Chapter 5
Hook
Her scowl held more fight and fury than a brewing hurricane. He grinned in return, savoring the press of her pink lips and the way her blonde hair spilled across her face and exposed one pointed ear.
“Why would I tell you?”
The question yanked him back to the moment. A few seconds in front of her and already her curse crept under his skin, trying to distract him. “Maybe we can make a deal?” The sooner he got what he needed and left her behind, the better.
“Ha.” She wiggled on the floor. Part of the blanket slipped down, revealing a bare shoulder. “I should trust the word of a pirate?”
“I may be a pirate, but I’m a man of my word, love.”
“I. Am. Not. Your. Love!”
He sighed. Does she always have to be so difficult? “If you’d rather I haul you off to my ship and toss you in a cell…” He shrugged as he stood.
The children looked on, unwilling to miss a moment of this encounter.
But it was curiosity on their faces, not fear or worry.
Had she adopted these children? He suspected they weren’t hers by birth.
Not one bore the faintest hint of pixie traits—not a wing, pointed ear, or spark of magic about any of them.
Blood relation or not, he wouldn’t deprive a child of their protector. He was a pirate, not a villain.
“Tell me where in this…” He gestured around. “…dwelling to find the necklace, remove the curse you put on me, and I’ll let you stay here with your dear children, savvy?”
Tink’s eyes widened, but before she could respond, the tallest child, the one with red hair, spoke up. “We’re not hers.”
“Oh?” His brows rose as he looked between the two. “She’s not your mother? Protector?”
“We don’ need no parents,” one boy said.
“Yeah!” two others agreed.
He could have sworn Tink groaned before she let her head thump against the floor.
“She wanted to toss us out,” Red said. “Wouldn’t even give us pixie dust.”
Well, now, this made things even more interesting. Hook leaned back on the edge of the table as Tink pushed to her knees.
“No generosity for these poor kids, eh?” Not that they needed pixie dust at their age, unless they planned to sell it.
He rubbed his chin. Smart kids, tracking down a pixie for her dust. He might be able to use such savvy young ones from time to time.
And by the looks of them, they could use the work.
Their clothes were barely stitched together, and sunken cheeks spoke of too many missed meals.
Fragmented memories of his childhood tried to creep back into the shadows of his mind, but he blocked them out. No time for that.
Tink tried to blow the hair out of her face, but it fell right back, trailing down to the edge of the blanket just below her bare collarbone.
He’d had only a brief glimpse of her before she fled the bar, but Hook could have sworn she’d been more clothed.
“They invaded my home, attacked me, and tied me up,” she said. “You really expect me to welcome them?”
Not her kids then. Nor even friends.
“How about I sweeten the deal for you then?” Hook replied. “Give me the necklace, get rid of this curse, and I’ll leave you in peace. I’ll even take this lot with me.”
Her whole body slumped. “I can’t.” The reply was so quiet, he nearly missed it.
Red stepped forward, hands on his hips. “We’re not going anywhere.”
Hook ignored him and knelt in front of Tink again. She looked at the floor, not meeting his gaze. Even with them both on their knees, her head just reached his neck. She’d fit perfectly against him, sharp little teeth grazing his neck while her tongue…
He coughed, shaking away the unwanted thought. “What did you say?”
“We’re not—”
“Yeah, yeah.” Hook waved at the kids. “Heard you the first time.”
Tink took a deep breath and finally tilted her head up to look at him. Her normally alluring gaze had turned somber. He almost felt bad for the tricky woman. The vulnerability vanished as she notched her chin higher. “I can’t give it to you. I don’t have it anymore.”
Bloody hell. Hook swayed, nearly blown over by her words. She didn’t have it? Hell storms. She surely hadn’t spent the sum the Heart of Fire would fetch on this ramshackle treehouse. Which meant she still had the money.
He grazed the underside of her chin with his hook, just enough for her to flinch against the cool metal but leave her unharmed. “Who’d you sell it to? Where’s the gold?”
“I didn’t sell it. I gave it back to the mermaids.”
Hook shook his head. “The—”
“Mermaids!” the littlest boy yelled, drawing their attention. “I want to see—”
“Hush,” Red said.
Bloody kids. And bloody mermaids. They were a curse-mongering lot—among other things. “You didn’t place the curse on me, did you, love?”
Tink’s frown wrinkled into a snarl. “Pixies don’t curse people.”
