. Don't worry about Jemmy, though: he's going to enjoy this new life and no harm will come to him (at least from Bonnet)… Thanks for your review!
NinaBinaBallerina: Thanks! Hope you enjoy this chapter!
Rath101: Brianna is still reeling from the shock of losing the trial and being married to Stephen. But she'll soon pull herself together and face it as she can! Jemmy will be adorable on a chapterly basis. He's the ray of sunshine of this story! Lol Thanks for the review, darlin'.
Guest: thanks for the review, dear anonymous reader!
LykkeF: Bonnet is very much determined to keep acting like a gentleman. But of course… you know how he is… lol. Brianna will find out about the drowning nightmares in chapter 8 ! Thanks for your comment!
Bluecrush611: Writing Bonnet's true character is indeed challenging (all the more so when his relationship with Bree in Clover+Tartan was so loving and cute). But it's also exhilarating to be able to imagine how his actual plan would have gone if he had succeeded in the canon. Lol. Hope you enjoy this chapter!
Imembarrassedthis: Thanks for your comment!
Lumi: Thanks, hope this will live up to your expectations!
oOo
7. Sucker Punch
The following week had been quieter than Brianna could have ever imagined. Bonnet left the plantation in the early hours of the morning with a few other men, only to return at the end of the afternoon. Every evening, his first instinct when he entered the house was to find Jeremiah and offer him a new toy. Puppets, ragdolls, spinning top... Not a single day went by without another present, and the boy quickly got into the habit of welcoming him with open arms, his eyes shining with glee.
Brianna wished she could talk about this with the child, explain him that his new 'daddy' was not trustworthy and even dangerous, but in his absence Bonnet had told one of his men to stick to the mother and her child like a leech. Probably to avoid this kind of conspiracy. On the fourth day, she knew she had to admit defeat for good when the pirate dropped a tiny, wiggling, wall-eyed American Shepherd puppy in Jemmy's outstretched arms.
You've got to be kidding me…, she thought as the puppy frantically licked the laughing child's face. Today a puppy, and tomorrow what? A pony?
Bonnet straightened up, obviously very proud of himself, and then walked over to the second person he always greeted right after Jemmy: his mother. On the first day – when he had come home with the puppets – he had tried to kiss her and she had started back. Even to this day, she remembered every detail of his annoyed face as he whispered that, if he couldn't get anything better, he at least hoped to kiss his wife when he got home, like any man would. Do it for the sake of your son if not for yourself…, he had added with a threatening look.
Brianna had therefore agreed to let herself be kissed every evening, though keeping her lips obstinately closed. Lucky for her, Bonnet didn't expect her to kiss him back, and he never took offense at her lack of reaction. Thus for the fourth day in a row, she pursed her lips and waited for his mouth to brush against hers. But the pirate did not lean towards her as usual and tilted his head, smirking.
"A… client gave it to me as a peace offerin' after a minor disagreement. What do you think, darlin'? I thought he would make an excellent playmate to Jeremiah. And a good guard against monsters at night…"
"It's a puppy that can't weigh more than a couple of pounds. And Jeremiah already has his mother to protect him from monsters…", she retorted drily.
Bonnet nodded and got a little closer to Brianna, who tried to move back until she was trapped between a wall and the Irishman's massive chest. "Although I very much appreciate hearin' our son babblin' in his sleep, or watchin' him expose your chest to snuggle up there in the early mornin'...", raising his right hand, he started tracing Brianna's curves over her blouse with his fingers, "I too would like to enjoy the softness of your breast and maybe more… say, in a few days?"
Shivering with disgust, Brianna frowned. "A… A few days?"
Bonnet gave a confident nod. "I'm sure Jeremiah's monster will be long forgotten by then. And I will have one of my men guardin' his door, if that may put your mind at ease… "
Despite his casual attitude, the threat was not even disguised: if Phaedre ever set foot in Jeremiah's room after putting him to bed, they would both be kicked out of River Run in no time. Smiling to conceal her fear, Brianna nodded.
