The Lady Captain (Belles & Bullets Book 4) Read online

  When he stood in front of her, George's eyes were practically dripping with affection. To him, she was the embodiment of sunshine. She was his world. “Lettie.” As he whispered her name, George's rough, tan hand gently brushed across her cheek. “Or should I say... Captain Jordan?”

  “Lettie is fine,” she answered with a chuckle. “Although I do like the sound of Captain Jordan.”

  “As do I,” a smiling George agreed. “You've come so far so quickly. I'm really very proud of you.”

  “Only with my father's help,” Lettie added with a sigh. “If I was any other woman, I certainly wouldn't have my own airship!”

  “Your father's an important man, but if you're a captain, it's because you deserve it,” her boyfriend tried to convince her. “You shouldn't doubt yourself so much, Lettie. You excel at everything you do.”

  His compliment had her blushing again. “Goodness, George... you're being too kind!”

  “No, I'm being truthful.” George slid his arms around her and pulled her against his chest. “I'm going to miss you, Lettie Jordan.”

  “I'll miss you too.” And it was true. Out of everyone she was leaving behind, she would miss George Whitley the most. By far.

  “You'll come back to me, won't you?” When their embrace ended, he raised Lettie's hands to his lips, kissing them several times. “I'll be in agony when you're gone... but if I know you're coming back to me, that will give me something to ease the pain.”

  “Of course I'm coming back, silly!” Letitia rolled her eyes at him. “Did you really think I'd be gone forever or something?”

  “No. I'm just afraid of losing you.” George's gaze dropped to the ground. “I just want to know you're still mine.”

  “Of course,” she repeated. “Now and forever, I'm yours.”

  “Good. That gives me comfort. And... it gives me more confidence. I've been thinking about this all day, going back and forth in my head... but if you really want to be mine forever, maybe I shouldn't wait.” George suddenly slipped a silver ring from his pocket and dropped to his knees in front of her. When she saw him raise the ring, Lettie's heart momentarily ceased to beat. “Letitia Rose Jordan, I love you more than anything in the world. I love you more than I ever thought it was possible to love a person. Will you do me the honor of becoming my wife?”

  “Yes... oh yes!” The answer flew from her lips. Lettie didn't hesitate, not even for a second. When she felt him slip the cool silver band onto her finger, her heart swelled with joy. “I love you, George! You have no idea how much I love you!”

  It was the happiest day of Letitia's young life. She was the first female captain. She had her very own airship. The man of her dreams had pledged to love her forever. At that moment, her life couldn't have been more perfect.

  If only she knew it would all come crashing down.

  Six

  When Julian opened his eyes the next morning, he had no idea where he was or who was beside him. He studied the blonde's face in the semi-darkness, trying to recall her name. Julian thought it was something fairly unusual. Eirika? Annika? Erinea?

  Erinea! He nearly clapped his hands when the name floated into his mind. Though he was proud of himself for miraculously remembering, it wouldn't matter in a moment. Before she woke up, he intended to give her the slip. When Julian sat up in bed, he tried to move as slowly and soundlessly as possible. He inched away from the slumbering woman and reached for the pocket watch on the nightstand. 8:45. It was still fairly early in the morning, and it was certainly early for Julian, who rarely woke before noon. If he wasn't supposed to meet the prince that day, he might have rolled over and gone back to bed.

  When Julian's feet touched the floorboards, there was a loud creak. It was enough to rouse Erinea from her slumber. As soon as her eyes were open, she seized Julian's arm and dragged him back to bed.

  “Baby!” she cooed. “Don't leave me!”

  At first, Julian tried to pull away, but when he caught a glimpse of her breasts beneath the blanket, he was powerless to act. He fell into Erinea's arms and submitted to her kisses.

  “Baby! Julian!” As she whimpered his name, Erinea rained kisses all over his face “You weren't going to leave me, were you?”

  “Uh... no!” Julian sputtered. When the blonde's lips loudly smacked against his forehead, he winced. “Don't be ridiculous!”

  “You care about me, don't you?”

  Julian's first answer was a shrug, but when he saw the worried expectation in her eyes, his answer changed. “Uh huh. Yes... yes! Of course I care!”

