Saved By The Pirate (Book One)

15. Punishment and Finished Cookies

By now, I finished my cookies. I don't know how long it took me to eat them, but let me say that I was glad Christopher wasn't in the room when I ate them. Upon finishing my fast eaten cookies, yet another conversation arose in the hallway.

Seriously, was there no other place to talk? Did they have to have their little chit-chat right in the corridor?

"Aye, Fish, ye know why Cap'n's acting strange?" A crew member asked. "Stranger than he already is?"

"Skip. Cap'n be plannin' somethin' big fer that boy," Fish said.

"Fish! White! Come and help me with something, would ye?" Christopher shouted. He sounded like he was in the hallway as well. He was probably coming out from his quarters.

Footsteps sounded the hallway as Fish and White dashed away to help their captain, leaving me curious and wanting to get up and see what this 'something' was Christopher needed help with now.

What did this man have up his sleeve now?

Placing the empty plate on the nightstand, I swung my legs off the bed and stood. My leg didn't hurt, but with the tight wrapping of the bandage (thank you once again, Topher!), it made my leg fall asleep, so I had to more or less drag my leg across the floor.

When I reached the corridor, I heard Christopher.

"Alrighty, men, let's get him out there!" Christopher exclaimed, and shortly after saying that, I heard many footsteps from up above moving all over the place.

"What?" I mumbled to myself. Thousands of scenarios raced through my mind trying to figure out what this man, my kidnapper was doing.

I could've stayed where I was and go about my business, enjoying my freedom from the men I hardly knew and try to forget about my troubles, but that wasn't me. I had to find out what was happening up there. I had to see what this pirate had in mind.

So, like the nosy senseless girl that I was, I dragged my sleeping foot across the corridor, climbed up the stairs to the deck, and there I gasped at what I saw.

Skip in a dress.

***

He was tied to the foremast just as I was, but without the comfort of sitting down. Christopher was standing next to him proud as one could be with his accomplishment and smiled as God himself had blessed him.

"My dear gentlemen," he said with a booming voice. "As you can all see Skip here, a fellow crew member of ours is a little tied up." The crew snickered at the joke while Skip groaned in embarrassment.

Christopher smirked, sucking up all the amusement to feed his hungry ego. "Not only was he planning to go behind my back and kill me," he said, stopping and looking around the deck until his eyes land on me.

"Anne, come up here a moment, please," he said, waving to the crew to make room for me. They did, all backing away to create a direct path from me to the front.

I limped over, finding myself in front, standing next to and before my enemies. Christopher wrapped an arm around my shoulders, pulling me to him.

"But my second in command went against my orders and decided to take matters into his own hands...literally." The men shook their heads with disapproval, clearly knowing what to expect when you disobey your captain.

I shifted uncomfortably in Christopher's gasp when all the men's eyes turn back to me. Christopher must have sensed it because he pulled me closer.

"This, gentlemen, is an excellent example of what will happen when an average pirate on this ship decides to go against me." The men nodded in unison. "As Skip went against my orders, I guess that means I must repeat myself."

Christopher cleared his throat, left my side, and then paced back and front among his men. The men's eyes followed him.

"As you captain, I expect all of you to listen and obey everything I order you to do. And that means men," he stopped and gestured to me. "You will not lay one finger on our guest unless she says so. If I hear of any of you disobeying my order, be aware that not only will you no longer have a place on this ship, but you will also not have a place in this world. Am I understood?"

I wasn't so sure if this was the same man I met. He couldn't have been. This man was colder and more strict than the one I've known.

The men stood as if they were frozen in place, scared even to move or breathe. So this is what the cold side of the mighty Christopher could do? Interesting.

I glanced at Christopher's face and saw that he didn't even have his usual smile. It was taken over by a nasty glare, but with a snap of fingers, his devilish smile was back. Like it never happened - as if he turned it off.

"Adequate, now," Christopher turned to Skip. "Skip will be tied here for the majority of three days in nothing but this dress. He will not receive any food, water, or even attention for that matter. For those who go against my wishes, you might as well step up here now. I'm not playing with you when I say this, so please, be honest with your captain."

No one stepped up, and no one said a word. Christopher smirk grew.

"No one? Really? Why SKip, I didn't know so many of my men hated you. Either that or they have something in that skull of theirs. Well done, gentlemen."

Since nobody said anything, Christopher continued. "After three days, Skip will spend the rest of his time below deck in Storage, where he will spend his days in our little jail cell. Once a week, Fish or I will deliver food and water. This routine will continue until I decide otherwise." Christopher winked, proving the men's nervous faces meant that they knew in Christopher's mind, there was trouble.

"Any questions?" Dead silence. "Excellent. You are all dismissed."

Right after those words were said, the men took off in different directions to find something to do, wanting to get away from their captain. Scary and charming? Who was this man to make all of his crew fear him?

I glanced in Skip's direction to see how he was taking the whole situation and found him shamefully looking down, not moving, not struggling, and most certainly not speaking.

Yes, Captain Christopher Taylor was a man to fear.

"I knew you would come," Christopher said, slapping a hand on my shoulder, making me jump. I turned to him and rose a curious brow.

"You did?"

He nodded. "Of course. You did say ye wanted to see the grand show, yes?" I nodded. "Well, done with my work then," he said with a proud smirk. "Now, there is one last thing I must do."

"And what might that be?" I asked.

The flash of his pearly white told me everything I needed to know, but before I could react, I was back on Christopher's shoulder. Seriously?

"What is the meaning of this!" I screamed. Christopher chuckled beneath me.

"Easy to keep you from getting yourself hurt. Now stop fussing, my head hurts enough, and I can't afford to have a bruised body either. I have a ship to run."

"Are you serious! I'm bloody out here if you haven't noticed, and have I gotten myself hurt so far? No! And I won't if you would just put me down!" I screamed. "And I don't give a damn about that goddamn body of yours! I want you dead anyway."

Christopher chuckled beneath me. "You should give a damn. I'm the only one keeping you alive. Don't think my men won't go after ye. Believe me when I say that they become animals around new and pretty things."

Wonderful.

"And darling, you're as new and pretty as they come."

Did he compliment me? Did a vicious, horrible pirate just pay a few kind words? I must have been losing my mind. Either way, I didn't have time to reply because the next thing I knew, I was seated back on my bed and was yet again left alone in my room.