"That won't be necessary, he's just having nightmares... I'm sure sharing our bed will have reassured him for a while..."
"So am I...", Bonnet whispered, this time leaning towards her to claim his daily reward. Brianna immediately closed her mouth and presented her cheek, but a simple kiss on the corner of her mouth wouldn't be enough for him today and he took possession of her lips, groaning in frustration as she refused to kiss him back. Pulling back again, he caught a flash of apprehension in Brianna's eyes and immediately cursed himself for his own impatience. This was not how he would earn her trust –something he had understood over the past ten days – and he stepped back to a more appropriate distance, smiling again.
"I happen to have somethin' for you, too...", he said, going back to his coat, which he had carelessly tossed onto an armchair. As he walked away, Brianna took a deep breath and winced. She had held her breath the entire time he was in her personal space and her lungs were burning. He returned with a box, which he opened before her eyes. Inside was a complete set of silver and emerald jewelry: a necklace adorned with dozens of small silver leaves and which ended with an emerald pendant rounded by small diamonds. There were also matching earrings and hair jewelry.
"Next Sunday we will be hostin' a reception here at River Run… I would like to officially introduce my wonderful wife and adorable son to my clients and partners. And I want you to wear this."
A reception? With criminals who will spend their time staring at me and making disparaging comments? Wonderful…, Brianna thought, as her breathing already quickened. A sign that Bonnet mistakenly took for a flattering reaction to his present.
"Do you like it?"
"What?", Brianna gasped, brutally torn away from her thoughts.
Bonnet let out a brief laugh. "The gift, of course… What else?"
Brianna gulped and pulled herself up, smiling shyly. "It is beautiful."
Proud as a peacock, the Irishman closed the box and handed it to her. Brianna was about to take it when she noticed Bonnet's knuckles: they were red, sometimes even raw, and small pieces of fresh skin had been peeled away. As if he had hit something or someone earlier today. The puppy…, she reminded herself, hastily grabbing the box. A client gave it to him after a minor disagreement… A disagreement about what?
To hide her confusion, she smiled even wider and turned to put her present away in their room, but Bonnet grabbed her wrist and pulled her towards him again. What now?, she whined internally.
"Sunday is four days away. Can you finish teachin' me how to... behave like a gentleman by then?"
There's no way I can achieve that in four days…, Brianna sneered, while forcing herself to nod. "I'll do my best."
Bonnet nodded in turn and with one last smile, he let go of her wrist and walked back to Jemmy who had already named his puppy 'Blue' because of his electric blue eye. In the evening, he had laid Jemmy in their bed, but this time the child refused to sleep between them, preferring to keep an eye on Blue curled up on the carpet near Brianna's bedside table. The young woman ended up lying in the middle of the mattress, Bonnet against her back. As she expected, as soon as the candle was blown out, he came closer and slipped a hand under her nightgown, slowly moving up her hips, her waist, until he took her left breast in his hand. Barely breathing, Brianna waited, all her senses on high alert, but he had not gone any further. Not when Jeremiah was in the room. Closing her eyes, she tried to calm down. Leave this place... Imagine that this hand on her breast was not Bonnet's but Roger's. Convince herself that the stifling heat emanating from the pirate's body was her real husband's. But the only thing she saw, thinking about Roger, was his nasty look when he had ordered her to abandon Jeremiah. After two hours spent brooding in the dark and desperately trying to escape reality, Brianna finally sank into a restless sleep, where dozens of burning hot, greedy hands took possession of her body.
She wasn't the only one to have a hard time sleeping, however. Behind her back, Bonnet's body had also twitched throughout the night, waking her from time to time. But when one of his nightmares brought an abrupt end to his night shortly before dawn, Brianna did nothing to prevent him from hugging her a little more against his chest. Someday – hopefully in the not-so-distant future – she would find out what scared him so much. And she would use that against him.
