Hey guys! New part! Once again I tried my best, I haven't had as much time to write and may have to fix it up some parts which I will look over sometime this week, but hope it came out ok! I will take longer with the next one but thought I would put this one up! Another thing, I have no plans to add smut to this story, but if by any chance I do, which most likely I won't, I will warn you all before the chapter. And guys, thank you for your lovely comments!! And for very vote too!! Hope you all have an amazing week!! Enjoy!
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After Teach's treasure had been buried three days later: 1718
Bath, North Carolina, within the walls of Teach's small colonial cottage in the middle of an open expanse of marsh land and a handful of towering trees.
She made him feel like there was something good about him... there was nothing good about him.
The day he'd set eyes on her tore something in him. It's like he'd found his new North Star. His heart was beckoned to change course, pivoting him to bound toward something foreign. His heart used to be his ship... and now it pulsed just to get to know more of her. And, not in a million years would he have guessed that she'd be here, resting in his bed in his home.
A golden glow from a burning candle dimly dances along the timber walls. Beneath the glow of a lantern light, her hand comes up and trails over his rough face, curiously taking in his image. Tender and softly, caressing the tension from his face, Edward doesn't think his heart has ever beaten so fast gazing at anything before.
Many years was his world on his wooden ship, surrounded by infinite water, but never had he come so close to finding his real home. Her eyes are dark, and comforting, earthy, he couldn't help but be centered to them.
Whenever his men spotted land aboard his ship, elation spilling over their faces, the destination became what their hearts pounded for. Edward's heart beats just as hard for her. He gazes at her as she'd laid on his bed where he offered a place for her to rest as her leg healed. He can't help but feel like he'd been once lost out at sea, and he'd been drawn back to land because of her. She was his earth, his ground- he'd thought his ship had been his sanctuary, but how could it when she drew him in like this... he'd discovered something far beyond better than any gold.
He tips his head forward, titling his mouth to inch closer to hers, finding her mouth and covering it slowly, melting his lips against hers, she sucks in a breath in his mouth, confusion stirring in her chest.
She may have strayed from her tribe, but she's unsure as to what this was between them... She wasn't trusting of how he may treat her heart- what his intentions could be. His spirit was troubled. That is something she can't ignore.
She doesn't instantly move her lips to his, but finds herself giving in to the movement of his mouth over hers, and, sensing her reciprocation, he picks her face up, pulling her closer by the back of her neck, swallowing up her mouth with his, finding that she's giving in more and more to her temptation. He slides his callous hand along the length of her leg, until they reach her dress, and it's when he feels she suddenly presses her hand to his chest, pushing him away.
Her eyes scan him quickly. She maneuvers herself away from him, then moves back onto her feet.
Beyond baffled, Edward turns to watch as she limps to the door, pushing it open, passing through without giving him a glance. He fights every urge in him- with everything he has- to will himself not to go after her, even if he wanted to force her to stay. The fight is excruciating, his hands tremmering at his sides, but he can't do it- he can't keep her- it wasn't his place to make her stay. He was a beast, he reminds himself, a brute, as everyone thought of him as- one that always got what he wanted- that had concocted himself the image of being a tyrannical ruthless man- and... he can't be like that to her... she was like a goddess that he wished to worship... He grounds himself, only hoping she would turn and decide to come back to him-
She doesn't look back, ascending down the front steps carefully before she's already outside the front of his small cottage, beside her horse. She unties her horse at the front of the cottage where Teach had tied him to a post. The horse's tail swishes gently and snorts as she soothes a hand over his golden coat. Climbing on, she glances back once, finding Teach standing tall on front the porch, fighting with himself- his strong arms flexing firmly as he clenches his fist, the cord of veins showing along his arms from how hard he'd held his grip. She clicks her tongue and taps the horse lightly on the side, the horse trods off into the starlit night, with her seated on it, disappearing into the dark.
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Rafe paces the cobblestone walk, running a stiff hand over his face, dragging it then along his mouth. The area of the market Kie had brought them too was now slowly dying down with movement, becoming almost silent, only a patch of people lingering behind in front of a small carpet stall. Kie peers over her shoulder, assessing him. Her brows pinch. As she'd expected, he was restless, treading back and forth anxiously.
