Chapter Four
Damn it to the depths.
James shifted against the foremast, staring into the horizon. What in the name of Davy Jones had he been thinking? He should have left her in that alley. Not only had he stolen her coin, but he’d kidnapped the princess of Nevarro...in hopes of what? Seeking a reward? Keeping her to himself? None of these seemed like wise options, and yet his course was firmly set.
Something smelled rotten, and James feared he’d placed himself and his crew directly in the center of a maelstrom.
A shadow fell as Smee came alongside him. He maintained his course, continuing to stare into the distance, pointedly ignoring the questioning glance from his first mate.
“Do you have a plan?” Smee asked.
James pressed his lips into a thin line, his only response a sharp exhale.
“I thought so.” Smee clucked his tongue, a habit borne of agitation and impatience.
They’d been friends since long before he became captain of the Jolly Roger. Both men had served under the command of Captain Tiberius Hook, James’s father. Their entwined histories and complicated friendship often made confrontation...personal.
“Who is she?” Smee leaned close to ensure the conversation remained only between the two of them.
As the crew milled around them, tending to duties, he knew how the weight of rumor influenced the morale of the crew. The last thing he needed was a festering boil of distrust spreading like pox through his men.
James turned to face his friend. With sharp features and thick, dark hair, many a fair maiden considered the first mate handsome, a fact they often used to their advantage when gathering information prior to a raid. But Smee had secrets, buried long ago in an attempt to unshackle himself from their weight. Their mutual regard strengthened their partnership, but it also made it more difficult to hide their true thoughts.
“A royal pain in my arse,” James grumbled before raking his fingers through his windswept hair.
“Where did you find her?”
“I didn’t find anyone.” He folded his arms across his chest. “She came to me, seeking aid.”
“Aid?” Smee lifted a brow. “She wishes to hire pirates?”
With a nod, James continued, “I relieved her of her coin and led her to my cabin.”
“Why in the devil...?” Smee ran a hand over his stubbled jaw. “You broke your own order.”
“I never said I would come to her aid.” James smirked, even as his conscience twisted.
“Then what do you intend to do with the hellion?”
“That hellion is Princess Celeste of Nevarro.”
“Poseidon help us.” Smee swore, staring at him, his dark eyes blazing. “You kidnapped a princess?”
“In a manner...aye.”
“Have you not heard the rumors?” His first mate reined in his tone, ensuring none would hear their conversation.
“What rumors?”
“While you had your head stuffed in a tankard of ale, we gathered supplies from local merchants...” He paused, as if reconsidering the wisdom of his words.
“Spit it out, Smee.”
“The king is dead. His eldest daughter, Caroline, is to take the throne.”
“Aye. Tell me something I do not know.” Impatience rankled James’s nerves, and he stroked a gloved fingertip over the tip of his hook.
“Both Caroline and Celeste have disappeared.” Smee inhaled sharply when James narrowed his eyes.
“Both princesses are missing?”
“Aye.” Smee glanced toward the captain’s quarters. “There is something else.”
“Kraken take me,” James growled. “What?”
“The servants claim Princess Celeste attacked Caroline in a jealous rage before disappearing.”
James straightened, his jaw clenched. Surely, this could not be true? The woman in his cabin was fierce and impassioned, to be sure, but he did not believe for one moment she would attempt to slay her own kin.
“And they have simply vanished?” He shook his head. “There is something amiss, Smee. Is there a reward for their safe return?”
“Aye.” Smee cleared his throat. “Two hundred gold talons for the return of Princess Celeste.”
James nearly choked. It was twice the amount she’d paid him. A sum he’d taken regardless of his agreement to her request.
“Shall I return us to harbor?” Smee asked, regarding him carefully.
It seemed too simple. Too easy. The princess was running from the castle, searching for someone to come to her assistance. Why? If she’d attacked her sister as they claimed, she would have been captured, contained with ease.
There was something else. Something sinister, although he could not understand the logistics of it.
Not that it mattered. He was loyal to no kingdom, to no crown. But could he condemn her to the wrath of those who accused her of such treason?
“Set sail for Vesper Harbor.” James strode to the railing, allowing the spray of sea to kiss his face.
“Vesper Harbor?” Smee rested against the rail beside him. “What do you intend to do?”
James smiled at his friend, whose countenance fell. “I need you to make some inquiries.”
