Damned (28 page)

I swallow. “You do?”

“God yes.”

“You..you hurt me so much Jax, your words hurt.”

“I am trying,” He whispers, looking up at me. “I honestly am.”

“If I didn’t know that, I would not be here. I just wish you knew how your words affect me. One minute your all baby girl and darlin, and the next you are all harsh and cruel.”

“What I said back there Jade, I didn’t mean it. I want..” He takes a deep breath. “I want you to be my girlfriend, I need you to be my girlfriend.”

I let out a choked sound. “You do?”

“Yeah, give me a chance to try this. I want you.”

“Oh.” I sob.

“Take me in all my bull headedness baby girl, I...care about you more than anything in this world right now. I know its probably not enough but…”

I put my finger to his lips. “Its enough, it will always be enough.”

CHAPTER 15

The next two weeks with Jax are bliss. We laugh, play, make love and hang out, nothing could make me feel better. Everything in my life right now is perfect. Just perfect. He is everything I have ever wanted and more, and he is trying. Really trying. I love him for that. We haven't heard much from Bill, but we all know he will pounce soon; real soon. One evening a few weeks later, everything changes.

“Hey Jade, guess what?” Rusty asks, sauntering over with a grin.

“Oh Rusty, your face is a cracker. What is it?”

“We are going on a holiday!”

“We are?” I squeal, really?

“Sure are, Jax is organizing it as we speak.”

“Oh my god, I am so going to jump his bones for this.”

I run from the room beaming, I have been desperate for some time out. I get up on deck, and it is dark. I begin walking towards Jax’s room when I hear a loud thump. Turning, I see Bill standing beside me. Oh shit. I back up against the railing.

“Well well.”

He grasps my shoulder and tears my shirt so quickly I do not realize what is happening, his eyes widen at the fact that I have no wound from the gun shot he gave me weeks ago.

“I heard it was true, god damn.”

“Leave me alone.”

“Show me what you can do and if you scream I will blow this ship to pieces and kill your lover.”

I shoot a glance over his shoulder; I can’t see the other ship, it is far too misty and dark. I turn my eyes back to his and watch him slice a cut in his arm.

“Take it from me.”

“No, get away from me.”

He drives a fist into my face, hard and crushing. I fall backwards, but he catches me. “I assure you, I will slaughter this entire ship, now take it from me.”

I close my fingers over his arm and take the slash onto my self, where it begins to tingle instantly. It isn’t deep so it is healing rather quickly. I still groan in pain; he shoves a hand over my mouth.

“You’re more value than I thought.”

He tries to yank me to the side, and I quickly realize his intentions, he wants to take me aboard his ship. I lash my foot out, and it connects with his shins, he stumbles backwards and curses. In a second, he lea
ps forward with his gun and hit
s me across the face, I feel my cheek split, my head swirl. I stumble but manage to keep my footing.

“You aren’t taking me anywhere.” I spit, kicking out and connecting with his gun, it tumbles from his hands and across the deck.

“Bitch!” He roars, punching me hard again.

I duck the second blow and drive my body into his middle section, ramming him against the railing. He roars in pain, and I hear a few bones break. I grasp hold of his man hood and twist as hard as I can, he howls so loudly it echos across the water. Minutes or even seconds later, Jax and the crew are on deck. Jax has me in a second, yanking me off Bill and crushing my back to his chest; his arm falls firmly around my waist. I kick out again, connecting with Bills face as he crunches over to grasp his groin.

“Don’t fire.” He yells, his voice strangled and I hear the cocking of guns over the water. So his crew is there, in the dark.

When a large spotlight comes on, I see them, standing and pointing their weapons at Jax’s ship. I see something else too, Bella, standing between them with a gun pressed to her head. Bill stands, his voice hissing as he speaks.

“I won’t kill you Jax because you have too much I want, but mark my words, I will get her, and she will be mine. Send her to shore, go ahead, I will find her there too. I know your plans…and she will be mine.”

“You will never have her, men…kill him.”

“Ah ah ah,” He murmurs and turns to face Bella. “You kill me, they kill her…and her…”

I notice then; half the guns are pointed to me. I make a strange whiney sound and Jax clenches me tighter. I glance up at him, to see his gaze is fixed on Bella. I can’t make out his expression but he orders his men to put their guns down.

“Good boy Jax, I will see you again soon mark my words. I have leverage now. I have two things you want, soon, I will have three.”

“Over my dead body.” Jax snarls.

“That will be number four and mark my words Jax, that little girl will pay for this when I get my hands on her.”

His evil eyes burn into mine. He turns then, takes his rope and begins swinging back to his ship. I lean down and pick up his gun.

“Forgetting something?”

I throw the gun hard and it connects with the side of his head. His hands slip from the rope, and he falls into the water. After a gurgled moment, he emerges with deadly eyes.

“If you weren't so valuable with your little gift, you would be dead. Watch your back girl.” He warns in a lethal tone as his men begin dragging him in.

Then, as quickly as they appeared, they are gone. Jax spins me around to face him, his eyes narrow and he winces.

“You’re in a bad way, come on.”

“He…he….he was just here. On the deck.”

“You did good baby girl, I am real proud of you.”

Huh? “You’re not mad.”

He smiles, weakly. “No, I have never seen anyone beat the shit out of him the way you did. You are incredible.”

I crumble into his arms, and he nestles his head against my hair. “Come on, lets get you cleaned up.”

“Jax…he knew that you were planning on sending me to shore.”

Jax’s head snaps up and it all peices together. “We have a traitor.”

I nod.

“Rusty, get over here.”

The men have begun clearing off deck, Rusty stops what he is doing and walks over.  “Yeah Cap?”

“We got a traitor in the works.”