~o~
Unlike what she had imagined – and much to her dismay – Stephen Bonnet's guests were not filthy thugs or bloodthirsty pirates. The people who had showed up on Sunday to share a gigantic buffet in the garden were none other than upper class couples and high dignitaries from North Carolina, some of whom had even already met Brianna here, during social events hosted by Aunt Jocasta. How did these people have the nerve to show up, when their former "friend" had been kicked out of her home by their host? The answer was quite simple. Every rich family in the colony seemed to directly or indirectly benefit from Bonnet's activities and/or afford his services, so much so that they had all rushed to River Run to lick his boots and compliment him on his meteoric social rise. Not to mention all the fat-bellied men in their fifties who also congratulated him for asserting his rights over his son and saving his beautiful young wife from Roger MacKenzie's clutches. Each lie was a thread that Bonnet had skillfully woven, trapping Brianna like a fly into a spider's web. She wanted to scream. To cry. To beat the shit out of those people. But no one paid her any attention. And the pirate's fabrications were so cleverly thought out that no one would believe her if she tried to yell the truth at their faces. She would certainly end up in a lunatic asylum. And Bonnet would then have control over River Run and Jemmy. She could not let that happen.
Brianna had soon become unable to endure their affable expressions, their smiles, or the flattering comments about the pirate's resemblance to Jemmy, and she had turned to her one and only friend: alcohol. She had even thought of a little game after a couple of hours of bowing, scraping and stupid comments: every time she heard someone say "Oh, what a wonderful little angel!" or "That boy looks just like his father!", she took one sip. Two sips when a man gave her a lustful glance or said "Congratulations, Mr. Bonnet, she is exquisite". And she finished her drink whenever someone told her "You must be relieved to have been lifted out of poverty and reunited with your son's father, my dear".
She had just finished yet another glass of champagne when it magically disappeared from her hand, taken away by a slightly annoyed Bonnet. "Try not to drink yourself under the table just yet, darlin'. Lord and Lady Tryon have just arrived. Come with me."
Brianna, who had first opened her mouth to protest about the disappearance of her drink, froze and let herself be led through the crowd of guests. The governor of North Carolina was part of King Bonnet's court? How was this even possible? She refused to believe that the same governor – who had sentenced him to death for piracy four years earlier – was now one of his friends. Beside Tryon, his wife Margaret, a pretty brunette with a turned-up nose and generous hips, didn't seem exactly delighted to be there and Brianna immediately felt connected to her.
"Lord Tryon!", Bonnet greeted him with a broad smile, as an employee came up with a tray loaded with glasses of champagne. Margaret politely declined, while her husband helped himself with a satisfied smile, undressing Brianna with his small brown eyes. Bree raised her hand towards the tray, but Bonnet caught it before she could take another drink. Message received, loud and clear. "Here is the one I was dying to introduce you to... my dear and loving wife, Brianna..."
"Good Lord, my dear Bonnet, you are a very lucky man indeed!", Tryon exclaimed, ignoring his wife disapproving pout. "Admit it: this invitation was only meant to make every man in North Carolina jealous."
Does that count for two sips or a full glass?, Brianna wondered, raising her elbow… before she remembered that her drink had been taken away from her. Fuck.
Bonnet laughed and let go of Brianna's hand to rest his own on her lower back. "This was undeniably one of the pursued objectives..."
"That and bragging about stealing this house from her rightful owner, I'm sure…", Margaret grunted, under her husband's glare. Brianna raised her eyebrows, pleasantly surprised to find someone who did not seem to swallow King Bonnet's vicious lies. Perhaps she could make her an ally? Bree smiled at the governor's wife, but the woman replied with a contemptuous look. On second thought, maybe not...
Tryon pursed his lips and Brianna saw him discreetly dig his fingers into his wife's arm, who flinched in pain. "My sincere apologies, partner... My wife was a close friend of Mrs. Innes. She believes that this old bat would never have left the plantation to settle down with her new husband. No matter how many times I've explained it to her. You know how stupid and stubborn women can be…", he concluded with a smirk.