“She hates me, James,” Smee lamented, his voice bitter. “What makes you so sure she’ll tell me anything worth using?”
“Madame Tinker is the finest wench in all of Nevarro. Every wealthy, landlubbing whoreson visits her esteemed house of ill repute.” James stifled a chuckle. “If anyone can provide deeper insight into what’s going on inside that castle, she can.”
“The last time we attempted to visit her fine establishment, we were escorted out at the tip of swords and promised a swift death should we return.”
“Then I am sure you will find a creative way to gain entrance.” James removed the small sack of coins he’d relieved from the princess and placed it in Smee’s hand. “Use this as leverage.”
“And if she kills me?”
“She will not kill you.” He clapped a hand on his friend’s shoulder. “Though she may threaten to do so several times, you are under the protection of the Hook, and we have a long-standing bargain.”
“One I have yet to understand.” Smee rolled his shoulders, shrugging off his captain’s touch. “I will do as you ask, but damn it to the depths.”
“I am never one to pry into my men’s personal affairs.” James stroked his jaw. “But you must tell me how you managed to permanently earn such vehement dislike from the effervescent Madame Tinker.”
Smee glared at him. “Perhaps you should go in my stead and ask her yourself.”
“I may in the future, but not at this time.” He turned toward the stern and regarded the locked door to his quarters. “I have my own mystery to unravel.”
“What will you do with her?”
“That depends entirely on what you uncover.” He tapped his hook upon the railing. “This could be a failed endeavor which places us squarely in the sights of Nevarro’s warships.”
“Or?”
“It could make us rich beyond our wildest imaginings.”
“You intend to sell her out?”
“I intend to make the best of this situation.” A hundred possibilities swarmed his mind. He shuffled them around, comparing, making careful consideration of each outcome. There were only a few that made real sense.
“Perhaps we can find a more lucrative option,” he muttered to himself.
“Captain?” Smee interrupted his thoughts.
“Set course for Vesper Harbor.”
“Aye, Captain.” Smee retreated, leaving him alone to stare over the moonlit water.
Part of James wanted to dump her at the nearest port and collect the reward, but their earlier exchange left him restless. He pulled at the seam of his trousers, where it brushed against straining flesh. She intrigued him as much as she infuriated him.
Perhaps it was best if he spoke to her again, gleaned some insight to her plan. What had she wanted to hire them to do? This information may satisfy the unanswered questions the rumors put into circulation.
As he approached his cabin, he became aware of silence hanging in the air, thick and stifling. James paused and arched a brow. Had she finally calmed her rage?
Curiosity bested him, and he pulled the key from his pocket. Fitting it to the lock, he turned the key and opened the door slowly, bracing for an attack. At a glance, the room was quiet...and clean. She’d done as he asked.
Then he saw the bed, rumpled and messy, her form curled beneath blankets. He lit and hung a lantern inside the door before closing it behind him. James took a step toward her. The stillness in the room made him uneasy.
Crack.
A blinding pain shot through his head. He raised his hook to block another blow as he spun around. The wild-eyed woman stared at him, her lips pursed in a thin line, her face flushed from exertion, her golden hair a riotous untamed halo. A silver tray lay in her grip.
“Bloody hell, wench,” he growled, reaching for her.
She jumped out of his reach, lunging for the door. He beat her to it and trapped her against the solid wood. James grabbed a handful of her hair and pulled. The curls wrapped like silk around his hand. He pressed his weight into her.
“We’re in the middle of the bloody sea. Where do you plan on going?”
Celeste glared at him. “I knew it was a bad idea, asking a pirate for help.”
“Aye, that was a poor decision on your part.”
“Have you not tormented me enough?” She arched her brow and pressed her lips together.
James grunted as she shifted beneath him. “A pirate ship is no place for a princess.”
“I heartily agree.” A satisfied grin widened her lips.
He repressed the urge to taste them, to plunder their secrets. Her lithe curves were pressed against his body, and the rags she wore would offer no protection from his wandering hand. James swallowed a groan of need, savoring the heat of her and her sweet cloying scent of jasmine.
Any other pirate would take his fill regardless. He would claim it without heed of consequence. But James had a conscience, and though blackened and stained, it lingered, whispering in his ear. Warning him of dangerous waters ahead.
Davy Jones take him, this tempting siren would lure him to his death.