The Jolly Dodger (The Soul Seekers Book 8) Read online

  The Jolly Dodger

  The Soul Seekers - Book Eight

  Alice J. Black

  Copyright © 2019 by Alice J. Black

  All rights reserved.

  No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.

  Edited by Maria Pease and Ashley Conner

  Designed by Shayne Leighton

  Published by The Parliament House

  www.parliamenthousepress.com

  Contents

  The Jolly Dodger

  About the Author

  A Request from Peyton

  Also by Alice J. Black

  The Parliament House

  The Jolly Dodger

  Olivia stood with her hands on her hips, staring up at the huge ship. It was stationary and from where we were, looked mammoth against the concrete harbour. A thick chain hung into the dark blue sea. The dock teemed with life. Families, couples, groups of girls and guys hung around as we all waited to board, and I knew the trip was completely booked.

  On top of the mast, the Jolly Roger flag rolled in the breeze, against the blue sky, the skull a grinning parody of its movie counterpart.

  “You didn’t tell me it was a pirate ship.” Olivia stared me down.

  I refused to look at her. “Why does it matter?” I stood beside my best friend, admiring the view.

  The ship looked perfect. The only indication that it was a pirate ship was the flag at the pinnacle. I hoped that inside we’d get more of the pirate’s life I was promised when I bought our tickets.

  Things had been ticking over well at Soul Seekers, and now that we had a steady stream of cases through the door, taking a couple of days away seemed like a great idea.

  When Jake first suggested double dating, I didn’t think anything like this was in the cards, but then again, my life had never been conventional and it usually got much weirder than this.

  “Is it . . . I don’t know, safe?” Olivia thrust her hands wide.

  “Yes. It just looks like a pirate ship, Olive. Inside, I’m sure it’s decked out with life jackets and lifeboats.”

  “How authentic.”

  “Jeez, are you ever happy?”

  “I’m sorry. It’s just me and water, we don’t mix. And I’m sure after the fiasco of the Sapphire Bay I said I was going to pick the next outing.”

  I scratched my head as I looked from my best friend to the ship. I couldn’t recall her telling me she had a fear of water. I’m sure I would’ve looked for something with a little less of the stuff if that was the case.

  “Olivia, if I’d have waited for you to pick something, I would’ve been waiting for a year.”

  She scowled at me. Then her gaze resumed on our newest location.

  Beside her, Rob lowered his head to hers. “Don’t worry. If the ship capsizes, I can swim. I’ll bring us back to shore.”

  “Oh, what a wonderful thought.” She moaned but flashed a grin.

  “It’ll be fine, I’m sure.” Jake shifted his stance.

  I smelled his aftershave, strong and delicious, just like him. I leaned in a little closer, inhaling deeply.

  “Sure it will,” Rob agreed.

  “It looks safe enough,” Jake said.

  “This coming from the man who works in a bar,” Olivia said.

  “I don’t work in a bar. I manage one. There’s a difference.”

  “Yes there is. But being a bar manager doesn’t exactly put you in the ranks of health and safety officer, does it?”

  “Jeez. Peyton. I thought she was warming to me,” Jake mumbled and looked at me.

  I shrugged.

  After explaining why she was so hostile towards him, I let Olivia know that Jake would never replace her, but still her attitude towards my boyfriend was hot and cold.

  “How long are we actually on the boat?” Olivia asked, still staring at the hulking mass as if assessing its safety.

  “Two nights. That’s it.” I clasped my hands. “Then we’re back.”

  “Two nights?” Olivia said. “You do realise that the last time we spent two nights away I was stuck on a train with a murderous ghost.”

  “I was there, Olive.” I nodded.

  “I for one don’t regret that trip at all.” Jake grinned and squeezed my hand.

  “Well, I regret all of it,” Olivia said.

  “Olive, I think you need to take a deep breath. It’s just a couple of nights away. And besides, you agreed to this.” Rob rubbed her shoulder.

