Chapter 5 #3
“So it’s about me?”
“It’s about Neverland.” He puts his hand to my forehead, likely out of habit. “But you’re part of Neverland now that Peter’s claimed you as his boon.”
“What does that mean?”
He pulls back, his eyes widening. “Oh, nothing.”
“Huran, please. I’ve been here for days. I’m losing my mind, worried Hook will come and kill me or worse, and—”
“You’re safe.” He rises. “And James isn’t going to kill you.”
I see I can’t convince him. He’s bought into whatever lies Hook’s been selling him about his intentions for me. This is going nowhere.
I lie back and pretend to let it go. “At least tell me what time the meeting is?”
He glances at the moon. “I’ve got an hour or so.
” He hurries to the door. “I need to check with Widow. She said she wanted to try to make soufflés, and I have no idea if she can pull it off.” He pauses in the hallway and turns to me.
“After the meeting, we’ll talk, all right?
I know you have questions. Once Blackbeard decides our safest course of action, I’ll be able to tell you more. Okay?”
I force myself to smile. “Okay.”
He nods and closes the door. Huran’s kind. He’s also an amazing healer. But he’s not too clever when it comes to subterfuge.
I throw off my blanket and get to my feet, then limp to the window. Sally only fluffs her feathers a bit as I stand next to her.
The beach curves away from us, palm trees waving in the breeze, dancing under the starlight.
Leaning out the window, I peer along the left side of the house and out toward the pier that juts into the sea.
Across the water and beyond the breakers, great ships are anchored and shrouded in mist. I count only three, but I know there are likely more buried in the swirling fog that hovers over the ocean.
Raucous voices pull my attention back to the pier where a rowboat has pulled up onto the beach. A pirate with an almost comically large hat steps into the sand, followed by two others.
“Don’t forget what I told you. Stick to the plan.
Bloody hell! Look at this fucking place, lads.
Gussied up like a fresh whore. Goddamn Blackbeard reminds me of my grammy, only with more lace and less mustache.
” He laughs, the others joining in as he climbs up the beach and disappears under the palm trees.
“He sounds nasty.” I exchange a look with Sally.
“But his boat looks promising.” Getting back on the water isn’t something I have any desire to do, but there’s no other way to return to Neverland.
As long as I stay in the boat, it should be okay.
That’s what I have to tell myself even as my stomach churns at the thought of rowing through the pearly fog that separates the cay from Neverland.
I can still see Hook’s map in my mind, the cay marked in his slanting black ink.
“I don’t know if I can do it, though.” I sigh. “I’m still not 100 percent, you know? Then again, if I stay here, it’s only a matter of time before Hook comes for me.”
Sally ignores me.
Which leads me down another familiar rabbit hole—why is Peter ignoring me? Why hasn’t he flown here and taken me back to the cave? When he found Coy … My thoughts stray back to that night, but I shut them off again. I can’t function if I think about Coy.
I reach out and stroke Sally’s back feathers. “Anyway, I’m curious to see what this pirate party is all about.”
“Never you mind that, lass.”
I whirl, losing my balance when I try to put my weight on my bad leg.
Hook catches me, his hands on my upper arms as he sets me back on my feet.
I back away and startle Sally off the windowsill as my back hits the shutter beside it.
“Didn’t mean to scare you.” He looks down at me, his gaze on mine.
Now that I know he’s Hook, I look at him with different eyes.
No longer a handsome pirate who takes orders from a power-hungry tyrant—he is the tyrant.
A clean-shaven one today. In fact, he looks …
Well, I think if I didn’t know who he was, I’d find him handsome in a fierce, sharp sort of way.
Dark hair, tan skin, blue eyes. He’s tall and strong, his body well muscled and his gaze sharp.
An aristocratic nose with high cheekbones, and a scar along one cheek that ends at his square jaw.
His age is a mystery, but if I had to guess, I’d say early thirties.
No longer a boy—or a fuckboy for that matter—he’s all man.
White shirt open to his lean stomach and black pants with leather boots, he’s dressed the same as always, but his shirt seems to be pressed and his boots have a shine to them instead of bog mud.
Hook is nothing like the dandy Wendy described, and he has both his hands. No wonder I didn’t recognize him.