“What?”

“Bill knew I was planning on sending her to shore. He didn’t know I changed my mind, but it’s a traitor all the same.”

Rusty growls. “Meeting will be called in five.”

“Yeah, get Sam in too. For Jade.”

“Aye Cap.”

Jax helps me downstairs and into the dining room, under the light I can see I am soaked in blood. I shudder.

“He did a fucking job on you baby, come on. Sit down.”

Jax sits me down as the men begin crowding in. Sam rushes over to me and hugs me tight.

“Oh sweety, you’re sent to give us a heart attack.”

I laugh, weakly. “I suppose so.”

“Right,” I hear Jax’s booming voice and I turn to watch him. “I now know something that has made my blood boil, we have a traitor on this ship. I know this because Bill has found out I planned on sending Jade to shore. Now how would he know this? We haven't docked, and we haven't had contact with anybody about it, so that means one of you little weasels has spilled to him. I will find out who it is and when I do, I swear to god I will slit your throat slowly, inch by inch and then hang you to rot.”

I shiver; Jax’s voice is like steel and he is terrifying.

“Jade isn’t going to shore, she stays with me. She will be under my constant protection, all phones will be monitored, and if I find any of you, anywhere near her, I will crush you with my bare hands.”

He is screaming now, and his voice is terrifying. I scramble back and the chair slides from underneath me. I land with a thump and Jax turns, staring at me. He tilts his head and narrows his eyes, before leaning down and lifting me up.

“Don’t be afraid, I will not hurt you.”

“You scare me.” I whisper.

Jax strokes my cheek, easing my fear and then turns back to the crew. “Get the fuck outta my sight and hope to god you aren’t the one betraying me, because god help you if you are.”

Jax turns and stares down at me. “Come with me, Sam are you done?”

“As much as possible Cap, she heals quicker than I work.”

Jax takes my hand and leads me to his room, shutting the door behind him.

“You scare me baby.” He says, grasping a wash cloth wiping some blood off my face.

“I know, I am sorry.”

“You’re a real trooper. I am proud of you, truly.”

I smile weakly.

“Tired kid?”

“Yeah.”

“Come on, get to sleep.”

“Jax first…make love to me.”

He grins and pulls me into his arms, and we fall onto the bed. Jax makes love to me half the night. He is a war horse; he just goes and goes, over and over until neither of us can take anymore. By morning, I am burning in pain down below. I know in a few hours; I will be fine, but from the hissing sounds coming from the toilet, Jax won’t be. When he walks out, I give him a sympathetic look.

“Are you hurting Jax?”

“Barely got any skin left, fucking hell how many times did I go you Jade?”

“Seven, eight? I don’t know. I feel it too.”

“You heal.”

I walk over and touch him; he assumes I am being affectionate until he glances down, then back up at me.

“You fucking stupid girl.”

I cry out as I take his raw pain onto myself; I crumble to my knees. Good lord he certainly was in pain.

“Oh Jade, you can’t keep doing that.”

He lifts me and carries me to the bed, then goes to the fridge and pulls out a cold pack.

“Spread em.”

I glare at him and whimper through pants. “I am not showing you.”

“Then put this on there.”

I snatch the ice pack and shove it down my pants, relief washes over me, and I moan.

“Sounds like that is more fun than last night.” He teases.

“Shut it pirate and get in here with me. Now, you owe me.”

He looks scared. “Baby, I am tired…”

I laugh loudly. “I know I should have recorded that. I don’t want sex; I want to….talk.”

He groans. “Aw, no mate.”

“Please Jax. I have questions.”

“If you answer mine, I will answer yours.”

“Deal.”

He slides in beside me, not touching me but close enough that I can smell his devine scent.

“You first,” He says lazily. “What happened with your dad?”

I am surprised he is only asking me this now, we have been away for weeks. Mind you, it has been hectic. I tell him everything Mack told me, and he blinks.

“So…you have the healing gift from him? And it can only be given to your blood aka children? And he knows of a treasure that makes one immortal? Damn, I need to get my hands on that.”

“More treasures.” I snort.

“It would better than the curse I already have.”

“Maybe. Any curse cant be good right?”

“I don’t know baby, I don’t know,” He gives me a sympathetic smile. “My turn huh?”

“Yep, first things first, what are you and Bill so keen to get your hands on that you want to kill each other?”

Jax rubs his head. “Where to start. Remember how I told you I was a true blood? Well, that means my blood has special…qualities.  I have a tattoo inscribed on me, and there is a treasure out there that when my blood and the inscription combined are used to activate it, holds massive powers.”

“Let me guess, Bill’s got the treasure?”

“Yep and I have the blood and the inscription.”

“So you need to write the inscription, on the treasure with your blood?”

“Correct.”

“And then what?”

He shifts. “He becomes what we are. After I cursed my crew, he managed to get the treasure, not realizing he needed my blood to activate it.”

“So, why haven't you just killed Bill and gotten the treasure back?”

“It’s not that easy, I don’t know where it is hidden. If I kill him or sink his ship, I lose it.”

“So attack him.”

“It’s not that easy mate.”

“And why hasn’t he killed you?”

“If I go down, so does the inscription and my blood. He would have to manage to kill me, get my dead body and take it back on board, all while staying alive. He also has something else I want, but it’s not as important.”

“More?”

“I have half of a key, that unlocks co-ordinates to an island that nobody lives on except a small tribe. Once my crew sort out Bill, we plan to set up base there. Nobody can find us, nor track us there. I don’t have the key on board, and he knows it but he has the other half and needs it as much as I do. Without the two halves, the key is pointless. He has been looking for leverage, something to make me give it all up. He tried Bella and stupid her fell for it and gave in. It didn’t work…then…”