  She glanced at him, and her expression softened. “Fine. I’ll go.” She turned to face me.

  “Damn right you will. The tickets are non-refundable.” I planted my hands on my hips.

  “But if I die a horrible watery death, Peyton, I’m coming back to haunt you.”

  I laughed, the sound a bray in the quiet morning.

  A group of young men turned my way, a couple of them grinning. Then they boarded the ship.

  “Already scaring the locals. There’s my girl.” Jake slung his arm around me and enveloped me in his warmth.

  “They didn’t look scared as much as amused.” I shrugged. “I get that a lot, especially when I tell people what I do.”

  Rob clapped his hands and rubbed them together. “Come on then, guys. I think we’ve stood here for long enough. My buns are getting cold, and it won’t be long before we’re the only people left on the dock.”

  On cue, we all started moving. We were only having two nights away, so we didn’t bring much. I had a small backpack slung over my back, the very same that I usually used for ghost hunting. At least this time I didn’t need to worry about packing something nice for dinner. Jake had the same, although his was more rugged and used than mine. Rob had a duffel bag which I assumed contained Olivia’s belongings, too, as all she carried was her handbag.

  Rob took the lead, Olivia close behind, and as Jake took my hand, we travelled up the gangway to the ship, our steps echoing.

  Finding a weekend away was easy, but finding something unique had taken some time. We were about to embark on a journey on a pirate ship. Call me crazy, but I wasn’t one to do the normal thing.

  As we reached the top of the gangway, there was a man standing directly in front of us, wearing a stripy t-shirt and a black bandana complete with skull and crossbones, tied at the back of his head.

  I smiled.

  “Ahoy, mates.” His voice was authentically thick with the croak of a man who smokes forty a day. “Welcome to the one and only pirate ship cruise in Britain. The Jolly Dodger.”

  Beside me, Jake laughed and my grin grew wider.

  “The Jolly Dodger? Makes it sound like a really old ship,” Jake said.

  “The real name was copyrighted, so we went with something a little different.” The man leaned in, conspiratorially. “Anyway, it won’t affect your trip, no sir.”

  “You want the tickets?” Jake produced four tickets from his back pocket, each one marked with a skull and crossbones.

  The man took the tickets and brought them to his face for closer inspection. “I’m Pete, and I’m the ship’s first mate. You’ll always find me around. And if I’m not, I’ll be in my cabin on the top deck or dining with the captain.”

  “Not slogging the rum?” Rob grinned.

  “Certainly, but only after hours.” Pete winked. He stamped each ticket and handed them back. A souvenir. “Okay, you’re all on the same deck. Take the corridor down here to the left and down the stairs. Rooms eleven and twelve.”

  “Glad it’s not
thirteen,” Olivia muttered.

  “Superstitious?” Pete grinned. “Don’t worry. Nothing bad has ever happened on the Jolly Dodger, but mind the bumps in the middle of the night. I wouldn’t leave your bunk after dark if I was you.”

  Olivia stared at him, her lips pressed into a thin line and arms crossed.

  “Okay, come on guys.” I ended the awkward silence and looped my arm through Olivia’s. “Let’s go find our rooms.”

  “There are programmes in each of your rooms which will tell you the order of events,” Pete said.

  “Order of events?” Olivia’s head snapped back to him.

  “Yes. All voluntary, but all fun.” He winked again. “Hope to see you all soon.”

  We hadn’t even taken three steps before Olivia started moaning. Behind me, Jake and Rob closed the gap, and I hoped it was enough so that Pete couldn’t hear.

  “You didn’t tell me this was an adult version of camp. I think I made a big mistake coming here. Maybe there’s still time to leave,” Olivia said. She glanced over her shoulder but before she could make a run for it, I tugged on her arm.

  “Stop whining, you might enjoy it,” I said.