She huffs out a sigh and turns back to her phone.
Kie: Where are you
Sarah: Nvm Kie but why would Rafe be with you?!!
How was she supposed to reply to that?... she'd really had no one else to blame but herself for this whole situation she was going to be putting the pogues through, she thinks bitterly to herself, and she didn't know how she would word that back to Sarah. She should have never given in to his stupid demand- she should have never allowed him to follow her- why hadn't she put up a far better stance?- lost him even, somewhere along the way... he now knew about the scroll, now knew of where they'd been staying... and she's practically taking him to them... what is wrong with her?- Kie groans. Either way, she needs to type something back quickly.
Kie: He just is, I'll explain later
Sarah: And what do you want me to tell the others?!
Kie thinks hard, because what she said now could really put the pogues against her... would they see her as a traitor? Shit- she really should have lost Rafe back a while ago before all this spiraled into one huge mess! Contemplating what to write back- her heart pulses a little faster, a sheen of sweat forming over her brows.
Kie had been so distracted, running through her response in her mind, she hadn't noticed Rafe casually walking over to her, hands shoved deep in his pockets. He sniffles and she whips around, finding him standing right behind her. She swings her phone behind her back, startled he now stood inches in front of her. His eyes sharp and soft at the same, sway over her wide marvelled eyes-
"What's wrong- what's happening-" he rubs a hand over his mouth. "And why are they taking so long?"
She shrugs her shoulders. "I don't know." she replies back honestly. His eyes dart over hers. Heaving out a sigh, he turns, wandering back over to the corner of the building they'd been standing out the front of. Pulling up a small crate that had been left abandoned there, he drops himself down onto it, sitting there with his head hung between his hands. Kie swallows, and swings her gaze back down to her phone.
Kie: Tell them that he followed me, ok?
Kie doesn't get a reply after that. For over the last twenty minutes, Kie and Sarah had been exchanging messages, and she'd begun to notice Rafe steadily becoming restless and increasingly impatient. She'd suspected he'd also begun to feel suspicious too. Rafe curiously travels his gaze over to Kie again, so many questions running through his head. Kie catches him staring. She holds herself, rubbing her arm, tentatively, but trying to ignore him at the same time, while dawdling out front of the building as they continue to wait. He sighs and casts his eyes away.
"You said how I found you?"
"I don't know how you found me." She shots back. He purses his lips back, nods, and attempts to rephrase his words.
"What I meant is about the scroll... that I know about the scroll."
"Yeah... I left that out." she admits, lowering her gaze and playing with her hands. Rafe could tell she'd felt some kind of shame over her reply, and it stains her expression. Her brows pinch as she slides her phone into her back pocket, rocking on a foot, indecisively, she then decides to stalk over to him. "You can't tell them you know, alright?-" she demands. "I can't hit them with everything all at once- it's just not ok..." and then she abruptly stops, realizing what the hell she was doing- what she'd been asking. Her face twists into an expression of disgust- how could she have actually thought to ask Rafe to keep something from the pogues- or to add to that, even trust that he wouldn't use anything she'd say to plot against them? Why would she even think she could count on him for anything- "Why bother-" she crosses her arms firmly over her chest, annoyed "- it's not like you ever keep your word anyway."
Rafe rolls his eyes, tiredly- "Come on, Kie- why do you have to-" he stops, feeling his chest tighten a little. He clears his throat- "Why are you so damn determined you can't count on me- why are you so against me-"
"I'm against you?" she snaps, exasperated. "I mean, I could name a few reasons why I would be against you... Maybe because I loath and distrust you, Rafe-"
He shifts where he sits, then lifts to his feet, groaning. A light frown crinkles his face- his mouth hard, and he stood watching her-
"That's what I am, right?- all I am, Kie?" His tone was a little hoarse, and it caught her off guard. His eyes come up a little more sharper this time, and he bites the inside of his cheek, looking away for a brief moment. "Am I the only one that's been dishonest? Distrustful even, hmm, Kie?..." he pauses, giving her a moment to think. Kie's face crumples up with confusion, fused with her anger.
