Page 36 of Storm over the Caribbean (Storm and Silence Saga #8)

Hard and fast, I swung the pan at my attacker. It swept straight towards the bastard’s head—until said bastard’s hand clamped around my wrist, and he said in a very cold, very familiar voice: “Is that any way to greet your husband, Mrs Ambrose?”

Oh.

Um.

Hey, wait a minute! What the heck was he doing here?

“You. Or at least that is the plan.”

Wait, did I just say that out loud?

Oops.

More importantly, Lilly, what did he just say?

I felt heat rush to my face. “W-what the heck did you just say?”

Bending down until the shadowy outline of his chiselled face was right above me, he stared straight into my eyes with his own. Deep, dark, shadowy pools of sea water even a pirate princess would drown in, let alone sweet little me.

“I think I spoke clearly, no?”

I swallowed. “Indulge me.”

“Oh, I intend to.” He bent down a little farther, until I could feel the heat of his breath against my ear. “You want me to be clear about what I came here to do? Or rather whom?”

I felt heat thrum deep within me.

“You. Clear enough, Mrs Ambrose? You .”

“It’s Mr Linton!” I protested weakly. “We’re in disguise! We have to pretend—”

“Not now.” A single finger on my lips silenced me. “Not tonight.”

Before I could get another word out, his fingers had already found their way to the top button of my shirt. Or rather, his shirt, which I had been wearing for the last few days.

And which you won’t be wearing for much longer.

The thought sent a thrill through me.

Bad Lilly, bad! You’re supposed to hide! You’re supposed to be a man! Think chauvinism! Short dressing times! Socks stuffed down your trousers!

That was when I felt Mr Ambrose’s “socks” against me. His very, very hard socks.

Oh boy.

Those must be uncomfortable to wear.

All of a sudden, in front of my inner eye appeared a mental image of Mr Rikkard Ambrose with a sock over his—

I couldn’t help it. A giggle escaped me.

“ Something funny , Mrs Ambrose?”

Oh shit.

“Um, well…” I cleared my throat.

“I see.” His eyes glittered in the darkness. “Well then, let’s keep you entertained, shall we?”

And he was on me. His lips were at my neck, scattering burning brands across my skin. Before I knew what was happening, he had left a trail of unquenchable desire down my neck, farther and farther down until he was about to reach my…

“N-no,” I squeezed out while my mind screamed Yes! Yes, please! “W-we can’t! If someone hears us…”

“I shall be silent. Or do you doubt my abilities in that regard?”

I nearly snorted. But it came out as a moan.

“D-don’t make me laugh!”

“That did not sound like a laugh to me, Mrs Ambrose.”

I opened my mouth to shoot back a remark—and out came another moan. Dammit!

Mr Ambrose, not being one to waste opportunities, used my distraction to pop the remaining buttons of my shirt. In a blink, the threadbare thing was fluttering away. Hot, tropical air caressed my skin.

I licked my lips.

“Y-you do remember that that was your precious mint-condition ten-year-old shirt, right?”

A stare filled with icy determination pinned me to the ground. “Do I look like I care?”

No.

No, he most definitely didn’t.

But…

Reaching out, I cupped his cheek. “You look like you care about me.”

Suddenly, the ferocious look in his eyes intensified tenfold. In a blink, his hands were holding my face in an iron grip.

“Indeed.”

Then his lips slammed down on mine.

***

“Ships ahoy! Ships ahoy!”

The shout from the lookout above echoed all over the ship. Only two seconds later, the door to the captain’s cabin slammed open, and a massive man with a no less massive beard strode out of the doorway. A moment later, the door to a storage closet opened, and a sleepy captain stumbled out.

“What is it?” Karim barked. “What do you see? The reinforcements?”

There was a momentary pause. Then…

“No! It’s one of Mr Ambrose’s merchant ships!”

Karim pulled a face.

“…being attacked by a pirate vessel!”

If the look on the bodyguard’s face had been less than pleased before, it was positively murderous now. Behind him, the colour drained from the captain’s face.

“ Pirates ?”

“Aye, Sir! I can clearly see the skull and crossbones on the flag!”

“I see.” Karim cracked his knuckles. “Captain?”

“Um…aye, Mr Karim, Sir?”

“Load the cannons and ready the men for attack!”

“Aye aye, Si—wait, what ? We have only one ship!”

The bodyguard’s gaze that pierced him a moment later made the captain very much regret that he had spoken. But not as much as he would regret being gutted by a pirate’s cutlass.

“Yes, Captain.” The massive Mohammedan placed a hand on his sabre. “Any objections?”

The captain suddenly decided that being gutted by a pirate’s cutlass might not be so bad after all. Still…

“Not really, Sir. Except…” He hesitated.

