Chapter 2 – Eustass Kidd

Skyler's body ached, sore from the earlier fight. Her mind raced as she tried to make sense of where she was. This wasn't the gym floor or her home.

She rubbed her eyes, each movement a struggle. The room around her looked like an infirmary, but she didn't recognize it. Slowly, she sat up, her legs dangling in the air, unable to reach the floor. She massaged the back of her neck, trying to ease the tension. Her torso was wrapped in bandage, remnants of her torn shirt covering them. She didn't want to think about her face – the splinters had definitely left their mark.

The pain in her body was proof enough that what had happened was real. Somehow, she'd ended up on a ship, in the middle of the ocean, surrounded by strangers. Pirates, dressed like they were ready for a BDSM session. She wanted to go home, but how? She had no idea where she was, or if this was even her world.

Taking a breath she forced herself to focus. One step at a time. She'd figure it out.

"Finally awake?"

She glanced toward the door. Killer stood there, arms crossed. His low voice vibrated in her head, making the dull pain worse. "You passed out. Captain thought you were cutting his job short and dying on your own."

He grabbed a stool and sat down in front of her, blocking her way.

"Charming…" she muttered, eyeing the distance between them. She shifted uneasy. Her kick to his groin hadn't been forgotten, and she wouldn't put it past him to look for revenge.

"How are you?" he asked, leaning forward slightly.

"What do you think?" She glared at his mask but he only shrugged. "Like crap…" She ran a hand through her black hair, wincing at the effort The bandages seemed to restrict every movement. The she saw Killer reaching for her leg. Instinctively, she grabbed his wrist. "What are you doing?" she snapped.

"I need to check that wound on your thigh," Killer said, tilting his head slightly to meet her green eyes. "I need to see if it's getting inflamed or showing signs of infection."

"At least ask first…" Skyler muttered, releasing his wrist.

Silence settled between them as killer lifted the gauze from her thigh and pressed his fingers around the wound. Skyler flinched at the touch. She murmured an apology and forced herself to stay still.

Despite the tension of their earlier encounter, she allowed herself to relax into the proximity. His touch was unexpectedly gentle, almost cautious, as if he was making an effort to cause no more harm than she'd already endured. His fingers lingered near the wound, his thumbs just shy of touching it, while the rest rested lightly around her thigh.

She couldn't deny the strange awareness that grew in her. His touch almost felt intimate.

"Everything's fine so far, but keep it clean," Killer said, leaning back on the stool. He released her leg, and she almost sighed in relief. "Heat will keep an eye on it. He knows more about medical stuff than I do."

Skyler's brow furrowed. "So, I let some pervert grope my thigh instead of a doctor?" Killer chuckled – quiet, but genuine. The sound surprised her. "So… what happens with me now?"

"For now, you stay and help fix what you broke," Killer replied, cutting her off before she could protest. He stood, moving to a cabinet in the infirmary." I'll be there too. I'm just as responsible for the damage." He tossed some clothes on the bed beside her. "Change. After that, you'll do chores around the ship until we reach the next stop. Then you can leave. Unless Kidd changes his mind."

"Kidd?" Skyler's mind raced. "Captain William Kidd?" The mention of pirates made her remember whatever knowledge she had of pirates. Perhaps it was the historical figure. If that was the case, she had perhaps, somehow, travelled back in time. But then, the gauntlet Killer wore – too advanced for the era – made her doubt it.

Killer raised an eyebrow. "I've known him a long time. Never called him William, unless he hid it from me." He studied her for a moment, intrigued by her slip. "His name is Eustass Kidd, our captain."

Skyler blinked. Not the historical figure. A pirate captain named Kidd, sure – but not the one she had thought of. The redhead was the captain? She couldn't wrap her head around how someone so hot-headed could lead a crew. But then again, maybe it was a requirement for pirates.

And now, her life was in his hands. Great!

"If that' all, I'll let the captain know you're awake. We'll go from there." Killer nodded and left the infirmary, leaving her alone to get dressed.

Alone with her thoughts.

Escape wasn't an option. Swimming to shore? She had no idea how far they were from land. Even if she tried, she'd likely die of hypothermia before she got far – or be eaten by something in the ocean.