"What are you talking about-" she snaps as he begins to stride over to her, one hand in his pocket-
"You literally pushed me off my goddamn boat, remember?..." he points accusingly with his other hand. "When I was trying to help you- you left me to die, Kie. You left me on an island full of deadbeat dumbass thugs attempting to put a bullet to my head... and I had to find my own god-damned way home-"
"Huh?!" she huffs, glaring at him. Anger flashing over her face, staining her cheeks red- "Ohh, and like you didn't attempt to kill us multiple times, Rafe?- or pull a gun on us- how many times?- let's see, I don't know, I can't count because I don't have enough fingers!- how am I supposed to trust someone capable of harming anyone!"
His jaw flexes as he closes the gap between them- "I spilled my guts to you." he adds firmly. "Do you know how much that took? I opened up to you thinking maybe things could change- maybe things could be different- that maybe you, Kie- would somehow see me as someone other than the 'evil jerk' you always tell me I am-" he rasps. "But no. All I got for opening up to you was being duped and being left to die-" he scoffs. His tone cracks a little with the next thing he says- "I trusted you-"
Her cheeks fluster to the way his words came out- how they hit her... Her eyes flicker over him momentarily before she presses on, whatever those emotions were, she pushes them away."You should have never tried to hurt my friends, Rafe-"
"-and how many times do I need to tell you I'm sorry-" he emphasizes with the use of his hands-
"-yet you keep spilling out lies- never owning up to your mistakes-"
"-and, you know what? With everything I have, Kie- with everything I have-" he rasps desperately "-I wish that I could make things right between us- different between us- wish I could take back all the shit I did- change what I did!- I wish that you could maybe trust me one day-"
"-well I don't!-"
Rafe opens his mouth to rebut her but stops when they hear a distant call- a familiar voice- flowing through the corridor of the mostly empty passageway, resounding down to them, and traveling from a distance not too far, pulling the both out from their heated exchange. The voice becomes sharper and closer and Kie swings her gaze around to find Cleo turning a corner. "Kiara, man- what da hell?" Cleo greets. "That man tryna bother ya or something, girl?" her smile spreads into a grin as it meets Kiara's dazed expression.
Rafe runs his hands over his buzzcut, turning himself around, trying to cool himself down before the others would soon arrive too. "Whatcha 'ave here?" Cleo provides Rafe a probing look. "Not makin' deals with the devil, are we, Kie?" she blinks rapidly, turning her gaze over from Rafe to Kie, mocking her shock. "You know, melding with da wrong kinda men ain't ever gonna end well. The others ain't happy about this, just a warnin'." Kie gazes on at her speechless. "Especially JJ." Cleo inclines her head, raising her brows at her, tellingly.
Just the name twists something in Rafe... his gaze drifts up to flicker onto Kie. He moves his gaze from Kie to Cleo, clenching his jaw, reminding himself not to betray his thoughts, not to be pulled back to thoughts of Kiara- not to question if she and JJ had still been together... he numbs down those invading feelings that try to resurface. Further thoughts of Kie, especially possessive ones, would only dig himself a much deeper hole... maybe one he can't crawl out from. He had no place questioning what the pair were- neither should he care- because it doesn't matter- it has never mattered how he felt for her... his gut crawled with something so insecure- but he had to ignore it-
He shoves the thoughts out of his head quickly before they weigh him.
From the corner of his eyes, he sees Pope is next to round the corner, with JohnB close behind, and then Sarah appears around next in her white sun dress.The second Sarah's eyes find Rafe, her expression sours, looking displeased to see him. JJ tags along last... his face screwed up with anger, and his gaze doesn't falter from Rafe.
They all wander over to him slowly, slightly apprehensive and silent.
Pope is the first to speak.
"What's going on?" Pope says, angling his head toward Rafe but keeping his eyes glued onto Kie. "Why's he here?"
JohnB's eyes scour over Rafe, scrutinizing him.
Kie huffs out a nervous sigh. "I know this is odd-" she puts up her hands for them to at least hear her out "- Rafe maybe here but..." she slightly turns her head to look back at him, and their eyes connect. "-to be fair- he kind of helped me escape Faras's men, so at least I'm grateful I wasn't caught..." Her eyes swayed back to the others who all gaze at her with differing puzzled expressions. "But I have what we wanted- the scroll. And I know this is not what we'd expected-" she tries to explain, but JJ loses patience and jumps in, interrupting her-
"Not what we expected?- huh, Kie?-" he argues. "Are you for real right now?-"
"JJ- I was almost caught- What the hell was I supposed to do- I had no choice-"
"-and, what?- did Rafe come and 'save' you?" he mocks "-is that what happened-" his tone thick with disbelief-
"-well, if your plan had actually worked for once- I wouldn't have been put in the situation-" she sneers-
"-oh my plan, Kie, oh right, it's always my plan- why is 'this' even my fault?"