No, he didn’t think so. But it was hard to be sure where pixies were concerned. Most kept to themselves in their hidden cities. A lot of what people knew of them came more from rumor and legend than personal experience. “No, but you gave the mermaids my name, huh?”
“They wanted vengeance and asked who’d stolen their necklace. Why wouldn’t I give them an answer?”
Nothing good ever came from angering the merfolk.
Their queen, Titania, had a short temper.
No wonder it was the sea—the queen’s domain—that ailed his crew.
She’d likely tacked on the extra curse of desiring the pixie who stole from him just for fun.
He could almost see her cackling from her favorite rock.
His hook scrapped a gouge in the table. But bloody hell, if she was going to curse someone for the theft, it shouldn’t have been me.
“Because I didn’t steal it from them,” he said.
Tink straightened, her eyes blinking rapidly before her head tilted to the side. “Whoops.”
“Whoops?” he echoed. The boys jumped as the tip of his hook smashed into the wood.
The blanket shifted as she attempted to shrug. “You still stole it.”
Hook stiffened. “It’s not the same.” He wasn’t fool enough to steal from the merfolk.
Stealing from Blackbeard, though…that was a joy he couldn’t pass up.
Hook’s missing hand itched. That crocodile deserved the mermaid’s wrath.
He’d string him up the mast one day, but first he needed to deal with the spitfire in front of him.
Tink blew at the hair falling across her face again.
The motion stirred something low in his gut.
Those pink lips… His mouth watered thinking of her taste.
Blast. He needed this curse removed—fast. A pretty distraction and rough seas were a pirate’s greatest weakness. Ones he couldn’t afford.
The kids whispered to one another. One bounced on his feet. Another complication, but maybe they could be useful after all. Hook stood and approached the gaggle of them. Red pushed the little one behind him.
“What’s your name, Red?”
The boy stuck his hands on his hips and straightened his spine. “Peter.”
“Well, Peter, you look like a smart boy. Since our friend Tink here won’t make a deal with me, perhaps you will.” He reached into his pocket and fished out a few coins. “As promised, and a few extra.”
The blond boy’s mouth gaped as he swayed toward the coins.
“Thank you…”
“Hook, Captain Hook.” He lifted his hat and gave a dramatic bow to the boys. “Now,” he said as he replaced his hat, “you’re all welcome to live here and enjoy this fascinating home while I take this meddlesome pixie with me.”
“What?” Tink screeched. “This is my house.”
Hook looked over his shoulder at the fuming beauty on the floor. Blast, she’s lovely when she’s furious. “It was your home, love.”
“I’m not your—”
“But seeing as you stole a very valuable treasure, I think this is a more than fair trade. You and the boys will watch after the place, right, Peter?” He winked at the boy.
“Of course.” Peter grinned in return.
“And…if you happen to find a beautiful necklace—chain gold and a ruby bigger than that coin I gave you—hold on to it for me? I’ll make it worth your while.
” He tossed another coin to the lad, who grabbed it out of the air.
They wouldn’t find the necklace, if Tink was to be believed, but perhaps they’d find some other lovelies for him.
With another wink to the boys, he turned back to the woman on the floor.
“Time to get back to my ship. The crew’ll think you bespelled me again. ”
Cloth rustled on stone as she thrashed against the rope still binding her arms. “I’m not going anywhere with you.”
“Oh, on the contrary. We’re going to find us some mermaids.”
In moments, he had her hoisted over his shoulder, barely dodging a kick to his own treasured jewels.
“You cannot just…just steal me!”
“Pirate, remember?”
“Insufferable, lousy, no-good, thieving pirate!”
His chest rumbled with laughter. “Who’s the thief?”
She screamed in frustration and thrashed in his grip.
“You’ll want to stop that,” Hook said. “It’s a long drop down that ladder of yours.” She stilled like a sack of grain. Smart girl. The climb down would be difficult at best with his good hand occupied holding her steady.
He tipped his hat with his hook. “Boys.” Without another glance, he headed for the exit, ready to be rid of this place for good.
No sooner had he left the room than the boys let out excited whoops and cheers.
Soft, rapid thumping echoed as they took off to explore their new abode.
Tink sighed—more frustration than resignation.
He could almost picture her pout. Too bad he couldn’t see her face, or any of her with the blanket tied around her. He’d remedy that. Soon, very soon.