Chapter 12
Chapter Twelve
TALLY
Smugness wars with concern.
It’s been hours since I’ve seen her.
The tavern at the inn is back up and running tonight. All the injured pirates either back on their feet or they’re recovering in their rooms upstairs or back on their ships.
Healthy pirates– well they’re at least not actively bleeding out– are drinking their weight in booze, laughing and dancing. Creating a general ruckus that brings a smile to my face.
A small group from the Burnt Bones sit off to the side. Talking quietly amongst themselves. Present in the celebrations but not quite celebrating. The big burly guy that was helping Cyrus out earlier joined them not long ago. However, she hasn’t walked through those doors yet.
Not even to get to her lodgings upstairs.
I’m worried she’s still out on that ship, dragging bodies off. Now that it's dark, that’ll get dangerous. Let alone the fact she hasn’t stopped since she left me this morning. She’s got to be exhausted. And hungry. Has she even eaten today?
However, my parting comment and the look she wore is still flashing behind my eyelids.
I’ll look forward to the moment you come crawling to me.
It’s true. The chemistry we shared last night is too explosive to only explore once. She’ll be crawling to me soon.
I’m sure of it.
The next few hours continue with me serving patrons ample amounts of booze and keeping one eye primed on the door waiting for her to walk in.
Until the early hours of the morning, the night at its darkest tempting the drunks to walk along the cliffs with false promises of lush sand instead of a jagged rock shoreline.
Most of the patrons have left, including the Burnt Bones lot. Only a few are left, one leaning against the bar slurring through a sea shanty. Another two passed out asleep on opposite sides of the same table, tankards still littering the wood between them.
Hago, who worked the bar alongside me tonight, is clearing tables and mumbling about the ill manners of pirates as if I can’t hear him.
Everyone within our community takes turns helping out the businesses here. Even those that own one will occasionally help another. It’s our way of fostering our community and making sure everyone earns money fairly.
No one complains about this. Except for Hago.
Normally I goad him, tell him the pirates aren’t too bad. Try to hook him up with one of them. Get him involved in a sing along. Tonight I don’t bother.
I just let him rant as I keep one eye trained on the door and the other on washing tankards.
Once he’s brought me the last of the mugs, I shoo him away, not willing to listen to his grumbles anymore. “Thank you for your help tonight, Hago. You can leave now.”
He huffs and holds out his hand. “I think double the usual is suitable after tonight.”
I roll my eyes and bite my tongue. Arsehole.
I seriously regret the time I slept with him.
Mainly because it was like sleeping with a fish.
Lips like suction cups and thrusts that felt like he’d been left on the sand at low tide and was drying up in the sun.
With an orgasm face that honestly made me want to punch him.
But also because he’s just a fucking arsehole, even if he is one of my fathers trusted men.
Containing the venom I want to release, I walk to the safe, pluck out the pouch with his wage already in and make a show of adding a single silver coin in addition.
He huffs again, but doesn’t complain as he stretches his hand out further to take the coins. Throwing them into his palm, I raise mine to give an over the top wave as he grabs his things from behind the bar and leaves, throwing on his dark cloak as he goes.
When the door shuts behind him I sigh. Cyrus has still yet to come in and it's officially the middle of the night.
Shaking her from my thoughts, I get back to cleaning.
If she hasn’t arrived by the time I’m finished then it's tough shit. I can be patient. She might not be ready yet but she will be.