Kie's face screws up with bewilderment. "Well this time it could be-" she scoffs.
JohnB steps forward, cutting the argument between them, and narrows his gaze on Rafe. "What are you even doing here- why would you think it's ok to come to us?" he demands, his tone dark, directing the question with an underlying tone of threat toward Rafe. Rafe tips his chin up considering his question, swaying his gaze over JB. A mischievous smile crept along his lips. But he keeps his mouth shut, treading carefully on what he says. If he was to find out what the pogues had been up to, he'd need to plan out how he would do it and pick his words carefully. His brows draw together.
"I'm here because I think you guys need me." he boasts, his cocky smile curls up in the corners.
"Oh, yeah, what makes you think that?" JB questions, a snide tone to his words. "You think we need you, hmm?" he snorts with disbelief.
"Yeah I do." he replies challengingly, humor in his tone.
Fed up, JJ jerks forward, thrusting his chest out past JB, but JohnB forces him back by a hand pressing him to step back- "I think we're good-" he replies sharply back to Rafe, then scoffs, tapping JJ's chest.
Rafe's jaw clenches, irritation spiraling through him this time. "You're involving my sister in something dangerous- involving her in your stupid games. You guys think this is ok? You're already succeeded in killing my father, what next- my sister?..." he bites out, his expression suddenly changes, becoming hard. "I promised my father one thing- and that I would look after Wheezie and Sarah and--"
"I don't need your help Rafe!" Sarah exclaims.
"Sarah I'm doing this for dad-" he hisses back, snapping his gaze to her.
"Don't act like you care-" JB scoffs, almost laughing. "-You practically shot your own god-damn sister and your trying to convince us that your trying to look out for her?-" JB tsks-
"-I'm not the same-" Rafe snarls "- I was fucking different back then-"
"-you know, we all don't actually fucking care-" Pope retorts-
JJ laughs. "This asshole seems to think we care-" he shrugs, traveling his gazes with humor over the others- then stops at Kie. "Do we care if he's changed?-"
"Why are you looking at me?"
"Because he came with you!"
"JJ has a point Kie-" Pope adds, then the exchange gets even more heated between the pogues.
Rafe takes a step back, bawling his fists against his head, and then takes a seat.
All the pogues encircled around him arguing with each other- over each other- and he couldn't quite hear all that they'd been saying- he couldn't argue with them all at once... then before he knew it they all went silent. Rafe looks up, picks up on the strange exchange of glances they give each other, he knew something was going on, he just didn't know what. They attempt to communicate between hidden glances... he scrubs a hand over his face, confused, then the next second he looks up, JJ suddenly bolts off, followed closely by Cleo, and then the others follow, maneuvering themselves around a tangent of people along the narrow corridors of the market- Kiara is the last to leave, hesitant to look back at Rafe, but she also starts off too... He'd been left alone. Before he knew it, he notices guards in navy uniform charging toward him, and he slowly raises to his feet. Within a couple of seconds he's being restrained- "Hey- hey- What the hell!- what the hell!-" Rafe yells, putting up a fight against their hold, but they don't listen, binding his arms together even tighter. "I'm not who you want-" he desperately explains. "You're letting them get away- they went that way-"
One of the men, listening to Rafe's complaints, the only one not in uniform, looks straight ahead, following Rafe's gaze. He just manages to make out the slightest glimpse of Kiara's face before she disappears around a bend. Yielding his men to let Rafe go, the man directs a hand for where the guards were to go. "That's the girl- that's her-" the man says, before ordering his guards to give chase. Before the man can run off too, Rafe holds him back- "I can help you find them." Rafe offers. Rafe's gaze flickers down to the man's badge, he notices the name... Faras... so this had been the man Kiara had mentioned- the one they'd stolen the scroll from. The man nods in response, and then they are both off behind the other guards.