Aria inclined her head graciously and stepped inside.
It was just about what she had imagined for the flamboyant pirate, although it was perhaps more spacious than she would have expected. The main room held a gorgeous antique oak table, with space for at least six people, and the walls held ancient seafaring maps under glass. The whole room was dimly lit, with warm earth tones that spoke of both comfort and a certain luxury. Beyond, she could see the entrance to his bedroom, which appeared to feature a number of pillows as well as gorgeous green and blue silken sheets.
“It’s a bit like something out of a fairy tale, or a fable,” Aria said.
“Well, that’s me,” replied Jack, without even a shade of false modesty.
“Yes, I suppose it is,” she admitted. “Is this table real wood? I can’t even imagine what it must have cost.”
Jack ran his hand along it. “A souvenir of another job. It almost ruined the whole mission, getting this bloody table out, but we’re all still alive, and it’s a lovely oak table, so there you go.”
“You risked your life for a table?” teased Aria.
Jack shrugged easily. “It seemed worth it at the time. Come, have a seat.” He pulled out a chair for her. Aria sat, and Jack joined her.
“So, mister pirate, what did you need to talk to me about across a table, as opposed to next to me in bed?” asked Aria.
Jack put his elbows on the table and steepled his fingers. “I’d like to tell you about what we’re doing next, what my plans are. I don’t want to have any secrets between us. Well, aside from the lovely sort of I’ve-got-you-a-surprise secrets,” he added.
Aria felt a frisson of doubt. Jack was being less direct than he had been with her previously. “Go on,” she said.
“Okay,” said Jack and took a breath. “This has to do with my past, which ordinarily I try not to be too concerned about. Right now, however, it’s front and center.”
“Jack,” said Aria, softly but firmly, “will you come to the point?”
“I’m the son of Jonathan Marx, the head of Marx Amalgamated Concern.”
This was very far from what she had expected. “I…I didn’t know that he had a son,” she said, trying to process the information.
“He disavowed me years ago. Disinherited me, cut me off. I’m the black sheep of the family, never discussed.”
Aria sat back in her chair. “Okay,” she said. “That’s rather a lot to digest.”
Jack nodded. “Fair enough. We can come back to that, and I’ll answer any questions you might have. But for right now, here’s what is relevant. My sister Madeline and I have remained close and never stopped communicating with each other. She’s the only one in my family who didn’t cut ties with me. Now she’s in trouble, and I’m going to help her.”
“How is she in trouble?”
“Madeline is the head of the Pleasure House of Tarma. Not many people know this, but there’s an internal struggle for control of the House. Quite recently, a plot was exposed that revealed some very shady dealings on the part of certain members of the board that governs the House. People who want to go for the huge profits involved in trafficking and sexual slavery, very far from the principles upon which the House was built.”
Aria had heard none of this before. She nodded at Jack to continue.
“The problem is, the corruption in the House runs much deeper than anyone knew. Although the rogue board members have been dealt with, there are others, operating in the shadows, who are trying to eliminate Madeline and take the House further down this dark path. My sister has asked for my help, and I’m going to give it to her.”
“Okay,” said Aria slowly. “Help her how?”
“Well, my share of the prize money from the mandalum theft is going to help her pay for certain resources to help strengthen her position, for a start. Plus, as it stands, I’m a rogue element in the equation, who can commit acts of violence at an arm’s length from Madeline, who can disavow them.”
“What kind of acts of violence?” she asked doubtfully.
Jack smiled. “Profitable ones. The kind that will hurt this shadow faction right in the pocketbook, rob them of valuable resources. Not to mention the kind that puts slavers and rapists out of business, if not ending their lives outright.”
“Jack…it sounds as if you’re getting ready to fight a war.”
“That’s exactly what I’m doing,” Jack agreed. “A war against the kind of scum who treat people as disposable sources of revenue, scum who traffic in misery.”
Aria was silent for a moment.
The pirate captain regarded her carefully, before saying, “Aria, this is still the life of danger and adventure I offered you. But there is a purpose behind it, and I wanted you to know what that purpose is.”
Although Jack was absolutely sure about his intentions, and the reasons behind them, he was nervous about how Aria would react to all of this information. He wanted two things: to help his sister fight against a cancerous evil, and to live the rest of his life with his Lady Aria by his side. As he sat at the table, behind his impassive face, he was worried that he was at risk of losing one of those things.
What will I do if she says she wants no part of this? I cannot break my word to my sister, but I can’t imagine being without this woman.
Aria sat very still then looked up at him with a smile. His hopes rose.
“Jack, up until I met you, I was living a life without purpose, even if I didn’t know that. What you have described is a better and nobler purpose than I ever could have imagined,” said Aria. “Let’s stick it to those bastards.”
Joy rose in his heart. He got up from his chair and took Aria in his arms, kissing her with a fierce passion.
“Then let’s set sail for adventure, my darling. The two of us together will be unstoppable.”