The look he gave Bonnet at that moment did not escape Brianna. Of course he knows it's a lie… Maybe he was the one who helped Bonnet dispossess Jocasta of her land… He called him 'partner'… Again, Brianna tried to attract poor Margaret's attention and liking, but her husband's gesture had literally petrified her and Bree wondered if she already knew that there would be retaliation for her disrespect. The idea made her blood run cold and she couldn't help but feel bad for the governor's wife. Tryon was a bully, making disparaging comments about his wife's intelligence in public, intimidating her physically… Compared to him, Bonnet almost passed himself off as Prince Charming.
"Lord Tryon!", exclaimed an old bourgeois with a thick French accent. The governor smiled and turned to greet the newcomer, soon imitated by Bonnet. "Ah, Monsieur Bonnet! I just saw your son in 'is governess' armz. 'e looks just like you!"
Oh Lord, here we go again…, Brianna moaned inwardly, her hands shaking. If she were to hear another one of those compliments, she would scream. But the man did not seem to hear her silent plea and grasped her hand in his podgy fingers to kiss it.
"Wat a beauty you 'ave 'ere! You must be ze 'appiest of men-"
"If you'll excuse me", Brianna muttered, snatching her hand from the man's fingers to turn around and stride away under the guests' astonished gaze and Bonnet's furious eyes. Crossing the garden, she barged into the stables to escape stares and comments, and came up to one of the horses, reaching out to stroke his muzzle. These majestic animals had always had the power to soothe and comfort her. She was just starting to calm down when the sound of shoes scraping the dry straw on the floor made her turn around. Neil Forbes – that evil, wicked cockroach – had just entered the barn as well, proudly raising his weasel nose. Brianna immediately felt her anger rise again and glared at the traitor.
"How are you doing, my dear? Have you adjusted to your new life?"
Brianna bit her lip and turned her back on Forbes, scratching the horse's muzzle one last time before taking a step back. "I came here to isolate myself, in case it wasn't clear enough. Your presence here is not wanted. Neither here nor anywhere else, to be honest."
"Believe me, I realized a long time ago that you had no desire to share anything with me… Maybe you regret it today, but it is no longer my concern, isn't it?", he smirked as Brianna frowned.
"Regret what? Not marrying you? Ah!" Her sarcastic tone made Forbes lose some of his haughtiness, and he swayed from one foot to the other. But she wasn't done with him. Emboldened by alcohol, she decided to tell him a few home truths. "You repulsed me the second I laid my eyes on you, Mr. Forbes. For some reason I couldn't explain at first... But now I know my first impression was correct."
"I would not have handed you over to Captain Bonnet if you had given me your hand, Brianna…", Forbes snapped back, taking a few steps towards her. "But you'd rather play a cruel trick on me. This is why I have taken the liberty of teaching you a lesson: you cannot humiliate a man like me and expect it to go unpunished."
Brianna's nerves, which had already been severely tested all afternoon, slowly began to crack and she sneered. "So that's the only reason you plotted against me? This is why you took away my great-aunt's land and fortune? Threatened my family with legal action? Just because I scratched your… miserable ego?"
Forbes didn't need to answer. His face said it all. Brianna had stopped laughing and planted herself in front of him, her eyes flashing with anger.
"Do you have any idea what you did? Do you even realize the damage you've done?"
"I just have to look at you… You're literally consumed with anger." Forbes lifted his chin a little higher as if trying to look down on her despite his small size. "And I have to admit, this is a sight I am not sure I'll ever get tired of."
Brianna clenched her fists. It was time for her to leave the stables, or she might lose control of her emotions. She leaned slightly towards the lawyer and whispered: "Enjoy the show, Mr. Forbes, because that's all the satisfaction you will get from this arrangement. I will make sure you'll never see a single penny coming from River Run. And if I can, I'll send you swinging at the end of a rope."
She saw – with immense joy – an angry sputter hit Forbes in the middle of his right cheek. It was like spitting in his face, in a way, and it felt good. As Forbes did not answer, she stepped back and turned to leave the stables when the lawyer's voice rose one last time in the silence.