  “I doubt it. I hate group stuff. I don’t mind going out and doing things, but having to meet a whole bunch of people and do activities that incite teamwork . . .” She shook her head. “It’s like my worst nightmare.”

  “Really?” I cocked my head. “I don’t recall you being flustered when we went speed dating.”

  Her cheeks flushed and eyes narrowed.

  “Speed dating?” Rob asked. “I’m sure that’s a story I have to hear.”

  “It’s not.” Olivia shook her head. “Nothing exciting happened. Neither of us met anyone.”

  “Oh, so you were involved in this speed dating, too?” Jake rounded on me.

  I rolled my eyes, wishing I’d never mentioned it.

  “Let’s not get side tracked,” I said. “We have to think seriously about all this.”

  “Good subject change.” Jake grinned.

  “Well, if we’re back to talking about activities, Pete said they were all voluntary,” Rob said.

  “Yeah, but this is one of those sort of places that would have forfeits for those that don’t attend.” Olivia huffed. “I’ll just have to take part even though I’m going to hate it.”

  “Look, here’s the stairs.” I pointed.

  They were narrow and steep, and before Olivia had a chance to whine again, I hurried down ahead of her, using the railing to keep my balance. She took more time than usual to descend and looked paler after arriving at the bottom.

  “Are you okay?” I asked. I was starting to wonder if I’d made the right decision booking this trip.

  “Fine.” She waved it off. “Let’s find our rooms.”

  I took the lead and wandered along the corridor, passing several doors. The hallway stretched into the distance, and I reckoned there must’ve been around twenty rooms just on this one floor. There were two more floors below us and three above. The ship could hold a couple hundred people.

  “Here they are,” Jake said.

  I hadn’t been paying attention. I stopped and glanced up to see the doors, metal with a lick of paint, almost completely pressed together. We were right next door and inches apart.

  Jake asked, “Which do you guys want?” His held his arms wide, surveying each of the identical doors.

  “Either.” Rob shrugged.

  “I want twelve,” Olivia said.

  “That’s closer to thirteen.” I wiggled my brows at her.

  “Yes, but it’s an even number.”

  “You’re not seriously worried about this, are you?” I asked.

  “I told you, I don’t mix well with water. Why do you think I don’t go swimming?”

  “I don’t know,” Rob said before I could open my mouth. “You’d look killer in a bikini.” He grinned, but it quickly faded after he took one look at her stern face.

  “Let’s get inside. I want to get settled,” Olivia said.

  Jake handed the key to Rob, who opened the door.

  “Let’s take a look at the activity list, if we have to, and we’ll meet back here in half an hour,” Olivia said.

  “Olivia, we’re only in the next room,” I said.

  “Half an hour.” She stepped inside.

  Rob threw an apologetic look over his shoulder, followed her, and shut the door.

  “Number eleven.” Jake pushed the key into the lock. “Ladies first.”

  After pushing the door open, he stood aside and allowed me to pass through. The room was small and cramped. Two single beds were pressed against either wall, a slim walkway in between. The pristine white sheets were tucked in so tight there were no creases. One pillow lay at the head of each bed, below a porthole. Grey water lapped at the window.

  I smiled as I dumped my bag on the bed.

  “Single beds. You’ve got to be kidding me.” Jake shook his head and kicked the door shut behind him. “And it’s not very piratey, is it?”

  “Don’t worry. I’m sure the rest of the ship will make up for it. And as for the single beds, it just means we’ll be all the more cosy.” I grinned.

  “You seriously think two of us are going to fit in one of them?” He pointed, brows arched.

  “Sure.”

  “I don’t even think they’re single. They’re miniature.”

  “We’ll make do. Unless you want to sleep alone, that is.”

  “No.” He shook his head. “We’ll make do. Unless we can push them together.”

  I grinned and took a closer look at the beds. “I think we’re out of luck. They’re bolted to the wall.”

  “Then we’ll just have to sleep extra close.”

  “Let’s check out the activities, then.”

