believe me.
Angel lowers her gaze to her naked feet. “Well, thank you then.”
Thank you? What bullshit is that? I’m a pirate but God knows I never tortured a woman. “Listen, I know I went hard on you yesterday. Won’t happen again. You don’t have to be afraid of me.”
Her eyes find mine. There’s a layer of confusion in her gaze and also a flash of hope. She clasps her hands in front of her stomach. “Am I still your prisoner?”
Theoretically she is, but I want her to feel comfortable, too. “You’re my guest.”
“Am I free to leave the ship?”
“Um…no.”
“Then I am your prisoner.” Sadness gives way to anger in her eyes as she walks past me back into my bedroom and closes the door. A click sounds from the lock when she turns the key.
My jaw drops. She just freaking locked me out of my own cabin. I could walk out on deck and try the other door, but I’m sure she just locked that one, too.
She should have done that last night. Then I wouldn’t have been tempted to stand by the door for hours and watch her sleep. And I would have never found out that she does know where the treasure is.
After Smee and I had taken Angel to my quarters and he’d left, I tried to drink myself senseless in my study, just to escape the urge to slip through the door and sniff her hair again, which smells so temptingly of cinnamon it intoxicated me all the way back from the jungle. I was down to my second bottle of rum when the soft sound of her voice carried through the wall. She was mumbling in her sleep. About her life, her home, people there, and how she longed to hear someone laugh again. Things that didn’t make any sense to me. I think she even mentioned her real name, but I can’t be sure and I didn’t care much either. But when she started apologizing to Peter Pan for selling him out and assuring him that she didn’t tell the evil Captain Hook where the treasure cave was, she had my attention.
She didn’t reveal the location in her sleep, but now I’m sure that she does know where it is. I’m forced to keep her onboard until I can tease the information out of her. And if she stays stubborn and I have to listen to her sleep-talking every night from now on…well, I know worse ways to spend a night.
But what she said about me—about my ugly soul—echoes in my mind like the beat of a drum. I realize I broke her spirit last night. Maybe I should try to repair some of it. She doesn’t look like the sassy lass I met at the seaport anymore. And it kind of bothers me. If I can find my treasure with Angel’s assistance, voluntary or not, I might as well help her find a way back to London in return.
“Smee!” I yell on the way out of my study. He stands behind the wheel steering the ship parallel to the coast, like I ordered him to do. “Drop anchor and get down here!”
Ten minutes later, Jack Smee meets me by the railing. “What’s up, Cap’n?”
“I need you to run another errand.”
A smug grin stretches his mouth. “More dresses for the girl?”
“No. The one she’s wearing looks good enough.” Much too good, I had the opportunity to find out while staring at her bare shoulders due to the wide-cut collar of the blue dress. “I want you to take a dinghy and two men. Go back to the port. Find every nautical map there is. Afterward go to the forest and meet the fairies.”
“Remona and Bre’Shun?” There’s an uncomfortable edge to his voice. I know he doesn’t like talking to the fairy sisters. Nobody does. There are rumors they use young men for their obscure potions and charms. And then they can be…exhausting at times.
“If anyone knows something about this London , then it’s them.”
“So we’re trying to help the girl now?” He takes on a huffish stance, arms folded, head tilted, and one eyebrow arched. “What about the original plan? To wait until she comes forth with the information we want?”
“Can’t hurt to look into the maps in the meantime, can it?”
Angel lowers her gaze to her naked feet. “Well, thank you then.”
Thank you? What bullshit is that? I’m a pirate but God knows I never tortured a woman. “Listen, I know I went hard on you yesterday. Won’t happen again. You don’t have to be afraid of me.”
Her eyes find mine. There’s a layer of confusion in her gaze and also a flash of hope. She clasps her hands in front of her stomach. “Am I still your prisoner?”
Theoretically she is, but I want her to feel comfortable, too. “You’re my guest.”
“Am I free to leave the ship?”
“Um…no.”
“Then I am your prisoner.” Sadness gives way to anger in her eyes as she walks past me back into my bedroom and closes the door. A click sounds from the lock when she turns the key.
My jaw drops. She just freaking locked me out of my own cabin. I could walk out on deck and try the other door, but I’m sure she just locked that one, too.
She should have done that last night. Then I wouldn’t have been tempted to stand by the door for hours and watch her sleep. And I would have never found out that she does know where the treasure is.
After Smee and I had taken Angel to my quarters and he’d left, I tried to drink myself senseless in my study, just to escape the urge to slip through the door and sniff her hair again, which smells so temptingly of cinnamon it intoxicated me all the way back from the jungle. I was down to my second bottle of rum when the soft sound of her voice carried through the wall. She was mumbling in her sleep. About her life, her home, people there, and how she longed to hear someone laugh again. Things that didn’t make any sense to me. I think she even mentioned her real name, but I can’t be sure and I didn’t care much either. But when she started apologizing to Peter Pan for selling him out and assuring him that she didn’t tell the evil Captain Hook where the treasure cave was, she had my attention.
She didn’t reveal the location in her sleep, but now I’m sure that she does know where it is. I’m forced to keep her onboard until I can tease the information out of her. And if she stays stubborn and I have to listen to her sleep-talking every night from now on…well, I know worse ways to spend a night.
But what she said about me—about my ugly soul—echoes in my mind like the beat of a drum. I realize I broke her spirit last night. Maybe I should try to repair some of it. She doesn’t look like the sassy lass I met at the seaport anymore. And it kind of bothers me. If I can find my treasure with Angel’s assistance, voluntary or not, I might as well help her find a way back to London in return.
“Smee!” I yell on the way out of my study. He stands behind the wheel steering the ship parallel to the coast, like I ordered him to do. “Drop anchor and get down here!”
Ten minutes later, Jack Smee meets me by the railing. “What’s up, Cap’n?”
“I need you to run another errand.”
A smug grin stretches his mouth. “More dresses for the girl?”
“No. The one she’s wearing looks good enough.” Much too good, I had the opportunity to find out while staring at her bare shoulders due to the wide-cut collar of the blue dress. “I want you to take a dinghy and two men. Go back to the port. Find every nautical map there is. Afterward go to the forest and meet the fairies.”
“Remona and Bre’Shun?” There’s an uncomfortable edge to his voice. I know he doesn’t like talking to the fairy sisters. Nobody does. There are rumors they use young men for their obscure potions and charms. And then they can be…exhausting at times.
“If anyone knows something about this London , then it’s them.”
“So we’re trying to help the girl now?” He takes on a huffish stance, arms folded, head tilted, and one eyebrow arched. “What about the original plan? To wait until she comes forth with the information we want?”
“Can’t hurt to look into the maps in the meantime, can it?”
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