"You'll have to spread your legs quite a lot of times before you can have any control over Captain Bonnet and your money", Forbes taunted as Brianna froze, not believing her own ears. "But I am sure you'll work with a will, my d-"
Forbes never finished his sentence. If anyone had asked Brianna to explain how a hammer – lying on a shelf near one of the horseboxes – had ended up in her right hand, she wouldn't have been able to tell. In less than two seconds, she had whirled around and aimed at the lawyer's jaw. There was a satisfying cracking noise when the hammer hit Forbes' chin and Brianna congratulated herself. So much the better if that motherfucker couldn't eat anything but soup for the rest of his life. She had spent weeks kowtowing to Bonnet, enduring his men's presence in the house, or feeling her heart break every time Jemmy smiled at him. She had looked for an outlet, a way to blow off some steam, without ever finding it. Unfortunately, her satisfaction was short-lived: unbalanced by the impact, the man staggered back until he rested his heel on a pitchfork handle. As a film in slow-motion, Brianna saw the handle rotate by a quarter turn under Forbes' weight, throwing him even more off balance until he fell backwards. A second cracking noise – much more ominous this time – was heard in the stable when the back of Forbes' skull hit the blacksmith's anvil, causing the horses to neigh nervously.
Brianna blinked several times, waiting for a reaction, a movement. Forbes would surely soon scream in pain, crawl miserably on the floor holding his broken jaw, and swear up and down that he would have her thrown in jail. He would run out of the stable and denounce her, it was only a matter of seconds... But seconds went by and Brianna started to think that Forbes' response time was extremely long, and an icy shiver ran up her spine, making the hairs on the back of her neck stand on end. With the utmost caution, she took a few steps towards Forbes, watching for the man's slightest gesture in case he tried to attack her as well.
And then she saw it: the trickle of blood gradually spreading on the ground, just under his head. Oh Lord… With a clang, the hammer slipped from her hands and hit the ground at her feet, making her jump violently. "Mr. Forbes?" Trembling, she leaned over the lawyer, reaching out to his throat to take his pulse. He couldn't be dead. Not now. Not like this. She had just lost her temper for a second, it couldn't be that bad? No, Forbes, couldn't be dead, he was just knocked out and then… What exactly would she do? If he was dead, she would become a murderer. If he wasn't, he would shout from the rooftops that she had tried to kill him and she would lose Jemmy. Maybe even her life, if a court condemned her to death or to priso-
Forbes's left hand rose with lightning speed and his bony fingers closed around Brianna's wrist, as she let out a cry of terror. She immediately shook her arm to free herself, in vain, before looking down at the lawyer's face. His blood-red mouth was wide open – the lower jaw completely offset from the other – making it look like a grotesque ancient theatrical mask. The man was glaring at her, mad with rage and pain, his feet scraping the muddy straw on the stable floor as he tried his best to get up. The sight was so appalling that Brianna instantly knew it would probably haunt her until her death.
"…ou… ilthy… hore…"
Brianna's breathing quickened. She had only one thing on her mind: force him to let go and run away. From the stable and from her crime. Forbes was alive – at least that was something – but she would definitely not stay another minute watching him squirm and drool. Digging her fingernails in Forbes' hand, she freed herself and scrambled out of the stable without looking back.
Behind the large door where the horses entered – and through which Forbes himself had arrived earlier – a pair of green eyes had not missed a second of the scene and as the lawyer still desperately tried to get up, Bonnet slowly entered the stable, his face expressionless. At the sight of his client's cold, neutral gaze, Forbes instantly knew the Irishman wasn't here to help and he tried twice as hard to crawl out of his reach. But the pain in his head and jaw was excruciating, and his gestures too messy. He whined as Bonnet bent down to pick up the hammer his dirty whore had injured him with and his eyes widened one last time in terror as the tool cut through the air before striking his skull.
Brianna didn't stop running until she was in her room – their room – and leaned over the porcelain water bowl that was used for personal hygiene. The water had been changed and she put her hands into the cold liquid, rubbing them frantically. Now that her anger had passed, the fear of the consequences and the horror of committing such an act washed over her and she clapped her wet hands over her mouth to stifle her terrified sobs. In the basin, a few red drops diluted in the water, gradually tinting it pink. She was watching them, sniffing miserably, when the bedroom door creaked open and pulled her out of her contemplation. She turned her tearful face towards the entrance, whining when she saw that it wasn't Phaedre but the last person she wanted to see right now.
