“It’s going to be okay, Jess, you’ve got us. We’re always going to protect you.”
My heart aches for her, it aches so bad. Hendrix lets her go and nods to Drake, who walks over, wrapping an arm around her. I watch him lead her away, and I realize these guys are so much more than pirates. They’re brothers. They’re family. They believe in each other. Pride swells in my chest as I walk over, tucking myself into Hendrix.
“Let’s go below deck. I need you…”
He wraps his fingers around my arms and leans down, sliding his lips across mine.
“You’ve got me, always.”
That sounds just fine to me.
Fire in the hole!
“Oh, fuck, harder baby,” Hendrix rasps, tangling his hands into my hair.
I slide my mouth up and down his cock, licking, teasing, tormenting him until he’s panting and begging me for more. I like hearing him beg. It makes my pussy clench with need. I wrap my hand around the base of his cock and begin gently squeezing. He hisses and jerks his hips, thrusting his cock up into my mouth further until it’s hitting the back of my throat. His feral hiss fills the room, and I find my hand sliding down to cup his balls. My mind goes back to moments when I heard stories about men enjoying having their ass played with. Would a man like Hendrix like something like that?
I test the waters by sliding my finger lower. He tenses for a minute, and his breathing becomes ragged. I run my finger up and down, while sucking, and using my other hand to stroke his cock. I feel him swelling, getting harder and harder in my mouth, and I know he’s close. I slip my finger down, gently sliding it in. He growls loudly, and grips my hair. “Fuck, Indi, what are you…”
I press into the hard little lump my finger grazes and he’s cut off mid-sentence. His words turn into growls and his cock explodes, spurting hard into my mouth. His growling is primal and damned sexy. His hips jerk, and his fingers tighten in my hair as he continues to come, spurting into my throat. My entire body tingles with want as he slowly comes down from his release. He slumps back into the sofa and I gently remove my finger and mouth before sliding up his body and pressing little kisses to his abdomen.
“What the hell was that?” he rasps.
“Just a little trick. Did it work?”
“Are you kidding baby? Of course it worked.”
I giggle, and slide my tongue out and over the hard muscle on his belly.
“Quit doin’ that sweetheart, or I’ll have to fuck you.”
“You can’t,” I murmur.
“Why not?”
“It’s shark week.”
“What?” he says, confused.
I roll my eyes. “It means that if you drop me in the ocean right now, you’re going to find the sharks having a feast because Aunt Flo is in town.”
“Who the fuck is Aunt Flo?”
“My period!” I say, exasperated.
He is quiet for a moment, and then he bursts out laughing, his entire body shaking.
“I’ve heard a lot of things in my time, but fuck, that was gold.”
I smile against his belly and look up at him. “You know me, queen of the one-liners.”
“Cap?”
Someone bangs on the door, and with an angry sigh, Hendrix jerks up his jeans and gently lifts me off him before standing. “What?”
“There’s a ship in the distance.”
My skin instantly prickles.
“You identified it?” he says, pulling on a shirt and lifting his gun.
“No.”
“On my way.”
He turns to me. “Stay here.”
“But…”
He gives me a stern look. “Indi, stay here.”
He leans down and kisses my head quickly before turning and rushing out. I stand for a moment, completely terrified that a repeat will happen again. It’s been five days since that attack; surely we can’t have another one…
I rub my arms with my hands and turn, walking towards the bathroom. I clean up, brush my teeth, and throw my hair up before making my way back to the sofa and just sitting, waiting, feeling like I’m about to throw up all over the floor.
It feels like I wait for hours, until finally I hear yelling. I get to my feet, feeling my heart pound. The yelling increases, and I recognize a few words. It sounds threatening. Unable to stop myself, I slowly walk out of the room. I should be with Jess. She will need me. She’ll be terrified.
I step out into the hall when I hear the words more clearly. “Fuck you, Chopper. I have nothing for you.”
Chopper?
Daddy?