  “Good, because I love you!” Erinea declared. “I love you, I love you, I love you! Last night was amazing, Julian! And it was exactly what I needed!”

  The blonde's proclamation brought a sour expression to Julian's face. He gently lifted the blanket over his face, concealing his sneer. “Well, uh...” His response was slightly muffled by the blanket covering his mouth. “That's very, umm... sweet.”

  “Take me again, Julian!” Erinea suddenly rolled on top of him, kissing him deeply. “Take me now. Please. I need you.”

  When she straddled him, Julian's hands drifted to her hips. Nothing was more frightening than an unusually clingy female, but he wasn't foolish enough to turn down an offer of sex. As his hands cradled her thighs, his lips found her neck. He kissed along her jaw, her collarbone, and finally her shoulder. Lost in ecstasy, the woman moaned his name.

  “Julian!” Erinea squealed. “Oh, Julian, I adore you!” Her fingers were clutching his hair so hard, it almost hurt. “Kiss me kiss me kiss me!”

  Julian happily kissed her senseless—until the sound of a slamming door immediately halted his lips. “Erinea...” he whispered. “What was that?”

  Her answer was strangely calm. “Probably my husband.”

  “Your what?” Julian shoved her off of him with a gasp. “Your husband... wait... what?”

  “Don't worry. I don't like him. In fact, I've been thinking about running away with you!”

  Over the years, Julian had dealt with a few vengeful husbands, and it was his least favorite type of encounter. When he heard the man's footsteps ascending the stairs, he practically somersaulted out of bed and hopped into his breeches.

  “Don't panic, Julian!” Erinea tried to calm him. “Kaleb isn't unreasonable. I'll explain that I've fallen for you and that we intend to be together. I'm sure he'll understand.”

  “No! Are you crazy, lady?” Julian hissed as he bundled his shirt and greatcoat into his arms. “Quick, I need a place to hide!”

  “Very well...” she conceded with a sigh. “Maybe you could try to squeeze under the bed?”

  When he peered under the bed, he quickly realized it wasn't an option. “There's a massive amount of clutter under there!”

  “Alright, then... the wardrobe?”

  Cradling his clothes in his arms, Julian ran to the wardrobe and hopped inside. It was musty, cramped, and smelled strongly of sour body odor, but Julian was in no position to complain. He barely made it inside before the bedroom door opened.

  “Erinea. Sweetheart!” The husband cheerfully greeted his unfaithful wife. When Julian peeked through a crack in the wardrobe, he nearly groaned. Of course, the man had to be unnaturally large. He had the forearms of a dock worker and the thighs of a beast.

  “You're back early,” Erinea dryly noted.

  “I am. Aren't you happy to see me?” As he approached the bed, Kaleb held out his impossibly huge arms. “Where's my hug?”

  “I don't feel like it.”

  “Wait... are you naked?” the husband gasped. “Since when did you sleep in the nude?”

  Julian turned his eyes to the heavens and mouthed a silent prayer. But the prayer was ineffective, because a moment later, the enormous man made another discovery.

  “What's this?” Kaleb found Julian's boots beneath the bed and lifted them up. “Another man's shoes?”

  Erinea nodded. She wasn't even trying to hide the truth.

  “And...
another man's watch?” Kaleb picked up Julian's gold pocket watch and flung it against the wall. When he heard it shatter, Julian's face twisted in agony. He really liked that watch!

  “So, let me guess. While your husband was away on business, you had another man's body sliding all over you?”

  “Yes!” Erinea didn't deny her husband's accusation. In fact, she almost sounded proud of herself. “And I love him!”

  “You empty-headed whore!” Kaleb roared. “Is he in this room right now? Your lover? I can see it in your face. He is here, isn't he?”

  Julian's jaw dropped, his body froze, and his heart momentarily forgot its function. He was going to be skinned alive by a big bear of a man, and his crew would never know what happened to him. He could practically feel the pain already.

  When he saw Erinea's giant husband creeping toward the wardrobe, there was no sense in hiding anymore. Julian burst from the wardrobe with a maniacal scream, ran from the room, and raced down the stairs.

  “Get back here, you shit!” Kaleb bellowed at the fleeing rogue. “Get back here so I can beat you senseless!”