But maybe… death by sea creature or the sniffles was better than whatever mercy the captain might offer.

The captain.

Skyler peeled off the remains of her clothes, kicking off her shoes and pulling on the oversized polka dot blouse and modest jean shorts Killer had left her. As she buttoned up the blouse, a sudden noise outside made her freeze. The door slammed open, and there he was – the captain – his angry gaze locking onto her.

For a moment, surprise flickered in his eyes, and Skyler realized she hadn't finished buttoning her blouse. The tight sports bra underneath had pushed her breasts together, clearly catching his attention.

"Get the fuck out!" She limped toward him and threw a punch straight into his stomach. He staggered back, eyes wide with shock. But his gaze stayed on her chest until she yanked the blouse closed. "Eyes up here, buddy!" She snapped her fingers and then pointed at her eyes. "Have you ever heard of knocking!? It's common courtesy."

With that, she slammed the door shut and finished dressing, grumbling under her breath about Kidd being a savage. Once done, she opened the door to find him still stunned. "There. Now we can talk."

"I really should just kill you…" Kidd growled, finally recovering from his daze. He turned and marched toward the upper deck, Skyler following close behind.

"You have such a way with words…" She muttered, irritation building. Her anxiety was spiking, veins pulsing in her skull. "As much as that idea appeals to you, it doesn't exactly appeal to me. So, how about you drop me off at an island with civilization, and you can go your way?"

Kidd's scowl deepened, "I should do just that, whether there's civilization or not. You will leave this ship."

Skyler rolled her eyes. "I'd prefer actual human interaction, thanks."

Killer approached, catching their eyes briefly as he passed them.

"I'm still curious about something," Kidd said, his tone sharp. "How did you even get here?"

Skyler's heart skipped.

They won't believe me…

Skyler's mind raced. 'I don't know' wasn't enough – she knew that from their earlier exchanges. She could lie, make up an excuse, claim sudden amnesia…

But that would get her killed.

If she was going to lie, it had to be a damn good one. The truth? She had no idea how she'd ended up here. Appearing out of thin air on a pirate ship? Nothing about that was reasonable.

"I…" she hesitated. What could she say? "I don't know…"

Kidd raised a non-existent eyebrow. "So, you just showed up? Out of nowhere?"

"Yes. I think." She searched her memories, struggling to piece together what had happened. "I was training at the gym, felt dizzy, and then… I was here." Her voice trailed off. "Look, I want answers as much as you do, and trust me, I want to be out of here just as badly as you want me gone."

Eustass frowned, arms crossed over his chest. He clearly didn't buy her story, but at least he seemed to recognize her sincerity.

"Fucking useless…" He muttered, closing his eyes as he tried to figure out what to do with her.

Skyler couldn't help herself. "This all feels like a fever dream… None of it seems real. I just want to wake up."

Kidd's eyes flickered with irritation, "Want me to smack you good and see if you wake up?"

Killer placed a hand on his shoulder, stopping him before things could escalate.

"Does that usually work on the ladies?" She snapped back, rolling her eyes at Kidd's arrogance.

"The women love it," he replied, puffing his chest as though that would impress her.

"Hopefully, they were well paid to say that," she shot back, disgusted by his ego.

Kidd's face twisted in fury. "What the fuck did you just say?" He stomped toward her, grabbing her by the collar of her blouse. She had to stand on her tiptoes to keep him from choking her, a sharp pain shooting through her thigh. "For someone who just showed up here, you sure talk back a lot." His voice dropped to a low growl, a threat in every word. "You better watch that mouth of yours." He stepped closer, their faces inches apart. "Piss me off and see what happens."

He shoved her away, and Skyler lost her balance, stumbling backward. The force of his push sent her crashing against the ship's railing, and she was sent flying overboard with a scream.

The cold ocean hit her like a punch to the chest, the shock knocking the breath from her lungs. Maybe this was a dream.

Maybe the shock would wake her up.

-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-

A/N:

I did quite a few alterations to the story and there are certain things that had already happened that I will delay for the future, as well as eliminate certain things that don't make sense (personally)

I will be making changes as I go and proofreading everything to make sure I don't make the same mistakes I've made previously with my writing.

I'll first be focusing on this work before moving on to other projects.