My legs buckle, and I grip the wall to stop myself falling. He’s here? He’s here, oh God. I take a step toward the stairs that lead up onto the deck. Can I do this? Can I see him again after all these years? It’s been so long.
For so many years I dreamed about him, wanting him home. Can I face him now? Knowing he’s likely a monster? I am doubting everything, and yet I’m still walking toward the stairs, like my body is refusing to accept those doubts.
The steps creak as I walk up them, and the yelling becomes more obscene and loud. When the sun shines into my eyes, I lift my hand, blocking it out. I peer over at the other ship lined up against Hendrix’s. It’s bigger, but older. There are more pirates, easily, and they look far scarier. There’s a man in a dark, wide-brimmed hat, pointing a gun at Hendrix and snarling curses at him. He cocks his gun as I take a step, and I feel panic swell in my chest. Is he going to kill him?
“Stop!” I cry.
The man lifts his eyes to me, and barks, “Who are you?”
My knees wobble, and I press a hand to my heart. It’s him. I know that voice; I could never miss it. I open my mouth and croak out, “Daddy?”
He shakes his head, confused. “I’m sorry, you are?”
He doesn’t recognize me. I walk closer, falling into his view more clearly. I know the moment he recognizes me, because the gun in his hand just slips and crashes onto the floor. I realize now the sun was shielding my face. He seems to sway on his feet, and his hand reaches up, gripping his hat off his head and ripping it off.
“Indigo?” he rasps.
Tears leak from the corner of my eyes, and step by wobbly step, I make my way closer. I see the years have been rather good to him, though his face holds a fair few scars. He’s got thick blond hair that is down around his shoulders, and eyes that are sky blue. He’s tall and broad, like he always was, only now he doesn’t look fatherly—instead he looks like a pirate. Dark jeans, heavy boots, black shirt, and a gun belt slung around his waist.
“Daddy, is it really…?”
I am about to step forward when I see a woman in the far corner of the ship, her eyes wide and frightened, her hands trembling. She looks terrified. It hits me like a brick then. My father buys women, and likely sells them. I make a strangled sound, and I watch as he turns his eyes to the girl. By the time he turns them back to me, I’m backing down the stairs.
“Indi!” he yells, reaching out his hand.
“You’re…you left me and became a monster!” I cry. “You make women into sex slaves. You thought I was one…you were going to buy me…oh…God…”
“My daughter,” he bellows, spinning to Hendrix and raising his gun. “You sick fuck.”
“I didn’t know she was your daughter,” Hendrix barks.
“Hand her over, now, you fucking scumbag.”
“Ain’t gonna happen,” Hendrix growls, lifting his gun.
“Stop!” I cry, running over and gripping Hendrix’s arm. “I’m here by choice.”
My dad turns his confused gaze to me. “What did you say?”
“I said, I’m here by choice.”
“He was going to sell you!”
“And you were going to buy me!”
His face falls. “Indi, just let me…”
“No!” I cry. “You left me, Daddy. You left me when I had nothing, and you never came back. Then I found out you were out here and using women as sex slaves…?
??
He curses under his breath, and then turns to his guys. “Lower your weapons. No one shoots while my daughter is on board.”
“She remains on my ship, Charles,” Hendrix growls.
My father turns his eyes toward mine. “I’m not welcome on your ship, just as you’re not welcome on mine. The only thing that can move is her, and I wish to speak with her.”
“She’s not going on your ship. Over my dead fuckin’ body.”
“Stop it!” I cry, trembling. “Just leave me be.”
“Indi!” my dad yells as I spin and rush toward the stairs. “I won’t leave, princess. Not until you hear me out.”
I block him out and rush below deck. I run into Jess, and she wraps her arms around me instantly. “I heard it all. I’m sorry honey.”
I say nothing, just walk with her to her room. Like many times before, we sit on her bed. I stare down at my hands, unsure how I feel. A huge part of me wants to run over and throw my arms around him, feeling his comfort. The other part is repulsed by thoughts of what he might have done.
“Are you okay?” Jess asks.
