The Red Drifter of the Sea (Pirates of the Isles #3) - Celeste Barclay Page 0,72

under virtual house arrest, they understood and accepted one another’s emotional and physical needs. The happiest point of his day had been when he crawled into bed and held Moira before falling asleep. It was contentment he’d never experienced before. He could readily admit to his brother that the physical fulfillment with Moira was unparalleled. But it was the deep emotional tie, the implicit understanding of what they each needed, that he didn’t know how to express. He couldn’t bear losing that now that he’d found it. He’d never imagined it existed before Moira, but now he would do all that he could to have the opportunity for their relationship to develop. But if Moira wished never to see him again after what he’d put her through, he wouldn’t blame her. He just wanted to know she was safe.

“Go back to your cabin, brother. Get some sleep,” Kyle suggested. “Tomorrow, we start fresh.” Kyle and Keith exchanged their customary embrace, whispering their pledge of undying love, before retiring to their respective cabins. Kyle sat on his bunk as he considered what he needed to do the next day. When his stomach’s growling echoed in the cabin, he realized he needed to eat and to sleep. Despite not wanting to do either, he knew he wouldn’t have the strength to fight Dermot again if he didn’t tend to himself. And he suspected there was an almighty battle ahead of him.

Twenty-Two

“She’s not here,” Kyle murmured, defeated in a way he hadn’t felt since he was a young boy learning to survive among pirates. “Or maybe she doesn’t want me to find her.”

Kyle, Keith, Tomas, Snake Eye, and Stephen sat in a booth at one of the Wicklow taverns, The Leg of Mutton. They’d spent the early morning searching the docks in hopes Moira reached Wicklow and looked for Kyle. When nothing came of that, they made their way through the town, drawing more attention than any liked, but Kyle insisted that their presence would circulate on the wind. He reasoned that Moira might hear they were there and come looking for him. He would be just as relieved if she found him as he would be if he found her. But the sun was sinking on another day, and Kyle still had no idea where Moira was, or if she was even alive. He refused to accept that she perished at sea. He’d seen her stubborn side enough times in their brief acquaintance to know she wouldn’t give in so easily. He also wanted to believe that she returned his feelings—whatever they were—and would fight as hard to reunite with him as he would do for her.

“Then we return to the ships and sail back to Arklow. O’Malley will still be there. Either he has Moira, or knows where she is, or you kill him because he laid eyes on her,” Keith reasoned with a shrug.

“I’m killing him regardless,” Kyle growled.

“Aye, then. Eat up and let’s be on our way,” Keith said as he shifted in his seat once more. Neither Kyle nor Keith were comfortable being in port in an Irish town that didn’t welcome pirates. None of the men sat with their backs to the door, so the bench was cramped.

“We weigh anchor tonight. I want to be in Arklow by morning,” Kyle stated. He didn’t care if it meant he put his men to the oars. If the wind wouldn’t get him to Arklow, his crew would.

“And do we just go ashore in our dinghies?” Tomas spoke up. “What if the O’Malleys attack the ships while we’re ashore?”

“That’s why I want to be there by morning. We arrive so early they can’t prepare for our attack,” Kyle explained. “They used the fog to their advantage. We use the early morning to ours.”

The men sat in silence as they ate. Kyle left a handful of coins on the table before he made his way to the tavern owner. Whispering to the man, he promised the barkeep a pouch of silver if he kept an ear open about any young woman arriving in town alone. He would give him a second pouch if he sheltered the woman until Kyle returned. The man eagerly agreed, and Kyle prayed he hadn’t just signaled the sharks to circle Moira if she appeared.

“We find O’Malley’s hiding place and burn his ships,” Kyle plotted as Stephen rowed them back to the Lady Charity. “If we find him, we bring him back to the Charity. I’ll deal