The Cabin Boy (The Bastard Girl Series, Book #2)

Chapter 6~ The Inevitable

A/N: Hey, guys, just a little bit of spiciness near the end of this chapter. Happy reading!

Chapter 6~ The Inevitable

"Jolly ol' sailor that came from away, find me a bed where this sinner might lay.

Wrap me in brocade and dazzling rings with jasmine and turquoise and silvery things.

Jolly ol' sailor that came from away, let us set sail for some favorable day.

Roam us towards Egypt, roam us towards Spain, roam us towards lands where the heart feels no pain.

Jolly ol' sailor that came from away, find me a bed where this sinner might lay."

I had been suddenly reminded of days past as we stepped through the threshold of the local brothel. The air was sick and cloudy with smoke—so thick you had to wade through to see much of anything. There was nothing new or attractive about anything there. The run-down bar near the back was manned by a tall, tattooed native. The tables were all occupied with drunk, sleazy men playing cards and placing bets. And there were women everywhere. All kinds of women of all different origins and sizes. They hung on the arms of older men and unrolled their dirty stockings slowly enough to draw the attention of a few richer blokes. One young, dark-skinned woman stood on a platform with another woman playing the mandolin. The woman sang a song that had lured Kidd and his men in like rats to crumbs. These women were not like many I'd seen. Their faces were pretty and clean, eyes dusted lightly with shadow. But their bodies were dirty, worn, and tired. Their breasts were pushed as high and as close to their faces as possible. Their dress necks were dangerously low and their skirts were shortened or even transparent. A few girls had the glory of a few pieces of jewelry to attract the eye. But, mostly, they smiled at ugly men and laughed at dull jokes.

And I became reminded of a hazy time in my life—the few weeks of glory Constantine and I shared before the disintegration of our natural happiness. The smoke clouded my eyes from noticing the details and the smell of booze flooded my senses. Before I knew much more, Kidd had abandoned my side and snagged a table with a few white women at his side.

I was left to observe as I always was. Curiously, a woman emerged from behind a silk curtain near the platform. She was a large, wide-faced native woman past her younger years. She dressed in heavy fabrics of different shades and decorated her neck and wrists in jewelry. Immediately, I could tell this woman was not like the others—or at least not anymore. She only showed her face for a few moments, whispering something in the ear of a singing woman and disappearing back behind the curtains. After that, I decided to find the bar and have a drink. Probably, the last drink I would have for a while. I ordered rum. The last time I'd drunk was when I was aboard the Amity and I'd carry around a flask of it just in case. I was brought the honey-colored liquid and barely knew what to do when it was set before me.

Not long after, I felt a hand run across my shoulder and crawl over towards my drink. It was the woman on stage from before, the one who sang. She smiled at me.

"You look a little young to be in a place like this," she hummed, her hand still caressing my neck.

I glanced at her up and down. "I could say the same for you."

There was no way this girl could've been older than eighteen. Her dress fell robe-like across her caramel skin and her long, dark locks fell into the large cleavage of her breasts. She smiled again but was obviously fazed. She took a quick drink of my rum and whispered closer into my ear.