Bonnet walked slowly to her, a strange smile plastered on his lips. There was no sarcasm on his features, no dangerous glint in his eyes. He seemed rather… pleased? It didn't matter, anyway. She did not care about his moods. The man stopped a few inches behind her back and she stiffened, not quite knowing what was going to happen. Was he aware of her altercation with Forbes? If so, was he going to punish her? If not, was he going to ask her why she was crying? And in that case, was it better to lie or tell the truth?
But the pirate ended her questioning in a rather unexpected way: with unusual gentleness, he grabbed one of her wrists between his fingers and pulled. Brianna flinched and tried to free herself, but Bonnet's left arm slipped around her waist to press her against him and keep her from running away. "What-?"
"I knew you had it in you, darlin'…", he whispered against her ear, while Brianna's eyes widened. He knew? No... He had seen her hurt Forbes. And he had not intervened?
She clenched her teeth. "What are you talking about...?"
"I knew it the first time we met… The way you struggled. I knew I was dealin' with someone special…" He leaned forward, burying his face into her neck, and let out a brief laugh. His breath caressed Brianna's bare collarbone, above her cleavage, and she flinched again but Bonnet limited her range of motion. "You and I are the same. We're both hotheads. It pulls us towards one another. I know you can feel it too..."
"No…", she hissed, closing her eyes. "I'm nothing like you. Nothing."
Bonnet's lips brushed against the skin of her neck. "I think our dear Mr. Forbes would disagree on that point..."
"Is he all right?", Brianna moaned as she mentally recalled the disaster that was the lawyer's face when she had left him in the stable.
"Do you care?"
She turned her head sharply, meeting the pirate's malicious gaze.
"Be honest, darlin'...", he added.
Brianna felt her lower lip quiver, as always when the Irishman seemed to read her mind like an open book. "Of-of course I-"
Bonnet shook his head and pressed himself harder against her. "Don't think you can fool me, Brianna…"
The young woman closed her eyes and a tear rolled down her cheek. "I don't...", she whispered after a few seconds. "I don't care." Saying it out loud was almost as painful as lying to herself. Pretending she was worried about Forbes' condition made her feel guilty about losing control and letting her anger run free. But telling the truth – that she didn't care whether he was dead or alive – revealed something dark inside her, something she knew Bonnet would revel in.
"I'll end up in jail for this… I'm going to lose Jeremiah because of him and then you'll have won…", she gasped as Bonnet pulled her towards him.
"I highly doubt that, darlin'. Mr. Forbes is no longer able to speak: he breathed his last a moment after you left... I couldn't do anything to save him..."
Brianna gave him an startled look, holding her breath. "Is he… Did I…? No… he was alive when I… he was…"
"Barely… The poor fellow was doomed. That head injury… He couldn't survive."
Bonnet's words – which were intended to be serious – contrasted with his silken tone as he tickled the young woman's neck with his hot breath. She looked up, and saw him subconsciously wet his lower lip with the tip of his tongue. He was craving to kiss her, to take her. Seeing her indulge in violence had probably turned him on and she felt suddenly nauseous.
"He… He was your partner."
"He was a tool... An old tool that I no longer needed." He stared at her for a moment – her parted lips, her bewildered expression and furrowed brow. "Dare to tell me that you are not happy he's dead."
"I…" No, she was not 'happy'! She had just killed a human being and he expected her to jump for joy? Just because the man in question was a bloody bastard, who had ruined her life out of sheer pride? Forbes got what he deserved, the little voice squeaked somewhere in the darkest corners of her brain, but even though she wouldn't mourn him, she could not possibly be glad he was dead? Right? She looked up at Bonnet and saw that he was staring at her with a satisfied smirk, as if he had followed her whole line of thought.