“Is there at least a crocodile with a clock in its gut?” I blurt.
He cocks his head to the side. “Pardon?”
I throw my hands up. “Lies.” That was one of my favorite parts of her tale. Of course it was bullshit.
He straightens. “I only came to check on you. I would’ve come sooner, but Blackbeard was being a right twat about it because of Huran.”
“I’d rather you didn’t come at all.” I try to coat the words with venom.
“That so?” He only smirks.
“Are you slow? That was an insult.”
“Aye, lass. I know you were certainly trying to insult me. But that’s neither here nor there. I only came to check on you. And to tell you one thing.” He steps toward me.
I shrink against the shutter despite myself. I want to be tough, but it’s hard when a pirate captain who’s twice your size and has no qualms about killing your friends is coming after you.
He puts one hand against the wall beside my head and leans forward.
I hold my breath and fist my hands, ready to do my worst if he tries to hurt me.
Again, he glances at my lips.
A puff of breath escapes me, and I suck it back in.
“Stay here during the meeting, lass. Don’t leave this room no matter what you hear.”
“What will I hear?”
He makes a hmm noise. “Pirates aren’t exactly amenable to reason.”
“I’m aware.” I glare at him, my spine returning.
He breezes past my implication with ease. “Which means even a calm dinner could turn ugly. I don’t plan on that happening, but I don’t plan against it, either.”
“That doesn’t even make sense.”
“You understood me, lass.” He moves even closer, our bodies almost touching. “Do what I say and stay put. Lock the door when I leave. Don’t let anyone else in here unless it’s me or Huran.”
“You don’t get to tell me what to do.” I try to keep my voice from shaking but fail. Still, I continue, “I don’t care what sick plan you have for me. You aren’t my captain, and I don’t have to listen to you. Now if you would kindly fuck off, I’d appreciate it.”
His smirk is back, but this time it does things to me. Bad things. Things I’ll never admit. Why is he like this?
“We’ll see.” He grips my wrist and pulls my fist up, then he brings it to his mouth.
“Hey!” I try to wrench it away, but he’s far stronger, and he grips my other wrist to hold me in place.
He bites my thumb knuckle. Not hard, not enough to hurt.
But he doesn’t have to hurt me physically to make me shudder.
His lips against my skin, the feel of his teeth—they do that just fine on their own, no pain necessary.
He drags his lips across the knuckle then lowers my hand.
“You have to pull your thumb out of the fist, lass. If you hit a man with it tucked inside your fingers, you could break it.” He releases my other hand and pulls my thumb free, then places it along the outside of my fist. “Like this. Hit a man square on the jaw, and you might have a chance to knock him flat, but I’ll warn you, it’ll hurt if you do it right. ”
My traitorous tongue darts to my lips.
He follows the movement, his pupils widening. “In fact, there’s plenty that can hurt when you do it right.”
“Thanks for the lesson.” I want to murder my breathy voice. “Now please fuck off.”
He backs up a step. “Effective cussing is a lesson for another day.” Turning on his heel, he strides toward the door.
Did … did he just imply I’m not creative with words?
“I’ll have you know I could cuss circles around anyone.” What the hell am I saying? No, I certainly can’t. He’s a sailor, for heaven’s sake.
“We’ll see,” he says with the smug, infuriating tone. “After the meeting.” He closes the door behind him, but I don’t hear him walk away.
I creep over to the door and listen.
“Lock it, lass.” His voice vibrates through the wood.
I flip the lock and flip him off, even though he can’t see me.
He walks away with a chuckle, and then I hear his boots on the stairs.
That settles it. If he’s coming for me after the meeting, then I have to get the hell out of here before it’s over. I can’t risk falling into his hands again, not when I know he has zero qualms about killing.
I return to the window and peer out at the rowboat. Despite the acid churning in my stomach, I know it’s the only way off this cay that doesn’t end with me at Hook’s mercy. My decision is already made.
I go to my bed and start winding up the sheets to make a rope. I’m halfway done when yelling breaks out downstairs, and I’m lowering it out the window when a shot is fired, followed by a scream, a curse, and the sound of a bottle smashing.
Damn pirates.