  “No, thank you!” Julian called over his shoulder as he bounded down the stairs and rushed to the front door. “While it's a very generous offer, you know, I'd really rather not!”

  Julian exited the house and sprinted through their yard, trampling flowers underfoot as he ran. Then he reached the front gate and vaulted over it. The sound of rifle fire let him know he was far from safe. He couldn't stop running. When part of the front gate exploded behind him, Julian whimpered sharply.

  “Don't think I won't kill you, you bastard!” Kaleb hollered as he charged after Julian. “I'll kill you once and then I'll kill you again!”

  “While I'm curious to see how you'd reanimate me for my second killing, I'm afraid I have to go! Bye!” Julian abruptly turned a corner and dashed down a cobbled alleyway. He turned again and again, zigzagging between buildings. His plan was to lose Kaleb in the narrow alleys. And it was a decent plan, because Julian was far more agile and slender than the man who pursued him.

  Julian didn't even realize he was half-dressed until he spotted a cherub-cheeked, white-haired old woman peering out her window, gasping. He saw her checking him out, so Julian turned in her direction, blew her a kiss, and bowed. When she looked sufficiently scandalized, he took off running again.

  Julian made a few more sharp turns before slowing his pace to a jog. He assumed he was safe—until he heard the rifle firing again. This time, it barely missed his head. “Whyyy?” Julian whined as he quickly scampered away. “Why do you have to be so damned persistent?”

  “You can't run away, you little rat!” The infuriated husband fired the rifle yet again. “Wherever you run, I'll find you!”

  Julian thought about running to the skyport and boarding his airship. If he got to his men, they could protect him. But Kaleb was shockingly fast for a man of his size, and Julian simply didn't feel like running anymore. His legs were getting tired. He needed a place to hide.

  At the end of one of the narrow alleyways, Julian spotted one of his crewmen: a red-haired lad named Jared. The boy was only eighteen, but Julian wouldn't hesitate to use him as a shield if necessary.

  “Help!” Julian whimpered as he came to a halt in front of Jared. “Listen, man, we have to hide!”

  Judging from his confounded expression, Jared was thoroughly confused. “What? Captain? What are you doing?”

  “I'm fleeing from a madman. Help me hide!” Julian raised the lid of a dumpster, which opened with a piercing groan. The putrid stench of rotting meat and dead fish filled his nostrils, but he didn't have time to think about it. Julian leapt into the dumpster, pulled Jared in with him, and quickly closed the lid on top of them.

  “Captain...” Jared tried to read his captain's expression as they cowered in the dumpster. Unless he was mistaken, Captain Featherstone looked just as disgusted as he did. “Captain, why are we hiding in a dumpster?”

  “Shhhhh!” Julian held a finger to his own lips, begging Jared to stay silent. “Did you not hear me, or was the word madman not sufficient?”

  “Why's there a madman chasing you?” Jared whispered the question.

  “I said shhhhh!” Next to him, Julian spotted a maggot-infested, festering, spoiled leg of ham. He nearly vomited all over Jared when he saw it.

  “Captaaain...” the boy whined. “How long do we have to hide in here?”

  “Until I say we don't.”

  “Captaaaain,” Jared whined again. “I'm starting to feel ill.”

  At least he got a warning. A moment later, Jared was retching beside him. As soon as he saw the vomit cascading down Jared's chin, Julian nearly hurled as well. He closed his eyes and tried to block it out, but the smell of Jared's vomit and the decaying refuse was vile. Julian picked up a rotten banana peel and held it under his nose. The smell of the banana was better than smelling the stuff that came out of Jared's mouth.

  A few minutes passed, so Julian assumed they were safe. He lifted the dumpster's lid and carefully peered into the light. Unfortunately, Kaleb hovered at the alley's end. Julian was so surprised to see him, he ducked back into the dumpster and dropped the lid, which fell down with a thunderous crash.

  “Oh damn... he heard that... he must have heard that!” Julian whimpered pitifully. Just seconds later, the dumpster opened, and Kaleb grinned down at them.