“I’m not sure,” I whisper. “I don’t know how I feel.”
“Have you spoken to him?”
I shake my head. “It doesn’t seem like he’s going to leave until I do. Neither of them will hurt one another because they’re both protecting me. So they’re just going to sit out there brewing until I decide what I want.”
“Don’t you want to talk to him?” Jess says gently.
“I do, but I’m scared of knowing. Hendrix was going to sell me to him, Jess. I’m not sure I can live with the reality of that, but…”
“But what?” she urges.
“I have so many questions.”
“Can I say something?”
I nod, lifting my eyes to meet hers. “I know that part of you is scared to find out that your dad is a monster, but the fact he is waiting, desperate for you to hear him out, means he has a story to tell. Sometimes, as hard as things are to listen to, they give us closure. If you run now, and don’t speak to him, you’re going to spend your life wondering. I imagine it will hurt if your fears come true and he has done what you think, but isn’t it going to be worse if you never know?”
She’s right.
She’s always right.
I reach across and grip her shoulders, hugging her close. “Thank you, Jess.”
“You don’t have to thank me.”
I pull back. “You’ve risked your relationship with Hendrix for me. You’ve been by my side and helped me through so much, for someone you don’t even know.”
She shrugs. “Helping people makes me happy, and I didn’t risk anything with Hendrix…he still doesn’t know it was me.”
“I didn’t think he did,” I say quietly.
“Enough about me. Go up there, get your answers and then start making the steps to create your life over again.”
I nod, swallowing. “Thank you, Jess.”
“Anytime, sweetie.”
I get up, and, with shaky legs, I head back toward the deck. Jess is right, I know she’s right but it doesn’t make it any easier to process. I don’t honestly know how I’ll react if my father tells me something I already feared, but I know I need closure. I at least need to know why he left.
I take each step, one by one, slowly, taking deep breaths to keep my calm. I step out onto the deck, and I see Hendrix growling something at my father, who is leaning over the side of his ship growling something back.
My father notices me first, and he stands straight. “Indi…”
“I want to talk to you, but it isn’t for your benefit, it’s for mine,” I say in a stern voice.
He nods.
Hendrix walks over, grips my shoulders and leans down. “I’m not letting you on that ship, Indi.”
“How do you suppose I talk to him then?” I say back.
He lifts his head and glares at my father before looking down at me. “There is an island fifty miles south. We can stop, mutual ground…”
“Sounds find to me,” my father says.
“There’s to be no fights, or I won’t speak to either of you,” I point out.
“Understood,” Hendrix mutters, but he doesn’t look pleased about it.
“I’d never do that to you,” my father says.
Hendrix snorts, and I glare up at him. “Stop it, I need to do this.”
He lifts his head. “GG, sail us to the south island, we’ll stop for the night.”
“On it, Cap.”
My father is starting at me, and it’s hard for me to meet his gaze when he’s looking at me like that. “I’ll see you soon, princess,” he murmurs, before walking off.
My entire body shivers, and I find a seat and slump down onto it. Hendrix falls down beside me, gripping my hand.
“You sure this is what you want, inocencia?”
“I’m sure,” I whisper.
“You might not like what you hear.”
“Tell me what you know, Hendrix.”
He flinches a little, and then shakes his head. “It ain’t my place, baby. You know that.”
“When we first met, you said Chopper likes girls like me. Tell me what you meant.”
He sighs. “He has a reputation of getting girls off people and selling them.”
There has to be something we’re not understanding here, something being left out. I just can’t see him doing it.
“And you’ve sold him girls before?”
“No, but when I said I had a girl for him, as payment, he was more than willing to accept.”
I swallow and look away as the two ships begin to move.
“I don’t understand, I know my dad…it just doesn’t fit…”
“He’s a pirate, sweetheart.”
“Would you sell girls?” I snap.
He tenses and narrows his eyes. “No, you know I wouldn’t.”
“Then you can’t use being a pirate as an excuse for being a monster.”
He stares at me a moment, then nods. “No, you’re right, I can’t.”