"Fear not, darlin'... I will not let this unfortunate incident cause any harm to you." He pressed her a little more against him and she suddenly felt he was hungry for flesh. "My duty as a husband is to protect you and Jeremiah. Your duty... is to thank me for that."
It was him... He killed Forbes...
Before she could react or think about this last epiphany, he had grabbed her by the back of her neck and crushed his lips against hers. The kiss only lasted a few seconds, and although Brianna didn't react, he seemed rather satisfied when he ended it. "I'll take care of everythin', sweetheart. And as soon as our guests are gone, we'll finish this discussion…" Matching conduct to words, he brought her fingers to his lips – which were still wet from their kiss – and after one last hungry look, he smiled mischievously at her and left the room without looking back.
As hours went by, the guests had left River Run. From her second floor window, Brianna had carefully examined their faces and attitude, expecting to see shocked or nervous expressions. But surprisingly enough, no one seemed to know what she had done. When the last carriage left the property and Bonnet's footmen invaded the garden to clear the tables and leftovers, the complete lack of reaction among the guests had piqued her curiosity and she decided to venture out of their room. But hardly had she set a foot on the first step of the staircase when Bonnet appeared at the base. He whispered a few words to his most loyal employee – the one he had assigned the painful task of monitoring his wife's actions – and the man nodded before disappearing outside. Bonnet followed him with his eyes before turning his attention back to Brianna, and began to climb each step at an unbearably slow pace. When he stopped beside her, she looked down at her own clenched fingers, her lower lip quivering.
"Is he really…?", she breathed, unable to finish her sentence. Dead? No... Did I really kill him or did you do it? That's the real question. Bonnet's hand grabbed her chin forcing her to look at him.
"It's over, we've taken care of everything."
We? Who is "we"? He and my bodyguard? Or is he talking about someone else? Who had he spoken with? Or rather, who else now had the power to make her out to be a murderer? And how had they gotten rid of the body to make sure no one would be looking for Forbes? Brianna had so many questions, but the state of shock she had been in for the last hours did not allow her to ask a single one. Bonnet must have sensed her confusion for he leaned down to press his forehead against hers and gently grabbed her hands.
"You don't have to worry anymore. No one will ever know what you did." He smirked and cocked his head slightly to the side. "To be honest, Forbes was not a reliable element. He knew too much about us, our story. And if you hadn't taken care of him after such insults, I probably would have done it myself…" He paused briefly, letting go of Brianna's hands to slip his own around her waist. "I won't let anyone disrespect us – you, me or Jeremiah. Today, I've given you a glimpse… of what our life could be like if you gave yourself to me. You, strolling about in the most magnificent attires and envied by all the other women; me, with more men licking my boots than King George himself... Untouchable. Wouldn't that be the best kind of revenge for the two wretched souls we used to be when we first met?" He smiled at her and she felt him quiver with excitement as he brought his lips closer to hers. "You just have to accept to live this life with me, Brianna…"
Breathless, the young woman made a mental summary of the situation and of the available options. Bonnet was overexcited, not just sexually, but also by the power he had enjoyed throughout the evening. Not forgetting the murder she had just committed, thus eliminating the only person who could testify against him and expose all the shenanigans he had pulled to obtain River Run and a new family. Without Forbes, his side of the story could now officially become an immutable truth, trapping Brianna a little more with him. If she pushed him away now, the adrenaline pumping in his veins might drive him to do something regrettable: at best she would be kicked out, at worst she would join Forbes in a shallow grave. The only solution was to play his game; it would probably calm him down. But then where would the game end? He was close – way too close – to her and the situation was probably already out of control anyway.
"Don't you have anything to say to me?", he whispered, pressing his forehead against hers.
To be honest, she didn't. She had things to yell at him, though: like "you're fucking insane", or "hands off, you psychopath", but nothing helpful in her situation. She therefore opted for a brief and simple answer that would not get her killed. Forcing herself to smile, she lifted her shy eyes to the pirate's.
"Th-thank you..."