  A sheet of paper was pinned to the mirror. I plucked it out and studied it. It had been aged, probably with tea leaves, and curled at the corners. Very authentic. A rope border surrounded the text, with an anchor at the bottom.

  “Nice touch, don’t you think?” I said.

  “Sure.” Jake leaned in, his mouth teasing my neck.

  A shiver racked my body as I met his gaze in the reflection. My stomach skipped. Sometimes I still looked at him and wondered how I got so lucky.

  “Jake.”

  “Come on, Peyton. I’ve missed you.” He kissed me again.

  “You do realise we only spent one night away from each other?”

  I grinned as his lips marked a trail down my shoulder.

  “Maybe I don’t want to spend any nights away from you.”

  My jaw opened and closed. Was he saying what I think he was saying?

  I closed my eyes as his lips worked my neck, kissing a sweet trail down to my shoulder.

  Then I turned into him and gave into the torrent.

  I had just drifted off, when a sharp rap on the door woke me. My eyes shot open, and I panicked as I tried to orient myself. I wasn’t in my own bedroom, but I knew I was lying in Jake’s arms and that meant I was safe.

  I rubbed my eyes with the heel of my hand, and the white ceiling came into view. As I tilted my head back, I saw the murky grey water as it lapped against the window. I bolted upright, and the tiny cabin came into focus. My eyes flicked down to Jake, who was already asleep, his arm stretched over the pillow where I’d been lost in a dreamless bliss moments before.

  The knock hadn’t disturbed him one bit. The thin sheet was pulled up over his waist, but he was naked under there. His chest rose and fell in a steady rhythm, and I had the urge to curl back up in the crook of his arm.

  There was another knock. Louder and accompanied by a shout. “Peyton! Jake! It’s been half an hour.”

  “Shit,” I muttered. “Jake, wake up.” I shook him.

  He moaned under the assault and tried to swat my arm away.

  “Jake. We’re late to meet Olive.”

  His eyes flew open. Even he knew the consequences of being late for Olivia. Like
me, he bolted upright and took in his surroundings. When he met my eyes, he gave me a sheepish grin. “Sorry. I guess this was all my fault.”

  “I guess it was.” I grinned back. “Now hurry up and get dressed before she challenges us to duel or something.”

  “Come on, guys!” A third knock, followed by a sigh.

  “Two minutes!” I called.

  Both of us jumped out of bed and hurried to get dressed. I snuck a peek of Jake’s beautiful behind before he slipped his boxers on over his hips, and then I focused on getting ready. I found my jeans in a heap in the corner, while Jake located his t-shirt on top of the tiny wardrobe in the other corner of the room. I knew my face was beetroot, and after we gave each other the once over, I opened the door.

  “You’re late,” she spewed.

  “We were tired. We fell asleep.” I shrugged, hoping I looked as sincere as I was putting on.

  Behind Olivia, Rob grinned. I could only hope that Jake wasn’t grinning as stupidly.

  “You fell asleep? Peyton, we didn’t exactly travel far to get here. The dock was just half an hour down the road. How were you tired?”

  I played the fool. “I don’t know. It must be all those late nights ghost hunting.”

  “Yeah. Must be.” She pursed her lips. “Anyway, I thought we could have a proper look around. See what’s on board and where we’re going to be eating and stuff. What do you think?”

  “Sure.” I nodded and stepped into the passage.

  Jake followed. The keys jingled in his hand, and then the door closed.

  “What did you think of the activities?” she asked.

  “The activities?” I swallowed, glancing back at Jake and throwing a help-me-out-here look.

  “Yeah. The ones for tonight.”

  The only activity I remembered was the one I’d enjoyed with Jake right before a quick snooze.

  “I think they’re great,” Jake said. “Lots of choice.”

  She glanced at him and nodded. “Yes, there is. So we’ll just have to choose what we want to do. I think we should all do the same thing. Stick together sort of thing.”