I look out at the blue ocean, and close my eyes, breathing it in. My stomach is doing somersaults and my entire body is tense. I’m nervous, scared as hell and desperate for answers. Hendrix wraps an arm around me, and pulls me closer to him.
“It’s going to be okay. No matter what, I’ve always got your back.”
I hope he’s right.
The island is equally as beautiful as the one we were on before. It’s a little smaller, and the sand is more yellow than white, but the beach is just as stunning, the trees thick, the air fresh and pure. Both ships come to a complete stop a few hundred meters out. This island has little sand and more coral, so we have to pile onto the lifeboats to get over to it. As soon as we all stop, I see my father jumping off his boat and striding toward me. I grip Hendrix’s hand desperately.
“Got your back, baby,” he murmurs. “I won’t let anything happen to you.”
“I’m frightened,” I whisper.
“Indi,” my father says when he stops.
Up close, I can see he has two scars on his face: one going up on an angle from his top lip, and the other up near his temple. His eyes search my face, and I can see so much emotion in them. He cares, even in all my fear I can see that. I look at Hendrix once more before nodding. My father turns, and together we walk off down the beach. When we’re out of sight, he finds a spot on the sand and sits down. I do the same.
“I know how hard this is for you, Indigo…”
“No,” I whisper, looking at my hands. “You don’t.”
“I do, because I, too, have had to live without the only thing I loved.”
“You don’t love me. You wouldn’t have left if you loved me.”
“I had no choice.”
“There’s always a choice,” I cry, turning to him.
“No, princess, there isn’t.”
“Why did you go?” I ask, feeling my arms begin to shake.
“I did something, one night when I was out. I…killed someone.”
I lift my head, feeling my eyes well with tears. “What?”
“It was an accident, I was drinking and decided to walk home. He came out of nowhere and tried to attack me for money, and in my self-defense I went too far. I hit him so hard he went backwards and landed on the footpath, hitting his head and killing him instantly. I knew what I had done, and I panicked. I couldn’t spend the rest of my life in jail, so I did the only thing I could: I ran.”
He stops for a moment, rubbing his hands together as if reliving the memory hurts.
“I didn’t become a pirate right away. I spent four years running, but one day I met a man in a bar, we got talking, and he told me stories of pirates and the laws on the ocean. Tired of running, I used what little money I had left to buy a ship. I’ve been out here since.”
I’m crying now, big heavy sobs. My body trembles.
“Indi…” he whispers, reaching for me.
“Don’t touch me!” I cry, slapping his hand away.
“I’m sorry. I know it means nothing to you now, but I am sorry.”
“You left, for whatever reason, and you never came back. Not a call, not a card, nothing. Then Mom died and I got tossed through foster homes. I could have had you…”
“In jail,” he says, his eyes hardening. “That’s what would have happened. Your life wouldn’t have been any easier.”
I turn my face away, not wanting to face that what he’s saying is actually true.
“You were all I had,” I whisper.
“I know,” he says, his voice cracking. “Princess, I know.”
“I need to…I need to know about the girls.”
“The girls?” he asks, confused.
“The girls you sell.”
He flinches when I meet his gaze. “I don’t…shit…okay, princess, I don’t sell them.”
“Then you buy them and use them for yourself?” I rasp, trembling.
“No…I save them.”
I blink, confused. “What?”
“Three years ago I was at a bar when we docked for a few nights. This girl came in. She was blond, blue-eyed, stunning. I kept an eye on her, I’m not even sure why, but she was getting around in this tiny dress and men were leering at her. She left at about midnight, and I noticed she walked out alone, very drunk. I followed her, just wanting to make sure she was safe. Anyway, this van pulled up beside her and before I knew what was happening, they were pulling her inside. I stood there and watched these men take her. Her face was all over the news for weeks, and after twelve months I saw that she had been found in a different country. Those men had sold her as a sex slave. I was sick at the thought that women were being targeted, so I got myself involved in the business. Most of the clients think I keep the women and sell them, but I send them home.”