Bonnet tilted his head and, like every time he came asking for a kiss, sent her a questioning look, waiting for her to consent. Brianna pursed her lips, closing her eyes to let him know she was ready, and he took possession of her mouth. However, a one-sided kiss would not satisfy him tonight and he pinned her hard against the nearest wall. Bree let out a surprised gasp, which he took advantage of to deepen their kiss, and she soon had no other choice but to follow the movements of his lips, shivering with disgust when their tongues made contact. But she made no move to push him away. Nothing was to make him fall into anger.
When he finally pulled away, panting heavily, she saw in his eyes that he had loved their first "actual" kiss and that he would not stop there. Again, he pressed himself against her, burying his face in her neck, nibbling and stroking her skin above and below the silver and emerald necklace. "You just have to accept this life, Brianna… just… accept… it…", he whispered into her ear.
Brianna closed her eyes. She could give in. Fake it. Pretend to give up on any attempt to run away from him, only to lure him later. She'd have a much easier time keeping her sanity if she played a part – that of the submissive eighteenth-century wife, conveniently married to a wealthy landowner – than trying to be herself. If she was convincing enough, he would eventually stop being suspicious. And then she could know more about his activities and find a way to expose him for what he truly was: a thief, a rapist, who lived in a sick phantasy. Doing her best to control her shaky hands, she put her arms around the pirate's neck and he stared at her suspiciously for a moment, unaccustomed to this kind of behavior. But what he saw in her blue eyes made him lose his mind: she was giving up the fight, finally accepting her fate to become his entirely. Without further ado, he grabbed the bottom of her dress to roll it up her thighs, with the firm intention of taking her right here in the corridor, but her sudden expression of distress stopped him dead in his tracks.
"Forgive me… where are my manners?", he winced, taking a step back. Brianna pulled away from the wall and walked slowly to their bedroom, whose door was slammed shut one second before Bonnet came to grips with the fasteners of her dress. He quickly lost his patience though and Brianna soon heard the fabric rip as he tore the whole thing open without a hint of hesitation. When she was completely naked, Bonnet took off his own clothes and pulled her against him again to kiss her.
Brianna shuddered as she felt his arousal pressed against her lower abdomen, but managed to control herself. A moment later, he had pinned her against the wall again and grabbed her thighs to lift her up. His cock penetrated her mercilessly and Brianna gasped, her brain only now becoming aware that Stephen Bonnet was inside her again after all those years trying to forget their first meeting. None of this made sense: this room was not hers, this husband inside her was not Roger, this whole life was just one vast nightmare which she never saw the end of. But in order to escape a nightmare, you had to take control, follow the scenario to better turn it to your advantage. And that was what she planned to do from now on. Whatever the cost. But for the time being, she'd better think of anything else than here and now.
Bonnet's thrusts picked up speed and his growls intensified. That bastard thinks he's won…, Brianna thought, reluctantly clinging on to the pirate's shoulders so as not to fall. But barely a minute or two later, he froze, pushing one last time into her with a groan of intense satisfaction. All that fuss for that?, her sarcastic inner voice squeaked and Brianna, staring vacantly into emptiness, had to hold back a sneer.
Bonnet let his face fall in the young woman's neck, trying to catch his breath, and let out a laugh. "If only you knew how long I've been waitin' for this...", he panted, smiling.
I wish I could say the same…, Brianna thought as he pulled back, leaving her with an unpleasant sticky feeling between her thighs. She only wanted to do one thing: dive into a hot bath and scrub herself raw, but obviously that was not part of Bonnet's plans, and the pirate promptly dragged her towards their bed.
oOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo
You had been warned, right? This chapter was an absolute nightmare for Brianna… Our dear Mr. Forbes has been wiped from the surface of the Earth; what do you think happened to him? You won't have the answer before a few chapters, but let me know your ideas!
Brianna and Stephen's marriage has now been consummated and even if that's a lot to take in for Bree, she might find out she's stronger than she initially thought… I hope you enjoyed this chapter enough to let me know how you reacted to it!
The next one will be published around mid-march, until then I wish you a lot of love, good health, and happy moments with family and friends in these hard times.
Xérès