Chapter 10
Chapter Ten
CYRUS
My muscles ache, my joints feel like they scrape against one another. But I don’t slow down. I can’t slow down.
Trudging the dead and loose body parts is exhausting, making me run on fumes. My empty stomach is starting to revolt at the lack of substance it’s received today. But I can’t slow down.
Although my body is protesting at every turn, my mind is spiralling.
If I slow down for even a second to catch my breath, my imagination speeds up. Continuously conjuring up vivid paintings from last night.
The way she looked in the pool of water. Her sweet smile. The way she guided me to somewhere quiet, peaceful.
Me on my knees looking up at Tally. Her hands on my skin. Her mouth between my thighs.
Subconsciously I shake, removing the play of her from my memory, as I continue to lug the body of a hefty guy.
The dead fucker is at least double my weight and he’s leaving a lovely trail of guts behind me.
Something else to clean up. I’ll be at this all day– as well as tomorrow probably– but at least the physical labour keeps my mind clear. At least somewhat.
Clambering down the gangplank– very conscious that one wrong step will send me tumbling into the rocky shore below with the lump of lard currently hiked over my shoulder. Once I hit the dock, I deposit the body into the awaiting wagon already half-full of parts.
Henri slips up next to me, throwing two bodies in at once. Our resident brute knows no limits when it comes to strength apparently. The cart shakes and creaks, and bows under the weight. We’ll need a fresh one. But we’ve already got another two full carts and nowhere to put the additional bodies.
Which means I need to lock down my emotions and find the one person I’ve been avoiding all day to find out where to put the dead bastards.
Fuck sakes.
Once again my mind plays through the events of last night on a loop. I’d like it if just one thing didn’t bring me back to her.
“Think we’re going to need a new cart, boss.” Henri’s deep timbre pulls me back from my spiral.
“I know. But this is all we have. I need Tally to–” and like a fucking apparition, she walks down the centre of the dock. Chin held high, a slight upturned smirk on her face and the sun blessing her skin.
She looks otherworldly, her dress sleeves pushed off her shoulders, showing the rich undertone of her complexion.
The sleeves tight to the sleek muscles of her arms, the cuffs ending at a sharp point on her wrists, leaving her dainty hands on display.
And the skirt. The skirt is cut up the side giving teasing little glimpses of those strong legs underneath.
I seem to have swallowed a rock, as my lungs fail to expand with oxygen.
She’s truly a vision.
But not one I can afford to get used to watching.
I have other things to worry about. Such as commanding this ship whilst the Captain is sick. Amara. This time my spiral is different because it's about my Captain lying covered in blood, battered and bruised. All whilst I went off and fucked Tally.
Tally gets closer, bringing me back to the present moment and making my pulse race and blood rush in my ears. Flashes of memories from last night race through me once again. So much for locking down my emotions.
For fuck sakes, this is why I don’t let anyone through my carefully constructed walls.
Henri gives me a sharp nudge to the ribs with his elbow, shaking me from my stupor. Breaking the spell that Tally somehow had put on me– one she continuously seems to put on me– my gaze flits over to see Henri giving me a quizzical look.
Right, I was in the middle of a sentence.
Clearing my throat, I continue. “As I was saying, I need to talk to Tally before we can lug any more bodies off the ship.”
“I’m guessing you’re wanting to talk to me about where to cart off the–” Tally stops in front of us, her nose scrunching up at the smell emanating from the cart now beside her. “Well, where to cart this lot.”
Normally this is where I say something but seeing her again in the light of day, so freaking close, with the sunlight treating her like a deity, it's making my head spin. Henri gives me another strange look before speaking himself.
“Spot on, Tally.”
Tally grins his way, before she clocks me with her stare once more.
Then she opens those sinister lips. “Well, sweetie, I’ve got pyre’s being built just down the beach.” She points to our left, following her finger I see a small group of people a little ways down the beach lugging about bits of wood.
Somehow I find my voice, looking at Henri I order, “Take the carts down to the pyres and bring them back on the quick. I want the bodies off this ship by nightfall.”
Then without looking back at Tally, I stomp back up the gangplank.
I need more time before I deal with her alone. The touch of her from last night is still too fresh in my memory.
I need space.
And time.
“Aye, Boss.” Henri speaks behind me. I ignore him continuing to move away. Lucky for me, walking away after giving an order and offering no other comments is more than common from me.
Letting my footfalls fill the air, I continue until I’m back on top deck, letting the grotesque smells of death bring me back to the task at hand. Cleaning away the deathly debris.
The sounds of a handful of my crew mates working fills the space and it's enough to get me to focus once more. Rolling my neck and cracking my knuckles, I finish my stomping across the deck and focus on grabbing the next corpse.
And the next. Then the next.
Hoisting the body over my shoulder, I grimace as something still lukewarm and wet rolls down my back. I fight back a gag as fluid soaks my shirt. I guess there are still things that make my stomach roll.
Wanting this over sooner rather than later I turn around, only to stop stock still.
Because there in front of me, a mischievous glint in her eye, is Tally.
Fuck.