  Julian didn't hesitate. His leg flew upward, kicking Kaleb's rifle aside. Thinking fast, Jared seized the rifle's barrel and wrenched the weapon from Kaleb's hands. Then he slammed the butt of the rifle into Kaleb's face. When the huge man staggered backward, Jared leapt from the dumpster and hit him again. By some miracle, he was rendered unconscious by the blow.

  As he rose from the dumpster, Julian applauded. “Well done, my boy! Well done indeed.” He stood beside Jared, whose face still looked a bit green.

  “I don't think I'm ever going to recover from...” In the middle of his sentence, Jared made a gulping noise. Apparently, he was still chocking back vomit. With a groan, he finished, “recover from all that garbage...”

  “Well, you did good. I'm proud of you.” Julian simultaneously closed the dumpster's lid and patted Jared's back. “And now I better make my way to the pub, because I was supposed to meet the prince.”

  As they parted ways, Jared was sulking and his shoulders were sagging. Julian, despite the fact that he reeked, and despite the fact that he almost died, never lost the spring in his step. At that moment, he was just happy to be alive.

  Julian entered the pub nearly twenty minutes later. He immediately passed Celia, who sneered at the sight of him. Since women rarely reacted unfavorably to him, Julian assumed he smelled really foul. But he must have been getting immune to his own stench, because he could barely smell himself anymore. When he sat down at one of the tables, an old couple got up and moved away from him.

  “Damn,” he whispered to himself. “I've never been so repellant.”

  “Excuse me, sir.” The barmaid who addressed him was pinching her nose as she approached. “Excuse me... but you're supposed to wear a shirt in here.”

  “Aha!” Julian chuckled when he realized he was half-naked. “Ahhh, yes. I forgot about that. Sorry. But... damn, there's really nothing I can do about it. I accidentally left my shirt in the dumpster.”

  The barmaid looked confused. “I, um... I'm afraid I'm going to have to ask you to leave. We require our patrons to wear a shirt.”

  “Really?” Julian's nose wrinkled at the thought. “Well... that doesn't seem very fun.”

  “Besides, you smell,” the barmaid unabashedly told him. “You're putting off some of the customers.”

  “Listen, beautiful...” When he complimented women, they usually smiled at him, but the barmaid looked disgusted—not that he could blame her. “I'm meeting someone soon, and it's very important that I meet this person. Can you just let me sit here for a bit? As soon as he arrives, I promise I'll leave.”

 
The woman's eyes were narrowed. Clearly, she didn't want to back down.

  “Please,” Julian pleaded with her. “My bare chest isn't that repulsive, is it?” He leaned back in his chair, letting her get a better look at his body. “We both know it's not. So... why don't you be a sweetheart and let me stay?”

  “Very well,” the barmaid conceded with a sigh. “But if you're not out of here in twenty minutes or less, I'll have someone throw you out!”

  “Fair enough.” Julian crossed his hands behind his head and grinned at her. His smile was usually disarming, but in his current state of undress and odiousness, he was far from charming. “Hey, love... do you happen to know the time? I lost my pocket watch too.”

  “It's nearly ten o'clock,” she apathetically told him.

  “Thank you, dear.” At least he wouldn't have to wait much longer.

  A few minutes after the barmaid departed, Julian heard the tolling bells of the nearby Baltmoor Cathedral. It was officially ten o'clock, but Prince Nico was nowhere to be found.

  Five minutes passed. Then ten. At the end of twenty minutes, he was starting to get scathing looks from the barmaid who threatened him, so Julian rose from his chair and shuffled out of the pub. A young couple in the corner actually cheered when he left.

  Outside the pub, Julian waited another ten minutes. “Damn, Nico...” Julian hissed to himself. “Where the hell are you?”

  Julian wasn't going to wait forever—after all, he was a rather impatient man. He felt a bit guilty for abandoning a prince, but if Nico couldn't be punctual, he didn't have much pity for him. With a sigh, Julian turned away from the pub and headed to the skyport.

  The prince was on his own.

  Seven

  As Nico ran a hand through Celia's shiny black tresses, he couldn't believe it. He was touching a goddess, which had to make him the luckiest man in the world. Her lips were full, pink, moist, and begging for his kiss. Her blue eyes were alight with expectation. She wanted him.