Standing, he stretched and cracked his back. He wanted to meet up with his men and go over the plans for the morning. In the hall, he paused by the door he’d locked Needle in. A twinge of guilt pierced his gut. He leaned against the door, listening. She made no sound. She must’ve fallen asleep.
Fighting the temptation to unlock the door and let her out, he kept walking, trying to focus on what he needed to do.
“Ye need anything, Cap’n?” Duncan asked as he made his way past him topside.
“Nay, just this eternal night to end,” Colin answered as he continued on to find Peggy. His quartermaster was seated at a table with another crew member, playing a game of draughts, the board set up between them.
“Who’s winning?” Colin asked as he pulled up a chair and sat down, stretching his long legs in front of him.
“Peggy, of course,” Derrick said. “The bastard always cheats.” He grabbed an empty cup and poured some ale into it and handed it to Colin as Peggy thought about his next move.
“Ah, shut up, ye son of a strumpet.” He moved his wooden coin, jumping over two of Derrick’s coins and proclaimed, “King me.”
Derrick threw up his hands. “I give up.”
“Come on. Ye’ll never learn if ye always quit before the end.”
Honey laughed as he watched the exchange between the two men. Peggy older, Derrick younger. He nodded at Derrick, one of his newer crewmen. “Ye should take lessons from ol’ Peggy here. There’s wisdom in his strategy. Which, speaking of,” he looked at his quartermaster. “We need to discuss our approach for the morn and get everything ready.”
“Aye, Cap’n.” He stood and turned to Derrick. “Put the board up and then gather the rest of the crew. Meet us above deck after a bit.”
Two hours later,Colin and his crew had a plan of attack. The mutinous crew ofHades Revengewould pay, but especially Storm. He wanted to rip that louse apart limb by limb. He was all for aiming the cannons now and blowing the ship to pieces.
Damn him and his honor. He’d always gone by the edict that he wouldn’t fire upon his enemy under the cover of darkness. He knew he was alone in his thinking. Most pirates wouldn’t blink an eye. They’d attack whenever given the chance.
Colin made up his own rules and stuck by them. Even when his own crew disagreed. But they knew the rules before they signed on. If they didn’t like it, they didn’t have to work for him. There were plenty of other captains out there looking for help.
But make no mistake, just because he waited for the light of day, he held nothing back. Took no mercy on those he attacked. The best part about carrying his plans through when he did?
He got to see the life seep out of the eyes of his enemies as they died by his hand.
Just before dawnbroke the night sky, Colin got out of bed. He hadn’t slept anyway. His eyes continuously fell upon the empty pallet on the floor near his bed.
Guilt flooded him as he thought about how he’d made a lass sleep on his floor. Worse, he’d undressed in front of her. She’d seen him. All of him. ’Twas no wonder she always shied away from him during those times. He was a fool.
“Cap’n!” Peggy burst through the door, his round face red, his barrel chest heaving. “Hades Revenge. It’s gone.”
“What are ye going on about?” He bent over the wash basin and splashed his face with the cool water, running his wet hands through his hair before taking a strip of linen and tying it at his nape.
“Storm has pulled anchor and gone. The ship. It’s no’ there. I’ve no idea when he left.”
“Coward. He was still anchored when we were planning our attack. That means he could only have a few hours on us at the most.” He pushed past his quartermaster and headed topside. He looked over the water. Dawn was just cresting, the morn still dark, but light enough for him to see there were no other ships around them.
“Damn it!” He swore. The air was still. “There’s nay wind.Hades Revengewill be becalmed in this weather. Call up the others and set sail.”
The Hellawas a larger ship with more force behind it to coast it along the sea’s surface. He had no doubt they’d catch the traitorous bastard before long.
“Aye, Cap’n. Which direction?”
“North. Storm will be heading past Aberdeen. He’s got allies out that way. If he was looking for someone to put him up so he and his crew could lay low for a while, that’s where he’d go.”
Peggy nodded and went to gather the men. Colin remained on deck, a feeling of disappointment gnawing at his gut. He’d been looking forward to a battle. If Storm thought he’d escaped his wrath, he was dead wrong.
Colin would get the battle he sought.
Chapter Fifteen
Seonag was growingtired of being locked in rooms by men who thought they could dictate her every move.