One bushy eyebrow rose. “Yes?”

“Why would we intervene? Isn’t our priority to find Mr and Mr Ambrose?”

“And what if Ambrose Sahib and the Sahiba have already been found? They could be on that merchant ship. Or worse, hostages on the pirate ship.”

The captain paled a little more. “Oh.”

Karim gave a grim nod. “Now do you have any objections?”

“N-no, Mr Karim, Sir! None at all!” Turning around, the captain shouted at his men. “What are you waiting for, you landlubbers? Hard-a-port, men! 26 Load the cannons!”

“Aye aye, Sir!”

A moment passed. Wood creaked. Sails fluttered, and the ship began to turn.

Then, slowly but inexorably, it started heading towards the desperate battle in the distance.

The merchant ship was heavily damaged, and completely unable to manoeuvre.

As for the pirates—so far, they seemed fully focused on their prey and hadn’t even realized that another ship was approaching from behind.

“Captain?”

“Aye?” The captain glanced at the massive Mohammedan, who was standing at the prow, trying to burn holes into the pirate vessel with his gaze alone.

“Are we in firing range?”

“Aye, Sir!”

“Then bring the ship around.”

“Aye aye, Sir! Should I fire a warning shot?”

“Oh yes. Right onto the deck. That should be a sufficient warning.”

“Um…aye aye, Sir!”

Sweat dripping from his face, the captain hurried off. Karim, for his part, retained his spot at the prow, hands behind his back and spine straight as a rod. He waited. And waited. And wai—

Boom!

The ship rocked back as the cannons spewed fire and smoke. An instant later, the distant ship swayed, and wood splinters exploded into the air. Shouts of surprise and pain echoed across the ocean.

“Aim for the sails! Make sure those kutte dián puttar 27 don’t escape!”

“Aye aye, Sir!”

In rapid succession, salvo after salvo was fired at the distant ship.

As was usual with firefights at this distance, most went astray.

But only one or two needed to hit before all was decided.

The pirates only just seemed to have registered what was going on.

Desperately, they tried to turn their ship around and return fire—only to ram the merchant ship they had just been about to board and be stopped in their tracks.

“Don’t stop!” Karim barked. “Continue firing!”

The sailors didn’t need to be told twice.

Explosions ripped the air apart, only moments before cannonballs did the same to pirate ship’s sails.

Already, the so-called “sails” were nothing more than tattered rags, unable to move forward even a nutshell, let alone a ship.

But, apparently, fate had even more in store for the pirates.

Crack!

The sound was ear-splitting, even more so than the cannon fire.

For a moment, no one seemed to know where it had come from—until the main mast of the pirate ship keeled over and slammed into the deck with horrendous force.

The whole ship swayed, almost shattering under the force.

Screams of agony rose into the air, bodies squashed under the weight and thrown overboard by the impact.

“Now!” Karim barked. “Cease firing! Approach and board!”

“Aye aye, Sir!”

The ship under Karim’s command turned and, without anyone firing so much as a single shot at them, approached its prey. Shouts of alarm rose from the pirate ship. Some grabbed their pistols, trying to ready them in time, but—

“Begin boarding action!”

Grappling hooks flew through the air. Metal scratched against wood as they bit into the railing, the rigging—anything and everything where they could find hold. Moments later, the order came.

“Pull!”

With a deep, torturous groan of wood, the two ships began to approach each other.

Those few pirates who’d managed to get hold of their weapons raised their guns in a desperate attempt at defending themselves—only to be thrown to the deck again a second later when the ships crashed against each other.

“Now!”

At Karim’s barked command, the sailors sprang into action. Launching themselves over the railing and the gap between the ships, they spread swiftly over the enemy deck. And Karim himself was right at the front, swinging his sabre like a berserker.

“Come on, Captain!” he roared over his shoulder. “Let’s show those gandah jhínghá 28 what real men are made of!”

Behind him, the captain gulped and clutched his stomach. “Um…I don’t really want to have to show someone the colour of my innards.”

“ What was that?”

“Yes, Sir, Mr Karim, Sir! I’m coming, Sir!”

Reluctantly, the captain drew his pistol and plunged himself into the battle. Soon, smoke filled the air, mixed with the iron scent of blood. Screams and curses echoed over the ocean.

“Stand!” one of the biggest pirates roared. “Stand and fight, you yellow-bellied bastards! We’re the predators of the sea! We can win this if we fight and—”

Wham!

Karim’s fist slammed into the man’s gut, sending him sailing back through the air. “By all means,” he snarled, pearly white teeth flashing between his black beard in a predatory grin. “Fight!”